Andrew B. MacPhail ’76
Even before he arrived at Dickinson in 1972, Andy MacPhail’s love of baseball was firmly in place. Son of former American League President Lee MacPhail and grandson of one-time owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Yankees, Larry MacPhail, Andy grew up with baseball in his blood.
As a student at Dickinson, he donned a Red Devils’ baseball jersey. But he also took advantage of his American studies major to learn about the culture of those who enjoy the game.
By his senior year, it was evident to MacPhail that he didn’t have what it took to be a star on the baseball diamond. Nonetheless, he was determined to be a major player in baseball.
Soon after graduating from Dickinson in 1976, he became business manager for a Chicago Cubs’ farm team in Bradenton, Fla. The following year, he was called to Chicago, where he became an assistant in the Cubs’ park operations department. He bounced around the organization for the next five years, advancing to assistant director of player development and assistant director of scouting. Then, in 1982, he left Chicago to become the Houston Astros’ assistant general manager.
Three years later he said goodbye to Texas and moved north to Minnesota, where he became vice president of player personnel for the Minnesota Twins. Just more than a year later, he was promoted to executive vice president/general manager of the club. As one of the younger general managers in baseball, MacPhail led the Twins to a World Series championship in 1987. Despite a frustrating slump in 1990, he guided the club to yet another championship in 1991. The Sporting News named him “1991 Major League Executive of the Year” and United Press International honored him as “American League Executive of the Year.” These awards recognized his role in taking the Twins from the bottom of the standings in 1990 to a championship season the following year.
In September 1994, MacPhail decided to return to the club where his baseball career began– the Chicago Cubs. Turning down an enticing offer from the Twins, he became the Cubs’ president and chief executive officer–the positions that he holds today.
He fills other important roles, as well: husband and father. He lives outside of Chicago with his wife, Lark, and their sons, William Reed and Andrew Hamilton.