1963 Profiles: Dan Topping and Del Webb

"The Yankee co-owners - Dan Topping and Del Webb - certainly have at least one thing in common. That is a dedication to the game of baseball in general and, of course, to their Yankees in particular. Both men are interested in the welfare and progress of our National Game, the American League and certainly of the New York Yankees.

They bought the club immediately after World War II. In the ensuing years, the Yankees have captured 13 American League pennants and 10 World Championships, a record unmatched in the history of baseball.

Topping serves as the acting executive head of the club, residing in New York. While Dan has many other interests, including serving as a board member of several important corporations, his primary concern is the welfare of the New York Yankees. He sees most of the home games and spring training contests and plays an active role in the direction of the team's operations. He comes by his sports interest honestly, having participated in his early years. He was an outstanding amateur golfer, played college baseball and later was co-owner of the old Brooklyn Football Dodgers and New York Yankees of the All-American Conference.

Del Webb was a frustrated baseball player. He was making excellent progress as a pitcher in pro ball when an arm injury forced his retirement from active competition. He turned to carpentry and from there to the construction business, building the Del E. Webb Corporation into one of the largest and most successful firms in its field. Despite an amazing schedule of activity that takes him from one corner of the nation to another almost daily, Del finds time to watch his Yankees and concern himself with the club's problems. He sees the club regularly in Los Angeles, as well as frequently in New York, at spring training and elsewhere during the season.

Both owners are dedicated to bringing Yankee fans the very best in baseball entertainment in the finest ball park in America.

Baseball fans have a primary interest in the field personnel of a baseball team, but the basic success of any club starts at the top. Continuous strong management is vital to the success of any organization, and certainly this is true of the Yankees. Under the Topping-Webb ownership, no club has had a better winning record nor attracted more fans. The Yankees are dedicated to continuing the policies that have made the Yankees the most exciting and greatest attraction in sports."

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook