18 Facts About Gene Budig

Gene Arthur Budig was an American baseball executive and academic administrator.

Gene Budig was the last president of the American League, serving from 1994 to 1999.

Gene Arthur Budig was born on May 25,1939, and was placed in an orphanage and adopted shortly thereafter.

Gene Budig was raised in McCook, Nebraska; his childhood goal was to become second baseman for the New York Yankees.

Gene Budig attended the University of Nebraska, where he earned a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1962.

Gene Budig subsequently undertook postgraduate studies at that same institution, obtaining a master's degree in English one year later and a Doctor of Philosophy in education in 1967.

Gene Budig went on to serve as president of Illinois State University from 1973 to 1977 and of West Virginia University from 1977 to 1981.

Gene Budig was chancellor of the University of Kansas from 1981 until 1994.

Active in the Air National Guard, Budig retired at the rank of major general in 1992.

Also during his presidency, Gene Budig had to contend with the "Rites of Spring".

Gene Budig served as KU's fourteenth Chancellor from 1981 to 1994.

Gene Budig was named president of the American League on June 8,1994.

Gene Budig served in that role for six seasons, before the position was officially abolished.

Gene Budig presented New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner with the Commissioner's Trophy after the Yankees won the first World Series to be telecast by Fox in 1996,4 games to 2.

Gene Budig presented the trophy to the Yankees following their victories in 1998 and 1999.

Gene Budig declined to counter Steinbrenner publicly; instead, he arranged for his friends at the University of Kansas' athletic department to send him the largest jockstrap they had, which he duly autographed and dispatched to Steinbrenner.

In January 2007, Gene Budig became part-owner of the Charleston RiverDogs, a minor-league affiliate of the New York Yankees who play in the South Atlantic League.

Gene Budig was 81, was in hospice care at his home in Charleston, South Carolina, in the time leading up to his death.