Claire Betz

Claire Smith Betz (January 11, 1921 – February 6, 2014) was a part-owner of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team.

She inherited her part-ownership from her husband, John Betz – who bought his share of the team in 1981 – when he died in 1990. According to Bill Conlin, she had a 33% stake in the team in 2007, making her the largest stakeholder of the ownership group.[1][2] She was part of the cabal of Phillies owners known as the "Phantom Five", so-called because of their reclusiveness and lack of involvement in Phillies affairs.[3]

The Betz family made its fortunes in Betz Laboratories, a water treatment company based in Pennsylvania.[3]

The Phillies honored Betz with the wearing of a "CB" memorial patch on their uniforms during the 2014 season.[4][5][6]

Personal life and other endeavors

Betz attended Mount Saint Joseph Academy and then Villanova University. She was a philanthropist who donated 200 acres of land to the Natural Lands Trust.[7]

References
  1. Butler, Scott. "Who are the Phillies owners?". Phils Baseball. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
  2. Conlin, Bill. "Phils' part-owner has money to burn". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
  3. "Philadelphia Phillies Owners: The Phantom Five". Philadelphia. Metro Corp. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
  4. Shenk, Larry. "Good-bye Clearwater". Retrieved April 2, 2014.
  5. "Phillies wearing CB memorial patch". Retrieved April 2, 2014.
  6. "The CB Team Would Like to Thank the Phillies for Paying Homage to Their Favorite Site This Season". Retrieved April 2, 2014.
  7. "Claire Smith Betz Obituary". Legacy.com. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
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