Walsh, Christy

Walter "Christy" Walsh (December 2, 1891 – December 29, 1955) was an American writer, cartoonist, and sports agent. He is known for acting as Babe Ruth's agent, and is considered to be the first baseball sports agent. "By Arrangement with Christy Walsh"; Walsh was a pioneer of sports licensing. His most frequent device was getting sports stars to put their names on ghostwritten articles in newspapers and magazines. Many a WS game was "analyzed" by a star who was nowhere near the scene of action. A 1911 graduate of St. Vincent's College in Los Angeles, Walsh first worked for the Los Angeles Express. In 1921, he started his own syndicate, creating a major industry for stars like Ruth, Gehrig, Rockne, and others. Walsh was sports director for the 1939-40 New York World's Fair.