“It developed Saturday that Joe Tinker, President of the Columbus club, is dickering with the Cubs to let Zeider get away from the north side champions so he can boss the Columbus outfit and allow Tinker to keep out of a uniform and simply handle the business in the front office.” Washington Herald, February 10, 1919, p8
“I have discussed my relations with Mr. Dreyfuss and Mr. Bush. I have tried to explain why I was not in favor in the ‘front office,’ and I have done my best to tell about Bush’s determination to get along without me—a decision which means, of course, I’ll never again play in the only uniform I have known, the Pirates’.” Hazen Kuyler, San Diego Union (copyright by Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph and United Syndicate), October 12, 1927, p18
- NOTE: 1919 example may be just a literal use of front office to describe a place. No other uses found until the 1927 citation. (Ken Liss)
Previous earliest use (Dickson Baseball Dictionary, 3rd edition, 2009):
1ST USE. 1936. “Frequently you hear of ball clubs having difficulties because the ‘front office’ interferes too much with the players and managers trying to run their end” (Charlotte Observer, July 23; Peter Morris).
