Top 5 MLB Owners You May Not Want to Try to Punch in the Nose

Owning a professional sports franchise is the dream of many. But turning that dream into a reality takes a lot of money.

Energy, effort, desire, and know-how are great, and definitely something that an owner should have, but what it really comes down to is money.

Money, particularly in amounts to buy a professional sports franchise, doesn't usually seem to find its way into the pockets of guys that most people consider to be tough guys.

Sure, there are owners that are bullies—the late George Steinbrenner comes to mind—and guys that will ruin your life with litigation. But who is that one owner that if he caught you sneaking into a game would be the most likely to personally "dot your eye"?

Let's take a look at the top five "tough guy" owners in MLB, based purely on their lives outside baseball and as determined by yours truly.

Ted Lerner: Washington Nationals

Ted Lerner, owner of the Washington Nationals, lands in fifth position on our list of tough guy owners because of his Army service in World War II. Anybody who serves in a war for two years learned a little bit about survival.

Even though Lerner made his money in real estate, not really a tough guy occupation, he did so in a tough market, Washington, DC.

Arte Moreno: Los Angeles Angels

Arte Moreno, earns the fourth slot on our list, again because of his service in the US Army during the Vietnam War. Army training in weapons, tactics, and surviving in the jungle likely came in handy in the business jungle as Moreno earned his fortune in the outdoor sign business.

Larry Dolan: Cleveland Indians

I'll bet you didn't know that Larry Dolan was a US Marine. For being tough enough to be in the Corps for two years Dolan earns the third slot on our list. He loses some points because it wasn't during a time of war and, well, he's a lawyer. But, he's still a Marine. That's makes him tough enough if a scrap at the next owner's smoker.

Mike Illitch: Detroit Tigers

Another US Marine, Mike Illitch secures the second spot on our tough guy list. Illitch gets additional tough guy points because he played minor league baseball for three years before a knee injury cut short his Tigers career. Illitch earns additional points because he started a pizza franchise, rather than just bought one or bought into one. He started with one store and built an empire.

Nolan Ryan: Texas Rangers

Nobody in ownership seems as capable of bloddying your nose, or maybe putting you in a sleeper-hold than Texas Rangers owner Nolan Ryan. His 25+ year MLB career as well as the beating the then 46-year-old Ryan applied to 25-year-old Robin Ventura.

Ryan never backed down or even waited for Ventura to make the first move. He threw down his glove, grabbed Ventura around the neck, and, as they say in the South, "commenced to whalin'."

But what really cements Ryan's role as a tough guy is taking a Bo Jackson line drive to the mouth and NOT coming out of the game!

Think what you want. Nolan Ryan earned the title of "Toughest Owner in Baseball". If you had any thoughts otherwise, feel free to charge at him and attempt to take the crown!