Branch Rickey

From SoSH

Branch Rickey

Born:	December 20, 1881
Birthplace:	Flat, Ohio
Height:	5' 9"
Weight:	175 lbs
Bats:	Left
Throws:	Right
Drafted:
College:	Ohio Wesleyan University
High School:
Teams:	St. Louis Browns 1905-1906, `14 New York Highlanders 1907
Managed:	St. Louis Browns 1913-1915 St. Louis Cardinals 1919-1925

1 Overall Career
2 Awards
3 Trivia
4 External Links

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Overall Career

Wesley Branch Rickey (December 20, 1881 - December 9, 1965) began his career in baseball as a player and manager, but eventually became one of baseball's most important and influential executives. Rickey played four seasons in the major leagues and produced just one good season in 1906, hitting .284/.345/.393 for the St. Louis Browns of the American League; as a manager, his St. Louis Cardinals had three winning seasons from 1921 to 1923, but never finished higher than third. Rickey did not look like he would ever make the Hall of Fame, but as an executive, Rickey would earn his spot in Cooperstown.

While managing the Cardinals, Rickey invested in several minor league teams with the intent of using them to develop players for the major league club. This was the precursor to the modern minor league system, where more teams are tied to major league clubs than operate independently. Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis did his best to foil Rickey's system, but was not successful. The Cardinals won two World Series in the 1930s under Rickey's system.

Rickey went to the Brooklyn Dodgers after his good friend Larry MacPhail was sent overseas during World War II. Rickey introduced the first full-time spring training facility when the Dodgers took up residence in Vero Beach, Florida for preseason workouts and practices. He also encouraged the use of batting helmets, batting cages, and pitching machines, which are now commonplace. His most famous and influential act as general manager, however, was the signing of Jackie Robinson to a contract with the Dodgers on August 28, 1945. Robinson spent the 1946 season with the Montreal Royals of the International League and made it to the big leagues on April 15, 1947. Bill Veeck integrated the Cleveland Indians in late 1947, and by 1959, all of the Major League teams were integrated, due in large part to the success Rickey had with Robinson.

Rickey's years in Pittsburgh were largely uneventful, though before he resigned, he drafted and signed Roberto Clemente. Rickey spent a few more years in baseball, first as the president of the proposed Continental League in 1959 (forcing the Major Leagues to expand the existing two leagues) and later as an assistant to Cardinals owner August Busch, Jr. in 1964.

Rickey left baseball and worked as a public speaker in his later years. He collapsed during a speech in Columbia, Missouri and died a month later at the age of 83.

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