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Sam Breadon

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614:— for a "fact-finding" meeting with Pasquel; the raids on the Cardinals stopped, but Breadon was hit with a $ 5,000 fine and a 30-day suspension by Chandler, although both punishments were quickly rescinded. Lanier, Klein and Martin, meanwhile, were banned by Chandler from Organized Baseball for jumping their contracts; they would not be reinstated until June 5, 1949. 750: 49: 642:, but it had sympathizers across the league and widespread support among the Cardinals. Breadon flew to New York, conferred with NL president Frick, and then met with his team, where he read a strongly worded message from Frick vowing to suspend all the strikers from baseball. The threat then evaporated. 673:
Breadon died in St. Louis 18 months later at the age of 72. As it turned out, the ballpark fund nearly forced the Cardinals out of town. When the tax dodge that made the purchase possible came to light, Saigh—who by this time was sole owner—was forced to put the Cardinals on the market. Just as it
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as tenants of the American League Browns. By the 1940s, Breadon chafed at this arrangement, since the Cardinals had long since passed the Browns as St. Louis' favorite baseball team. He set aside $ 5 million to build a new park, but was unable to find any land. By November 1947, he was facing the
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After Rickey's departure, Breadon played an active role in the Cardinals' baseball operations through World War II and into the postwar era. But, apart from winning the 1946 championship, Breadon's final two years as the Redbirds' owner were fraught with difficulty. The Cardinals remained pennant
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and two World Series titles — the Cardinals treaded water in attendance, although exceeding the National League average, from 1942–1945. However, with their on-field success and the advent of radio in the 1930s, they would develop a fanatical regional following, their appeal extending beyond
436:'s Yankees in a Fall Classic, taking the series four games to one. That season marked the last year of the Breadon-Rickey tandem; their relationship had begun to fray during the late 1930s, when Breadon sold his automobile dealerships and became more involved in his baseball team, and 316:, and he would be elected to the Hall of Fame in 1962 for his credentials as a manager. (Hornsby and Frisch were elected to the Hall on the strength of their brilliant playing careers, and in 2008 Southworth would enter the Cooperstown shrine posthumously for his managerial success.) 242:
of the Cardinals beginning in 1919; Breadon succeeded him as club president in 1920. Later that year, he bought enough stock to become the largest shareholder. Though it took him until 1922 to acquire controlling interest, from 1920 onward he was the head of the franchise.
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Rickey worked for Breadon until the end of 1942. Breadon ceded Rickey wide-ranging authority in baseball matters, but Breadon always reserved the right to choose the team's field manager. In addition to Hornsby, he would select men such as
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Despite their success on the field, the 1931–1945 Cardinals were frequently plagued by low attendance. Although they were by far the dominant team, they shared St. Louis, the smallest, two-team market in the major leagues, with the
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era that won 106, 105 and 105 games in consecutive years, along with their three NL pennants and two World Series championships. The 1942 Cardinals were the only National League champion to ever defeat
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In 1917, he also became a minority investor – for $ 2,000 – in the Cardinals, then a struggling, second-division team chronically strapped for resources. But the club's enterprising young president,
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to run the Cardinals' bench. With one exception, all won world championships for St. Louis. The exception, McKechnie, was the Cards' losing skipper in the
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with another championship team and the postwar baseball boom, but the Cardinals maintained their reputation for a tight-fisted control on player salaries.
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teams, from Class D to Class AA (then the highest-ranking minor league level), that it owned and controlled. This was the effective creation of the
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Both ideas came to nothing, however; the team remained in St. Louis and continued to struggle at the turnstiles, drawing only 291,000 fans in
1213: 272:, Hornsby's Redbirds won the franchise's first-ever National League pennant and World Series championship, a seven-game triumph over the 230:, perfected by the Cardinals and — when the Redbirds came to dominate the National League — eventually copied by the 15 other MLB teams. 1313: 222:, discovered that the team could compete successfully against richer opponents by developing its playing talent on an assembly line of 1333: 1083: 1348: 1323: 1206: 664: 173: 1318: 1057: 782: 1338: 1001: 971: 944: 910: 211:
by opening a repair garage. Transitioning into sales, he purchased the Western Automobile Company, prospered as the owner of
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to play in Major League Baseball since the 1880s. The idea of a strike had originated with Robinson's disaffected teammate,
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His Cardinals won more than 100 games four times: the 1931 world champions, and then the juggernaut 1942–43–44 teams of the
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Ferkovich, Scott, "The Cardinals Briefly Considered Leaving St. Louis ... and Moving to Detroit". VintageDetroit.com
803: 165: 161: 539:(the year of Breadon's death and two years after he sold the club), but off-field issues dogged the franchise. 180: 1050: 489:
during a rare losing season, and not reaching pre-Depression attendance levels until the pennant-contending
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prospect of having to pay taxes on his fund unless he started construction on a park. When tax attorney
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of any owner in franchise history at .570. His teams totaled 2,470 wins and 1,830 losses.
903: 148:) (July 26, 1876 – May 8, 1949) was an American executive who served as the president and 8: 1229: 1105: 651: 208: 204: 153: 88: 851: 250:, on May 31, Breadon moved Rickey into the front office full-time as business manager — 1186: 1154: 986: 929: 592: 239: 184: 829:
Dizzy and the Gas House Gang: The 1934 St. Louis Cardinals and Depression-Era Baseball
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A. B. "Happy" Chandler: Desegregation of Major League Baseball Oral History Project,
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Retrosimba (March 19, 2015), "Why the Cardinals Considered Relocating to Detroit"
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of 1.93. The Mexican League might have done even greater damage to the Redbirds.
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learned of this, he persuaded Breadon—who by this time was terminally ill from
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Rickey & Robinson: The True, Untold Story of the Integration of Baseball
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Rickey & Robinson: The True, Untold Story of the Integration of Baseball
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Under Breadon, the Cardinals ruled the baseball world in 1926,
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Lincoln, Neb.: University of Nebraska Press, 2007. Page 162
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BaseballAlmanac.com, "St. Louis Cardinals Attendance Data"
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For his entire tenure as owner, the Cardinals played in
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cracked down on Rickey's farm system, making 74 players
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The Team-by-Team Encyclopedia of Major League Baseball
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Lincoln, Neb.: The University of Nebraska Press, 2007.
626:, Breadon learned that some of his players planned to 729:"St. Louis Cardinals Team History & Encyclopedia" 606:— without the permission of Commissioner of Baseball 264:
The move was highly successful. Rickey would forge a
136: 462:. Their home attendance also was devastated by the 308:(obtained from the Giants in the Hornsby trade) and 130: 124: 121: 617: 497:interrupted the momentum and — despite their three 233: 195:Of Scottish and Irish descent, Breadon was born in 118: 1228: 985: 928: 215:dealerships, and became a self-made millionaire. 890:The Pride of Havana: A History of Cuban Baseball, 587:. When Lanier defected in May, he had thrown six 190: 1329:Deaths from prostate cancer in the United States 1295: 566:, signed away three important Cardinal players: 207:at the turn of the 20th century and entered the 966:Jefferson, NC, McFarland & Company (2016). 904:"Interview with Stanley F. Musial, May 17, 1978 816:Branch Rickey: Baseball's Ferocious Gentleman. 697:Branch Rickey: Baseball's Ferocious Gentleman. 466:, with the 1934 world champions—the colorful " 1214: 1084: 645: 1221: 1207: 1091: 1077: 1053:St. Louis Cardinals Team Ownership History 254:in contemporary terms — and promoted star 861: 859: 199:and raised in a working-class family in 847: 845: 542: 268:career as a general manager, while, in 27:American baseball executive (1876–1949) 14: 1296: 1058:Society for American Baseball Research 963:Frick*: Baseball's Third Commissioner. 783:Society for American Baseball Research 1344:Major League Baseball team presidents 1202: 1072: 1017: 911:Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History 888:Gonzalez Echevarria, Roberto (2001), 856: 751:"Breakout selected from 1920 to 1947" 983: 926: 842: 1011: 717:State of Missouri Death Certificate 630:rather than take the field against 24: 776: 689: 25: 1365: 1314:Businesspeople from New York City 1064:Biography - Baseball Hall of Fame 1044: 591:victories in six starts, with an 547:Attendance was about to spike in 319: 1334:Major League Baseball executives 618:Abortive strike against Robinson 529: 234:President/owner of the Cardinals 114: 47: 977: 954: 920: 896: 881: 870: 634:of Rickey's Dodgers, the first 1349:St. Louis Cardinals executives 1324:Deaths from cancer in Missouri 821: 808: 797: 770: 743: 710: 610:and National League president 602:In June 1946, Breadon flew to 191:Successful Pierce-Arrow dealer 13: 1: 1319:Businesspeople from St. Louis 703: 674:appeared they were moving to 1339:Major League Baseball owners 344:, and earned NL pennants in 7: 10: 1370: 1354:St. Louis Cardinals owners 646:Sale to Saigh and Hannegan 554:That season, the "outlaw" 29: 1243: 1117: 506:and throughout the lower 96: 77: 58: 46: 39: 731:. Baseball-Reference.com 558:, operating outside the 476:that year's World Series 438:Commissioner of Baseball 1248:Helene Hathaway Britton 1141:Helene Hathaway Britton 827:Feldmann, Doug (2000). 522:states and much of the 441:Kenesaw Mountain Landis 1060:Team Ownership Project 1018:Purdy, Dennis (2006). 915:University of Kentucky 831:. McFarland & Co. 756:Baseball-Reference.com 238:Rickey also served as 902:William J. Marshall, 266:Baseball Hall of Fame 158:Major League Baseball 110:Samuel Wilson Breadon 101:Major League Baseball 984:Kahn, Roger (2014). 927:Kahn, Roger (2014). 560:"Organized Baseball" 543:Mexican League raids 261:to playing manager. 1231:St. Louis Cardinals 1108:St. Louis Cardinals 961:Carvalho, John P., 682:and its president, 535:contenders through 209:automobile industry 154:St. Louis Cardinals 89:St. Louis, Missouri 1187:William DeWitt Jr. 1155:Robert E. Hannegan 665:Postmaster General 593:earned run average 562:structure and its 185:winning percentage 1291: 1290: 1196: 1195: 1123:Chris von der Ahe 1022:. New York City: 1003:978-1-62336-297-3 972:978-1-4766-2663-5 946:978-1-62336-297-3 785:Biography Project 314:1928 World Series 201:Greenwich Village 107: 106: 72:New York City, US 16:(Redirected from 1361: 1237: 1232: 1223: 1216: 1209: 1200: 1199: 1189: 1182: 1175: 1168: 1161: 1150: 1143: 1136: 1125: 1110: 1109: 1102: 1101:Principal owners 1093: 1086: 1079: 1070: 1069: 1038: 1037: 1015: 1009: 1007: 991: 981: 975: 958: 952: 950: 934: 924: 918: 900: 894: 885: 879: 874: 868: 863: 854: 849: 840: 825: 819: 814:Lowenfish, Lee, 812: 806: 801: 795: 794: 792: 790: 774: 768: 767: 765: 763: 747: 741: 740: 738: 736: 725: 719: 714: 695:Lowenfish, Lee, 652:Sportsman's Park 636:African-American 568:starting pitcher 464:Great Depression 449:Brooklyn Dodgers 418:Red Schoendienst 298:Billy Southworth 274:New York Yankees 143: 142: 139: 138: 135: 132: 129: 126: 123: 120: 84: 68: 66: 51: 37: 36: 21: 1369: 1368: 1364: 1363: 1362: 1360: 1359: 1358: 1294: 1293: 1292: 1287: 1283:Bill DeWitt III 1239: 1235: 1230: 1227: 1197: 1192: 1185: 1178: 1171: 1164: 1153: 1146: 1139: 1134:Stanley Robison 1128: 1121: 1113: 1107: 1106: 1100: 1097: 1047: 1042: 1041: 1034: 1016: 1012: 1004: 982: 978: 959: 955: 947: 925: 921: 901: 897: 886: 882: 875: 871: 864: 857: 850: 843: 826: 822: 813: 809: 802: 798: 788: 786: 775: 771: 761: 759: 749: 748: 744: 734: 732: 727: 726: 722: 715: 711: 706: 692: 690:Further reading 668:Robert Hannegan 661:prostate cancer 648: 632:Jackie Robinson 620: 545: 532: 457:American League 386:Whitey Kurowski 322: 286:New York Giants 252:general manager 236: 193: 170:National League 150:principal owner 117: 113: 92: 86: 82: 73: 70: 64: 62: 54: 53:Breadon in 1941 42: 35: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 1367: 1357: 1356: 1351: 1346: 1341: 1336: 1331: 1326: 1321: 1316: 1311: 1306: 1289: 1288: 1286: 1285: 1280: 1275: 1270: 1265: 1260: 1255: 1250: 1244: 1241: 1240: 1226: 1225: 1218: 1211: 1203: 1194: 1193: 1191: 1190: 1183: 1180:Anheuser-Busch 1176: 1169: 1162: 1151: 1144: 1137: 1126: 1118: 1115: 1114: 1096: 1095: 1088: 1081: 1073: 1067: 1066: 1061: 1051:Stangl, Mark, 1046: 1045:External links 1043: 1040: 1039: 1032: 1010: 1002: 976: 953: 945: 919: 895: 880: 869: 855: 841: 820: 807: 804:Newspapers.com 796: 777:Armour, Mark. 769: 742: 720: 708: 707: 705: 702: 701: 700: 691: 688: 680:Anheuser-Busch 676:Houston, Texas 647: 644: 619: 616: 608:Happy Chandler 582:second baseman 564:reserve clause 556:Mexican League 544: 541: 531: 528: 472:Detroit Tigers 422:Enos Slaughter 362:Harry Brecheen 321: 320:Built NL power 318: 306:Frankie Frisch 294:Bill McKechnie 259:Rogers Hornsby 256:second baseman 235: 232: 203:. He moved to 192: 189: 105: 104: 98: 94: 93: 87: 85:(aged 72) 79: 75: 74: 71: 60: 56: 55: 52: 44: 43: 40: 26: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1366: 1355: 1352: 1350: 1347: 1345: 1342: 1340: 1337: 1335: 1332: 1330: 1327: 1325: 1322: 1320: 1317: 1315: 1312: 1310: 1307: 1305: 1302: 1301: 1299: 1284: 1281: 1279: 1276: 1274: 1271: 1269: 1268:Fred Kuhlmann 1266: 1264: 1261: 1259: 1256: 1254: 1253:Branch Rickey 1251: 1249: 1246: 1245: 1242: 1238: 1233: 1224: 1219: 1217: 1212: 1210: 1205: 1204: 1201: 1188: 1184: 1181: 1177: 1174: 1170: 1167: 1163: 1160: 1156: 1152: 1149: 1145: 1142: 1138: 1135: 1131: 1127: 1124: 1120: 1119: 1116: 1111: 1103: 1094: 1089: 1087: 1082: 1080: 1075: 1074: 1071: 1065: 1062: 1059: 1055: 1054: 1049: 1048: 1035: 1033:0-7611-3943-5 1029: 1025: 1021: 1014: 1008:Pages 253–264 1005: 999: 995: 990: 989: 980: 974:, pp. 111–112 973: 969: 965: 964: 957: 948: 942: 938: 933: 932: 923: 916: 912: 909: 905: 899: 893: 891: 884: 878: 873: 867: 862: 860: 853: 848: 846: 838: 837:9780786408580 834: 830: 824: 817: 811: 805: 800: 784: 780: 779:"Sam Breadon" 773: 758: 757: 752: 746: 730: 724: 718: 713: 709: 698: 694: 693: 687: 685: 681: 677: 671: 669: 666: 662: 658: 653: 643: 641: 637: 633: 629: 625: 615: 613: 609: 605: 600: 598: 597:Jorge Pasquel 594: 590: 589:complete game 586: 583: 579: 576: 572: 569: 565: 561: 557: 552: 550: 540: 538: 530:Postwar years 527: 525: 521: 517: 513: 509: 505: 500: 496: 493:edition. 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Retrieved 723: 712: 696: 684:Gussie Busch 672: 649: 640:Dixie Walker 621: 601: 553: 546: 533: 520:Great Plains 495:World War II 484: 453: 434:Joe McCarthy 429:World War II 426: 414:Howie Pollet 390:Marty Marion 323: 302:Gabby Street 290: 263: 245: 237: 224:minor league 217: 213:Pierce-Arrow 194: 178:World Series 145: 109: 108: 83:(1949-05-08) 1309:1949 deaths 1304:1876 births 1258:Sam Breadon 1148:Sam Breadon 604:Mexico City 578:Fred Martin 445:free agents 410:Stan Musial 406:Terry Moore 402:Johnny Mize 398:Joe Medwick 382:Chick Hafey 228:farm system 174:NL pennants 160:(MLB) from 81:May 8, 1949 41:Sam Breadon 1298:Categories 1236:presidents 1166:Fred Saigh 1159:Fred Saigh 917:Libraries. 762:October 6, 704:References 657:Fred Saigh 612:Ford Frick 571:Max Lanier 374:Dizzy Dean 310:Eddie Dyer 282:Lou Gehrig 103:team owner 97:Occupation 65:1876-07-26 1112:franchise 622:Then, in 585:Lou Klein 524:Southwest 516:Louisiana 278:Babe Ruth 205:St. Louis 951:Page 114 575:swingman 512:Arkansas 504:Missouri 499:pennants 176:and six 164:through 146:BRAY-din 1104:of the 1024:Workman 892:page 21 789:30 July 508:Midwest 480:Detroit 240:manager 152:of the 18:Breadon 1157:& 1132:& 1030:  1000:  994:Rodale 970:  943:  937:Rodale 835:  628:strike 518:, the 460:Browns 420:, and 1130:Frank 1028:ISBN 998:ISBN 968:ISBN 941:ISBN 833:ISBN 791:2018 764:2013 737:2013 624:1947 580:and 549:1946 537:1949 491:1941 487:1938 368:and 366:Mort 354:1943 352:and 350:1930 346:1928 342:1946 340:and 338:1944 334:1942 330:1934 326:1931 280:and 270:1926 248:1925 166:1947 162:1920 91:, US 78:Died 59:Born 474:in 276:of 246:In 156:of 1300:: 1056:, 1026:. 996:. 939:. 913:, 906:, 858:^ 844:^ 781:. 753:. 678:, 573:, 526:. 514:, 510:, 482:. 424:. 416:, 412:, 408:, 404:, 400:, 396:, 392:, 388:, 384:, 380:, 376:, 372:, 364:, 360:, 348:, 336:, 332:, 328:, 304:, 300:, 296:, 144:; 128:eɪ 1222:e 1215:t 1208:v 1092:e 1085:t 1078:v 1036:. 1006:. 949:. 839:] 793:. 766:. 739:. 140:/ 137:n 134:ə 131:d 125:r 122:b 119:ˈ 116:/ 112:( 67:) 63:( 34:. 20:)

Index

Breadon
Breadon Field

St. Louis, Missouri
Major League Baseball
/ˈbrdən/
principal owner
St. Louis Cardinals
Major League Baseball
1920
1947
National League
NL pennants
World Series
championships
winning percentage
New York City
Greenwich Village
St. Louis
automobile industry
Pierce-Arrow
Branch Rickey
minor league
farm system
manager
1925
general manager
second baseman
Rogers Hornsby
Baseball Hall of Fame

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