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Sam Breadon

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603:— 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but Breadon was hit with a $ 5,000 fine and a 30-day suspension by Chandler, although both punishments were quickly rescinded.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. 739: 38: 631:, 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. 662:
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
425:'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 305:, 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.) 231:
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
1202: 261:, Hornsby's Redbirds won the franchise's first-ever National League pennant and World Series championship, a seven-game triumph over the 219:, perfected by the Cardinals and — when the Redbirds came to dominate the National League — eventually copied by the 15 other MLB teams. 1302: 211:, discovered that the team could compete successfully against richer opponents by developing its playing talent on an assembly line of 1322: 1072: 1337: 1312: 1195: 653: 162: 1307: 1046: 771: 1327: 990: 960: 933: 899: 200:
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
792: 154: 150: 528:(the year of Breadon's death and two years after he sold the club), but off-field issues dogged the franchise. 169: 1039: 478:
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.
892: 137:) (July 26, 1876 – May 8, 1949) was an American executive who served as the president and 8: 1218: 1094: 640: 197: 193: 142: 77: 840: 239:, on May 31, Breadon moved Rickey into the front office full-time as business manager — 1175: 1143: 975: 918: 581: 228: 173: 818:
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.
615:, Breadon learned that some of his players planned to 718:"St. Louis Cardinals Team History & Encyclopedia" 595:— without the permission of Commissioner of Baseball 253:
The move was highly successful. Rickey would forge a
125: 451:. Their home attendance also was devastated by the 297:(obtained from the Giants in the Hornsby trade) and 119: 113: 110: 606: 486:interrupted the momentum and — despite their three 222: 184:Of Scottish and Irish descent, Breadon was born in 107: 1217: 974: 917: 204:dealerships, and became a self-made millionaire. 879:The Pride of Havana: A History of Cuban Baseball, 576:. When Lanier defected in May, he had thrown six 179: 1318:Deaths from prostate cancer in the United States 1284: 555:, signed away three important Cardinal players: 196:at the turn of the 20th century and entered the 955:Jefferson, NC, McFarland & Company (2016). 893:"Interview with Stanley F. Musial, May 17, 1978 805:Branch Rickey: Baseball's Ferocious Gentleman. 686:Branch Rickey: Baseball's Ferocious Gentleman. 455:, with the 1934 world champions—the colorful " 1203: 1073: 634: 1210: 1196: 1080: 1066: 1042:St. Louis Cardinals Team Ownership History 243:in contemporary terms — and promoted star 850: 848: 188:and raised in a working-class family in 836: 834: 531: 257:career as a general manager, while, in 16:American baseball executive (1876–1949) 1285: 1047:Society for American Baseball Research 952:Frick*: Baseball's Third Commissioner. 772:Society for American Baseball Research 1333:Major League Baseball team presidents 1191: 1061: 1006: 900:Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History 877:Gonzalez Echevarria, Roberto (2001), 845: 740:"Breakout selected from 1920 to 1947" 972: 915: 831: 1000: 706:State of Missouri Death Certificate 619:rather than take the field against 13: 765: 678: 14: 1354: 1303:Businesspeople from New York City 1053:Biography - Baseball Hall of Fame 1033: 580:victories in six starts, with an 536:Attendance was about to spike in 308: 1323:Major League Baseball executives 607:Abortive strike against Robinson 518: 223:President/owner of the Cardinals 103: 36: 966: 943: 909: 885: 870: 859: 623:of Rickey's Dodgers, the first 1338:St. Louis Cardinals executives 1313:Deaths from cancer in Missouri 810: 797: 786: 759: 732: 699: 599:and National League president 591:In June 1946, Breadon flew to 180:Successful Pierce-Arrow dealer 1: 1308:Businesspeople from St. Louis 692: 663:appeared they were moving to 1328:Major League Baseball owners 333:, and earned NL pennants in 7: 10: 1359: 1343:St. Louis Cardinals owners 635:Sale to Saigh and Hannegan 543:That season, the "outlaw" 18: 1232: 1106: 495:and throughout the lower 85: 66: 47: 35: 28: 720:. Baseball-Reference.com 547:, operating outside the 465:that year's World Series 427:Commissioner of Baseball 1237:Helene Hathaway Britton 1130:Helene Hathaway Britton 816:Feldmann, Doug (2000). 511:states and much of the 430:Kenesaw Mountain Landis 1049:Team Ownership Project 1007:Purdy, Dennis (2006). 904:University of Kentucky 820:. McFarland & Co. 745:Baseball-Reference.com 227:Rickey also served as 891:William J. Marshall, 255:Baseball Hall of Fame 147:Major League Baseball 99:Samuel Wilson Breadon 90:Major League Baseball 973:Kahn, Roger (2014). 916:Kahn, Roger (2014). 549:"Organized Baseball" 532:Mexican League raids 250:to playing manager. 1220:St. Louis Cardinals 1097:St. Louis Cardinals 950:Carvalho, John P., 671:and its president, 524:contenders through 198:automobile industry 143:St. Louis Cardinals 78:St. Louis, Missouri 1176:William DeWitt Jr. 1144:Robert E. Hannegan 654:Postmaster General 582:earned run average 551:structure and its 174:winning percentage 1280: 1279: 1185: 1184: 1112:Chris von der Ahe 1011:. New York City: 992:978-1-62336-297-3 961:978-1-4766-2663-5 935:978-1-62336-297-3 774:Biography Project 303:1928 World Series 190:Greenwich Village 96: 95: 61:New York City, US 1350: 1226: 1221: 1212: 1205: 1198: 1189: 1188: 1178: 1171: 1164: 1157: 1150: 1139: 1132: 1125: 1114: 1099: 1098: 1091: 1090:Principal owners 1082: 1075: 1068: 1059: 1058: 1027: 1026: 1004: 998: 996: 980: 970: 964: 947: 941: 939: 923: 913: 907: 889: 883: 874: 868: 863: 857: 852: 843: 838: 829: 814: 808: 803:Lowenfish, Lee, 801: 795: 790: 784: 783: 781: 779: 763: 757: 756: 754: 752: 736: 730: 729: 727: 725: 714: 708: 703: 684:Lowenfish, Lee, 641:Sportsman's Park 625:African-American 557:starting pitcher 453:Great Depression 438:Brooklyn Dodgers 407:Red Schoendienst 287:Billy Southworth 263:New York Yankees 132: 131: 128: 127: 124: 121: 118: 115: 112: 109: 73: 57: 55: 40: 26: 25: 1358: 1357: 1353: 1352: 1351: 1349: 1348: 1347: 1283: 1282: 1281: 1276: 1272:Bill DeWitt III 1228: 1224: 1219: 1216: 1186: 1181: 1174: 1167: 1160: 1153: 1142: 1135: 1128: 1123:Stanley Robison 1117: 1110: 1102: 1096: 1095: 1089: 1086: 1036: 1031: 1030: 1023: 1005: 1001: 993: 971: 967: 948: 944: 936: 914: 910: 890: 886: 875: 871: 864: 860: 853: 846: 839: 832: 815: 811: 802: 798: 791: 787: 777: 775: 764: 760: 750: 748: 738: 737: 733: 723: 721: 716: 715: 711: 704: 700: 695: 681: 679:Further reading 657:Robert Hannegan 650:prostate cancer 637: 621:Jackie Robinson 609: 534: 521: 446:American League 375:Whitey Kurowski 311: 275:New York Giants 241:general manager 225: 182: 159:National League 139:principal owner 106: 102: 81: 75: 71: 62: 59: 53: 51: 43: 42:Breadon in 1941 31: 24: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1356: 1346: 1345: 1340: 1335: 1330: 1325: 1320: 1315: 1310: 1305: 1300: 1295: 1278: 1277: 1275: 1274: 1269: 1264: 1259: 1254: 1249: 1244: 1239: 1233: 1230: 1229: 1215: 1214: 1207: 1200: 1192: 1183: 1182: 1180: 1179: 1172: 1169:Anheuser-Busch 1165: 1158: 1151: 1140: 1133: 1126: 1115: 1107: 1104: 1103: 1085: 1084: 1077: 1070: 1062: 1056: 1055: 1050: 1040:Stangl, Mark, 1035: 1034:External links 1032: 1029: 1028: 1021: 999: 991: 965: 942: 934: 908: 884: 869: 858: 844: 830: 809: 796: 793:Newspapers.com 785: 766:Armour, Mark. 758: 731: 709: 697: 696: 694: 691: 690: 689: 680: 677: 669:Anheuser-Busch 665:Houston, Texas 636: 633: 608: 605: 597:Happy Chandler 571:second baseman 553:reserve clause 545:Mexican League 533: 530: 520: 517: 461:Detroit Tigers 411:Enos Slaughter 351:Harry Brecheen 310: 309:Built NL power 307: 295:Frankie Frisch 283:Bill McKechnie 248:Rogers Hornsby 245:second baseman 224: 221: 192:. He moved to 181: 178: 94: 93: 87: 83: 82: 76: 74:(aged 72) 68: 64: 63: 60: 49: 45: 44: 41: 33: 32: 29: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1355: 1344: 1341: 1339: 1336: 1334: 1331: 1329: 1326: 1324: 1321: 1319: 1316: 1314: 1311: 1309: 1306: 1304: 1301: 1299: 1296: 1294: 1291: 1290: 1288: 1273: 1270: 1268: 1265: 1263: 1260: 1258: 1257:Fred Kuhlmann 1255: 1253: 1250: 1248: 1245: 1243: 1242:Branch Rickey 1240: 1238: 1235: 1234: 1231: 1227: 1222: 1213: 1208: 1206: 1201: 1199: 1194: 1193: 1190: 1177: 1173: 1170: 1166: 1163: 1159: 1156: 1152: 1149: 1145: 1141: 1138: 1134: 1131: 1127: 1124: 1120: 1116: 1113: 1109: 1108: 1105: 1100: 1092: 1083: 1078: 1076: 1071: 1069: 1064: 1063: 1060: 1054: 1051: 1048: 1044: 1043: 1038: 1037: 1024: 1022:0-7611-3943-5 1018: 1014: 1010: 1003: 997:Pages 253–264 994: 988: 984: 979: 978: 969: 963:, pp. 111–112 962: 958: 954: 953: 946: 937: 931: 927: 922: 921: 912: 905: 901: 898: 894: 888: 882: 880: 873: 867: 862: 856: 851: 849: 842: 837: 835: 827: 826:9780786408580 823: 819: 813: 806: 800: 794: 789: 773: 769: 768:"Sam Breadon" 762: 747: 746: 741: 735: 719: 713: 707: 702: 698: 687: 683: 682: 676: 674: 670: 666: 660: 658: 655: 651: 647: 642: 632: 630: 626: 622: 618: 614: 604: 602: 598: 594: 589: 587: 586:Jorge Pasquel 583: 579: 578:complete game 575: 572: 568: 565: 561: 558: 554: 550: 546: 541: 539: 529: 527: 519:Postwar years 516: 514: 510: 506: 502: 498: 494: 489: 485: 482:edition. 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Retrieved 712: 701: 685: 673:Gussie Busch 661: 638: 629:Dixie Walker 610: 590: 542: 535: 522: 509:Great Plains 484:World War II 473: 442: 423:Joe McCarthy 418:World War II 415: 403:Howie Pollet 379:Marty Marion 312: 291:Gabby Street 279: 252: 234: 226: 213:minor league 206: 202:Pierce-Arrow 183: 167:World Series 134: 98: 97: 72:(1949-05-08) 1298:1949 deaths 1293:1876 births 1247:Sam Breadon 1137:Sam Breadon 593:Mexico City 567:Fred Martin 434:free agents 399:Stan Musial 395:Terry Moore 391:Johnny Mize 387:Joe Medwick 371:Chick Hafey 217:farm system 163:NL pennants 149:(MLB) from 70:May 8, 1949 30:Sam Breadon 1287:Categories 1225:presidents 1155:Fred Saigh 1148:Fred Saigh 906:Libraries. 751:October 6, 693:References 646:Fred Saigh 601:Ford Frick 560:Max Lanier 363:Dizzy Dean 299:Eddie Dyer 271:Lou Gehrig 92:team owner 86:Occupation 54:1876-07-26 1101:franchise 611:Then, in 574:Lou Klein 513:Southwest 505:Louisiana 267:Babe Ruth 194:St. Louis 940:Page 114 564:swingman 501:Arkansas 493:Missouri 488:pennants 165:and six 153:through 135:BRAY-din 1093:of the 1013:Workman 881:page 21 778:30 July 497:Midwest 469:Detroit 229:manager 141:of the 1146:& 1121:& 1019:  989:  983:Rodale 959:  932:  926:Rodale 824:  617:strike 507:, the 449:Browns 409:, and 1119:Frank 1017:ISBN 987:ISBN 957:ISBN 930:ISBN 822:ISBN 780:2018 753:2013 726:2013 613:1947 569:and 538:1946 526:1949 480:1941 476:1938 357:and 355:Mort 343:1943 341:and 339:1930 335:1928 331:1946 329:and 327:1944 323:1942 319:1934 315:1931 269:and 259:1926 237:1925 155:1947 151:1920 80:, US 67:Died 48:Born 463:in 265:of 235:In 145:of 1289:: 1045:, 1015:. 985:. 928:. 902:, 895:, 847:^ 833:^ 770:. 742:. 667:, 562:, 515:. 503:, 499:, 471:. 413:. 405:, 401:, 397:, 393:, 389:, 385:, 381:, 377:, 373:, 369:, 365:, 361:, 353:, 349:, 337:, 325:, 321:, 317:, 293:, 289:, 285:, 133:; 117:eɪ 1211:e 1204:t 1197:v 1081:e 1074:t 1067:v 1025:. 995:. 938:. 828:] 782:. 755:. 728:. 129:/ 126:n 123:ə 120:d 114:r 111:b 108:ˈ 105:/ 101:( 56:) 52:( 23:.

Index

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
1926

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