2014 spring 2

http://www.thestlbrowns.com http://thestlbrowns.blogspot.com http://StlBrownsMuseum.blogspot.com http ://brownsmerchandise.blogspot.com

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE ST. LOUIS BROWNS HISTO RICAL SOCIETY AND FAN CLUB

Spring 2014 Spring 2014

Where what happened yesterday is being preserved today.


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Browns Web Site Updated More than 20 pages of Browns memories available

Here’s what you get from the St. Louis Brown Historical Society website. Go to:

http://thestlbrowns.com

Remembering Bud Kane 3

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Fan Club Members 4

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Victoria Martin Appointed 7

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Browns Clinch Pennant 10

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The First Orioles 15

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The Fans Remember 22

Browns Fan Club

Membership

Card Coming Soon We’re just a few weeks away in sending

you your official St. Louis Browns

Historical Society Membership Card. Draft

pictured below - subject to change.


We regret to report that our long time Browns Fan Club member and Treasurer, Frank (Bud) Kane, passed away on March 4, 2014. Bud joined the Fan Club when it was organized in 1984 and served as its treasurer for 26 years. He’s been a Brownie fan going way back to the 1930s. Bud is also a member of SABR (Society for American Baseball Research). His business career, of over 40 years, was in the trucking business. Bud was somewhat of a walking encyclopedia of baseball with a heavy focus on the history of the St. Louis Browns. One of Bud’s many memories was attending the first night game in Sportsman’s Park against the Cleveland Indians and Bob Feller. There was no funeral as Bud donated his body to St. Louis University.

__________________________________________ Dear Brownie Fans, Friends, and Colleagues . . . . Remembering Bud Kane

From Bill McCurdy I'm only ten minutes into the news that we've lost Bud Kane, so please forgive me if I cannot find all the words to fill the need I immediately had to reach out to all of you. I have only known Bud since 1996, the first year I came to St. Louis for a Browns banquet with Jerry and Mary Witte, but I can tell you this much. - Bud Kane was one of the big reasons I joined the club and kept coming back for several other banquets over the years. Like many of you, I felt like the lucky new kid on the block who just met the one guy who got me into the sandlot game that was already going on. http://sabr.org/latest/memoriam-frank-bud-kane Bud was that kind of guy. He made strangers feel welcome. And he helped those of us newbies who loved the Browns to quickly realize that , if we loved the Browns, we never were strangers at all. Bud was a little older than me, but we came from the same Irish-American ethnic and religious pot that spread its way all over the USA from the 19th century forward. We were children of the Great Depression, but summer citizens of the sandlot that once owned American kids in every city and state back then and in the immediate years that followed WWII.

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Over the years, Bud and I have kept in regular, if sporadic touch, on everything from our shared sandlot experiences to the Saturday serials, westerns. and B movies of Charlie Chan that we also treasured at our local neighborhood movie houses in the separate, but connected picture show worlds of St. Louis and Houston. I already miss you, Bud. Now there's one less of us in this world who remembers both Baby Doll Jacobson and Al "Lash" LaRue. Rest in Peace, Friend. The Big Field of Dreams Come True - is now all yours - in all you now do. I wrote a poem many years ago about my own reawakening to the sandlot. I call it "The Pecan Park Eagle" - the name our gang once gave to our sandlot baseball team in Houston. The poem wrote itself through me after my son Neal, then age 8. had gone to a nearby abandoned school to throw the ball around and play some flies and rollers. On the way home, I thought I saw an old baseball in the weeds. So I pulled it out, only to find that it was only an old baseball cover. Still, I kept it as we headed down the two block walk home. "What are you going to do with that old ball cover, Daddy?" Neal asked. "I have no idea," I said. When we got home, I plunked the cover down on the kitchen table and reached for a pen and paper. The poem wrote itself in about ten minutes. Thank you, Bud, for being open to taking in new old friends, even those of us who only found you late in each other's "Gasoline Alley" comic strip lives. �

Love and Peace, Your Pal, Bill McCurdy

Bud Kane, Deceased

Frank (Bud) Kane

Bud Kane completed his last column for Pop Flies a few weeks before he passed

away called “The Streetcar Series of ‘44 & How A Teenager Doomed the Browns.”

It appears on Page 13 of this issue.


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Thank You to Our Donors & Sponsors Welcome! The St. Louis Browns Historical Society wa s established in 1984. It is the premier source for S t. Louis Browns information. The Browns Historical Society i s the original and largest Browns Historical organization

known. Our mission of preserving the memory of St. Louis baseball when our city had TWO professional teams can be seen in our publications, Pop Flies, video productions and annual events. Thank you to our members who made donations during our Reunion Luncheon last fall. Many others made donations when renewing their membership during the last few months. The following is a list of all members. If you made a donation, your name should be listed here. Based on the number of members, membership levels, types of donation, etc., it’s possible we may have mislabeled or missed reco gnizing a donation. If you made a donation for membership and your name is not listed, please let us know so we can correct our records. Our apologies if we missed your name. If you are listed but not that of your friends, co-workers and family, please invite them to join. Your donations help preserve Browns history a nd memories from years gone by. Thanks for your support. �


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Browns Historical Society

Appoints Victoria Martin

to Board

The St. Louis Browns Historical Society and Fan Club announced the appoint-ment of Vicki Martin to its Board of Directors. Ms. Martin was previously employed as a Supervisor at the St. Louis Family Court, Juvenile Division for 38 years. prior to her retirement. As a director, she will be responsible for Marketing of the Fan Club services and products. Ms. Martin lives in Webster Groves. The Fan Club was founded in 1984 to help preserve the history and memory of the St. Louis Browns Baseball team. The Browns played baseball in St. Louis from 1902 through the 1953 season when the team moved to Baltimore. The team plays today as the Baltimore Orioles. The Browns built Sportsman's Park in 1909 and leased it to the Cardinals where both teams played from 1920 to 1953. The Cardinals purchased Sportsman's Park in '53 and played there until 1966 when they moved to Busch Stadium I. The Browns have memorabilia exhibits of its history in the Scottrade Center as part of the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame and in the baseball museum in Ball Park Village adjacent to Busch Stadium. Ms. Martin is the niece of former Browns player, Babe Martin. Babe played major league baseball for 6 years between the Browns and the Red Sox. Information on the Browns Historical Society and Fan Club is available at: http://thestlbrowns.com http://thestlbrowns.blogspot.com http://stlbrownsmuseum.blogspot.com http://brownsmerchandise.blogspot.com/

Ballpark Village Opens

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The Cardinals opened their museum at Ballpark Village on April 7, 2014. The Village includes dining and entertainment. It's a sports related venue located right next door to Busch Stadium. The facility also includes a museum featuring memorabilia items from the Cardinals and Browns. You can finally get an up

- close look at Eddie Gaedel's uniform. Gaedel was the shortest player in baseball history standing 37 inches tall with number 1/8. The museum is a “must see” item when you’re in the area. See page 15 for more info on Gaedel �

Telgelmeir Denise Pleasanton CA


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The Browns Fan Club has a number of projects underway. For your informa-tion, here’s a brief summary.

1. Member Identification Card - 5/14

2. Pennant recognizing the 70th anni-versary of the Browns - Cardinals World Series of 1944. 8/14

3. Beer, Brats, Baseball & the Browns - Show & tell with member’s memo-rabilia collection - Under review. 6/14

4. Interviews of remaining Browns players - Video interviews of play-ers memories during their playing days with the Browns. 10/14

5. Annual player & fan luncheon - Under development. Tentative at Sheraton Westport (same location as last year). Tentative dates 9/18 or 10/4. Subject to change.

6. Special Issue Pop Flies - Focuses on the 1944 World Series. 7/14 �

Under Development


The St. Louis Browns Historical Society is a 501 c

3 non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history and memory of the

St. Louis Browns. Donations to the historical

society are tax free.

What Led to the Demise of the Browns

Emmett McAuliffe, STL Browns Fan Club Board Member

Views on Bill Veeck

The reasons, of course, are obscure and will be debated for years to come. If you look at the Sporting News in the first couple of weeks of October 1953, you'll see a lengthy article, which quotes liberally from Bill Veeck. In the article, Bill tries to give an apology for his moving the team. He is very defensive-sounding because the sporting news, founded in St. Louis, plus representing the organized baseball fan unofficially, believes that moving a baseball team is a great affront to the sport and its sense of tradition. How much of Bill's apology is forthright and how much is self-serving … I always thought it was about 75% the former and 25% the latter. In other words, it was more accurate and forthright than not. Veeck wanted to sell the team at the beginning of 1953. But there is no evidence that he tried to sell it be-fore then. Make sure you watch our 11 minute YouTube video nar-rated by Bob Costas on the short history of the Browns, with Bill DeWitt Junior. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK9Ju0XHVf8 Or http://bit.ly/1fT4u0J We … and Bob Costas believe that Veeck's purchase of the team was in earnest, and that he met with great suc-cess for a while. It was only when the brewery bought the Cardinals that he threw in the towel in the spring of 1953. Even afterwards, there is some evidence of him rekindling an interest in keeping the team, especially when they started out hot in 1953.

One final point that just occurred to me. You have to bear in mind the origin of the American League, which was an origin of pure hostility and competition. No one ever stopped and said, "I think there are enough baseball fans in Philadelphia, St. Louis, Boston, Chicago and New York to support two teams." It was sort of expected in the beginning that one team would drive out the other, or better yet, one league would drive out the other. No one really envisioned the two leagues being successful side-by-side for 100 years. That had never happened in the previous 40 years of baseball. I have a quote from Ralph Orthwein, original Browns President, where he comments in passing that there probably aren't enough baseball fans in St. Louis for two teams. That multiple teams survived in New York and Chicago was just pure luck (and size). It is similar to the way that, for example, Coca-Cola and Pepsi battle it out. They want market share. That's all they talk about in trade journals, not profits, but "market share". They never stop and consciously say, "there are enough soda drinkers for us both to be rich" (although of course they are both rich). If Coca-Cola cuts into Pepsi's market share, that's consid-ered a big success, even if their profits dipped. Baseball owners knew from the 19th century that there was a dedi-cated hard-core baseball market in St. Louis. And owners wanted to get as big a share of that market as they could. That's why they even put THREE teams in St. Louis, with the St. Louis Terriers of the Federal League. I'm quite sure that none of the three owners thought St. Louis was big enough for all three teams. �

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October 1, 1944 - The Browns have their first sellout in 20 years‚ and their largest crowd ever‚ as 37‚815 pack Sportsman's Park. St. Louis clinches the flag on the final day of the season by sweeping the series with the Yankees and coming from behind to win 5-2. The big blows are a pair of 2-run HRs by Chet Laabs‚ off Mel Queen. Sig Jakucki was the winning pitcher. The Browns finished with a record of 89-65, which was, at the time, the worst record ever by an American League pennant-winner. The night before the pennant-winning game against the Yankees, Sig Jakucki, who was the scheduled starter, was spotted by Browns' team trainer Bob Bauman entering the team hotel with a bag of whiskey bottles. Jakucki was a terrible drinker, and Bauman, seeing the Browns' first pennant disappear in a Jakucki bender, accosted the pitcher. "You're not going to take that to your room," Bauman shouted. Jakucki resisted, and swore he would not drink that night.

The next morning, at the ballpark, Bauman immediately realized that Jakucki had indeed been drinking. Jakucki defended himself: He admitted he had promised not to have a drink the night before, and insisted he hadn't. But, he added' "I didn't promise I wouldn't take one this morning." Jakucki proceeded to outpitch the Yankees Mel Queen, and the Browns took the game, 5-2. The Browns had won the pennant!

The World Series was another story. Starting Game Four for the Browns, Jakucki gave up a first inning single to Cardinal first baseman Johnny Hopp. Stan Musial followed with a

two run homer. Jakucki was touched for another run in the third when Danny Litwhiler scored on a Walker Cooper single. The Cardinals went on to win the World Series in six games.

————————————————— The Browns were contenders the

following season, but fell short for a variety of reasons. Symptomatic of the

Brown's 1945 season were the events of June 19, 1945.

————————————————— June 19, 1945 - At St. Louis‚ in what will be dubbed the "Battle of the Dugouts"‚ the 8th inning produces fireworks as the White Sox score 4 runs to eventually win‚ 4-1. After reliever George Caster is lifted‚ he fires the ball into the White Sox dugout‚ prompting manager Jimmie Dykes to come out and protest. Browns catcher Gus Mancuso tells Dykes to shut up Karl Scheel‚ a Sox bench jockey who has been mercilessly "riding" the Browns. When Dykes says you can find him in the dugout‚ a few Browns‚ led by Sig Jakucki and Ellis Clary ‚ do just that‚ giving Scheel a most brutal pounding according to Dykes. The ex-Marine required first aid but traveled with the team to Cleveland. About 100 spectators milled onto the field to try and see the action. In Cleveland‚ Dykes sent a telegram to Will Harridge accusing Browns manager Luke Sewell with instigating the riot. Sig Jakucki's final game was on August 29, 1945. He started at home against the league-leading Detroit Tigers, but was taken out in the third inning by manager Luke Sewell. He proceeded to get very drunk that night, and showed up late and intoxicated the next morning at Union Station in St. Louis, from where the Browns were to travel to Chicago and beyond. The Brown's manager Luke Sewell's patience concerning Jakucki's drinking and behavior, and the Browns play in general finally wore out on August 30 and August 31, 1945. Although the Browns were still in the pennant race, the right- hander was given his unconditional release. Some say that the defensive liabilities of the one-armed outfielder combined with the release of Jakucki, who had a 12-10 record at the time, may have cost the Browns a second trip to the World Series. Without a doubt both contributed to manager Sewell's decision to quit the team. �

Chet Laabs

Sig Jakucki


11 ack Buck


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Pop Flies Now Available

at Missouri History

Museum Library

Pop Flies now has a permanent home in the Missouri History Museum Library. The library is located at 225 S. Skinker Skinker Blvd. across the street from Forest Park in St. Louis. The library has extensive materials related to St. Louis history, Missouri history, the history of the American West, genealogy and family history, neighborhood histories, urban history, Native American ethnology, letters, diaries, and works by St. Louis authors. The Library houses more than 90,000 cataloged volumes, pamphlets, and periodicals, rare 17th and 18th century maps of North America, more than 5,000 pieces of sheet music, 500 bound volumes of published music, and theater programs dating from the early 19th century. The Archival Collection consists of more than 2,850 separate collections, with such rare items as the elk-skin journal of William Clark's 1804 expedition of the West and papers of Thomas Jefferson. The Photographs and Prints Collection consists of more than 600,000 images, with more than 600 daguerreotypes made by Thomas Easterly between 1840 and 1880 that document the development of St. Louis and its early residents. The Broadcast Media Collection contains more than 10,000 videotapes and 5,000 reels of film that document early St. Louis radio and television. The Objects Collection contains more than 160,000 items that include more than 10,000 items of historic clothing and textiles. But most important is the permanent access of Pop Flies dating back to the 2008 Spring issue. �

Jim Rygelski, Deceased Jim Rygelski was one of the top baseball historians and co-author of numerous books. He was the past President and

acting Secretary of the St. Louis SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) and a past member of the board of directors of the St. Louis Browns Historical Society. Jim died December 18, 2013 of cancer. He recently retired from the St Louis Public Library. A well-regarded baseball historian and writer, Rygelski co-authored the book "The I-55 Series: Cubs vs. Cardinals" with George Castle and "10 Rings: Stories of the St. Louis

Cardinals' World Championships" with Robert Tiemann. He was the former editor and managing editor of the St Louis Review, 13 year writer & editor for the Suburban Journal Newspaper, managing editor and editor of the South group of papers. For accuracy's sake: Jim was not a sheer numbers guy, but a baseball fan who mixed memories, bios, numbers, and such in trying to find meaning in the game and bring it to others. He wrote a 12-page article on the life (not numbers) of Chris von der Ahe for the Missouri Historical Society's Gateway Heritage in 1992, and wrote a one-act play about von der Ahe's life, plus books on the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry and the Cardinals' world series championships have been mostly about the drama of the games and the players' lives, not just their numbers. He was known as "Mr. Baseball" and an occasional guest on KMOX Radio.

————————————————————— Browns Fan Club member and a member of SABR, Burton Boxerman, remembers Jim Rygelski. “I never heard him raise his voice, use an off-color word, berate any person or speak down to anybody. He was a gem of a person and his knowledge of baseball astounded me. When I was doing research on a book my wife and I are currently writing, I would visit the library branch. Since the downtown library was under renovation. He would help me

Jim Rygelski

order books and took much time to assist me. That is exactly the kind of man he was. I will sorely miss him. He knew that I am a devoted Chicago Cub fan and would kid me about that but would call on me whenever he needed an opinion about the Cubs. He would kid me, but always in a gentlemanly way. I attend almost every monthly SABR meeting and having Jim there was a gift. The best way to describe Jim is by using a Yiddish term "mensch." A true gentleman, a true scholar, and a hell of a person. We all will sorely miss him.” �


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Bud Kane, Board of Directors, Browns Fan Club For us Browns fans it's always 1944. When our boys clinched

the pennant on that late September afternoon at Sportsman's Park, a huge banner was unfurled over at Uncle Dick Slack's furniture store on Union and Natural Bridge right across from the Chevy plant. The Chevy plant was turning out tanks and trucks for the war effort at that time, but that's another story. The banner said THE FIGHTEN'ST TEAM EVER TO WEAR A UNIFORM! And they were a tough, rowdy bunch. The pitching staff had the volatile Jack Kramer, Denny Galehouse, Bob

Muncrief, Nelson Potter, and the combative Sig Jakucki and Tex Shirley. Throw in Vern Stephens, Mike Kreevich, Mark Christman, street fighter Ellis Clary, Milt "Skippy" Byrnes, Al Zarilla, and the two catchers Frank Mancuso and Red Hayworth. But the sparkplug of the team was second baseman Don Gutteridge. Don's career started with the Cardinals Gas House Gang of the 30's and he fit right in with the gang. He played against the Cardinals again in the '46 World Series and went on to a long career as manager and coach. Don and his wife Helen came in from Pittsburg, Kansas for our annual dinners for many years. My dad got tickets for three of the games, two seats on the first base line by the visitor's dugout. The Cardinals had won their third straight pennant with 105 wins, 14 games ahead of the Pirates. The Browns won 89, one game ahead of

the Tigers. The Cardinals were heavy favorites in the Series. Bob Burnes of the Globe-Democrat was the only writer in America to pick the Browns to win the pennant in '44; Burnes made another risky prediction for the World Series: "I predict St. Louis will win this Series". Bob was a great friend of the fan club for many

years. On the radio front, Dizzy Dean and Johnny O'Hara did all the home games of the Cardinals and Browns on KWK for Falstaff. But when the Gillette Safety Razor Co. was deciding on the broadcasters for the Series, the hierarchy decided that Dizzy's brand of Okie grammar and down-home Midwest

The Streetcar Series of ‘44 & How A Teenager Doomed the Browns

Frank (Bud) Kane

Don Gutteridge

Bob Burnes

humor was not suitable for the sophisticated and elite fans on the east coast and left coast. They decided on the erudite, gravelly voiced Washington Senators announcer Arch McDonald. He was awful. So even back in '44 we had Political Correctness dictated by Washington. Game 1: The Browns were sentimental favorites in St Louis and surprised everyone, especially the Cardinals, by winning the first game 2-1 behind Denny Galehouse, despite getting only two hits off Mort Cooper. Both hits came in the 4th when Gene Moore popped a single into right and George McQuinn (one of the quieter Browns) followed with a drive to the pavilion roof. Game 2: The second game was pivotal. It went 11 innings. Nelson Potter pitched six innings and made two crucial errors on the same play giving the Cards two runs. Bob Muncrief went four in relief and the Birds won 3-2 in the 11th. Max Lanier went 7 innings, then Blix Donnelly came on for 4 innings of relief, striking out 7. Here was the turning point of the series. In the top of the 10th, Old Reliable George McQuinn doubled off the right field screen with no outs (he hit .438 in the series). Luke Sewell decided to bunt him over to third and Christman put down a good bunt. My dad and I had a good straight-on view. Donnelly got off the mound and raced to the ball. At that point I had a teenage moment (similar to the senior moments of the present time). I forgot who I was rooting for and jumped up yelling at Donnelly "THIRD BASE, THIRD BASE''! and he heard me and whirled around and fired a strike to Whitey Kurowski and McQuinn was out. Browns didn't score. Game 3: Next day Jack Kramer went 9 innings (that's right, pitchers actually did that back in those days) and won 6-2. The Browns had a 2-1 lead in the Series. Game 4: This one went to the Cardinals as they got 12 hits off Jakucki and Hollingsworth. Harry the Cat Brecheen went the distance. Game 5: A pitchers duel with Mort Cooper and Galehouse both going 9. Homers by Ray Sanders and Danny Litwhiler decided the duel.

Game 6: My dad and I were back in our seats by first base. The Cardinals pitching again dominated; Lanier went 5 innings , Ted Wilks came on for 4 innings and the save, retiring the last 11 Brownies in a row. (I wonder where the closer and the setup man and the middle man and the assistant middle man were). We walked across the street to the '39 Ford parked in front of Carter Carburetor and went home.

What if Donnelly hadn't heard me screaming and had taken the sure out at first base? McQuinn would be on third with only one out and no doubt would have scored. The Browns would

Streetcar Series Continued on Page 17, Col. 2


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Are you ready for spring?

Billboard sponsored by Harster Heating Located at Gravois at Rock Hill in Affton

*** At a recent board meeting several random thoughts occurred to me. One had to do with the Baltimore Orioles Press Guide. In the latter the Orioles have historically acted as if their franchise had emerged from the vapors surrounding Baltimore instead of from the playing fields of St. Louis. While there is brief mention of George Sisler and a few other Brownie luminaries, there was very little about Ken Williams. *** I have heard unsubstantiated rumors that the Orioles burned all the old Brownies uniforms and anything that would remind their new fans of the team’s dismal past. *** Ken Williams is most known to us as the first player to interrupt Babe Ruth’s virtual ownership of the American League home run title. In 1922 Williams hit 39 home runs and also stole 37 bases. Nothing was made of this until Willie Mays hit 54 homeruns and stole many bases in 1956 and 1957, making him the second member of the 30-30 club. There are now 38 players in this not so exclusive club, including 13 who have done it more than once. *** Another thought occurred to me about the origins of the Browns. We usually refer to the franchise’s 113-year history as a Tale of Two Cities, when actually it is a tale of three cities. Darn that Dickens! We often overlook its one brief season in Milwaukee in 1901. This makes the Browns, just one of two teams to play in three cities. The Athletes have played in Philadelphia, Kansas City and Oakland. *** This led me to wonder if many of the same players who finished in last place had anything to do with the team’s maiden season in St. Louis where they finished in second place, one of their few finishes in the first division. I was surprised that more than a handful had made the transition. Hugh Duffy was their first manager in Milwaukee but he finished dead last with a 48-89 record, 35.5 games off the pace and seven full games behind Cleveland. Oddly enough it was the latter’s manager, Jimmy McAleer who replaced Duffy during the move to St. Louis the following season. He would lead the new team to a 78-58 mark just five games behind Philadelphia.

*** The team had undergone a near transformation in St. Louis. First baseman John Anderson was the only starter to survive the move. Others includes scrubs Jiggs Donohue and Davy Jones, as well as pitcher Bill Reidy, who had led the staff with a 15-18 record in Milwaukee. Oddly enough pitcher Ned Garvin did not make the move and therefore never played for the Browns. *** I also applied the same question to the 1953 Browns and the 1954 Baltimore Orioles. The results were a bit different. While Marty Marion had led the last edition of the Browns to a lackluster last place finish with an even 54-100 mark, 46.5 games behind his successor, Jimmy Dykes, had the same record but thanks to Philadelphia only finished in seventh place, a whopping 57 games behind the Cleveland Indians. *** A number of starters played both years, including Bobby Young, Clint Courtney, Billy Hunter, Vern Stephens, Dick Kryhoski, Vic Wertz and Dick Kokos. Subs Frank Kellert, Don Lenhardt, and Les Moss, as well as J. W. Porter and Frank Saucier who were in military service also made the move. The transferred pitching staff included Don Larsen and Bob Turley, as well as Duane Pillette, Mike Blyzka, Dick Littlefield, and Marlin Stuart. It is not surprising that a change of scenery had produced no real improvement. �


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The Jersey, number1/8, is coming home to Ball Park Village Bill DeWitt, Jr., the chairman of the St. Louis Cardinals, confirmed he requested return of the jersey from Cooperstown. For years, he has loaned the jersey from Gaedel's famous plate appearance to the Hall of Fame for display there. But with the Cardinals opening their team museum and Hall of Fame in Ballpark Village, DeWitt decided to bring the Gaedel jersey home. In addition to the Gaedel Jersey, other memorabilia items of the Browns will be on display. The distinctive Browns jersey has the fraction on the back instead of an integer. DeWitt's father, Bill DeWitt , had the jersey made for his son with the number of his favorite player Bobby Dillinger, No. 6. But when owner Bill Veeck decided to spark interest in the Browns with a ploy by giving 3-foot-7 Gaedel an at-bat, they needed a jersey. The "6" was removed from the younger DeWitt's jersey and replaced with the now-famous, "1/8." The jersey was returned to DeWitt, and even then with an eye for history, he kept it. The Cardinals' collection set for the Hall of Fame includes other items from the Browns and items acquired by the DeWitt family, some even from their private collection. Now they have home for all of these items with the opening of Ballpark Village. The Hall of Fame and museum opened with the Cardinals' home season, on opening day April 7. �

Baltimore had a gritty taste of baseball in the late 19th century with a team of hard nosed Orioles who hit with their fists as often as they did with bats. The team read like a "Who's Who" of 19th century stars, including Wee Willie Keeler, Wilbert Robinson, Hughie Jennings, John McGraw and Ned Hanlon. These Orioles joined the new American League as a charter franchise in 1901. But behind the scenes, American League President Ban Johnson believed for his fledgling league to succeed, he needed a team in New York City. With the help of two businessmen, he maneuvered the Orioles out of Baltimore and into New York, where they eventually became the Yankees. The city of Baltimore would go another half-century without a major league team.

THE ST. LOUIS BROWNS Meanwhile, about 800 miles to the west, the future Orioles were born when St. Louis joined the American League in 1902 with a team transplanted from Milwaukee (the original Milwaukee Brewers had been an American League charter franchise in 1901 but finished dead last). The team was christened the Browns in honor of the St. Louis Brown Stockings, an American Association team which had won four consecutive pennants in the 1880's. The Browns debuted on April 23, 1902, defeating Cleveland 5-2 at Sportsman's Park. It was a rare highlight for a team that finished sixth that first season, and rarely did much better over the next half-century. They endured so much losing that sportswriters said of St. Louis, "First in booze, first in shoes and last in the American League." The Browns had a brief run of first-division success in the early 1920's, led by George Sisler, the premier hit-maker of his era. Sisler's 257 hits in 1920 stood as the single season standard until passed by Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki in 2004; his .420 average in 1922 is still the third highest single season average on record since 1900. Sisler was backed up by a solid outfield trio of Ken Williams (1922 home run champion), Baby Doll Jacobson and Jack Tobin. During this brief run of quality, the Browns made a momentous mistake unnoticed in most quarters. They dismissed a young, front office executive named Branch Rickey, who went on to build dynasties with the Cardinals and Dodgers. After the brief glory of the early 1920's, the Browns fell back to

First Orioles (Continued on page 16, Col. 1)

THE FIRST ORIOLES Eddie Gaedel Uniform

Coming Home


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second division status, reaching a new level of haplessness in 1939 when they drew only 81,000 fans FOR THE ENTIRE SEASON. The Browns fortunes turned upward one more time when they captured the 1944 pennant under the leadership of manager Luke Sewell and slugging shortstop Vern Stephens (league leading one-hundred nine runs batted in). The success hardly won the Browns respect, as the running joke at the time said that baseball talent was so diluted by World War II, even the Browns could win. Although they won two of the first three games, the Browns lost their only World Series to their cross-town rival Cardinals. They finished third in 1945, and then plummeted to the bottom of the American League never to see the first division again. An executive with a flair for promotion named Bill Veeck bought the team in the early 1950's but his imagination could not hide reality - the team was in dire straights with minimal attendance and no money to attract or retain talent. Veeck sold the team to a Baltimore conglomerate after the Browns played their final game on September 27, 1953, losing 2-1 to the Chicago White Sox. Fittingly, it was the team's 100th loss of the season. In fifty-two years of competition, the Browns won one pennant, finished in the first division only twelve times, while finishing seventh twelve times and eighth (last) fourteen times. THE BALTIMORE ORIOLES The Baltimore Orioles picked up right where the Browns left off, losing their inaugural game to Detroit 3-0 on April 13, 1954. They would lose ninety-nine more games that season and finished 57½ games behind Cleveland (which set the American League record at the time of one-hundred eleven wins). The Orioles made an inspired choice by hiring Paul Richards into the front office, and, with an emphasis on pitching and defense, the team began a steady climb. By 1966, Richards and manager Hank Bauer had transformed the team from a last-place laughing stock into a World Series champion. Earl Weaver succeeded Bauer and the Orioles bludgeoned their way to three consecutive pennants, winning 109, 108, and 101 games in 1969-70-71. They won five of the first six American League East titles and the 1970 World Championship. They featured two of the game's premier sluggers in Frank Robinson and Boog Powell, an air tight defense with Brooks Robinson and Mark Belanger on the infield and Paul Blair

First Orioles (Continued from page 15)

anchoring the outfield, and a buzz saw of a pitching staff which reached its apex in 1971, when all four starters were twenty game winners - Dave McNally won twenty-one, Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar and Pat Dobson each won twenty. Weaver kept the Orioles in contention through the 1970's. They made it back to the World Series in 1979, although they lost to Pittsburgh in seven games. They were back again in 1983 under new manager Joe Altobelli and defeated Philadelphia. This time, the sluggers were Eddie Murray, Ken Singleton and Cal Ripken, Jr., and the dominating pitchers were Mike Boddicker, Scott McGregor and Mike Flanagan. The Orioles hit a downward spiral after the 1983 championship. Over the next decade, playing at moribund Memorial Stadium, the team could do no better than third place, frequently doing much worse - such as the last-place 107 loss effort in 1988. The franchise and the fans were rejuvenated by the opening of Oriole Park at Camden Yards in 1992. The Orioles won a wild-card berth in 1996 and the American League East in 1997. Overall, since moving to Baltimore, the Orioles have had considerably more success than their St. Louis forefathers, winning eight division titles, six American League pennants and three world championships. �

City Series Browns vs Cards

Streetcar

Series


17

have won in ten innings. Kramer’s win the next day would have put the Cardinals down 3 games to none and on the brink of disaster. As a team they were hitting .170 and 7 of their runs were unearned. Momentum would have carried them on to win in 5 or 6. So a 14 year old member of the Browns Brigade (and the Cardinals Knothole Gang) changed World Series history. For 70 years now I've been burdened with the guilt. Even going to confession didn't help. Father O'Toole (a big Browns fan) was shocked, but compassionate. Ten Our Fathers and ten Hail Marys and back on the street with Father O'Toole. Bud Kane, may you rest in peace. �

Streetcar Series (Continued from page 13, Col . 2)


18

Michigan, Detroit Tigers legend Don Lund dies at age 90; Played

with Browns in 1948 ANN ARBOR – Former University of Michigan three-sport athlete and Hall of Honor inductee Don Lund died in his Glacier Hills home early on Dec. 10 at the age of 90.

Lund, who was born in Detroit on May 18, 1923, attended the University of Michigan in the early 1940s and played baseball, basketball and football, lettering nine times as a student athlete. In 1945, he was a first-round NFL draft pick of the Chicago Bears, but instead chose to sign a minor league baseball deal with

the Brooklyn Dodgers. Two years later – on April 12, 1947 – the Dodgers signed both Lund and Jackie Robinson to their first Major League Baseball contracts. Lund spent seven seasons in the majors, batting .240 with 15 home runs and 86 RBIs in 281 career games. He played with the Dodgers from 1945-1948 when he was traded to the Browns. He appeared in 64 games with the Browns in '48. Lund was traded to Detroit and played with the Tigers in 1949. He played in the minors in 1950-1951 and finished his career back with Detroit from 1952-1954. Lund was scheduled to attend the Browns Historical Society luncheon this past September, but was unable to travel due to health issues. The Historical Society was able to interview him during the luncheon with a telephone conference call broadcast to all in the banquet hall. Lund worked in the Detroit Tigers’ front office from 1963-70, then returned to U-M, where he served as an assistant athletic director from 1970 to his retirement in 1992. Lund was inducted into the U-M Hall of Honor in 1984 and the state of Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1987. His live interview, by telephone, before an assembled crowd of 450 at the St. Louis Browns Historical Society Banquet, September 26, 2013, was his last public appearance. �

Don Lund

Frank played minor league baseball in the Ohio cities of Findley, Lima and Youngstown. He was sold by Youngstown to the Toledo Mud Hens where he was 9-7 in 1941. While with Lima in 1940 Frank and Jane Pearson were wed at home plate before a doubleheader. That day Lima won both games. Frank won 26 games that season while losing only 4 and was named to the leaague's all star team. His marriage ended the following year when his wife and infant son died in childbirth.

Frank pitched for the St. Louis Browns in 1942 (0-1) and in 1946 (1-1) and in 1948 (6-7). He was third in the A.L. in Games Pitched in '48, despite a chronically sore arm] He died in 1959 of a heart ailment at the age of 39. �

Remembering Frank Biscan 1920 - 1959

Lifetime Brownie in 1940’s

Frank Biscan


19


20

Upon reading about the death of Lou Kretlow back in 2007, I recalled seeing Kretlow pitch for the Browns in old Sportsman's Park when I was 12 or 13.

I rummaged through the preserved remnants of my boyhood collection and found an old Brownie scorecard that Lou Kretlow had autographed for me. Incredible! The score-card was undated, but research found that the game occurred on Thursday, June 29, 1950 before a paid attendance of 4,027. Cleveland won, 4-1. Duane Pillette, starting pitcher for the Browns that day, also auto-graphed my scorecard.

The computer search also disclosed a more chilling revelation: The news headline that day reported Gen. Douglas MacArthur made a "daring trip to the Korean front line." The Korean War had broken out only a few days earlier, but I was 12 years old and baseball dominated my attention. While the Cardinals drew 20,000 fans, only 2,500 or so attended the Brownie games. Attendance was so poor the Browns' General Manager gave out free knothole passes to school kids and, oh boy, I did my part to boost attendance. I recalled little anecdotes, somehow important to me now. The hotdogs were tastier then, the day games were sunnier and most of the players, like Lou Kretlow, were more approachable and happy to sign autographs Reading Kretlow's obit conjured up a startling and unexpected memory of a childhood hero, a major leaguer who stopped to sign my score-card. And this left me with a few haunting moments of longing for my childhood innocence.

By Harvey Blumenthal, MD, Emeritus Clinical Professor of Neurology at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Tulsa �

Remembering a

Childhood Hero

Lou Kretlow

Blumenthal

Harold Augustine "Hal" Haid:

Pitched 2 Innings for Browns,

More for Cards Submitted by Emmett McAuliffe, STL Browns Fan Club Players who played for both the St. Louis Browns and St. Louis Cardinals have a special affection among us here at the St. Louis Browns fan club. (Imagine the confusion in the fan's mind when a player is traded from one St. Louis team to another: same ballpark, same StL logo on the hat, just a different shade of uniform color. One of those is journeyman right-hander Hal Haid. Like seemingly so many Browns, Haid has an interesting set of unique things about his career. Let's take a look at just a few of Haid's Highlights:

♦ Despite only pitching 300 big league innings, he managed to appear in three different decades, the 10s, 20s and 30s.

♦ Haid made his debut in relief with the Browns on Septem-ber 5, 1919, and only pitched two innings in a 12-3

drubbing by the Tigers. Hall of Famers Ty Cobb and Harry Heilmann were both on-base four out of five times in that game. Tough start! So, stuck with an 18.00 ERA as a result of those two innings, Haid was not used again the rest of the season by manager Jimmy Burke, nor called back in 1920 by owner Phil Ball.

♦ Like many Phil Ball cast-offs, Haid would later get revenge by shining, at least momen-tarily, with the rival Cardinals. Haid led the

National League in saves in 1928, with five (5). There has never been a total that low since, in either league, to win the league save championship. Indeed, five saves would be only a week's work for a modern relief pitcher.

♦ Was on two pennant winning Cardinal teams ('28 and '30), and apparently made the World Series roster, but didn't participate.

♦ Is the only player ever to make it to the big leagues out of Belmont Abbey College. This, despite the fact that Belmont Abbey College was founded in 1876, which for all practical purposes was the beginning of professional baseball (founding of the NL).

♦ Pitched in the well thought-of, in those days, Pacific Coast League from 1932 to 1937, until an old for those days for a pitcher 39 years-old. (Recall that Haid's contemporary and teammate, Dizzy Dean had a right arm that was considered "long gone" at age 28, and never pitched beyond age 32 except for his publicity stint as a Browns announcer).

♦ Settled in Los Angeles after his playing days were over, and did not live to see his rookie team, the Browns, relocate to Baltimore (date of death August 19, 1952).

As a teammate, however briefly, with George Sisler, Hank Severeid, and the million-dollar outfield of the St. Louis Browns of the late 10s, as they began their ascent out of mediocrity into the second place "near miss" of 1922; and present during a slightly pre-Gas House Gang championship Cardinals era that allowed him to rub shoulders with 10 Hall of Famers; and winning one "crown" (1928 saves leader), Haid made the most of his "sideman" role in the big leagues. �

Hal Haid


21

>> The St. Louis Browns 1953 pitcher, who won the most games for the team, was Marlin Stuart with an 8-2 record. >> Five Browns players who hit home runs in double digits that year (1953) were Dick Kryhoski, Vic Wertz, Johnny Groth, Dick Kokos, and Don Lenhardt. 16, 19, 10, 13, & 10. >> What pitcher with at least 100 innings pitched led the Browns in ERA in 1952? It’s none other than Satchel Paige with 3.07 and a W-L record of 12-10. He happened to be age 45 at that time. >> "People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." - Rogers Hornsby. >> The Cleveland Spiders in 1899 had a record of 12 wins and 104 losses and has a claim on being baseball’s worst ever ball club. >> 1954 Bob Turley allows only two hits, but still loses the game. It’s the second time this year that’s happened to him . >> 1955 Tommy Lasorda throws three wild pitches in one inning. It’s his first start, too. There’s a reason why no one remembers the Hall of Fame manager for his playing career. >> The last active player from the St. Louis Browns was Don Larsen. >> Which x-brownie got the first home run for the Baltimore Orioles? Clint Courtney. >> Al Zarilla was the only Browns player selected for the 1948 American League All Star team �

The All-Star Game was never the main focus of network competition for baseball's premier games because the event was limited to a single contest, played in the weekday afternoon, when viewing levels are much lower. The commissioner's office began soliciting network interest in telecasting the games in 1948. Walter Mulbry, MLB's secretary-

treasurer, contacted NBC on May 4th and directly asked: "Is the National Broadcasting Company interested in submitting a bid in behalf of a sponsor for the television rights of the 1948 All-Star Game, to be played in Sports-man's Park, St. Louis, 13 July?" NBC telegrammed the commissioner's office a

week later declining the offer because "we have no cable connection with St. Louis as yet. Our only method of doing it would be by film which is not saleable at the present time." The network also had a commitment to cover the Democratic convention, which coincided with the game. Under GIllette's sponsorship, Mutual Broadcasting's St. Louis affiliate, KSD-TV produced the first All-Star Game telecast on July 13, 1948, during which the American League won its third straight contest, 5 to 2. � (Can you identify the player watching the All Star game on TV above?)

All-Star Game Origins: Sportsman’s Park


22

The Fans Remember

David Starbuck - Kansas City Baseball Historical Society

This past October , I again had the pleasure of spending another delightful afternoon with a good friend, Ned Garver, who pitched in the MLB from 1948-1961 (including the KC Athletics from 1957-1960). Ned has attended two past A's Reunions, and regaled the

audience with many great stories and humor. Due to some recent medical issues, he has recently been unable to travel but sends warm regards to his many fans. On Sept. 26th, Ned was honored to be inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame, in recognition of his time with the St. Louis

Browns from 1948-1951. He was unable to travel to St. Louis for the ceremony, so a luncheon with a telephone link was set up for him. He remains the only pitcher to win 20 games with a team that lost over 100 in a season (1951 St. Louis Browns). That same year he was selected as the starting pitcher for the American League All-Star team. During his entire career with the Browns, Tigers, A's and Angels, Ned took great pride in being a good hitting pitcher who was often called to pinch hit or batted 6th in the lineup. Ned is currently finishing up his second book (co-authored by Ronnie Joyner and Bill Bozman) which will be titled "Catch 20 too" and focuses on his amazing 1951 20-win season. Ned also shared some more of his great stories (including his first and last spitball in the majors). Thanks for another great day Ned, and thanks for the memories. �

———————————————————— Clay W. Smith, El Cerrito, CA

I was minus two years old when the Browns left St. Louis. My Dad told me about going to the games at Sportsman's Park. I've vague childhood memories of that ballpark as I grew up with Busch Memorial Stadium. I was 12 yrs old when I attended the 7th game of '68 series. I've always been intrigued by the history of the Browns while rooting for the Cardinals growing up in St. Louis. I'm nearing retirement (as a Park Ranger in SF Bay area) and thought I should finally make it official in regards to my Browns odyssey. I have a small but nice collection of Browns memorabilia and we (our 14 yr old twin boys) recently began a Stratomatic board

game recreation of the Browns 1951 season. Even got the Topps reprint baseball cards to give a face to each player. (The more obscure players we hand made the cards with player photos taken off the internet.) I manage the Browns while the boys take turns with the American league teams. They like learning the history ("look, this pitcher's name is Dizzy Trout!") plus they get to beat me a lot (though currently my Browns record is 9-12 as the season progresses into May.) I'm sure Zack Taylor had a much tougher time of it. Such a history those early 1950's Browns teams. Paige, Garver, Eddie Gaedel, Bill Veeck. And the stories of guys like Frank Saucier. Anyway, I'm probably a bit more of a novice to this than you all. But I guess we all have the same passion for what once was. And for what it must have been like. Thank you for keeping this history alive for all generations. �

————————————————————

Jan S. Hirschfield, M.D., Clearwater, FL

I was born, raised and educated in St. Louis. I was a member of the "Knot-hole gang" and a summer ticket holder from 1947-'53. I listened to the Browns/Cards games on radio since 1942. I remember listening to the 1944 Sunday pennant winning game when Chet Laabs homered. I saw Pete Gray, favorite player, Vern Stephens. I have a 1946 cap. I followed the Orioles through their best days. I have lived in Clearwater, Florida since 1969. �

Hank Deeken, St. Louis, MO

My brother Dick was in your class of '55. My dad took Dick and I to many Brown's games through the last season. My class of '58 has been in contact over the years and the subject of the Browns was discussed among 70 or so of us. As with most kids, my mother threw out all of my baseball cards which included many Brownies. Best to you and your colleagues in remembering this, at times, amazing group of men. �

————————————————————

Dave

Starbuck

Ned

Garver


23

Vince Kunderman, Eureka, MO

My Dad, John Kunderman, enjoyed your presentation very much, as did the rest of the Veterans in attendance. I wish you could have met the man who used to relate to his sons the joy he had watching the Browns and instilled a love of baseball in his sons and daughter. His favorite story was how he and his friends would sit in the left field bleachers and "harass" Ted Williams. Harass is a strong word. Apparently, while in a defensive position waiting for a pitched ball, Mr. Williams would shift his weight from side to side. During these shifts, the fans would say "wack" in one direction, then "wack-wack" while he shifted back in the other direction. He related this story many times, but not recently. My mother and husband, John, got Connie Mack's autograph following a game between the Browns and the Philadelphia Athletics. 1950 was Connie Mack's last year in baseball. She was pregnant with her first child, Vince, at the time. I don't remember the Browns as a fan at the ballpark, but I have been blessed with a love of baseball by loving parents. �

———————————————————— Dave Margolis, Yorkville, IL

Just wanted to say what a fantastic program the Browns convention was. My wife thoroughly enjoyed the day as well. Just seeing these past players and hearing their stories took me back when I was a kid working with a lot of WW-I, WW-II and Korean War vets in my various jobs.

I actually worked for one of the first Chicago Bears offensive linemen who blocked for Red Grange!! He was in the trenches in WWI! Today's kids I hire don't seem to care about things like that anymore. We don't have anything like your Browns Society for the Chicago teams. �

I'm not sure how I personally ended up being a Browns fan; probably for the love of the older teams that left their cities. Also, I grew up playing Strat-o-matic Baseball board game, and learned very young about the Browns, Dodgers, Athletics, Senators, Braves, etc. by playing the game. A while back I was replaying the 1941 Browns season, as it was one of Strat's featured historic sets. Chet Laabs and Roy Cullenbine, George McQuinn and Vern Stephens had great years. �

———————————————————— Vern Trotter, NY, NY

My dad, Bill Trotter , pitched for the Browns from 1937 to 1942 when he was traded to Washing- ton. I was previously a member of the group up until 2000 when I moved to New York. I lost track of my membership as I must not have kept my address current with you. After being owned by the Cardinals for ten years and being unable to get to the majors, he petitioned Judge Landis and was declared a free agent in 1937. He signed with the Browns. Rogers Hornsby was his manager. I was named for two of his friends on the Browns, Vern Kennedy and Vern Stephens, when I was born in 1939. �


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