Branch Rickey

Branch Rickey Luke Rasberry Ivy Tech Abstract Branch Rickey, his character in the movie “42”, was the old pipe-smoking general manager that hired Jackie Robinson; yet, he was so much more. The way in which Branch Rickey has progressed Pro-Baseball is truly fantastic, remarkable really. Upon completion of this paper, my hope is that you will have a better appreciation for one of the greatest men to shape modern-day baseball. - On December 20th, 1881, in Portsmouth Ohio, a baby boy was born. This young boy would grow up to do remarkable things. He would play as a professional baseball player, and graduate from college; he would achieve things many young white boys would only dare to dream. What makes this boy special wasn’t what he achieved for himself, but who he grew up to be and what he was willing to endure for others. This is the story of Branch Rickey. Branch Rickey attended Ohio Wesleyan University where he studied Administration. While completing his studies in 1902, he signed with the Shelby Blues to play professional football in the Ohio League (the direct predecessor of the NFL). During his time with the Blues, Branch became good friends with one of his teammates Charles Follis, Charles was the first black professional football player. Branch Rickey was “a strong conservative and religious man” (Baseball Hall of Fame 2018), he didn’t see color; he simply knew that all men were created equal by God. During his time at Ohio Wesleyan he also played baseball. This is where he first saw how the rest of the world viewed black athletes; his good friend Charles Thomas (the teams black catcher) was often ill-treated and mocked based on his skin color. These experiences with Thomas would always stay with Branch and never leave him. After graduation from Ohio Wesleyan, Branch went on to play for several minor league baseball teams. This pattern continued until 1904 when the Cincinnati Reds signed him to play in major league baseball. He signed with the Reds on Monday and was released the following Sunday. What happened, Rickey had been such a naturally talented athlete his entire life? It simply came down to his beliefs, he was such a strong conservative and so strong in the Christian faith that he refused to break Sabbath (God’s Holy day of rest) and play on Sunday. Rickey went back to playing in the minors where he stayed until the 1906 season. In 1906, he was signed to play for the St. Louis Browns; but before the season could end, he was traded to the New York Highlanders (later known as the Yankees), who would then release him at the end of the 1907 season. Finally, Branch decided that he was done with professional baseball and headed back to school. He studied law at the University of Michigan and graduated with his law degree in 1911. He would work as a lawyer for two years until finally, baseball managed to sneak back into his life. He was offered the field manager position for the St. Louis Browns, which he eagerly accepted. Once his stint with the Browns was up, he began a 25-year association with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he ended up serving as team Field Manager, General Manager, and even team President (Biography.com 2018). After two years with the Cardinals, Rickey came up with the idea to purchase two of the minor league teams. This would give the Cardinals first dibs on all the players coming out of those minor league clubs into major league baseball. This idea revolutionized how teams acquire fresh young talent; it still stands in baseball today. This invention of the Farm System is one of the many ways Branch Rickey has changed professional baseball for the better. The Cardinals went on to win nine championships with the help of Branch Rickey and his new Farm System. With such a great success story in St. Louis, Rickey would move on to sign with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1943 as their team President and General Manger. In Brooklyn, Branch Rickey would encourage the use of several new inventions; such as batting cages, pitching machines, and his own personal invention the batting helmet. He was also the first person to ever hire a Statistical Advisor, a position Branch Rickey essentially invented. Rickey was a groundbreaker; he was modernizing a game that hadn’t changed since its initial invention. Up to this point, Branch Rickey’s accomplishments and achievements were already more than enough to guarantee him in the Hall of Fame, but what Rickey was about to do in Brooklyn would not only change Sports History but American History too. Rickey never forgot how ill-treated and segregated his black teammates had been in his college days, because of those experiences he had been attempting to form an all-black league that would be an expansion of the Brooklyn Dodgers Farm System. Although there is no proof of this league ever taking place, many black players say that Branch Rickey would personally show up and scout their games. For several years, he searched to find the perfect player to bring about desegregation in Major League Baseball. In October of 1945, he found him, Jackie Robinson was signed to the Brooklyn Dodgers becoming the first black man to play professional baseball. Branch Rickey said this "There was never a man in the game who could put mind and muscle together quicker than Jackie Robinson."(1943). After playing with the Dodgers Minor League affiliate the Montreal Royals for three seasons, Robinson made his debut as a Brooklyn Dodger in 1947, successfully breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball. Robinson led his team to a Pennant Victory in 1947 as well as winning “Rookie of the Year”, for the 1947 season. Robinson would later say, “I realized how much our relationship had deepened after I left baseball. Branch, especially after I was out of the sports spotlight, treated me like a son.” (1960) After his career with the Dodgers, Branch Rickey was offered a position as the General Manager for the Pittsburgh Pirates, he was a Pirate from 1951-1955. In the first season under Rickey, the Pirates were the worst team in baseball, as they had been for several years. Rickey suggested the Pirates cut the pay of their superstar player Ralph Kiner, who quickly objected to the idea which led to Rickey’s famous response, “Son, we could have finished last without you!”(1952). In1953, the Pirates were the first team in professional baseball to require players to wear batting helmets, Rickey’s invention. Helmets are still in use today; in fact, most young players wouldn’t even know the game was ever played without it. Branch Rickey had shown in his baseball career that he was willing to put the best players on the field, regardless of where they were from or what they looked like. The Negro Leagues were gone due to him bringing the black player into professional baseball, and with them, Rickey’s secret pool of talent. He needed a new talent, and he found it in the Puerto Rican Baseball League. It was an untapped market, in which Rickey found a player named Roberto Clemente who ended up becoming the first Latin American baseball player enshrined into the Hall of Fame, as well as the first Latin American MVP. The Pirates were a dumpster fire when Branch Rickey arrived and in 1955 when Rickey was forced to retire due to health issues the team wasn’t the best in baseball but they were no joke. In fact, the core team that Rickey had assembled would go on to win the 1960 World Series and many Pirates fans would give Branch Rickey the credit for assembling that team. Branch Rickey retired due to his health issues, but his love for the game continued to drag him back into the mix. In 1957, Rickey would become President of the Continental League. This league was an expansion for Major league Baseball, under the Presidency of Rickey, teams were developed such as the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, and Houston Astros. He would continue to run the league until 1962 when he was offered to return to the place it all began, the St. Louis Cardinals. He finished his baseball career as a Cardinal from 1962-1964, ending with St Louis finally winning the 1964 World Series and Rickey going out as a champion. Branch became a motivational speaker after his time in baseball, during a speech in 1965, Rickey keeled over dead. He died from a heart condition on December 10th, 1965. He was elected into the Pro-Baseball Hall of Fame in the class of 1967. Several highways, arenas, ballparks, etc… are to this day, marked with Branch Rickey’s name, an honor not many baseball players hold. Branch Rickey was a man who knew what was right; he didn’t look the other way when he knew something was wrong. He changed baseball for the better, he changed sports for the better, and he changed America for the better. He broke the color barrier two different times, invented batting helmets and then introduced them into Major League Baseball, invented the Farm System, and was a Champions Champion; but, if you were able to ask Branch Rickey what his greatest accomplishment was and when I have a hunch he would say it was on December 10th, 1965, the day he got to see his Savior. References Baseball Hall of Fame. (2018). Branch Rickey. [online] Available at: https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/rickey-branch [Accessed 7 Nov. 2018]. Biography. (2018). Branch Rickey. [online] Available at: https://www.biography.com/people/branch-rickey-9458118 [Accessed 7 Nov. 2018]. Jackie Robinson. (2018). Quotes - The Official Licensing Website of Jackie Robinson. [online] Available at: https://www.jackierobinson.com/quotes/ [Accessed 7 Nov. 2018]. Wikipedia.org. (2018). Branch Rickey. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branch_Rickey [Accessed 7 Nov. 2018].