Branch Rickey Connection to Baltimore Orioles (St. Louis Browns)

Some may already know this- but Branch Rickey's (integrated baseball with Jackie Robinson while owner/GM of the Brooklyn Dodgers) first management job in professional baseball was with the St. Louis Browns (later Baltimore Orioles) as Field Manager and General Manager from 1913 to 1915. I thought that was a cool little tidbit since Mr. Rickey's career is receiving lots of recognition this Spring/Summer (and rightfully so IMHO) b/c of Harrison Ford's well-received portrayal in "42".

I had always thought of Branch Rickey as an "NL guy" with his obvious connections to the Cardinals, Pirates, and most famously, Dodgers- and I suppose he still is. That said- kind of cool to know he started out in the AL- and with the franchise (St. Louis Browns) that became our beloved Birds. One of the few things the Browns got right...:thumbsup1:

*Should mention that Mr. Rickey also played for the Browns in 1905 and 1906- though not very well.

o

Our American Cousin.

o

.

Our American Cousin.

HAHA. Yes. Precisely.

I know the O's have always made a rather conscious decision to distance themselves from their Browns' history- but I wonder if they should at this this point. How many O's fans (and baseball fans generally) are aware that baseball icons like Branch Rickey, Rogers Hornsby, George Sisler, Dizzy Dean, Satchel Paige, etc. all have connection to the Oriole organization through the Browns? I think folks would be more quick to call us a "classic" organization (once you add in those names with Weaver, Robinson(x2), Palmer, Murray, Ripken, etc.) if they did...

Eddie_Murray33 said:

 

HA HA HA. Yes. Precisely.

I know the O's have always made a rather conscious decision to distance themselves from their Browns' history- but I wonder if they should at this this point. How many O's fans (and baseball fans generally) are aware that baseball icons like Branch Rickey, Rogers Hornsby, George Sisler, Dizzy Dean, Satchel Paige, etc. all have connection to the Oriole organization through the Browns? I think folks would be more quick to call us a "classic" organization (once you add in those names with Weaver, Robinson (x2), Palmer, Murray, Ripken Jr, etc.) if they did ...

 

o

In 2003, we used Browns uniforms in a "Turn Back the Clock" game. )

O

BALTIMORE SUN ARTICLE:

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2003-06-08/sports/0306080044_1_ponson-orioles-garrett-stephenson

A crowd of 43,369 turned out on a gorgeous afternoon at Busch Stadium to watch the two teams commemorate the 1944 World Series with throwback uniforms. The scoreboard even said Browns vs. Cardinals, and the local TV station showed the first part of the game in black and white.

o

In 2003, we used Browns uniforms in a "Turn Back the Clock" game.

O

BALTIMORE SUN ARTICLE:

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2003-06-08/sports/0306080044_1_ponson-orioles-garrett-stephenson

A crowd of 43,369 turned out on a gorgeous afternoon at Busch Stadium to watch the two teams commemorate the 1944 World Series with throwback uniforms. The scoreboard even said Browns vs. Cardinals, and the local TV station showed the first part of the game in black and white.

Great call. Forgot about those. Loved it at the time. We have a ton of uniforms as it is- but I would LOVE to see us break those out one series (or game) a year against an old-school AL rival like Detroit (who finished 2nd to the Browns in a great pennant race in '44), or Cleveland or something. Should definitely wear 'em when we play the Cards in St. Louis (as we did in '03) too...

While the franchise's origins do come from St. Louis, I would venture a fair amount of Orioles fans (mainly those from the immediate Baltimore area) are uncomfortable embracing the team's past as the Browns.

This is most likely because there's still a lot of bitterness over the Colts move to Indianapolis and that city's usurpation of the Colts name and team history, which Baltimore fans associate with Baltimore.

As such, there's not a lot of Baltimore-based Orioles fans who think of the Orioles as the former Browns. In part because it was so long ago (before many of them were born), but also in part out of reverence to St. Louis and the notion that the Browns ended with them.

While the franchise's origins do come from St. Louis, I would venture a fair amount of Orioles fans (mainly those from the immediate Baltimore area) are uncomfortable embracing the team's past as the Browns.

This is most likely because there's still a lot of bitterness over the Colts move to Indianapolis and that city's usurpation of the Colts name and team history, which Baltimore fans associate with Baltimore.

As such, there's not a lot of Baltimore-based Orioles fans who think of the Orioles as the former Browns. In part because it was so long ago (before many of them were born), but also in part out of reverence to St. Louis and the notion that the Browns ended with them.

Very interesting context PeteU- and makes a lot of sense in light of the whole Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts history. Orioles fans are a classy lot (recent unpleasantness at OPACY excluded) and you're right- it's hard to imagine us usurping another town's history or traditions. I do wonder though in light of the fact that the Cardinals have essentially become the closest thing the National League has to "The Yankees" in term's of success whether it would even be noticed in St. Louis. I could be very wrong though. I do remember the Anheuser Busch family funding a "History of the St. Louis Browns" film a few years back that was hosted by Bob Costas and everything. It's a HUGE baseball town too (obviously) so it may well still be part of the sports fabric there. I did get the sense from the film (and some Cards fans that I've talked to) that they're kind of proud of the fact that their "lovable loser" Browns "grew up" to become the great Baltimore Orioles of Weaver, Robinson (x2), Palmer, Ripken, Murray, etc. That's kind of cool at least...

o

Pete Gray was born on this day in 1915:

o

Well there’s definitely something “St. Louis Browns”-esque about the 2018 season.

o

I just found out about this.

5 years after Ichiro Suzuki broke George Sisler's 84 year-old record for hits in a single single, he visited Sisler's grave and laid flowers down on it.

Ichiro was in St. Louis for the 2009 All-Star game at the time.

Ichiro Visits Sisler's Grave

(ESPN.com News Services)

http://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=4329684

oooooooooooooo 

o