On Oct. 29, 1942, Branch Rickey is
named president and General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers.
He
was perhaps best known for breaking Major League
Baseball's color barrier
by signing African
American player Jackie Robinson, for
drafting the first Afro-Hispanic superstar, Roberto Clemente, for
creating the framework for the modern minor league
farm system, for
encouraging the Major Leagues to add new teams through his involvement in the
proposed Continental
League, and for introducing the batting helmet.
Rickey
played in MLB for the St. Louis
Browns and New York
Highlanders from 1905 through 1907. After struggling as a player,
Rickey returned to college, where he learned about administration from Philip Bartelme. Returning
to MLB in 1913, Rickey embarked on a successful managing and executive career
with the St.Louis
Browns, the St. Louis
Cardinals, New York
Yankees, Brooklyn
Dodgers and Pittsburgh
Pirates.
During his playing career Rickey posted a career .239
batting average, with 82 hits and 39 RBIs.
As a manager Rickey had much more success winning the World
Series in 1926, 1931, 1934, and 1942 with the St. Louis Cardinals.
His managerial record was 597-664.
In 1967 Rickey was inducted into Cooperstown Baseball Hall
of Fame by the veterans committee.
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