Lou Kahn
Encyclopedia
Louis Kahn was an American
professional baseball
player, manager
, scout and coach
. Born in St. Louis, Missouri
, Kahn was a catcher
during his playing days. He threw and batted right-handed, stood 5 feet, 10 inches (1.78 m) tall and weighed 200 pounds (91 kg).
Kahn's playing career extended for 17 seasons (1936-42; 1944-53), all in minor league baseball
. He initially signed with his hometown St. Louis Cardinals
, and spent his career in a number of Major League
farm systems. Although he batted
.304 in 1,507 minor league games, he never rose higher than the top level of the minors. During the course of his lengthy playing career, Kahn toiled for three seasons under legendary executive Branch Rickey
, inventor of the farm system, and Kahn came to be known as a fierce critic of Rickey and the system he created. "He knocked down everyone's salaries, and he put the difference between what they got, and what they should have got, in his own pocket," Kahn once said. "I was just a number to Branch Rickey. He ran baseball factories and screwed his players every way but right side up."
Kahn, however, did have a long career in the game after his catching career ended. After working as a coach for the 1954-55 Cardinals, he joined the Philadelphia Phillies
' organization as a scout and minor league manager, serving into the 1980s. He died at the age of 86.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player, manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
, scout and coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
. Born in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Kahn was a catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
during his playing days. He threw and batted right-handed, stood 5 feet, 10 inches (1.78 m) tall and weighed 200 pounds (91 kg).
Kahn's playing career extended for 17 seasons (1936-42; 1944-53), all in minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
. He initially signed with his hometown St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, and spent his career in a number of Major League
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
farm systems. Although he batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.304 in 1,507 minor league games, he never rose higher than the top level of the minors. During the course of his lengthy playing career, Kahn toiled for three seasons under legendary executive Branch Rickey
Branch Rickey
Wesley Branch Rickey was an innovative Major League Baseball executive elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967...
, inventor of the farm system, and Kahn came to be known as a fierce critic of Rickey and the system he created. "He knocked down everyone's salaries, and he put the difference between what they got, and what they should have got, in his own pocket," Kahn once said. "I was just a number to Branch Rickey. He ran baseball factories and screwed his players every way but right side up."
Kahn, however, did have a long career in the game after his catching career ended. After working as a coach for the 1954-55 Cardinals, he joined the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
' organization as a scout and minor league manager, serving into the 1980s. He died at the age of 86.