Sam Breadon
Encyclopedia
Samuel Breadon was an American
executive who served as the president and majority owner of the St. Louis Cardinals
of Major League Baseball
from 1920 through 1947. During that time, the Cardinals rose from languishing as one of the National League
’s doormats to a premier power in baseball, winning nine NL pennants and six World Series
championships.
Born in New York City, Breadon moved from Manhattan to St. Louis
at the turn of the 20th century. He prospered as the owner of Pierce-Arrow
auto dealerships and became a self-made millionaire. In 1917, he also became a minority investor – for $2,000 – in the Cardinals, then a struggling, second-division team chronically strapped for resources. But the club’s enterprising young president, Branch Rickey
, discovered that the team could compete successfully against richer opponents by developing its playing talent on an assembly line of minor league
teams, from Class D to Class AA, that it owned and controlled. This was the creation of the farm system, perfected by the Cardinals and — when the Redbirds came to dominate the NL — copied by the 15 other major league teams.
Rickey also served as manager
of the Cardinals from 1919-25, and Breadon, who had bought out most of his partners to become majority owner, succeeded him as club president in 1920. In the middle of , Breadon moved Rickey into the front office as business manager — general manager
in contemporary terms — and promoted star second baseman
Rogers Hornsby
to playing manager. (Rickey, who worked for Breadon until the end of 1942, enjoyed wide-ranging authority, but Breadon would always reserve the right to choose the team’s field manager.)
In 1926
, the Redbirds won their first pennant and first world championship with Hornsby at the helm, a seven-game triumph over the New York Yankees
of Babe Ruth
and Lou Gehrig
. But during the offseason, Breadon traded Hornsby to the New York Giants
, the result of a heated confrontation between owner and playing-manager in September 1926 over the playing of exhibition games during a pennant race.
Under Breadon, the Cardinals again would rule the baseball world in 1931
, 1934
, 1942
, 1944
and 1946
, with NL pennants also earned in 1928, 1930 and 1943. They would feature such all-time great players as Hornsby, Jim Bottomley
, Chick Hafey
, Dizzy Dean
, Pepper Martin
, Frankie Frisch
, Joe Medwick
, Johnny Mize
, Enos Slaughter
, Marty Marion
, Red Schoendienst
, and Stan Musial
. And, with their on-field success and the advent of radio, they would develop a fanatical regional following, their appeal extending beyond Missouri
and throughout the lower Midwest
, Arkansas
, Louisiana
, the Great Plains
states and much of the Southwest
.
In November 1947, Breadon sold the Cardinals to prominent St. Louisans Robert Hannegan and Fred Saigh
for $3 million. He died in St. Louis 18 months later, from prostate cancer
, at the age of 72.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
executive who served as the president and majority owner of the 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...
of Major League Baseball
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...
from 1920 through 1947. During that time, the Cardinals rose from languishing as one of the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
’s doormats to a premier power in baseball, winning nine NL pennants and six World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
championships.
Born in New York City, Breadon moved from Manhattan to St. Louis
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...
at the turn of the 20th century. He prospered as the owner of Pierce-Arrow
Pierce-Arrow
Pierce-Arrow was an American automobile manufacturer based in Buffalo, New York, which was active from 1901-1938. Although best known for its expensive luxury cars, Pierce-Arrow also manufactured commercial trucks, fire trucks, camp trailers, motorcycles, and bicycles.-Early history:The forerunner...
auto dealerships and became a self-made millionaire. In 1917, he also became a minority investor – for $2,000 – in the Cardinals, then a struggling, second-division team chronically strapped for resources. But the club’s enterprising young president, Branch Rickey
Branch Rickey
Wesley Branch Rickey was an innovative Major League Baseball executive elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967...
, discovered that the team could compete successfully against richer opponents by developing its playing talent on an assembly line of minor league
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...
teams, from Class D to Class AA, that it owned and controlled. This was the creation of the farm system, perfected by the Cardinals and — when the Redbirds came to dominate the NL — copied by the 15 other major league teams.
Rickey also served as 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...
of the Cardinals from 1919-25, and Breadon, who had bought out most of his partners to become majority owner, succeeded him as club president in 1920. In the middle of , Breadon moved Rickey into the front office as business manager — general manager
General manager (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....
in contemporary terms — and promoted star second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby, Sr. , nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball . He played for the St. Louis Cardinals , New York Giants , Boston Braves , Chicago Cubs , and St. Louis Browns...
to playing manager. (Rickey, who worked for Breadon until the end of 1942, enjoyed wide-ranging authority, but Breadon would always reserve the right to choose the team’s field manager.)
In 1926
1926 World Series
The 1926 World Series was the championship series of the 1926 Major League Baseball season, featuring the St. Louis Cardinals against the New York Yankees...
, the Redbirds won their first pennant and first world championship with Hornsby at the helm, a seven-game triumph over the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
of Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
and Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
. But during the offseason, Breadon traded Hornsby to the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, the result of a heated confrontation between owner and playing-manager in September 1926 over the playing of exhibition games during a pennant race.
Under Breadon, the Cardinals again would rule the baseball world in 1931
1931 World Series
In the 1931 World Series, the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Athletics in seven games, a rematch and reversal of fortunes of the 1930 World Series.The same two teams faced off during the 1930 World Series and the Athletics were victorious...
, 1934
1934 World Series
The 1934 World Series matched the St. Louis Cardinals against the Detroit Tigers, with the Cardinals' "Gashouse Gang" winning in seven games for their third championship in nine years....
, 1942
1942 World Series
The 1942 World Series featured the defending champion New York Yankees against the St. Louis Cardinals, with the Cardinals winning the Series in five games for their first championship since and their fourth overall....
, 1944
1944 World Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 4, 1944 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, MissouriGeorge McQuinn hit the Brown's only home run of the series to put his team ahead in the fourth inning, while Denny Galehouse outpitched World Series veteran Mort Cooper to hold on for the win.-Game 2:Thursday, October 5,...
and 1946
1946 World Series
-Game 1:Sunday, October 6, 1946 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, MissouriThe Red Sox won Game 1 when Rudy York hit a home run into the left field bleachers.-Game 2:Monday, October 7, 1946 at Sportsman's Park in St...
, with NL pennants also earned in 1928, 1930 and 1943. They would feature such all-time great players as Hornsby, Jim Bottomley
Jim Bottomley
James Leroy Bottomley was born in Oglesby, Illinois and grew up in Nokomis, Illinois. Nicknamed "Sunny Jim" because of his cheerful disposition, he was a left-handed Major League Baseball player. He also served as player-manager for the St. Louis Browns in 1937.-Career:As a first baseman for the...
, Chick Hafey
Chick Hafey
Charles James "Chick" Hafey was an American player in Major League Baseball. Hafey was part of two World Series championship teams as a St. Louis Cardinal, and was selected by the Veteran's Committee for the Hall of Fame in .Playing for the St...
, Dizzy Dean
Dizzy Dean
Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the last National League pitcher to win 30 games in one season. Dean was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953....
, Pepper Martin
Pepper Martin
Johnny Leonard Roosevelt "Pepper" Martin was an American professional baseball player and minor league manager. He was known as the Wild Horse of the Osage because of his daring, aggressive baserunning abilities. Martin played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman and an outfielder for the St...
, Frankie Frisch
Frankie Frisch
Francis “Frankie” Frisch , nicknamed the "Fordham Flash" or "The Old Flash", was a German American Major League Baseball player of the early twentieth century....
, Joe Medwick
Joe Medwick
Joseph Michael Medwick , nicknamed "Ducky", was an American Major League Baseball player. A left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals during the "Gashouse Gang" era of the 1930s, he also played for the Brooklyn Dodgers , New York Giants , and Boston Braves...
, Johnny Mize
Johnny Mize
John Robert "Johnny" Mize was a baseball player who was a first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, and New York Yankees...
, Enos Slaughter
Enos Slaughter
Enos Bradsher Slaughter , nicknamed "Country", was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 19-year baseball career, he played from 1938–1942 and 1946-1959 for four different teams, but is noted primarily for his time with the St...
, Marty Marion
Marty Marion
Martin Whiteford Marion was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played as a shortstop in Major League Baseball from to . Marion played with the St. Louis Cardinals for the majority of his career before ending with the St. Louis Browns as a player-manager...
, Red Schoendienst
Red Schoendienst
Albert Fred "Red" Schoendienst is an American Major League Baseball coach, former player and manager, and 10-time All-star. After a 19-year playing career with the St...
, and Stan Musial
Stan Musial
Stanley Frank "Stan" Musial is a retired professional baseball player who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals . Nicknamed "Stan the Man", Musial was a record 24-time All-Star selection , and is widely considered to be one of the greatest hitters in baseball...
. And, with their on-field success and the advent of radio, they would develop a fanatical regional following, their appeal extending beyond Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
and throughout the lower Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, the Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
states and much of the Southwest
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
.
In November 1947, Breadon sold the Cardinals to prominent St. Louisans Robert Hannegan and Fred Saigh
Fred Saigh
Frederick Michael Saigh Jr. was the part-owner, then sole owner, of the St. Louis Cardinals of American Major League Baseball from 1948 through 1953.- Pre-Cardinals years :...
for $3 million. He died in St. Louis 18 months later, from prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
, at the age of 72.