The
old expression about the St. Louis
Browns was, "First
in shoes, first in booze, and
last in the American League." In
their 52-year history, the Browns
finished in the cellar 14 times,
and seventh 12 times. They made
only a dozen appearances in the
first division. Once, in 1944,
they treated their fans to a
pennant. But through all of the
heartache, the Browns connected
with the fans of St. Louis. Even
though they shared a stadium
with the St. Louis Cardinals
of the National League, the city
was a “Browns Town” until
1936 when the Cardinals defeated
the Yankees to win the World
Series.
With
the arrival
of manager
Luke Sewell
in 1941, the
Browns began
a rebuilding program that culminated
in their only World Series appearance,
in 1944. It took two home runs
by outfielder Chet Laabs against
the Yankees on the final day
of the season to clinch the pennant.
After leading the Cardinals two
games to one in the Trolley Series,
the Browns lost the final three
contests, and the World Championship.
Due primarily to WWII, the 1940s
have been described as a time
when "even the Browns" won a pennant, demeaning their only legitimate
success. One-armed Pete Gray was employed in their 1945 outfield, further enhancing
their negative legacy.
In 1951 Bill Veeck bought the noncontending Browns with the expressed purpose
of driving the Cardinals out of town. Cardinals owner Fred Saight had income
tax troubles that resulted in a prison term, but August Busch restored order
by purchasing the team. To draw fans, Veeck gave them "fun 'n' games," including
midget Eddie Gaedel. The stunts so angered the other owners that Veeck was forced
to sell the club to Baltimore interests in 1953, putting an end to the St. Louis
Browns.
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More
Browns Information:
http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/al/stlouisbrowns/browns.html
http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=St_Louis_Browns
http://www.thestlbrowns.com
http://www.sportslogos.net/team.php?t=88
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