Join our linker program. For a guy less than four feet tall, Eddie Gaedel made quite the splash when he made his Major League debut. It coincides with the 75th anniversary of the Browns debut year, 1946. Find out more. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. 196 overall draft pick by the Packers in 1962 (Louisville), Green was traded to Cleveland that year and spent his entire, 89-game career with the Browns. With Bob Cain on the moundlaughing at the absurdity that he actually had to pitch to Gaedel[15]and catcher Bob Swift catching on his knees, Gaedel took his stance. While in St. Louis, the St. Louis Browns have appeared in the World Series once, in 1944. In 1920Sam Breadon, who had just purchased the Cardinals, beseeched Ball to allow his team to cohabit the Browns home, Sportsmans Park. Team Names: Baltimore Orioles, St. Louis Browns, Milwaukee Brewers Seasons: 122 (1901 to 2022) Record: 8928-9952, .473 W-L% Playoff Appearances: 14 Pennants: 7 World Championships: 3 Enlistment Date: In 11 years with St. Louis the southpaw won 128 games with a 2.91 ERA, while completing 122 of his 224 starts. Browns career: A No. He had 1,809 yards and two touchdowns on kick returns in 2009. Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. [15] Veeck had carefully trained Gaedel to assume a tight crouch at the plate; he had measured Gaedel's strike zone in that stance and claimed it was just one and a half inches (3.8cm) high. One by one, [Indians manager] Lou [Boudreau] introduced me to each player, Doby would later recall. Browns career: He was traded to Cleveland in 1975 after spending six years with three other teams. Before the game against the Detroit Tigers, Veeck had a 7-foot-tall birthday cake rolled onto the field. James played both ways for Massillon's legendary 1940 team, but Brown saw him as a bigger star on offense. It was a shortening of the name Brown Stockings used by previous St. Louis teams in the National Association and in the National League from 1875 to 1877. Unsurprisingly, the pitcher couldnt hit the strike zone and Gaedel easily got his walk to first. The 18,369 fans gave Gaedel a standing ovation. Some defensive statistics Copyright Baseball Info Solutions, 2010-2022. Even Brown was surprised how good a defensive player Tommy became on championship teams. (LogOut/ Russ Bauers George Baumgardner Bill Bayne Gene Bearden Boom-Boom Beck Ollie Bejma Beau Bell Benny Bengough Bugs Bennett Fred Bennett (baseball) Herschel Bennett John Beradino Johnny Bero Neil Berry (baseball) Larry Bettencourt Ivan Bigler Jim Bilbrey Emil Bildilli Josh Billings (catcher) George Binks Frank Biscan Rivington Bisland 14 Aug 1949 On May 1st, facing Pittsburgh's Waite Hoyt, Moore made Forbes Field history, becoming the first left-handed batter to launch a home run over that stadium's distant left-field wall, as well as the first to clear its then eleven-year-old, 24-foot-high scoreboard. Browns career: James played 104 of his 108 NFL games for the Browns, his team from 1948-55. In 1961, when he was 36-years-old, he was arrested after screaming at policemen who asked why a little boy was out late at night. Do you have a blog? Bobby GRICH. Change). As soon as he could, Bill Veeck got rid of those three.. Ray Yannucci: Along with Bernie Kosar, Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield, Byner was a heart and soul of the ultra-successful Marty Schottenheimer era. Counting playoffs, he logged 77 of his 142 NFL games as a Brown. Initially, Veeck planned to move to Milwaukee, but the National League outmanoeuvered him and the Boston Braves moved in. During the Browns' march to the 1968 NFL championship game, he had an eight-catch, 151-yard game against the St. Louis Cardinals, a big rival back then. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. George Sisler 1b (1939) 85.77% - Browns Years 1915-27. Despite the brevity of his moment in the spotlight, Gaedel knew how to capitalize on ten minutes of fame. This is Joe Gordon, and Gordon put his hand out. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. 9 Dec 1918 St. Louis Browns All-Time Team We select a 28-player roster for the St. Louis Browns, 1902-1953. They made Gaedel a uniform using the one owned by the club vice presidents nine-year-old son. [9][10][11] Some early Mercury recordings featured a caricature of him as its logo.[12][13]. While the records of the National and American Leagues by the 1920s through 1940s were a bit more comprehensive, 19th century baseball has historical records littered with inconsistencies and incompletions far more egregious than the records of the Negro Leagues, and those numbers are still valued because they are still a part of baseballs history. The Strange Tale Of Eddie Gaedel, The Shortest Player In Major League History. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Once, in 1944, they treated their fans to a pennant. Banks regret in the form of drug issues that tainted his career, but he was consistently good and at times spectacular. Team Names: St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Perfectos, St. Louis Browns, St. Louis Brown Stockings Seasons: 141 (1882 to 2022) Record: 11131-10232, .521 W-L% Playoff Appearances: 32 Pennants: 23 World Championships: 11 Winningest Manager: Tony La Russa, 1408-1182, .544 W-L% More Franchise Info After settling on Gaedel, they brought him to St. Louis wrapping him in blankets to smuggle him up to a hotel room. Updated 12/28/2022 To be eligible, position players needed 1,500 plate appearances and starting pitchers had to have started a minimum of 75 games for the franchise. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The leader in the NNL in OPS+ in 1926, 1928, and 1930, Suttles ranks second in Stars history in home runs, in addition to his OPS+ lead. The Sisler-led teams of the 1920s would never seriously contend again. This biographical article relating to an American baseball outfielder born in the 1900s is a stub. The Orioles would soon trade away most of the remaining talent from the Veeck era (including Sievers, Wertz, Turley, and Larsen), and it would be several years before the franchise finally began to win. Other than Gaedel, the other four players pinch-hit for pitchers; all five appeared in games their teams ultimately lost. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc. Privacy Policy. Very undersized by modern pitcher standards, the 59, 168 pound Hensley was not an overpowering pitcher but he was a consistent innings-eater, leading the NNL in innings and wins in both 1926 and 1930. After the war, Gaedel was hired in 1946 by Mercury Records as a mascot to portray the "Mercury Man". After leading the Cardinals two games to one in the Trolley Series, the Browns lost the final three contests and the World Championship. Veeck was the owner of the Indians until 1950. Get information about Baltimore Orioles history, past franchise names, retired numbers, top players and more on Baseball-Reference.com. [1] The Tigers catcher offered his pitcher a piece of strategy: "Keep it low". The Stars all-time leader in plate appearances, Bell, who had moved to St. Louis in high school, spent ten seasons with the Stars, and unsurprisingly for anybody even tangentially familiar with his mythology, he is easily the teams all-time leader in stolen bases, having led the league five times during his Stars tenure. Detroit pitcher Bob Cain who walked Gaedel that one day at the plate was the only baseball player to attend the funeral. The old expression about the St. Louis Browns was, First in shoes, first in booze, and last in theAmerican League. In their 52-year history, the Browns finished in the cellar 14 times, and seventh 12 times. He and Kevin Mack were Martyball's version of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. 1 Roger A. Godin, The 1922 St. Louis Browns: Best of the American League's Worst (Jefferson, North Carolina . In response, Veeck threatened to request an official ruling on whether Yankees shortstop and reigning American League MVP Phil Rizzuto, who stood 5feet 6inches (1.68m), was a short ballplayer or a tall dwarf. 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 . He was also the only one. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Ray Yannucci: He played left guard opposite Chuck Noll's right guard for part of his Browns run. He performed in circuses and rodeos and crawled into plane engines and other small spaces to make repairs during World War II. Veeck and Taylor had the foresight to have a copy of Gaedel's contract on hand,[16] as well as a copy of the Browns' active roster, which had room for Gaedel's addition. He played three sports at Kansas, where his roommate was Dean Smith, the famous basketball coach. Now in St. Louis, Veeck was hoping to make another major-leagues first though for less noble and practical reasons. Welcome back to "The 75 Greatest Browns Players, Plus One For The Toe.". 1909: The Browns are unable to build off their solid season as they stumble all year, falling back down into seventh place, posting a record of 61-89 along the way, as Manager Jimmy McAleer is fired following the season. Steve Doerschuk: Drafted by the Lions in 1947, James was back with his old Massillon coach, Paul Brown, in Cleveland in 1948. girl baseball player cigarette pack cards from the 1880s, photo of the very first basketball game from 127 years ago. His sophomore season was his best, with a league-best 19 wins and a 2.21 ERA in guiding the Stars to a pennant. U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 19401947 for Edward Carl Gaedel. [18] American League president Will Harridge, saying Veeck was making a mockery of the game, voided Gaedel's contract the next day. Breadon put the money from the sale of the Cardinals Robison Field into the minor league system, which eventually produced a host of star players that brought the Cardinals far more drawing power than the Browns.The 1922 Browns excited their owner by almost beating the Yankees to a pennant. Ever since the word got out that Andre Dawson was going into the Hall of Fame as a Montreal Expo, I've thought often of St. Louis' own relocated team. The Browns manager accommodatingly presented Gaedels contract. He was responsible for integrating the American League in 1947 when as owner of the Cleveland Indians he signed black player Larry Doby. My question is why wasn't he higher? Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. The big, uber-athletic playmaker met my loose threshold for longevity. His worth is proven by the fact the offense and team struggled mightily in 1984, which he missed with a knee injury. 100 Greatest Browns Presentation. He sported a winged hat similar to the record label's logo, to promote Mercury recordings. A comment on each player is provided by the person who drafted him. There was aWorld Series in Sportsmans Park in 1926 with the Cardinals upsetting the Yankees. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Bees / Braves, Brooklyn Dodgers, Washington Senators, and St. Louis Browns between 1931 and 1945. Browns career: A No. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Naturally the Browns fell short in the World Series, losing 4-2 to the neighboring St. Louis Cardinals. 1888: The St. Louis Browns win the American Association pennant for a fourth straight season, posting a record of 92-43 to edge the Brooklyn Bridegrooms by six and a half games. All times are GMT-8. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. In his debut season, as a 23 year-old, Trent went 15-10 with a 2.93 ERA, leading the league in strikeouts. The Indiana native was a two-time, first-team All-Pro and two-time, second-team All-Pro. Veeck had hoped that Delsing would go on to score in a one-run Browns victory, but he ended up stranded at third base and the Tigers won the game 62. What player in team history had a bigger impact on his position group than Cribbs? This page was last edited on 13 August 2021, at 19:17. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. . . Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. No longer able to compete financially, Veeck decided to pack up and move the Browns before the 1953 season. He sent his talent scout out into the world to secretly find the right guy. 3. Copyright 1999-2021. Gaedel made a single plate appearance and was walked with four consecutive balls before being replaced by a pinch-runner at first base. St Mary's Cemetery 27th Recruit Co., GENERAL SERV. This page was generated at 10:02 AM. They emerged dressed as aliens with ray guns, captured two infielders from the dugout, and performed a martian ceremony with them on home plate. Those who have never messed up can cast the first football. This Month in Sports ReferenceFind out when we add a feature or make a change. Doctors said he had had a heart attack as a result of a beating. At the end of Veeck's first full year as owner, 1952, the Browns had improved by 12 wins over 1951 and had nearly doubled their attendance from the previous season. Copyright 2000-2022 Sports Reference LLC. As for Veeck, he went on to own the Chicago White Sox. 25 Feb. . 10. Though he only went to bat once in his life and his story doesnt have a happy ending his one day in a St. Louis Browns uniform went down in sports history and made fans carefully consider where the line was drawn between athletics and entertainment. Death Date: This is Jim Hegan, and Hegan put his hand out. Veeck knew the league office would summarily approve the contract upon receipt, and that it would not be scrutinized until Monday, August 20. Mule SuttlesA considerable portion of Negro Leagues folklore is built around charismatic, entertaining talents (see #2 if thats what youre seeking), but the heartbeat of the sport, just as Babe Ruth was the heartbeat of the white Major Leagues, were mammoth dudes who just crushed baseballs, and few encapsulated that better than George Mule Suttles (it seems appropriate that the Stars answer to Ruth was a guy named George who went by a nickname more befitting of a hulking animal). Cool Papa BellJames Cool Papa Bell is probably the most famous player in St. Louis Stars history, and indeed he is one of the greatest. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 2012 Panini Cooperstown (1-150) - St Louis Browns / BALTIMORE ORIOLES Team Set at the best online prices at eBay! 1930 Census. They lost more than 100 games eight times, finishing dead last in the AL 10 times. The club was boasting the best players in franchise history, including future Hall of Famer George Sisler, and an outfield trio - Ken Williams, Baby Doll Jacobson, and JackTobin . What follows is a list of living St. Louis Browns players. Ball confidently predicted that there would be aWorld Series in Sportsmans Park by 1926. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Cain delivered four consecutive balls, all high (the first two pitches were legitimate attempts at strikes; the last two were half-speed tosses). Arguably his finest season came in 1925, when Redus had a career-best .372 batting average and .453 on-base percentage. background-color:#ba3434; Rogers Hornsby 2b (1942) 78.11% - Browns Years: 1933-37. No. [4] His father, Carl Gaedele (18861949), was a Lithuanian immigrant who managed a department store and worked as a parking lot checker. He was assigned a number Veeck thought was appropriate: 1/8. On August 19, 1951, Gaedel entered the second half of the doubleheader between the Browns and Detroit Tigers in the bottom of the first inning as a pinch-hitter for leadoff batter Frank Saucier. Browns career: Undrafted out of Kent State in 2005, he played 124 of his 136 NFL games for Cleveland. Home of the St. Louis Browns Historical Society & Fan Club. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. [15] However, when Gaedel came to the plate, he abandoned the crouch he had been taught for a pose that Veeck described as "a fair approximation of Joe DiMaggio's classic style",[15] leading Veeck to fear he was going to swing (in the Thurber story, the player with dwarfism cannot resist swinging at a 30 pitch, grounds out, and the team loses the game). This Month in Sports ReferenceFind out when we add a feature or make a change. Arguably the first great first baseman of the twentieth century, George Sisler was the greatest player in St. Louis Browns history. He ignored several movie cameo requests and got a job as a bartender in Chicagos famous Midget Club. The first group of 15, published Monday, can be found here. 9. In his autobiography, Veeck contends that the other American League owners conspired to keep him in St. Louis in 1953 and 1954, in an effort to bankrupt him. He joined the Stars in 1922 and remained there until 1931, notching more plate appearances in the history of the St. Louis Stars than any other player. Or write about sports? Every Sports Reference Social Media Account. The Negro Major Leagues played formally from 1920 through 1948, formed in the aftermath of increasing popularity of barnstorming teams comprised of players unofficially barred from Major League Baseball due to the color of their skin, and waning in popularity once the National and American Leagues finally came to their senses and began to open its doors to the greatest players in the sport regardless of ancestry. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Gaedel came out of a papier-mache cake between games of a doubleheader at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis to celebrate the American League's 50th anniversary. An excellent baserunner and superb fielder who was once tried out at second and third base even though he threw left-handed, Sisler's primary asset was his left-handed swing, which he used to notch a career .340 batting average. At the time, Veeck was the owner of the St. Louis Browns an American League franchise that was known for ineptitude on the field and low attendance in the stands. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Browns career: Drafted by the Steelers in 1947 (Case Western Reserve), he didn't play pro ball until 1949, when he made the team in the town where he went to college. The next year he bought a majority stake in the Browns. His jersey, bearing the uniform number ".mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}18", is displayed in the St. Louis Cardinals Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. After learning about Eddie Gaedel, the shortest baseball player in history, check out these girl baseball player cigarette pack cards from the 1880s. In 1947, the Browns became the second American League team to integrate (following the Cleveland Indians), adding Negro League players Willard Brown and Hank Thompson to the roster in July. Still, there were murmurs that the little man didnt quite meet the expectations Veeck had set. An above-average hitter in six of his eight seasons, Creacys peak with the Stars came in 1926, a banner year for baseball in St. Louis, when he notched a career-high 23 home runs and amassed an OPS+ of 159. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? The team took the old moniker abandoned by the Cardinals, and built their stadium, Sportsman's Park, on the site of the park of the same name used by the old Browns. Along with the Chicago American Giants and Kansas City Monarchs, the Stars were among the leagues top tier. background-image:unset; All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. The league meeting for approval was held in Chicago one day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. After the 1901 season, the Milwaukee Brewers, charter members of theAmerican League, moved to St. Louis and became the Browns a name that recalled the glorious history of Chris von der Ahes Brown Stockings. Fiss made a run as a minor-league catcher in the Cleveland organization, a teammate of Rogers Maris. He played six seasons elsewhere. In Baltimore, they appeared in 6 World Series as the Baltimore Orioles, in 1966, 1969-1971, 1979 and 1983. We know he was born in 1902, though we do not have a birth date. The Browns moved to the National League in 1892 when the American Association merged with the National League, and eventually became the St. Louis Cardinals in 1900. His mother, Helen (ne Janicki), was a homemaker. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1941 Play Ball St. Louis Browns Team Set 3 - VG at the best online prices at eBay! Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. They made only a dozen appearances in the first division. Joining the Stars in 1926, the 63, 215 pound first baseman immediately made an impact, leading the NNL in hits, triples, and home runs (32 in 397 plate appearances) en route to a 1.349 OPS (241 OPS+), the second-highest mark in Stars history (the leader, Oscar Charleston, is a Negro Leagues super-legend, but one who only spent one season in St. Louis). He lasted through 1959, logging 132 games. List of oldest living major league players from each team, Last living players from teams with no living representatives, https://www.baseball-reference.com/bpv/index.php?title=List_of_oldest_living_major_league_players_from_each_team&oldid=1268955, Scores from any date in Major League history, Minor, Foreign, College, & Black Baseball, Frequently Asked Questions about MLB and Baseball. Dewey CreacyA third baseman for most of his career, Creacy was never one of the biggest bats on the Stars, but he was a valuable member of the team from 1924 through the dissolution of the Negro National League. Wilson RedusNicknamed Frog, Wilson Redus was one of the most tenured Stars players, ranking 5th in games played with the organization, and the outfielder, while not having quite the highest highs among the team, was a model of consistency of being a regularly terrifying offensive force. The Saint Louis Browns Historical Society & Fan Club extends Happy Birthday wishes to George Elder the newest member of MLB's Centenarian Club when he joins twenty-one other former players to reach the 100 year old mark on Wednesday March 10th . Rube Waddell p (1946) Veterans - Browns Years: 1908-1910. Falstaff, and the fans, had been promised a "festival of surprises" by Veeck. Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. Yet, he made 271 catches for 4,208 yards and 16 TDs, good numbers considering the times. Welcome back to "The 75 Greatest Browns Players, Plus One For The Toe." This is the second installment in a rollout of an all-star team meant to wake up memories, entertain readers and spark conversation. He was mentioned by name in the lyrics of Terry Cashman's homage to 1950s baseball, "Talkin' Baseball (Willie, Mickey, and the Duke)." His five returns for TDs is a team record. 3779726 In 2020, Major League Baseball officially recognized seven different leagues comprehensively labeled the Negro Major Leagues as major leagues. Statistically, he was a bit of a proto-sabermetric darling, never hitting for a ton of power but being a highly productive offensive weapon on the strength of his ability to draw walks, a category in which he led the NNL in both 1926 and 1929. Immediately, umpire Ed Hurley called for Browns manager Zack Taylor. We present them here for purely educational purposes. No Comments. See one of Eddie Gaedel's only existing autographs. His OPS steadily declined from 1.148 to 1.002 to .881 to .740, ending his Stars career a roughly league-average hitter, but his peaks were among the highest peaks in the history of the organization. Before 1902 [ edit] In the late 19th century, the team was formed as the Milwaukee Brewers in the Western League. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. Evergreen Park, Illinois, USA, St. Louis Cardinals Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, "Veeck's latest gimmick - a midget big leaguer", "Browns hit all-time low; use 3-foot 7-inch player", "Edward Gaedele in the 1940 United States Federal Census", "Outside the Lines: At Bat Eddie Gaedel", "The Only Eddie Gaedel Signed Photograph Known To Exist", "Tigers defeat Browns twice on 7 hitters", "August 19, 1951 Tigers-Browns box score", "Veeck's Latest Stunt: Midget Spacemen Invade Comiskey Park", "Gaedel made a big mark in his own small way Veeck's tallest tale is a walk in the park", "Project MUSE - NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture - Bill Veeck and James Thurber: The Literary Origins of the Midget Pinch Hitter", "Short Hitter, Long Memory Bob Cain is Best Known as the Pitcher Who Walked Midget Eddie Gaedel", "Kyle Gaedele Minor League Statistics & History", ESPN.com article: "Short on size, long on history", Tales from the Ballpark excerpt @ Google Books. Veeck was a well-liked sports figure already known for his dramatic flair. 7. It seems fitting he is the 60th pick, for in 1975, his first year with the Browns, his 60 receptions led the AFC. With the arrival of managerLuke 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 outfielderChet Laabs against the Yankees on the final day of the season to clinch the pennant. Browns career: A No. Ray Yannucci: The vastly under-rated Green was a great complement to Hall of Fame running backs Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly after being acquired to fill the void left when leukemia claimed Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis. Understandably, Barnes was denied. They had preliminary approval from other owners, had secured rights to play in L.A.'s Wrigley Field and had been promised additional financial backing by west coast banker A.P. In fact, James had a 44-yard catch for the 1948 Browns team that went 15-0. Man Led Astray By Google Maps Spent Two Days In The Desert And Drank His Own Urine, Diary Confessions Reportedly Reveal That Jack The Ripper Was A Man Named James Maybrick, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Out of money, Veeck had to unload several of his top players, including Trucks, his best pitcher. Unfortunately, the final vote granting approval was scheduled for Monday, December 8, 1941 - and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, HI on December 7th completely upset that apple cart: with President Franklin D. Roosevelt having declared war, every team including the Browns voted against the proposed move. (LogOut/ Cool Papa Bell- James "Cool Papa" Bell is probably the most famous player in St. Louis Stars history, and indeed he is one of the greatest. The rival Cardinals were delighted, with owner Sam Breadon offering them $250,000 to assist in getting them out of town. But these players did matter and anybody who cares about professional baseball in St. Louis ought to know at least a little bit about the Stars. Join our linker program. Mike McLain: He had 30 interceptions in a seven-year run, through 1959. Browns career: A Round 10 pick in 1984 (East Carolina), Byner played 105 of his 224 NFL games with the Browns, in two shifts, 1984-88 and 1994-95. [26], In 1994, Veeck's son Mike Veeck owned the minor league St. Paul Saints team. Pictorial Parade/Getty ImagesPortrait of maverick baseball executive Bill Veeck seated at his desk, 1965. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. The Browns won just one pennant, in 1944, when the majors were not at full strength due to World War II. And from 1927 through 1931, Trent was a stalwart atop the Stars rotation. How one day in '41 changed MLB". List of living St. Louis Browns players [ edit] Billy Hunter, born June 4, 1928 Although his mythic speed, mostly perpetuated by Satchel Paige, makes Bell seem like an impossible figure, the number back up his greatness. At 5-foot-11, he had an odd appearance, especially after he got heavier as head coach of the Chicago Bears. Birth Date: The Browns tendency to be remembered as a mere punchline has obscured . The team, which played from 1902 to 1953, has just 3 remaining representatives.