Huggins v. Rickey
As mentioned earlier Miller Huggins and Branch Rickey likely met in 1904. Huggins had a successful rookie year. Rickey was called to the majors for the first time late in the season. Rickey, as he was known for, refused to play on Sundays even then. The manager, Joe Kelley, refused to play him any other day and Rickey was released after three weeks without appearing in a single game.
Both men eventually were trained lawyers. Huggins finished his schooling playing college and semi-pro ball along the way. When he finished law school, he and his advisor sat down and decided that the meager pay of a ballplayer would still exceed the expected income of a lawyer, so Huggins made his way into professional baseball. Rickey, a bit more than three years younger, pursued baseball first and then returned to finish school. He opened up a practice in Idaho and turned to coaching after having a less than successful experience, only obtaining one client.
Huggins took over as the Cardinal manager to start the ‘13 season. Rickey left college coaching for the front office of the in-town rival Browns. Rickey was soon named a vice-president and appointed himself field manager near the end of the season. In the spring, Huggins, speaking to a journalist, took a shot at Rickey’s new training innovations at Coffee Pot. The journalist took the comments back to Rickey and got an additional three columns of Rickey defending his methods.
Back in St. Louis, a game of the city series between the two clubs was rained out so a doubleheader was scheduled. Browns second baseman Del Pratt was ejected in the first game. When the two managers met at home plate to exchange lineup cards prior to game 2 an argument ensued. Huggins raised an objection to Pratt being listed on the lineup card. The rule at that time stated that a player tossed from a game was ejected for the day, not just the end of the game.
Moving to 1917, Sam Breadon heads a local ownership group that buys the Cardinals. He brings Rickey over from the Browns in April as the team president and general manager. The Breadon group had outbid a potential ownership group in which Huggins would sign up as an investor. Huggins would move on to the Yankees for the 1918 season.
Both would be major players in future spring training endeavors in St. Pete. Huggins helps bring the Yankees to town and the Crescent Lake facility now known as Huggins-Stengel Field is constructed about 6 blocks from his winter home for spring training in 1925. St. Pete will now have the largest market in the country in New York connected to the town.
Rickey and Al Lang obviously stay in touch. When the Boston Braves/Bees decide to move out, the Cardinals with still-president Branch Rickey announce they will be training in St. Pete starting in 1938. St. Louis provides at least until the late 50’s the furthest west market and likely the largest geographical market.
St. Pete was a clear winner when those two gentlemen couldn’t agree to work together.
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