RICKEY, BRANCH WESLEY

born Dec. 20, 1881, Stockdale, Ohio, U.S.

died Dec. 9, 1965, Columbia, Mo.

U.S. baseball executive.

Rickey began playing professional baseball while a student at Ohio Wesleyan University. In 1917 he began a long association with the St. Louis Cardinals (president, 1917–19; field manager, 1919–25; general manager, 1925–42). In 1919 he devised the farm system of training ballplayers. He later became president and general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers (1943–50). Defying strong resistance, in 1945 he broke a long-standing race barrier by hiring the first black player in major league baseball. Jackie Robinson played for the Dodgers' farm teams for two years before he was brought up to play as an infielder for Brooklyn in 1947. Rickey was later associated with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1950–59).