RICKEY, BRANCH (WESLEY)

born Dec. 20, 1881, Stockdale, Ohio, U.S. died Dec. 9, 1965, Columbia, Mo. American professional baseball executive who devised the farm system of training ballplayers (1919) and hired the first black players in organized baseball in the 20th century (1945). Rickey started his professional playing career while studying at Ohio Wesleyan University, spent two seasons (190607) in the American League as a catcher, and graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 1911. After serving as field manager of the St. Louis Browns (191315), he began a long association with the St. Louis Cardinalsas club president (191719), field manager (191925), and general manager (192542). Dismayed at the inability of the Cardinals to bid successfully for promising minor-league players, he persuaded club owner Sam Breadon to buy stock in the Houston (Texas) and Fort Smith (Arkansas) minor-league teams so that St. Louis would have first choice of their players. The Cardinals won nine National League championships with players signed during Rickey's tenure. He left the Cardinals to become president and general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers (194350). In the spring of 1945 Rickey founded the United States League for black players, who were excluded by unwritten law from organized baseball, and he was criticized for encouraging continued segregation in sports. In October of that year, however, he signed two blacks, one of whom was infielder Jackie Robinson, for the Dodgers' minor-league organization. Robinson's success with the Dodgers from 1947 led other owners to seek black talent. Rickey later was vice president, general manager (195055), and chairman of the board (195559) of the Pittsburgh Pirates.