MORE ST. LOUIS BROWNS HISTORY

Bill Veeck - His advancements in the game are well documented, but many have said that he was more of a self promoter than an true baseball man. It is an undeniable fact that he left an impression on the game that is still felt today. 

Phil Ball would make his impact on St Louis Baseball by owning the St. Louis terriers of the Federal League (1914-15) and the St. Louis Browns (1916-33). As the Federal League was folding, the owner of the Browns, Robert Hedges, agreed to sell the team to Ball. Ball would bring many of his elite players from the Terriers to the Browns. Phil Ball has been described as a firey, passionate baseball man, whose decisions did not always work out to his benefit.

The St, Louis Browns of the American Association in 1880s were owned by Chris Von der Ahe. Von der Ahe was a local tavern owner, proud German immigrant, and lover of the game of baseball. He bought the Browns and moved their home park near his tavern. When his fans became thisty, Von der Ahe was quick to serve them beer. He noticed that his fans were leaving the park to get some food during his team's games. He was the first to introduce Hot Dogs to the baseball game setting. The first hot dogs were served without the buns. Before long, buns were added as well as some of the best toppings - mustard, relish, sauerkraught, peppers, onions, and chili!!!!

August 24, 1951 - "Grandstand Managers Night" vs the Philadelphia Athletics. Bill Veeck had his manager, Zack Taylor, give up his control of the team to "frustrated" fans of St. Louis. In the section directly behind the Browns dugout, 1115 "fan managers" were given cards that would correspond to game time decisions that the manager would need to make. The crowd would be asked questions on what the lineup should be, and what actions the manager should make during the game. They would hold up a "YES" or "NO" card, depend upon the situation. Not all the Grandstands answers were correct, but the Browns would go on to win the game, 5-3. Bill Veeck was disappointed that the widely publicized game, which also included fireworks and an appearance by Max Patkin, only drew 3,925 fans. Historical note, most of the fans who participated in the unique game were women who knew the game and its strategies. Caps off to those ladies.

When most baseball fans are asked to name any player from the St. Louis Browns, Eddie Gaedel is on most people's mind. Eddie Gaedel was 3ft, 7 inches tall. Prior to his famous at bat, Gaedel had no baseball experience. The event took place during the 50th year celebration of the American League, and the Griesedieck beer Company (Browns major sponsor). He wore the number 1/8 on his back, the uniform belonged to the Browns bat boy, Bill DeWitt Jr. Gaedel would appear in the bottom of the 1st inning as a pinch hitter for Browns prospect Frank Saucier. The Tigers pitcher was Bob "Sugar" Cain.  Four pitches led to four called balls. Gaedel jogged to first base, waving at the crowd. Browns outfielder, Jim Delsing, would be the pinch runner for Gaedel. 

In today's modern baseball era, the role of "Starting Pitcher" has changed. The St. Louis Browns introduced the first "Bull Pen" start in history. October 2, 1949 - Last game of the season. First game of a double header vs. the Chicago White Sox. The Browns used one pitcher per inning in a nine inning game. The set the MLB record for the number of pitchers used in one game. The lineup of pitchers for this game was: 1st Inning - Ned Garver, 2nd Inning - Joe Ostrowski, 3rd Inning - Cliff Fannin, 4th Inning - Tom Ferrick, 5th Inning - Karl Drews, 6th Inning - Bill Kennedy, 7th Inning - Al Papai, 8th Inning - Red Embree, 9th Inning - Dick Starr. Today's modern game states that a "Bull Pen" game must be started by a relief pitcher, but the concept was introduced by the St. Louis Browns in 1949.

1936 - Browns owner and local businessman Donald Barnes was lookin for ways to bring more attention to his ball club, so he decided "rebrand" his team's logo in order to spark the fanbase in St. Louis. The result was the iconic "Louis IX" logo that would become the classic symbol of this franchise. The emblem shows off one the cities most identified symbols of the city, the statue of King Louis IX which sits atop Art Hill in Forest Park. The statue sits atop a shield with nine stripes and eight stars. The stripes represent the nine players on the field, and the stars represent the eight teams in the American League.

1952 - Browns owner Bill Veeck introduced a new mascot for the team. His name was "Louie".  he was a combination of a elf-like figure and a mysterious leprechaun, and Veeck saw him as an ambassador to young fans of St. Louis. Louie was everywhere. Many of the traditional Browns fans disliked the new look, but Veeck was a master salesman and Louie has become a piece of baseball history