The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-02-27
By HARRY CRIMSON Sports Editor. NEA Service

Branch Rickey's career as a major league catcher was brief and nomadic. The young man destined to build the lowly St Louis Cardin- als into the most powerful organ ization in baseball and to revolu- tionize the method of acquiring and developing players was the Mickey Cochrane type, always stepping around and shouting to teammates. He was a pretty fair hitter and a good blocker at the plate, but his throwing arm was only ordinary.
 Hickey, the player, would have attracted no more than passing at- tention, but for the fact that he refused to play on Sunday.
 The collegian's stand in this re- gard resulted in his being fired from his first big league job.
 "The other fellows aren't too good to play on Sunday, so there'll be no exception in your case," Joe Kelley, who managed the Cincin- nati Reds in 1904, told Hickey. You can get your money from MT Hermann"
 "The late Garry Hermann de- manded to know what was behind my release" explains B. k. "I was a little touchy about the subject, but he was so insistent that 1 gave him my story. out Of that little talk fine friendship was to spring up later between Garry and my self"
 Hickey Meets Miller HuggIns
 Hickey rode n bicycle 36 miles daily for two years to teach in a country school in the hills of Scioto County, O., while saving the $88 that enabled him to enter Ohio Wesleyan university. It was th.s shortage of funds that limited his baseball and football at the Dela- ware institution to his sophomore year.
 In order to complete his course, Hickey played semi-professiona baseball and professional football, suffering broken leg in the latter.
 Graduating from Ohio Wesiesan in 1904 with the degree of bach$ elor of literature, Hickey reported to the Dallas club of the Texas League, and lost no time in crash ing the big show via Cincinnati.
 It was in the Rhineland that he first met the late Miller Huggins. who performed at second base for the Reds and who managed the St Louis Nationals fin 1917, when Hickey organized the group that purchased the Cardinals and be- came president of the club. Hickey was instrumental in installing Huggins as pilot of the New York Yankees, where he could get more money. Incidentally, Gabby Street, who guided the Red Birds to pen- nants in 1880 and 1881 and to the world championship the latter year, succeeded Hickey in Gin cinnati. 5c, 70
 Hickey joined the St Louis Browns in 1905, only to be shipped back to Dallas. He was drafted by the Chicago White Sox and traded back to the Browns for Catcher Roth the following season.
 They Played for Keeps Then
 Hickey, who did not go in much for the rough stuff, jumped into an American League loaded with two-fisted blokes. Sharing the backstopping with him while ne was with the Browns were Rowdy Jack O'Connor and Hack Spencer, who delighted in squirting tobacco juice in the eyes of the batter. Jack Powell was another tough customer. Spread around the loop were Ty Cobb, Norman Elberfiela. Ossie ,Schreck, Hobe Ferris, and others who did not hesitate to fling their spikes.
 Hickey moved from the Browns to the Highlanders in 1907 in ex- change for, Third Baseman Joe Yeager. The Cardinal executive says that Jimmy McAleer. then boss of the Browns, believed he was putting something over on the New York outfit because he sensed that Branch was about ready to quit the game.
 Hickey had maintained his colle- gate contact, serving an athletic director and football coach at AIle- gheny College for two years, and then taking a similar position at Ohlo Wesleyan, where he also taught elementary law. He had begun the study of law fin night school at Ohio State university. He continued 10 play professional foot ball.
 Whatever success Hickey en. joyed as Il ball player was due 10 his perseverance and belief that his theories were practicable. He realized that his future in baseball was indefinite, and at best insecure. His health was falling, too, and in the fall of 1908 he made up his mind to shape himself for a usefu, life.
 Hickey decided to chuck baseball and take law course at the Uni- versity of Michigan.
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