Evening star., 1941-06-25
Great Ivory Trader
Makes Record for
Deals in Game
Gets St. Louis Club Out
Of Debt by Organizing
Strong Farm System
BY OSCAR KAHAN,
Associated Press SPORTS Writer.

Associated Press Sports Writer.
ST. LOUIS, June 25.-Since the
DAY. back in 1919, when he asked
s35O,00O for Rogers Hornsby-and
didn't get it-Branch Hickey has
sold more players than any other
man in baseball.
But the shreWd vice president and
general manager of the St. Louis
Cardinals never has forgotten one
of the sports maxims: A stack OF
dollar bills can't get out and play
a game.
Cash has been prime consid-
Grafton in many of Rickey's deals
1t has been estimated he netted
100000 In the 1940-4l winter
alone-but he usually has an ace
In the hole. or he draws one from
the other fellow, to flll his playing
hand.
Hickey was the penniless presi-
dent of the struggling Cardinals
when he boldly put the record
price tag on Hornsby in a CONVEX
sation with the late Charles E.
Stoneham of the New York Giants,
The amazed club owner was just
as shocked by Rickey's second
offer-Hornsby for Frankie Frisch
and 100000
Hickey Builds Farm Chain.
The Cardinals were $l50.000 in
debt, as weak in the treasury as
they were on the diamond. Hornsby
was the only player worth impor-
tant money and Hickey couldn't
let him 60 for less than a fortune
without wrecking the team.
Needing both players and money.
Hickey put his fertile mind to the
problem and solved the dilemma
by evolving the farm system-the
plan of developing young players
almost from the cradle, keeping
the best yourself and selling the
surplus.
BY 1926. the Cardinals were
stocked with products OF the farms
TAYLOR Douthit, Chick Hafey.
Tommy Thevenow, Jim Bottomley
and other names now famous in
St. Louis baseball history, and
Hornsby led the team to It's first
remnant and a world series VIC
tory.
The 1926 pennant was followed
bv one of the most sensational
trades in baseball annals. At the
direction of President Sam Breadon.
Hornsby was sent to the Giants
for Frisch and Pitcher Jimmy Ring.
In the long run, the deal PAID
dividends. Frisch played on four
St. Louis pennant winners ana
managed the team from July. 1888.
to September, 1898, when ne was
released.
Development of the farm system
Under Rickey's direction provided
the Cardinals with wealth OF ma
terial and made them one OF the
chief sources of supply for other
teams. Breadon personally ordered
many of the trades-the Hornsoy
deal and the sale of Hafey to Cln-
cinnsti in 1882, as examples-but
Hickey was his David Harum:
In his blackboard-walled once
Rickev shifted his chattels about
with all the cold calculations OF
chess master. He disposed OF
nlavers he didn't need for others
he could use and cash or, mcreas-
ingly of late, just cash.
only on rare occasion, however
have the Cardinals let player go
without having a replacement or
getting one. 1;u,,
Take the famous case OF DIZZY
Dean and its sequels.
Hickey sold Dean, sore arm ana
ell, to the forewarned Chicago CUBS
in April, 1888. for s185 900, Pitchers
curt Davis and Clyde Shoun and
Outfelder Tuck Stainback. He I'M
mediately transferred Stainback 10
the Phillies. probably for $500.
Big Profit on Dean, MedWick.
Lats year he sold Davis and Out
fielder Joe MedWick to the Brooklyn
Dodgers gor s125, 900. Pitchers Sam
Nahem and Carl Doyle, Outfielder
Ernie Koy and Inf1elder Bert Haas.
He sent Doyle to the minors, and,
few weeks ago sold Koy to the
Cincinnati Reds for reported
$4,000.
Starting with two players-Dean
and Medwick-who originally cost
nothing, the trading brought IN
s347 900. a tidy sum, and the Car
dinals still have Shoun, a durable
ieft-hander; Nahem, rookie pitching
sensation; Doyle, and Haas, who is
in the minors, but figures prom1-
nently in future plans.
On the Chicago side of the pic
ture, the Cubs treasury is out
s1s5 .0OO-and' the team got prac-
tically nothing in return. Dean won
IS games over three seasons before
retiring as an active player recently
TO become a coach. In the same
period. Davis and Shoun won
total of 56 games for the Cardinals.
The Dean deal marked the start
of the big-money trading of the
Cardinals.
Since that time, in addition to the
Medvick-DaviS sale, Hickey has