October
26, 1950
Branch Rickey resigns as
Brooklyn Dodger president
Wesley Branch Rickey
(December 20, 1881 – December 9, 1965) was an innovative Major League Baseball
(MLB) executive elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967. He was perhaps
best known for breaking Major League Baseball's color barrier by signing
African American player Jackie Robinson, for drafting the first Afro-Hispanic
superstar, Roberto Clemente, for creating the framework for the modern minor
league farm system, for encouraging the Major Leagues to add new teams through
his involvement in the proposed Continental League, and for introducing the
batting helmet.
In 1950, there were four
owners of the Dodgers, each with one quarter of the franchise. When one of the
four died, Walter O'Malley took control of that quarter. Also in 1950, Branch
Rickey's contract as Dodger president expired, and Walter O'Malley decided that
were Rickey to retain the job, almost all of Rickey's power would be gone; for
example, he would no longer take a percentage of every franchise sale; Rickey
declined a new contract as President. Then, in order to be a majority owner,
O'Malley offered to buy Rickey's portion. Seeing no reason to hold on to the
club, Rickey decided to comply. However, in a final act of retaliation against
O'Malley, Rickey instead offered the club percentage to a friend for a million
dollars. His chances at complete franchise control at risk, O'Malley was forced
to offer more money, and Rickey finally sold his portion for $1,050,000.
Born in 1950?
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