Even casual fans know the name of Branch Rickey for bringing Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 while serving as general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers. It was a move that changed baseball forever. Yet Rickey’s place in the game goes well beyond that monumental decision.
He helped develop the modern farm system, helped bring protective head gear into the game and long before that, spent time as a player and manager.
Our Vintage Photo of the Day from RMY Auctions is this 7 1/2″ x 10” news photo of Rickey dating from 1921, when he was the on field manager for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Led by Rogers Hornsby, the Redbirds won 87 games and lost 66, but it was only good enough for a third place finish. In fact, during Rickey’s lengthy tenure as manager, the Cardinals never finished higher than third and he was fired in 1925. However, his skill as a player personnel man was evident. Rickey moved into the front office where he spent the rest of his career.
According to RMY, this particular image is one of the earliest and highest quality images of Rickey ever to emerge. The photo remains in excellent condition except for the one small corner chip on the upper left.
Stamped with a file date on the back, the Rickey photo is one of hundreds up for bid this month. The auction is set to close Tuesday, April 15. Registration for this and future auctions remains open at RMYAuctions.com.
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