Bing Devine
Encyclopedia
Vaughan Pallmore "Bing" Devine (March 1, 1916 – January 27, 2007) was an American
front office executive in Major League Baseball
. In the prime of his career, as a general manager
, the executive who is responsible for all baseball operations, Devine was a major architect of four National League
champions and three World Series
champions in the six years between 1964 and 1969.
Specifically, Devine served as general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals
from November 1957 through August 17, 1964, and was directly responsible for putting the 1964 world champion Cardinals
on the field – even though he had been fired with six weeks remaining in the season, one of the most bizarre events in baseball annals. Many of the players Devine acquired led the Cardinals to the 1967 world title
and the 1968 NL championship
, the latter occurring on Devine's watch during his second tour (1968-78) as St. Louis general manager. In between those terms, from 1965-67, Devine was assistant to the president, and then president (and de facto general manager), of the New York Mets
, where he helped put together the organization that would turn the franchise from baseball's laughingstocks to 1969 world champions
as the "Miracle Mets." During the 1980s, he also served as president of the St. Louis football Cardinals
of the National Football League
.
, and attended the city's University City High School and Washington University. He played college basketball
and semiprofessional baseball, then joined the Cardinals in 1939 as an office boy and batting practice pitcher. In 1941, he became business manager of the Class D Johnson City Cardinals
. During a roster shortage, Devine activated himself as a second baseman
for 27 games and 93 at bats, but he garnered only 11 hits
for a .118 batting average
. Thereafter, he hung up his uniform and concentrated on his work in the front office.
As pioneers of the farm system concept, the Cardinals had as many as 40 affiliated or owned teams in their minor league
system before World War II
. With time out for U.S. Navy
service during the war, Devine rose rapidly through the ranks as a business manager of Cardinal farm teams, finally becoming the general manager of the AAA Rochester Red Wings
of the International League
in 1949. After six seasons at the helm of the Redbirds' top farm team, he joined the St. Louis front office in the autumn of 1954. The Cardinals, recently purchased by brewery magnate August "Gussie" Busch
, were in rebuilding mode under trade-happy general manager "Frantic" Frank Lane
. The team finished second in the NL in , but Lane had worn out his welcome; he moved on to run the Cleveland Indians
and was replaced in St. Louis by the steadier hand of Devine.
Devine began to add talent and depth to the St. Louis roster, including African American
and Latin America
n players. He was seen as being very progressive when it came to signing Black and Latin ballplayers, whereas other teams (most notably the New York Yankees
) showed a great deal of reluctance in this area. In the first five years of his reign, he traded for or promoted players such as Bob Gibson
, Bill White, Curt Flood
, and Julián Javier
. Because the team signed a great many Latin ballplayers during Devine's first tenure in the Cardinals' front office, the team became known as, "El Birdos". But the Cardinals were mired in the middle of the pack of a very powerful National League. In — a season also marked by the final campaign of the Cardinals' longtime superstar, Stan Musial
— the Redbirds surged into contention, sparked by the acquisition of shortstop
Dick Groat
from the Pittsburgh Pirates
, 18-win seasons from pitcher
s Gibson and Ernie Broglio
, the comeback of left-handed starter Curt Simmons
(who had been signed off the scrap heap by Devine), and the strong rookie campaign of catcher
Tim McCarver
, promoted from AAA. The Cardinals challenged the eventual world champion Los Angeles Dodgers
into mid-September before finishing second, the club's highest showing since '57. Devine was chosen as Major League Executive of the Year by The Sporting News
for his efforts in returning the Cards to contending status.
took a stranglehold on first place. The Cardinals were trying a variety of young players in Musial's old left-field position, and none were taking hold. At the trading deadline, June 15, 1964, Devine sprung. The second-division
Chicago Cubs
had Lou Brock
, a 25-year-old outfielder
with great speed who was not living up to his projected potential. Devine offered the Cubs Broglio, his 18-game winner from the previous year, plus outfielder Doug Clemens
and pitcher Bobby Shantz
for Brock and two marginal pitchers. The Cubs agreed, and one of the most significant (and one-sided) trades in baseball history
was made. Brock would hit .348 for the remainder of the season, and would lead the Cardinals to their three pennants and two world titles over the next five years. He would play the rest of his career with St. Louis (retiring in 1979), steal
938 bases (breaking Ty Cobb
's record, and currently second all-time to Rickey Henderson
), exceed the 3,000 hit
mark (with 3,023 career hits), and become a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Ironically, Brock's impact on the Cardinals' won-lost mark or position in the standings was not felt immediately. The team continued to trail the Phillies by a large margin and it looked to all as though the club's pennant drought would extend to 18 years. Owner Busch was bitterly disappointed, and decided in the middle of August to clean out his front office. On the advice of his special assistant, legendary Branch Rickey
, Busch fired Devine and business manager Art Routzong, and accepted the resignation of assistant general manager Eddie Stanky
. Manager Johnny Keane
was to be fired at the end of the season, to be replaced (it was rumored) by Leo Durocher
. Meanwhile, Devine's old job went to Rickey protege Bob Howsam
. But as events unfolded, Busch had acted in haste. The Cardinals began to win, while the Phillies suffered an epic September collapse, losing a 6½-game lead with a dozen games to play, sparking a wild, four-team, 11th hour scramble for the pennant. On the final day of the season, after sweeping the Phillies to take first place, the Cardinals prevailed, clinching the NL championship for the first time since 1946 by beating the lowly Mets after losing the first two games of the series. Led by Gibson, the undisputed ace of the staff since Broglio's trade, and McCarver, the Cardinals then defeated the New York Yankees
in a seven-game World Series. Even though he had been on the sidelines since August 17, Devine again was cited as the top executive in baseball by The Sporting News. Meanwhile, Keane's job went not to Durocher but to Red Schoendienst
, the future Hall of Fame second baseman then a Cardinal coach.
, president of the Mets, Devine was forced to leave his hometown and the only team he had ever worked for at the pinnacle of his career. But, while Devine never moved his family to New York, he tackled his new job with gusto. On his watch, the Mets began to strengthen their farm system, signing and developing young pitching talent: Tom Seaver
, Jerry Koosman
, Nolan Ryan
, Gary Gentry
, Jim McAndrew
and others. Meanwhile, Howsam left the Cardinals in January 1967 to become general manager of the Cincinnati Reds
and Musial was named his successor.
In , the Cardinals won 101 games and ran away with the National League race, winning the pennant by 10½ games, then bested the Boston Red Sox
in a seven-game World Series. The core of the team was Devine's, but Howsam had contributed significantly to the roster with his 1966 acquisitions of NL MVP
first baseman
Orlando Cepeda
and right fielder Roger Maris
. At the other extreme, the Mets — most of their young pitching talent still ripening in the minors — lost 101 games and finished dead last. Baseball people took note of Devine's accomplishments in New York, however, and when Musial, a world champion GM in his maiden season, decided he did not want to continue in the role, owner Busch reached out to Devine, secured his release from the Mets, and brought him back to St. Louis as executive vice president and general manager.
, the Cardinals repeated as NL champions and held a three games to one lead in the World Series against the Detroit Tigers
, but lost the final three contests to be denied back-to-back world titles. Suddenly, Devine was faced with retooling an aging roster. While Brock and Gibson would remain from the glory years, the Cardinals traded Flood, Cepeda, and McCarver during (and the 1969-70 offseason) in their bid to get back to the top; in the Cepeda trade, Devine acquired Joe Torre
, who would win the NL batting average
championship. But the Cardinals suffered long-term damage when Devine was ordered by Busch to trade star left-handed pitcher Steve Carlton
in after a contract dispute. Carlton, just entering his prime, was sent to the Phillies for pitcher Rick Wise
, an uneven swap that would turn the last-place Phillies into contenders in the late 1970s. Meanwhile, the Cardinals became NL East also-rans.
In 1978, Devine once again was replaced as Cardinals' general manager (this time by John Claiborne
) and again he departed the organization, working for the Montreal Expos
as a player development official and the Phillies as a scout. From 1981-86, he was club president of the St. Louis football Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals
) of the National Football League
. But eventually he returned to baseball and the baseball Cardinals, where he served as a special scout and advisor to the then-GM Walt Jocketty
.
Devine died in St. Louis at the age of 90 http://sportsline.com/mlb/story/9957968.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
front office executive in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. In the prime of his career, as a general manager
General manager (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....
, the executive who is responsible for all baseball operations, Devine was a major architect of four National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
champions and three World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
champions in the six years between 1964 and 1969.
Specifically, Devine served as general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
from November 1957 through August 17, 1964, and was directly responsible for putting the 1964 world champion Cardinals
1964 World Series
The 1964 World Series pitted the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals against the American League champion New York Yankees, with the Cardinals prevailing in seven games. St...
on the field – even though he had been fired with six weeks remaining in the season, one of the most bizarre events in baseball annals. Many of the players Devine acquired led the Cardinals to the 1967 world title
1967 World Series
The 1967 World Series matched the St. Louis Cardinals against the Boston Red Sox in a rematch of the 1946 World Series, with the Cardinals winning in seven games for their second championship in four years and their eighth overall...
and the 1968 NL championship
1968 World Series
The 1968 World Series featured the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals against the Detroit Tigers, with the Tigers winning in seven games for their first championship since 1945, and the third in their history...
, the latter occurring on Devine's watch during his second tour (1968-78) as St. Louis general manager. In between those terms, from 1965-67, Devine was assistant to the president, and then president (and de facto general manager), of the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, where he helped put together the organization that would turn the franchise from baseball's laughingstocks to 1969 world champions
1969 World Series
The 1969 World Series was played between the New York Mets and the Baltimore Orioles, with the Mets prevailing in five games to accomplish one of the greatest upsets in Series history, as that particular Orioles squad was considered to be one of the finest ever...
as the "Miracle Mets." During the 1980s, he also served as president of the St. Louis football Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
.
Early baseball career
Devine was born in St. LouisSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, and attended the city's University City High School and Washington University. He played college basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and semiprofessional baseball, then joined the Cardinals in 1939 as an office boy and batting practice pitcher. In 1941, he became business manager of the Class D Johnson City Cardinals
Johnson City Cardinals
The Johnson City Cardinals are a rookie league team based in Johnson City, Tennessee. The Cardinals are affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals organization and play with the Appalachian League, of which they are currently the two-time defending champions. The team plays its home games at Howard...
. During a roster shortage, Devine activated himself as a second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
for 27 games and 93 at bats, but he garnered only 11 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
for a .118 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
. Thereafter, he hung up his uniform and concentrated on his work in the front office.
As pioneers of the farm system concept, the Cardinals had as many as 40 affiliated or owned teams in their minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
system before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. With time out for U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
service during the war, Devine rose rapidly through the ranks as a business manager of Cardinal farm teams, finally becoming the general manager of the AAA Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
of the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
in 1949. After six seasons at the helm of the Redbirds' top farm team, he joined the St. Louis front office in the autumn of 1954. The Cardinals, recently purchased by brewery magnate August "Gussie" Busch
Gussie Busch
August "Gussie" Anheuser Busch, Jr. was an American brewing magnate who built the Anheuser-Busch Companies into the largest brewery in the world as company chairman from 1946–75, and became a prominent sportsman as owner of the St...
, were in rebuilding mode under trade-happy general manager "Frantic" Frank Lane
Frank Lane
Frank Lane was an American executive in professional baseball, most notably serving as a general manager in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox, St...
. The team finished second in the NL in , but Lane had worn out his welcome; he moved on to run the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
and was replaced in St. Louis by the steadier hand of Devine.
Devine began to add talent and depth to the St. Louis roster, including African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n players. He was seen as being very progressive when it came to signing Black and Latin ballplayers, whereas other teams (most notably the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
) showed a great deal of reluctance in this area. In the first five years of his reign, he traded for or promoted players such as Bob Gibson
Bob Gibson
Robert "Bob" Gibson is a retired American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Hoot" and "Gibby", he was a right-handed pitcher who played his entire 17-year Major League Baseball career with St. Louis Cardinals...
, Bill White, Curt Flood
Curt Flood
Curtis Charles Flood was a Major League Baseball player who spent most of his career as a center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. A defensive standout, he led the National League in putouts four times and in fielding percentage twice, winning Gold Glove Awards in his last seven full seasons...
, and Julián Javier
Julián Javier
Manuel Julián Javier Liranzo , best known as Julián Javier [hoo-lee-AN hah-vee-ER], is a former Major League Baseball second baseman and right-handed batter. He played with the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds...
. Because the team signed a great many Latin ballplayers during Devine's first tenure in the Cardinals' front office, the team became known as, "El Birdos". But the Cardinals were mired in the middle of the pack of a very powerful National League. In — a season also marked by the final campaign of the Cardinals' longtime superstar, Stan Musial
Stan Musial
Stanley Frank "Stan" Musial is a retired professional baseball player who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals . Nicknamed "Stan the Man", Musial was a record 24-time All-Star selection , and is widely considered to be one of the greatest hitters in baseball...
— the Redbirds surged into contention, sparked by the acquisition of shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
Dick Groat
Dick Groat
Richard Morrow Groat is a former two-sport athlete best known as a shortstop in Major League Baseball. He played for four National League teams, mainly the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals, and was named the league's Most Valuable Player in after winning the batting title with a .325...
from the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, 18-win seasons from pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
s Gibson and Ernie Broglio
Ernie Broglio
Ernest Gilbert Broglio is a former right-handed pitcher in American Major League Baseball from 1959-66. Broglio signed with the independent Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League after he attended West Contra Costa Junior College. He was acquired by the New York Giants in 1956...
, the comeback of left-handed starter Curt Simmons
Curt Simmons
Curtis Thomas "Curt" Simmons is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1947–50 and 1952-67. With right-hander Robin Roberts, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Simmons was one of the twin anchors of the starting rotation of the "Whiz Kids", the Philadelphia Phillies' ...
(who had been signed off the scrap heap by Devine), and the strong rookie campaign of catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
Tim McCarver
Tim McCarver
James Timothy "Tim" McCarver is an American former Major League Baseball catcher, and a current sportscaster in residence for Fox Sports.-Playing career:...
, promoted from AAA. The Cardinals challenged the eventual world champion Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
into mid-September before finishing second, the club's highest showing since '57. Devine was chosen as Major League Executive of the Year by The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
for his efforts in returning the Cards to contending status.
1964: Premature firing and a world championship
However, when the season began, the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
took a stranglehold on first place. The Cardinals were trying a variety of young players in Musial's old left-field position, and none were taking hold. At the trading deadline, June 15, 1964, Devine sprung. The second-division
First division (baseball)
First division is a term that has had various meanings, at various times, in the sport of baseball, but originally referred to the rankings within a league...
Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
had Lou Brock
Lou Brock
Louis Clark "Lou" Brock is an American former professional baseball player. He began his Major League Baseball career with the Chicago Cubs but, spent the majority of his career as the left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. Brock was best known for breaking Ty Cobb's all-time major league...
, a 25-year-old outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
with great speed who was not living up to his projected potential. Devine offered the Cubs Broglio, his 18-game winner from the previous year, plus outfielder Doug Clemens
Doug Clemens
Douglas Horace Clemens , is a professional baseball player who played outfielder in the Major Leagues from 1960-1968. He played for the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals.-External links:...
and pitcher Bobby Shantz
Bobby Shantz
Robert Clayton Shantz was a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics , Kansas City Athletics , New York Yankees , Pittsburgh Pirates , Houston Colt .45's , St...
for Brock and two marginal pitchers. The Cubs agreed, and one of the most significant (and one-sided) trades in baseball history
Brock for Broglio
The phrase Brock for Broglio is sometimes used in the sport of baseball to signify a trade that in hindsight, turns out to be a ridicuously lopsided transaction....
was made. Brock would hit .348 for the remainder of the season, and would lead the Cardinals to their three pennants and two world titles over the next five years. He would play the rest of his career with St. Louis (retiring in 1979), steal
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
938 bases (breaking Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
's record, and currently second all-time to Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henley Henderson is a former Major League Baseball left fielder who played for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four stints with his original team, the Oakland Athletics. Nicknamed The Man of Steal, he is widely regarded as the sport's greatest leadoff hitter and baserunner...
), exceed the 3,000 hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
mark (with 3,023 career hits), and become a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Ironically, Brock's impact on the Cardinals' won-lost mark or position in the standings was not felt immediately. The team continued to trail the Phillies by a large margin and it looked to all as though the club's pennant drought would extend to 18 years. Owner Busch was bitterly disappointed, and decided in the middle of August to clean out his front office. On the advice of his special assistant, legendary Branch Rickey
Branch Rickey
Wesley Branch Rickey was an innovative Major League Baseball executive elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967...
, Busch fired Devine and business manager Art Routzong, and accepted the resignation of assistant general manager Eddie Stanky
Eddie Stanky
Edward Raymond Stanky , nicknamed "The Brat", was an American second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago Cubs , Brooklyn Dodgers , Boston Braves , New York Giants , and St. Louis Cardinals...
. Manager Johnny Keane
Johnny Keane
John Joseph Keane was an American manager in Major League Baseball. Born in St. Louis, Missouri and known as a patient manager of young players, Keane participated in one of the strangest turns of events in baseball history in , his final season at the helm of the St...
was to be fired at the end of the season, to be replaced (it was rumored) by Leo Durocher
Leo Durocher
Leo Ernest Durocher , nicknamed Leo the Lip, was an American infielder and manager in Major League Baseball. Upon his retirement, he ranked fifth all-time among managers with 2,009 career victories, second only to John McGraw in National League history. Durocher still ranks tenth in career wins by...
. Meanwhile, Devine's old job went to Rickey protege Bob Howsam
Bob Howsam
Robert Lee Howsam was an executive in American professional sport who, in 1959, played a key role in establishing two leagues — the American Football League, which succeeded and merged with the National Football League, and baseball's Continental League, which never played a game but forced...
. But as events unfolded, Busch had acted in haste. The Cardinals began to win, while the Phillies suffered an epic September collapse, losing a 6½-game lead with a dozen games to play, sparking a wild, four-team, 11th hour scramble for the pennant. On the final day of the season, after sweeping the Phillies to take first place, the Cardinals prevailed, clinching the NL championship for the first time since 1946 by beating the lowly Mets after losing the first two games of the series. Led by Gibson, the undisputed ace of the staff since Broglio's trade, and McCarver, the Cardinals then defeated the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in a seven-game World Series. Even though he had been on the sidelines since August 17, Devine again was cited as the top executive in baseball by The Sporting News. Meanwhile, Keane's job went not to Durocher but to Red Schoendienst
Red Schoendienst
Albert Fred "Red" Schoendienst is an American Major League Baseball coach, former player and manager, and 10-time All-star. After a 19-year playing career with the St...
, the future Hall of Fame second baseman then a Cardinal coach.
Building the Miracle Mets
Devine's departure was a cause-celebre in St. Louis, but the damage had been done. Although he landed on his feet as the successor to George WeissGeorge Weiss (baseball)
George Martin Weiss was an American baseball executive. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971.Weiss was one of Major League Baseball's most successful farm system directors and general managers...
, president of the Mets, Devine was forced to leave his hometown and the only team he had ever worked for at the pinnacle of his career. But, while Devine never moved his family to New York, he tackled his new job with gusto. On his watch, the Mets began to strengthen their farm system, signing and developing young pitching talent: Tom Seaver
Tom Seaver
George Thomas "Tom" Seaver , nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets...
, Jerry Koosman
Jerry Koosman
Jerome Martin Koosman is a former left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies between 1967 and 1985...
, Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
, Gary Gentry
Gary Gentry
Gary Edward Gentry , is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, who played seven seasons for the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves between 1969 and 1975....
, Jim McAndrew
Jim McAndrew
James Clement McAndrew was a Major League Baseball pitcher from to ; he pitched for the New York Mets for his first six years, and the San Diego Padres in the last....
and others. Meanwhile, Howsam left the Cardinals in January 1967 to become general manager of the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
and Musial was named his successor.
In , the Cardinals won 101 games and ran away with the National League race, winning the pennant by 10½ games, then bested the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
in a seven-game World Series. The core of the team was Devine's, but Howsam had contributed significantly to the roster with his 1966 acquisitions of NL MVP
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
Orlando Cepeda
Orlando Cepeda
Orlando Manuel Cepeda Pennes is a former Puerto Rican Major League Baseball first baseman.Cepeda was born to a poor family. His father, Pedro Cepeda, was a baseball player in Puerto Rico, which influenced his interest in the sport from a young age. His first contact with professional baseball was...
and right fielder Roger Maris
Roger Maris
Roger Eugene Maris was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs...
. At the other extreme, the Mets — most of their young pitching talent still ripening in the minors — lost 101 games and finished dead last. Baseball people took note of Devine's accomplishments in New York, however, and when Musial, a world champion GM in his maiden season, decided he did not want to continue in the role, owner Busch reached out to Devine, secured his release from the Mets, and brought him back to St. Louis as executive vice president and general manager.
Second tour as St. Louis general manager
In 1968, led by Gibson's all-time record 1.12 earned run averageEarned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
, the Cardinals repeated as NL champions and held a three games to one lead in the World Series against the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, but lost the final three contests to be denied back-to-back world titles. Suddenly, Devine was faced with retooling an aging roster. While Brock and Gibson would remain from the glory years, the Cardinals traded Flood, Cepeda, and McCarver during (and the 1969-70 offseason) in their bid to get back to the top; in the Cepeda trade, Devine acquired Joe Torre
Joe Torre
Joseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...
, who would win the NL batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
championship. But the Cardinals suffered long-term damage when Devine was ordered by Busch to trade star left-handed pitcher Steve Carlton
Steve Carlton
Steven Norman Carlton , nicknamed "Lefty", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1965-1988 for six different teams in his career, but it is his time with the Philadelphia Phillies where he received his greatest acclaim as a professional and won four Cy Young Awards...
in after a contract dispute. Carlton, just entering his prime, was sent to the Phillies for pitcher Rick Wise
Rick Wise
Richard Charles Wise is a former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball for 18 seasons...
, an uneven swap that would turn the last-place Phillies into contenders in the late 1970s. Meanwhile, the Cardinals became NL East also-rans.
In 1978, Devine once again was replaced as Cardinals' general manager (this time by John Claiborne
John Claiborne (baseball executive)
John W. Claiborne III is a former front-office executive in American Major League Baseball who also was an early president of the New England Sports Network , a regional cable television network primarily owned by the Boston Red Sox that telecasts Bosox baseball and Boston Bruins National Hockey...
) and again he departed the organization, working for the Montreal Expos
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
as a player development official and the Phillies as a scout. From 1981-86, he was club president of the St. Louis football Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
) of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. But eventually he returned to baseball and the baseball Cardinals, where he served as a special scout and advisor to the then-GM Walt Jocketty
Walt Jocketty
Walt Jocketty is the General Manager of the Cincinnati Reds. Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, he attended the University of Minnesota where he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration. He was previously the General Manager of the St...
.
Devine died in St. Louis at the age of 90 http://sportsline.com/mlb/story/9957968.