1902-1921

In 1902 the Milwaukee Brewers (of that era) moved to St. Louis from Milwaukee, where it became the "Browns", in reference to the original name of the 1880s club that by 1900 was known as the 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...

. A new park was built on the site of the old Browns' former home, Sportsman's Park

Sportsman's Park

Sportsman's Park was the name of several former Major League Baseball ballpark structures in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, all but one of which were located on the same piece of land, the northwest corner of Grand Boulevard and Dodier Street on the north side of the city.- History :From...

. In their first St. Louis season, the Browns finished second. Although the Browns usually fielded terrible or mediocre teams (they had only four winning seasons from 1902 to 1922), they were very popular at the gate during their first two decades in St. Louis, and trounced the Cardinals in attendance. In 1909

1909 Major League Baseball season

The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Detroit Tigers 4-3 to win the World Series.-MLB statistical leaders:-American League final standings:-National League final standings:-1909 World Series:-External links:*...

, the Browns rebuilt Sportsman's Park as the third concrete-and-steel park in the majors.

During this time, the Browns were best known for their role in the race for the 1910

1910 Major League Baseball season

-Statistical leaders:-External links:*...

 American League batting title

1910 Chalmers Award

Before the 1910 Major League Baseball season, Hugh Chalmers of the Chalmers Automobile Company announced a promotion in which a Chalmers Model 30 automobile would be given to the batting champions for Major League Baseball's American and National Leagues....

. 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...

 took the last game of the season off, believing that his slight lead over Nap Lajoie

Nap Lajoie

Napoléon "Nap" Lajoie , also known as Larry Lajoie, was an American Major League Baseball second baseman. He was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island...

 would hold up unless Lajoie had a near-perfect day at the plate. However, Cobb was one of the most despised players in baseball, and Browns catcher-manager Jack O'Connor

Jack O'Connor (catcher)

John Joseph O'Connor , also known as Peach Pie, was a utilityman in Major League Baseball in the American Association, the National League, and the American League, primarily used as an outfielder. He began his career as a left fielder and catcher for the Cincinnati Red Stockings, and he soon moved...

 ordered third baseman Red Corriden

Red Corriden

John Michael "Red" Corriden was a player, coach, manager and scout in American Major League Baseball. A shortstop and third baseman in his playing days, Corriden appeared in 223 major league games with the St. Louis Browns , Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs , batting .205...

 to station himself in shallow left field for the season-ending doubleheader between the Browns and the Cleveland Naps. Lajoie bunted five straight times down the third base line and made it to first easily. On his last at-bat, Lajoie reached base on an error – officially giving him a hitless at-bat. O'Connor and coach Harry Howell tried to bribe the official scorer, a woman, to change the call to a hit – even offering to buy her a new wardrobe. Cobb won the batting title by just a few thousandths of a point over Lajoie (though it later emerged that one game may have been counted twice in the statistics). The resulting outcry triggered an investigation by American League president Ban Johnson

Ban Johnson

Byron Bancroft "Ban" Johnson , was an American executive in professional baseball who served as the founder and first president of the American League ....

. At his insistence, Browns owner Robert Lee Hedges fired O'Connor and Howell; both men were informally banned from baseball for life.

In 1916

1916 Major League Baseball season

- External links :*...

, Hedges sold the Browns to Philip DeCatesby Ball, who owned the St. Louis Terriers

St. Louis Terriers

The St. Louis Terriers were a baseball club that played in the short-lived Federal League in and . They played their home games at Handlan's Park. The St. Louis Chapter of SABR placed a marker at the site of Handland's Park, now on the campus of St. Louis University, on October 17, 2007. The team...

 in the by-then-defunct Federal League

Federal League

The Federal League of Base Ball Clubs, known simply as the Federal League, was an American professional baseball league that operated as a "third major league", in competition with the established National and American Leagues, from to...

. Four years later, Ball allowed the Cardinals to move out of dilapidated Robison Field

Robison Field

Robison Field is the best-known of several names given to a former Major League Baseball park in St. Louis, Missouri. It was the home of the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League from April 27, 1893 until June 6, 1920.-History:...

 and share Sportsman's Park with the Browns. This move was one of many that eventually doomed the Browns; Cardinals owner Sam Breadon

Sam Breadon

Samuel Breadon was an American executive who served as the president and majority owner of the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball from 1920 through 1947...

 and General Manager Branch Rickey

Branch Rickey

Wesley Branch Rickey was an innovative Major League Baseball executive elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967...

 (a former Browns manager) used the proceeds from the Robison Field sale to build baseball's first modern farm system. This effort eventually produced several star players that brought the Cardinals more drawing power than the Browns.

1922-1943

The 1922 Browns

1922 St. Louis Browns season

The St. Louis Browns season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Browns winning 93 games, the only time in franchise history that the Browns topped the 90 win plateau. In the American League standings, the Browns finished in second place behind the New York Yankees. The Browns set a...

 excited their owner by almost beating the Yankees

1922 New York Yankees season

The New York Yankees season was the 20th season for the Yankees in New York and their 22nd overall. The team finished with a record of 94 wins and 60 losses, to win their second pennant in franchise history, by a single game over the St. Louis Browns. New York was managed by Miller Huggins...

 to a pennant. The club was boasting the best players in franchise history, including future Hall of Famer George Sisler

George Sisler

George Harold Sisler , nicknamed "Gentleman George" and "Gorgeous George," was an American professional baseball player for 15 seasons, primarily as first baseman with the St. Louis Browns...

 and an outfield trio of Ken Williams

Ken Williams (baseball)

Kenneth Roy Williams was an American professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball from to . Williams began his major league career with the Cincinnati Reds before spending the majority of his playing days with the St...

, Baby Doll Jacobson

Baby Doll Jacobson

William Chester "Baby Doll" Jacobson was a Major League baseball outfielder. Jacobson was born in Cable, Illinois, USA.His best season was 1920, when he hit for a .355 batting average and amassed 122 RBIs....

, and Jack Tobin

Jack Tobin

John Thomas Tobin was a right fielder in Major League Baseball who played in the Federal League with the St. Louis Terriers , and for the St. Louis Browns , Washington Senators and Boston Red Sox of the American League. Tobin batted and threw left-handed...

 that batted .300 or better from 1919–23 and in 1925. In 1922, Williams became the first player in Major League history to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in a season, something that would not be done again in the Majors until 1956

1956 Major League Baseball season

-Regular season standings:-World series:-Awards and honors:-Statistical leaders:-All-Star game:- Triple Crown:*Mickey Mantle, New York Yankees - Mantle won the Major League Triple Crown by leading both leagues in batting average , home runs , and runs batted in...

.

Ball confidently predicted that there would be a World Series in Sportsman's Park by 1926

1926 Major League Baseball season

- External links :*...

. In anticipation, he increased the capacity of his ballpark from 18,000 to 30,000. Ball was right, as there was a World Series in Sportsman's Park in 1926

1926 Major League Baseball season

- External links :*...

 – the Cardinals

1926 St. Louis Cardinals season

The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 45th season in St. Louis, Missouri and their 35th in the National League. The Cardinals went 89-65 during the season and finished first in the National League, winning their first National League pennant...

 upset the Yankees

1926 New York Yankees season

The New York Yankees season was the team's 24th season in New York, and its 26th season overall. The team finished with a record of 91-63, winning their fourth pennant, finishing three games ahead of the Cleveland Indians. New York was managed by Miller Huggins. The Yankees played at Yankee...

. St. Louis had been considered a "Browns town" until then; after their 1926 series

1926 World Series

The 1926 World Series was the championship series of the 1926 Major League Baseball season, featuring the St. Louis Cardinals against the New York Yankees...

 victory, however, the Cardinals dominated St. Louis baseball while still technically tenants of the Browns. Meanwhile, the Browns rapidly fell into the cellar.

War era

During the war, the Browns won their only St. Louis-based American League pennant, in 1944. Some critics called it a fluke, as most major league stars voluntarily joined or were drafted into the military; however, many of the Browns' best players were classified 4-F: unfit for military service. They faced their local rivals, the incredibly successful Cardinals

1944 St. Louis Cardinals season

The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 63rd season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 53rd season in the National League. The Cardinals went 105-49 during the season and finished 1st in the National League. In the World Series, they met their town rivals, the St. Louis Browns...

, in the 1944 World Series

1944 World Series

-Game 1:Wednesday, October 4, 1944 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, MissouriGeorge McQuinn hit the Brown's only home run of the series to put his team ahead in the fourth inning, while Denny Galehouse outpitched World Series veteran Mort Cooper to hold on for the win.-Game 2:Thursday, October 5,...

, the last World Series to date played entirely in one stadium. However, the Browns lost the series in six games.

In 1945

1945 Major League Baseball season

-Statistical leaders:-Major league baseball final standings:-Events:* On April 17, Pete Gray became the first one-armed man to ever play in the Major Leagues. He batted .218 is 77 games with the St. Louis Browns.-Deaths:...

, the Browns

1945 St. Louis Browns season

The 1945 St. Louis Browns season involved the Browns finishing 3rd in the American League with a record of 81 wins and 70 losses.- Regular season :Coming off their first pennant in 1944, St...

 posted an 81–75 record and fell to third place, six games out, again with less than top-ranked talent. The 1945 season may be best remembered for the Browns' signing of utility outfielder Pete Gray

Pete Gray

Pete Gray was a professional baseball player best known for playing in the major leagues despite having lost his right arm in a childhood accident.-Early life:...

, the only one-armed major league position player in history. The 1945 season proved to be the Browns' last hurrah; they would never have another winning season in St. Louis. In fact, 1944 and 1945 were two of only eight winning seasons they enjoyed in the 31 years after nearly winning the pennant in 1922.

Veeck era

In 1951

1951 Major League Baseball season

-Statistical leaders:-External links:*...

, Bill Veeck

Bill Veeck

William Louis Veeck, Jr. , also known as "Sport Shirt Bill", was a native of Chicago, Illinois, and a franchise owner and promoter in Major League Baseball. He was best known for his publicity stunts to raise attendance. Veeck was at various times the owner of the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis...

, the colorful former owner of 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...

, purchased the Browns. In St. Louis, he extended the promotions and wild antics that had made him famous and loved by many and loathed by many others. His most notorious stunt in St. Louis came on August 19, 1951, when he sent Eddie Gaedel

Eddie Gaedel

Edward Carl Gaedel was an American with dwarfism who became famous for participating in a Major League Baseball game....

, a 3-foot 7-inch, 65-pound midget

Midget

A midget is a short person with relatively average bodily proportions in comparison with other human beings. The term is often improperly used to describe a person with the medical condition dwarfism. The two terms are often used synonymously because both terms originate as words defining small...

, to bat as a pinch hitter

Pinch hitter

In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...

. When Gaedel stepped to the plate he was wearing a Browns uniform with the number 1/8. With no strike zone

Strike zone

In baseball, the strike zone is a conceptual right pentagonal prism over home plate which defines the boundaries through which a pitch must pass in order to count as a strike when the batter does not swing.-Definition:...

 to speak of, Gaedel walked on four straight pitches, as he was ordered not to swing at any pitch. The stunt infuriated American League President Will Harridge

Will Harridge

William Harridge was an American executive in professional baseball whose most significant role was as president of the American League from 1931 to 1958...

, who voided Gaedel's contract the next day.

After the 1951 season, Veeck made Ned Garver

Ned Garver

Ned Franklin Garver was an American League pitcher playing from 1948 to 1961 winning 129 games in his major league career. Most of his career was spent playing for perennial second-division teams like the St. Louis Browns and Kansas City Athletics.In 1951, Garver fashioned an outstanding season....

 the highest-paid member of the Browns. Garver remains the last pitcher to win 20 games for a team that lost 100 games in a season. He was the second pitcher in history to accomplish the feat.

Veeck also brought Satchel Paige

Satchel Paige

Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige was an American baseball player whose pitching in the Negro leagues and in Major League Baseball made him a legend in his own lifetime...

 back to major league baseball to pitch for the Browns. Veeck had previously signed the former Negro League great to a contract in Cleveland in 1948 at age 42, amid much criticism. At 45, Paige's re-appearance in a Browns uniform did nothing to win Veeck friends among baseball's owners. Nonetheless, Paige ended the season with a respectable 3–4 record and a 4.79 ERA.

Veeck believed that St. Louis was too small for two franchises and planned to drive the Cardinals out of town. He signed many of the Cardinals' most popular ex-players and, as a result, attracted many Cards fans to see the Browns. Notably, Veeck inked former Cardinals great Dizzy Dean

Dizzy Dean

Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the last National League pitcher to win 30 games in one season. Dean was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953....

 to a broadcasting contract and tapped Rogers Hornsby

Rogers Hornsby

Rogers Hornsby, Sr. , nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball . He played for the St. Louis Cardinals , New York Giants , Boston Braves , Chicago Cubs , and St. Louis Browns...

 as manager. He also re-acquired former Browns fan favorite Vern Stephens

Vern Stephens

Vernon Decatur Stephens was an American shortstop in professional baseball who played 15 seasons in the American League for four different teams. A native of McAlister, New Mexico, Stephens batted and threw right-handed...

 and signed former Cardinals pitcher Harry Brecheen

Harry Brecheen

Harry David Brecheen , nicknamed "The Cat," was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the St. Louis Cardinals...

, both of whom had starred in the all-St. Louis World Series in 1944. Veeck also stripped Sportsman's Park of any Cardinals material and dressed it exclusively in Browns memorabilia, even moving his family to an apartment under the stands. Although the Browns fielded consisently losing teams during this time, Veeck's showmanship and colorful promotions made attendance at Browns games more fun and unpredictable than the conservative Cardinals were willing to offer.

Veeck's all-out assault on the Cardinals came during a downturn in the Cardinals' fortunes after Rickey left them for the Brooklyn 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...

 in 1942

1942 Major League Baseball season

- External links :*...

. Indeed, when Cardinals' owner Fred Saigh

Fred Saigh

Frederick Michael Saigh Jr. was the part-owner, then sole owner, of the St. Louis Cardinals of American Major League Baseball from 1948 through 1953.- Pre-Cardinals years :...

 was convicted of massive tax evasion

Tax evasion

Tax evasion is the general term for efforts by individuals, corporations, trusts and other entities to evade taxes by illegal means. Tax evasion usually entails taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting or concealing the true state of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability,...

 late in 1952, it looked almost certain that the Cardinals were leaving town, as most of the top bids came from non-St. Louis interests. However, Saigh accepted a much lower bid from Anheuser-Busch

Anheuser-Busch

Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , is an American brewing company. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and 18 in other countries. It was, until December 2009, also one of America's largest theme park operators; operating ten theme parks across the United States through the...

, whose president August Busch, Jr. immediately announced that he had no intention of moving the Cardinals. Veeck quickly realized the Cardinals now had more resources than he could ever hope to match and decided to move the Browns.

Veeck attempted to move the Browns back to Milwaukee (where he had owned the Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers (minor league baseball team)

The Milwaukee Brewers were a Minor League Baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They played in the American Association from 1902 through 1952.-A Milwaukee Tradition:...

 of the American Association

American Association (20th century)

The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...

 in the 1940s), but the move was blocked by the other American League owners, seemingly for reasons that were more personal than business-related. An undaunted Veeck then tried to move the Browns to Baltimore, but was again rebuffed by the owners, still seething at the publicity stunts he had pulled at Browns home games. Meanwhile, Sportsman's Park had slipped into disrepair, and Veeck was forced to sell it to the Cardinals since he could not afford to make the necessary improvements to bring it up to code. With his only leverage gone and facing threats of the liquidation of his franchise, Veeck was all but forced to sell the Browns to a group of Baltimore-based investors led by attorney Clarence Miles

Clarence Miles

Clarence Miles was the chairman of the board and president of the Baltimore Orioles of the American League during the and seasons.Miles was a native of the Eastern Shore. He had gone to school with Wallis Warfield...

. With Veeck "out of the way", the American League owners quickly approved the relocation of the team to Baltimore for the 1954 season on September 29, 1953. Miles became the franchise's chairman of the board and president.

Legacy

Unlike other clubs that relocated in the 1950s, retaining their nickname and a sense of continuity with their past (such as the Brooklyn/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...

, New York/San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....

, Boston/Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....

, and Philadelphia/Kansas City/Oakland Athletics

Oakland Athletics

The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....

), the St. Louis Browns were renamed the Baltimore Orioles upon their transfer, implicitly distancing themselves at least somewhat from their history. It was also unique in that, unlike the other teams, the Browns/Orioles moved eastward instead of westward geographically. In December 1954, the Orioles further distanced themselves from their Browns past by making a 17-player trade with 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...

 that included most former Browns of note still on the Baltimore roster. Though the deal did little to improve the short-term competitiveness of the club, it helped establish a fresh identity for the Orioles franchise. To this day, the Orioles make almost no mention of their past as the Browns.

The Orioles finally cut the last ties to the Browns era in August 1979. In 1936, the Browns sold 20,000 shares of stock to the public at $5 a share—an unusual practice for a sports franchise even today. In 1979, new owner Edward Bennett Williams

Edward Bennett Williams

Edward Bennett Williams was a Washington, D.C. trial attorney who founded the law firm of Williams & Connolly and owned several professional sports teams...

 bought back those shares, making the franchise privately held once again. Although the buyout price is not known, it is assumed that given the Orioles' prosperity over their then 25 years in Baltimore, the owners made a handsome return on their investment.

The Browns, along with the Washington Senators

Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...

, were mostly associated with losing, as both franchises seemed to be the American League's perennial doormats. The Senators became the butt of a well-known vaudeville

Vaudeville

Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...

 joke, "First in war, first in peace, and last in the American League" (a twist on the famous "Light Horse Harry" Lee eulogy for George Washington

George Washington

George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...

: "First in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen"). A spin-off joke was coined for the Browns: "First in shoes

Brown Shoe Company

Brown Shoe Company is a footwear company that owns a variety of footwear brands in the United States and Canada. Its headquarters is located in Clayton, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis.-Origins:...

, first in booze

Anheuser-Busch

Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , is an American brewing company. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and 18 in other countries. It was, until December 2009, also one of America's largest theme park operators; operating ten theme parks across the United States through the...

, and last in the American League."

Many older fans in St. Louis remember the Browns fondly, and some have formed societies to keep the memory of the team alive; it is not uncommon to see sporting goods stores in the St. Louis area stock Browns shirts and hats. The club was in St. Louis for 52 years. The club has now been in Baltimore longer than it was in St. Louis.

Believed to be the oldest former major leaguer, the Browns' Rollie Stiles

Rollie Stiles

Rolland Mays Stiles was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Browns from to . Born in Ratcliff, Arkansas, he batted and threw right-handed, and was 9-14 with an earned run average of 5.92 in his three seasons. Rollie attended Southeastern State...

, 100, died July 22, 2007, in St. Louis County

St. Louis County, Missouri

St. Louis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. Its county seat is Clayton. St. Louis County is part of the St. Louis Metro Area wherein the independent City of St. Louis and its suburbs in St. Louis County, as well as the surrounding counties in both Missouri and Illinois all...

.