Johnny Keane
Encyclopedia
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. Louis Cardinals
.
, whom he had hired as a consultant) that only a thorough housecleaning of Cardinal management would bring him the pennant he had craved since he bought the Redbirds in 1953. He fired (or accepted the resignations of) almost every senior St. Louis front office executive. Keane was temporarily spared, but Busch was rumored to be secretly negotiating with Leo Durocher
(then a coach
for the Los Angeles Dodgers
) to become manager at the close of the 1964 season.
However, in the last two weeks of the season, the front-running Philadelphia Phillies
— who had seemed a lock for the pennant — unexpectedly began to unravel while both the Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds
got hot. The Phillies lost ten straight games, creating a four-team scramble, involving the Phils, Cards, Reds and San Francisco Giants
, for the National League
title. Philadelphia came to St Louis after losing seven straight at home and were swept by Keane and the Cardinals, who moved into first place, only to lose their next two games to the lowly New York Mets
. On the final day of the season, St. Louis prevailed to clinch its first NL pennant since 1946. The Cardinals then defeated the New York Yankees
in a seven-game World Series
.
The confetti had hardly been swept off the streets after St. Louis' victory parade when the Cards called a press conference. Most expected that it would formally announce a contract extension for Keane. However, the manager handed owner Busch and new general manager
Bob Howsam
a surprise letter of resignation that he had written late in September, at the height of the pennant chase.
, he never played in the major leagues. He suffered a head injury after being hit by a pitch, and spent his entire active career in the Cardinals' labyrinthine farm system. In 1938 he began his managing career in that system, working his way from Class D (the lowest rung on the ladder) to Class AAA, where he spent a decade as manager of top St. Louis farm clubs. His career record as a manager in the minor leagues was 1,357 victories, 1,166 losses (.538) over 17 seasons.
Keane finally reached the major leagues in 1959, when he was appointed to the Cardinal coaching staff. He replaced Solly Hemus
as Redbird manager on July 6, 1961. In his 3½ seasons as Cardinal pilot, he compiled a record of 317-249 (.560). His successor was not Durocher but longtime St. Louis fan favorite Red Schoendienst
.
after losing the Fall Classic. (It was later revealed that the Yankees had made an informal inquiry about Keane's interest in the job during the 1964 season itself.) But the Keane-Yankees pairing was not a good match. Coming off five straight American League
pennants and 15 league championships in 18 years, the Yankees were a veteran team of stars who were aging, breaking down, and resistant to the leadership of a disciplinarian like Keane. The 1965 Yankees fell to sixth place, and when the 1966 version won only four of its first 20 games, Keane was replaced by Ralph Houk
, the team's charismatic general manager. (The Yankees did not respond to Houk either, finishing in last place—the first time they did so since 1912.) Keane's 81-101 (.445) record with New York gave him a career managerial mark of 398-350 (.532) over six seasons.
Keane is described in Jim Bouton
's Ball Four
as being prone to panic as a manager and one who was "willing to sacrifice a season to win a game" by putting injured stars into the lineup before their injuries had fully healed. To describe this quality Bouton tells of a somewhat humorous anecdote of Keane pressuring Mickey Mantle
to play on a bad leg. But in Keane's defense, Bouton would also note that general manager Houk and the team unfairly used Keane as their excuse for the losing records in 1965 and 1966, which were the result of an aging team with a depleted farm system — not because of Keane.
In December 1966, Keane accepted a scouting post with the California Angels
. A month later, in Houston, Texas
, he suffered a fatal heart attack
at age 55. Keane had lived in the Texas city since his days as player and (later) manager for the Cardinals' longtime Texas League
farm team, the Houston Buffaloes
.
In Bouton's book, I Managed Good, But Boy Did They Play Bad
, a collection of essays and stories about past major league managers, he wrote that Keane seemed to be in awe of the Yankees, and that he underestimated the problems the team faced; Bouton felt that the immense pressure and stress of managing the Yankees through their inevitable collapse likely led to his death.
Keane's crucial, positive role in mentoring young Cardinal players, especially star pitcher
Bob Gibson
, is hailed in the David Halberstam
book October 1964.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
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...
. Born in St. Louis, Missouri
St. 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 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. 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...
.
1964: Triumph amid turmoil
In mid-August of that year, with the team seemingly out of the race, owner August "Gussie" Busch became convinced (possibly by Branch RickeyBranch Rickey
Wesley Branch Rickey was an innovative Major League Baseball executive elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967...
, whom he had hired as a consultant) that only a thorough housecleaning of Cardinal management would bring him the pennant he had craved since he bought the Redbirds in 1953. He fired (or accepted the resignations of) almost every senior St. Louis front office executive. Keane was temporarily spared, but Busch was rumored to be secretly negotiating with 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...
(then a coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
for the 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...
) to become manager at the close of the 1964 season.
However, in the last two weeks of the season, the front-running Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia 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...
— who had seemed a lock for the pennant — unexpectedly began to unravel while both the Cardinals and 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....
got hot. The Phillies lost ten straight games, creating a four-team scramble, involving the Phils, Cards, Reds and 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....
, for the 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...
title. Philadelphia came to St Louis after losing seven straight at home and were swept by Keane and the Cardinals, who moved into first place, only to lose their next two games to the lowly 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...
. On the final day of the season, St. Louis prevailed to clinch its first NL pennant since 1946. 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
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...
.
The confetti had hardly been swept off the streets after St. Louis' victory parade when the Cards called a press conference. Most expected that it would formally announce a contract extension for Keane. However, the manager handed owner Busch and new 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....
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...
a surprise letter of resignation that he had written late in September, at the height of the pennant chase.
Long-term apprenticeship
Keane thus walked away from the only team he had ever served in his 35-year baseball career. A shortstopShortstop
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...
, he never played in the major leagues. He suffered a head injury after being hit by a pitch, and spent his entire active career in the Cardinals' labyrinthine farm system. In 1938 he began his managing career in that system, working his way from Class D (the lowest rung on the ladder) to Class AAA, where he spent a decade as manager of top St. Louis farm clubs. His career record as a manager in the minor leagues was 1,357 victories, 1,166 losses (.538) over 17 seasons.
Keane finally reached the major leagues in 1959, when he was appointed to the Cardinal coaching staff. He replaced Solly Hemus
Solly Hemus
Solomon Joseph Hemus is a retired infielder, manager and coach in American Major League Baseball.As a player with the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies, Hemus was primarily a shortstop, although he also saw significant time as a second baseman. He compiled a lifetime batting average...
as Redbird manager on July 6, 1961. In his 3½ seasons as Cardinal pilot, he compiled a record of 317-249 (.560). His successor was not Durocher but longtime St. Louis fan favorite 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...
.
Frustration in the Bronx
But his resignation was only half the story. A few days later, Keane became the surprise new manager of the Yankees, who had dumped Yogi BerraYogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
after losing the Fall Classic. (It was later revealed that the Yankees had made an informal inquiry about Keane's interest in the job during the 1964 season itself.) But the Keane-Yankees pairing was not a good match. Coming off five straight American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
pennants and 15 league championships in 18 years, the Yankees were a veteran team of stars who were aging, breaking down, and resistant to the leadership of a disciplinarian like Keane. The 1965 Yankees fell to sixth place, and when the 1966 version won only four of its first 20 games, Keane was replaced by Ralph Houk
Ralph Houk
Ralph George Houk , nicknamed The Major, was an American catcher, coach, manager, and front office executive in Major League Baseball...
, the team's charismatic general manager. (The Yankees did not respond to Houk either, finishing in last place—the first time they did so since 1912.) Keane's 81-101 (.445) record with New York gave him a career managerial mark of 398-350 (.532) over six seasons.
Keane is described in Jim Bouton
Jim Bouton
James Alan "Jim" Bouton is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher. He is also the author of the controversial baseball book Ball Four, which was a combination diary of his season and memoir of his years with the New York Yankees, Seattle Pilots, and Houston Astros.-Amateur and college...
's Ball Four
Ball Four
Ball Four is a book written by former Major League Baseball pitcher Jim Bouton in . The book is a diary of Bouton's 1969 season, spent with the Seattle Pilots and then the Houston Astros following a late-season trade. In it Bouton also recounts much of his baseball career, spent mainly with the...
as being prone to panic as a manager and one who was "willing to sacrifice a season to win a game" by putting injured stars into the lineup before their injuries had fully healed. To describe this quality Bouton tells of a somewhat humorous anecdote of Keane pressuring Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...
to play on a bad leg. But in Keane's defense, Bouton would also note that general manager Houk and the team unfairly used Keane as their excuse for the losing records in 1965 and 1966, which were the result of an aging team with a depleted farm system — not because of Keane.
In December 1966, Keane accepted a scouting post with the California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
. A month later, in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, he suffered a fatal heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at age 55. Keane had lived in the Texas city since his days as player and (later) manager for the Cardinals' longtime Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
farm team, the Houston Buffaloes
Houston Buffaloes
The Houston Buffaloes or Buffs were an American minor league baseball team that was founded in 1888, played in the Texas League in the years 1888-90, 1892, 1895-99, and 1907-1958 ; in the South Texas League in the years 1903-06; and in the American Association from 1959-61...
.
In Bouton's book, I Managed Good, But Boy Did They Play Bad
I Managed Good, But Boy Did They Play Bad
I Managed Good, But Boy Did They Play Bad is a collection of essays, short stories and articles about baseball, combined with comments and articles written by Ball Four author and former major league pitcher Jim Bouton.- The book's creation :...
, a collection of essays and stories about past major league managers, he wrote that Keane seemed to be in awe of the Yankees, and that he underestimated the problems the team faced; Bouton felt that the immense pressure and stress of managing the Yankees through their inevitable collapse likely led to his death.
Keane's crucial, positive role in mentoring young Cardinal players, especially star 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...
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...
, is hailed in the David Halberstam
David Halberstam
David Halberstam was an American Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author and historian, known for his early work on the Vietnam War, his work on politics, history, the Civil Rights Movement, business, media, American culture, and his later sports journalism.-Early life and education:Halberstam...
book October 1964.
External links
- Baseball-Reference.com - career MLB managing record
- Minor league managing record, from BR Bullpen
- The Dead Ball Era