A decade after he briefly held out of spring training in a bid for a $5,000 raise, Stan Musial became the first $100,000 player in National League history. On January 29, 1958, the Cardinals called a morning press conference at Anheuser-Busch Brewery to announce that Musial, who had been playing for $80,000 per season since […]
How Busch Jr. made Stan Musial the NL’s first $100,000 player Read More »
With ownership groups from Milwaukee and Houston seeking to move the Cardinals out of St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch announced on February 20, 1953, that it had purchased the team from Fred Saigh for $3.75 million. “During its 100 years of existence, Anheuser-Busch has shared in all St. Louis civic activity,” Anheuser-Busch chairman August A. Busch Jr.
How Anheuser-Busch kept the Cardinals from leaving St. Louis in 1953 Read More »
When August A. Busch Jr. fired general manager Bing Devine in August 1964, it seemed all but certain that Cardinals manager Johnny Keane would soon join his former boss among the unemployed. When Keane and the Cardinals surprised everyone by surging to their first World Series championship in 18 years, Busch decided to keep his
Why Cardinals manager Johnny Keane quit one day after winning the World Series Read More »
Philadelphia Phillies general manager John Quinn answered the phone on February 25, 1972, to discover his Cardinals counterpart, Bing Devine, on the other end. “Has Rick Wise signed?” Devine asked, referring to the 26-year-old right-hander who had led the Phillies in wins each of the past three seasons. Quinn answered that no, he had not
Why the Cardinals traded Steve Carlton to the Phillies Read More »