Branch Rickey

Wesley Branch Rickey (December 20, 1881 – December 9, 1965) was an American professional baseball catcher, manager, sports executive, and team owner. He played four seasons in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the St. Louis Browns and the New York Highlanders. After struggling as a player, he returned to college and graduated from the University of Michigan.

Rickey came back to the major leagues in 1913, beginning a long and successful career as a manager, executive, and owner. He started with the St. Louis Browns, then moved on to the St. Louis Cardinals, the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was instrumental in breaking the baseball color line by signing black player Jackie Robinson. He also created the framework for the modern minor league farm system, encouraged the major leagues to add new teams through his involvement in the proposed Continental League, introduced the batting helmet, and created the standard 20-80 scouting scale.

Rickey also had a career in football, playing for the professional Shelby Blues and coaching at Ohio Wesleyan University and Allegheny.

He was posthumously elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967. The Cardinals elected him to their team Hall of Fame in 2014.