June 28, 1907 – In baseball history when one hears the name of Branch Rickey, the thoughts of the bravery of a brilliant baseball executive who inked Jackie Robinson to a deal where he would play in the MLB for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
The knowledgeable sports historian might also know that Rickey introduced the batting helmet to baseball, created the framework for the modern minor league farm system, played professional football for the Shelby Blues of the “Ohio League”, and encouraged the Major Leagues to expand to new markets with adding teams through his involvement in the proposed Continental League. What you might not know is that Branch was an MLB player once.
Admittedly not a very good one as he only played from 1905 through 1907. On this day in history, Nationals stole a record 13 bases off New York Highlanders catcher Branch Rickey. After some struggles playing such as this outing, Branch Rickey returned to college, where he learned about administration.
Returning to MLB in 1913, Rickey embarked on a successful managing and executive career with the St. Louis Browns, St. Louis Cardinals, Brooklyn Dodgers, and Pittsburgh Pirates.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network
Testosterone and Fitness: What Every Man Should Know
For any man serious about achieving results in the gym, testosterone plays a more
Selling Baseball: How Superstars George Wright and Albert Spalding Impacted Sports In America
George Wright and Al Spalding are two of the most important figures in 19th
From Heartbreak to Triumph: The Red Sox Story
Founded in 1901 as a charter member of the American League, the Boston Red
From Heartbreak to History: The Philadelphia Phillies’ Journey To Glory
Believe it or not, the Philadelphia Phillies franchise dates back to 1883, when Chester
Discussing Dallas Cowboys’ Best Team of the 1970s
Were it not for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Dallas Cowboys would undoubtedly be called
A Lamb to the Slaughter (WWE Superstar – Sergeant Slaughter)
There’s a reason there’s never been a mainstream movie about Drill Instructor training school. A
The Frustrating History of the New York Jets
Although I was a Dallas Cowboys fan as a young boy, I couldn’t help
The Beards! Looking Back at the Red Sox 2013 Season
As the new MLB season gets underway, there will be plenty of interesting twists