Branch Rickey

American baseball player and coach

Branch Rickey was a baseball legend who broke the color barrier by signing Jackie Robinson, created the modern minor league system, and introduced the batting helmet. He had a successful playing and managing career, and was known for his deep Christian faith and many achievements in the sport.

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About the Branch Rickey

Wesley Branch Rickeywas an American baseball player and sports executive. Rickey was instrumental in breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier 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, and introduced the batting helmet. He was posthumously elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967.

Rickey played in Major League Baseballfor the St. Louis Browns and New York Highlanders from 1905 through 1907. After struggling as a player, Rickey returned to college, where he learned about administration from Philip Bartelme. Returning to the Major Leagues in 1913, Rickey embarked on a successful managing and executive career with the St. Louis Browns, St. Louis Cardinals, Brooklyn Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cardinals elected him to their team Hall of Fame in 2014.

Rickey also had a career in football, as a player for the professional Shelby Blues and as a coach at Ohio Wesleyan University and Allegheny College. His many achievements and deep Christian faith earned him the nickname “the Mahatma” (guru).

Frequently Asked Questions

Branch Rickey was an American baseball player, manager, and executive who played a pivotal role in breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball by signing the first black player, Jackie Robinson.

Branch Rickey was instrumental in creating the modern minor league farm system, encouraging the addition of new teams through the proposed Continental League, and introducing the batting helmet, in addition to signing Jackie Robinson to break baseball’s color barrier.

Branch Rickey was born on December 20, 1881, and passed away on December 9, 1965.

Branch Rickey played in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Browns and New York Highlanders from 1905 through 1907, but struggled as a player. He then returned to college, where he learned about administration from Philip Bartelme.

In addition to his baseball career, Branch Rickey had a career in football as a player for the professional Shelby Blues and as a coach at Ohio Wesleyan University and Allegheny College.

Branch Rickey was nicknamed ,the Mahātmā, (guru) due to his many achievements and deep Christian faith.

Branch Rickey was posthumously elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967.

22 Quotes by Branch Rickey

  1. 1.

    Thou shalt not steal. I mean defensively. On offense, indeed thou shall steal and thou must.

    Branch Rickey

    American baseball player and coach

  2. 2.

    Baseball is a game of inches.

    Branch Rickey

    American baseball player and coach

  3. 3.

    How to use your leisure time is the biggest problem of a ballplayer.

    Branch Rickey

    American baseball player and coach

  4. 4.

    Trade a player a year too early rather than a year too late.

    Branch Rickey

    American baseball player and coach

  5. 5.

    Baseball people, and that includes myself, are slow to change and accept new ideas. I remember that it took years to persuade them to put numbers on uniforms.

    Branch Rickey

    American baseball player and coach

  6. 6.

    Cobb lived off the field as though he wished to live forever. He lived on the field as though it was his last day.

    Branch Rickey

    American baseball player and coach

  7. 7.

    The greatest untapped reservoir of raw material in the history of our game is the black race.

    Branch Rickey

    American baseball player and coach

  8. 8.

    Ethnic prejudice has no place in sports, and baseball must recognize that truth if it is to maintain stature as a national game.

    Branch Rickey

    American baseball player and coach

  9. 9.

    Problems are the price you pay for progress.

    Branch Rickey

    American baseball player and coach

  10. 10.

    All I had was natural ability.

    Branch Rickey

    American baseball player and coach

  11. 11.

    Only in baseball can a team player be a pure individualist first and a team player second, within the rules and spirit of the game.

    Branch Rickey

    American baseball player and coach

  12. 12.

    Luck is the residue of design.

    Branch Rickey

    American baseball player and coach

  13. 13.

    Thinking about the devil is worse than seeing the devil.

    Branch Rickey

    American baseball player and coach

  14. 14.

    A full mind is an empty bat.

    Branch Rickey

    American baseball player and coach

  15. 15.

    I find fault with my children because I like them and I want them to go places – uprightness and strength and courage and civil respect and anything that affects the probabilities of failure on the part of those that are closest to me, that concerns me – I find fault.

    Branch Rickey

    American baseball player and coach

  16. 16.

    Never surrender opportunity for security.

    Branch Rickey

    American baseball player and coach

  17. 17.

    It is not the honor that you take with you, but the heritage you leave behind.

    Branch Rickey

    American baseball player and coach

  18. 18.

    If things don’t come easy, there is no premium on effort. There should be joy in the chase, zest in the pursuit.

    Branch Rickey

    American baseball player and coach

  19. 19.

    A great ballplayer is a player who will take a chance.

    Branch Rickey

    American baseball player and coach

  20. 20.

    Leisure is the handmaiden of the devil.

    Branch Rickey

    American baseball player and coach

  21. 21.

    The man with the ball is responsible for what happens to the ball.

    Branch Rickey

    American baseball player and coach

  22. 22.

    I don’t care if I was a ditch-digger at a dollar a day, I’d want to do my job better than the fellow next to me. I’d want to be the best at whatever I do.

    Branch Rickey

    American baseball player and coach