On This Day

Branch Rickey signs 5-year contract as Vice-President and General Manager of MLB Pittsburgh Pirates

Wesley Branch Rickey (December 20, 1881 – December 9, 1965) was an American baseball player, manager, sports executive, and team owner.

Wesley Branch Rickey (December 20, 1881 – December 9, 1965) was an American baseball player, manager, sports executive, and team owner. Rickey 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. He was posthumously elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967.

Rickey played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Browns and New York Highlanders from 1905 through 1907. After struggling as a player, Rickey returned to college, graduating from the University of Michigan.

Historical Significance

Wesley Branch Rickey (December 20, 1881 – December 9, 1965) was an American baseball player, manager, sports executive, and team owner.

Key People

Branch Rickey

baseball player, manager, and executive

American baseball player, manager, and executive

Events Before

  1. US President Harry Truman labels his administration the "Fair Deal"

    Harry S. Truman's tenure as the 33rd president of the United States began on April 12, 1945, upon the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and ended on January 20, 1953.

  2. First Israeli election won by David Ben-Gurion's Mapai party

    Constituent Assembly elections were held in newly independent Israel on 25 January 1949. Voter turnout was 86.9%.

  3. 1st US daytime soap on TV "These Are My Children" (NBC in Chicago)

    1st US daytime soap on TV "These Are My Children" (NBC in Chicago)

  4. American diplomat Henry Kissinger (25) weds Ann Fleisher (23) in Washington Heights, Manhattan, NYC

    American diplomat Henry Kissinger (25) weds Ann Fleisher (23) in Washington Heights, Manhattan, NYC

  5. "Lovesick Blues" single is released by Hank Williams (Cashbox "Best Hillbilly Record of the Year," Billboard Song of the

    "Lovesick Blues" single is released by Hank Williams (Cashbox "Best Hillbilly Record of the Year," Billboard Song of the Year 1949)

Events After

  1. American actor Burgess Meredith (43) weds (his 4th and final time) Swedish-American ballerina Kaja Sundsten (21), until

    American actor Burgess Meredith (43) weds (his 4th and final time) Swedish-American ballerina Kaja Sundsten (21), until his death in 1997

  2. "La Vie Commence Demain," the first X-rated movie depicting artificial insemination, opens in London

    "La Vie Commence Demain," the first X-rated movie depicting artificial insemination, opens in London

  3. English-American actress Elizabeth Taylor's 1st divorce from American hotel heir Conrad Hilton Jr. after nearly 9 months

    English-American actress Elizabeth Taylor's 1st divorce from American hotel heir Conrad Hilton Jr. after nearly 9 months of marriage

  4. American civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois (83) weds award-winning author Shirley Graham (54) in Queens, New York

    American civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois (83) weds award-winning author Shirley Graham (54) in Queens, New York

  5. American actress and singer Doris Day (29) weds American film and television producer Martin Melcher (35) in Burbank, Ca

    American actress and singer Doris Day (29) weds American film and television producer Martin Melcher (35) in Burbank, California, until his death in 1968

More from the 1950s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on November 3, 1950?
Wesley Branch Rickey (December 20, 1881 – December 9, 1965) was an American baseball player, manager, sports executive, and team owner. Rickey 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.
Why is Branch Rickey signs 5-year contract as Vice-President and General Manager of ... significant?
Wesley Branch Rickey (December 20, 1881 – December 9, 1965) was an American baseball player, manager, sports executive, and team owner.
Who was involved in Branch Rickey signs 5-year contract as Vice-President and General Manager of ...?
Key figures include Branch Rickey (baseball player, manager, and executive).

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