August 24, 1951: Grandstand Managers Night

August 24, 1951: The St. Louis Browns beat the Philadelphia Athletics, 5-3 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. Team manager Zack Taylor cannot claim credit for the win, though: It was Grandstand Managers Night.

Born in Florida in 1898, James Wren Taylor, nicknamed after the 12th President of the United States, Zachary Taylor, was a catcher in the major leagues from 1920 to 1935. As a rookie, he reached the World Series with the Brooklyn Robins, as the Dodgers were known while Wilbert Robinson was their manager. He reached the World Series again with the Chicago Cubs in 1929 and 1932. He was considered a good defensive catcher, but for most of his career was a backup.

He managed in the minor leagues from 1936 to 1940, became a coach for the Browns in 1941, and was on manager Luke Sewell's staff when the Browns won their only American League Pennant in 1944. Sewell resigned in 1946, and Taylor finished the season as manager. In 1947, he joined the coaching staff of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The next season, Browns GM Bill DeWitt brought him back as manager.

In 1951, former Cleveland Indians owner Bill Veeck bought the Browns, and used his promotional skill to try to make the team, landlords of the more successful St. Louis Cardinals of the National League, the more popular team in town. On August 19, he signed Eddie Gaedel, a 3-foot-7-inch midget, to a contract and let him bat, drawing a walk, and then having him removed from the game. Taylor appeared to have no problem with this.

But, 5 days later, Veeck held Grandstand Managers Night. Veeck had hired Max Patkin, the traveling ballpark comedian already known as "The Clown Prince of Baseball," to be his 1st base coach for this game. He had 1,115 placards printed up, with "YES" on one side and "NO" on the other. At certain points in the game, a man would hold up signs, asking key questions, such as, "SHOULD WE WALK HIM?" (Issue an intentional walk.) "SHOULD WE YANK HIM?" (Replace the pitcher.) "INFIELD IN?" (In an attempt to get a double play.) And so on.

Art Ehlers, general manager of the Athletics, said the idea was "farcical." But the Browns beat the A's. In his autobiography, Veeck -- As in Wreck, Veeck wrote, "Never has a game been called better." When the A's scored 3 runs in the top of the 1st inning, the fans were asked, "INFIELD IN?" A majority of the placards said, "YES," and it worked: They got a double play.

In the bottom of the 1st inning, the Browns tied the game, 3-3, the fans were asked, "STEAL?" They said, "YES." But this was a little too obvious, and 1st baseman Hank Arft was thrown out stealing 2nd base with two outs. Unfortunately, the Athletics apparently saw the move coming, and Arft was thrown out easily to end the inning.

But it was the only mistake the fans made. At the start of the 2nd inning, with starting pitcher Ned Garver having allowed 3 runs in the 1st, the fans were asked, "SHOULD WE YANK HIM?" A majority of the placards said, "NO," so Garver was left in, and it worked: He pitched shutout ball the rest of the way.

Grandstand Managers Night was 1 of only 52 games the Browns won all season. Zack Taylor was fired after the season. Two seasons later, with Gussie Busch and his seemingly unlimited beer money now funding the Cardinals, Veeck realized that it was his team, not the other one, that would have to go. He sold the Browns, who were moved to become the Baltimore Orioles.

Zack Taylor

With the stigma of having been outmanaged by his own fans, Taylor never managed again, at any level. But he served as a scout, first for the Chicago White Sox, then for the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves, a post he still held when he died in 1974.

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August 24, 1951 was a Friday. Science fiction author Orson Scott Card was born. And these other baseball games were played:

* The New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians, 2-0 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Gene Woodling provided all the scoring with a 2-run home run in the top of the 7th inning, making Joe Ostrowski a winning pitcher in relief of Stubby Overmire, beating Early Wynn. Joe DiMaggio, in his last season, went 1-for-5. Mickey Mantle, in his 1st season, went 1-for-4 with a walk.

* The New York Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-5 at the Polo Grounds. Whitey Lockman tied the game in the bottom of the 9th by singling home Monte Irvin. Davey Williams grounded to short, and Bobby Thomson scored the winning run on a fielder's choice. Lockman and Alvin Dark hit home runs. Rookie Willie Mays went 3-for-5 with an RBI. Stan Musial went 0-for-5.

* The Brooklyn Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs, 1-0 at Ebbets Field. The only run of the game came on a double by Jackie Robinson in the bottom of the 1st inning, scoring Pee Wee Reese. Ralph Branca had perhaps his greatest game, pitching a 3-hit shutout, no walks, 10 strikeouts, to outpitch Paul Minner. No one knew it, but Branca was 40 days away from his worst moment in the major leagues.

* The Boston Braves swept a doubleheader from the Cincinnati Reds, 5-1 and 2-1 at Braves Field in Boston. Warren Spahn and Chet Nichols were the winning pitchers.

* The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-1 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia.

* The Washington Senators beat the Detroit Tigers, 10-7 at Briggs Stadium (later Tiger Stadium) in Detroit.

* And the Chicago White Sox beat the Boston Red Sox, 3-2 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Ted Williams went 0-for-3 with a walk.