On October 30, 1929, Gabby Street was named manager of the St. Louis Cardinals. The former Washington Senators catcher had joined the Cardinals coaching staff that season and after several changes at the helm, Street was named the skipper. The '29 season was a rough one for the Birds who had been swept out of the '28 World Series which led team owner Sam Breadon to firing Bill McKechnie despite the fact he had guided the club to a pennant. The choice that Breadon made was not necessarily a great one as it put the club in disarray, Billy Southworth took over at the beginning of the '29 season but he couldn't keep the owner happy and by July, Breadon decided to bring McKechnie back. It didn't last. Before the season came to an end McKechnie was out and Street took over as an interim manager for the last few games of the campaign. After the season ended and Street got the job full time he began to help get the Cardinals back on track. He guided them to the National League Pennant in 1930 and a World Series title in 1931. His run as Cardinals skipper came to an end midway through the '33 season after the team fell 10 games under .500 much to the owner's dismay. While Street's run as manager was a short one, he had helped the team refocus and accomplished a lot in that short span. Street's given name was Charles, but his gift of gab earned him a nickname that stuck with him for a lifetime. Before he became a coach he was the man who caught the great Walter Johnson in Washington. After his stint with the Birds he managed for a few seasons in the American Association then was hired on to manage the St.Louis Browns in 1938. The Browns just didn't have the talent for any manager to turn them into a contender and after one year Street returned to the Cardinals as a broadcaster. He would sit in the broadcast booth along side Harry Caray where the fans would listen to his stories of yesteryear while they were calling ballgames.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
October 30, 1929: Gabby Street Gets The Job
On October 30, 1929, Gabby Street was named manager of the St. Louis Cardinals. The former Washington Senators catcher had joined the Cardinals coaching staff that season and after several changes at the helm, Street was named the skipper. The '29 season was a rough one for the Birds who had been swept out of the '28 World Series which led team owner Sam Breadon to firing Bill McKechnie despite the fact he had guided the club to a pennant. The choice that Breadon made was not necessarily a great one as it put the club in disarray, Billy Southworth took over at the beginning of the '29 season but he couldn't keep the owner happy and by July, Breadon decided to bring McKechnie back. It didn't last. Before the season came to an end McKechnie was out and Street took over as an interim manager for the last few games of the campaign. After the season ended and Street got the job full time he began to help get the Cardinals back on track. He guided them to the National League Pennant in 1930 and a World Series title in 1931. His run as Cardinals skipper came to an end midway through the '33 season after the team fell 10 games under .500 much to the owner's dismay. While Street's run as manager was a short one, he had helped the team refocus and accomplished a lot in that short span. Street's given name was Charles, but his gift of gab earned him a nickname that stuck with him for a lifetime. Before he became a coach he was the man who caught the great Walter Johnson in Washington. After his stint with the Birds he managed for a few seasons in the American Association then was hired on to manage the St.Louis Browns in 1938. The Browns just didn't have the talent for any manager to turn them into a contender and after one year Street returned to the Cardinals as a broadcaster. He would sit in the broadcast booth along side Harry Caray where the fans would listen to his stories of yesteryear while they were calling ballgames.
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