The St. Louis Browns: The Team that Baseball Forgot
Baseball Forgot But We Shouldn't
The St. Louis Browns: The Team That Baseball Forgot is a documentary that seeks to preserve the history of the former St. Louis ballclub.
I had been looking forward to writing a piece on Busch Stadium today. Unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling well last week and rescheduled my St. Louis trip. I’m still keeping the St. Louis theme today as I recently watched the documentary on YouTube.
Before calling St. Louis home for over 50 seasons, the Browns had been the Milwaukee Brewers for a season. The St. Louis Cardinals weren’t quite the #1 team in the city but through the course of the 1920s-1940s, the Cardinals became the #1 team in St. Louis. Unlike New York and Chicago, both teams were playing in the same park with the managers even alternating the apartment when one team was playing at home and the other was on the road. One team would have to win out—the Cardinals would be that team.
Things changed, for better or worse, when the Busch family acquired the St. Louis Cardinals. Bill Veeck didn’t have Busch money and really had no choice but to sell the team to attorney Clarence Miles and brewery president Jerold Hoffberger. As a result the team’s new ownership moved them to Baltimore in 1953. For 52 seasons, however, they were the American League team in St. Louis.
It’s a rather short documentary, running just under an hour. Nevertheless, it is still insightful. At the time of production, there were at least 12 living players. There were only three living players as of earlier this year. It isn’t just former players reminiscing of their time with the Browns but also members of the St. Louis Browns Historical Society. The interviews are weaved in with archival images, etc.
The Baltimore Orioles might not even formally acknowledge their 52 seasons as the Browns but the Cardinals honor Browns Hall of Famer George Sisler with a statue outside of Busch Stadium. You’d think the Orioles would at least honor Sisler! The team has a statue of Babe Ruth outside of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. In fairness, the then-minor league Baltimore Orioles signed him in 1914 before sending him to the Boston Red Sox. Back to the film, the film would not be complete without discussing the time that Eddie Gaedel stepped up to bat for his only appearance in the majors. It was a stunt that only Bill Veeck could pull off.
Since the start of interleague play, the Orioles have played two series at Busch Stadium in 2003 and 2022, respectively. During the former, they were throwback Browns uniforms as a way of honoring the team’s years in St. Louis. While the Cardinals won the Streetcar Series in 1944, the Orioles defeated the Cardinals in both the 1966 and 1970 World Series. The Orioles have hosted the Cardinals during interleague play in 2011, 2014, 2017, and 2023. Both teams will face each other again in 2024.
The St. Louis Browns might be remembered as a punchline but this documentary offers a reason for baseball fans to remember the team.
DIRECTOR: Justin Tolliver
SCREENWRITERS: Bob Harris and Matt Telthorst
NARRATOR: Jon Hamm