Burt Shotton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Burt Shotton |
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| Outfielder / Manager | |||
| Born: October 18, 1884 Brownhelm Township, Lorain County, Ohio, U.S. |
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| Died: July 29, 1962 (aged 77) Lake Wales, Florida, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 13, 1909, for the St. Louis Browns | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| April 21, 1923, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .271 | ||
| Home runs | 9 | ||
| Runs batted in | 290 | ||
| Managerial record | 697–764 | ||
| Winning % | .477 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As manager
As coach
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Burton Edwin Shotton (born October 18, 1884 – died July 29, 1962) was an American baseball player, manager, coach, and scout. He worked in Major League Baseball (MLB). As the manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1947 to 1950, he led his team to win two National League championships. He was also Jackie Robinson's first full-time manager in the Major Leagues.
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Playing Baseball
Shotton was born in Brownhelm, Ohio. During his time as a player, he was a very fast outfielder. People called him "Barney" after a famous race car driver named Barney Oldfield. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
Shotton played 1,387 Major League games. He had a .271 batting average and made 1,338 hits. He played for the St. Louis Browns (1909, 1911–17), Washington Senators (1918), and St. Louis Cardinals (1919–23).
He was known for stealing many bases. He stole over 40 bases in four straight seasons (1913–16). Even though he was often caught stealing, he stole 294 bases during his MLB career. Shotton was also good at getting on base. He led the American League in walks twice (in 1913 and 1916).
In the early 1920s, Shotton was a player and coach for the Cardinals. He sometimes managed the team on Sundays. This was because the main manager, Branch Rickey, observed the Christian Sabbath. Rickey and Shotton were good friends and worked together for many years. After Shotton stopped playing, he coached for the Cardinals until 1925. Then he managed their top minor league team, the Syracuse Stars, in 1926–27.
Managing the Philadelphia Phillies
Shotton got his first chance to manage a Major League team with the Philadelphia Phillies. This team often finished last in the National League. He managed the Phillies for six seasons (1928–33). During his time, the Phillies lost more than 100 games twice.
One interesting team he managed was the 1930 Phillies. They played in a small stadium called Baker Bowl. The team had a great batting average of .315, with players like Chuck Klein hitting .386. They scored 944 runs. However, their pitchers allowed 1,199 runs, and the team finished last.
Two years later, in 1932, Shotton's Phillies had a winning record of 78–76. They finished fourth in the National League. This was the only time the Phillies had a winning season and finished in the top half of the league between 1917 and 1949. Overall, Shotton's record with the Phillies was 370 wins and 549 losses.
After the Phillies, Shotton coached for the Cincinnati Reds in 1934. He even managed one game as a temporary manager. He then returned to the Cardinals' minor league system, managing teams like the Rochester Red Wings. Later, he coached for the Cleveland Indians from 1942 to 1945. In 1946, Shotton became a scout for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Taking Over the Brooklyn Dodgers
Before the 1947 season, Shotton received a surprise message from Branch Rickey, who was now a part-owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Dodgers' manager, Leo Durocher, had been suspended for the entire 1947 season. Rickey asked Shotton, who was 62 years old, to take over as manager. Shotton was surprised but agreed.
He started managing on April 18, 1947. He was one of the last MLB managers to wear regular clothes instead of a team uniform. He usually added the team's cap and jacket.
Shotton took over a strong Dodgers team. They were about to make history by bringing up Jackie Robinson from their minor league team. Robinson was the first African American player to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball. He faced many challenges and insults from other players. Shotton's calm and steady leadership was exactly what the team needed during this important time.
The Dodgers won the National League championship that year. They then played the New York Yankees in the 1947 World Series and took them to seven games. In Game 4, Shotton made some clever moves. He sent in pinch hitters and pinch runners in the ninth inning. This helped the Dodgers win the game with their only hit of the game, a double by Cookie Lavagetto.
After the 1947 season, Durocher's suspension ended, and Shotton went back to working in the Dodgers' front office. However, the 1948 Dodgers did not play well under Durocher. Durocher was also facing personal issues.
Back to Brooklyn's Bench
In July 1948, the manager of the New York Giants, Mel Ott, was replaced. The Giants' owner wanted to hire Shotton. But Rickey offered him the chance to hire Durocher instead. So, on July 16, 1948, Durocher moved to the Giants. The very next day, Shotton was back in the Dodgers' dugout, still in his street clothes.
After Shotton returned, the Dodgers played much better. In 1949, Shotton led the Dodgers to win their second championship under his leadership. They won 97 games and finished just ahead of the Cardinals. Jackie Robinson won the National League's Most Valuable Player award that year. However, the Dodgers lost to the Yankees again in the World Series.
Even though Shotton won two championships in three seasons, some people criticized him. They said he wasn't good at game strategy and didn't have the same intense energy as Durocher. Because he didn't wear a uniform, Shotton was not allowed to go onto the field to argue with umpires or make pitching changes. His coaches had to do those tasks.
Some sports writers also criticized Shotton. For example, Dick Young of the New York Daily News called him "Kindly Old Burt Shotton" in a mocking way.
In 1950, the Dodgers had some pitching problems. Still, Shotton guided them to be just one game away from first place on the last day of the season. But a home run by Dick Sisler in the tenth inning won the championship for the Phillies, ending the Dodgers' season and Shotton's managing career.
Rickey left the Dodgers' front office soon after. Shotton, who was in Florida, chose not to travel to Brooklyn to discuss his future. He believed he would be fired, and he was right. The Dodgers hired Chuck Dressen as their new manager. Dressen was known for being very active on the field and always wearing his uniform.
Later Years
Shotton's last connection to baseball was as a consultant for Branch Rickey's Continental League. This was a planned "third major league" that eventually led to MLB expanding in 1961–62. In 1960, Shotton helped supervise managers in a minor league.
Burt Shotton died in Lake Wales, Florida, from a heart attack at age 77 in 1962. His overall record as a big league manager was 697 wins and 764 losses. However, his record with the Brooklyn Dodgers was much better: 326 wins and 215 losses.
Shotton is believed to be the last manager in Major League Baseball to wear regular street clothes instead of a uniform during games. He managed his last game on October 1, 1950.
See also
- 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers season
- Jackie Robinson
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
- List of St. Louis Cardinals coaches
