Another Brownie First: Player Assigned to Room with His Manager

According to an interview with the late Jim Toomey (d. 2002), in 1946 manager Luke Sewell wanted to keep an eye on Vern Stephens, who had a playboy reputation, so they became roommates on the road.

Toomey says this is the only time that that happened in baseball history.




Donald Barnes: "Keep an eye on Vern, Skip, and we'll win this thing."  Luke Sewell: "Will do, Boss. I got an idea....."

Vern Stephens, playboy

Interesting story about the 1947 Browns and Vern Stephens

Thanks to Dwayne Isgrig for this contribution.


The following is an excerpt from the St Louis Globe-Democrat, September 29, 1947. It is from "The Bench Warmer" column by Robert L. Burnes.

One of the nicest gestures of which we have heard in a long time is being turned by the Browns, who did not have too much to be happy about this baseball season.

But with the end of the season yesterday the Globe-Democrat’s Star of the Game contest came to a close and the Browns had a sizable sum of money coming to them.

Three months or so ago, however, when the contest was far from decided, the boys agreed to pool the money. There was only a brief discussion on the matter, but when it was put to a vote, the boys decided almost unanimously to put the money into a kitty.

What are they going to do with it? That’s the nice part of it.

They are purchasing a diamond-studded watch for that finest of trainers, Bob Bauman, and are presenting it to him with their compliments. As one of the boys put it, “He’s been taking care of us for years without any reward, and it’s about time we take care of him.”

To the hundreds of athletes around St. Louis who echo the words that Bob Bauman is the best trainer in the world, this is just about the nicest thing the Brownie players could do.

That isn’t all. They also are purchasing other watches for Whitey Zimmerman, Art Peters and Bauman’s son, Dick, who assist in the clubhouse with the equipment.

Whatever money is then left over will be given to the charitable organizations of the city.

The instigator of all this? One of the boys who might have carted away a nice piece of change. Also a boy who had a great fielding season and practically no one noticed it. Shortstop Vern Stephens. He was named spokesman for the group.

Attaboy, Vern!

Stephens ahead of his time at short

Long before Cal Ripken Jr. and Alex Rodriguez picked up a bat, Vern Stephens held the honor as the greatest power-hitting shortstop in baseball history.

He played 15 seasons for the St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles (1941-47, '53-55), Boston Red Sox (1948-52) and Chicago White Sox (1953, '55). An eight-time All-Star, Stephens smacked 247 home runs with 1,174 RBIs, batting .286 with 1,859 hits. Cooperstown hasn't forgotten his power prowess.

Stephens will be considered for the Class of 2009 at the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. Any player receiving at least 75 percent of the vote from the Veterans Committee, which consists of the 64 living Hall of Famers, will be enshrined at Cooperstown.

Brownie, Vern Stephens, Nominated for Hall of Fame

Former Most Valuable Player Award winners Bucky Walters and Joe Gordon were among the 10 players announced Monday as qualifying for the Veterans Committee ballot of candidates from the pre-1943 era for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009.

A 12-member committee comprised of Hall of Famers, historians and media members will meet Dec. 7 during the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas with the election results to be revealed Dec. 8. Voters may choose up to four players. As in the other Hall of Fame elections, a 75 percent plurality is required for election. Any candidate who receives nine or more votes will be inducted at the 2009 ceremonies July 26 at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, N.Y. (Click on photo to enlarge)

In addition to Walters, a pitcher, and Gordon, a second baseman, the other nominees are pitchers Wes Ferrell, Carl Mays and Allie Reynolds; catcher-third baseman Deacon White; first baseman Mickey Vernon; shortstop Bill Dahlen; outfielder-first baseman Sherry Magee and shortstop-third baseman Vern Stephens.

Stephens was the shortstop on the only St. Louis Browns club to win a pennant, in 1944, and also played for the Red Sox, White Sox and Orioles over 15 seasons (1941-55). The right-handed slugger led the AL in RBIs three times with a high of 159 with Boston in 1949, the middle year of a three-year stretch in which Stephens drove in 440 runs. The eight-time All-Star had a .286 career batting average with 1,859 hits, including 247 home runs.

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