Bing Devine

Vaughan P. "Bing" Devine (born March 1, 1916 in St. Louis, Missouri) is a special assignment scout for the St. Louis Cardinals in American Major League Baseball. In the prime of his career, as a general manager - the front office executive who is responsible for all baseball operations - Devine was a major architect of four National League champions and three World Series champions in the six years between 1964 and 1969.

Related Topics:
March 1 - 1916 - St. Louis, Missouri - Scout - St. Louis Cardinals - American - Major League Baseball - General manager - National League - World Series

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Specifically, Devine served as general manager of the Cardinals from November 1957 through August 1964, and was directly responsible for putting the 1964 world champion Cardinals on the field (even though he had been fired with six weeks remaining in the season, one of the most bizarre events in baseball annals). Many of the players Devine acquired led the Cardinals to the 1967 world title and the 1968 NL championship, the latter occurring on Devine's watch during his second tour (1968-78) as St. Louis general manager. In between those terms, from 1965-67, Devine was president (and de facto general manager) of the New York Mets, where he helped put together the organization that would turn the Mets from baseball's laughingstocks to 1969 world champions as the "Miracle Mets."

Related Topics:
1964 world champion Cardinals - 1967 world title - 1968 NL championship - New York Mets - 1969 world champions

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Devine attended St. Louis' University City High School and Washington University before joining the Cardinals in the late 1930s. As pioneers of the farm system concept, the Cardinals had as many as 40 affiliated or owned teams in their minor league system before World War II. With time out for wartime U.S. Navy service, Devine rose rapidly through the ranks as a business manager of Cardinal farm teams, finally becoming the general manager of the AAA Rochester Red Wings of the International League in 1949. After six seasons at the helm of the Redbirds' top farm team, he joined the St. Louis front office in the autumn of 1954. The Cardinals, recently purchased by brewery magnate August "Gussie" Busch, were in rebuilding mode under trade-happy general manager "Frantic" Frank Lane. The team finshed second in the NL in 1957, but Lane had worn out his welcome; he moved on to run the Cleveland Indians and was replaced in St. Louis by the steady hand of Devine.

Related Topics:
Washington University - Farm system - Minor league - World War II - Rochester Red Wings - International League - August "Gussie" Busch - Frank Lane - Cleveland Indians

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Devine began to add talent and depth to the St. Louis roster - including African-American and Latin-American players. In the first five years of his reign, he traded for or promoted players such as Bob Gibson, Bill White, Curt Flood, and Julian Javier. But the Cardinals were mired in the middle of the pack of a very powerful National League. In 1963 - a season also marked by the final campaign of the Cardinals' longtime superstar, Stan Musial - the Redbirds surged into contention, sparked by the acquisition of shortstop Dick Groat from the Pittsburgh Pirates, the comeback of pitcher Curt Simmons (who had been signed off the scrap heap by Devine), an 18-win season from another pitcher, Ernie Broglio, and the strong rookie campaign of catcher Tim McCarver, promoted from AAA. The Cardinals challenged the eventual world champion Los Angeles Dodgers into mid-September before finishing second, the club's highest showing since '57.

Related Topics:
African-American - Latin-American - Bob Gibson - Bill White - Curt Flood - Julian Javier - Stan Musial - Shortstop - Dick Groat - Pittsburgh Pirates - Pitcher - Curt Simmons - Ernie Broglio - Catcher - Tim McCarver - Los Angeles Dodgers

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However, when the 1964 season began, the Philadelphia Phillies took a stranglehold on first place. The Cardinals were trying a variety of young players in Musial's old left-field position, and none were taking hold. At the trading deadline - June 15, 1964 - Devine sprung. The second-division Chicago Cubs had a 25-year-old outfielder with great speed, Lou Brock, who was not living up to his projected potential. Devine offered the Cubs his 18-game winner from the previous year, Broglio, plus outfielder Doug Clemens and pitcher Bobby Shantz for Brock and two marginal pitchers. The Cubs agreed, and one of the most significant (and one-sided) trades in baseball history was made. Brock would hit .348 for the remainder of the season, and would lead the Cardinals to their three pennants and two world titles over the next five years. He would play the rest of his career with St. Louis (retiring in 1979), steal 938 bases (breaking Ty Cobb's record), currently second all-time (to Rickey Henderson), and become a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Related Topics:
Philadelphia Phillies - Chicago Cubs - Outfielder - Lou Brock - Bobby Shantz - Ty Cobb - Rickey Henderson - Baseball Hall of Fame

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Ironically, Brock's impact on the Cardinals was not felt immediately. The team continued to trail the Phillies by a large margin and it looked to all as though the club's pennant drought would extend to 18 years. Owner Busch was disappointed, and decided in the middle of August to clean out his front office. On the advice of his special assistant, legendary Branch Rickey, Busch fired Devine and business manager Art Routzong, and accepted the resignation of assistant general manager Eddie Stanky. Manager Johnny Keane was to be fired at the end of the season, to be replaced (it was rumored) by Leo Durocher. Meanwhile, Devine's old job went to Rickey protege Bob Howsam. But as events unfolded, Busch had acted in haste. The Cardinals began to win, while the Phillies suffered an epic September collapse, losing a 6 1/2 game lead with a dozen games to play, sparking a wild, four-team, 11th hour scramble for the pennant. On the final day of the season, the Cardinals prevailed, winning the NL championship for the first time since 1946. Led by Gibson, the undisputed ace of the staff since Broglio's trade, the Cardinals then defeated the New York Yankees in a seven-game World Series.

Related Topics:
Branch Rickey - Eddie Stanky - Johnny Keane - Leo Durocher - Bob Howsam - New York Yankees

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Devine's departure was a cause-celebre in St. Louis, but the damage had been done. Although he landed on his feet, as the successor to George Weiss, president of the Mets, Devine was forced to leave his hometown and the only team he had ever worked for at the pinnacle of his career. But, while Devine never moved his family to New York, he tackled his new job with gusto. On his watch, the Mets began to strengthen their farm system, signing and developing young pitching talent: Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Nolan Ryan, and others. Meanwhile, Howsam left the Cardinals at the end of the 1966 season to become general manager of the Cincinnati Reds and Musial was named his successor.

Related Topics:
George Weiss - Tom Seaver - Jerry Koosman - Nolan Ryan - Cincinnati Reds

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In 1967, the Cardinals won 101 games and ran away with the National League race, winning the pennant by 10 1/2 games and beating the Boston Red Sox in a seven-game World Series. The core of the team was Devine's, but Howsam had contributed significantly to the roster with his 1966 acquisition of NL MVP first baseman Orlando Cepeda, and Musial had traded with the Yankees to get right fielder Roger Maris. At the other extreme, the Mets - most of their young pitching talent still ripening in the minors - lost 101 games and finished dead last. Baseball people took note of Devine's accomplishments in New York, however, and when Musial, a world champion general manager in his maiden season, decided he did not want to continue in the role, owner Busch reached out to Devine, secured his release from the Mets, and brought him back to St. Louis as executive vice president and general manager.

Related Topics:
Boston Red Sox - MVP - First baseman - Orlando Cepeda - Roger Maris

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In 1968, led by Gibson's all-time record 1.12 earned run average, the Cardinals repeated as NL champions and held a three games to one lead in the World Series against the Detroit Tigers, but lost the final three contests to be denied back-to-back world titles. Devine was faced with retooling an aging roster. While Brock and Gibson would remain from the glory years, the Cardinals traded Flood, Cepeda, and McCarver during 1969 in their bid to get back to the top; in the Cepeda trade, Devine acquired Joe Torre, would would win the 1971 NL batting average championship. But the Cardinals suffered long-term damage when Devine was ordered by Busch to trade star lefthanded pitcher Steve Carlton in 1972 after a contract dispute. Carlton, just entering his prime, was sent to the Phillies for pitcher Rick Wise, an uneven swap that would turn the last-place Phillies into contenders in the late 1970s. Meanwhile, the Cardinals became NL East also-rans.

Related Topics:
Earned run average - Detroit Tigers - Joe Torre - Batting average - Steve Carlton - Rick Wise

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In 1978, Devine once again was replaced as Cardinals' general manager (this time by John Claiborne) and again he departed the organization, working for the Montreal Expos as a player development official, the Phillies as a scout, and even the St. Louis football Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals) of the National Football League as club president from 1981-86. But eventually he returned to baseball and the Cardinals, where he still serves as a special scout and advisor to the current general manager, Walt Jocketty.

Related Topics:
Montreal Expos - Arizona Cardinals - National Football League - Walt Jocketty

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