Southworth, William Harrison
1913-1929 M(1929, 1940-51, 1,044-704)
Born,3/9/1893, Harvard, NE
Died,11/15/69, Columbus, OH
Billy Southworth had a very successful career, both as a player and manager. He was a career .297 hitter and a career .597 skipper. He managed four pennant winning seasons with the Cardinals and Braves and he retired with the fifth best lifetime winning percentage among managers.
Southworth a lefty-hitting outfielder who could run, debuted with the Indians in 1915, hitting .220 in 60 games. he resurfaced wih the Pirates in 1918 and moved into the starting lineup the following season. Traded to the Braves in 1921, he hit .308 with 79 RBI. Injuries limited him to 43 games in 1922, but he returned the following season to hit .319 with 78 RBI. He moved to the Giants in 1924 and had his best season in 1926 for the Giants and Cardinals, with careet highs in average (.320), home runs (16) and RBI (99).
Southworth began his managing career in the Cardinals' system in 1928 with Rochester, winning the pennant and returning to the majors in 1929 as the Cards player-manager. His players considered him a strict taskmaster and resisted changes he wanted to make. He lasted 88 games (43-45) before returning to Rochester, where he won three more pennants.
Southworth got another chance with the Cardinals when Ray Blades was fired early in 1940. He moved the Cardinals from sixth to third that year, finished second in 1941, then won three straight pennants. The Cards won the 1942 and 1944 World Series.
After finishing second in 1945, Southworth moved to the Boston Braves for $50,000. He won a pennant in 1948, behind the arms of Warren Spahn and Johnny Sain. When asked during the season what his plans were for the rotation, Southworth replied, "Spahn, Sain and pray for rain." The Braves making their first World Series appearance since 191, lost to the Indians in six games.
A heavy drinker, Southworth suffered what was officially described as a nervous breakdown in 1949. He guided the club to consecutive fourth place finishes before he quit in the middle of the1951 season.
Billy died on November the 15th in 1969.
Billy has been ignored by the Hall of Fame as well as the Cardinals organization and team Hall of Fame.
