Lot # 87: Sept. 27 1953 St. Louis Browns Ticket Stub - Final Game In Browns' History

Starting Bid: $100.00

Bids: 8 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Fifth Anniversary Auction",
which ran from 7/24/2017 4:00 AM to
8/13/2017 10:26 AM



Moving from Milwaukee to St. Louis following the 1901 season the St. Louis Browns had a long history playing more than 50 years at Sportsman's Park. For much of time they played in the city however they struggled financially first attempting to move to Los Angeles in 1941 but being held back due to wartime travel restrictions later attempting to return to Milwaukee and finally receiving permission to move the franchise to Baltimore where they would become the Baltimore Orioles. During the early 1950s colorful owner Bill Veeck attempted a number of ways to generate interest in the ballclub - sending Eddie Gaedel to pinch hit signing Satchel Paige as a pitcher hiring Dizzy Dean as broadcaster and hiring Rogers Hornsby to manage. By 1953 average attendance was just 3 860 per game however and it was clear that the team needed to find a new home - and a new owner. The 1953 Browns finished 54-100 last in both the standings and attendance. It is rumored that by the end of the season the team was so cash-strapped that it was rationing baseballs recycling balls used in games that were thrown out of play. The team had no real stars the winningest pitcher was reliever Marlin Stuart with 8 victories and they finished the season losing 6 of their last 8 games the final game a 2-1 11-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox. Presented here is the ticket stub for that game September 27 of 1953. Aside from being a stellar pitching duel (White Sox starter Billy Pierce and Browns hurler Duane Pilette both pitched complete games) at the time there was nothing spectacular about the game and no definitive statement that it would be the team's last game in Missouri. As a result tickets and stubs are rare. This one in particular presents in Excellent condition some minor surface wear and edge chipping apparent most notably on the reverse. A historicall significant ticket heralding the end of one of the game's most storied franchises.