Rickey created what became the modern farm system, and his work in player development remains the template of what is used today. His work with St. Louis led to four World Series Championships. After the 1942 season, Rickey was brought in to replicate his magic with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Brooklyn did not win a World Series while Rickey was there, but again his work was pioneering. Rickey came up with the first full-time spring training facility (Vero Beach, Florida), and he was the first to hire a full-time statistician. Everything up until this time was already worthy of a Hall of Fame career, but he would become most known for what happened in 1947.

Rickey believed in the integration of baseball and knew he needed to find a man who was not just talented but could withstand the colossal racism that would be bestowed upon him. He discovered that in Jackie Robinson and Rickey helped break the color barrier in baseball, equally because it was the right thing to do socially and the right thing to do for business.

As part of his arrangement with the Dodgers, Rickey was also a part-owner. When Rickey's contract as president expired, he sold his share to co-owner Walter O'Malley, who had already consolidated other minority ownerships. Rickey would then join the Pittsburgh Pirates for five years as their executive vice president and general manager.

We are proud to nominate Branch Rickey for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.