Shotton, Burton E.
Baseball
b. Oct. 18, 1884, Brownhelm, OH
d. July 29, 1962
A left-handed hitter and right-handed thrower, Shotton was a competent major-league outfielder for 14 seasons, leading the NL in walks with 99 in 1913 and 111 in 1916 and compiling a .270 career average.
He played for the St. Louis Cardinals when Branch Rickey was managing the team. Because of his religious beliefs, Rickey refused to manage on Sunday and he chose Shotton as the team's Sunday manager.
Shotton became a coach with the Cardinals in 1923 and took over as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1928. He brought an eighth-place team up to fifth, but then the Phillies sank back into the cellar and he was fired after the 1933 season.
He returned to the Cardinal organization as a minor-league manager, coach, and scout. When Stan Musial's pitching career ended because of an injured throwing shoulder, it was Shotton who recommended that he be moved into the outfield because of his swing.
In 1946, Shotton retired from baseball after having served as a coach with the Cleveland Indians for four years. But Leo Durocher, manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was suspended before the 1947 season. Rickey, the Brooklyn general manager, brought Shotton out of retirement to take over. He promptly guided the Dodgers to the pennant.
Durocher returned in 1948 but left midway through the season to manage the New York Giants. Shotton again came out of retirement. The team finished fifth that year but won another pennant in 1949. Shotton retired, this time for good, after a second-place finish in 1950.