Ignoring the recommendation of general manager Bing Devine, Cardinals owner Gussie Busch ordered the firing of manager Fred Hutchinson.
At the press conference that followed on Sept. 17, 1958, a distraught Devine spoke so glowingly about Hutchinson that the reporters there said it seemed like the manager was being hired, not fired.
Hutchinson had managed the 1957 Cardinals to an 87-67 record and second-place finish in the National League. Based on that performance, Busch was expecting the Cardinals to contend for a pennant in 1958.
However, the 1958 Cardinals lost 14 of their first 17 games. Lacking both power and run production, the Cardinals entered September in the second division of the eight-team league.
Busch wanted a change. Devine, in his first season as St. Louis general manager, wanted to keep Hutchinson and shake up the coaching staff instead.
Dick Meyer, an aide to Busch, called Devine and instructed him to prepare a report on his recommendations for the team. Devine was given a date and time to meet with Busch and Meyer and present the report.
Done deal
In his book “The Memoirs of Bing Devine,” Devine told writer Tom Wheatley, “So I wrote my report and I spent a lot of time on it … When we had our meeting, I handed the report to Mr. Busch. It featured rehiring Fred Hutchinson.
“Mr. Busch took the report and put it on his desk. He didn’t read it. He didn’t even open it.”
Instead, Busch told Devine, “We’re going to get rid of Fred Hutchinson. And you don’t need to think about replacing him because I already have the manager: Solly Hemus.”
Said Devine: “I was kind of hurt by the whole process of firing Hutchinson and hiring Hemus … I had made what I thought was a thorough report and the determination was made for me without my views being considered.”
On Sept. 13, Devine informed Hutchinson he would be fired during the last week of the season. When word leaked and reports appeared in the press, the Cardinals moved up the date of the dismissal, calling the press conference for Sept. 17.
Hearts and flowers
The Associated Press described Devine as “grim-faced” as he announced Hutchinson and his coaching staff were fired. (Coach Stan Hack agreed to remain as interim manager for the final 10 games.) Hutchinson, who attended the press conference, “appeared in good spirits,” the Associated Press reported.
Devine told The Sporting News, “We have no direct criticism and this is most difficult when it’s a man like Hutch, who gave us full effort, was most cooperative and 100 percent in giving young players a chance.”
According to United Press International, “It appeared clear Hutch was the victim of baseball’s strange logic: If the bus breaks down, fire the driver.”
The Cardinals, who were 69-75 when Hutchinson was fired, finished 72-82 and tied for fifth. They were last in the National League in runs (619), RBI (570) and home runs (111). The Cardinals also committed 151 errors, second-most in the league.
“It’s apparent the club has to score more than it did this year,” Hutchinson said. “It’s a good 50 runs behind the second-poorest offensive club in the league. Both the pitching and defense have to be steadier, too.”
Hutchinson was 232-220 in three years (1956-58) as Cardinals manager. Three years after his firing, he managed the Reds to the 1961 pennant. Hemus, a former Cardinals infielder, went 190-192 as St. Louis manager before he was fired in July 1961 and replaced by one of his coaches, Johnny Keane.
Previously: Cot Deal: Cardinals prospect pitched 20-inning complete game
Baseball is a crazy game. The Cardinals during the month of July went 9 and 20. Of those 20 losses, 11 were by one run with 4 of those losses coming in the last at bat.
Thanks for the insights, Phillip. Gussie Busch knew a lot about beer, but not so much about baseball.