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Vaughan “Bing” Devine became General Manager of the St. Louis Cardinals in November, 1957 and proceeded to construct a championship caliber roster. The Cards won it all shortly after Devine was fired in August, 1964. The 1967 championship core was predominantly Devine’s men as well.

In the collection is this letter dated one month after Devine took charge of the Cardinals. He writes to Phillies GM Roy Hamey thanking Hamey for congratulating Devine on the new position. Written on St. Louis letterhead, the letter features a postscript in Devine’s hand below his signature. “PS Although I expressed appreciation personally, I still wanted to make it official.”

Devine was later the New York Mets President and General Manager in 1966 and 1967 helping put together the Miracle Mets championship team of 1969.

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One of Bing Devine’s greatest trades was the acquisition of future MVP Joe Torre for the aging former MVP Orlando Cepeda. Torre played 6 seasons for Devine’s Cardinals. His first year in St. Louis, Torre hit .289 with 101 RBI and received votes in MVP balloting. Each of the next four years Torre represented the Cardinals at the All Star Game. His stay in St. Louis was highlighted by the 1971 MVP campaign when he hit a league-leading .363 with 24 homers and 137 RBI.

Though Cepeda played 6 more years after the trade, he averaged less than 100 games played per season.

In the collection is the document formalizing this trade. Dated on St. Patrick’s Day 1969, the agreement is signed “Vaughan Devine” at the bottom by the St. Louis General Manager. Trades involving Hall of Famers are uncommon, especially in a one-for-one deal.

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Bing Devine had a long and illustrious career as a baseball executive. The zenith of his time in the game came from 1964-1969 he helped build three World Series champions.

He was also the architect of a trade that changed baseball history. On October 7, 1969 Devine completed a trade that was essentially a swap of Curt Flood for Dick Allen.

The deal was historic because of its impact. Flood refused to report to the Phillies. He felt the existing labor laws made the players little more than property of the owners. After 12 years in St. Louis he frowned on the prospects of uprooting his family and moving across the country.

Instead of reporting to Philadelphia, he sued baseball and its commissioner Bowie Kuhn. In a letter to baseball’s chief Flood wrote, ““After twelve years in the major leagues, I do not feel I am a piece of property to be bought and sold irrespective of my wishes. I believe that any system which produces that result violates my basic rights as a citizen and is inconsistent with the laws of the United States and of the several States.

“It is my desire to play baseball in 1970, and I am capable of playing. I have received a contract offer from the Philadelphia club, but I believe I have the right to consider offers from other clubs before making any decision. I, therefore, request that you make known to all Major League clubs my feelings in this matter, and advise them of my availability for the 1970 season.”

By 1972 his case reached the US Supreme Court. Though the justices preserved the status quo, the episode shook the foundations of baseball and emboldened the players’ union.

Three years later the players gained free agency. Later baseball instituted the 10/5 rule also known as the Curt Flood Rule. This gave veto power over trades for players with at least ten years of service and five with the same club.

Today the Curt Flood episode is looked at as a turning point in baseball labor relations. It all started with Bing Devine’s trade.

In the collection is this letter dated three days after the fateful swap.

Devine writes, “I am sure you know by now we have acquired Rich Allen from Philadelphia, who we feel will provide power we need in the line-up,” Devine writes. “However, let me assure you we will continue to look for ways to improve the ballclub for 1970.”

Allen did give the Cards a middle-of-the-order threat, slugging 34 homers and driving in 101 runs. At the time of the trade, 31-year old centerfielder Flood had won 7 consecutive Gold Glove Awards. He sat out the 1970 season and played in just 13 games in ’71 before retiring.

A hero to many, Flood gave up his future for the betterment of the players.

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Cardinals owner Gussie Bush hired Bing Devine as GM in 1957. Devine reshaped the roster, trading for what became the foundation of two championship teams. He acquired fleet-footed outfielders Lou Brock and Curt Flood, and infielders Bill White, Julian Javier and Dick Groat. Devine reshaped the pitching staff by trading for Curt Simmons, Roger Craig, Ron Taylor and Barney Schultz.

Yearning for a championship team, the impatient owner Busch fired Devine 117 games into the 1964 season. The Cardinals won 31 of their final 45 games and overtook Gene Mauch‘s Phillies for the National League crown. The St. Louis roster put together by Devine beat Yankees in 7 games.

Bob Howsam took over for Devine as GM and stayed through the ’66 season. Busch then gave the reigns of the front office to Cardinals great Stan Musial. In his lone season as GM, Musial saw the team beat the Boston Red Sox in the ’67 World Series. Busch rehired Devine in ’68 to preside over the roster he himself built.

Though Devine wasn’t around to participate in the World Series celebrations of ’64 and ’68, it was his work as GM that made those championships possible.

In the collection is this letter from Devine’s second stint as Cardinals GM.

Bob Bauman was the athletic trainer for the St. Louis Browns from 1938-1954 before serving in the same position for the Cardinals from 1954-1984. Along the way he was inducted into the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame and the Greater St. Louis Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1967 and St. Louis University Hall of Fame in 1975. In this letter dated September 16, 1970, Devine writes about honoring Bauman.

Devine signed this letter neatly and boldly at the bottom.