Bill Veeck and Jolly Cholly
In 1941 the club was purchased by Bill Veeck (son of former Chicago Cubs president William Veeck, Sr.), in a partnership with former Cubs star Charlie Grimm. Under Veeck's ownership, the Brewers would become one of the most colorful squads in baseball and Veeck would be become one of the game's premiere showmen. Constantly creating new promotional gimmicks, Veeck gave away live animals, scheduled morning games for wartime night shift workers, staged weddings at home plate, and even sent Grimm a birthday cake containing a much-needed left-handed pitcher.
When Grimm was hired as the manager of the Cubs, he recommended that Casey Stengel be hired to replace him. Veeck was opposed to the idea - Stengel had little success in his previous managerial stints with the Dodgers and Braves - but as Veeck was stationed overseas in the Marine Corps, Grimm won out. The club went on to win the 1944 American Association pennant, and Stengel's managerial career was resurrected.
In 1945, after winning three pennants in five years, Veeck sold his interest in the Brewers for a $275,000 profit.
Read more about this topic: History Of The Milwaukee Brewers, Overview and Legacy
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