Almost 70 Years With Cardinals
Kissell was signed as an infielder in 1940 by Branch Rickey, and spent 69 years with the Cardinals organization. He was primarily a third baseman, although he also played shortstop, and never rose above the Class B level as a player. By 1946, after three seasons in the military during World War II, he had become a playing manager for the Lawrence Millionaires of the Class B New England League. His most successful season as a manager came in 1950 with the Class B Winston-Salem Cardinals, who won 106 of 153 regular-season games and the Carolina League playoff championship.
Kissell managed in the Cardinal farm system through 1957, scouted for them from 1958–1962, then returned to the field as a minor league manager from 1963–1967. In 1968, he spent his first season as a roving instructor in the Cardinal system, where his efforts led to the nickname of "the Professor," and his influence is generally regarded as being a major basis for what came to be known as the "Cardinal Way". He mentored a number of major league managers, including Sparky Anderson, Joe Torre, and Tony LaRussa.
Read more about this topic: George Kissell
Famous quotes containing the word years:
“In ten thousand years the Sierras
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—Gary Snyder (b. 1930)