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League Affiliation: Federal Association Formerly Known As: St. Louis Brewers (1882-88) Founded: 1882 (Border Association - moved to Century League, 1889) Ownership History: Hans Fuchs: 1882-86 |
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ABOUT THE ST. LOUIS PIONEERS The St. Louis Pioneers might have the most interesting early history of any ballclub. Ask a St. Louis partisan and they will likely point out that the club's history goes back to 1876, just as it does for the Chicago Chiefs and Philadelphia Keystones. They are correct in that the forerunner of the Pioneers - the St. Louis Brewers - were a member of the Century League upon its 1876 birth. But... and here's where the official and fan histories differ - the Brewers left the CL (with the Cincinnati Monarchs) and that broke their historical lineage, even when they rejoined organized baseball in 1882 with the Border Association. The Pioneers also have a unique record unlikely to ever be matched - they are the only ballclub to win pennants in three different league organizations. They won Border Association pennants in both 1883 and '84, jumped to the Century League in 1889 and won two straight CL pennants in '89 and '90 and then won again in 1920 (and several more times later) as members of the Federal Association. The club's first owner, brewery magnate Hans Fuchs, was a devoted friend of Border Association founder (and Cincinnati owner) James Tice - following Tice out of the Century League and then joining him in forming the Border Association. His son George, who inherited the club upon Hans' death in 1886, was less devoted and seeing how Pittsburgh fared after jumping to the Century League, made his own jump in 1889. Because the Century League banned alcohol at its games, the Brewers became the Pioneers. George Fuchs wasn't much of a baseball man, and he sold off the Pioneers in 1893 to Paul Long, who passed the team to his son, Paul Jr, in 1911. Paul Long Jr. worked to build the club up, trading for slugger-non-pareil Max Morris and refurbishing the Pioneers' home park in 1925, increasing the seating capacity to take advantage of the big crowds who wanted to watch Morris slug baseball's into the stratosphere. In 1941 "Hollywood" Dee Rose purchased the club, ushering in an era of instability in the team office. A native of Los Angeles, Rose intended to move the club to California, which was rejected by the league. Then he promised to replace the aging, but classic, Pioneer Field. Rose also had criminal ties, which ultimately led him to being incarcerated and put the team under trustee for several seasons until Bob Clayton purchased the team from Rose's trustees. Clayton, a native of Missouri, pledged to keep the team right where it was, and also built a brand-new Pioneer Field across the street from the old venue.
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PIONEER FIELD II (1910-53) BUILT: 1910 (Refurbished 1925, original wooden park on site built in 1882) CAPACITY: 47590 ADDRESS: 3950 Forest Park Ave, St. Louis, MO |
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PIONEER FIELD III (1954-) BUILT: 1954 CAPACITY: 51250 ADDRESS: 3951 Forest Park Ave, St. Louis, MO |
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