In 1954, one year after Baltimore bought the St. Louis Browns, the New York Yankees hired former Browns executive and owner William O. DeWitt as assistant to general manager George Weiss. "e;DeWitt,"e; the news announced, "e;was considered an astute baseball man who would have a definite role to play with the Yankees."e; Baseball fans had assumed that once the Browns were no longer the American League's doormats, DeWitt would quietly retire. But for DeWitt, a shrewd protege of Branch Rickey, his years with the Browns began a long and fascinating career, including his years as owner and general manager of the Cincinnati Reds. This first ever biography focuses on the career of a baseball executive who contributed greatly to America's pastime.