August "Gussie" Anheuser Busch, Jr. (March 28, 1899 – September 29, 1989) was an American brewing magnate who built the Anheuser-Busch Companies into the largest brewery in the world as company chairman from 1946-75, and became a prominent sportsman as owner of the St. Louis Cardinals franchise in Major League Baseball from 1953 until his death.

[edit] Early life and career

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Busch was the grandson of brewery founder Adolphus Busch and grandfather of current CEO August Busch IV. He succeeded his older brother Adolphus Busch III as President and CEO. He originated the use of the now famous Clydesdale team as a company logo in the 1930s. Such Clydesdales were presented to his father pulling a Budweiser beer wagon to commemorate the end of Prohibition.

[edit] St. Louis Cardinals

The number 85 was retired by the St. Louis Cardinals in honor of Gussie Busch in 1984

As chairman, president or CEO of the Cardinals from the time the club was purchased by the brewery in 1953 until his death, Busch oversaw a team which won six National League championships (1964, 1967, 1968, 1982, 1985, 1987) and three World Series (1964, 1967 and 1982) under his stewardship. In 1984, the Cardinals' board of directors retired the uniform number 85 for him, in honor of his age at the time.

Although the Cardinals were by far the dominant baseball team in St. Louis, in 1953 their owner, Fred Saigh, was in financial and tax difficulty, and the club did not even own its own ballpark (it was a tenant of the "stepchild" St. Louis Browns in Sportsman's Park). Amid rumors of a move to Milwaukee or Houston, Anheuser-Busch bought the Redbirds, and after the Browns relocated to Baltimore for 1954, it also purchased the ballpark, renaming it Busch Stadium (but only after a failed attempt to name the ground Budweiser Park). The current stadium bearing that name was opened in 2006 replacing the prior Busch Stadium which opened in 1966.

[edit] Death

Busch died at age 90 in St. Louis on September 29, 1989.^[2] Seven years later in 1996, Anheuser-Busch sold the Cardinals to a group of investors led by William DeWitt, Jr.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Baseball Hall of Fame candidate profile
• BaseballLibrary - profile