As a player in 1913 and 1915 and from 1918 to 1929 for five big-league teams, Southworth took part in almost 1,200 games, fell just short of 1,300 hits and batted .297 lifetime.

He endured a great deal of tragedy in his baseball career, first experiencing the stillbirth of his twin babies and the deaths of his wife and his adult son.

In 1926, Southworth's offensive production increased and he finished the season with a .320 batting average, 16 home runs and 99 RBI.

Southworth's managerial career began in 1928 with the Rochester Red Wings of the AA International League (IL), the top club in the Cardinals' farm system.

[10] Southworth was promoted to St. Louis as player-manager for 1929, replacing Bill McKechnie, who won a National League pennant in 1928 and lost the World Series in four straight games to the New York Yankees.

Southworth's Major League playing career reached the end of the road, as he appeared in only 19 games, five in the outfield, and batted only .188 with six hits.

Only one year removed from being a teammate of his charges, he attempted to impose discipline on the Cardinals, banning them from driving their own automobiles.

Although Southworth immediately resumed his successful minor league managerial career, the firing and personal tragedy — the death of his wife Lida at age 42[11] — began a downward spiral.

Beset by struggles with alcoholism, he quit a coaching job with the 1933 Giants during spring training and left baseball for two seasons.

[3] In June 1940, he received a second chance with the struggling Cardinals when owner Sam Breadon fired manager Ray Blades and promoted Southworth from Rochester.

His 1942 Cardinals, who breezed to the World Series championship in five games, were the only team (out of eight) to ever defeat Joe McCarthy's New York Yankees in a Fall Classic.

In 1943, both teams met again in the World Series; but this time, the Yankees turned the tables on the Redbirds, winning in five games.

Talented pitchers Johnny Sain and Warren Spahn had both returned from service in World War II that year.

In 1948, the Braves won their second NL pennant of the 20th century—and Boston's last National League title—but were defeated in six games by the Cleveland Indians in the 1948 World Series.

[17] Some players complained about his rules and regulations, and some, including starting shortstop Alvin Dark and second baseman Eddie Stanky, were critical of his drinking.

[20] After some of the rebellious players (including Dark and Stanky) had been traded, Southworth returned to his post in 1950 and led the Braves to a fourth-place finish.

However, an aging team and declining attendance would bode poorly for both Southworth's career and the Braves' future in New England.

[10] During his scouting days, he signed future all-time home run leader Hank Aaron,[3] who was playing for the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro leagues.

He gave a final interview to a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch; he commented on how difficult it would be for the 1969 Cardinals to win a third straight National League championship, as the 1944 team had done.

"[26] On batting practice, he wanted every hitter to approach it like he was in an actual game, and he would award bench players who performed well with additional playing time.

After Southworth had been left off of the ballot as a manager in 2003, author Raymond Mileur had begun a campaign of letter writing, phone calls to the Hall of Fame, radio show comments and advocacy through his website known as "The Birdhouse".

[28] On the occasion of Southworth's election to the Hall of Fame, one of his former players on the 1948 Braves, Clint Conatser, paid tribute to his old manager.