front office in the autumn of 1954. The Cardinals, recently purchased by brewery magnate August A. Busch Jr., entered a rebuilding mode under trade-happy general manager "Frantic" Frank Lane after the season. The team finished second in the NL in , but Lane had worn out his welcome; he moved on to run the Cleveland Indians and was replaced in St. Louis by the steadier hand of Devine. First term as Cardinals' general manager Devine began to add talent and depth to the St. Louis roster, including African American and Latin American players. He was seen as being very progressive when it came to signing or trading for black and Latin ballplayers, whereas other teams (most notably the New York Yankees) showed a great deal of reluctance in this area. In the first five years of his reign, he promoted or traded for players such as Bob Gibson, Bill White, Curt Flood and Julián Javier. But the Cardinals were mired in the middle of the pack of a very powerful National League. In —a season also marked by the final campaign of the Cardinals' longtime superstar, Stan Musial—the Redbirds surged into contention, sparked by the acquisition of shortstop Dick Groat from the Pittsburgh Pirates, 18-win seasons from pitchers Gibson and Ernie Broglio, the comeback of left-handed starter Curt Simmons (who had been signed off the scrap heap by Devine), and the strong campaign of young catcher Tim McCarver. The Cardinals challenged the eventual world champion Los Angeles Dodgers into mid-September before finishing second, the club's highest showing since 1957. Devine was chosen as Major League Executive of the Year by The Sporting News for his efforts in returning the Cards to contending status. 1964: Premature firing and a world championship However, when the season began, the Philadelphia Phillies took a stranglehold on first place. The Cardinals were trying a variety of young players in Musial's old left-field position, and none were taking hold. At the June 15 trading deadline, Devine sprang. Lou Brock, a 25-year-old outfielder with great speed (and deceptive power as a hitter) in his third year with the second-division Chicago Cubs, was not living up to his projected potential. Devine offered the Cubs Broglio, his 18-game winner from the previous year, plus outfielder Doug Clemens and pitcher Bobby Shantz for Brock and two marginal pitchers. The Cubs agreed, and one of the most significant (and one-sided) trades