ðæt ˈɔfsˈiːzən, kˈɑːɹdɪnəl mˈænɪdʒɚ bˈɪli sˈaʊθwɜːθ mˈuːvd tə ðə bˈɔstən bɹˈeɪvz, ænd wɪððə sˈɜːplʌs ʌv mˈeɪdʒɚlˈiːɡ tˈælənt kˈʌmɪŋ bˈæk fɹʌm wˈɔːɹtaɪm sˈɜːvɪs, bˈɔstən bɪɡˈæn pˈɜːtʃɪsɪŋ plˈeɪɚz hˌuː hæd kəntɹˈɪbjuːɾᵻd tə sˈaʊθwɜːθz səksˈɛsfəl kˈɑːɹdɪnəl tˈiːmz ʌv nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi fˈoːɹɾi fˈaɪv.
That off-season, Cardinal manager Billy Southworth moved to the Boston Braves, and with the surplus of major-league talent coming back from wartime service, Boston began purchasing players who had contributed to Southworth's successful Cardinal teams of 1940–45.