On July 16, 1948, a trio of major league teams makes managerial changes. Ben Chapman is fired by the Phillies (though owner Bob Carpenter insists he was “not fired” saying “I’d like to make it clear that there is a difference between firing a man and concluding business with him.”) and Dusty Cooke takes over on an interim basis. Eddie Sawyer, with no major league experience as a player or manager, will get the job after Cooke goes 6-6.

But the big news is from New York. Brooklyn’s Branch Rickey agrees on a deal with Giants owner Horace Stoneham that releases his manager Leo Durocher to become the Giants’ skipper, replacing the popular Mel Ott. 

The Dodgers bring back mild-mannered Burt Shotton, who replaced Durocher once before. In a newspaper poll over the winter, an overwhelming majority voted for the gentlemanly Shotton to replace The Lip. The changes today portend those at the end of the season: Bucky Harris of the Yankees, Ted Lyons of the White Sox, and Steve O’Neill of the Tigers will be released.

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