On this date 90 years ago the Cardinals created the modern baseball farm system by agreeing to sell their home field to raise money to invest in a minor league club in Houston, Texas.
Robison Field, located at the intersection of Natural Bridge and Vandeventor Avenues in north St. Louis, was home of the Redbirds from 1898 until June 6, 1920 when club owner Sam Breadon agreed to a $20,000 annual lease to share Sportsmans Park with the American League St. Louis Browns.
The Cardinals bought controlling interest in the Houston Buffaloes of the Texas League as a place to put raw players the club hoped to develop as future major leaguers. Amongst the players who spent time there were Dizzy Dean, Joe Medwick, Harry Brecheen and Howie Pollet.
The Buffaloes, who were a Class A and Class AA affiliate during their time in the Cardinals system, ended their relationship with St. Louis in 1959 to become a Class AAA outpost. The club's ownership had plans to join a third major league in 1959 but those ambitions were thwarted when the National League added the Houston Colt .45s as an expansion team in 1960.
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Beaumont High School was built on the site of Robison field in 1926.