George Silvey

Who was George Silvey?

George John Silvey was an American former professional baseball first baseman, outfielder, manager, scout and front-office executive.

He spent most of his 57-year career in the farm system and as player development department of the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball, as a minor league player and manager before World War II, and then, after the war, as a scout and farm system official. Silvey became the Cardinals' director of scouting in August 1962, replacing Walter Shannon, and over the next 14 seasons he would hold a top position —as scouting director, farm system boss, or both — for the Redbirds. He served under general managers Bing Devine, Bob Howsam and Stan Musial and alongside executives such as Eddie Stanky and Sheldon "Chief" Bender. During that tenure, the Cardinals won three National League championships and two World Series titles and produced players such as Tim McCarver, Steve Carlton, Mike Shannon, Bake McBride, Al Hrabosky and Ted Simmons.

Silvey later served as a scout for the Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, and San Francisco Giants. He retired in 1988 at the age of 77 as a scout with the Giants.