John Quinn

Who was John Quinn?

John Jacob Quinn was an American executive in Major League Baseball and a member of one of the game's most celebrated multi-generational families.

During the era between the end of World War I and the end of World War II, his father, J.A. Robert Quinn, held various senior management and ownership positions in baseball: business manager of the St. Louis Browns, general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, and owner/general manager of both the Boston Red Sox and Boston Braves.

John Quinn served as general manager of the Boston/Milwaukee Braves from 1945 to 1958 following his father's 1945 retirement, winning three National League pennants and one World Series championship in 1957. He then spent another 14 seasons as GM of the Philadelphia Phillies, where he rebuilt the Phils from cellar-dwellers to NL contenders, and acquired future Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton from the St. Louis Cardinals.

John's son Bob was a longtime executive in the game and served as general manager of the New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Giants; another son, Jack, spent many years in the front office of the Cleveland Indians and also served as GM of the St.