Bill Bergesch

Louis William (Bill) Bergesch (June 17, 1921 – May 10, 2011) was an American Major League Baseball executive. He was a front office executive for several teams.

He was a native of St. Louis, Missouri. He attended Washington University prior to Pearl Harbor, but joined the US Army in 1942. He graduated from Washington University in 1946, after having served in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, where he landed at Salerno. He was wounded after crossing the Rapido River in January, 1944, during what became known as the Battle of Monte Cassino. He was returned to the US and discharged from service 15 June 1944. In his career at Washington University, both before and after World War II, he played varsity football (pre-war,) basketball, and track, and graduated with a degree in Business Administration. He married Virginia Kammerer, another graduate of Washington University and St. Louis native, in 1947.

In 1947, Bergesch joined the St. Louis Cardinals organization. He was sent to Albany, Georgia to serve as general manager of a local franchise team owned by the Cardinals. For the next decade, he served in similar roles with other St. Louis Cardinal minor league teams, including the Omaha Cardinals, one of two AAA teams in the Cardinals minor league system. While at Omaha, Bergesch signed future Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson, from Creighton University

Bergesch was called to the St Louis head office in 1960. In 1961 he joined the joining the Kansas City Athletics, which had recently been purchased by Charles O. Finley, as Assistant General Manager to Frank Lane. In 1962 Bergesch joined the New York Mets prior to their first season, as Assistant General Manager and Director of Minor League Operations; where he was largely responsible for building a farm system for the new team.

In 1964, Bergesch joined the New York Yankees as Stadium Manager. Prior to the beginning of the season, the Yankees' Traveling Secretary Bruce Henry was stricken with a serious illness; as a result, Bergesch was given the additional responsibilities until Henry's return late in the season. He remained with the Yankees during the CBS era through 1968.

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