<P> After the season, Veeck cut a deal with Miles which would see the Browns move to Baltimore . Under the plan, Veeck would have remained as principal owner, but he would have sold half of his 80% stake to a group of Baltimore investors headed by Miles . Despite assurances from American League president Will Harridge that approval would be a formality, only four owners voted aye--two short of passage . Reportedly, this was due to Yankees co-owner Del Webb drumming up support for a surprise move of the Browns to Los Angeles (where Webb held extensive construction interests). </P> <P> Although the Los Angeles proposal may have been only a bluff--it was felt travel and schedule considerations would make a move of only one franchise, rather than two, to the West Coast insurmountable--Veeck, Miles and D'Alesandro realized that the other AL owners were simply looking for a way to push Veeck out . Over the next 48 hours, Miles lined up enough support from his group of investors to buy out Veeck's entire stake for $2.5 million . Veeck had little choice but to agree . He was facing threats of having his franchise revoked, and he'd given up his only leverage by selling Sportsman's Park to the Cardinals . The other owners duly approved the sale . </P> <P> While Baltimore brewer Jerold Hoffberger became the largest shareholder, it was Miles who was named president and chairman of the board . His first act was to request permission to move the team to Baltimore, which was swiftly approved . </P> <P> Unlike other clubs that relocated in the 1950s, retaining their nickname and a sense of continuity with their past (such as the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers, New York / San Francisco Giants, Boston / Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves, and Philadelphia / Kansas City / Oakland Athletics), the St. Louis Browns were renamed the Baltimore Orioles upon their transfer, implicitly distancing themselves at least somewhat from their history . It was also unique for team moves in the 1950s in that the Browns / Orioles moved eastward instead of westward geographically . In December 1954, the Orioles further distanced themselves from their Browns past when General Manager, Paul Richards made a 17 - player trade with the New York Yankees that included most former Browns of note still on the Baltimore roster . It remains the biggest trade in baseball history . Though the deal did little to improve the short - term competitiveness of the club, it helped establish a fresh identity for the Orioles franchise . To this day, the Orioles make almost no mention of their past as the Browns . </P>

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