Bob Howsam

DENVER (AP) - Bob Howsam, the man who gave baseball its Big Red Machine and gave Denver its beloved Broncos, has died in Sun City, Ariz., his son said. He was 89.

Howsam died Tuesday.

Howsam's career bridged two sports and several leagues, and even his short-time jobs produced success: Between co-founding the Broncos in 1959 and joining the Cincinnati Reds in 1967, he was general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals when they won the 1964 World Series over the New York Yankees.

He built a reputation as a visionary who pioneered the use of film to hone a hitter's swing and expanded the use of artificial turf and orchestrated blockbuster trades - such as the one that brought Joe Morgan to the Reds in 1971.

A Denver native, Howsam started his sports career in 1947 as owner of the Denver Bears of the Single-A Western League, later taking the team to Triple-A as a New York Yankees affiliate, his son said.

Howsam spearheaded the construction of Bears Stadium, which would later be expanded to become Mile High Stadium, the Broncos' first permanent home.

Howsam helped found the American Football League in 1959 and was principal owner of the Broncos.

Howsam was nominated for the Hall of Fame in the executives/pioneers category last year but fell short of the 75 percent of votes required for admission.
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