Branch Rickey, who won the first ever Sporting News Executive of the Year Award in 1936, not only signed Jackie Robinson, but also "invented" the modern farm system.
Multiple winners include George Weiss with four; Branch Rickey & Walt Jocketty with three; Ed Barrow, Billy Beane, Bing Devine, Gabe Paul, Dick O'Connell, Bill Veeck Jr., Harry Dalton, Hank Peters, Roland Hemond, John Hart and Mark Shapiro with two each.
Each of the executives won the Sporting News Executive of the Year Award due to actions they took to improve the game itself or their specific team. If you know specific reasons why each has won, share them with fans on our message board.