Hornsby's success in Beaumont and Seattle garnered him identical three-year offers to manage both of St. Louis' major-league teams. He decided to return to the Browns, apparently believing there was a greater upside to rebuilding a perennial loser than there was to managing a perennial contender. The Browns' owner, Bill Veeck, was the son of former Cubs president William Veeck Sr. Hornsby was not well received by the players, however. He reportedly only spoke to a player to criticize him. As the season wore on and the losses piled up, Hornsby's fuse became even shorter.