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Buddy Bell almost joined Ozzie Smith in Cardinals’ infield

February 29, 2012 by retrosimba

Even in the immediate afterglow of their first World Series title in 15 years, the Cardinals and manager Whitey Herzog were willing to trade significant and popular starters in order to secure another all-star for the left side of the infield.

Thirty years ago, less than two months after winning the 1982 World Series championship, the Cardinals came close to acquiring third baseman Buddy Bell from the Rangers.

Bell would have paired with Ozzie Smith to give the Cardinals a premier third base/shortstop combination.

To acquire Bell, Herzog was willing to trade right fielder George Hendrick, third baseman Ken Oberkfell and possibly pitcher Bob Forsch.

When trade negotiations collapsed in December 1982, Herzog expressed great disappointment.

In the Dec. 20, 1982, edition of The Sporting News, St. Louis writer Rick Hummel reported the Cardinals made “a strong pitch” for Bell, “but withdrew their offer after several days of negotiating.”

Texas writer Jim Reeves confirmed the Rangers “seriously considered” trading Bell and “were close with St. Louis and Baltimore.”

Hummel reported the Cardinals offered Hendrick, Oberkfell and pitcher Steve Mura for Bell. The Cardinals also were in serious negotiations with free-agent pitcher Floyd Bannister. Hummel reported the Cardinals would have substituted Forsch for Mura if they signed Bannister.

(Bannister, who pitched for the Mariners in 1982, spurned a $4.5 million, five-year offer from the Cardinals and instead signed a similar contract with the White Sox. A major reason he chose the White Sox was because Dave Duncan, Bannister’s pitching coach with the Mariners, had joined the White Sox to become pitching coach for manager Tony La Russa).

In offering Hendrick, Oberkfell and Mura or Forsch for Bell, the Cardinals were offering a lot to the Rangers:

_ Hendrick led the 1982 Cardinals in home runs (19), RBI (104) and slugging percentage (.450). He hit .321 in the 1982 World Series and drove in the go-ahead run in Game 7.

_ Oberkfell batted .289 for the 1982 Cardinals and ranked third among National League third basemen in assists.

_ Forsch had 15 wins in 1982, his sixth consecutive season of double-digit victories for the Cardinals. Mura posted 12 wins in 1982.

Herzog, who perhaps valued defense above all other skills, saw an opportunity to give the Cardinals a pair of Gold Glove winners on the same side of the infield.

Bell, 31, was in his prime. At that time, he had won four Gold Glove awards (Ozzie Smith had just won his third) and Bell had been a four-time American League all-star. Bell also batted .296 with an on-base percentage of .376 in 1982.

Bell had caught the attention of Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, who told columnist Peter Gammons that winter, ”It’s only recently that I’ve come to appreciate him. I never realized how much range he has or the plays he makes.”

Herzog seemed stunned Rangers general manager Joe Klein rejected his offer for Bell.

“It’s amazing that a team can lose 100 games (Texas lost 98 in 1982) and won’t make a deal,” Herzog told The Sporting News. “I feel sorry for people in baseball who have a million-dollar investment and don’t know what to do.”

In its Dec. 6, 1982, edition, Klein had told The Sporting News, “I won’t say I wouldn’t trade Bell, but I’d have to receive an offer that would knock my socks off.”

Texas reportedly had rejected offers from the Yankees (who refused to part with pitcher Dave Righetti), Reds (who may have offered a package that included pitcher Bruce Berenyi and infielder Ron Oester) and White Sox (who offered pitcher Britt Burns after they had signed Bannister).

Three years later, July 19, 1985, the Rangers traded Bell to the Reds for outfielder Duane Walker and pitcher Jeff Russell. By then, Terry Pendleton had replaced Oberkfell at third base and the Cardinals were headed to their second pennant-winning season under Herzog.

Buddy Bell never did play for the Cardinals, but his son did. David Bell was a Cardinals infielder from 1995-98.

Previously: How the Cardinals’ trade for Ozzie Smith almost collapsed

Posted in Hitters, Trades | Leave a Comment »

The story of how Ted Simmons became a Cardinal

February 26, 2012 by retrosimba

Forty-five years ago, big-league baseball scouts touted Ted Simmons as a can’t-miss prospect. The Cardinals believed the reports and were rewarded for their faith in the switch-hitting teenaged catcher.

The Cardinals selected Simmons in the first round of the 1967 amateur draft. He would become the best-hitting catcher in Cardinals history, batting .298 with a .366 on-base percentage and 2,626 total bases in 13 years (1968-80) with St. Louis.

In June 1967, Simmons, 17, was a highly regarded athlete at Southfield High School in Michigan. In an article for The Sporting News, New York writer Jack Lang polled major-league scouts for their choices on the nation’s top 12 prospects available in the June 6, 1967, draft. Simmons ranked ninth.

Big-league baseball had started the amateur draft in 1965 and the Cardinals’ first two No. 1 picks fell far short of stardom.

St. Louis chose pitcher Joe DiFabio with the 20th and last selection of the 1965 first round and outfielder Leron Lee with the seventh pick of the 1966 first round. DiFabio never pitched in the major leagues; Lee had more success as a player in Japan than he did as a Cardinal (.222 batting average in three years with St. Louis).

St. Louis, with the 10th overall choice in the first round of the 1967 draft, caught a break. Two teams selecting ahead of them took catchers in the first round but bypassed Simmons.

The Senators, with the fifth overall selection, took Johnny Jones, a high school catcher from Tennessee. Jones never reached the big leagues. In four minor-league seasons, he batted .150 with 1 home run.

The Angels, picking just ahead of the Cardinals with the ninth overall pick, seemed certain to choose Simmons, but instead took Mike Nunn, a high school catcher from North Carolina. Nunn never reached the big leagues. In six minor-league seasons, he batted .209.

Simmons, two months shy of his 18th birthday when selected by St. Louis, had hoped to be chosen by his home state Tigers, who had the 14th pick of the first round.

Though he wouldn’t turn 18 until August, Simmons was certain of what he wanted from the Cardinals. He told The Sporting News, “The contract will have to be big enough to make it worthwhile for me to pass up college. I’d have to say I’d want about $50,000, although some people have told me it should be $75,000 and some say $100,000.”

Simmons ended up with the best of both. The Cardinals scout who recommended him, Mo Mozzali, signed Simmons for $50,000 and Simmons enrolled at the University of Michigan as a physical education and speech major, beginning classes in the fall of 1967.

First, though, he reported to the Cardinals’ Gulf Coast League team, managed by George Kissell, in Sarasota, Fla. In his debut game as a professional on July 1, 1967, Simmons, playing the outfield, hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning, lifting Sarasota to a 4-2 victory. The Sporting News reported the feat in a story headlined, “Simmons Sock Star In Opener Of Gulf Coast.”

In six games for Sarasota, Simmons batted .350 (7-for-20) with 2 home runs and 8 RBI. That earned him a promotion to Cedar Rapids, managed by Jack Krol. Simmons hit .269 (46-for-171) for Cedar Rapids before reporting to the University of Michigan.

In the book “The Ted Simmons Story” (1977, Putnam), author Jim Brosnan (the former Cardinals pitcher) wrote that Krol filed a report on Simmons to the Cardinals after Cedar Rapids completed its season. Krol’s evaluation of Simmons: “Wherever he plays, he’ll hit. He’s a natural. From both sides of the plate.”

Three years later, on Memorial Day weekend in 1970, Simmons took over for Joe Torre as the Cardinals’ everyday catcher. Simmons stayed in that starting role for the next decade.

For a franchise that has had several outstanding catchers, including Roger Bresnahan, Walker Cooper, Tim McCarver and Yadier Molina, Simmons rates overall as the best.

Previously: Why Ted Simmons belongs in Hall of Fame

Posted in Hitters, Prospects | Leave a Comment »

Stint with Boston farm helped Mike Shannon join Cards

February 23, 2012 by retrosimba

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Mike Shannon’s debut with the Cardinals.

Shannon played his first game for the Cardinals on Sept. 11, 1962. Fifty years later, he’s still with the Cardinals as their iconic play-by-play broadcaster.

When Shannon got promoted from the minor leagues to the Cardinals in September 1962, there was no indication he would become one of the franchise’s most popular and recognizable figures for the next half-century.

Shannon had been loaned by the Cardinals to the Red Sox organization during the summer of 1962. It was from Boston’s Class AAA Seattle farm club in the Pacific Coast League that the Cardinals called up Shannon.

Signed by the Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 1958, Shannon began the 1962 season with St. Louis’ Class AAA Atlanta farm club in the International League.

He started well. After 31 games with Atlanta, Shannon was among the top 10 in the league in batting at .321. He also had 4 home runs and 15 RBI.

After that, Shannon’s production dropped. He played 66 games with Atlanta and hit .260 with 6 homers and 28 RBI.

The Cardinals loaned him to the Red Sox and their Seattle affiliate, managed by Johnny Pesky. The move revived Shannon. He batted .311 with 7 homers and 47 RBI in 76 games for Seattle.

(Atlanta manager Joe Schultz had been under pressure from the Cardinals’ front office because the perception was Schultz was more interested in winning games than in developing St. Louis’ top prospects. Several newspapers reported Schultz would be fired after the season. When he led Atlanta to the league championship, Schultz instead was given a spot on the Cardinals’ coaching staff for 1963.)

Overall, Shannon’s combined season statistics for Atlanta and Seattle were solid: .288 batting average, 13 home runs, 75 RBI in 142 games.

At age 23, he finally got the call to St. Louis.

In his first game, on a Tuesday night at St. Louis against the Reds, Shannon, batting seventh and playing right field, went 1-for-4 in the Reds’ 6-2 victory. Shannon’s hit was one of only three the Cardinals managed against Cincinnati ace Bob Purkey.

After grounding out to second baseman Don Blasingame in the second inning, Shannon led off the fourth with a single to left. Dal Maxvill bunted Shannon to second before Purkey struck out Bob Gibson and Julian Javier. Boxscore

That was Shannon’s lone Cardinals highlight. After getting that first big-league hit, Shannon went 0-for-12 the rest of September before singling to left in his last at-bat of the season against Billy Pierce in the eighth inning of a 6-3 Giants victory on Sept. 26 at San Francisco. Boxscore

In 10 games for the 1962 Cardinals, Shannon hit .133 (2-for-15) with a walk and 3 strikeouts.

Shannon also began the 1963 and ’64 seasons in the minor leagues. But by mid-season in 1964 he had claimed the starting right fielder job for St. Louis and played an important role in sparking the Cardinals to a World Series title that season.

Converted to a third baseman for the 1967 season, Shannon was a starter for two more Cardinals pennant winners and another World Series championship team. He joined their broadcast team in 1972 and has been there ever since.

Previously: Cardinals came close to trading Mike Shannon

Previously: The story of how Mike Shannon became a Cardinals catcher

Previously: Ray Sadecki led Atlanta Crackers to 1962 championship

Posted in Games, Hitters | Leave a Comment »

Gary Carter and his two 5-RBI games against Cardinals

February 20, 2012 by retrosimba

Many Gary Carter obituaries properly cite his first game with the Mets as an important event in his big-league career. In that game on April 9, 1985, at New York, Carter, who twice had been hit by pitches (by Joaquin Andujar and Bill Campbell), hit a 10th-inning home run off Neil Allen, lifting the Mets to a 6-5 victory over the Cardinals. Boxscore

Though dramatic, it wasn’t Carter’s best game against the Cardinals. The Hall of Fame catcher, who died Feb. 16 at 57, played especially well in St. Louis during a big-league career that stretched from 1974-92.

Carter hit .262 with 47 doubles, 30 home runs, 127 RBI and a .423 slugging percentage in 253 career games against the Cardinals. The only teams against whom he totaled more home runs and RBI were the Phillies and Cubs.

At St. Louis, Carter was even better, posting a .280 batting average and .443 slugging percentage in 119 games.

Hist two most outstanding games against the Cardinals were at St. Louis while he was with the Expos.

On Sept. 26, 1977, Carter went 3-for-4 with 5 RBI, scored twice, walked and stole a base in the Expos’ 9-5 victory at St. Louis. Batting sixth, it marked the first time Carter, 23, had driven in 5 runs in a big-league game.

The big blow was Carter’s 2-out, 3-run home run in the seventh inning off starter Eric Rasmussen, snapping a 2-2 tie. In the ninth, after St. Louis had rallied to tie the score 5-5, Carter hit a two-run single to left off Al Hrabosky and scored on a sacrifice fly, keying a four-run Expos uprising. Boxscore

Three years later, May 31, 1980, Carter delivered another 5-RBI performance at St. Louis. He was 4-for-4 with two home runs (including an inside-the-park homer) with 3 runs scored. This time, though, the Cardinals won, 8-6.

Expos manager Dick Williams had moved Carter into the cleanup spot (replacing Ellis Valentine) in this game for the first time that season.

“I’ve always wanted to hit fourth,” Carter said to The Montreal Gazette. “The last time I had the chance in the big leagues was in ’78.”

Pumped to be in the prime run-producing spot, Carter reached starter Bob Forsch for an RBI-single in the first. After Carter singled in the fourth, he scored on a Warren Cromartie double.

Andre Dawson led off the Expos’ sixth with a single off Forsch. Carter then blooped a ball into left-center field. Left fielder Dane Iorg and center fielder Tony Scott chased after it.

In his game report for The Montreal Gazette, Ian MacDonald described what happened next:

Iorg threw a cross block on Scott that would have done any football linebacker proud. Scott went down in a heap and stayed there. Iorg recovered, but it was shortstop Garry Templeton who eventually tracked the ball down on the warning track as Carter circled the bases.

It was the second and last inside-the-park home run of Carter’s big-league career.

“We were both looking at the ball,” Iorg explained. “I certainly didn’t see Tony and I’m sure he didn’t see me.”

A two-run homer off Pete Vuckovich in the seventh capped Carter’s outstanding evening. Boxscore

Previously: Cardinals were victims of historic homers by Gil Hodges

Posted in Games, Opponents | Leave a Comment »

Hank Aaron and the home run that wasn’t vs. Cardinals

February 17, 2012 by retrosimba

Hank Aaron, the greatest home run hitter never to use performance-enhancing drugs, could have added to his historic total if not for an unusual call in a game against the Cardinals.

Playing for the Braves, Aaron hit the 393rd home run of his career on Aug. 17, 1965, at St. Louis against the Cardinals’ Tracy Stallard. Boxscore (It was Stallard, while with the Red Sox, who gave up home run No. 61 to Roger Maris of the Yankees in 1961, enabling Maris to break Babe Ruth’s single-season record of 60).

In 1965, it wasn’t much anticipated that Aaron, 31, would break Ruth’s career home run record of 714 in 1974 and finish with 755. (The mark stood until Barry Bonds, likely aided by performance-enhancing drugs, eclipsed it in 2007 and finished with 762).

The night after his home run off Stallard, Aug. 18, 1965, the Braves and Cardinals played again at St. Louis. With the score tied 3-3 in the eighth, Aaron stepped into the batter’s box to face starter Curt Simmons.

Aaron had popped out to the catcher, singled and flied out to center field in three previous at-bats against Simmons that night.

Now, with one out and no one on base, Simmons teased Aaron with a change-up so high and so slow it seemed much like a blooper pitch. The ball must have looked like a balloon to Aaron. The Braves slugger stepped forward, swung and lifted a high fly ball onto the pavillon roof in right field for an apparent tie-breaking home run.

Instead, Aaron was called out by home plate umpire Chris Pelekoudas for being out of the batter’s box when he connected with the ball, nullifying the home run. Pelekoudas, in his sixth season as a National League umpire, ruled that Aaron’s left foot was in front of the batter’s box and thus Aaron had hit the ball illegally.

“It’s the worst call I’ve ever seen,” Aaron said to the Associated Press afterward. “I did the same thing the time before and popped up, and he (Pelekoudas) didn’t say a word. I always hit Simmons that way.”

Braves manager Bobby Bragan argued against the call and was ejected.

“It was either a grudge call, or he wanted to get his name in the paper,” Bragan told the Associated Press. “I’ve never seen such a call.”

Said Pelekoudas: “Bragan’s protest was strictly on judgment. His only argument was about a grudge _ and that is stupid. I didn’t hesitate in making the call.”

In the ninth, with Ray Washburn pitching in relief of Simmons, the Braves sent Don Dillard to pinch-hit with a runner on base and two out. Dillard delivered a home run _ his only homer of the season and the last of his big-league career.

In a fitting twist, the Cardinals argued that the ball hit by Dillard didn’t clear the wall and shouldn’t have been ruled a home run. But the Cardinals lost that argument and the game, 5-3. Boxscore

Previously: Jaime Garcia matches Joaquin Andujar, Curt Simmons

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents, Pitchers | Leave a Comment »

How Topps finally got Stan Musial on its baseball cards

February 14, 2012 by retrosimba

So you think showing a squirrel on a Skip Schumaker Topps baseball card is controversial? How about printing baseball cards for seven years between 1951-57 and never offering a Stan Musial baseball card?

In the first series of its 2012 baseball card set, Topps has printed two cards of St. Louis utilityman Skip Schumaker. The common card shows an image of Schumaker sliding. The other card, which has been released in limited supply (driving up demand and price), shows only Schumaker’s shoe as the so-called “rally squirrel” dashes across home plate.

Critics call the squirrel card dumb. Supporters find it fun. For Topps, the card has created publicity.

It may be the most controversy associated with Topps and the Cardinals since its seven-year absence without Musial.

Topps began printing baseball cards in 1951 when Musial was 30 and near the peak of his Hall of Fame career. Musial had a contract to appear on baseball cards produced by a rival company, Bowman.

Bowman produced Stan Musial cards in 1952 and ’53.

For the next four years (1954-57), Musial didn’t appear on any baseball card, even though he may have been the most popular player in the game.

In a 2001 interview with USA Today on the 50th anniversary of Topps baseball cards, Topps executive Sy Berger said Musial “just didn’t want to sign (a contract) for cards.”

The breakthrough came in time for Topps’ 1958 set. Berger said Cardinals owner Gussie Busch was raising money for charity and asked Topps for a donation. Berger said Topps offered to donate $1,500 to the non-profit of Busch’s choice if Musial would agree to sign a Topps contract to appear on a 1958 baseball card. Musial did. The retired Cardinals star continues to be featured on Topps baseball cards today.

(In the book “Musial: From Stash to Stan the Man” (2001, Missouri), author James N. Giglio claims “insufficient compensation” was the reason Musial didn’t sign with Topps until 1958.)

When Topps issued its first baseball cards in 1951, the look and feel were more like a deck of playing cards, or game cards for a baseball board game.

The 1951 cards came in two styles: with red backs and with blue backs. The front of the cards featured a player’s face bordered by a baseball diamond. The backs of the cards were colored either red or blue and offered no statistical information.

The red backs and blue backs were issued at the same time.

Two Cardinals _ pitcher Howie Pollet and outfielder Tommy Glaviano _ were part of the red backs. Six Cardinals _ pitchers Gerry Staley, Red Munger and Harry Breechen; second baseman Red Schoendienst; outfielder Enos Slaughter; and third baseman Billy Johnson _ were part of the blue backs.

The series had 52 red back and 52 blue back cards. There also were special-feature team cards and all-star cards. These included a Cardinals team card and an all-star card of retired Cardinals pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander.

In 1952, Topps issued a 407-card set that is the prototype for the traditional baseball card, with statistics on the back and designed images of players on the front.

The first Cardinal to appear in the 1952 set was catcher Johnny Bucha (card No. 19). Bucha played in a total of 24 games for the Cardinals over two seasons (1948 and ’50) but didn’t play in any games for St. Louis in 1952.

Previously: The story behind Stan Musial’s $100,000 contract

Posted in Hitters, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

How the Cardinals’ deal for Ozzie Smith almost fell apart

February 12, 2012 by retrosimba

Thirty years ago this month, Ozzie Smith agreed to be traded to the Cardinals in what one writer called “one of the most bizarre transactions in recent baseball history.”

The deal propelled the Cardinals to three National League pennants and a World Series title and launched Smith toward a Hall of Fame career.

But the trade almost never happened.

On Dec. 10, 1981, at the baseball winter meetings in Hollywood, Fla., the Cardinals announced a trade of outfielder Sixto Lezcano to the Padres for pitcher Steve Mura.

Whitey Herzog, the Cardinals’ general manager and manager, acknowledged the deal also involved players to be named, but that contract issues prevented him from revealing the identity of those players. Published reports made it clear the players were shortstop Garry Templeton and pitcher Luis DeLeon of the Cardinals and shortstop Ozzie Smith and pitcher Al Olmsted of the Padres.

The snag was that Smith, 27, had a no-trade clause in his Padres contract. He wouldn’t agree to a trade to St. Louis unless the Cardinals either allowed him to keep the no-trade clause or compensated him for dropping it.

Herzog went to San Diego to meet with Smith and his agent, Ed Gottlieb. In January, in a story headlined, “Ozzie’s Pay Demand May Cancel Trade,” The Sporting News reported the trade of Templeton for Smith “apparently is about to fall through.”

Herzog was quoted as saying Smith wanted more than twice the $300,000 salary he was paid in 1981.

“Ozzie would like to play for me, but it looks as if we’ll have to cancel the trade,” Herzog said. “Ozzie is a great fielder and baserunner. I’d like to have him. But if he doesn’t want to come to St. Louis, I don’t want him. No .220 hitter is worth what he’s asking.”

On Jan. 26, 1982, Smith told the media there would be no trade unless the Cardinals paid him $750,000 that year. The Sporting News reported the Cardinals had offered a base salary of between $425,000 and $450,000, with incentives that could take the total package to $500,000.

Finally, on Feb. 11, 1982 _ more than two months after a Cardinals-Padres deal first was announced _ Smith agreed to the trade. His salary would be determined in arbitration before the season began.

In his lead paragraph for The Sporting News, St. Louis reporter Rick Hummel wrote, “After 62 days, it was over. Ozzie Smith had become a St. Louis Cardinal in one of the most bizarre transactions in recent baseball history.”

In four seasons with the Padres, Smith twice had won the Gold Glove Award. But he was a weak hitter. Smith batted .231 with one home run as a Padre. His on-base percentage was a paltry .295.

Herzog believed Smith’s offense would improve by playing home games on the AstroTurf  in St. Louis rather than on natural grass in San Diego, but only if Smith focused on hitting balls on the ground.

When Smith reported to Cardinals spring training camp at St. Petersburg, Fla., Herzog assigned coaches Chuck Hiller and Dave Ricketts to help Smith develop, as Hummel put it, “a downward type of swing.”

“Guys like Ozzie have to keep the ball out of the air,” Herzog told The Sporting News. “If he could hit .240 or .250, we’d be very happy because we know he’s the best defensive shortstop in the league and maybe baseball.”

Smith was up to the challenge. “This year, I’ll get a true evaluation of myself as a player and person,” he said.

Just before the Cardinals opened the 1982 season at Houston, arbitrator Tom Roberts ruled for the Cardinals, awarding Smith a $450,000 salary rather than the $750,000 he requested.

In the opener at the Astrodome, Smith, batting eighth, went 2-for-5 with 2 RBI, including a single and RBI off starter Nolan Ryan, in the Cardinals’ 14-3 victory. Boxscore

It was a successful start to a magical season for the Cardinals, who went on to win their first World Series title in 15 years. Smith was a key contributor, winning a third Gold Glove Award and batting .248 with 24 doubles, 43 RBI, 25 stolen bases and a .339 on-base percentage.

In his book “White Rat: A Life In Baseball” (1987, Harper & Row), Herzog wrote:

I knew when we got (Smith) that he was good, but watching him every day I’ve found out just how good he is. Of all the shortstops I’ve seen, and I’ve seen some good ones _ guys like Marty Marion, Mark Belanger and Luis Aparicio _ Ozzie is the best. I’ve never seen anyone do the things on a baseball field that he can do.

Previously: Will 2012 trio rate with Cards’ all-time switch-hitters?

Previously: Will Ozzie Smith vote Tony La Russa into Hall of Fame?

Posted in Trades | 1 Comment »

How Stan Musial turned in a great comeback year at 41

February 10, 2012 by retrosimba

This year is the golden jubilee of one of the most remarkable seasons in the career of Stan Musial.

In 1962, at age 41, Musial, thought by some to be finished, produced like a star player in his prime. He placed second in the National League in on-base percentage (.416) and third in batting average (.330), with 143 hits in 135 games and 82 RBI.

Fifty years later, it remains one of the great performances by a player 40 or older.

After hitting .310 or better in each of his first 17 big-league seasons, Musial failed to reach .300 in three consecutive years (1959-61). Many assumed the 1962 season would be his last and that he might be relegated to part-time status.

Musial worked out diligently after the 1961 season and reported to spring training in top shape in 1962. “I came into camp this year weighing 184, four pounds lighter than a year ago,” Musial told The Sporting News. “And believe me, those four pounds make a difference.”

From the start of spring training, Musial hit well _ “The Man had one of the best springs of his career,” The Sporting News reported _ and Cardinals manager Johnny Keane developed a plan to rest Musial as required during the 162-game season schedule.

Keane elected to open the season with an outfield of Musial, 41, in right, Minnie Minoso, 36, in left, and Curt Flood, 24, in center.

At a community luncheon before the season opener, Musial said he told Minoso, “We’re going to keep Flood in good condition. I’ll catch whatever comes to me and you catch whatever comes to you. Curt can have everything else.”

Musial established a blistering pace to open the season. Here is what he did in his first three games:

_ April 11, vs. the Mets, at St. Louis: Musial was 3-for-3 with a double, a walk and 2 RBI in the Cardinals’ 11-4 victory. Boxscore

_ April 13, vs. the Cubs, at Chicago: Musial was 2-for-4 in the Cardinals’ 8-5 victory. Boxscore

_ April 14, vs. the Cubs, at Chicago: Musial had a home run, 2 RBI and a stolen base in the Cardinals’ 7-4 victory. The steal was Musial’s first in two years. Surprised Cubs catcher Cuno Barragan, unprepared for Musial’s theft attempt, threw wildly into center field, enabling Stan to scamper to third. Boxscore

“The Cubs, feeling that old guy won’t be going any place, patently ignored him and he was off and running,” reported The Sporting News.

Said Musial: “My boy, Dick, came over from Notre Dame for that game and he said he got a much bigger kick out of watching me steal the base than he did in seeing me hit a home run.”

Musial batted .396 (19-for-48) for April. His batting average dipped below .300 only once (.298 on May 24) all season. In July, undeterred by the steamy St. Louis summer, Musial hit .397 (27-for-68).

On Aug. 9, Musial led the NL in batting at .354, nine points better than second-place Tommy Davis of the Dodgers.

All season, Musial continued to defy the odds with sensational performances. Among the most notable:

_ May 19, vs. the Dodgers, at Los Angeles: Musial broke an 0-for-9 slump with a ninth-inning single off a Ron Perranoski curveball. The hit was No. 3,431 for Musial, breaking the NL record of Honus Wagner and moving Musial into second place all-time behind Ty Cobb.

“When I finally got to first base after breaking the record, I felt so relaxed I could have fallen over,” Musial told the Associated Press. “That’s when I realized the pressure had been on.” Boxscore

_ July 8, vs. the Mets, at New York: Musial hit 3 home runs in the Cardinals’ 15-1 victory. Fifty years later, he remains the oldest player to achieve the feat. Boxscore

_ July 25, vs. the Dodgers, at St. Louis: Musial hit a two-run homer off Don Drysdale, giving Stan a NL-record 1,861 RBI, breaking the mark held by Mel Ott. Boxscore

_ Sept. 27, vs. the Giants, at San Francisco: Musial went 5-for-5 with 2 runs scored in the Cardinals’ 7-4 victory. Boxscore

After the season, Musial was named the NL comeback player of the year in a poll of national baseball writers conducted by the Associated Press.

In his book “Stan Musial: The Man’s Own Story” (1964, Doubleday), Musial wrote: “What gave me my greatest thrill in 1962 was the year I had at bat … I walked out there, day after day, certain I would play, confident I would hit. It was like old times.”

Previously: Stan Musial still oldest to belt 3 homers in a game

Posted in Games, Hitters | 8 Comments »

Bloggers to Mike Matheny: Be a manager, not a buddy

February 8, 2012 by retrosimba

In participation with a United Cardinal Bloggers February roundtable project, we asked the question: What do you see as first-year Cardinals manager Mike Matheny’s single biggest challenge in 2012?

The answers ranged from handling his working relationship with general manager John Mozeliak  to handling the media.

The consensus: Matheny will have to earn respect early by establishing that he is the boss, not just a buddy, to the players.

Here are excerpts of the responses:

Bill Ivie, i70 baseball: Matheny’s biggest challenge is (Tony) La Russa’s shadow. When it comes down to it, Mike has to be his own man. He cannot get caught trying to micromanage the way TLR did. Nor can he get caught up in trying to manage completely opposite constantly.

Matheny has to get into a mode of calling the game the way he feels comfortable. He will be compared to Tony frequently, but he has to ignore that and find his own style, brand, and voice.

Corey Noles, Balls & Strikes: Coincidentally, this is the subject of my column for today’s newspaper. I agree with Bill about La Russa’s shadow being his biggest enemy this year, but he’s capable of overcoming that. His hardest challenge is going to be moving from the role of friend/mentor into the position of manager.

There is a good chance this will make for some awkward moments. Early on in the season, likely in spring training, Matheny is going to have to step up and command their respect, not their friendship, which several of these guys have had for years. I don’t foresee anyone as a problem right off the bat (pun intended), but you never know who will or won’t jive well together (ex: Colby Rasmus, Scott Rolen).

To help with this, he has been given one true blessing. All of these shake-ups (AP, TLR, Duncan, etc.) have happened over one season, so while he’s a new manager, this is a new team with a new identity for everyone who suits up.

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Posted in Bloggers, Managers | 1 Comment »

Can Cards continue to contend without steals in arsenal?

February 7, 2012 by retrosimba

The Cardinals consistently have ranked near the bottom of the National League in stolen bases for most of the past six seasons, but it hasn’t hurt them much. In two of the years in which they posted some of their lowest stolen base totals, they won World Series championships.

Since 2006, the Cardinals never have rated better than 11th in the 16-team NL in stolen bases in a season.

In 2006, when the Cardinals won their 10th World Series championship, they were 14th in the NL in stolen bases, with 59. In 2011, the Cardinals were last in the NL in stolen bases, with 57, but won their 11th World Series title.

Only one Cardinal achieved double figures in stolen bases in 2006 and in 2011. So Taguchi had 11 steals in 2006 and Tyler Greene had 11 steals in 2011.

The 2006 Cardinals were successful, in part, because of their power. They ranked fifth in the NL in home runs (184) and sixth in runs scored (781).

In 2011, the Cardinals fielded one of the best offensive lineups in their history. St. Louis led the NL in runs (762), hits (1,513) and batting average (.273).

The World Series championship Cardinals clubs that relied the most on stolen bases as weapons were the 1982 and 1931 versions.

The 1982 Cardinals led the NL in steals (200) and were last in the 12-team league in home runs (67). Seven members of the 1982 Cardinals reached double figures in stolen bases, led by Lonnie Smith (with 68).

Frankie Frisch (with 28) was the leader among five players who each reached double figures in steals for the 1931 Cardinals.

Speedster Lou Brock was integral to the Cardinals winning World Series titles in 1964 and ’67, but few others on those teams attempted to steal much.

Brock was the only member of the 1964 Cardinals to reach double figures in steals. He accounted for 33 of the club’s total of 73.

In 1967, Brock swiped 52. The other Cardinals in double figures for steals were Bobby Tolan (12) and slugger Orlando Cepeda (11). (Note: Cepeda, who had a history of knee problems, surprisingly had 142 career steals, averaging 11 per 162 games).

The 2010 Cardinals (with 79) have the most steals of any St. Louis team over the last six seasons. The 2012 Cardinals may be able to improve on last year’s total of 57 and perhaps reach 70.

Tyler Greene may play more this season _ either in a platoon at second base or as an often-used utilityman. Shortstop Rafael Furcal, acquired last August, should be available all season. Same for right fielder Carlos Beltran, signed as a free agent over the winter.

Furcal, 34, has 302 career stolen bases. He swiped 22 as recently as 2010 with the Dodgers.

Beltran, who turns 35 in April, has an 88 percent success rate in stolen bases, swiping 293 in 334 attempts. But Beltran has a total of only 18 steals over the last three years, an average of 6 per season.

With Mike Matheny replacing Tony La Russa, it will be interesting to see whether the first-year Cardinals manager will have a club that runs more than those of recent vintage.

Previously: 2011 Cardinals dominate major NL batting categories

Previously: Rafael Furcal: oldest Cards shortstop starter since Ozzie Smith

Posted in Hitters | Leave a Comment »

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