If Lance Berkman wins the National League Comeback Player of the Year Award this fall, he will become the sixth Cardinals player to earn the honor. As one of the NL leaders in home runs and RBI this year, Berkman, 35, is a top candidate to win the award in his first season with St. Louis. [...]
Archive for July, 2011
Lou Brock to Lance Berkman: comeback specialists
Posted in Hitters, Pitchers on July 31, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Deal for Woody Williams sparked 2001 Cardinals
Posted in Games, Pitchers, Trades on July 29, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
A summer trade most definitely can make a difference in whether a team reaches the playoffs. Ten years ago this week, the Cardinals began a transformation from underachievers to postseason qualifiers when they acquired pitcher Woody Williams from the Padres for outfielder Ray Lankford. After winning the National League Central championship in 2000, the Cardinals again were [...]
Bob Forsch forgoes flash in joining strikeout leaders
Posted in Games, Pitchers, Records on July 27, 2011 | 2 Comments »
When Chris Carpenter recently moved into the top four on the Cardinals career strikeout list, one name stood out as a shining example of why persistence and reliability matter. Bob Forsch hardly was a strikeout artist, but he ranks with Bob Gibson, Dizzy Dean and Carpenter as being among the best in franchise history. Of the [...]
2011 Cardinals have few steals, many double plays
Posted in Hitters, Records on July 25, 2011 | 1 Comment »
For a team expected to be a division title contender this season, the Cardinals too often are looking more like the 1958 and 2007 St. Louis clubs that led the National League in hitting into the most double plays. The 2011 Cardinals have the second-fewest steals (36) in the NL and pace the league in [...]
Albert Pujols nears Ted Simmons’ double play mark
Posted in Games, Hitters, Records on July 22, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Albert Pujols appears likely to establish the Cardinals’ single-season record for hitting into the most double plays. Pujols is ahead of the pace set by Ted Simmons when the catcher rapped into a team-record 29 double plays in 1973. Pujols has hit into 22 double plays this season. Simmons didn’t reach 22 double plays until Aug. [...]
1980s macho match: Whitey Herzog vs. Roger Craig
Posted in Games, Managers, Opponents on July 20, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Today, Tony La Russa manages the Cardinals with an intensity that gets turned up to maximum levels when matched against longtime rival and Reds manager Dusty Baker. A quarter-century ago, the same held true when Whitey Herzog of the Cardinals faced Roger Craig and the Giants. This week marks the 25th anniversary of the on-field [...]
