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Archive for November, 2011

Injuries plagued Cardinals career of Minnie Minoso

Posted in Hitters, Trades on November 30, 2011| 3 Comments »

(Updated Nov. 17, 2023)

Outfielder Minnie Minoso spent most of his 17-year big-league career with the White Sox and Indians. When Minoso was acquired by the Cardinals after the 1961 season, it was believed he could be the key component in making St. Louis a pennant contender in 1962. Instead, Minoso, injury plagued, was a flop.

The Cardinals traded Joe Cunningham, a first baseman and outfielder, to the White Sox for Minoso on Nov. 27, 1961 _ two days before Minoso’s birthday. Reports varied regarding Minoso’s age. The Associated Press reported Minoso would turn 39 on Nov. 29, 1961, but added “some insist he is at least 42.”

St. Louis had finished 80-74 in 1961, 13 games behind the National League champion Reds. Minoso hit .280 with 28 doubles, 14 home runs and 82 RBI for the 1961 White Sox. The Cardinals saw him as their left fielder, joining an outfield of Curt Flood in center and Stan Musial in right.

Joe Reichler, reporting the trade for the Associated Press, wrote, “Johnny Keane, manager of the Cardinals, was almost as pleased by the acquisition of Minoso as he was when his daughter presented him with his second grandchild last week … Minoso, despite his age, is still one of the fastest men in baseball and swings one of the biggest bats.”

In The Sporting News, Oscar Kahan wrote, “The Cuban Comet, aged as he may be, supplies so many plus factors to the picture that the Redbirds’ outlook has brightened considerably.”

Minoso was a “little bit shocked” by the trade, according to United Press International. The wire service reported Minoso had purchased a $40,000 house in Chicago in 1961 and moved his family there from Cuba. He had been working as a goodwill ambassador for the White Sox during the off-season, selling tickets and promoting the club.

“I don’t know whether I’ll go to the Cardinals,” Minoso said. “I consider myself a free agent. I have a few jobs in mind. I have a lot of friends in Chicago and there are other things I can do in Chicago.”

Minoso eventually relented and opened the 1962 season as the Cardinals’ left fielder. He started two games before pulling a rib muscle in batting practice. It was nearly two weeks before he recovered.

Batting primarily sixth in the order, Minoso struggled, but Keane stuck with him. On May 11, a Friday night in St. Louis, Minoso was in left field when the Cardinals faced the Dodgers. In the sixth inning, with the score 2-2 and the bases loaded, Duke Snider launched a line drive to deep left-center. Minoso chased after it, skidded on the warning track and crashed headfirst into the concrete wall. The ball bounced away for a three-run triple. Boxscore

The collision with the wall left Minoso unconscious. His right eye was completely closed and his head and face were swollen and bleeding, the Associated Press reported. Minoso was carried off on a stretcher and rushed to a hospital. Doctors determined Minoso had a fractured skull and a fractured right wrist. The skull fracture, according to the Associated Press, was three to four inches long above the right ear.

Cardinals center fielder Curt Flood told the Los Angeles Times, “By the time I got to him his right eye already was closing and he was bleeding. He was out cold and didn’t move a muscle. His breathing was labored and I was afraid he’d swallowed his tongue.”

According to The Sporting News, Minoso knew he was quite close to the wall, “but I don’t remember after that.”

Minoso was sidelined for two months before he returned on July 20 and struck out while batting for pitcher Bob Duliba. Boxscore

On Aug. 18, in the second game of a doubleheader against the Mets in New York, Minoso hit his only Cardinals home run, a solo shot off Ray Daviault in a 10-0 St. Louis victory. Boxscore

The next day, batting in the sixth inning, Minoso was hit on the left arm by a pitch from the Mets’ Craig Anderson and was lifted for a runner. Boxscore

Two days later, Aug. 21 at Milwaukee, Minoso appeared as a defensive replacement in left field in the eighth inning against the Braves, but his left arm became swollen. Doctors discovered Minoso had suffered a broken forearm when hit by the Anderson pitch. His season was finished.

In 39 games for St. Louis, Minoso hit .196 with one home run and 10 RBI.

In the book “We Played, the Game,” Cardinals catcher Tim McCarver recalled that Minoso “got so furious at himself after going 0-for-4 that he walked under a cold shower with all his clothes on, including his bat and his spikes. That was a sight.”

Minoso went to spring training with the Cardinals in 1963, hoping to earn a spot as a reserve, but on April 2, a week before the season opener, his contract was sold to the Senators for what The Sporting News reported as “in excess of the $20,000 waiver price.”

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Forsch vs. Forsch: Bob had edge in brotherly matchup

Posted in Games, Opponents, Pitchers on November 26, 2011| Leave a Comment »

From 1974 through 1980, the Cardinals’ Bob Forsch made 17 starts against Houston and the Astros’ Ken Forsch made eight starts against St. Louis, but the brothers never started in the same game against one another.

Bob Forsch and Ken Forsch did pitch in the same game four times _ in each, Bob was a starter and Ken was a reliever _ and it was Bob who usually got the upper hand.

Ken Forsch entered the majors with Houston in 1970. Bob Forsch, four years younger than Ken, made his big-league debut with the Cardinals on July 7, 1974. Two weeks later, Bob faced Ken in a major-league game for the first time.

In his book “Tales From The Cardinals Dugout,” Bob Forsch wrote he and his brother almost faced one another as starting pitchers in Game 1 of the 1982 World Series. Ken Forsch then was with the Angels, who played the Brewers in the best-of-five American League Championship Series. The Brewers won Game 5, earning the AL pennant, but if the Angels had won, “Kenny … was scheduled to pitch the opener in the World Series,” Bob Forsch wrote. “I was scheduled to start Game 1 for the Cardinals.”

Here are the four games in which Bob Forsch and Ken Forsch pitched:

Cardinals 9, Astros 1, July 21, 1974, at St. Louis

In his fourth big-league appearance, Bob Forsch earned his second win and pitched his second complete game.

Ken Forsch pitched the seventh and eighth innings and gave up three runs.

In the eighth, Bob Forsch batted against his brother for the first time in the big leagues. With Mike Tyson on third and one out, Bob Forsch hit a grounder to shortstop Roger Metzger, who threw to the plate to retire Tyson. The next batter, Jose Cruz, hit an inside-the-park home run off the center-field wall, scoring Bob Forsch from first. Boxscore

Describing his at-bat, Bob Forsch wrote, “I hit what I thought was a sizzling ground ball to the shortstop … I didn’t want to strike out. I was just so glad I hit the ball … and that my brother didn’t hit me first.”

The game was the finale of a four-game series. Before the first game, Bob Forsch was shagging balls in the outfield during batting practice when Ken Forsch walked onto the field, greeted his brother, congratulated him on reaching the major leagues and shook hands with him. Wrote Bob Forsch:

When batting practice was over, we left the field. Bob Gibson came over and told me, “That’ll cost you $25 (for fraternizing with an opponent). Don’t talk to anyone on the other team.”

This was my own flesh and blood. And Gibby obviously knew it. I mean, Kenny had his uniform on with “FORSCH” on the back. Nobody spoke up and defended me. Hey, I was a rookie. And who’s going to go against Bob Gibson?

Astros 8, Cardinals 7, June 15, 1975, at St. Louis

Bob Forsch was lifted for pinch-hitter Ron Fairly in the eighth inning, with the Cardinals ahead, 7-4. But the Astros loaded the bases against Al Hrabosky in the ninth. After Mike Garman relieved Hrabosky, Cliff Johnson greeted Garman with a grand slam, depriving Forsch and St. Louis of a win.

Ken Forsch relieved Astros starter Doug Konieczny in the fifth and pitched three scoreless innings.

In the top of the sixth, Ken Forsch batted against his brother for the only time in their big-league careers. He struck out, ending the inning. In the bottom half, Bob Forsch faced his brother and grounded into an inning-ending forceout. Boxscore

Cardinals 8, Astros 4, May 18, 1977, at Houston

Bob Forsch started and was lifted for pinch-hitter Don Kessinger after five innings, with the score 3-3. Ken Forsch relieved in the eighth, entering with St. Louis ahead, 5-4, and gave up three unearned runs on five hits in his one inning of work. He did strike out the side, including Lou Brock and Ted Simmons. Boxscore

Cardinals 3, Astros 1, Aug. 6, 1977, at Houston

In the first game of a Saturday night doubleheader, Bob Forsch pitched eight innings and got his 14th win of the season. Butch Metzger earned the save with a perfect ninth.

Ken Forsch entered in the ninth for Astros starter Mark Lemongello and retired the Cardinals in order. Boxscore

On April 1, 1981, Ken Forsch was traded by the Astros to the Angels for infielder Dickie Thon. Ken Forsch finished his big-league playing career with the Angels in 1986.

In a fitting twist, the only big-league team Bob Forsch played for besides the Cardinals was the Astros. On Aug. 31, 1988, Bob Forsch was dealt to Houston for utilityman Denny Walling. Bob Forsch closed out his big-league career with Houston in 1989. His overall record with the Astros was 5-9 with a 5.56 ERA.

 

 

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Cardinals broke Astrodome hex with 19 RBI in one game

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents, Pitchers, Records on November 23, 2011| 1 Comment »

The Astrodome opened in Houston in 1965 and was billed “the eighth wonder of the world.” To the Cardinals, there was nothing wonderful about it.

The Cardinals lost the first five games they played at the Astrodome, scoring a total of eight runs. They were swept by the Astros in a three-game series in May, losing by scores of 6-1, 3-2 and 4-3, and were swept again, in a two-game series, in July, losing by scores of 2-0 and 3-2.

When the Cardinals returned to Houston Sept. 30 to close the 1965 regular season with a four-game series against the Astros, they were in seventh place in the National League at 77-80 and the Astros were ninth at 64-94.

Based on how the Cardinals produced in their first two trips to the Astrodome _ and with regulars such as third baseman Ken Boyer, first baseman Bill White and shortstop Dick Groat out of the lineup as manager Red Schoendienst took a look at younger players _ there was no way to anticipate the breakout performance St. Louis was about to unleash.

The Cardinals produced 19 RBI in defeating Houston, 19-8, before a Sept. 30 Thursday night gathering of 7,494.

The 19 RBI are the third-highest total in Cardinals history. Others that surpassed or matched it:

_ 25 RBI for St. Louis in the Cardinals’ 28-6 victory over the Phillies on July 6, 1929. Boxscore

_ 20 RBI for St. Louis in the Cardinals’ 21-5 victory over the Giants on Aug. 2, 1948. Boxscore

_ 19 RBI for St. Louis in the Cardinals’ 20-2 victory over the Dodgers on July 24, 1937. Boxscore

Against Houston, the Cardinals started a lineup that included right fielder Mike Shannon batting cleanup, rookie George Kernek (.143 batting average) playing first base, and Jerry Buchek (.227) at shortstop, Phil Gagliano (.241) at third base and Dal Maxvill (.135) at second base.

All nine Cardinals starters produced at least one RBI in the game. Starting pitcher Nelson Briles had two. His two-run single highlighted a six-run first that chased Astros starter Jim Ray.

The Cardinals scored in every inning except the second and the third. Buchek, batting seventh, had a game-high five RBI. He had a two-run home run against Dave Giusti in the fifth, a RBI-groundout in the seventh and a two-run double in the ninth.

Gagliano and Maxvill each had three RBI. Left fielder Lou Brock and center fielder Curt Flood had four hits apiece. Brock singled twice in the first.

The Cardinals led 16-2 in the seventh. When the game finished in a relatively snappy 2:49, the Cardinals had 19 runs on 19 hits and seven walks. Boxscore

Part Three: Forsch vs. Forsch: Bob had edge in brotherly matchup

Part One: Cardinals first visit to Houston

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From the start, Cardinals vs. Houston rivalry was special

Posted in Games, Hitters, Managers, Opponents, Pitchers, Records on November 21, 2011| 2 Comments »

When the Houston Colt .45s began play in the National League in 1962, one of the most anticipated homestands was the one with the Cardinals.

Houston had been a Cardinals minor-league affiliate from 1921-35 and from 1946-58. Many in the region were Cardinals fans.

The 1962 Cardinals had several close connections to Houston. Cardinals manager Johnny Keane and pitching coach Howie Pollet were Houston residents. Keane had played for Houston (1934-37) and also had managed the club (1946-48). Pollet had pitched for Houston (1939-41).

Also, Cardinals coach Harry Walker had been the last Houston manager (1956-58) while it was a Cardinals affiliate. Top 1962 Cardinals players, such as third baseman Ken Boyer and pitcher Larry Jackson, had played for the Houston farm club.

St. Louis made its first visit to Houston for the second homestand in Colt .45s history (the franchise changed its name to Astros in 1965). The Cardinals and Colt .45s were scheduled for three midweek night games April 24-26.

The Cardinals won one, lost one and tied another. Two games each were decided by a run and the other ended in a tie after 17 innings.

According to Clark Nealon of the Houston Post in a story for The Sporting News, Houston “waited years for the first National League series with the St. Louis Cardinals and when it came it was tremendous.”

Houston 4, Cardinals 3, April 24, 1962

In pre-game ceremonies, The Sporting News reported, each member of the Cardinals was “introduced individually to ringing applause.”

At the end, the cheers were for Houston starter Hal Woodeshick, who pitched a six-hitter.

Houston left fielder Don Taussig, who had played for the Cardinals in 1961, hit a solo home run off Jackson in the sixth.

With one on and two outs in the ninth, Bill White ripped a sinking liner that Houston right fielder Johnny Weekly snared at his shoetops.

Attendance was 19,335 _ impressive for a weeknight at a ballpark that seated about 25,000. Boxscore

Cardinals 5, Houston 5, 17 innings, April 25, 1962

In the afternoon, Keane was honored at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon and presented with a replica of a Colt .45 gun. He told the audience, “We’re a lot better club than we showed you on April 24.”

The Cardinals’ manager again was honored in ceremonies before the game. Among his gifts was a king-sized pass to “the first World Series game in Houston.” (It would be 2005 before Houston made its first World Series appearance.)

The game began at 8:02 p.m. It was halted at 1:15 a.m. because of a local curfew in Houston that forbid starting an inning after 12:50 a.m. The game was replayed on another date but all the statistics counted.

Boyer’s RBI-single to left in the ninth off Turk Farrell scored Julian Javier from second, tying the score 5-5.

Ed Bauta pitched eight scoreless innings for the Cardinals after entering in the 10th.

The Cardinals had runners on first and second with no outs in the top of the 17th, but Doug Clemens struck out and Red Schoendienst hit into a double play.

Six Houston pitchers struck out 18 Cardinals, including Boyer three times. Houston left 16 runners on base and the Cardinals stranded 15. Boxscore

Cardinals 3, Houston 2, April 26, 1962

The Cardinals were spared embarrassment by salvaging a victory in the series. Bob Gibson pitched a two-hitter for his first win of the season and Stan Musial drove in the deciding run with a two-out single in the eighth, scoring Curt Flood from third base. Boxscore

Part Two: Cardinals broke Astrodome hex with 19 RBI in one game

Part Three: Forsch vs. Forsch: Bob had edge in brotherly matchup

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Cardinals can thank Pat Hentgen for Mike Matheny

Posted in Managers, Pitchers on November 15, 2011| 1 Comment »

Pat Hentgen played one season for the Cardinals, but his impact on the franchise was significant.

It was Hentgen who recommended the Cardinals sign Mike Matheny, a free agent, to a contract in December 1999. The Cardinals were looking for a backup to catcher Eli Marrero.

Matheny signed a one-year deal for $750,000, leapfrogged Marrero to become the starting catcher in 2000 and remained the Cardinals’  catcher for five seasons, helping them to four postseason appearances and their first National League pennant in 17 years.

After the 2011 season, Matheny became the Cardinals’ manager, replacing Tony La Russa, and led them to a National League pennant in 2013.

Hentgen, a right-handed starting pitcher who won the American League Cy Young Award in 1996, was acquired by the Cardinals from Toronto in November 1999 along with pitcher Paul Spoljaric in a trade for catcher Alberto Castillo and pitchers Lance Painter and Matt DeWitt.

Matheny had been Hentgen’s teammate with Toronto in 1999. Though Matheny was the backup to Blue Jays catcher Darrin Fletcher, he made a lasting impression on Hentgen because of his arm, defense, leadership and management of a pitching staff.

In an article in May 2000, the Associated Press reported the Cardinals signed Matheny “largely at the urging of Hentgen.”

“He was pretty vocal about it. He was on my side,” Matheny said. “That’s just the ultimate compliment _ when a pitcher with as much experience and success as Pat has had thinks that highly of me to put his name on the line.”

Matheny had a stellar start for St. Louis in 2000. He batted .313 in April and threw out 15 of the first 22 baserunners who attempted to steal.

When Marrero tore a ligament in his left thumb on July 1, the Cardinals had little help behind Matheny. A couple of weeks later, Matheny cracked a rib but continued to play. He wore a flak jacket and had his chest taped before every game.

Gritty determination was one element of Matheny’s leadership style. He also displayed respect and selflessness when the Cardinals acquired first baseman Will Clark from the Orioles on July 31, 2000.

For most of his 15-year big-league career, Clark had worn uniform No. 22 _ the same number worn by Matheny in his seven seasons in the major leagues. Matheny offered the number to Clark as a welcome to the Cardinals, asking for nothing in return. Clark was touched by the gesture. Matheny switched to uniform No. 44.

“It’s just a number,” Matheny told The Sporting News in September 2000. “I don’t see the big deal.”

Matheny hit .261 with 47 RBI in 128 games for the 2000 Cardinals. He sat out the postseason after he accidently severed two tendons and a nerve in his right ring finger while using a hunting knife he received as a 30th birthday gift. Matheny threw out 49 of 93 baserunners attempting to steal in 2000 and received the NL Gold Glove Award.

Hentgen had a 15-12 record and 4.72 ERA in 33 starts for the Cardinals. He became a free agent after the 2000 season and signed with the Orioles.

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The story of how Bob Forsch converted to pitching

Posted in Pitchers, Prospects on November 9, 2011| 2 Comments »

(Updated Nov. 2, 2019)

The Cardinals planned for Bob Forsch to be a third baseman, not a pitcher.

Forsch was chosen by the Cardinals in the 26th round of the 1968 amateur draft and sent to their Gulf Coast League team in Sarasota. Forsch, 18, played third base and some outfield. His instructors included George Kissell and Joe Medwick. Forsch displayed a strong arm but batted .224 in 44 games.

In the book “Tales From The Cardinals Dugout,” Forsch described his first day as a pro player:

“I had sort of thought I was going to Florida on a vacation to play baseball. And so I went to the minor-league complex and they gave me a uniform. It was wool. And it had patches in the seat from where other guys had ripped it up while they were sliding. They didn’t have enough caps, because there were too many players. So I got a batting helmet and put that on.”

In 1969, Forsch continued to play third base but hit .203 for Lewiston of the Northwest League and .235 for Modesto of the California League.

At age 20, his playing career was in jeopardy after he opened the 1970 season by hitting .149 in 20 games for Modesto, striking out 21 times in 47 at-bats. Forsch was moved to Cedar Rapids of the Midwest League and did even worse, hitting .088 through 19 games.

Short of pitchers, manager Roy Majtyka used Forsch as a reliever against Clinton. Forsch had pitched batting practice for Cedar Rapids and had a 9-1 mark as a high school pitcher his senior year in Sacramento.

The first Clinton batter Forsch faced was Bob Hansen, who would become a first baseman with the Brewers. Forsch’s first pitch sailed over Hansen’s head.

“Mick Kelleher, our shortstop, came over to me and said, ‘Come on, Bob, you can throw it by him,’ ” Forsch told The Sporting News in 1974. “Hansen hit the next pitch for the longest home run I’ve ever seen, even though I threw the ball as hard as I could.”

Forsch worked three innings and gave up six hits and four runs, but his career as a pitcher had begun. The Cardinals sent him to Lewiston and instructed manager Fred Hatfield to use Forsch as a pitcher. In seven games, five as a starter, Forsch was 2-3 with a 4.94 ERA.

When Forsch reported to spring training in 1971, he didn’t know whether the Cardinals planned to employ him as a pitcher or as a third baseman because the Cardinals had a shortage of third basemen in their farm system.

Bob Kennedy, a former big-league player and manager, was the Cardinals’ director of player development and he made the decision Forsch would be converted exclusively to pitching.

Forsch was 11-7 with a 3.13 ERA for Cedar Rapids in 1971 and 8-10, including a no-hitter, for Arkansas in 1972. After the 1972 season, he posted a 7-1 record in the Florida Instructional League while working with instructor Bob Milliken.

Forsch was 12-12, including another no-hitter, for Tulsa in 1973.

Playing for manager Ken Boyer at Tulsa in 1974, Forsch was 8-5 with a 3.67 ERA in 15 games when the Cardinals, on the recommendation of Kennedy, called him to the major leagues in July. “He threw hardest and had an excellent curve,” Kennedy explained.

Said Forsch: “I didn’t even know how to throw a curve until Bob Milliken showed me how at the Florida Instructional League.”

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