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Why Cardinals traded Tommy Herr to Twins 25 years ago

Posted in Executives, Hitters, Trades on April 19, 2013 | 2 Comments »

Desperate for a power-hitting right fielder and feeling the sting of the defection of free-agent Jack Clark, the Cardinals stunned nearly everyone when they traded second baseman Tommy Herr, a stalwart of their three pennant-winning teams of the 1980s, to the defending World Series champion Twins 25 years ago.

As he departed, Herr said he hoped to return to the Cardinals as their manager. It never happened.

On April 22, 1988, Herr was dealt to Minnesota for outfielder Tom Brunansky. The trade was announced after the Mets beat St. Louis, 4-0, dropping the Cardinals’ record to 4-11.

Joe Durso of the New York Times wrote, “It stunned Herr and his teammates as they came into the locker room. Herr was asked to step into manager Whitey Herzog’s office, where he received the news from Herzog and Dal Maxvill, the Cardinals’ general manager.”

Said Herr: “Sure, I’m shocked. I’ve loved my years as a Cardinal and it’s hard to say goodbye.”

Herr had played 10 seasons (1979-88) with the Cardinals, batting .274 with 1,021 hits in 1,029 games. He was the starting second baseman on the pennant-winning clubs of 1982, ’85 and ’87. He was an all-star in 1985 when he placed third in the National League in both RBI (110) and doubles (38). Herr ranked among the top three second basemen in the league in fielding percentage six times.

“It’s not an easy thing trading a great ballplayer and a fine gentleman,” Maxvill said to the Associated Press.

Three factors prompted the trade:

_ The Cardinals lacked power. Their top run producer, Clark, had signed with the Yankees after the 1987 season. Jim Lindeman, the Opening Day right fielder, was headed to the disabled list because of back spasms. The Cardinals were averaging 2.8 runs per game. Brunansky, who had hit 20 or more home runs in six consecutive seasons (1982-87) for the Twins, provided a much-needed power source.

“The deciding factor was our (poor) run production,” Maxvill said to the Associated Press. “Brunansky can help.”

_ The Cardinals feared Herr would depart for free agency. Herr was in the final season of a four-year contract. After losing reliever Bruce Sutter and Clark to free agency, the Cardinals were determined to get value in return for Herr before he could depart.

“I could see the writing on the wall,” Herr said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “but I didn’t think it would happen this soon.”

Said Mets first baseman Keith Hernandez, who played with Herr on the 1982 World Series champion Cardinals: “If they had Clark, Tommy Herr’s on the team.”

_ The Cardinals had a replacement for Herr. Luis Alicea, a first-round selection of the Cardinals in the 1986 draft, was promoted from Class AAA Louisville to replace Herr at second base.

“We think we have a fine young man who is ready to be an everyday player here in Alicea,” Maxvill said to United Press International.

Twins general manager Andy MacPhail told the Associated Press he contacted Maxvill about a trade. The Twins were seeking a left-handed batter for the top of their order. Herr, a switch-hitter, fit the need.

MacPhail said Maxvill first asked about third baseman Gary Gaetti and outfielder Kirby Puckett.

“I told him I wouldn’t trade Gaetti and that my house would be burned to the ground if I traded Puckett,” MacPhail said.

The Twins had defeated the Cardinals in a seven-game World Series in October 1987. Now, six months later, they were swapping position starters.

“I’m proud of the accomplishments I’ve had here,” Herr said to the Associated Press. “I wanted to play my whole career here. That dream has gone. It’s been a good time. Maybe I’ll be back and manage this ballclub.”

Previously: Cardinals deal for Tony Pena not as lopsided as thought

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Why Cardinals dealt Dizzy Dean to Cubs 75 years ago

Posted in Opponents, Pitchers, Trades on April 12, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

Dizzy Dean was a weakened pitcher and self-promoter who was feuding with his manager and focusing attention on himself rather than the team.

In retrospect, his departure from the Cardinals in exchange for a sum of cash that covered the payroll of the entire roster seems an obvious move.

Yet, 75 years ago, when the Cardinals traded their ace to the Cubs on the eve of the season opener, it was a surprise that shocked nearly everyone, including Dean.

On April 16, 1938, Dean was dealt to the Cubs for $185,000 and three players, pitchers Curt Davis and Clyde Shoun and outfielder George Stainback.

Dean, 28, had a 134-75 record in seven Cardinals seasons, including 30-7 in 1934 when he carried St. Louis to a World Series title. Dean won twice in that World Series, including a six-hit shutout in the decisive Game 7.

But the Cardinals finished second, third and fourth in the next three seasons. When the Cubs approached Cardinals owner Sam Breadon and general manager Branch Rickey about a deal for Dean during spring training in 1938, they were interested. The reasons:

_ Damaged arm. During the 1937 All-Star Game, a shot by Indians slugger Earl Averill hit Dean on the left foot and broke his toe. Dean insisted on pitching again too soon after the injury. Compensating for the damaged toe, he altered his pitching motion and weakened his right arm, essentially losing his devastating fastball.

Rickey told the Associated Press the trade wasn’t prompted by concerns about Dean’s arm. But Cardinals outfielder Pepper Martin conceded that Dean during spring training “hasn’t been pitching his fastball.”

In the book “Ol’ Diz: A biography of Dizzy Dean” (1992, Harper Collins), author Vince Staten wrote, “Rickey was convinced Diz’s career was over and he was up-front with the Cubs about Diz … The Cubs knew they were getting damaged goods.”

_ Feuds with Frisch. Dean and Cardinals manager Frankie Frisch feuded often. After they had a couple of run-ins during spring training, the Cardinals decided to act.

“The pitcher and his manager … were embroiled in more than the usual amount of bickering during the training season, with the result that the Cardinals believed that Dizzy’s value to them was dubious, at best,” the International News Service reported. “The situation finally reached a point where either Dean or Frisch had to go.”

Wrote The Sporting News: “Renewed trouble with manager Frankie Frisch … finally moved Sam Breadon and Branch Rickey to sell their star of stars … In the wake of these incidents which, it was feared, might lead to consequences similar to those of other years, the Cardinals front office decided to get rid of their perpetual headache in the interest of club harmony and discipline.”

Frisch denied any friction with Dean. On the day of the trade, the Associated Press reported Dean saying to Frisch, “Frankie, I want you to know I’ve enjoyed playing for you.”

Replied Frisch, “Diz, I’m sorry to see you go.”

A Cardinals player, witnessing the exchange, said loud enough for others to hear, “Bunk.”

_ Bigger than team. Rickey and Breadon believed Dean was taking too much credit for team successes and focusing too much attention on self.

“If you will remember, back in 1936, I said no pitcher could make a baseball club,” Rickey said to the Associated Press. “While Dean was with us, we were three years (1935-37) without a flag. Even when he’s good, one pitcher doesn’t make a club. He hasn’t pleased us altogether since.”

Said Breadon: “I think the team will be a 23-player club now and not a Dizzy Dean club. The boys will know that, when they win a game, 23 players had a hand in it.”

When the Cubs first approached the Cardinals about Dean, they offered two players and $150,000, The Sporting News reported. The Cardinals countered with a demand of two players and $200,000. A compromise was reached when the Cubs added Stainback to the deal, giving the Cardinals three players, plus $185,000.

The deal was completed in a phone call between Rickey and Cubs owner P.K. Wrigley while the Cardinals were defeating the Browns, 10-7, in an exhibition game at St. Louis on April 16, three days before the season opener. The trade was announced immediately after the game, stunning Cardinals players.

“There goes our pennant and World Series money,” Pepper Martin said to the Associated Press.

Said fellow outfielder Terry Moore: “Yeah, we’d have been a cinch with Diz.”

Dean told his teammates, “I hate to leave you guys, but I bet that fellow Wrigley will give me more money than I was getting here.”

Replied Martin: “Yeah, maybe Wrigley will buy you a yacht, too, so you can float around on Lake Michigan.”

In his book, Staten wrote, “The trade would help both clubs in other ways. The $185,000 covered the Cards’ entire season payroll. And Diz helped the Cubs fill the seats at Wrigley Field.”

Though sidelined for most of May, June and July, Dean was effective when he pitched. He was 7-1 with a 1.81 ERA in 13 games (10 starts) for the 1938 Cubs, who won the National League pennant.

The Cardinals stumbled to a sixth-place finish and Frisch was fired in September before the season ended.

Dean, however, never regained the form that made him a sensation with St. Louis. He was 9-7 over the next three seasons with Chicago.

Previously: Like Tim Lincecum, Dizzy Dean was keen whiff artist

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How a tragic accident brought Mark Whiten to Cardinals

Posted in Games, Hitters, Pitchers, Trades on March 18, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

In a tragic twist of fate, a deadly boating accident 20 years ago during spring training led the Cardinals to acquire an outfielder who went on to produce one of the most remarkable single-game performances in franchise history.

On March 22, 1993, Indians pitcher Steve Olin was killed and pitchers Tim Crews and Bob Ojeda were injured severely in a boating accident on a Florida lake. Crews died the next day. Ojeda survived.

After the accident, Cardinals general manager Dal Maxvill called his counterpart with the Indians, John Hart, who asked whether pitcher Rene Arocha was available. Maxvill replied, “No.”

“He said, ‘We really need pitching now,’ ” Maxvill told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch of his talk with Hart. “I said, ‘Which one of our pitchers are you interested in?’ And he said, ‘Anybody, really.’ “

Maxvill was seeking a reserve outfielder to back up projected starters Ray Lankford, Brian Jordan and Bernard Gilkey. According to Rick Hummel of the Post-Dispatch, Maxvill was about to make a deal for Braves outfielder Keith Mitchell, who was ticketed to open the 1993 season in the Atlanta farm system.

Now Hart, desperate for pitching, was offering to trade Cleveland’s starting right fielder, Mark Whiten, to the Cardinals if Maxvill would offer a pitcher Hart liked.

Maxvill and Hart had discussed a possible deal during the winter meetings in December 1992. At that time, Hart had asked about pitcher Mark Clark, who had finished 3-10 with a 4.45 ERA in 20 starts for the 1992 Cardinals.

Remembering that exchange, Maxvill now offered Clark to the Indians. (Clark wasn’t “what we thought he might be like,” Maxvill later told Hummel.) Hart wanted a second player added to the deal. When Maxvill suggested minor-league infielder Juan Andujar, Hart accepted.

Maxvill contacted the Braves and nixed the proposed trade for Mitchell. Then, on March 31, seven days before the 1993 season opener, the Cardinals sent Clark and Andujar to Cleveland for Whiten.

The deal stunned Whiten and many Cardinals players. “It was a shock for me,” Whiten said to the Post-Dispatch.

Whiten, 26, was joining his third major-league club. (He had played for the Blue Jays before joining the Indians.) He had a strong throwing arm, speed and power, but generally was considerd a raw talent. “I’m still learning,” Whiten conceded after the trade was made.

The acquistion of Whiten ended Ozzie Canceso’s spring training quest to make the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster as a reserve outfielder. Canseco had produced four home runs and 14 RBI for St. Louis in spring exhibition games, but admitted, “My defense is lacking. … It’s something I realize I have to improve.”

Whiten became a standout for the 1993 Cardinals, generating 25 home runs, 99 RBI and 15 stolen bases. On Sept. 7, 1993, in the second game of a doubleheader at Cincinnati, Whiten hit four home runs and drove in 12 while batting sixth in the order. Whiten, who hit a grand slam, two three-run homers and a two-run shot, tied the major-league single-game RBI record established by Cardinals first baseman Jim Bottomley in 1924. Boxscore

Clark finished 7-5 with a 4.28 ERA for the 1993 Indians. In three seasons with Cleveland, the right-hander was 27-15. Andujar never reached the big leagues and advanced no higher than Class AA in the Indians’ farm system.

In two seasons with St. Louis, Whiten had 39 home runs and 152 RBI. On April 9, 1995, the Cardinals traded Whiten and pitcher Rheal Cormier to the Red Sox for third baseman Scott Cooper and pitcher Cory Bailey.

Previously: Mark Whiten, Josh Hamilton: Same feat, different path

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Cardinals betting Pete Kozma isn’t another Ray Busse

Posted in Games, Hitters, Trades on March 5, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

An elbow injury to Rafael Furcal means the Cardinals will have a new Opening Day shortstop for the seventh consecutive year in 2013.

It’s their longest stretch of rotating starting shortstops since the 1970s, when the Cardinals employed a different Opening Day shortstop in seven consecutive seasons.

Here are the Cardinals’ Opening Day shortstops since 2007:

_ David Eckstein, 2007.

_ Cesar Izturis, 2008.

_ Khalil Greene, 2009.

_ Brendan Ryan, 2010.

_ Ryan Theriot, 2011.

_ Rafael Furcal, 2012.

Barring a trade, either Pete Kozma, the Cardinals’ first-round pick in the 2007 amateur draft, or Ronny Cedeno, acquired as a free agent in January 2013 after eight seasons with the Cubs, Mariners, Pirates and Mets, likely will be the Opening Day shortstop for St. Louis on April 1, 2013, against the Diamondbacks.

Not since 1971-77 have the Cardinals gone so many consecutive seasons with a new Opening Day shortstop each year. The list:

_ Ted Sizemore, 1971.

_ Dal Maxvill, 1972.

_ Ray Busse, 1973.

_ Mike Tyson, 1974.

_ Ed Brinkman, 1975.

_ Lee Richard, 1976.

_ Garry Templeton, 1977.

Forty years ago, the Cardinals lost a gamble when they selected Busse as their starting shortstop. Busse was 24 when he began the 1973 season as the St. Louis starter. Kozma will enter the 2013 season at the same age.

Kozma hit .236 in six minor-league seasons, then surprised many by hitting .333 in 26 regular-season games for St. Louis in 2012 and driving in the winning runs in the deciding game of the National League Division Series against the Nationals.

Busse, an undrafted amateur free agent when he signed with the Astros, hit .271 with 13 home runs in 92 games for Class AAA Oklahoma City in 1971. Bob Kennedy, the Cardinals’ director of player development, rated Busse the top shortstop in the minor leagues that year, The Sporting News reported.

Busse appeared ready for a breakout season in 1972. Instead, misfortune struck. His father committed suicide. Busse suffered a shoulder injury. Limited to 70 games, Busse hit .207 and committed 27 errors for Oklahoma City in 1972.

Cardinals general manager Bing Devine went to baseball’s winter meetings in November 1972, seeking “a shortstop with some sting in his bat,” The Sporting News wrote. In August 1972, the Cardinals had traded shortstop Dal Maxvill to the Athletics and they had no clear-cut replacement.

Harry Walker, who joined the Cardinals as a hitting instructor after managing the Astros from 1968-72, recommended Busse. So did Kennedy. On Nov. 28, 1972, the Cardinals dealt catcher Skip Jutze and infielder Milt Ramirez to the Astros for Busse and infielder Bobby Fenwick.

“Walker considers Busse a good gamble because of his age and his batting potential,” Devine told The Sporting News.

Said Kennedy: “He (Busse) has a fine arm, good range and could become a good hitter.”

Busse went to spring training competing with Mick Kelleher, Mike Tyson, Dwain Anderson and Ed Crosby for the starting shortstop position. Busse “quickly took charge of the shortstop sweepstakes,” wrote The Sporting News.

In his first spring training at-bat for the Cardinals, Busse singled in a run. Soon thereafter, he hit a three-run home run against the Mets’ Ray Sadecki. Busse completed spring training as the Cardinals’ leader in RBI (11). He hit .254.

Though he ended spring training in an 0-for-18 slump, the Cardinals named him their starting shortstop. They opened the 1973 regular season on April 6 at Pittsburgh with an all-rookie left side of the infield (Ken Reitz was at third base).

It was a disaster for Busse from the beginning.

Busse made an error on the first ball hit to him _ a grounder by Pirates leadoff batter Rennie Stennett in the first inning. Busse went 1-for-4, made two errors and the Pirates won, 7-5. Boxscore

The Cardinals lost 20 of their first 25 games. Busse took much of the blame.

On May 14, 1973, fans booed Busse and Reitz throughout a 10-5 Phillies victory at St. Louis. The loss dropped the Cardinals’ record to 8-23. Busse was batting .143 with 21 strikeouts in 24 games. He had committed 11 errors. Boxscore

After the game, Reitz shrugged off the boos when approached by reporters. Busse responded to the booing by saying, “Often I wonder what we come to the ballpark for. When you’re down, it’s pretty easy for somebody to get down on you, but that’s when you need them (the fans) the most.”

Busse never appeared in another game for the Cardinals. Manager Red Schoendienst named Tyson the starting shortstop. Busse remained on the bench until the Cardinals traded him back to the Astros for infielder Stan Papi on June 8, 1973.

Asked by The Sporting News whether he had been given a fair shot by the Cardinals, Busse replied, “No, but that’s nobody’s fault but my own.”

Astros manager Leo Durocher said, “We’re tickled to get him back.”

Busse never recovered. He hit .059 in 15 games for the Astros in 1973 and .206 in 19 games for them in 1974, his last season in the major leagues.

Previously: Scout to Cardinals: “I know what’s in Pete Kozma’s heart”

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Revisiting the Gregg Jefferies deal: Cards’ good gamble

Posted in Hitters, Trades on February 15, 2013 | 2 Comments »

This is the 20-year anniversary of one of the best trades Dal Maxvill made as Cardinals general manager.

Seeking a consistent contact hitter, Maxvill took a huge gamble that an error-prone third baseman could transform into the Cardinals’ everyday first baseman.

On Feb. 12, 1993, the Cardinals acquired Gregg Jefferies and minor-league outfielder Ed Gerald from the Royals for right fielder Felix Jose and infielder Craig Wilson.

Jefferies, who had made 26 errors at third base for the 1992 Royals and never had played first base in the major leagues, was tabbed to replace departed free-agent first baseman Andres Galarraga.

The move paid off spectacularly.

Jefferies, 26, had a career year for the 1993 Cardinals. He hit .342 in 142 games, with 16 home runs, 83 RBI and 46 stolen bases. He committed only nine errors.

The deal was made because the Cardinals were looking to cut down on the number of runners stranded in scoring position.

Cardinals batters had struck out 996 times in 1992. Jose, who usually batted third or fourth, struck out 100 times. He too often stranded a runner at third base with less than two outs because of his inability to make contact consistently.

“That killed us more than anything last year,” Cardinals manager Joe Torre said to Rick Hummel of the Post-Dispatch in February 1993.

Jose’s weakness was Jefferies’ strength. ”I take pride in being able to do that,” Jefferies said of knocking in runners from third by making contact.

Jefferies struck out just 29 times in 604 at-bats for the 1992 Royals.

Cardinals pitcher Bob Tewksbury hailed the trade: “Having somebody with thunder in the lineup is going to help. It’s not thunder like Jack Clark, but (Jefferies) is going to hit the ball hard a lot.”

Said Torre: “Jefferies is a legitimate good hitter. Felix probably scared people more, but he would swing and miss too often.”

Jefferies never balked at learning to play first base.

“First base is fine,” he told the Post-Dispatch. “There will be some footwork and short hops to deal with, but having played second base and third base can help me with both of those at first base.

“I take as much pride in my defense as I do in my offense … It will be nice taking throws from Ozzie Smith. I can get used to that.”

Though Jefferies was 5 feet 10, short by most first baseman standards, Maxvill noted that Steve Garvey, an all-star first baseman with the Dodgers and Padres, was the same height. “I don’t think that’s a factor,” Maxvill told the New York Times. “Most throws from infielders are in the dirt rather than high.”

Maxvill and Royals general manager Herk Robinson had discussed a Jefferies-for-Jose deal at the 1992 winter meetings. It wasn’t until Maxvill agreed to include Wilson that the deal was made shortly before the 1993 start of spring training.

“We feel he’s a more consistent and more disciplined hitter (than Jose),” Maxvill said of Jefferies. “… We think he can win a batting championship.”

Jefferies placed third in the 1993 National League batting race, behind the Rockies’ Galarraga (.370) and the Padres’ Tony Gwynn (.358). Jefferies had 143 singles (second in the league to the 149 of the Dodgers’ Brett Butler) among his 186 hits in 1993. He struck out just 32 times in 612 plate appearances.

In strike-shortened 1994, Jefferies hit .325 for St. Louis. He became a free agent after the season and signed with the Phillies. In two years with the Cardinals, Jefferies overall had a .335 batting average and a .401 on-base percentage.

Today, Jefferies operates the Gregg Jefferies Sports Academy in Pleasanton, Calif.

Previously: Cardinals prospects can learn a lot from Erik Pappas

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A tribute to Fred Whitfield, phenom of 1962 Cardinals

Posted in Games, Hitters, Trades on February 6, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

As a Cardinals rookie in 1962, Fred Whitfield was rated as having one of the quickest bats in the National League. A first baseman and left-handed batter, Whitfield was one of the best power-hitting prospects the Cardinals’ farm system had produced in years.

“He has a quicker bat than anyone on the Cardinals and he can reach the roof at Busch Stadium,” Vern Benson, a coach for the 1962 Cardinals, told The Sporting News.

Said Phillies manager Gene Mauch after watching the Cardinals rookie pound Philadelphia pitching: “Fred Whitfield is the greatest hitter I’ve ever seen _ for the number of times I’ve seen him bat against us.”

The Sporting News hailed Whitfield as the Cardinals’ “biggest surprise of 1962″ and Whitfield was selected by big-league managers, coaches and players as the first baseman on the 1962 Topps all-star rookie team.

Still, the Cardinals traded Whitfield to the Indians after the season.

Whitfield, 75, died Jan. 31, 2013, in his native Alabama. According to an obituary in The Birmingham News, Whitfield, retired from Anderson Electric, “was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed playing bluegrass and gospel music on his guitar.”

Signed by Cardinals scout Mercer Harris, Whitfield was a standout in the minor leagues. He hit .309 with 23 home runs for Keokuk in 1958; a combined .285 with 28 homers for Winston-Salem and Tulsa in 1959; .310 with 22 homers for Tulsa in 1960; and .301 with 18 homers for Charleston in 1961.

Whitfield, 24, went to the big-league spring training camp in 1962, but was sent to the Cardinals’ farm club in Atlanta just before the season began. Joe Schultz, the Atlanta manager, told The Sporting News that Whitfield “could hit 30 home runs in our park.”

He was batting .323 and leading the International League in home runs (eight) and RBI (28) when he was promoted to the Cardinals on May 26, 1962.

The Cardinals were seeking a right-handed batter to replace injured outfielder Minnie Minoso. Whitfield didn’t fit the need. Because of a weak throwing arm after he hurt his shoulder as an American Legion pitcher, Whitfield only could play first base. Unlike Minoso, he batted left-handed.

According to The Sporting News, it was Cardinals business manager Art Routzong who convinced general manager Bing Devine and manager Johnny Keane to promote Whitfield.

“Finally, I said, ‘… Why not bring up the best hitter in our farm system, Fred Whitfield?’ ” Routzong said.

Replied Keane: “Maybe you’ve got something there.”

In his first five pinch-hit appearances for the Cardinals, Whitfield produced three hits and a walk.

On June 10, 1962, in the second game of a doubleheader at St. Louis against the Giants, Cardinals first baseman Bill White pulled a thigh muscle. Whitfield replaced him. In the sixth inning, left-hander Billy Pierce twice brushed back Whitfield. On the next pitch, Whitfield hit a three-run home run. “The ball disappeared over the roof in right-center and sailed across Grand Boulevard,” The Sporting News reported. Boxscore

Whitfield went on a tear, with 10 RBI in four games. On June 12, 1962, his two-run homer in the eighth inning off Paul Brown erased a one-run deficit and lifted the Cardinals to a 3-2 victory over the Phillies. Boxscore

“In the five years I’ve been with the Cardinals,” said Routzong, the business manager, “we have never brought up anyone who has come through with so many clutch hits in so few opportunities as Whitfield.”

Among Whitfield’s other big hits for St. Louis:

_ A three-run pinch-hit home run against the Braves’ Claude Raymond on July 3, 1962. Boxscore

_ A 10th-inning pinch-hit home run off Pirates closer Roy Face on July 15, 1962. Boxscore

_ A pinch-hit three-run home run against Jay Hook of the Mets on July 28, 1962. Boxscore

_ A grand slam off Phillies left-hander Bill Smith on Aug. 12, 1962. Boxscore

Whitfield finished the 1962 season with a .266 batting average, eight home runs and 34 RBI in 158 at-bats for the Cardinals. He hit .333 (11-for-33) as a pinch-hitter and .412 (7-for-17) with two outs and runners in scoring position.

“Fred did an exceptionally good job, especially as a pinch-hitter and part-time player, jobs usually handled by older, experienced men,” Devine said.

But two factors made Whitfield expendable: 1. the Cardinals already had a first baseman who batted left-handed, Bill White; 2. after trading starter Larry Jackson and reliever Lindy McDaniel to the Cubs for outfielder George Altman in October, the Cardinals needed pitching.

On Dec. 15, 1962, St. Louis dealt Whitfield to the Indians for pitcher Ron Taylor and infielder Jack Kubiszyn. Wrote The Sporting News: “If eyebrows were raised over the price Devine had to pay … it was understandable. The Cardinals had not come up with a genuine longball threat for years until Fred Whitfield exploded on the scene early last summer.”

Whitfield hit 20 or more home runs three times for the Indians (21 in 1963, 26 in 1965 and 27 in 1966). In a nine-year major-league career (1962-70), he played for the Cardinals, Indians, Reds and Expos, batting .253 with 108 home runs.

Previously: Matt Carpenter gains rare feat among Cardinals rookies

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