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

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

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

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?

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

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.

Daniel Shoptaw, C70 At The Bat: It’s hard to disagree with anything Bill or Corey has said (darn it!), but I’d also add that I think he’s going to have to learn how to manage a bullpen.

Johnny Keane once said, after he’d left Bob Gibson in to finish the 1964 World Series, that he “had a commitment to his heart.” That’s a wonderful line, but it would have been of little solace to the fanbase had they seen the Yankees rally to win the game.

Matheny’s going to have to be less of a former player and more of a strategic thinker. He can’t necessarily let people like Chris Carpenter go as deep as they think they can, which ties back to Corey’s point _ he’s got to be a manager, not a friend and former teammate. I’m sure he can do that, but it’ll be interesting to see if he’s more lenient with the hook than TLR was.

Tom Knuppel, Cardinals GM: Just “managing.” What I mean by that is working with some of the same people you worked with in the past, but in a different light.

No matter what his relationship with them was, it has now changed. Things he may have to say to them could be detrimental; things that they have no business knowing (when and if they ask) will be kept from them. He has to make decisions based on a business model and must keep it from being “too much” from the heart. It is more difficult, many times, to manage people you know well.

Ryan Knuppel, Saint Louis Sports: The biggest challenge Matheny is going to have is to withstand injury. Let’s be honest _ this team will get hurt. Key players will get hurt. Does Matheny have the depth to withstand injuries? Especially out of the starting rotation, can he fill the gaps needed throughout the year? What about if veterans Berkman or Beltran go out with injuries? Can he fill the gap?

Bob Netherton, On The Outside Corner: It can be summarized in a single word, experience. We saw that with Red Schoendienst in 1965 when he took over a world championship team and largely tried to carry on in the manner of his predecessor. The team struggled, for a number of reasons. It took Red a bit over a year to turn things around as he developed his own style. Unlike Matheny, Red went straight into coaching after retiring.

Joe Torre was another who struggled. It might not be totally fair, but it always seemed as if Torre was a checkers player, trying to play against a chess Grand Master. Torre got better, and had success under different circumstances with another team.

The only two managers that have come into St. Louis recently and had any early success were Tony La Russa and Whitey Herzog. Both were exceptionally strong tacticians, had been successful managers before coming to St. Louis, and both engineered a complete overhaul of the team to match their approach to the game. Absolutely none of that applies to Matheny, at least initially. This is further complicated by the loss of his safety net (Dave Duncan, Rick Pettini and last year with Marty Mason).

I have a lot of respect for Matheny _ he’s smart, always played the game the right way, and has something of a presence. Maybe losing Albert Pujols to free agency will end up being a blessing in disguise as this gives an opportunity for a new player to stand up and be the leader of the team (if that’s what Pujols was before).

We will have to be patient as Matheny learns how to manage all aspects of the game. Fortunately, he has inherited a very strong team that just might be able to overcome some of his less-than-ideal managerial decisions. That’s where we hope players like Carlos Beltran can make a big difference.

Chris Mallonee, Birds On The Bat82: The biggest challenge Matheny faces is his relationship with (general manager John) Mozeliak as he’s gaining experience as a manager. Mozeliak believes in him and gave him a chance for his first managing gig to be at the highest level. There will be a huge amount of loyalty there. With that in play, will Matheny truly be able to voice his honest opinion on tough decisions, or just go with whatever Mo thinks is best?

A couple of other challenges:

_ Handling of veteran players. Will he stand up to Berkman, Beltran, Carp when they need a day off? I think he will. But how will the veterans handle decisions being made they don’t like and will it affect clubhouse chemistry?

_ Getting off to a quick start. There are a lot of high expectations for this team. There’s very little margin for error or grace for learning on the job. Twenty-six of the Cards’ (first) 27 games are against NL Central opponents, which is supposed to be the weakest division in baseball. If the team wins 16 to 18 of those games, and gets a 3- to 4-game lead in the division, it will create huge momentum and take a lot of pressure off Matheny. If the team is wallowing around .500 and doesn’t create any separation early, it’s going to make his job that much tougher.

Kevin Reynolds, Cards ‘N Stuff: While I don’t disagree with anyone so far, I believe I come down closest to Bob’s assessment. As a catcher _ especially one under TLR and Dunc _ Mike has experience making in-game decisions on the fly that forces him to incorporate multiple pieces of information (hot zones, pitch selection, hitter-by-hitter strategy, etc.), but try doing that for not only every position at once … but the entire roster.

Add to that the need to think in both the past, the present, and the future (in other words, what has happened in the game thus far, what is happening in that at-bat, and what he needs to be prepared for two or three innings later) all at once … and this job gets tough.

As fans, the game seems to move at a leisurely pace, but it’s shocking how fast it speeds up in the dugout. Matheny’s biggest challenge is going to be getting comfortable with incorporating the millions of pieces of information available to him, organizing it, and applying it in-game in an effective way. While I love the choice of Matheny as manager, one has to admit that there’s just no substitute for true managerial experience.

Matheny is going to be learning on the fly. He’ll have a few brain cramps along the way. A person can be as prepared as possible, but when the bullets start to fly, the brain functions differently. Hopefully he’ll be able to lean on his coaching staff to help funnel and organize that information for him. Perhaps an addendum to saying “managerial experience” (meaning all that I’ve said here) is his biggest challenge should be how he makes use of his coaching staff to help him develop and manage without questioning his authority or leadership role.

Matt Whitener, Cheap Seats Please: Matheny’s biggest challenge is going to be in-game decision making. While managing the team overall and the personalities in it will be tough, that’s the case for the other 29 managers in the game as well. For a first-year manager (at any level), the adjustment is going from “what I would’ve done” to “what I must do.” That’s a big difference in not only developing the confidence to do so himself, but to also outdo the managers he is facing, which will be a tough task to do with many of the other elements that will be in play with this team this year.

Elements like becoming a superior to his peers, adjusting a team that is carrying the title of world champs, yet is a new club looking to make its own way & adjusting to a coaching staff that is used to a particular direction to see his way. There’s a lot of inherited pressure overall here, and him establishing his autonomy to truly make this “his” team is going to be an urgent matter. Both on-field and off.

Ray DeRousse, Stl Cardinal Baseball: Given that we basically called Matheny as manager on August 21, 2011 (http://www.stlcardinalbaseball.com/the-case-for-mike-matheney-as-manager … can you hear that horn tooting?), we’re pretty much onboard for whatever he does. Matheny’s biggest challenge will probably be standing up for himself as the boss among many seasoned vets and a team of talented players who just won a World Series.

As much as it pains me to say, one of TLR’s great strengths was his leadership; nobody ever doubted who was in charge. This caused players to support him even when he was ridiculously wrong. Hopefully, Matheny can achieve that respect. A secondary concern is his strategic ability, which will need more time.

Daniel Solzman, Redbird Rants: Matheny’s biggest challenge will be, wait for it, finding a rally squirrel. But in all seriousness, it’s going to have to be being better than the expectations that everyone expects of him.

He’s a rookie manager who has never managed. (Jose) Oquendo is the veteran of the coaching staff with Dunc taking an indefinite leave of absence. It’s like Bill Russell coaching the Celtics after the legend that is Red Auerbach retired from coaching. The difference is that Russell was a player-coach and a fan favorite. Matheny might be a fan favorite, but he was never an iconic player and that’s what makes him different from another Red that managed the birds on a bat.

Tyler Giles, Rally Birds: Matheny’s biggest challenge will have little to do with what takes place on the field. I understand the concern some have voiced over his ability to adjust to the differences of peer versus superior with his former teammates, but we are talking about very professional individuals. Chris Carpenter is a leader and will ensure that proper respect is tendered to the new manager, providing an example for all younger subordinates.

My inclination is that Matheny’s biggest challenge, certainly his most tiresome, will come from incessant doubts and pressures from certain media types waiting to credit any mistake to his lack of experience. Matheny had always been known as a game manager from behind the plate. I was a catcher throughout my playing days and idolized Mike for everything he did BEHIND the plate. A lack of managerial experience is mitigated in my eyes by his undoubted experience in managing the game as a catcher.

Our new skipper is a leader, he has always been regarded as such by his peers. Color me purple (or whatever flavor of kool-aid this might be) but I am 100% in support of Mike Matheny and have every bit of faith in him as a game manager. His challenge will be fending off his detractors who felt Jose Oquendo deserved the job, citing only his time in service and time in grade _ neither of which determine a manager’s legitimate qualifications.

Angela Weinhold, Diamond Diaries: Matheny’s bigger challenges are going to come down to how he is able to handle the roster. That’s a broad picture, so let me narrow it…

To start with, there are already a plethora of pitchers that can be worked in and out of the bullpen that have already been on the major league roster. That doesn’t take into account the number of guys that can be or ‘should be’ brought up from AAA throughout the season. While part of that responsibility could fall to Mo to make something happen with some roster/trade hijinks, part will fall to Matheny to manage what he has and keep them all fresh. As crazy as TLR made many of us (myself included) with his late-inning pitcher’s mound merry-go-round, arms stayed fresh … unless your name is Brad Thompson. How will Matheny find space for them all?

Then there is the lineup. Let’s face it – we all wish there was a clear choice at second base that was actually… you know… a second baseman. But for Matheny, it’s almost more personal than that. Chances are he has seen a lot of both Tyler Greene and Daniel Descalso both in and out of the big leagues thanks to his work as a minor league special instructor last year. Does he hold a special spot for one or both of them? What about Skip?

There’s also the fact that he kinda sorta played with many of the players he now manages, whether it was on the same team or from the opposing dugout. Is he able to draw the line between teammates and player/manager? The hopeful, obvious answer is yes of course, but there are no guarantees. Will he become the kind of manager that has “his guys” that he will stick with in whatever part of the lineup no matter the fact that he’s 0-for-the-month of June?

Seeing how any new manager handles the roster for the first time is a challenge, but Matheny faces a bit more intriguing position.

Chris Reed, Bird Brained: I’m really interested to see how Matheny does with in-game management, especially when he has to go up against a shrewd, veteran manager on the other side.

We relished in the inverse for so long here: watching Tony La Russa carve up young, inexperienced managers was a thing of beauty. It was a game within the game, if you will. Now the Cards have the young, inexperienced guy at the helm. How will he fare in the 8th inning of a 2-2 game against Dusty Baker’s Reds, or Bruce Bochy’s Giants? The National League isn’t for the faint of heart; making a move one batter or one pitch too late can cost the whole game.

Nick, Pitchers Hit Eighth: The biggest challenge facing Matheny in 2012 is the day-to-day massaging of his lineups and pitching staff. Like or dislike La Russa, and for all of the consternation about his ever-changing lineups, he was brilliant at keeping players fresh near the end of the year and for manipulating his roster in a way that assured the amount of at-bats he wanted for certain players. You or I may not have always agreed with the players he wanted to get at-bats for, but he made it happen.

That will be a challenge in the upcoming season when Allen Craig returns, and hopefully all of the coins-in-the-air middle infielders burst out of the gates in April.  How will Matheny juggle this roster to maximize performance and minimize wear-and-tear?

Tara Wellman, Aaron Miles’ Fastball:  I’m going to go a slightly different direction with this (although, it pulls from what several people have said already). Mike Matheny’s biggest challenge will be the expectations.  These are the world champion St. Louis Cardinals. These are the best fans in baseball. This is a team packed with talent, despite losing a future Hall of Fame player and manager.

Yes, Matheny is following in Tony La Russa’s footsteps. But, even on top of living under his shadow, he has to handle the pressure of making his management debut in a premiere location with a premiere club that has extremely high expectations every year, regardless of the circumstances. Matheny likely won’t have the luxury of people excusing mistakes because of his inexperience.

When the players have come out in such strong support of Matheny and with such determination to succeed, the pressure’s on, perhaps more than is fair. But, such is the burden of stepping into the role he did. He’s not only managing the team — making all sorts of decisions he’s never had to make before — but the expectations of an entire organization and their unbelievably passionate fan base.

… no pressure, right?

JE Powell, Fear The Red: Matheny’s biggest challenge will be how he handles being asked the same question six or seven times (rephrased differently each time, of course) in a post-game interview after a tough loss. How many times did we see La Russa get quite agitated and become snarky or just leave the press conference? Even a seasoned vet such as La Russa became frustrated with the media.

While St. Louis has a more mild media presence (compared to New York or Boston), there is enough national media attention and hard-hitting local guys that they could get to Matheny. Sure, he has dealt with the media before, but managers typically take more heat than players do.

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

Of the closers who rank among the top 10 in saves for the Cardinals, only three (Todd Worrell, Lindy McDaniel and Al Hrabosky) originally signed with St. Louis.

Jason Motte is looking to become the fourth.

Motte, who will be the Cardinals’ closer this season, has 12 saves in four years with St. Louis. He needs 118 to surpass Worrell for the most saves by a Cardinals reliever who was signed and developed by the St. Louis organization.

If Motte earns 30 saves in each of the next two seasons _ a realistic total if he stays healthy and effective _ he quickly would move into the top six in saves among all Cardinals.

The top 10 career saves leaders for the Cardinals:

TOP FIVE

Jason Isringhausen, 217

Lee Smith, 160

Todd Worrell, 129

Bruce Sutter, 127

Ryan Franklin, 84

NEXT FIVE

Dennis Eckersley, 66

Lindy McDaniel, 64

Al Brazle, 60

Joe Hoerner, 60

Al Hrabosky, 59

Motte, a right-hander, turns 30 on June 22. He was a catcher when he was chosen by the Cardinals out of Iona College in New Rochelle, N.Y., with the 28th pick in the 19th round of the 2003 amateur draft. Motte was the 575th player selected overall.

It wasn’t until 2006 that Motte was converted to a pitcher at the Class A level of the Cardinals’ minor-league system. In 2011, Motte established a Cardinals single-season record for most appearances by a right-handed pitcher, with 78.

Worrell, McDaniel and Hrabosky took much different routes into the Cardinals’ organization than Motte. Worrell and Hrabosky were first-round draft picks. McDaniel, signed by the Cardinals before a draft existed, was a highly-touted bonus baby.

TODD WORRELL

Taken by the Cardinals from Biola University in La Mirada, Calif., with the 19th pick of the first round, Worrell was part of the 1982 draft that yielded pitcher Dwight Gooden (fifth pick to the Mets) and shortstop Shawon Dunston (first pick to the Cubs).

Worrell began his professional career as a starting pitcher in the minor leagues. He was 3-10 for Class AA Arkansas in 1984. Lee Thomas, a former big-league outfielder and the Cardinals’ director of player development, and scout Hal Smith, a former big-league catcher, suggested converting Worrell to a reliever because his velocity dropped after pitching two innings.

On July 18, 1985, Worrell became the closer for Class AAA Louisville. In 17 games, he was 3-0 with 11 saves and a 1.19 ERA. On Aug. 27, Worrell was called up to the Cardinals and helped them win the 1985 National League pennant. In 1986, the right-hander became the only Cardinals pitcher to earn the NL Rookie of the Year Award.

LINDY McDANIEL

The Cardinals signed McDaniel, 19, for $40,000 in 1955 after his freshman season at the University of Oklahoma.

Before agreeing to the deal, the Cardinals had the right-hander pitch to player-manager Harry Walker and infielder Solly Hemus, both left-handed batters, at a workout in St. Louis.

“He showed good speed, a good curve, control and poise,” Walker told The Sporting News.

McDaniel bypassed the minor leagues and reported directly to the Cardinals. Walker pitched him in four games in September 1955.

Used primarily as a starting pitcher for St. Louis in 1957 and ’58, McDaniel was converted to a reliever in May 1959 by Hemus, who then was the Cardinals’ manager. McDaniel led the NL in saves in 1959 and ’60.

He remained an effective reliever throughout a long big-league career. In 1970, the year he turned 35, he had 29 saves and a 2.01 ERA for the Yankees. In his final season, 1975, the year he turned 40, McDaniel was 5-1 for manager Whitey Herzog’s Royals.

AL HRABOSKY

The left-hander from Fullerton (Calif.) Junior College was a first-round selection of the Cardinals with the 19th pick in the 1969 draft. Hrabosky turned out to be the best of the first-round choices that year. (Of the 24 players taken in that round, only Hrabosky and two others, shortstop Derrel Thomas of the Astros and outfielder Joe Lovitto of the Senators, made it to the big leagues).

But, like Worrell, Hrabosky was employed as a starting pitcher in the minor leagues, with mixed results. Hrabosky didn’t stick with the Cardinals until he was recalled from Class AAA Tulsa in June 1973.

Adopting his “Mad Hungarian” persona, the hard-throwing showman allowed only one earned run in14 appearances from mid-August to mid-September and was on his way to becoming the best left-handed reliever produced by the Cardinals’ system.

In 1975, Hrabosky led the NL in saves while posting a 13-3 record and 1.66 ERA.

Previously: Todd Worrell holds elite status as Cardinals rookie

Previously: Jason Motte rates with best of Cardinals’ rubber arms

Because the public isn’t allowed to attend the games, there were only about five people in the stands — likely friends or relatives of the players. So the event took on a “Field of Dreams” aura as Hall of Fame players such as Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith and Bruce Sutter stepped onto the field in crisp, white Cardinals uniforms to play inside a ballpark so empty it might as well have been an Iowa cornfield.

Sitting along the right-field line in the warm sunshine, I regrettably had only about 20 minutes to watch the action before having to return to my day job.

Pitching for the Cardinals was Dave LaPoint, the left-hander nicknamed “Snacks” who was a member of the 1982 World Series champions’ starting rotation.

Brian Jordan and Tom Lawless and Tom Pagnozzi were among those in the field. Sutter coached first base. And playing shortstop, wearing the familiar No. 1 and still looking to be in big-league shape, was The Wizard, Ozzie Smith.

In the home half of the first inning, Smith, batting second, stepped into the left side of the batter’s box against a right-handed camper. The first couple of pitches missed the strike zone. Smith, giving the camper his money’s worth, swung at several subsequent pitches out of the strike zone, fouling off one offering after another until he got one to his liking.

When the right pitch came, Smith uncoiled and launched a high fly ball into medium right field, near where I was sitting. The camper stationed in right looked into the sun and staggered, trying to follow the ball’s flight and gauge where it might land.

He extended both arms, the glove on his left hand turned up, and prepared for the ball to fall. It landed halfway up one arm, near the edge of his shirtsleeve. With arms still stretched outward, he brought them together as the ball rolled toward his hands as if on a conveyor belt.

For a moment, it appeared the ball might travel down his arms and into the glove. But then it slipped off his wrist and off his glove and toward the outfield grass. The fielder lurched forward, reached out with his bare right hand and snagged the ball, just as it was about to hit the ground.

“Out!” was the umpire’s correct call.

Ozzie Smith, who had circled first base and was headed to second, flashed a smile and headed back to the Cardinals’ third-base dugout, taking a good-natured razzing along the way from campers and Cardinals teammates.

Witnessing that gave me a sense for the special vibes that come from Cardinals Legend Camp. The retired players clearly enjoy being together again and being on the ballfield.

“That’s the neat thing about this camp _ the access to the players,” said camper Joe Pfeiffer, a Cardinals account executive. “These players want to be here. It’s genuine _ which makes it better for the campers.”

The camp, which was launched with significant help from broadcaster and former pitcher Al Hrabosky, is in its 12th year. Rick Horton has participated in 10 of the camps.

“It’s just been a blast every time I come down here,” Horton told me. “The fun we have here is unprecedented. Anything else I do the entire year _ nothing is as fun as this camp.”

Proceeds from the weeklong camp benefit Hire Heroes USA, a non-profit group that helps military veterans and their spouses find jobs after the completion of their service time.

“They do phenomenal work with job placement and counseling for people who are trying to get back into the workplace after their military service,” Horton said. “They really try to encourage businesses to hire heroes, people who have given an awful lot to our country, and kind of give them a head start into assimilating into a nice job opportunity.”

Asked about pitching in a camp game the day before, Horton described the feeling of being reconnected with former Cardinals teammates and the special bond they maintain.

“Sometimes we wonder, ‘Whose fantasy is this, really?’ ” said Horton. “I fielded a ground ball back to me yesterday. I turn around and throw the ball to Ozzie Smith. He jumps straight up in the air, avoids the slide and throws on to first base for a double play. I got to tell you, it was a rush for me. 

“I know I’m getting out a dentist or a doctor or a lawyer, but just to be on the field with Ozzie again _ I really want to be a part of that. Playing is what gets us back to the relationships we were in 25 years ago. So that’s part of the magic of this.

“The campers see us transform into players again. They see us get into that persona again. It’s a thing that’s very special, very meaningful. It’s a part of our lives that will never really go away and this gives us a chance to celebrate it.”

Previously: Rick Horton discusses the 2012 Cardinals

Previously: Rick Horton pays tribute to Bob Forsch

Pitchers Bob Forsch and Rick Horton were Cardinals teammates for four seasons (1984-87). During that time, the Cardinals won two National League pennants.

Horton turned 25 in 1984, the year he made his major-league debut with the Cardinals. Forsch was 34 that season.

In 15 years with the Cardinals, 1974-88, Forsch pitched two no-hitters and helped St. Louis win the 1982 World Series title. Here is how Forsch ranks among all-time Cardinals pitchers:

_ Third in wins (163), behind only Hall of Fame pitchers Bob Gibson and Jesse Haines.

_ Third in innings pitched (2,658.2).

_ Third in strikeouts (1,079), behind only Hall of Fame pitchers Bob Gibson and Dizzy Dean, and six ahead of Chris Carpenter.

_ Second in games started (401).

Forsch died Nov. 3, 2011, at age 61. In retirement, he had been a fixture at the yearly Cardinals Legends Camp at Jupiter, Fla. When I interviewed Horton (now a Cardinals broadcaster) at that camp Jan. 27, 2012, it was evident Forsch’s presence was missed. So, in honor of his teammate, I asked Horton to share his favorite Bob Forsch story.

Here is how Rick Horton responded:

After a game in Chicago, he and I got on the L train to get back to our hotel after a Cardinal win. We had a bunch of Cardinals fans, who had had a few too many Budweiser products, on the train with us and they were loving Bob, saying, “Bob you’re my favorite player” and they were just going bananas over the fact that they were on the L train with Bob Forsch.

At one point, a guy says to Bob, “We always wondered if your son played baseball.” And Bob said, “I have two daughters. I don’t have a son.” And the guy pointed at me and said, “Isn’t he your son?”

I’ll never forget that. I laughed so hard. Bob laughed so hard.

You couldn’t write a better script, because the next day, honest, was Father’s Day. So I went to the hotel gift shop and bought him a Father’s Day card and had it up in his locker the next day. And I did that for a number of years to follow, treating Bob as my Dad.

In some ways, more aptly, Bob was like an older brother for me, in terms of showing me the way, showing me the right things, keeping me away from the wrong things, encouraging what professionalism is all about. Anybody who played with him knew Bob as a professional.

As well-known as he is, I’d still say he’s the most underrated Cardinals pitcher in the last 75 years. When you look at the Cardinals record books, his name is all over that. He spanned two decades.

The two no-hitters almost condenses him too much, almost makes him to be that guy instead of a guy who was so much more than that. He won a World Series game, pitched in three World Series for the Cardinals and really was the heart and soul of the pitching staff, at least when I was there.

When we lost Bob as a teammate, we lost an awful lot of leadership. And when we lost him this past year, we lost a lot more than that.

Previously: Rick Horton: Adam Wainwright could win 20 this season

Previously: How Bob Forsch converted to pitching