RetroSimba

In 1957, third baseman Ken Boyer was moved to center field and led the Cardinals into the National League pennant race.

When the Cardinals traded starting center fielder Bill Virdon to the Pirates in May 1956, they expected one of the players they acquired in the deal, Bobby Del Greco, to be a mainstay at the position.

Del Greco, 23, was a bust, batting .215 with 18 RBI in 102 games in 1956.

In the Cardinals’ first intrasquad game in spring training 1957, Boyer played center field in a move manager Fred Hutchinson called an experiment, according to the Associated Press.

When the season opened April 16 at Cincinnati, Boyer was at third base and rookie Bobby Gene Smith, 22, started in center field for St. Louis. Four days later, Del Greco was traded to the Cubs.

Smith, who came up through the Cardinals system, wasn’t ready. On May 23, with Smith batting .225 and the Cardinals at 13-16, Hutchinson moved Boyer to center field and placed rookie Eddie Kasko, 24, at third base.

The Cardinals won 15 of their next 20, improving to 28-21. Their strong play continued deep into the summer. On Aug. 4, St. Louis was 63-41.

In late September, though, the Braves won two of three in St. Louis to nail down the pennant. Milwaukee finished 95-59; the Cardinals were second at 87-67.

Boyer played center field in 105 games and led National League center fielders in fielding percentage (.993). He made two errors in 885.2 innings played in center field.

Kasko was reliable at third base (.961 fielding percentage in 120 games) and hit .273 overall.

In 1958, Boyer returned to third base, Kasko moved to shortstop after the May trade of Al Dark to the Cubs, and the Cardinals turned to rookie Curt Flood in center field.