RetroSimba

(Updated Aug. 22, 2020)

If second baseman Red Schoendienst had signed with the expansion Angels _ and he came close to doing just that _ he might never have returned to the Cardinals and become their manager, guiding them to two National League pennants and a World Series title.

Rejecting a “lush contract” from the 1961 Angels, Schoendienst accepted an invitation to try out for a spot with the Cardinals, made the roster, finished his playing career with them, became a coach on manager Johnny Keane’s staff and then replaced Keane.

In October 1960, a year after his comeback from tuberculosis, Schoendienst, 37, was released by the Braves.

“It doubtless was shocking to many that the Braves began cleaning house by cutting one of baseball’s biggest names,” The Sporting News reported.

In his book, “Eddie Mathews and the National Pastime,” Braves third baseman Eddie Mathews said, “That move made no sense to us. They didn’t trade him for anybody. They just let him go. Red was getting up in years, but he had some baseball left.”

Schoendienst had opened the 1960 season as the Braves’ starting second baseman. He was batting .306 on May 13, but manager Chuck Dressen eventually lost confidence in him. After starting at second base for the Braves on Aug. 10, Schoendienst appeared in only one game after Aug. 11 and finished the season with a .257 batting average in 68 games.

General manager John McHale offered Schoendienst a non-playing job in the Braves’ organization (The Sporting News reported it probably was a minor-league manager position) but Schoendienst rejected it. “I don’t know what they had in mind,” Schoendienst said, “but I told them to forget it.”

Schoendienst, who had excelled for the Cardinals from 1945-56 before being traded to the Giants and then the Braves, told reporters he preferred to stay in the National League. “You hear some people say I’ve slowed up in the field,” Schoendienst said. “Well, maybe I have a little bit, but I’m confident that I can still make the plays at second base and I know I can help some club next year.”

In November 1960, St. Louis general manager Bing Devine invited Schoendienst to attend Cardinals spring training in 1961 for a tryout. “There is no question in my mind that he can prove valuable in a reserve capacity,” Devine said. “Meanwhile, I told him that if any other opportunity comes his way he is not committed to the Cardinals.”

A month later, Angels general manager Fred Haney offered Schoendienst a contract to join the expansion team as a second baseman, The Sporting News reported. Haney had been manager of the Braves in 1957 and 1958 when Schoendienst helped Milwaukee win two pennants and a World Series championship.

Schoendienst told friends, “If the contract is satisfactory, I’ll sign it. I think I can play 100 games in 1961.”

The Sporting News reported the contract as “lush” and proclaimed Haney “undoubtedly will take the veteran second baseman to camp with the club at Palm Springs.”

Instead, Schoendienst, who turned 38 in February 1961, chose to attend Cardinals camp as a non-roster player. “I told Fred (Haney) I’d be better off staying in St. Louis with my family,” Schoendienst said.

Reporting in top condition after a winter of workouts, Schoendienst impressed Devine and manager Solly Hemus with his play. On March 15, they signed him to a contract and declared he would back up starting second baseman Julian Javier.

The move paid off for the Cardinals and Schoendienst. He hit .300 in 72 games for the 1961 Cardinals. He was a player-coach for Keane (who replaced Hemus) in 1962 _ and did even better, hitting .301 in 98 games.

Schoendienst remained a Cardinals coach in 1963 and 1964 (appearing as a pinch-hitter in 1963) and became St. Louis manager in 1965. In 14 years as Cardinals manager, Schoendienst had a 1,041-955 record. Only Tony La Russa had more wins as a Cardinals manager.

Previously: Red Schoendienst made Cardinals home run history