One of the most glorious seasons in Cardinals history was the most painful in the 13-year big-league career of Gus Triandos.
Triandos, who died March 28, 2013, at 82, was a catcher with the 1964 Phillies, whose late-season collapse enabled the Cardinals to surge to the National League pennant and a World Series title.
A hard-hitting right-handed batter who three times slugged more than 20 home runs in a season for the Orioles, Triandos, 34, was nearing the end of his playing days when he platooned with Clay Dalrymple on the 1964 Phillies.
Though he broke into the majors with the Yankees in August 1953, Triandos never had appeared in a World Series. He spent most of his career with the Orioles before he was traded with outfielder Whitey Herzog to the Tigers in November 1962.
After a season with Detroit, he was dealt with pitcher Jim Bunning to the Phillies in December 1963.
The Phillies had finished last in the National League each season from 1958 through 1961. They hadn’t won a pennant since 1950. But amazing things began to happen for Triandos and the 1964 Phillies.
Triandos dubbed 1964 “the season of the blue snow,” an apparent reference to the Paul Bunyan and blue ox folklore.
What that meant, Triandos told the Chicago Tribune in a 2005 interview, was “so many odd things happened that year” he wouldn’t have been surprised if snow turned blue.
On June 21, 1964, Triandos caught Bunning’s perfect game against the Mets at Shea Stadium. Triandos also drove in two runs and scored a run. Boxscore
Triandos told The Sporting News that Bunning was so relaxed “he was jabbering like a magpie.”
“On the bench before the ninth,” Triandos related, “(Bunning) said, ‘I’d like to borrow (Sandy) Koufax’s hummer for that last inning.’ Then he’s out there with two hitters to go and he calls me out and says I should tell him a joke or something, just to give him a breather.”
The Phillies finished that day in first place. They entered September with a 5.5-game lead over the second-place Reds and were seven ahead of the fourth-place Cardinals.
Holding a 6.5-game lead over the Cardinals and Reds with 12 to play, a pennant seemed a near certainty for the Phillies.
Then they lost 10 in a row.
In that stretch was a three-game sweep by the Cardinals over the Phillies at St. Louis.
The middle game of the set was on Sept. 29, 1964. The Phillies had lost eight straight and had fallen into third place. Behind Ray Sadecki, seeking his 20th win, the Cardinals took a 3-0 lead.
In the fourth, the Phillies made a desperate bid to regain momentum and salvage their season. They loaded the bases on three walks. With two outs and Dalrymple due up, manager Gene Mauch called on Triandos to pinch hit. He singled to center, scoring two and pulling the Phillies within one.
But the Cardinals held on, winning, 4-2, and moved into a first-place tie with the Reds.
The next night, Sept. 30, the Cardinals prevailed, 8-5, over Bunning and the Phillies, while the Pirates beat the Reds, 1-0, in 16 innings. The Cardinals gained sole possession of first place.
Four days later, on the final day of the season, St. Louis clinched the pennant. The Cardinals had won 10 of their final 13, including a stretch of eight in a row.
“Everybody looked at each other and was like, ‘What happened?’ ” Triandos said to the Chicago Tribune in 2005.
The Phillies ended their season with Bunning’s shutout in a 10-0 victory over the Reds. Both the Phillies and the Reds finished a game behind the Cardinals.
In the locker room after the game, Triandos told the Associated Press, “I guess I was more disappointed than anyone. Anybody my age feels that way. There might not be another chance.
“It’s not snowing blue.”
Previously: 1964 Cardinals were menace to Dennis Bennett
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