RetroSimba

The 1954 Cardinals had the worst bullpen ERA (5.46) in franchise history.

So desperate for relief were they that Harvey Haddix, who led the club in games started (35) and wins (18), also ranked second in saves, with four in eight relief appearances.

Haddix was the starting and losing pitcher in the Cardinals’ season opener, a 13-4 loss to the Cubs on April 13, 1954, at St. Louis. Boxscore Two days later, in the Cardinals’ second game of the season, versus the Braves at Milwaukee, Haddix again was the losing pitcher _ this time, in relief. Boxscore He worked as long in his relief stint, 2.1 innings, as he did in his start.

Haddix didn’t pitch in the Cardinals’ third game of the season, but he was one of the few on the staff who didn’t. On April 17, 1954, the Cubs defeated the Cardinals, 23-13, at Chicago. Five Cardinals relievers combined to give up 16 runs in seven innings in relief of starter Gerry Staley. The game took 3 hours, 43 minutes to play _ the longest nine-inning game in National League history at that time. Boxscore

In The Sporting News, Bob Broeg wrote that the Cardinals’ start to the season was a “humorless first week when their pitching … was cuffed incredibly.”

After 10 games, manager Eddie Stanky said of his bullpen, “I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I know this _ I’m not going with what I’ve got.”

A look at the relievers who were the most prominent members of the infamous 1954 Cardinals bullpen:

_ Al Brazle. The side-arming left-hander was the Cardinals’ closer. He had been effective in the previous two years, saving 16 for St. Louis in 1952 and 18 in 1953, but he had just eight saves and a 4.16 ERA in 1954. He was far better on the road (2.27 ERA) than he was at home (5.55 ERA). Brazle, 40, was released after the season and never appeared in the big leagues again.

_ Cot Deal. A right-hander, Deal, 31, yielded 85 hits, including 14 home runs, in 71.2 innings. He had more walks (36) than strikeouts (25) and an ERA of 6.28. Left-handed batters hit .341 against him. Deal never pitched in the big leagues after 1954, but he went on to coach for 15 years in the majors, including on the staff of manager Johnny Keane’s 1965 Yankees.

_ Joe Presko. Primarily a Cardinals starter from 1951-53, the right-hander had an 8.61 ERA in 31 relief appearances for the 1954 Cardinals. He lost four relief decisions in a span from May 28 to June 17. Presko surrendered 59 hits in 38.2 innngs of relief. After the season, Presko, 25, was acquired by the Tigers.

_ Royce Lint. A 33-year-old rookie, Lint pitched two scoreless innings of relief in the Cardinals’ season opener, but the left-hander finished his lone big-league season with a 5.19 ERA in 26 relief appearances.

_ Stu Miller. Though The Sporting News would name this right-hander the National League Fireman of the Year with the 1961 Giants and the American League Fireman of the Year with the 1963 Orioles, Miller, 26, wasn’t an effective reliever for the 1954 Cardinals. He had a 5.96 ERA in 15 relief appearances, walking 16 in 25.2 innings.

Three pitchers on the 1954 Cardinals were used as both starters and relievers. They were:

_ Gerry Staley. He pitched in 48 games, 20 starts and 28 relief stints. He had a 3.77 ERA and three saves as a reliever.

_ Brooks Lawrence. The rookie pitched in 35 games, 18 starts and 17 relief appearances. He was 6-4 with a 3.25 ERA as a reliever.

_ Tom Poholsky. He pitched in 25 games, 13 starts and 12 relief stints. He had a 5.30 ERA as a reliever, yielding five home runs in 18.2 innings.

Previously: Bobby Shantz: First Cardinals pitcher to win Gold Glove