RetroSimba

(Updated Jan. 8, 2014)

Tom Glavine was at the center of some of the biggest postseason highs and lows for the Cardinals during Tony La Russa’s era as manager.

Glavine was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America on Jan. 8, 2014.

In a big-league career for the Braves and Mets from 1987-2008, the left-handed pitcher had a 305-203 record, won two Cy Young awards, led the National League in wins five times and posted double-digit wins 14 years in a row (1989-2002).

Glavine dominated the Cardinals. His 20-6 career record against St. Louis in the regular season represented a .769 winning percentage, Glavine’s highest versus any National League team.

From September 2000 to September 2008, Glavine allowed one regular-season home run to a Cardinal. It was hit on May 18, 2004, by Mike Matheny, now the Cardinals’ manager. Boxscore

In the postseason, Glavine was 2-3 against the Cardinals. His most memorable playoff performances versus St. Louis occurred in the National League Championship Series of 1996 and 2006.

Big hit in big game

Glavine was the starting and losing pitcher for the Braves in Game 3 of the 1996 NLCS. Donovan Osborne started for St. Louis and was the winner in a 3-2 Cardinals victory. Boxscore

Game 7 was a rematch of Osborne vs. Glavine. This time, Glavine delivered with his arm and his bat.

In the first inning, the Braves were ahead, 3-0, and had the bases loaded with two outs and Glavine at bat. Andy Benes was warming up in the bullpen and ready to relieve, but La Russa stuck with Osborne.

Said La Russa to Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “I second-guess myself as much as anybody, but there’s no way I’d get Osborne out with the bottom of the lineup up.”

Glavine lined an Osborne pitch to left field. Ron Gant attempted a diving catch but missed. The ball got past Gant and into the corner. Glavine raced to third with a three-run triple, giving the Braves a 6-0 lead and deflating the Cardinals.

“That base hit was a big base hit in the ballgame,” Glavine said. “If St. Louis gets out of it trailing only 3-0, they’re still in the ballgame.”

Said Gant: “It was one of those plays that was do or die. If you let it drop, they’re going to score a couple runs anyway. Just go all out. See if you can get to it. An inch away, I think.”

Glavine shut out the Cardinals on three hits for seven innings before he was relieved and the Braves coasted to a 15-0 victory, winning the pennant and advancing to the World Series against the Yankees.

“I don’t think we expected to be as dominant as we were,” Glavine said. Boxscore

Old Man River

Ten years later, Glavine, 40, was pitching for the Mets against the Cardinals in the 2006 NLCS. He was superb in Game 1, keeping the Cardinals off balance with a mix of changeups and fastballs on the outside corner. Glavine pitched seven scoreless innings, limiting St. Louis to four hits, and got the win in a 2-0 Mets victory.

Frustrated Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols, held hitless, grumbled when asked about Glavine afterward. “He wasn’t that good,” said Pujols. “He wasn’t good at all. I think we hit the ball hard. We didn’t get some breaks.”

Asked to respond to Pujols’ remarks, Glavine said, “Everyone’s entitled to their opinion.” Boxscore

With the best-of-seven NLCS squared at 2-2, Glavine was paired against his Game 1 counterpart, Jeff Weaver, in the pivotal Game 5. It would be Glavine’s 35th postseason start, a major league record.

Glavine cruised through the first three innings. The Mets led, 2-0, as the Cardinals came to bat in the bottom of the fourth.

With one out, Pujols crushed a home run off Glavine and snapped the Cardinals out of their funk.

Wrote Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz: “The Cardinals began taking pitches. They started to stroke the ball to the opposite field.”

The Cardinals tied the score in the fourth and went ahead, 3-2, in the fifth, knocking Glavine out of the game. The Cardinals went on to a 4-2 victory. Boxscore

Under the headline “Cardinals Put Mets’ Aging Artist on Canvas,” Miklasz observed, “The more intelligent the Cardinals’ approach, the more Glavine gave way. By the end of his start, the classy future Hall of Famer was like one of those old barges on the Mississippi River, stalled on a sandbar.”

It was only the second time Glavine had lost a postseason game in which he was given a lead of two runs.

Inspired, the Cardinals dispatched the Mets in seven games and went on to defeat the Tigers in five to earn their first World Series championship in 24 years.

Previously: Cardinals years among best for Hall candidate Lee Smith