RetroSimba

After Stan Musial retired, Charlie James was chosen to replace him as the Cardinals’ left fielder in 1964.

Three months into the season, James was replaced by Lou Brock.

James, a St. Louis native, was a standout athlete at Webster Groves High School and went on to play halfback for the University of Missouri football team and outfield for the baseball team. After his junior season in football, James chose to pursue a career in baseball. The Cardinals signed him in January 1958 and, after a stint in the minors, he was promoted to the big leagues in August 1960.

While playing professional baseball, James earned a bachelor of science degree and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis.

During the winter, before reporting to spring training with the 1964 Cardinals, James taught electrical engineering courses as an instructor at Washington University. Cardinals infielder Dal Maxvill, also a Washington University graduate in electrical engineering, was moonlighting as a recruiter for the school’s engineering department and Charlie Johnson, starting quarterback for the NFL St. Louis Cardinals, was working on his doctorate in chemical engineering there, The Sporting News noted.

Endorsed by Stan

James hit .268 with 10 home runs and 45 RBI in 116 games for the 1963 Cardinals. With Musial retiring and right fielder George Altman traded to the Mets, the Cardinals talked with the Giants about a trade of James and pitcher Ray Sadecki for outfielder Felipe Alou, The Sporting News reported.

Instead, the Cardnals went into 1964 spring training with James as the popular choice to replace Musial in left.

“Altman and I drove in 105 runs last year,” Musial said, “but I’m sure that James and (right fielder Carl) Warwick can do better than that playing all the time. I’m sure they’ll do much better.”

The Sporting News observed, “James, in particular, has been groomed to take Stan the Man’s place ever since he joined the varsity in 1960. Musial, in fact, back in 1959 pin-pointed the former Missouri gridder as the next major outfield star for the Cardinals.”

James hit .320 in 20 spring training games in 1964 and appeared to validate the Cardinals’ confidence in him.

“Charlie is responding well to the challenge,” said manager Johnny Keane. “He knows it is his job and he’s going to keep it.”

Said Musial: “Charlie will get 15 to 20 homers for us.”

Goodbye, Charlie

The Cardinals opened the 1964 season with James in left, Curt Flood in center and Warwick in right.

James, 26, had some big games early in the 1964 season:

_ April 22: He hit a three-run home run off Sandy Koufax in the Cardinals’ 7-6 victory over the Dodgers. Boxscore

_ May 8: He had three hits off Jack Fisher and scored twice in the Cardinals’ 5-4 loss to the Mets. Boxscore

_ May 15: He hit two home runs, one off starter Denny Lemaster and the other against Bobby Tiefenauer, in the Cardinals’ 10-6 victory over the Braves. Boxscore

A right-handed batter, James was hitting .281 on May 19 before he slumped, producing two hits in his next 22 at-bats and dropping his batting mark to .246. By June 15, the day the Cardinals acquired Brock from the Cubs, James was hitting .238.

James was limited to six starts after July 4. He ended the season with a .223 batting average, five home runs and 17 RBI in 88 games. He struggled to hit right-handed pitching, producing a .196 batting average, and was unproductive with runners in scoring position (.183).

With his hitting (.348) and speed (33 steals), Brock was the catalyst in propelling the Cardinals to the National League pennant.

James went hitless in three pinch-hit appearances against the Yankees in the 1964 World Series. After the season, he was traded to the Reds, played one season with them and launched a successful business career, eventually becoming president of Central Electric Co. in Fulton, Mo.

Previously: Gibson vs. Koufax: A grand game for Charlie James