(Updated April 10, 2020)
Facing the defending World Series champion Pirates, Cardinals starter Pete Vuckovich performed a high-wire act in the 1980 season opener.
Vuckovich pitched a three-hit shutout in the Cardinals’ 1-0 victory on April 10, 1980, at St. Louis.
It was the first of only two times the Cardinals won a season opener by a score of 1-0. The second occurred March 31, 2014, against the Reds at Cincinnati.
In the 2014 game, the Cardinals escaped an eighth-inning jam in which the Reds had runners on first and third with none out. Boxscore
In the 1980 game, Vuckovich performed a Houdini act by striking out the side with two runners on base in the ninth.
Strikeout pitch
Using a variety of off-speed pitches called by catcher Ted Simmons, Vuckovich retired 14 Pirates in a row between the first and sixth innings.
The Cardinals got a run against Bert Blyleven in the second when Bobby Bonds, in his Cardinals debut after being acquired from the Indians, walked and scored on a George Hendrick double.
Vuckovich held the Pirates to two hits through eight innings, but in the ninth it began to unravel.
Pinch-hitter Lee Lacy led off with a single and Omar Moreno followed with a walk, putting runners on second and first with none out.
“We couldn’t ask to be in a better situation,” Pirates manager Chuck Tanner told United Press International.
Tim Foli, who the year before was the toughest National League batter to strike out, stepped to the plate.
Vuckovich struck him out swinging.
Next up, Dave Parker, who was nicknamed “The Cobra” for his ability to uncoil quickly and lash line drives.
Vuckovich struck him out swinging.
“The pitches were looking good and then the ball would break away,” Parker told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Willie Stargell, destined for the Hall of Fame, followed. With the count 0-and-1, Stargell swung and missed at a low pitch that glanced off the wrist of Simmons and rolled into the Pirates’ dugout, enabling Lacy to advance to third and Moreno to second.
Simmons told the Post-Dispatch, “I went to sleep … The ball hit the dirt, but I could have blocked it.”
Stargell watched the next three pitches sail outside the strike zone, making the count 3-and-2.
“You can’t do anything but respect these guys,” Vuckovich said. “There’s no room for getting scared or nervous because they can sense that, too. If they get that feeling, they can get you.”
The payoff pitch from Vuckovich was a wicked breaking ball. “The ball dropped eight inches,” Vuckovich told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Stargell swung and missed with such intensity his bat flew out of his hands and into the stands. The strikeout of Stargell set off a celebration among the 42,867 spectators at Busch Stadium. Boxscore
Praise from Stan
“I was lucky,” Vuckovich said. “It could just as easily have gone the other way.”
Vuckovich delivered 111 pitches, striking out nine and walking two.
“Today was an emotional drain,” Vuckovich said to the Associated Press.
The performance earned Vuckovich the admiration of everyone who witnessed it.
“Amazing,” Stan Musial, the Cardinals’ all-time greatest player, said to The Sporting News. “He throws the best right-handed breaking pitches I ever saw.”
Cardinals pitching coach Claude Osteen said, “The thing about him is he’s got great motion on the off-speed pitches. You just don’t know what to look for. I don’t think there’s anybody that has that many pitches under control.”
Pirates second baseman Phil Garner said, “Vuckovich gets my vote for Cy Young Award already.”
Vuckovich finished 12-9 with three shutouts and a 3.40 ERA for the 1980 Cardinals.
After the season, Vuckovich, Simmons and reliever Rollie Fingers were traded to the Brewers. Vuckovich led the American League in winning percentage in each of his first two years with the Brewers and won the 1982 Cy Young Award.
RetroSimba 
I was in attendance for that game! How time flies…
Thanks for your comment. I know what you mean. I remember listening to this game on radio and squirming through that 9th inning.
Even though the trade with the Brewers worked out well for both teams, I was sorry to see him go. From ’78 to ’80, he led our staff in wins, complete games, shutouts and strikeouts. Back when Pete played, managers still gave the pitcher a chance to work himself out of a jam. Add to this the fact that Vuckovich, for some uncanny reason, enjoyed pitching behind in the count, he was one of a kind. 1980 ended up being a disappointing season. Next to the hiring of Whitey, that opening day victory was the biggest highlight of the year.
Thanks for the insights. Pete Vuckovich and Ted Simmons clicked as battery mates. Vuckovich pitched in 286 games in the majors and Simmons was his catcher for 142 of those. In games caught by Simmons, Vuckovich had a 3.37 ERA, which was better than his career mark of 3.66.
1980: Great expectations for that season, but Bonds was through; Scott underperformed, and Reitz had his usual brilliant April and May before falling way off at the plate. The first west coast trip did them in. Heavy hitting by most of the lineup, but Templeton missed a lot of games. Finished 74-88, but outscored the opposition. Starters led the league in complete games. That bullpen…if they could just find a closer; maybe someone like Sutter?
Yep, that bullpen was weak. Rookie John Littlefield led the 1980 Cardinals in saves (9). Opponents hit .282 against him and he allowed 71 hits in 66 innings pitched. At 41, Jim Kaat may have been their best reliever. He was 8-7 overall, including 14 starts. In his 35 relief appearances for the 1980 Cardinals, Kaat was 3-2 with 4 saves and a 3.15 ERA. He allowed one home run in 40 innings of relief work.