Insisting the crime didn’t fit the punishment, Cardinals pitcher Joaquin Andujar threatened to return home to the Dominican Republic rather than pay a $200 fine for an altercation with Giants counterpart Mike Krukow.
Andujar didn’t leave the Cardinals _ instead, he completed a satisfying season in which he led the National League in wins (20) and innings pitched (261.1) _ but the incident and his reaction to it contributed to the legend of the talented, emotional St. Louis starter.
On July 17, 1984, the Giants and Cardinals played at St. Louis. In the first inning, Giants batter Manny Trillo was hit by a pitch from Andujar. (The Cardinals right-hander led the National League in most batters hit by pitches in both 1984 and 1985.)
Two innings later, when Andujar batted for the first time in the game, Krukow threw two pitches that brushed back the Cardinals pitcher. After the second delivery, Krukow charged toward Andujar, according to The Sporting News.
Both benches emptied but there was no serious fighting and neither pitcher was ejected.
No surrender
Krukow told The Sporting News that his teammates expected him to answer Andujar’s plunking of Trillo.
“I have to dress next to these guys,” Krukow said. “I couldn’t look them in the eye if I didn’t protect them.”
Said Andujar: “He charged me. What am I supposed to do, run?”
Krukow struck out Andujar and the game remained scoreless through three.
In the fourth, the Giants reached Andujar for three singles, a double and a walk. They swiped two bases in the inning. Andujar uncorked a wild pitch. The Giants scored four times in the fourth and went on to a 7-2 victory. Boxscore
The National League fined Andujar $200 for his role in the incident. Incredulous, Andujar told The Sporting News, “I’m not going to pay that. They’re going to suspend me if I don’t pay. I should go to the Dominican Republic right now. I have enough money. I could live on that. This is lousy.”
Die a Cardinal
Four days before the Andujar-Krukow fracas, Cardinals shortstop Ozzie Smith suffered a right wrist fracture when hit by a pitch from the Padres’ Ed Whitson. Boxscore
Said Andujar: “Ozzie Smith gets a broken wrist and they don’t throw that pitcher out or fine him. If I broke somebody’s wrist, I’d be suspended for a year.”
A month later, amid speculation he would ask to be traded when his contract expired after the 1984 season, Andujar attempted to squelch such talk. “I like (manager) Whitey Herzog,” Andujar said to The Sporting News. “I want to be here. I don’t want to get traded. I want to die here. I want St. Louis fans to know that. Maybe they will feel better if they know you want to die here.”
Andujar accepted a three-year, $4.5 million deal from the Cardinals after the season. In his book “White Rat: A Life in Baseball” (1987, Harper & Row), Herzog wrote of Andujar in 1984, “If it hadn’t been for Andujar and (Bruce) Sutter, we might have finished in last place … Joaquin was just superb.”
Andujar posted 21 wins for the 1985 Cardinals and helped them win the pennant. But he imploded during Game 7 of the World Series, confronting umpire Don Denkinger, and was traded to the Athletics soon thereafter.
Previously: How Joaquin Andujar made like Babe Ruth for Cardinals
Previously: Joaquin Andujar skipped All-Star Game to barbecue quail
Previously: Given 3 runs, Joaquin Andujar was money in the bank
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