RetroSimba

(Updated April 30, 2023)

From a public relations perspective, the trade of Ken Boyer from the Cardinals to the Mets was a disaster. From a baseball perspective, it was a marquee deal that produced mixed results.

On Oct. 20, 1965, the Cardinals traded Boyer, their third baseman and cleanup batter, to the Mets for pitcher Al Jackson and third baseman Charlie Smith.

Cardinals general manager Bob Howsam made the trade because he indicated he believed Boyer, 34, was in decline and the club needed pitching and speed to adapt to their spacious new downtown stadium in 1966.

Howsam said Jackson, 29, bolstered the rotation, and he saw Smith, 28, as a more agile third baseman than Boyer with more power potential.

Bing Devine, former Cardinals general manager who was special assistant to Mets president George Weiss, advocated for New York to acquire Boyer as much for his leadership and professionalism as for his ability to produce runs and stabilize the third base position.

In their first four seasons after entering the National League as an expansion team in 1962, the Mets developed a reputation as a clownish club. Devine envisioned Boyer as a player who could help change that perception.

Ham-handed Howsam

The trade was unpopular with many Cardinals fans. Boyer was Cardinals royalty. In handling the trade callously, Howsam appeared to treat Boyer disrespectfully.

Boyer, who signed with the Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 1949, played 11 seasons for St. Louis (1955-65) and was named an all-star seven times.

He also won the Gold Glove Award five times and earned the NL Most Valuable Player Award in 1964, when he produced 24 home runs, 119 RBI and 100 runs in leading the Cardinals to a pennant and World Series title. Overall, Boyer had 1,855 hits in 1,667 career games with the Cardinals, including 255 home runs and 1,001 RBI.

Boyer learned of the deal in a phone call with reporter Jack Herman of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat.

“You’re kidding,” Boyer said when told of the trade. “That’s really something.

“Seventeen years is a long time (with one organization). I don’t know what to think right now. I wouldn’t be truthful if I didn’t say I was sorry to be leaving.”

The Sporting News reported “various Cardinals officials tried to contact” Boyer to tell him about the trade, but Cardinals fans concluded management, especially Howsam, didn’t try hard enough.

“As soon as the Boyer deal became public property, Cardinals fans touched off a storm,” The Sporting News reported. “They swamped all the news media and even tried to get through to Cardinals general manager Bob Howsam to register protests and threats to cancel tickets.”

The furor was comparable to the uproar that ensued when the Cardinals traded popular standouts such as Rogers Hornsby, Enos Slaughter and Red Schoendienst.

Support from Stan

Schoendienst, who completed his first season as Cardinals manager in 1965, endorsed the trade of Boyer. “We’re sorry to see Kenny go, but good left-handed pitchers are few and far between,” Schoendienst told the Associated Press. “Smith can drive in the runs and is an improved fielder.”

Stan Musial, a Cardinals vice president in 1965, told United Press International the trade was a “good deal” for St. Louis. Musial was impressed by Jackson. “Al is a good competitor,” Musial said. “That guy can beat the tough clubs.”

Said Howsam: “We hate to see a player of Ken’s caliber go, but we had a chance to get a man in Smith who is a power hitter and good fielder, and a fine starting pitcher in Jackson. We felt we couldn’t pass it up.”

Developing a deal

Initially, the Cardinals talked with the Astros about a deal that would have featured Boyer for third baseman Bob Aspromonte. The Mets had been discussing with the Angels a trade of Jackson and Smith for outfielder Jose Cardenal.

When those talks stalled, The Sporting News reported, the Cardinals and Mets struck their deal.

Jackson earned a franchise-leading 40 wins in his four seasons with the Mets. In 1965, Jackson was 8-20 with a 4.34 ERA.

Smith, who played for the Dodgers, Phillies and White Sox before joining the Mets, hit .244 in 1965. His power numbers that season (20 doubles, 16 home runs, .393 slugging percentage) were better than those produced in 1965 by Boyer (18 doubles, 13 home runs, .374 slugging percentage).

“I think I’ll be able to help the Mets,” Boyer said. “The sentiment is gone for the Cardinals … It will strictly be on a business basis now.”

Boyer led the 1966 Mets in RBI (61) and doubles (28) and was second on the club in home runs (14).

In his autobiography, “Cleon Jones: Coming Home,” Mets outfielder Cleon Jones said, “Ken Boyer was an icon, the very best at what he did at his position. Ken Boyer was one of the greatest third basemen to play the game. He was a great defensive player, an offensive force and became a great teammate.

“He was the kind of guy who would always reach out to his teammates. He could talk about the game in a way that made you feel like you belonged in the league, that you could do it because he wasn’t talking to you about what you did wrong but about how you have to be prepared to be successful. That was one of the bright spots in my early career. to have Ken Boyer as a teammate and to watch him go out on the field and perform like he did.”

Al Jackson was second to Bob Gibson in wins (13), complete games (11) and innings pitched (232.2) for the 1966 Cardinals. He had nine wins for the 1967 World Series champion Cardinals, then was dealt back to the Mets.

Charlie Smith had 104 hits and struck out 81 times in 116 games for the 1966 Cardinals. He produced 10 home runs and 43 RBI. After the season, Smith was traded to the Yankees for Roger Maris and was replaced at third by Mike Shannon.