RetroSimba

(Updated March 18, 2022)

Seeking a replacement for Ozzie Smith, the Cardinals needed a shortstop who possessed exceptional fielding skills, self-confidence and diplomacy. They chose Royce Clayton.

On Dec. 14, 1995, the Cardinals traded pitchers Allen Watson, Rich DeLucia and Doug Creek to the Giants for Clayton and minor-league second baseman Chris Wimmer.

The Cardinals figured they no longer could count on Smith to be their shortstop. Smith, who turned 41 in December 1995, had been limited to 41 starts during the 1995 season because of a shoulder injury.

Two free-agent shortstops _ Greg Gagne and Walt Weiss _ had been pursued by the Cardinals, but were reluctant to succeed Smith. The Cardinals also had talked with the Athletics about a trade for shortstop Mike Bordick, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

In early December 1995, the Cardinals intensified their efforts to obtain Clayton.

Heir apparent

Clayton, who turned 26 three weeks after the Cardinals acquired him, was “one of the top two or three shortstops in our league,” Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said.

“The Ozzie Smith Era didn’t end officially, but it might as well have,” Post-Dispatch writer Rick Hummel surmised in his report about the trade.

Jocketty said the starting shortstop would be determined during spring training. “It seemed clear, though, that the Cardinals did not acquire Clayton to be a backup,” Hummel wrote.

Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz concluded the Cardinals “made a good trade” and urged them to declare Clayton the starter.

“The Cardinals didn’t send three pitchers to San Francisco so they could park Clayton in the dugout,” Miklasz wrote. “He’s taking over, so be straight with the fans, be straight with Ozzie. Clayton is the shortstop. That’s the obvious reality. Adults can handle it, and Ozzie will have to deal with it.”

Smith, though, had no plans to retire or accept a shift to second base. He also didn’t want to relinquish the starting shortstop spot.

Asked about manager Tony La Russa’s statement that an “open competition” would be held for the shortstop job, Smith told Hummel, “”What I’ve done over 18 years speaks for itself. But they seem to have made decisions already. Baseball is a challenge and adversity also is part of the challenge. True champions have a way of dealing with adversity. And I look at myself that way. We’ll deal with this head-on and see what happens.”

Said Clayton after the trade: “I have the utmost respect for Ozzie. I feel honored asked to be coming in after Ozzie. If he decides to stick around, it can be nothing but a positive situation.”

Ozzie fan

In 1982, when Clayton was 12, his father took him to see Smith play for the Cardinals at Dodger Stadium.

“When we left the game that night, I told my dad I wanted to play shortstop like Ozzie,” Clayton said. “God blessed me. Now, playing in the same uniform with him is like a dream.”

Clayton debuted with the Giants in 1991 and became their everyday shortstop in 1992, replacing a former Cardinal, Jose Uribe.

With the 1995 Giants, Clayton led NL shortstops in games (136), putouts (223) and assists (411). He produced 29 doubles, 58 RBI and 24 stolen bases. His batting average, though, was .244 and his on-base percentage was a measly .298. He struck out a team-high 109 times.

“Clayton is a phenomenal defensive shortstop _ maybe the best in San Francisco Giants history _ but his bat may never come around,” wrote Tim Keown of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Clayton said his 1995 batting average was low because he was under orders to focus on RBI. Keown conceded “Clayton may also benefit from a breakup with (Giants) hitting coach Bobby Bonds. The relationship hasn’t done much for either man’s career.”

Said Giants manager Dusty Baker of Clayton: “He’s going to a great manager in Tony and an outstanding batting instructor in George Hendrick. I hope the city of St. Louis gives Royce a chance to be Royce. It’s hard to follow a superstar. A lot of times, they expect to see a reincarnation of Ozzie.”

Tony tabs Clayton

As Baker predicted, Clayton clicked with Hendrick at Cardinals training camp in spring 1996. “I’ve learned more from George in spring training than I have in my whole career,” Clayton told Cardinals Magazine. “It’s really unbelievable.”

Hendrick said, “Royce is a very intelligent young man and those kinds of guys are normally very easy to work with. I don’t try to change anybody. I just try to alert them to how pitchers are getting them out and give them an approach as to what the pitchers are trying to do to them.”

At the end of spring training, Smith thought he had performed better than Clayton, but Smith was held out of the Opening Day lineup because of a hamstring injury.

La Russa started Clayton in the first six games of the 1996 season, all on the road, and gave Smith the start in the Cardinals’ home opener. Still hampered by a sore hamstring, Smith went on the 15-day disabled list after that game.

By the time Smith was activated, Clayton was established as the shortstop.

Clayton started in 111 games for the 1996 Cardinals, made 15 errors and had a fielding percentage of .972. He hit .277 with 33 stolen bases.

Smith started in 50 games for the 1996 Cardinals, made eight errors and had a fielding percentage of .969. He hit .282 with seven stolen bases.

All three pitchers acquired by the Giants in the deal for Clayton struggled in 1996. Their numbers: Watson (8-12, 4.61 ERA in 29 games), DeLucia (3-6, 5.84 ERA in 56 games) and Creek (0-2, 6.52 ERA in 63 games).

Smith retired after the 1996 season and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002.

In 1997, Clayton had a stellar season for the Cardinals. He was named an all-star, led NL shortstops in assists and hit .266 with 39 doubles, 61 RBI and 30 steals.

On July 31, 1998, Clayton and pitcher Todd Stottlemyre were traded by the Cardinals to the Rangers for third baseman Fernando Tatis, pitcher Darren Oliver and outfielder Mark Little. In three seasons with St. Louis, Clayton batted .262 with 372 hits in 373 games.