RetroSimba

(Updated Jan. 4, 2025)

In the last game the Cardinals played in Brooklyn, they faced a pair of 21-year-old emerging aces: Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax.

Drysdale was effective; Koufax was not. They were two of six future Hall of Famers who played against the Cardinals on Aug. 25, 1957, at Ebbets Field. The others were Roy Campanella, Gil Hodges, Pee Wee Reese and Duke Snider.

Stan Musial, who a decade earlier got his nickname, “The Man,” from Dodgers fans, was injured and didn’t play for the Cardinals in their Ebbets Field finale. In the book “We Would Have Played For Nothing,” Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca said of Musial, “Those fans in Brooklyn … used to give him a standing ovation. He got more cheers than the Dodgers because they respected his ability.”

Musial, who batted .359 with 223 hits in 163 career games in Brooklyn, hurt his left shoulder on Aug. 22 at Philadelphia. X-rays revealed a chip fracture in his shoulder blade.

“We’re a different ballclub, not nearly as dangerous, without Stan Musial in there,” Cardinals manager Fred Hutchinson told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Sentimental journey

Though a move to Los Angeles for the 1958 season wasn’t official, it was widely known the Dodgers intended to leave Brooklyn, barring an 11th-hour deal for a new ballpark. The Dodgers planned to follow the Giants, who had announced their plans to depart New York for San Francisco after the season.

Ebbets Field had been the site of epic Cardinals-Dodgers games, especially in the 1940s when the two franchises accounted for seven National League pennants in a nine-year span from 1941-49.

The 1957 Cardinals were in the middle of a 22-game road trip that began Aug. 13 and would take them to Chicago, Milwaukee, New York, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Pittsburgh, Chicago again and Cincinnati before ending Sept. 3.

A crowd of 10,883 turned out for the Cardinals’ farewell appearance at Brooklyn. A mist fell and wind whipped through Ebbets Field, bringing a raw feel to an atypical summer Sunday.

The game matched Drysdale against Sam Jones.

After retiring the first two batters, Drysdale walked Joe Cunningham and Wally Moon and plunked Ken Boyer with a pitch, loading the bases. He escaped unscathed by striking out Del Ennis.

Drysdale held the Cardinals hitless until Moon led off the fourth with a double.

Powered by Gil Hodges, who reached Jones for a two-run homer and RBI-double, the Dodgers led, 6-2, through seven.

Comeback bid

In the eighth, Moon drove in a run with a single, making the score 6-3 and knocking out Drysdale. Ed Roebuck relieved.

In the ninth, the Cardinals got within two, 6-4, on a Don Blasingame double that scored Bobby Smith and moved Dick Schofield to third.

With one out, Al Dark came to the plate, looking to drive in the runners from second and third and tie the score. Instead, Dark grounded out to Roebuck and the runners held. Disgusted, Dark flung his batting helmet into the dugout.

Plate umpire Augie Donatelli, thinking the player was upset with him, ejected Dark. “I resent Donatelli’s mind-reading act,” Dark said.

With Cunningham due next, Dodgers manager Walter Alston wanted a left-handed pitcher, so he removed Roebuck and brought in Koufax.

Hutchinson countered, sending Hal Smith, a right-handed batter, to face Koufax.

Old pro

Koufax walked Smith, loading the bases. The next batter, Moon, also walked, forcing in a run and making the score 6-5.

With the bases still loaded, Alston pulled Koufax and replaced him with a starter, Sal Maglie. Making his first relief appearance since May, Maglie, 40, was brought in to face Ken Boyer. Mixing guile with skill, Maglie struck out Boyer on three pitches, clinching the victory. Boxscore