RetroSimba

Rogers Hornsby brought out the best in the baseball talents of Les Bell, and soon after Hornsby departed the Cardinals, Bell did, too.

On March 20, 1928, the Cardinals and Braves swapped third basemen, with Bell going to the Braves for Andy High and cash.

The deal reunited Bell with Hornsby. They were Cardinals teammates from 1923 to 1926. When second baseman Hornsby became player-manager in May 1925, Bell blossomed, developing into a premier run producer. “His effect on Bell was almost instantaneous,” International News Service reported. “From a very commonplace third baseman, he became a ranking star in 1926.”

In 1926, when Hornsby led the Cardinals to their first National League pennant and a World Series title, Bell batted .325 with 33 doubles, 14 triples, 17 home runs and 100 RBI.

After Hornsby was traded by the Cardinals to the Giants in December 1926, Bell fell into a funk. Without his mentor, Bell slumped in 1927, batting .259 with nine home runs and 65 RBI for the Cardinals. He also made 24 errors at third base.

Let’s make a deal

After the 1927 season, the Cardinals demoted player-manager Bob O’Farrell, promoted a coach, Bill McKechnie, to replace him, and the Giants traded Hornsby to the Braves.

Determined to impress McKechnie, Bell reported a week early to the Cardinals’ 1928 spring training camp. Bell hit well but fielded poorly. “Ground balls were getting by him and going through his legs,” the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Meanwhile, Hornsby was urging the Braves to trade for Bell. Andy High was the Braves’ third baseman. Born in Ava, Ill., High grew up in St. Louis, where his father was an electrical engineer. High reached the major leagues with the Dodgers in 1922 and played for them until he was claimed on waivers by the Braves in 1925. He hit .302 with 46 RBI for the Braves in 1927 and committed 20 errors in 89 games at third base.

The Cardinals unsuccessfully tried to acquire third baseman Freddie Lindstrom from the Giants, the St. Louis Star-Times reported. They also asked the Phillies about Fresco Thompson, a second baseman whom the Cardinals intended to move to third, but that deal also failed to develop.

The Cardinals were talking with the Braves about a pair of infielders, Doc Farrell and Eddie Moore, and when the Braves offered High for Bell, Cardinals owner Sam Breadon approved the trade.

Effective platoon

Hornsby “was largely responsible for the deal,” United Press reported.

Hornsby told the Star-Times “the Braves consider Bell the greatest third baseman in the business.”

Said Bell: “I intend to … show the Cardinals why they made a mistake. Don’t think I won’t play great ball this summer.”

The Post-Dispatch reported the trade “came as a big surprise to the Cardinals players.” Braves manager Jack Slattery told the newspaper he didn’t think High could field well enough to be a starter.

Though he called High “a great hitter and a wonderful fielder,” McKechnie said Wattie Holm, a utility player, would be the Cardinals’ starter at third base and High would have a backup role.

“I can hardly believe McKechnie is going to give me a chance to be the regular third baseman,” Holm said. “I am going out to show Bill he has not made a mistake in giving me the job.”

Said High: “McKechnie is a wonderful man personally and a mighty shrewd manager. The Cards have a great club. I will try hard to get a regular job and it is my honest opinion that I can help the Cards win many ballgames.”

McKechnie ended up platooning Holm and High. Holm, a right-handed batter, made 82 starts at third base, hit .277 with 47 RBI and committed 22 errors. High, a left-handed batter, started 70 games at third base, hit .285 with 37 RBI and made 12 errors.

The 1928 Cardinals (95-59) won the pennant and finished 44.5 games ahead of the Braves (50-103). Bell batted .277 with 36 doubles and 91 RBI, but he and the hard-hitting Hornsby, who replaced Slattery as manager in May, couldn’t overcome a pitching staff that produced a 4.83 ERA.