A deal designed to make the Cardinals a surefire bet to win a third consecutive pennant backfired on them and instead helped the Reds develop into the most dominant team in the National League.
On Oct. 11, 1968, the Cardinals acquired outfielder Vada Pinson from the Reds for outfielder Bobby Tolan and relief pitcher Wayne Granger.
The trade was made the day after the Tigers beat the Cardinals in Game 7 of the 1968 World Series and it seemed to signal the two-time defending National League champions would be back in 1969 for a chance to reclaim the World Series crown they’d won in 1967.
Pinson, 30, was acquired to replace right fielder Roger Maris, who retired. Like Maris, Pinson batted left-handed and earned a reputation as a special talent.
The Cardinals were able to obtain him without giving up a frontline player. Tolan, 23, was a reserve and Granger, 24, was deemed expendable in a bullpen featuring Joe Hoerner and Ron Willis.
However, Reds general manager Bob Howsam was able to see what Cardinals general manager Bing Devine could not: Pinson’s skills were fading while Tolan and Granger were on the verge of becoming prominent players.
Prolific hitter
Pinson grew up in Oakland and went to McClymonds High School, which also produced athletes such as Frank Robinson and Curt Flood in baseball and Bill Russell in basketball.
Like Robinson and Flood, Pinson signed with the Reds. Robinson and Flood made their major-league debuts with Cincinnati in 1956 and Pinson was projected to be with the Reds in 1958.
The Reds could have had an outfield of Robinson, Flood and Pinson, but on Dec. 5, 1957, they traded Flood to the Cardinals in the first deal Devine made for St. Louis. In the book “October 1964,” author David Halberstam said Flood “always suspected they were not enamored of having an outfield of three black players” in Cincinnati.
Pinson became one of the game’s best players. He led the National League in hits in 1961 (208) and 1963 (204). Pinson also led the league in doubles in 1959 (47) and 1960 (37) and in triples in 1963 (14) and 1967 (13).
In 1968, Pinson, hampered by a groin injury, hit .271 with 29 doubles and 17 stolen bases, but was limited to five home runs and 48 RBI.
Judging talent
When Devine was fired by Cardinals owner Gussie Busch in August 1964, Howsam replaced him. After the 1966 season, Howsam left the Cardinals for a more lucrative deal with the Reds. Stan Musial replaced Howsam, resigned after the Cardinals won the 1967 World Series championship and was succeeded by Devine.
Several Cardinals staff members, including farm director Chief Bender and minor-league managers Sparky Anderson, Charlie Metro and Vern Rapp, eventually followed Howsam to the Reds’ organization and recommended Tolan and Granger.
As a backup outfielder and first baseman, Tolan hit .253 for the Cardinals in 1967 and .230 in 1968. Granger, a rookie, was 4-2 with four saves and a 2.25 ERA for the 1968 Cardinals.
The Cardinals “were disappointed” in Tolan’s hitting, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported, and “felt too many pitchers were able to handle him.”
“The front office and the field command had developed serious doubts Tolan would progress sufficiently as a hitter,” Post-Dispatch columnist Bob Broeg reported.
Howsam, however, was sold on Tolan, telling the Cincinnati Enquirer, “I don’t care what others say. I go by what we think of him. He’s got the ability and he has the desire.”
As for Granger, he “didn’t impress manager Red Schoendienst sufficiently,” Broeg wrote, even though minor-league manager Warren Spahn advocated for him.
Outstanding outfield
On Oct. 7, 1968, the day the Cardinals and Tigers played Game 5 of the World Series, Devine and Howsam agreed to the trade, according to the Dayton Journal-Herald. Though the clubs waited until after the World Series to announce the deal on Oct. 11, word leaked and it was widely reported on Oct. 10.
“Unless Pinson has aged overnight or has a hidden physical handicap, he’s likely to help the Cardinals with more speed on the bases and with a supply of doubles and triples,” Broeg surmised.
In a column for the Post-Dispatch, Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson told readers, “With Vada, Lou Brock and Curt Flood, I think we have the best outfield in baseball. Certainly it is the fastest.”
“Can you imagine the three of us out there?” Pinson said to the Associated Press. “We’ll have some fun. I’ve known since early this season I would be traded … but I thought I’d go to San Francisco. There was talk of Ray Sadecki or Gaylord Perry for me. I never dreamed it would be St. Louis. I’m really thrilled.”
In an interview with the Dayton Daily News, Pinson said, “I don’t believe I could have made a better deal for myself. I’m going to the top. Now I’ve got to make sure we stay at the top.
“I see no problem in bouncing back with the Cardinals. I’m only 30 and I figure I’ve got at least four or five more good years. The Cards must think so, too. I talked to Red Schoendienst and Bing Devine. They said the Cards had been scouting me for a good while.”
According to Bill Ford of the Cincinnati Enquirer, “Contemporaries congratulated Howsam” for acquiring Tolan. “They say Tolan, if handled properly, can be better than Brock.”
Said Tolan: “All I want is a chance to play every day because that’s the only way you can make any money. I can’t count on a World Series check every year.”
Reds strike gold
Pinson started splendidly for St. Louis in 1969, batting .293 in his first 21 games, before he was sidelined the first two weeks of May because of a hairline fracture in his right leg after being hit by a pitch from the Pirates’ Bob Moose.
After he returned to the lineup on May 14, Pinson struggled and batted .136 for the month. He rebounded in June (.286) and July (.302, 20 RBI), but slumped in August (.174) and September (.241).
The Cardinals finished in fourth place in the East Division and Pinson received part of the blame. Though his 70 RBI ranked second on the team, Pinson batted .255, with a poor on-base percentage of .303, and had four stolen bases.
On Nov. 21, 1969, the Cardinals traded Pinson to the Indians for outfielder Jose Cardenal.
Tolan and Granger had breakout seasons for the 1969 Reds. Tolan batted .305 with 194 hits, 21 home runs, 93 RBI and 26 stolen bases. Granger pitched in 90 games and had nine wins, 27 saves and a 2.80 ERA.
In 1970, the Reds won the pennant and Tolan and Granger were key contributors. Tolan hit .316 with 34 doubles, 80 RBI and 57 steals. Granger had 35 saves and a 2.66 ERA.
Two years later, when the Reds won the pennant again, Tolan batted .283 with 82 RBI and 42 stolen bases.
This was a deal I did not like from the start. I was only 15 when the deal was made, but followed MLB real close and always felt Tolan was a potential talent if he had a chance to play, and Granger looked good in his appearances with the Cards. He was a tall lanky guy with a sidearm delivery that was especially effective against right-hand hitters. Pinson seemed to be trending downward in his career. I lump three trades together as similar deals, in which I hated all three when they were made – this one, the Van Slyke trade with Pittsburgh, and the Haren/Mulder trade.
Vada bounced back some with the Indians in ’70, and Tolan injured his achilles after the ’72 season and was never the same. But the deal put the Reds over the top and helped jump start the Big Red Machine.
Thanks for the smart analysis.
At that point Bing Devine was making some terrible trades, unlike how he did in his first tenure. Flood and McCarver for Dick Allen, Steve Carlton to Philly, Jerry Ruess to Houston, Jose Cruz sold to Houston for 20 grand. Reggie Smith for Joe Ferguson. It’s no wonder that the Cards didn’t win in the 70’s. Of course Gussie Busch had a hand in some of these deals due to the fact that he was mad at the players Association. Bing had taken over a championship team and traded it into mediocrity.
I agree. Check out the interview I did with Jerry Reuss in 2014. He doesn’t hold back regarding Gussie Busch’s stupid reason for having Bing Devine trade him: https://retrosimba.com/2014/11/15/jerry-reuss-on-joe-torre-he-managed-cardinals-on-field/
I comment often on the TCN Cardinals’ forum that anytime you make a trade for non-baseball reasons, you risk making a bad deal. The Tommy Pham trade this year was a bit like that, so we will see if that turns out bad. Although in that case, the club needed to see what Harrison Bader could do.
Man, you think about the all of the terrible deals that started right after the Cardinals lost the ’68 World Series, and you wonder if there could have been two “Big Red Machines”. St. Louis could have had a rotation throughout the ’70s lead by Steve Carlton, Mike Torrez, and Jerry Reuss. Bobby Tolan, Jose Cruz and Bake McBride in the outfield, and then you had Simmons, and later on Keith Hernandez and Garry Templeton. In ’72 they could have had Carlton and Richie “Dick” Allen together in one of each of their greatest seasons.
Gussie was a passionate owner, but he sometimes let his temper and personal feelings get in the away of sound baseball judgement.
Good insights all. Thanks!
Great comments.
So Pinson lasts a year, is traded for Cardenal, who lasts a year, who is traded for Kubiak.
So, essentially, the Cards gave up Tolan and Granger for Ted effing Kubiak.
What kind of return on investment is that? Is it any wonder the Cards sucked in the 70’s?
Yes, I agree. What a dopey way to run a business.
Don’t forget they threw in Bob Reynolds in the Cardenal for Kubiak deal. They had earlier obtained Reynolds from the Expos in exchange for Mike Torrez, who went on to have a good career. So, it was Tolan, Granger and Torrez for Ted Kubiak. And then to top it off, after the 1971 season, they sent Kubiak off for Joe Grzenda. So, it ultimately was Tolan, Granger and Torrez for Joe effing Grzenda!,
Wow! That’s a clever way to show how the Cardinals went wrong.
I’m getting dizzy just reading that.
I got a chance to meet Jose Cardenal back in 2016. We spoke for about 15 minutes. Very nice guy. I took a picture with him. He even let me wore his world series world champion ring.
What a terrific experience. Thanks for sharing it with us here.
Commenting again here a few years after my original thoughts. Met Devine at an event back in 2005, and he talked for quite awhile about his various deals. He defended the Pinson deal in saying that he gave them more in ‘69 than they got from Maris in ‘68, and that is what they were looking for. But he conveniently left out the fact that Tolan was much better. Now Bobby played in a better hitter’s home park, as the Reds were still in Crosley in ‘69. But Tolan was still solid in 1970 when the Reds moved to Riverfront. Just a bad deal, and that is not even counting Granger, who anchored the back end of Cincy’s bullpen. The Redlegs earned back some of the loss they suffered in dealing Frank Robinson getting Tolan and Granger.
Now having said all that, I feel Pinson is a Hall of Fame candidate. He was a better player than Harold Baines, who is in the Hall. I think he was about 300 hits shy of 3,000, had good power and speed and deserves consideration. Yet you never hear him mentioned as possible “bubble” candidates for the Hall.
Thank you for returning and providing the additional insights, Michael. It is intriguing to learn that Bing Devine said Vada Pinson did more for the 1969 Cardinals than Roger Maris did for the 1968 Cardinals. Of course, it should be noted that it was Bob Howsam, not Devine, who acquired Maris for the Cardinals.
As the various 16-person committees, rather than the Baseball Writers Association of America, keep lowering the standards for election to the Hall of Fame, it does seem Vada Pinson deserves consideration. I would agree that Pinson was on a par with, or better than, such recent Hall of Fame committee outfielder picks as Harold Baines, Minnie Minoso and Tony Oliva, or the 1995 committee choice, Richie Ashburn.