(Updated April 15, 2021)
Ray Sadecki was the player the Cubs wanted in exchange for Lou Brock, but the timing wasn’t right. Sadecki got hot at the same time as the trade talks did and the Cardinals opted to keep him.
In May 1964, the Cubs and Cardinals discussed a proposed swap of Brock, an underachieving outfielder, for Sadecki, an underachieving starting pitcher, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Cubs general manager John Holland indicated “the Cardinals have shown a strong interest in Brock” and he wanted Sadecki in return.
In the story, which appeared on May 26, 1964, under the headline, “Cards Balk Cubs Bid for Sadecki; Brock Dangled as Trade Bait,” the Tribune reported a proposed swap involving Brock for Sadecki “was stalled by reluctance of someone in the St. Louis front office.”
Three weeks later, on June 15, 1964, the Cardinals dealt starting pitcher Ernie Broglio, reliever Bobby Shantz and outfielder Doug Clemens to the Cubs for Brock and pitchers Jack Spring and Paul Toth.
The deal, initially viewed as a steal for the Cubs, became the symbol for lopsided trades, with Brock becoming a Hall of Famer and Broglio, who damaged his right elbow, posting a 7-19 record in three years with Chicago.
Up and down
Sadecki was 17 in June 1958 when he signed with the Cardinals. Two years later, in May 1960, he made his major-league debut at 19 and earned nine wins as a rookie.
In 1961, Sadecki, 20, was an emerging ace. He was 14-10 and led the Cardinals in starts (31), complete games (13) and innings pitched (222.2).
The Cardinals offered him a $13,000 salary for 1962. Sadecki, who wanted $18,000, asked manager Johnny Keane to back him, but was sharply told to accept what was offered. They settled for $15,000, but a strain developed between Keane and Sadecki.
On June 5, 1962, in a relief stint in St. Louis against the Reds, Sadecki faced five batters, allowed five runs, committed two errors and was booed off the field. Keane called Sadecki’s performance “the worst display of effort I’ve ever seen on a big-league diamond” and fined him $250.
Sadecki, upset about his effort being questioned, asked to be traded and continued to struggle. On July 31, 1962, with a 6-8 record and 5.54 ERA, he was demoted to the minors.
(In an interview with Cardinals Gameday Magazine for a 2014 issue, Sadecki said, “I have no vendetta on Johnny Keane. We didn’t like each other. We’d both admit to that. But we went about our job, hopefully, as professionals.”)
Back with the Cardinals in 1963, Sadecki was 10-10 with a 4.10 ERA.
Pressure to perform
When Sadecki, 23, went to spring training in 1964, he was in the back of the starting rotation, behind Broglio, Bob Gibson and Curt Simmons.
“Sadecki should be our No. 4 pitcher,” Keane told The Sporting News. “It’s important for us to get Ray off to a good start.”
Instead, Sadecki lost his first three decisions. Cardinals fans were “booing him at every turn,” The Sporting News reported.
The slow start didn’t help Sadecki’s relationship with Keane. According to author David Halberstam, Keane “believed that professional, as well as financial, success had come too quickly to Sadecki, and that somehow he had not paid his dues.”
Keane valued speed in a lineup and was urging general manager Bing Devine to trade for Brock. Before the 1964 season began, the Cardinals offered Phil Gagliano for Brock. The Cubs needed a second baseman to replace Ken Hubbs, who was killed in a plane crash in February 1964, but they opted for Joey Amalfitano of the Giants instead of Gagliano.
The player the Cubs desired was Sadecki.
Change in plans
If the Cardinals were open to the notion of swapping Sadecki for Brock, they changed their minds in mid-May. Locating pitches better and throwing breaking balls for strikes, Sadecki surged, winning six of seven decisions from May 11 to June 9. Two of the wins were against the Cubs, giving him an 11-3 career record versus them.
“Ray’s progress, from my standpoint, has not been unexpected,” said Cardinals pitching coach Howie Pollet. “I’ve felt he’s a key man in our pennant chances.”
In an editorial, The Sporting News credited Keane.
“Had Keane sought the easy way out, he could have dealt Sadecki to any of several clubs which sought him,” The Sporting News declared. “The manager, however, determined that the southpaw could help the Cardinals. He stayed with him doggedly and patiently.”
After the Chicago Tribune revealed the stall in a Brock for Sadecki swap, Devine said “Brock’s name had been mentioned in trade talks, but there is no serious thought of a deal now,” the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
Soon after, Devine’s perspective changed. The Cardinals lost five of their first six games in June, dropping to 26-25. After winning two of three against the Giants despite scoring a total of three runs, the Cardinals were swept by the Dodgers, scoring two runs in three games, and fell to 28-29 on June 13.
Needing a spark to the offense, Devine called the Cubs. In his book, “The Memoirs of Bing Devine,” Devine said his Cubs counterpart, John Holland, told him, “If you’re still interested, we might have to move Brock.”
“For what?” Devine asked.
Holland replied, “We’ll take Broglio.”
Price is right
An 18-game winner in 1963, Broglio won two of his first three decisions for the Cardinals in 1964, but was 0-3 in five starts from May 3 to May 24. Broglio’s right elbow ached and he couldn’t throw without pain, but the Cubs were unaware of the problem.
On May 30, 1964, Broglio pitched a complete game and beat the Reds. In his next start, a 3-0 loss to Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers, Broglio yielded one earned run in 6.1 innings.
The Cubs jumped at the chance to acquire a proven winner who, at 28, appeared to be entering his prime.
Brock, batting .251 with a lame .300 on-base percentage, was not well-received by Cardinals veterans. Brock told the Chicago Tribune he felt “unwanted” when he reported to the Cardinals. “Some of his teammates concurred that there was a feeling of resentment” over the trading of Broglio for such a raw talent.
Acquiring Brock and keeping Sadecki proved to be a winning combination for the Cardinals, who clinched the pennant on the last day of the season. Brock batted .348 and produced an on-base percentage of .387. Sadecki was 20-11.
In the 1964 World Series against the Yankees, Sadecki won Game 1, and Brock hit .300 with five RBI, helping the Cardinals to their first championship in 18 years.
That trade still causes me nightmares. Broglio, a sore armed guy for a kid with more speed than anyone I’ve ever seen. As a rookie I was watching the Cubs on TV and Lou hit a pretty hard hit ground ball to the SS. He beat it out. Lou also had some serious power hitting a bomb to straight away center at the Polo Grounds. Cub Radio announcers Jack Quinlan and Lou Boudreau almost flipped out. Ahhh, those were some great days.
Thanks for sharing those remembrances.
After reading October 1964, plus, articles like this one. I’m jealous that I missed out on the 1964 Cardinals season. So many incredible things happening simultaneously. With so many possible scenarios. Depending on how certain things played out not only would the ’64 season been different, but the rest of the decade as well.
Yes, one of my fondest early Cardinals memories is watching the 1964 World Series on television. Beating the Yankees of Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Whitey Ford and company was a big deal and very exciting and cemented my bond with the franchise as a fan.
I was in third grade when the Sadecki/Cepeda trade was made. I was happy that the Cards got Cepeda, but didn’t like to see Sadecki leave. He had been pitching well early in 1966, and his hitting that year (for both Cardinals and Giants) was Drysdale-like.
Thanks. Yes, Ray Sadecki could hit. He had a .429 batting average (3-for-7), including a home run vs. the Pirates’ Don Cardwell, for the 1966 Cardinals before being traded to the Giants in May. In 8 seasons with St. Louis, Sadecki had 30 RBI and 72 hits, including 12 doubles, 3 triples and 2 home runs.
I had the pleasure of meeting Ray at a autograph/card show many years ago in Kansas City. He allowed me and others to try on his 1964 World Series ring !
Good story. Thanks for sharing it with us.