RetroSimba

As third baseman for the 1957 Cardinals, rookie Eddie Kasko helped them transform from underachievers to contenders.

During his career in the major leagues, Kasko was a player, manager and scout. As a shortstop, he was a National League all-star and played in the World Series.

A fielder with sure hands and a strong arm, Kasko’s ability to play third base and hit productively for the Cardinals in 1957 enabled them to move Ken Boyer to center field and strengthen the lineup.

Feeling at home

Kasko was raised in Linden, N.J., a town with a large Polish-American population. His family name was Kosko, but his birth certificate mistakenly listed him as Kasko and he never changed it, The Sporting News reported.

A baseball talent at the high school and sandlot levels, Kasko attended Cardinals tryout camps in New Jersey when he was 18, but scout Benny Borgmann suggested he come back in a year, according to The Sporting News. Instead, Kasko launched his career in the minor leagues. After three seasons (1949-51) in the minors, Kasko went into the Army for two years (1952-53) and was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.

After his discharge, Kasko resumed his career in the minors at Richmond, Va., in 1954. Richmond became an important place for Kasko. He met a William & Mary College student, Catherine, who became his wife, and they made Richmond their home. The Richmond team was managed by Hall of Fame shortstop Luke Appling, who became a mentor to Kasko and taught him to play the position.

Kasko played two seasons (1954-55) for Appling at Richmond and developed a reputation as the best fielder in the International League.

One of the teams in the league was Rochester, a Cardinals farm club. During the 1955 season, Rochester general manager George Sisler Jr. and manager Dixie Walker suggested the Cardinals try to acquire Kasko, The Sporting News reported. The Cardinals sent scout Walter Shannon to Richmond to evaluate Kasko. Based on Shannon’s report, the Cardinals purchased Kasko’s contract in October 1955.

“I owe a lot to Richmond,” Kasko said. “That’s where the Cardinals found me and that’s where I found Catherine.”

Prime prospect

The Cardinals assigned Kasko to Rochester in 1956, and manager Dixie Walker worked with Kasko, a right-handed batter, to be more aggressive at the plate.

“At Richmond, I’d been taking a lot of pitches because Luke Appling had been that kind of hitter, a clever two-strike hitter,” Kasko told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “but Walker told me I wasn’t any Appling and couldn’t afford to give the pitcher an edge. He told me to come off the bench swinging.”

Kasko followed Walker’s advice and batted .303 with 179 hits in 147 games for Rochester. He also continued to dazzle with his fielding and throwing.

Good impression

After the 1956 season, Kasko played winter ball in Cuba. Cardinals general manager Frank Lane, manager Fred Hutchinson and scout Al Hollingsworth went to Havana and became convinced Kasko could play in the majors.

Hollingsworth referred to Kasko as “Mr. Automatic” because of his flawless fielding and said he was the best player he saw in the Caribbean. “There’s no doubt that defensively he is ready right now,” Hollingsworth told The Sporting News.

Lane said, “He can run, throw, go into the hole and make the plays … He showed he could handle a bat somewhat like Alvin Dark, hitting behind the runner.”

Kasko, 25, played well at Cardinals spring training in 1957 and made the Opening Day roster as the backup to Dark at shortstop. Lane had been talking to the Cubs about a deal of Dark for pitcher Bob Rush, but the Cubs wanted Kasko, according to the St. Louis Globe-Democrat.

Getting a chance

The 1957 Cardinals struggled early. With the club record at 13-16, Cardinals owner Gussie Busch held a meeting on May 21, 1957, with Lane, his assistant, Bing Devine, executive Dick Meyer and Walter Shannon, who had become farm director. They decided Hutchinson needed to shake up the lineup.

Lane relayed the directive to Hutchinson, who made multiple changes, including moving Ken Boyer from third base to center field to replace the slumping Bobby Gene Smith. Kasko replaced Boyer at third base.

“The position didn’t frighten me,” Kasko said. “Just getting to play was what I had been wanting.”

Bespectacled, balding and quiet, Kasko wasn’t an intimidating presence, but his performance delivered the desired results.

From May 23, when the lineup changes were implemented, until Aug. 5, the 1957 Cardinals were 50-25. The surge gave them an overall record of 63-41 and put them into contention for the National League pennant.

The Cardinals finished in second place at 87-67. Kasko made 117 starts at third base and appeared in 134 games. He batted .273 overall, including .341 versus left-handers. The Sporting News named him third baseman on its all-rookie team.

Change in plans

Instead of playing winter ball after the 1957 season, Kasko stayed in Richmond and worked as a men’s clothing salesman at a department store.

At spring training in 1958, Hutchinson said he intended to open the regular season with Boyer in center, Dark at third and Kasko at shortstop. Kasko had more range than Dark, Hutchinson said.

The plan changed when Kasko batted .141 in spring training. When the 1958 season opened, Dark was at shortstop, Boyer was back at third, Bobby Gene Smith returned to center and Kasko was on the bench.

On May 20, 1958, the Cardinals traded Dark to the Cubs for pitcher Jim Brosnan. Dick Schofield became the Cardinals’ shortstop but struggled to hit and Kasko became the starter at the end of May.

Kasko also slumped at the plate and in July he was replaced by Ruben Amaro.

Kasko hit .220 in 104 games for the 1958 Cardinals. He made 64 starts at shortstop. After the season, Kasko, Del Ennis and Bob Mabe were traded by the Cardinals to the Reds for George Crowe, Alex Grammas and Alex Kellner.

Hutchinson, fired by the Cardinals near the end of the 1958 season, became Reds manager in July 1959 and made Kasko the Reds’ shortstop. “If a guy can’t play for him,” Kasko said, “he just can’t play.”

In 1961, the Reds won the pennant and Kasko was named to the National League all-star team. In the World Series versus the Yankees, Kasko led the Reds in hits (seven) and batted .318.

In five seasons (1959-63) with the Reds, Kasko hit .277. He finished his playing career with the Astros and Red Sox.

After managing in their farm system for three seasons (1967-69), Kasko became Red Sox manager. He led them to winning records in each of his four seasons (1970-73) and was 345-295.

“I learned more from Eddie Kasko in nine minutes than I did in all my years under all the other managers who have handled this club,” outfielder Carl Yastrzemski told the Boston Globe.

Red Sox catcher Jerry Moses said Kasko “has the greatest mind in baseball.”

After managing, Kasko became a Red Sox scout before being promoted to their front office as director of scouting and then vice president of player personnel.