Games | RetroSimba

Archive for the ‘Games’ Category

Sunday night pioneer: How Hal Brown baffled Cardinals

Posted in Games, Opponents, Pitchers on January 10, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Sunday night baseball, a standard feature on today’s major-league schedule, was a radical idea, born of necessity, when the Cardinals first experienced it in 1963.

hal_brown At that time, the Houston Colt .45s, in their second National League season, played their home games at an outdoor ballpark. In the summer, the oppressive Texas heat and humidity made day baseball uncomfortable, if not impractical, for fans and players.

“Rivals agreed that it’s too hot to play on Sunday afternoons,” United Press International reported.

The 1963 Colt .45s became the first big-league club to schedule Sunday night home games. The first was against the Giants on June 9. The second was played against the Cardinals on June 30. The winning pitcher in both was a 38-year-old knuckleball specialist, Hal Brown, a World War II combat veteran who had served as a gunner on U.S. Army Air Force bombers.

Need to be stingy

Brown, winding down his career with the weakest-hitting team in the National League, knew his best chance to win was to pitch a shutout for the Colt .45s.

The 1963 Colt .45s would rank last in the 10-team NL in runs (464), RBI (420) and home runs (62).

Brown earned five wins for the 1963 Colt .45s. He pitched complete-game shutouts _ two versus the Cardinals, including the Sunday night game, and one against the Phillies _ for three of those wins. In the other two, he pitched 6.1 innings of scoreless relief versus the Giants and held the Mets to three runs in a rain-shortened seven-inning start.

Thus, in his wins for the 1963 Colt .45s, Brown had an ERA of 0.66, yielding three runs in 49.1 innings.

Overall, Brown was 5-11 with a 3.31 ERA in 26 games, including 20 starts, for the 1963 Colt .45s. Brown yielded three runs or fewer in seven of his losses, with the Colt .45s scoring a total of five runs in those defeats.

Richards connection

Brown debuted in the major leagues with the 1951 White Sox. He also pitched for the Red Sox and Orioles before joining the Yankees in September 1962.

On April 21, 1963, the Yankees sent Brown to the Colt .45s for $25,000. Paul Richards, general manager of the Colt .45s, had been Brown’s manager with the White Sox and for most of his time with the Orioles. It was Richards who encouraged Brown to use the knuckleball.

“I don’t want a big knuckler,” Brown said to The Sporting News. “I want it to look just good enough to swing at. When you’re 38, you would rather get them out on one pitch than strike them out on three.”

Night moves

In the inaugural big-league Sunday night game, Brown relieved injured starter Turk Farrell with two outs in the third inning. Brown pitched the rest of the way, yielding one hit _ a Willie Mays single _ and retiring the last 17 Giants batters in a row for his first NL win in a 3-0 Colt .45s victory. Boxscore

Outside the ballpark, protesters opposed Sunday night baseball, according to the book “Colt .45s: A Six-Gun Salute.”

“It’s just plain wrong and ought not to be,” Baptist minister O.A. Taylor said of Sunday night games. “If they get by with this, they’ll start scheduling games on Sunday morning.”

Three weeks later, Brown got the start against the Cardinals in the second Sunday night game.

Brown pitched a complete-game seven hitter in a 1-0 Colt .45s victory. Houston scored in the fourth off starter Lew Burdette on John Bateman’s RBI-single.

Brown held the Cardinals to six singles and a triple, striking out six and walking one. He escaped several jams, including:

_ In the first inning, the Cardinals loaded the bases with two outs before Brown retired George Altman.

_ In the second, Curt Flood reached second with none out, but was caught attempting to steal third.

_ Altman tripled leading off the seventh. He was unable to advance on groundouts by Flood and Tim McCarver. Carl Sawatski flied out, ending the inning and stranding Altman at third.

_ In the eighth, the Cardinals had runners on first and third with one out. Brown retired Charlie James and Ken Boyer without allowing the runner from third to score.

“It was a weird but wonderful triumph,” wrote Mickey Herskowitz in The Sporting News.

Said Brown: “It’s a pretty good feeling to know you have to pitch a shutout to win and then to do it.” Boxscore

Brown shut out the Cardinals for the second time on Aug. 24, 1963, a Saturday night in Houston. He limited the Cardinals to four singles _ three by Flood and one by Altman _ in a 4-0 Colt .45s victory.

Stan Musial, making his final visit to Houston as a player and honored in ceremonies before the game, was 0-for-3 against Brown that night. Boxscore

Previously: From the start, Cardinals vs. Houston rivalry was special

Previously: Reds-Cardinals: Easter night to remember

Read Full Post »

How Bobby Dews helped Bob Forsch become a pitcher

Posted in Games, Hitters, Managers, Pitchers, Prospects on January 4, 2016| Leave a Comment »

As a longtime player, coach and manager in the Cardinals’ system, perhaps the most important contribution Bobby Dews made was helping Bob Forsch take a successful step in transforming from a third baseman into a pitcher.

bobby_dews Dews was manager of the Cardinals’ 1971 Class A club at Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Forsch, a 26th-round draft choice who had flopped as a third-base prospect, was in his first full season as a starting pitcher. At 21, his playing career was at a crossroads.

With Dews as his manager, Forsch had a successful year, posting an 11-7 record and 3.13 ERA in 23 starts for Cedar Rapids. He ranked second on the team in both innings pitched (158) and strikeouts (134). That performance convinced the Cardinals Forsch had potential as a pitcher.

Three years later, Forsch debuted with the Cardinals and went on to a productive career with them.

Bobby Dews helped him get there.

Dews was in the Cardinals’ organization from 1960 to 1974 before joining the Braves as a minor-league manager. He remained with the Braves in various roles, including big-league coach, until he retired in 2012.

Shortstop prospect

Dews was a varsity baseball and basketball player at Georgia Tech. He launched his professional baseball career when signed by the Cardinals in 1960.

Shortstop was Dews’ primary position, though he also played at second base and in the outfield.

His best season as a player in the Cardinals’ system was with Class AA Tulsa in 1964. Dews batted .277 that year with 30 stolen bases.

Dews was promoted to Class AAA Jacksonville in 1965, but his progress was slowed when he underwent surgery for a ruptured spleen on May 18, 1965.

For Dews, who had little power, the highlight of his 1965 season occurred when he hit home runs on consecutive nights (July 22-23) against Rochester.

The first of those home runs was hit against Darold Knowles, a future Cardinals reliever. “That was strictly a shot in the dark,” Dews told The Sporting News. “I didn’t know what he threw or where it was.”

The next night, Dews hit a home run against Bill Short, who had pitched for the 1960 American League champion Yankees. Said Dews: “Bill threw me a fastball and I think he thought I was going to take it. Instead, I hit it. Isn’t that real crazy?”

In 1966 with Class AA Arkansas, Dews played all nine positions in the Sept. 5 regular-season finale against Austin. Arkansas manager Vern Rapp pitched two hitless innings in the game.

Dews was a player-coach in the Cardinals’ system in 1967 and 1968.

Learning to manage

At 30, Dews was named manager of the Cardinals’ 1969 Class A club in Lewiston, Idaho. One of his players was Forsch, 19, who was in his second professional season as a third baseman. Forsch hit .203 in 26 games for Lewiston.

Dews was a coach for Tulsa manager Warren Spahn in 1970. After that, Dews was assigned to manage Cardinals farm clubs in each of the next four seasons: Cedar Rapids in 1971, Sarasota in 1972, Modesto in 1973 and Sarasota again in 1974.

Besides Forsch, two of the future big-leaguers Dews managed in the Cardinals’ system were outfielders Hector Cruz at Cedar Rapids and Mike Vail at Modesto.

Life after Cardinals

In 1975, Dews was named manager of the Braves’ Class A Greenwood team in the Western Carolinas League.

His most prominent roles with the Braves were as a big-league coach under manager Bobby Cox from 1979-81 and from 1997-2006.

In an interview with MLB.com, Cox said of Dews: “He was a special guy. He helped so much in getting this organization going.”

Dews also wrote books, the best-known of which was “Legends, Demons and Dreams,” a collection of short stories.

“My grandfather wanted me to be a lawyer and a writer,” Dews told Jim Wallace of WALB.com. “Of course, everybody else in town wanted me to be a baseball player. So I guess I tried to blend the two.”

Previously: The story of how Bob Forsch converted to pitching

Read Full Post »

Ken Griffey Jr. and his memorable games vs. Cardinals

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents on December 31, 2015| Leave a Comment »

(Updated Jan. 6, 2016)

Born in the same town and on the same day in November as Stan Musial, Ken Griffey Jr. entered this world with a powerful Cardinals connection. He strengthened that special bond by joining Musial as an outfielder in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

ken_griffey_jr Griffey, on the ballot for the first time, was elected to the Cooperstown, N.Y., shrine on Jan. 6, 2016. He got 99.3 percent of the votes from members of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Like Musial, Griffey was born in Donora, Pa., on Nov. 21. Musial’s birth year was 1920 and Griffey’s was 1969 _ the same year Musial was elected to the Hall of Fame with 93.2 percent of the vote in his first year of eligibility.

Musial and Griffey each batted left-handed and each played 22 years in the majors. Musial spent his entire career with the Cardinals from 1941 through 1963, with a year off in 1945 for military service. Griffey played for the Mariners, Reds and White Sox from 1989-2010.

Key career statistics for each:

Musial: 3,630 hits, 475 home runs, 1,951 RBI, 725 doubles, 6,134 total bases, .331 batting average and .417 on-base percentage.

Griffey: 2,781 hits, 630 home runs, 1,836 RBI, 524 doubles, 5,271 total bases, .284 batting average and .370 on-base percentage.

In 74 career games versus the Cardinals, all with the Reds, Griffey produced 74 hits, 22 home runs and 51 RBI.

He batted .289 with a .382 on-base percentage against St. Louis.

In chronological order, here are four of Griffey’s most memorable performances versus the Cardinals:

What a walkoff

On Aug. 20, 2001, Griffey hit an 11th-inning walkoff inside-the-park home run against reliever Andy Benes, breaking a 4-4 tie and carrying the Reds to a 5-4 victory at Cincinnati. The Cardinals had an 11-game winning streak snapped and the Reds ended an eight-game losing skid.

With one out and no one on in the 11th, Griffey hit a drive to left-center field. Outfielders Jim Edmonds and Kerry Robinson raced toward the ball. Edmonds leaped against the wall, but the ball eluded him, caromed off his foot and rolled along the warning track toward the left-field corner. Robinson gave chase.

Griffey circled the bases and scored. “It probably was one of the most bizarre games I’ve ever been in,” Griffey said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Boxscore and Video

Four-hit game

Three nights later, Griffey came close to hitting for the cycle against the Cardinals on Aug. 23, 2001, at Cincinnati.

Griffey was 4-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored in a 12-2 Reds victory. He had two doubles and a single versus Bud Smith and a home run against Benes.

In the fourth inning, Griffey nearly turned his second double into a triple.

According to The Cincinnati Post, Griffey’s drive “hit off the base of the wall in center and Griffey, gimpy hamstring and all, never hesitated coming around second.”

Edmonds threw to the relay man, second baseman Fernando Vina, who fired the ball to third baseman Albert Pujols.

“The relay throw to third got him by no more than a few inches, keeping Griffey from his cycle,” The Post reported.

In his postgame remarks to the Post-Dispatch, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said of Griffey, “We sure didn’t pitch him very tough.” Boxscore

Milestone home run

After a visit from Musial, Griffey hit his 500th career home run on June 20, 2004, Father’s Day, in St. Louis.

Musial, who played on the same high school baseball team in Donora with Buddy Griffey, grandfather of Ken Griffey Jr., met with the Reds outfielder near the clubhouse before the game.

Musial then went home to watch the game on television. Attending the game at the stadium were Griffey’s mother, Birdie, and father, Ken Griffey Sr., who was the right fielder for the Reds’ World Series championship clubs in 1975 and 1976.

Birdie had told her son this would be the day he would hit his milestone home run.

Leading off the sixth inning, Griffey launched a 2-and-2 pitch from Matt Morris over the right field wall, becoming the 20th player to achieve 500 home runs.

“I started smiling when I rounded second base,” Griffey told the Dayton Daily News. “I saw my dad sitting behind third base … He’s the person I wanted to be. He was my hero and he taught me everything.”

Recalling his mother’s prediction, Griffey said, “When I hit it, the first reaction was, ‘My mom is always right.’ ”

A delighted Musial told the Post-Dispatch, “I was rooting for him. It was great. The Griffeys are a nice family.” Boxscore and Video

The ball was caught by Mark Crummley, 19, a student at Southern Illinois University. Wearing a Pujols jersey, Crummley offered to give the ball to Griffey without compensation. He was taken to the Reds clubhouse, met Griffey and was given souvenirs, including the jersey Griffey wore at the end of the game.

Griffey was the second player to hit his 500th home run at Busch Memorial Stadium since the ballpark opened in 1966. The other was the Cardinals’ Mark McGwire off Andy Ashby of the Padres on Aug. 5, 1999.

New park, familiar result

On June 5, 2006, in his first game at the new Busch Stadium, Griffey lifted the Reds to an 8-7 comeback victory over the Cardinals.

Griffey was 3-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored. He had a solo home run and a double off starter Jeff Suppan, but the most damaging hit came against closer Jason Isringhausen in the ninth.

With one out and the Cardinals ahead, 7-5, the Reds had runners on second and third. Though first base was open, Isringhausen worked to Griffey, with Adam Dunn on deck.

“It was a pretty good position to hit, knowing that I couldn’t hit into a double play,” Griffey said.

With the count full, Isringhausen grooved a fastball that Griffey hit for a three-run home run.

“I just settled down and got a pitch not in the zone he wanted,” Griffey said.

Said Isringhausen: “Bad night, bad location … I’ve never had this bad of command in my career.” Boxscore

Read Full Post »

Why Cardinals were impressed by Juan Encarnacion

Posted in Games, Hitters on December 28, 2015| Leave a Comment »

For a Cardinals lineup that featured standouts Albert Pujols, Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen, general manager Walt Jocketty needed a right fielder who could be reliably productive, not necessarily spectacular.

juan_encarnacion Juan Encarnacion, a player who did a lot well without much flash, filled the need.

On Dec. 23, 2005, Encarnacion, 29, agreed to a three-year, $15 million free-agent contract to become the Cardinals’ right fielder, replacing Larry Walker, who had retired.

The move launched Encarnacion into a star-crossed tenure with St. Louis. In 2006, he was a steady producer for a Cardinals club that won a World Series championship. A year later, he suffered a horrific injury that cut short his playing career.

Do less hacking

With the 2005 Marlins, Encarnacion, the right fielder in a lineup that included sluggers Miguel Cabrera and Carlos Delgado, batted .287 with 16 home runs and 76 RBI. He had an on-base percentage of .349.

Encarnacion hit .331 with runners in scoring position for the 2005 Marlins. He was most effective that season batting in the No. 6 spot, hitting .373 (28-for-75) with a .400 on-base percentage.

The Cardinals were impressed Encarnacion had produced 25 or more doubles in three consecutive seasons: 37 in 2003, 30 in 2004 and 27 in 2005.

In an interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Jocketty described Encarnacion as a player with “tremendous upside.”

“We have had Encarnacion at the top of our list among free-agent outfielders this off-season,” Jocketty told the Associated Press.

“We like his all-around makeup,” Jocketty added. “He hits for power, runs very well and plays a solid outfield.”

Noting Encarnacion struck out 104 times in 2005, Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz wrote, “Plate discipline is the issue with Encarnacion … He just needs to work the counts, show more patience and do less hacking.”

Finding right spot

Based on what he observed during 2006 spring training, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa determined he’d place Encarnacion in the No. 2 spot in the batting order, ahead of Pujols, Edmonds and Rolen.

“He’s got extra-base pop and he’s got experience to understand the value of the (batters) behind him,” La Russa said.

Batting second on Opening Day, Encarnacion was 1-for-5 with two runs scored. It wasn’t a comfortable fit for him and La Russa soon dropped him lower in the batting order.

Encarnacion thrived for the 2006 Cardinals when batting cleanup (.327 batting average and a .362 on-base percentage) and at the No. 5 position (.322 batting mark and a .350 on-base percentage).

Encarnacion hit .310 with runners in scoring position in 2006. He was second on the 2006 Cardinals in both hits (155) and sacrifice flies (six) and was third in both RBI (79) and runs scored (74). Overall, he hit .278 with 25 doubles and 19 home runs.

Severe injury

On Aug. 31, 2007, Encarnacion, batting .283 for the Cardinals, was struck in the left eye by a foul ball off the bat of Aaron Miles while waiting in the on-deck circle to pinch-hit. His left eye socket was shattered and the optic nerve was severely damaged.

“It’s the worst trauma I’ve seen. Absolutely,” Dr. George Paletta told the Associated Press. “You hope the best for Juan, but he suffered a severe injury with a very guarded prognosis.”

Sadly, Encarnacion never appeared in another big-league game.

Read Full Post »

How Aaron Miles became Cardinals starter at 2nd base

Posted in Games, Hitters, Trades on December 6, 2015| Leave a Comment »

An undeterred underdog, Aaron Miles beat out the competition and emerged as the Opening Day starter at second base for the 2006 Cardinals.

aaron_miles2 On Dec. 7, 2005, the Cardinals traded disgruntled reliever Ray King to the Rockies for Miles and outfielder Larry Bigbie.

King, 9-6 with a 2.91 ERA in two seasons with St. Louis, had asked to be traded after not pitching in any of the Cardinals’ nine postseason games in 2005.

For Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty, Bigbie was the prize in the deal.

Bigbie, 28, was seen as a leading candidate to replace the departed Reggie Sanders as the Cardinals’ starting left fielder in 2006. Also competing for the job were So Taguchi and John Rodriguez.

“Right now, I see him (Bigbie) as a starter for us,” Jocketty said after the trade. “He’s still a young player who we believe has high upside.”

Bigbie had hit a combined .239 for the Orioles and Rockies in 2005. He missed most of the second half of the season because of a strained Achilles’ tendon. The year before, he batted .280 and hit 15 home runs for the 2004 Orioles.

Good hit, no field?

Miles, 29, Deivi Cruz and Hector Luna were perceived as second-tier candidates behind front-runner Junior Spivey to replace the departed Mark Grudzielanek as the Cardinals’ starting second baseman in 2006.

“Miles is considered below average defensively but is adept at reaching base,” wrote Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Miles hit .281 in 99 games, including 58 starts at second base, for the 2005 Rockies.

At Cardinals spring training in 2006, Miles jammed his left hand diving into a base on March 3 and sat out for nearly two weeks. That appeared to clear the path for Spivey to win the second base job.

Spivey had played for the Brewers and Nationals in 2005, became a free agent after the season and signed with the Cardinals for a guaranteed $1.2 million. However, Spivey “struggled in all aspects of the game” during spring training, the Post-Dispatch reported. He “appeared tight defensively” and his spring training batting average at the end of March was .152.

When Miles returned to the spring training lineup, he went on a tear, with six hits in 12 at-bats. He struck out once in a stretch of 34 at-bats.

“He’s been a good player,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said of Miles. “He takes good at-bats. He’s caught the ball well to his left and right. He starts double plays.”

Right decision

Before the regular season began, the Cardinals released Cruz, sent Spivey to Class AAA Memphis and declared Luna the backup at second base to Miles.

Meanwhile, Bigbie suffered a stress fracture above his left heel and was placed on the disabled list. Taguchi opened the regular season as the Cardinals’ starting left fielder, with Jim Edmonds in center and Juan Encarnacion in right.

(Bigbie would play in 17 games for the 2006 Cardinals and hit .240. He became a free agent in October 2006 and signed with the Dodgers. A year later, in the Mitchell Report on steroid abuse in baseball, Bigbie admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs from 2001-05.)

The 2006 Cardinals opened the regular season on April 3 at Philadelphia against the Phillies. Miles, batting eighth, was 4-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. He produced two doubles, a triple and a single. Boxscore

“It feels good to make sure these guys (the Cardinals) know they made the right decision with me,” Miles said.

Said La Russa: “He’s a tough out and any eighth hitter that gives you a tough out creates a lot of possibilities in the National League game.”

On July 30, 2006, the Cardinals traded Luna to the Indians for their second baseman, Ronnie Belliard, who displaced Miles as the St. Louis starter. In 54 games, including 53 starts at second base, Belliard hit .237 for the 2006 Cardinals.

Miles batted .263 with 20 doubles in 135 games for the 2006 Cardinals. He made 71 starts at second base and 33 starts at shortstop.

The Cardinals that year won their first World Series championship since 1982, defeating the Tigers in five games. Miles was 1-for-6 with a walk and two runs scored in the 2006 World Series.

In four seasons with St. Louis (2006-08 and 2010), Miles batted .288.

Previously: Mark Grudzielanek fit a need for 2005 Cardinals

Previously: Aaron Miles keyed Cardinals’ comebacks of 2006

Previously: Ronnie Belliard re-ignited Cardinals in 2006 playoffs

Read Full Post »

Why Cardinals saw Ellis Kinder as bullpen savior

Posted in Games, Pitchers on December 3, 2015| 2 Comments »

After the 1955 season, the Cardinals looked to revamp their pitching staff and one of the first moves they made was to acquire the oldest pitcher in the big leagues.

ellis_kinder On Dec. 4, 1955, the Cardinals claimed on waivers Ellis Kinder, 41, from the Red Sox. Some saw it as desperation. To Cardinals general manager Frank Lane, it was opportunistic inspiration.

The 1955 Cardinals had finished with a 68-86 record and the worst ERA (4.56) in the National League. Their relief pitching was especially poor. Barney Schultz, who had a 7.89 ERA, was the team leader in saves, with four.

Cardinals owner Gussie Busch hired Lane, who had been successful as general manager of the White Sox, to rebuild the Cardinals. Lane’s first move was to hire Fred Hutchinson, formerly of the Tigers, as manager, replacing Harry Walker.

Lane received a call from Red Sox general manager Joe Cronin, who told him, “Francois, you pestered me plenty for Kinder when you were with the White Sox. You couldn’t have him then, but you’re in the other league now. Still want him?”

Kinder had cleared waivers in the American League, making him available to National League clubs. The Cardinals got Kinder “for a price slightly in excess of the waiver fee,” according to The Sporting News. Lane said the price was $7,500.

To Lane and Hutchinson, it was a bargain.

Control and heart

As American Leaguers, Lane and Hutchinson had seen how well Kinder pitched.

Kinder, who debuted in the big leagues as a 31-year-old rookie with the 1946 Browns, earned 23 wins as a starter for the 1949 Red Sox.

Converted to a reliever, Kinder, 39, had 27 saves, 10 wins and a 1.85 ERA in 69 appearances for the 1953 Red Sox.

In 1955, when Kinder turned 41, the right-hander still was effective, with 18 saves, five wins and a 2.84 ERA in 43 appearances for the Red Sox.

“At one time, Kinder had the greatest change-of-pace I’ve ever seen,” Hutchinson said. “He’s got control and heart _ a hell of a fine combination in a relief pitcher.”

Said Lane: “I don’t care if he’s 92 or if he does stagger in September. If he can help us early, we’re in luck.”

Kinder was stunned by the move. He had expected to end his career with the Red Sox. “There is nothing wrong with my arm and there’s no reason why I can’t help the Cardinals next year,” Kinder said.

Red Sox trainer Jack Fadden said Kinder’s arm was sound and called him “the most courageous man I have ever seen on the pitching mound _ absolutely fearless,” The Sporting News reported.

Use it or lose it

At spring training with the 1956 Cardinals, Kinder pitched effectively. “I throw every day,” Kinder said. “Pitchers should throw more, not less. I figure your arm is like your leg. The more you use it, the better shape it will be in.”

When Kinder made the Opening Day roster, he became the oldest Cardinals pitcher since Jesse Haines, 44, in 1937.

Hutchinson immediately showed his faith in Kinder.

On April 17, in their 1956 season opener against the Reds at Cincinnati, the Cardinals scored twice in the top of the ninth to break a 2-2 tie and take a 4-2 lead. In the bottom of the ninth, starter Vinegar Bend Mizell got George Crowe to ground out before Johnny Temple walked and Smoky Burgess singled. Ted Kluszewski flied out to center for the second out.

The next batter, right-handed Wally Post, slugged 40 home runs in 1955. Hutchinson lifted Mizell, a left-hander, and brought in Kinder to face Post.

Kinder threw three pitches _ each called a strike by umpire Babe Pinelli _ and Post struck out, ending the game and earning Kinder a save in his Cardinals debut. Boxscore

Earning his keep

On April 24, 1956, Kinder earned another save for Mizell and the Cardinals against the Reds. With two on and none out in the ninth, Kinder struck out Crowe on three pitches and got Temple to hit into a double play, giving St. Louis a 5-3 triumph. Boxscore

Six days later, Kinder earned his third save in four appearances when, with a runner on first and one out in the ninth, he retired Hank Aaron and Bobby Thomson to preserve a 2-0 Cardinals victory over the Braves. Boxscore.

“As far as I’m concerned, the old fellow has earned his salary already,” Hutchinson told writer Bob Broeg.

Said Mizell of Kinder: “If anything happens to him, I’m going to pack my bags and go home.”

Return to AL

In 12 appearances through June 6, Kinder was 2-0 with six saves and a 1.10 ERA. In his next 10 appearances through July 7, he had no saves and allowed nine runs. The Cardinals placed him on waivers and Kinder was claimed by the White Sox on July 11.

Kinder’s totals for the 1956 Cardinals: 2-0, six saves, 3.51 ERA in 22 games.

Kinder, who turned 42 two weeks after joining the White Sox, made a triumphant return to the American League. In 29 games for the 1956 White Sox, Kinder was 3-1 with three saves and a 2.73 ERA.

The next season, Kinder appeared in one game for the White Sox and was released in May 1957, bringing to an end his big-league pitching career.

Previously: Arthur Rhodes: 1 of 5 Cardinals age 40 in a World Series

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »