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An inside look into the last game for Stan Musial

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents on September 28, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Snapshots from Stan Musial’s last game, Sept. 29, 1963, when the Reds played the Cardinals at St. Louis:

stan_musial29Mass and McMahon

Musial attended Mass that Sunday morning at St. Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church near his St. Louis home. He drove to the ballpark with his friend, actor Horace McMahon, who was visiting from Connecticut, The Sporting News reported. McMahon had received an Emmy nomination for his role as a detective in the TV show “Naked City.” Musial was godfather to McMahon’s son.

Visit with Ducky

After parking his steel blue Cadillac, Musial entered the ballpark at 10:50 a.m. One of the first to greet him in the clubhouse was Joe Medwick, a slugger for the Cardinals from 1932-40. “Fellows,” Musial said to the reporters on scene, “this is the guy I replaced as regular left fielder 22 years ago.”

Salute to Shannon

When Cardinals outfielders Gary Kolb, 23, and Mike Shannon, 24, walked by, Musial asked them to stop and sit with him. With Kolb on one side of the retiring legend and Shannon on the other, Musial said to reporters, “And these are my protégés who’ll replace me next year.”

Sharp tune-up

Entering the field wearing the familiar No. 6 on his jersey, Musial went directly to the batting cage. Bill White stepped aside for Musial, who took his swings against Lloyd Merritt, a St. Louis native who pitched for the Cardinals in 1957. Musial hit Merritt’s last batting-practice toss onto the pavilion roof in right field.

Reds rooters

When he left the cage, Musial was greeted by Reds veterans Joe Nuxhall and Frank Robinson and rookie Pete Rose. Nuxhall and Robinson brought baseballs for Musial to sign. Rose shook hands with Musial and wished him well.

Diamonds are forever

During ceremonies before the game, Ken Boyer, the Cardinals’ captain, presented Musial with a gift from his teammates: a ring with six diamonds shaped in the number 6. In his book “Stan Musial: The Man’s Own Story,” Musial said, “Of all the gifts I’ve been given at one time or another, I believe I cherish most the ring … that was presented by my 1963 teammates. My world championship rings had been stolen from my house several years earlier.”

Feeling the strain

Musial opened the game in left field. In his 22-year Cardinals career, Musial played 929 games in left, the most of the three outfield positions. “My legs were wobbly from emotion and exhaustion as I trotted to the outfield to start my last game,” Musial said.

At-bat interruption

Facing Jim Maloney, a 23-game winner in 1963, Musial struck out on three pitches in the first inning. Musial didn’t swing at the first pitch. Umpire Al Barlick took the ball from catcher Johnny Edwards’ glove and gave it to Musial, who trotted over to a box seat and handed the ball to Sid Keener, director of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Musial fouled off the next pitch and watched a curve snap in for strike three. Said Musial: “As I returned to the dugout, trainer Bob Bauman growled, ‘You weren’t bearing down up there.’ ”

No no-hitter

Maloney struck out six of the first 10 batters. When Musial came up in the fourth, the Cardinals were hitless. “I crouched low, trying to forget all else except the giant pitcher and the ball he fired so fast,” Musial said. With the count 1-and-1, Musial swung at a fastball, low and inside, and drilled it to the right of Rose at second base for a single.

The final swing

With Curt Flood at second in a scoreless game, Musial batted against Maloney in the sixth. Shadows covered the batting area. On a 2-and-1 pitch, Maloney threw a curve. “I picked up the spin of the ball in time,” Musial said. “My wrists whipped the bat down and in.” Musial grounded a RBI-single to right, his 3,630th hit.

Kolb relieves

Manager Johnny Keane lifted Musial for a pinch-runner, Kolb. It was the ninth time Kolb had been used as a pinch-runner for Musial, 42, in 1963. Kolb scored in the inning on a sacrifice fly by Charlie James, giving St. Louis a 2-0 lead. In the clubhouse, Musial told reporters, “I feel pretty good. Everyone was pulling for a home run, but I’m a singles hitter, so it seemed appropriate that I should go out with a pair of ’em.”

Classy warriors

After being replaced by a pinch-hitter in the eighth, Maloney went to the Cardinals clubhouse to congratulate Musial. When Musial saw Maloney enter, he said aloud, “Here’s a real tough guy. He had me worried.” Said Maloney to reporters: “I was glad to see him go out hitting.”

That’s a winner

The Cardinals won, 3-2, in 14 innings. Boxscore The Cardinals had won by the same score in Musial’s first game on Sept. 17, 1941. Like his finale, Musial had two hits in his debut game.

Holy cow

After saying more farewells, Musial did a post-game interview with Harry Caray for radio station KMOX. Musial told Caray that Warren Spahn was the best pitcher he faced in his career and Willie Mays was the best all-around player.

Celebration

At 7:45 p.m., nine hours after he had arrived, Musial left the ballpark, stopped home briefly and went with his family to a party in his honor at the restaurant he owned with business partner Biggie Garagnani. Among those attending the party were U.S. senator Stuart Symington, Missouri governor John Dalton and St. Louis mayor Raymond Tucker.

The next day, Musial and his wife, Lil, took a flight to New York to attend the World Series. Musial, dressed in a suit and with Joe DiMaggio at his side, threw the ceremonial first pitch on Oct. 2 before Game 1 between the Dodgers and Yankees. From there, the Musials went to Fort Riley, Kan., to get their first look at their first grandchild, Jeff, who was born Sept. 10.

Previously: Stan Musial and the Cardinals’ most iconic moments

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How Reggie Cleveland almost got perfect game for Cards

Posted in Games, Pitchers on September 25, 2013| 4 Comments »

(Updated Sept. 27, 2019)

Reggie Cleveland may have been an unlikely candidate to nearly pitch the Cardinals’ first perfect game. Ken Rudolph may have been one of the unlikeliest batters to keep him from achieving perfection.

reggie_cleveland3On Sept. 27, 1973, Cleveland faced the minimum 27 batters in pitching a one-hitter against the Cubs at St. Louis.

Rudolph, a catcher batting eighth, was the only Cubs player to reach base. He singled in the sixth, then was erased on a double play.

Cleveland, 25, hadn’t won since Aug. 22, losing four consecutive decisions, but the right-hander threw just 78 pitches in subduing the Cubs.

“I had an unbelievable fastball,” Cleveland said to The Sporting News. “I put it where I wanted almost every time and the ball kept jumping.”

Said Cardinals catcher Ted Simmons: “That’s as good a one-hit perfecto as you’ll ever see. Reggie didn’t make a really bad pitch all night.”

Cleveland retired the first 16 Cubs batters. With one out in the sixth, Rudolph, who entered the game with a .196 batting average, singled sharply to left.

“Rudolph hit a good pitch, a slider low and away,” Simmons said.

The next batter, Burt Hooton, bunted. Cleveland fielded the ball and threw to shortstop Mike Tyson for the force on Rudolph at second. Tyson fired the relay to second baseman Ted Sizemore, covering first, to complete the double play.

In the bottom of the inning, Lou Brock lined a two-run home run into the seats in right against Hooton, producing the game’s only scoring.

“That was the first changeup I’ve hit out of the park in five years,” Brock said to the Chicago Tribune.

Cleveland set down the Cubs in order in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, finishing the gem in 1 hour, 40 minutes.

He told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “The fastball was the best I’ve ever had.”

The ninth inning was relatively drama-free. Glenn Beckert flied out, Pete LaCock struck out and Adrian Garrett grounded out. Boxscore

The final out by Garrett provided a twist.

Four years earlier, May 27, 1969, Cleveland’s wife gave birth to their first child, a daughter. That night, Cleveland, pitching for the Cardinals’ minor-league Arkansas affiliate, pitched a one-hitter versus Shreveport, facing the minimum 27 batters. The lone hit was a second-inning single by Adrian Garrett.

The one-hitter versus the Cubs was the last game Cleveland pitched for the Cardinals. He was traded to the Red Sox after the season. A year later, October 1974, the Cardinals acquired Rudolph to be Simmons’ backup.

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How Jose Oquendo became a Cardinals catcher

Posted in Games, Opponents, Records on September 23, 2013| Leave a Comment »

In a game filled with excellent catchers, the one who stood out was the unlikeliest of all.

jose_oquendo4In 1988, Jose Oquendo caught an inning for the Cardinals in a game against the Mets at St. Louis.

In doing so, Oquendo became the first National League player in 70 years to play all nine positions in one season.

Before Oquendo, the last to accomplish the feat in the National League was Gene Paulette, primarily a first baseman for the 1918 Cardinals. Cesar Tovar of the American League Twins played all nine positions in 1968.

On Sept. 24, 1988, the Mets jumped to a 6-0 lead in the second inning against the Cardinals. Oquendo, 25, started the game at his primary position at second base and moved to shortstop in the sixth inning, replacing Ozzie Smith.

With the Mets ahead, 10-1, Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog, looking to give the home crowd something to cheer, decided the time was right to play Oquendo at catcher.

Move over, Tony

In the seventh, Oquendo moved from shortstop to catcher, replacing starter Tony Pena, the National League leader among catchers in fielding percentage in 1988.

First up for New York with Oquendo behind the plate was Gary Carter, the Mets’ 1988 all-star catcher.

“I told (Carter), ‘Don’t foul it off. I don’t want to get hit,’ ” Oquendo said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Facing reliever Steve Peters, Carter obliged, flying out.

Tim Teufel was the next batter. With the count 3-and-1, Peters shook off Oquendo’s sign. Before he could offer another, Peters went into his wind.

“I told Teufel, ‘Get ready. I don’t know what’s coming,’ ” Oquendo said. “He was laughing. That’s why he fouled the pitch off.”

On the next pitch, a 3-and-2 curve called by Oquendo, Teufel swung and missed, striking out.

Easy as 1,2,3

Kevin Elster then lined out to third. It was the only one of the nine innings the Mets were retired in order.

His goal accomplished, Herzog lifted Oquendo and replaced him with catcher Tom Pagnozzi in the eighth.

“It was fun,” Oquendo said. “I felt pretty good. I didn’t feel nervous at all.”

Said Peters to the Associated Press: “He called a good game … He’s got a nice, low target.” Boxscore

In 1988, Oquendo appeared in 69 games at second base, 47 at third base, 17 at shortstop, 16 at first base, nine in right field, four in center field, two in left field, one at catcher and one as a pitcher.

On May 14, 1988, Oquendo pitched four innings of relief against the Braves at St. Louis. Oquendo held Atlanta scoreless for three innings before the Braves scored twice in the 19th inning for a 7-5 victory. Boxscore

Oquendo took the loss, becoming the first non-pitcher to get a decision in a major-league game since the Yankees’ Rocky Colavito in 1968. Boxscore

Previously: Whiteyball: Willie McGee at shortstop; Ricky Horton in right

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Unwrapped: How Stan Musial got his 4th 5-hit game of 1948

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents, Records on September 20, 2013| 3 Comments »

Like a scene from the movie “The Natural,” Stan Musial achieved one of baseball’s rarest hitting feats with flair.

stan_musial28Shedding the bandages from his ailing wrists, Musial took just five swings in the Cardinals’ game against the Braves at Boston on Sept. 22, 1948.

Each swing produced a hit.

It was Musial’s fourth five-hit game of the season. No major-league player had done that in 26 years. Only two have done it since.

Joining Musial as the only big-league players with four five-hit games in a season: Willie Keeler (1897 Orioles), Ty Cobb (1922 Tigers), Tony Gwynn (1993 Padres) and Ichiro Suzuki (2004 Mariners).

Musial had jammed his left wrist making a diving catch at Brooklyn on Sept. 17, 1948. The next day, he was hit on the right hand, near the wrist, by a pitch.

With his wrists taped, Musial remained in the lineup as the Cardinals pursued the National League-leading Braves.

A win over the Cardinals on Sept. 22 would clinch for the Braves their first pennant in 34 years. The Braves started their ace, left-hander Warren Spahn.

Going for broke

When Musial arrived at the Boston ballpark that day, he noticed the wind was blowing out toward right field, favoring a left-handed batter.

St. Louis writer Bob Broeg approached Musial at the batting cage and said, “A great day for the hitters.”

“Yeah, but I can’t hit like this,” Musial responded.

In his book “Stan Musial: The Man’s Own Story,” Musial said, “I held up the wrists with the flesh-colored tape. Angrily, I ripped it off.”

Without the tape to restrict him, Musial wanted to be able to snap his wrists, no matter how painful, and try to take advantage of the favoring wind and the short carry (319 feet) to the right-field bleachers.

Musial’s first two hits that day came against Spahn.

In the first inning, Musial singled to left. He said he punched the ball in that direction “to minimize wrist strain.”

In the third, Musial lined the ball over the head of left fielder Mike McCormick for a double.

Musial batted in the fourth against right-hander Red Barrett, who had been a teammate on the 1946 Cardinals.

Said Musial: “He tried to fool me with a 2-and-0 changeup, but I saw it coming and said to myself, ‘To hell with the wrists.’ ”

Musial pulled the pitch over the right-field wall for a two-run home run, his 38th of the season.

Swing away

In the sixth, Musial singled off left-hander Clyde Shoun. Musial said he was “entirely aware” Cobb had been the last player to achieve four five-hit games in a season.

“I wanted that fifth hit,” he said.

In the eighth. Musial got his chance against Al Lyons.

The first two pitches from the right-hander missed the strike zone. Musial didn’t want a walk.

“I made up my mind, with the Cardinals far ahead (8-2), that I’d swing at anything close to the plate _ wrists be hanged,” Musial said.

“The next pitch was a bit outside, but I jerked it around … It bounced in the hole between first and second and got through. Saving the sore wrists as much as possible, I had hit safely five times by taking the absolute minimum number of swings _ just five.” Boxscore

All four of Musial’s five-hit games in 1948 came away from home.

“If I could have played the 1948 season on the road, I might have hit .400 and ripped the record book apart,” Musial said.

Instead, Musial batted .376 overall _ .415 on the road and .334 at home.

Here is a look at his other five-hit games in 1948:

_ April 30, 1948, at Cincinnati: Musial hit a home run, two doubles and two singles off four right-handers in the Cardinals’ 13-7 victory over the Reds. The homer, a two-run shot, was off starter Howie Fox. Musial batted .447 (21-for-47) at Crosley Field in 1948. Boxscore

_ May 19, 1948, at Brooklyn: Musial singled twice off right-hander Rex Barney, tripled against right-hander Erv Palica and had a single and double off left-hander Preacher Roe in the Cardinals’ 14-7 victory over the Dodgers. Musial batted .522 (24-for-46) at Ebbets Field in 1948. Boxscore

_ June 22, 1948, at Boston: Musial had five singles, four off right-handed starter Bill Voiselle and another against Shoun that snapped a 2-2 tie in the ninth inning, in the Cardinals’ 5-2 triumph over the Braves. Musial hit .467 (21-for-45) at Braves Field in 1948. Boxscore

In his 22-year big-league career with the Cardinals, Musial had eight five-hit games. In addition to the four in 1948, the others were:

_  July 21, 1943, versus the Giants, at St. Louis. It was his only five-hit game at home.

_ Sept. 19, 1946, at Boston. Former Cardinals ace Mort Cooper started for the Braves.

_ Sept. 3, 1947, at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

_ Sept. 27, 1962, two months before his 42nd birthday, at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. The fifth hit was a single off former teammate Stu Miller.

Previously: How Stan Musial turned in a great comeback year at 41

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Ted Simmons made Cards debut while student at Michigan

Posted in Games, Hitters on September 18, 2013| 1 Comment »

(Updated Feb. 27, 2022)

On weekdays, Ted Simmons was just another University of Michigan student. On weekends, he was a member of the National League champions.

ted_simmons17Simmons, the switch-hitting catcher, made his major-league debut with the Cardinals in September 1968.

After an outstanding season at Class A Modesto of the California League, Simmons was promoted to the Cardinals on Sept. 6, 1968.

A year earlier, the Cardinals selected Simmons in the first round of the amateur draft. Simmons signed for $50,000, played 53 games in the low minors and enrolled at the University of Michigan as a physical education and speech major, beginning classes in the fall of 1967.

In 1968, Simmons was assigned to Modesto, whose manager was Joe Cunningham, a former Cardinals first baseman. In 136 games for Modesto, Simmons had 163 hits, including 30 doubles and 28 home runs, and batted .331 with 117 RBI.

In his Hall of Fame induction speech, Simmons said, “Joe Cunningham, my manager at the A level, was the first major-league hitter to tell me that I would become one myself. I believed him because he had been one himself.”

Simmons was named winner of both the California League’s Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year awards.

Exceeding expectations

In the book “The Ted Simmons Story,” author Jim Brosnan, the former Cardinals pitcher, wrote, “Ted had set some goals for that (1968) season … He had outlined those goals to his girlfriend, an art major.”

Simmons’ goals were to hit 20 home runs with 80 RBI and bat .300 for Modesto.

“Simmons’ girl drew up a fancy chart to remind him of what he was trying to achieve and how well he was doing game by game,” Brosnan wrote. “Simmons hung the chart on the wall of his Modesto apartment, kept it up to date each night and eventually exceeded even his best expectation.”

When Simmons was called up to St. Louis, the Cardinals announced he would be with the club only on weekends because he was attending classes at the University of Michigan during the week.

Nine days after his promotion to the big leagues, Simmons, 19, was in the Cardinals’ clubhouse, participating in a wild pennant-clinching celebration at Houston on Sunday, Sept. 15. Simmons, who still hadn’t appeared in a game, and broadcasters Harry Caray and Jack Buck were among those who had their shirts ripped open in the rowdy fun, The Sporting News reported.

“Mike Shannon was telling me how great it was going to be to have a day off in San Francisco so the team could (continue to) celebrate,” Simmons recalled to Cardinals Magazine. “I told him I wasn’t going because I had class the next day. He said, ‘You’re crazy.’ I said, ‘That may be, but that’s what I’m going to do.’ ”

Back to school

When the party ended, Simmons returned to Ann Arbor, Mich., arriving at midnight, and the Cardinals continued their road trip to San Francisco.

In a 1978 interview with Sport magazine, Simmons recalled the atmosphere on the University of Michigan campus, with calls for social change and an end to the war in Vietnam.

“My first reaction was, ‘Don’t bother me with that stuff. I just want to play ball.’ But quickly I looked around and realized what was going on,” Simmons said. “All of a sudden, a new world opened up to me. It was then that I started to develop as a human being and as someone who tried to function in this world rather than someone who just tried to hit the slider.”

Simmons told Cardinals Magazine, “Walking across campus, you would see every kind of protest there was. Civil rights were just going crazy, and you were seeing this everywhere. It forced you to open your eyes and start thinking about what’s happening around you.”

Simmons rejoined the Cardinals in time for their Saturday, Sept. 21, game at Dodger Stadium. Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst put the rookie in the lineup that day as the starting catcher, batting seventh.

In his first big-league at-bat, facing left-hander Claude Osteen, Simmons struck out in the second inning.

He singled to right in the fifth for his first hit. The Dodgers’ first baseman was Ken Boyer, the former Cardinals third baseman. Simmons told Stan McNeal of Cardinals Gameday Magazine, “When I got to first, he turned to me and asked, ‘That your first hit, rookie?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He said, ‘I hope it’s the first of 2,500.’ ”

(Simmons would achieve 2,472 hits in his major-league career.)

In his final plate appearance of his debut game, Simmons walked in the eighth.

Catching Larry Jaster and Wayne Granger, Simmons had three putouts and an assist. The Dodgers, who had 11 hits and two walks in a 3-0 victory, didn’t attempt a steal. Boxscore

Simmons played in one more game for the 1968 Cardinals. In their season finale, on Sunday, Sept. 29, at St. Louis, Simmons replaced Tim McCarver in the eighth inning of a rout of the Astros. He grounded out to third in his only at-bat.

After the season, when the Cardinals players met to determine how to dispense with their bonus money for reaching the World Series, Simmons was awarded a share: $250.

Twenty-eight years later, in 1996, Simmons earned his degree from the University of Michigan. He said he wears his graduation ring to honor the achievement and to honor his late mother, Bonnie.

“I was the only one of four children to get a college education because we couldn’t afford for the others to go,” Simmons told Cardinals Gameday Magazine. “It was big for me, but bigger than life for my mom.”

 

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Willie Mays on Ray Washburn: ‘Never saw a better curve’

Posted in Games, Pitchers on September 13, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Utilizing a wicked curveball that Willie Mays admired but couldn’t hit, Ray Washburn capped a sensational summer of 1968 by pitching the Cardinals’ first no-hitter in 27 years.

ray_washburn2The gem was achieved less than 24 hours after the Cardinals had been held hitless by the Giants’ Gaylord Perry.

Perry and Washburn became the first big-league pitchers to toss no-hitters in consecutive games.

Perry walked two and struck out nine, including ex-teammate Orlando Cepeda twice, in outdueling Bob Gibson in the Giants’ 1-0 victory over the Cardinals before 9.546 on Tuesday night, Sept. 17, 1968, at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Boxscore

On Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 18, 1968, Washburn walked five and struck out eight, including Mays twice, in the Cardinals’ 2-0 victory before 4,703 at Candlestick. Boxscore

“I never saw a guy throw a curve much better,” Mays said to United Press International. “It floated up there, but you couldn’t hit it.”

Washburn threw 138 pitches: 89 fastballs, 42 curves and seven sliders, The Sporting News reported.

“His curve was the big thing for him,” said Cardinals pitching coach Billy Muffett to the Associated Press. “It kept the hitters off balance.”

Said Cardinals catcher Johnny Edwards: “The curve turned him into a great pitcher. He got away from depending too much on his hard slider.”

Giants grounded

The Associated Press described Washburn’s curve as “deadly” to a lineup of sluggers that included Mays, Willie McCovey, Bobby Bonds and Jim Ray Hart. Washburn was effectively wild with a sinking fastball that set up his curve.

“I had control of my breaking pitches when I was behind the batters,” Washburn said. “My slow curve was working. If you have good motion and can keep it away from the hitters, it’s a very effective pitch.

“The curve helps me keep the batters off stride and has them hitting the ball off the end of the bat and into the ground.”

The Giants hit two balls out of the infield.

The no-hitter was Washburn’s first as a professional. He said he had pitched one in high school. It was the first no-hitter by a Cardinals pitcher since Lon Warneke did it against the Reds in 1941. Boxscore

“I’ve been with the Cards 23 years and never saw a no-hitter before,” said St. Louis manager Red Schoendienst.

Back from the brink

Perry went into the Cardinals’ clubhouse to congratulate Washburn. Until Perry and Washburn, only one no-hitter had been pitched in San Francisco since the Giants moved there from New York after the 1957 season. That was tossed by the Giants’ Juan Marichal against the Colt .45s in 1963. Boxscore

Before his no-hitter, Washburn had lost his previous two starts, including a 5-1 decision versus Perry and the Giants on Sept. 7 at St. Louis. Washburn won seven consecutive decisions from June 16 to July 29.

In 1963, Washburn tore a muscle in his right shoulder. Some thought he never could recover to pitch like he did for St. Louis five years later.

“He was almost finished,” Schoendienst said.

Cardinals trainer Bob Bauman called the injury “one of the worst muscle tears ever. The way it looked, we thought he’d never come around.”

Said Washburn: “They never gave up on me and I never gave up on myself.”

Washburn finished the 1968 season with a 14-8 record and 2.26 ERA.

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