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Freddy Schmidt was star rookie for 1944 Cardinals

Posted in Games, Pitchers on December 3, 2012| Leave a Comment »

The National League Rookie of the Year Award didn’t exist in 1944. If it had, Cardinals pitcher Freddy Schmidt would have been a good candidate.

Schmidt contributed seven wins and five saves to the 1944 World Series championship club.

freddy_schmidt The 1944 Cardinals dominated the National League with a 105-49 record, finishing 14.5 games ahead of the runner-up Pirates.

Discovered by the Cardinals when he attended one of their tryout camps in his hometown of Hartford, Conn., Schmidt joined the organization with Class D Shelby of the North Carolina State League in 1937.

It was the first of seven consecutive seasons in the Cardinals’ minor-league system for Schmidt. He was a 19-game winner for Class B Allentown in 1942 and was 13-10 for Class AA Rochester in 1943.

At 28, Schmidt made the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster in 1944. Initially used in relief, Schmidt earned the confidence of manager Billy Southworth and was given occasional starts.

His first big-league start was an eye-opener to the degree of difficulty in the major leagues. Starting for the Cardinals in the second game of a doubleheader on June 4, 1944, at Philadelphia, Schmidt held the Phillies to an unearned run and four hits in seven innings, but was the losing pitcher. His counterpart, Bill Lee, shut out the Cardinals on two hits and the Phillies won, 1-0. Boxscore

Schmidt earned his first big-league win in his next appearance, a relief stint on June 14, 1944, against the Cubs at St. Louis, when the Cardinals scored three in the bottom of the eighth and won, 10-9. Boxscore

In August, Southworth used Schmidt as a starter more frequently _ and the rookie responded, pitching a pair of shutouts in an 11-day stretch.

On Aug. 16, 1944, at St. Louis, Schmidt pitched a five-hitter in the Cardinals’ 5-0 victory over the Giants. The win was the Cardinals’ fifth in a row and enabled them to achieve their 80th victory on the earliest date in National League history. Boxscore

Schmidt used his arm and his bat to lead the Cardinals to a 4-0 victory over the Pirates in a cold drizzle on Aug. 25, 1944, at St. Louis. Schmidt pitched a six-hitter and struck out nine. He also produced two singles and two RBI. Pirates manager Frankie Frisch twice ordered intentional walks to the Cardinals’ No. 8 batter, Marty Marion, and Schmidt foiled the strategy each time with a RBI-single, the Associated Press reported. Boxscore

Schmidt finished the regular season with a 7-3 record, five saves and a 3.15 ERA in 37 games, including nine starts.

In his lone appearance in the 1944 World Series, Schmidt pitched 3.1 innings of scoreless, one-hit relief in Game 3, a 6-2 victory for the Browns. Boxscore

Two months later, Dec. 8, 1944, Schmidt was drafted into the Army.

Schmidt rejoined the Cardinals in 1946 and was 1-0 with a 3.29 ERA in 16 relief appearances, helping St. Louis to its fourth pennant of the decade.

After appearing in two games for St. Louis in 1947, Schmidt and outfielder Harry Walker were traded to the Phillies for outfielder Ron Northey on May 3. In September, after he posted a 5-8 record for Philadelphia, the Phillies placed him on waivers and Schmidt was claimed by the Cubs. He pitched in one game for Chicago _ and never appeared in the big leagues again.

Schmidt had a career major-league record of 13-11, 8-3 as a Cardinal.

Previously: Danny Litwhiler: perfect fit for champion Cardinals

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The story of Lou Brock and his steals of home

Posted in Games, Hitters on November 28, 2012| Leave a Comment »

(Updated Aug. 6, 2019)

Lou Brock stole home twice in his major-league career. Both occurred on the front end of double steals.

Brock did it first with the Cubs on May 24, 1964, against the Reds at Cincinnati. He repeated the feat with the Cardinals on Aug. 6, 1970, against the Mets at St. Louis.

Mets pitcher Tom Seaver had won nine consecutive decisions entering his Aug. 6, 1970, start against the Cardinals at Busch Memorial Stadium. Brock led off the Cardinals’ first inning with a double and moved to third on an infield out. Joe Hague walked and Richie Allen struck out.

When Hague took off from first on a steal attempt, catcher Jerry Grote threw to second. Second baseman Wayne Garrett took Grote’s throw and Hague stopped. Garrett fired the ball to first baseman Art Shamsky. As Shamsky moved toward Hague, Brock broke for home. Shamsky, a left-handed thrower, turned around and made a high toss to Grote. Brock easily beat the throw and Hague went on to second base on a successful double steal.

“Once (Shamsky) makes a total commitment for the other runner (Hague), there’s no way he can make the play home,” Brock said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. ‘It’s too tough to throw accurately with something on the ball when you’re running in another direction.”

The thefts came against a battery that was good at guarding against steals. Grote threw out 39 percent of the baserunners attempting to steal against him in 1970. Seaver pitched in 37 games in 1970 and yielded only 14 stolen bases.

Brock’s steal of home gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead and propelled them to a 3-0 victory.

Asked about the play, Mets manager Gil Hodges told the Associated Press, “When you can’t execute properly, that’s what costs you.” Boxscore

Less than a month before he was traded by the Cubs to the Cardinals, Brock stole home for the first time in the big leagues. In the opener of a doubleheader on May 24, 1964, at Crosley Field, Brock singled against Reds starter Jim O’Toole with one out in the first. A single by Billy Williams advanced Brock to third. Brock and Williams then executed a double steal. The thefts were two of only 10 allowed by O’Toole in 30 games for the Reds in 1964. The catcher, Hal Smith, a former Cardinal, threw out five of 12 baserunners (42 percent) attempting to steal in 1964. Boxscore

Brock is the all-time National League leader in steals and ranks second in major-league history to Rickey Henderson. Brock had 50 steals with the Cubs and 888 with the Cardinals. In 1974, when Brock swiped a career-high 118 for the Cardinals, he had 112 steals of second and six of third.

He only once attempted to steal home in 1974. On Sept. 6, 1974, after Brock drove in a run with a fifth-inning triple, Mets pitcher Jerry Koosman, attempting a pickoff, threw to third baseman Wayne Garrett, catching Brock with too big a lead. Brock broke for home and Garrett’s peg to catcher Duffy Dyer was in time to nail Brock.

“I didn’t think Koosman would throw over there,” Brock said.

Three innings later, Brock singled against former teammate Harry Parker and stole second and third on successive pitches. The steals were Brock’s 100th and 101st of the season.

Said Parker: “It’s like trying to keep water from going over the dam. You know what’s coming, but you’re powerless.” Boxscore

Previously: Hot leadoff hitting helped Lou Brock earn steals record

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The story of how Stan Musial stole home _ 4 times

Posted in Games, Hitters on November 21, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Stan Musial achieved many remarkable feats in his Cardinals career. One of the most unheralded was his success at stealing home. Musial did it four times within four years.

Musial had 78 stolen bases in a 22-year Cardinals career. His single-season high was nine in 1943, his second full year in the big leagues.

In the book “Musial: From Stash to Stan the Man,” author James N. Giglio said Musial “became a terror in taking the extra base or in flustering the pitcher by threatening to steal.”

Giglio described how, in a 1942 game at Pittsburgh, Musial tripled and scored the tying run when he faked a steal of home, causing the pitcher, Luke Hamlin, to balk.

That alertness and hustle paid off for Musial and the Cardinals on May 24, 1950, at the Polo Grounds in New York. In the eighth inning, with the Cardinals ahead, 1-0, Musial singled and advanced to second when Johnny Lindell reached on an error.

With Enos Slaughter at the plate, pitcher Monty Kennedy unleashed a wild pitch. The ball “dropped right in front of the plate but the daring Musial made it to third,” United Press reported, while Lindell held at first.

Slaughter popped out and Marty Marion came to the plate. When Kennedy made a pickoff throw to first, Musial broke from third and streaked home with a steal, extending the Cardinals’ lead to 2-0.

An Associated Press photo of the play shows Giants catcher Wes Westrum straddling the plate, his arms extended as he awaits the throw from first baseman Tookie Gilbert, while Musial slides toward the dish.

“It’s that old Cardinal Gashouse spirit,” St. Louis manager Eddie Dyer said. “You can laugh all you want to, boys, but it still wins ballgames.” Boxscore

Musial stole home again on Sept. 18, 1951, at St. Louis. Musial was on third and Slaughter on first with two outs in the sixth when they executed a double steal, with Musial racing home with the final run of a 7-1 Cardinals victory over the Dodgers. Boxscore

In 1953, Musial had a season total of three stolen bases _ two were steals of home and both came against the Phillies.

On July 24, 1953, at Philadelphia, Bob Miller issued a walk to Musial, who advanced to second on an error and to third on a wild pitch. With two outs, Musial took off for the plate. An Associated Press photo shows catcher Stan Lopata tagging Musial on his right knee while Musial’s left foot is across the plate. Phillies manager Steve O’Neill protested, but the photo is evidence umpire Bill Jackowski made the correct call.

The sixth-inning steal of home tied the score 1-1, but the Phillies scored in the ninth and won, 2-1. Boxscore

Two months later, Sept. 13, 1953, at St. Louis, Musial stole home again versus the Phillies. In the first inning, Musial was on third and Ray Jablonski on first when the pair executed a double steal, igniting the offense in a 17-3 Cardinals triumph. Boxscore

Previously: No one hit more triples and as many home runs as Stan Musial

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Selfless teamwork by Kyle McClellan paid off for Cards

Posted in Games, Pitchers on November 16, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Kyle McClellan should be remembered as one of the key contributors in the Cardinals’ remarkable run to the World Series title in 2011.

Though he lacked the star power and big-game swagger of colleagues such as Chris Carpenter and Jason Motte, McClellan gave the 2011 Cardinals a significant early-season boost to their starting rotation and also contributed wins in relief down the stretch as St. Louis successfully made a frantic push to overtake the Braves for the National League wild-card spot.

The wear McClellan put on his right arm that year as he converted from reliever to starter in the spring and back to reliever in late July may have shortened his Cardinals career. Plagued by a damaged right shoulder, McClellan, 28, was sidelined for most of the 2012 season and was released by the Cardinals Nov. 13, 2012.

When starter Adam Wainwright suffered a season-ending arm injury at the start of spring training in 2011, McClellan moved into the rotation to replace him, even though McClellan had been used exclusively as a reliever since his rookie season of 2008.

Joining a rotation of Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, Kyle Lohse and Jake Westbrook, McClellan’s selfless teamwork paid big early-season dividends for the Cardinals.

On April 11, 2011, McClellan earned his first win as a starter, limiting the Diamondbacks to a run in six innings and collecting his first two RBI in an 8-2 Cardinals triumph. “He did it all,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Boxscore

McClellan won his first five decisions of 2011. On May 8, after he held the Brewers to a run and four hits in eight innings in a 3-1 Cardinals victory on Mother’s Day, McClellan had a 5-0 record and 3.30 ERA and St. Louis was in first place in the National League Central. McClellan’s mother and his wife, who was pregnant, attended the game. Afterward, Wainwright told St. Louis reporter Derrick Goold that McClellan’s record “is not surprising any of us.” Boxscore

Soon thereafter, McClellan fell into a funk. After earning a win on May 19, McClellan went more than two months before recording another. On July 25, in the last of his 17 starts for the 2011 Cardinals, McClellan held the Astros to a run in seven innings and got the win in the Cardinals’ 10-5 victory. “There’s been games where I’ve let the big inning kill me,” McClellan said to the Post-Dispatch. “Today, I felt like I was able to keep control of the game.” Boxscore

Two days later, the Cardinals acquired starting pitcher Edwin Jackson from the Blue Jays. McClellan quickly agreed to move to the bullpen to open a spot for Jackson in the rotation. La Russa told St. Louis reporter Rick Hummel that McClellan “showed a lot of character” in accepting the move. “He could have been bitter,” La Russa said.

Explained McClellan: “I felt like the time I was in the rotation, I did a good job. I don’t feel that I pitched my way out of a job.”

On Sept. 16, McClellan earned a big win in relief, pitching a scoreless 10th inning in the Cardinals’ 4-2 victory in 11 over the Phillies. McClellan retired Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino and Chase Utley in order, helping the Cardinals get within 3.5 games of the Braves in the wild-card chase. Boxscore

Joe Strauss of the Post-Dispatch wrote that the victory transformed the Cardinals’ postseason chances “from improbable to, dare it be said, believable.”

St. Louis did catch the Braves, swept through the National League postseason series and won the World Series championship in seven games.

The Cardinals couldn’t have qualified for the postseason without the contributions of McClellan. The right-hander was 12-7 overall _ 6-6 as a starter and 6-1 in relief _ in 43 apperances.

Previously: 2011: a year of titles, turnarounds, turmoil for Cardinals

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Why Walt Weiss rejected bid to be Cardinals shortstop

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents on November 12, 2012| Leave a Comment »

The Cardinals wanted free agent Walt Weiss to be their shortstop for the 1996 season, but Weiss declined St. Louis’ offer because he was concerned how fans would react to him replacing Ozzie Smith.

St. Louis instead acquired shortstop Royce Clayton from the Giants. Weiss re-signed with the Rockies.

As Weiss anticipated, the transition of Smith from St. Louis starter to part-time player was marred by controversy. Smith felt he deserved to remain the everyday shortstop and he clashed with Tony La Russa when the manager chose Clayton as the starter in 1996. Meanwhile, Weiss quietly extended a four-year stretch as the Rockies’ regular shortstop.

Weiss started his major-league career in 1987 with the Athletics and played six seasons in Oakland for La Russa. During that time, Weiss won the American League Rookie of the Year Award and helped the Athletics win three pennants and a World Series title.

Traded by Oakland to the Marlins after the 1992 season, Weiss spent a year in Florida and then two with the Rockies. In November 1995, he declared for free agency.

When the Rockies offered him a two-year contract at $2 million per year, the Cardinals were prepared to counter with a two-year deal plus an option year at $2 million per year, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cardinals were seeking a shortstop because of their concern about whether Smith, who hit .199 in 1995 and who was about to turn 41, could handle the everyday shortstop role in 1996.

On Nov. 20, 1995, St. Louis reporter Rick Hummel wrote: “Free-agent shortstop Walt Weiss apparently has whittled his list to two teams _ Colorado, for whom he played the last two seasons, and the Cardinals.”

A day later, the Rockies announced Weiss had accepted a $4.1 million two-year contract with a player option for 1998 to remain with Colorado.

“Going to St. Louis, I wouldn’t have had the fan support I have (in Denver), especially coming in behind Ozzie,” Weiss said to the Rocky Mountain News.

Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz wrote that Weiss rejected the Cardinals “in part because he didn’t want to be the co-star in an Ozzie soap opera.”

Miklasz, writing with foresight, added, “La Russa should have the freedom to choose the lineup. If the Cardinals are serious about winning, then any Ozzie-related PR repercussions should be irrelevant … It’s too bad that this mutually beneficial relationship seems destined to end in so much rancor and bitterness.”

A .258 career hitter in 14 major-league seasons, Weiss was a terror against the Cardinals. The switch-hitter batted .333 (79-for-237) in 76 regular-season games against St. Louis. He had more hits versus the Cardinals than he did against any other team in his big-league career. Weiss batted .357 (41-for-115) in 35 regular-season games at Busch Memorial Stadium.

Perhaps Weiss’ most memorable game against the Cardinals came in Game 1 of the 2000 National League Division Series, when St. Louis starter Rick Ankiel experienced his infamous meltdown.

Playing for the Braves in his final big-league game, Weiss started at shortstop in Game 1. In the third inning, Weiss delivered the two-run single that knocked Ankiel from the game after the left-hander had thrown five wild pitches and walked four that inning. It would be Weiss’ last hit of his big-league career. Boxscore

“Walt Weiss had a superb day afield and at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and making a great catch on Andres Galarraga’s errant throw to second base in the third.” the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. “With runners on first and second, Galarraga made a fine stop on Fernando Vina’s smash, but threw wildly to second. Weiss, fully extended, reached far and low to his right to catch the ball, then searched with his right foot before touching the bag for the force.”

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Hitting shouldn’t disqualify Marty Marion for Hall election

Posted in Games, Hitters on November 9, 2012| Leave a Comment »

(Updated Dec. 27, 2015)

If Marty Marion is elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, it will be because he was perhaps the finest-fielding shortstop of the 1940s, a starter on Cardinals teams that won four pennants and three World Series titles and a winner of the 1944 National League Most Valuable Player Award.

Marion wasn’t known for his hitting _ he usually batted in the seventh and eighth spots in the order during a 13-year big-league career _ but much like another Cardinals standout shortstop, Ozzie Smith, Marion worked to enhance his value at the plate.

Marion, a Cardinals shortstop from 1940-50, twice has been one of 10 candidates on the Pre-Integration Era ballot being considered for election to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. The ballot is for players, managers, umpires and executives whose most significant achievements came before 1946.

To be elected, a candidate must receive votes from at least 12 of the 16 voters. Marion didn’t receive enough support when voting was done in 2012 and again in 2015.

With a .263 career batting average and 1,448 hits in 11 seasons with the Cardinals and two with the Browns, offensive numbers alone won’t qualify Marion for the Hall of Fame, but his batting shouldn’t disqualify him either.

In 1942, his third season with the Cardinals, Marion, a right-handed batter, initially struggled at the plate so badly that some wondered whether he could remain in the big leagues. Though he was the everyday shortstop, he was hitting .188 on May 31 that season.

Years later, Marion explained to St. Louis writer Bob Broeg how he improved as a hitter. “I began studying hitting on my own, changing my batting stance, observing the pitchers, laying off bad pitches and hitting more to right field,” Marion said.

Marion finished the 1942 season with a .276 batting mark and helped the Cardinals win the pennant and the World Series championship that year.

Perhaps Marion’s most productive game for the Cardinals occurred on June 3, 1945, in the opener of a doubleheader against the Giants at St. Louis. Marion had a career-high six RBI with a triple, double and two flyouts in an 11-3 Cardinals victory. Boxscore

Five years later, in 1950, Marion’s last season as a Cardinals player before becoming their manager in 1951, the shortstop hit a home run in each of four consecutive games he started. Those were his only homers of the season and his last of 34 as a Cardinal.

The unexpected power supply began May 30, 1950, when Marion went 3-for-6, including a three-run home run off Vic Lombardi, in the Cardinals’ 17-13 victory over the Pirates in the opener of a Memorial Day doubleheader at Pittsburgh. Boxscore

After a pinch-hit appearance in the second game of the doubleheader, Marion made his next start June 1 against the Dodgers at St. Louis. Facing Preacher Roe, Marion hit a grand slam with two outs in the sixth inning, erasing a 2-0 Brooklyn lead and lifting the Cardinals into a first-place tie with the Dodgers with a 5-2 victory. Boxscore

The New York Times described Marion’s only career grand slam as “electrifying” for the Cardinals and the St. Louis crowd of 32,180.

“For 11 major-league years, Mr. Shortstop went quietly about his business,” wrote the Associated Press. “Never did he hit a home run with the bases loaded. Never, until last night.”

Wrote United Press: “Imagine Marty Marion, of all people, blasting a grand slam to beat the Brooklyn Dodgers and putting the rollicking Redbirds into a first-place tie with the Flatbush boys.”

With the grand slam, Marion had produced eight RBI in back-to-back games started. He didn’t stop there.

In his next game, June 2, Marion hit a solo home run off the Dodgers’ Don Newcombe. Marion followed that with another solo homer in his next game started against the Phillies’ Curt Simmons. The 10 RBI in four consecutive games started accounted for a quarter of Marion’s season total in 1950.

The Sporting News reported Marion’s four-game stretch as “the most memorable week of hitting in his major-league career.”

“Better timing, that’s all,” Marion explained. “But it’s quite a thrill and I hope it happens more often.”

Previously: How Marty Marion won MVP Award by one point

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