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How Cardinals came up short in bid for Mike Hampton

Posted in Games, Opponents, Pitchers on December 29, 2020| 5 Comments »

The Cardinals were convinced Mike Hampton. who kept them from getting to the World Series in 2000, would enable them to get there in 2001.

In December 2000, the Cardinals thought Hampton, a left-handed pitcher and free agent, would accept their offer of a seven-year contract for $91 million.

Instead, Hampton signed a deal with the Rockies for $121 million over eight years, making him the highest-paid pitcher in baseball.

Two months earlier, Hampton made two starts against the Cardinals in the 2000 National League Championship Series and won both, carrying the Mets into the World Series against the Yankees.

Later, when Cardinals manager Tony La Russa made a pitch to Hampton to join the Cardinals, he told him, “With you, we go to the World Series” in 2001.

Right stuff

After entering the majors with the Mariners in 1993, Hampton was traded to the Astros and developed into an ace. He was 22-4 for them in 1999.

Knowing Hampton could become a free agent after the 2000 season, the Astros dealt him to the Mets in December 1999. The Mets, expecting to contend in 2000, were willing to risk having Hampton leave after a year.

Hampton was 15-10 for the 2000 Mets, who qualified for the postseason as a wild-card entry and defeated the Giants in the National League Division Series.

The Mets advanced to face the Cardinals in a best-of-seven series to determine the 2000 National League pennant winner.

In Game 1, Hampton started, pitched seven shutout innings and got the win. Boxscore

In Game 5, he pitched a three-hit shutout for the pennant-clinching victory. Boxscore and video

“He isn’t a dominating left-hander by any means, relying on good movement and location of his pitches rather than sheer velocity,” Mike Eisenbath of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted. “The tougher the situation, though, the better he is.”

Sales pitch

The Cardinals were a team Hampton was interested in joining. According to columnist Bernie Miklasz, Hampton told Cardinals players Darryl Kile, a former Astros teammate, and Fernando Vina he’d “like to sign with the Cardinals.”

The interest was mutual. Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said the club wanted a starting pitcher “who can put us over the top,” and viewed Hampton, 28, as that kind of talent.

Joining the Cardinals as leading contenders for Hampton were the Braves, Cubs, Indians, Mets and Rockies.

The Cardinals were invited to meet with Hampton and his agent, Mark Rodgers.

“Several Cardinals employees helped the team’s recruiting pitch by posing for photos in front of various Hampton Avenue street signs throughout St. Louis,” Miklasz wrote.

A Cardinals contingent went to Houston, where Hampton resided, to recruit him. It was well-received. Rodgers told the Post-Dispatch, “To be honest, I thought it was going to be really tough to beat St. Louis. They’ve got a dynamic ownership group that’s trying to win, and great fans.

“Mike was going to have to see something very significant not to go to St. Louis,” Rodgers said. “Tony La Russa walked in, sat down and said, ‘With you, we go to the World Series.’ Coming from him, that meant an awful lot. Tony La Russa blew us away.”

Feeling jilted

On Dec. 4, 2000, Jocketty met with Rodgers near the agent’s home in Palm City, Fla., and made an offer of $91 million over seven years.

“Hampton and Rodgers both said the Cardinals were the leaders” in the bidding, according to the Post-Dispatch.

“As recently as (Dec. 7), the Cardinals thought they had the left-hander,” Rick Hummel of the Post-Dispatch reported.

On Dec. 8, however, Hampton reached agreement with the Rockies, who offered $30 million more than the Cardinals: $121 million over eight years.

“I’m very disappointed,” Jocketty said. “I’m also very surprised because I thought we met every part of his criteria.”

Jocketty said Hampton “would have made us a lot better.”

“I talked to several of our opponents in the division and they’re so glad we didn’t get Hampton,” Jocketty told the Post-Dispatch. “They would have just shut the door. That’s part of the reason we worked so hard at it. It just would have put us at a different level.”

Rocky time

Hampton’s decision to go with the Rockies was criticized by some, who noted his career ERA at Denver’s Coors Field was 6.48. Eight months earlier, on April 28, 2000, Hampton punched a water cooler in frustration after giving up seven runs in five innings to the Rockies at Coors Field. Boxscore

“The entire baseball world was surprised an elite pitcher would choose to spend the prime of his career at Coors Field,” Ken Rosenthal of The Sporting News wrote.

Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd said, “We didn’t lie to Mike and try to sell him on Coors Field as a pitcher’s heaven.”

Some pitchers were convinced Denver’s high altitude caused their pitches to flatten and become more hittable. Hampton said he believed he’d succeed because his sinker and cut fastball induced grounders.

After missing out on Hampton, the Cardinals acquired starting pitcher Dustin Hermanson from the Expos.

With a starting rotation anchored by Darryl Kile, Matt Morris and Hermanson, and including Andy Benes, Woody Williams and Bud Smith, the 2001 Cardinals earned 93 wins and qualified for the playoffs.

Hampton beat the Cardinals on Opening Day in 2001, but for the season he was 14-13 with a 5.41 ERA. A good-hitting pitcher, Hampton batted .291 with seven home runs, but it didn’t compensate for his pitching. Overall in 2001, left-handed batters hit .346 against him, and his ERA at Coors Field was 5.77. The Rockies finished at 73-89.

In 2002, the Cardinals again thrived and the Rockies faltered. The 2002 Cardinals had 97 wins and won a division title. The Rockies were 73-89 again. Hampton was 7-15 with a 6.15 ERA. Overall in 2002, left-handed batters hit .376 against him.

Though Hampton hit .344 with three home runs in 2002, it wasn’t what the Rockies were paying him top dollar to do.

In November 2002, the Rockies traded Hampton to the Marlins, who two days later flipped him to the Braves.

Hampton had 14 wins for the Braves in 2003 and 13 in 2004. Sidelined in 2006 and 2007 after having reconstructive elbow surgery, Hampton went on to pitch for the Astros again and Diamondbacks.

His record in 16 years in the majors was 148-115, including 10-9 versus the Cardinals.

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Phil Linz hit sweet and sour notes versus Cardinals

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents on December 26, 2020| 4 Comments »

(Updated July 6, 2024)

In the 1964 World Series, Phil Linz was in and out of tune against the Cardinals.

A utility player during the regular season, Linz started all seven games of the Series for the Yankees as their shortstop and leadoff batter.

Linz was in the Yankees’ starting lineup against the 1964 Cardinals because shortstop Tony Kubek had a severely sprained wrist and couldn’t play.

A right-handed batter, Linz had seven hits, including two home runs, and scored five times in that Series. He also made two errors, including a Game 7 miscue that enabled the Cardinals to take the lead, and was involved in a costly misplay in Game 4.

Music man

Linz was 22 when he debuted with the Yankees in 1962. Because he played all four infield positions and the outfield, Linz became a valuable backup.

After the 1962 season, the Cardinals, seeking a shortstop, wanted Linz. According to the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, Linz was “a No. 1 target” of general manager Bing Devine, but a deal couldn’t be worked out. (The Cardinals got Dick Groat from the Pirates instead.)

In 1964, Linz made 50 starts at shortstop, 38 at third base and three at second base for an injury-plagued Yankees team trying to stay in contention with the White Sox and Orioles for the American League pennant.

After the Yankees were swept by the White Sox in a four-game series at Chicago in August, dropping them 4.5 games out of first place, they boarded a bus for the airport. In his book “The Mick,” Yankees slugger Mickey Mantle said, “I had sneaked a couple of beers on the bus. Probably a few other guys did the same.”

Linz, seated near the back, took out a new harmonica he was learning to play and began an amateurish rendition of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”

From the front of the bus, manager Yogi Berra hollered out for Linz to stop playing. Unsure what Berra said, Linz asked Mantle what he heard. In his book, Mantle, a prankster, said he replied, “Play it fast.”

As Linz tooted the tune, Berra confronted him and they argued. In the heat of the moment, Linz flipped the harmonica to Berra, who slapped at the instrument, The Sporting News reported. The harmonica struck teammate Joe Pepitone on the knee, fell to the floor and broke apart.

Linz apologized to Berra the next day and was fined $200, according to The Sporting News. Later, a harmonica company gave Linz $10,000 to endorse its product, the New York Times reported. Not a bad return for Linz on his investment in the $2.50 harmonica.

Though some initially thought the incident was an indication the Yankees were cracking under pennant pressure, the opposite occurred.

The Yankees played the incident for laughs, relaxed and surged, winning 22 of 28 games in September and finishing a game ahead of the second-place White Sox.

Borrowed bat

Linz helped the Yankees beat Bob Gibson and the Cardinals in Game 2 of the 1964 World Series. Using a bat borrowed from Mantle, Linz had three hits, a walk, a RBI and scored two runs in the Yankees’ 8-3 victory at St. Louis.

“He could play regularly on a lot of ballclubs,” Cardinals third baseman Ken Boyer told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

With the Yankees ahead, 2-1, Linz led off the seventh inning with a single against Gibson and advanced from first to third on a wild pitch. Bobby Richardson followed with a single, scoring Linz.

In the ninth, Barney Schultz, who allowed one home run in 30 appearances during the season, relieved Gibson and gave up a homer to the first batter he faced, Linz.

Linz fouled off several pitches before connecting for the home run on a fastball from the knuckleball specialist. “I guess he wasn’t afraid of me,” Linz told the Post-Dispatch. Boxscore

Botched chance

The Yankees won two of the first three games of the Series and were leading, 3-0, in the sixth inning of Game 4 when the Cardinals put runners on first and second with one out.

Dick Groat hit a grounder that had the makings of an inning-ending double play. Second baseman Bobby Richardson went to his right, gloved the ball and intended to toss it to Linz, who was moving toward the bag at second, but the ball stuck in the webbing of Richardson’s glove.

After a moment of hesitation, Richardson managed to flip the ball with his glove hand to Linz, but their timing was off.

As the ball reached Linz, baserunner Curt Flood slid into him hard and the ball fell to the ground. “On any other Sunday, Flood would have been penalized 15 yards for clipping,” Linz said to the Post-Dispatch.

All runners were safe, loading the bases, and Richardson was charged with an error. The next batter, Ken Boyer, hit a grand slam against Al Downing, erasing the Yankees’ lead and propelling the Cardinals to victory. Boxscore

“It was entirely my fault,” Richardson told The Sporting News. “Phil couldn’t possibly have handled (the throw).”

Linz said to the Post-Dispatch, “It was just as much my fault. I was a little late getting to the bag. I was on the bag, but I had to reach back for the ball. That’s when Flood hit me.”

Flood told the New York Daily News, “I was sure they had me when I saw Richardson get the ball. All I wanted to do was break up the double play. So I slid into Linz’s right leg to knock him off balance.”

Turning point

In the winner-take-all Game 7, Linz was involved in the play that turned the momentum in the Cardinals’ favor.

The game was scoreless in the fourth inning when the Cardinals put runners on first and second with no outs. Tim McCarver hit a grounder sharply to first baseman Joe Pepitone. The Yankees were expecting to turn a double play.

Pepitone threw to Linz, covering second, for the forceout, but the return throw from Linz to pitcher Mel Stottlemyre, covering first, was wild. The ball sailed wide of first base and bounced to the bunting draping the stands. Ken Boyer scored from second, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.

“A good throw and we got him,” Yogi Berra told the Post-Dispatch.

Instead of two outs, none in and a runner on third, the Cardinals had one out, one in and a runner on first because of the Linz error.

Berra called Linz’s wild throw “the key play” in the game. The Cardinals went on to score three runs, including a McCarver steal of home, in the inning.

The Cardinals took a 7-3 lead into the ninth. Gibson struck out Tom Tresh before Clete Boyer hit a home run, making the score 7-4. Johnny Blanchard struck out for the second out.

Up next was Linz. He hit a Gibson fastball deep to left. Lou Brock raced back to the wall and leaped, but the ball went into the stands, where it was caught by a fan, for a home run.

Linz’s homer made the score 7-5. Cardinals manager Johnny Keane, saying he was committed to Gibson’s heart, left him in the game to face Bobby Richardson, who hat 13 hits in the Series. If Richardson reached base, slugger Roger Maris was up next, representing the potential tying run, and Keane told The Sporting News, “I would have had to get Gibson out.”

Instead, Gibson got Richardson to pop out to second baseman Dal Maxvill, and the Cardinals won the championship. Boxscore

 

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Denis Menke had game-winning hits against Bob Gibson

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents, Pitchers on December 20, 2020| 4 Comments »

(Updated Nov. 25, 2024)

Denis Menke was a menace to Bob Gibson.

Menke was an infielder who played 13 seasons with the Braves (1962-67), Astros (1968-71, 1974) and Reds (1972-73). He also coached in the majors for 20 years.

Though he batted .184 against Gibson in his career, Menke delivered multiple game-winning hits to beat the Cardinals’ ace. The highlights:

_ A three-run home run against Gibson in a 6-3 Braves win in 1963.

_ Two home runs against Gibson to drive in all the runs in a 4-0 Braves win in 1966.

_ A two-run single against Gibson in a 3-2 Astros win in 1968.

In the book “Stranger to the Game,” Gibson’s friend and teammate Joe Torre said, “Denis Menke was one who hit Bob a little better than he should have.”

Menke told Joe Schuster of Cardinals Yearbook in 2018, “Any success I had against him (Gibson) might have involved more than just a little luck.”

Power provider

Born in Bancroft, Iowa, Menke developed into an amateur baseball standout and was signed by the Braves for $125,000 in May 1958. He made his debut in the majors with them in 1962.

Menke played all four infield positions, though his primary spot was shortstop.

In 1963, Braves manager Bobby Bragan put him at third base and moved the future Hall of Famer, Eddie Mathews, from third to left field.

On Aug. 9, 1963, in a Friday night game against the Cardinals at Milwaukee, the Braves featured a lineup with Hank Aaron, Mathews, Torre and Menke in the third through sixth spots in the batting order against Gibson.

In the second inning, Menke doubled and scored. In the third, he hit a three-run home run, giving the Braves a 6-0 lead. Menke’s homer provided them the margin of victory in a 6-3 win. Boxscore

Adjustments at-bat

Three years later, in 1966, the Braves relocated from Milwaukee to Atlanta. Menke had two big performances against the Cardinals that season.

The first was on June 5, a Sunday in Atlanta. Batting in the leadoff spot, Menke produced five hits and five RBI in the Braves’ 14-4 victory. He had a pair of singles against starter Al Jackson, a RBI-single versus Don Dennis, a three-run home run against Art Mahaffey and another RBI-single versus Hal Woodeshick. Boxscore

Two months later, the Braves fired Bobby Bragan and replaced him with Billy Hitchcock, who returned Menke to shortstop.

On Sept. 21, 1966, a Wednesday night in Atlanta, Gibson was seeking his 21st win of the season when he started for the Cardinals against the Braves.

Before the game, Hitchcock asked Menke to come to the ballpark early and review film of himself at the plate. “He could hardly believe what he saw,” Hitchcock told the Atlanta Constitution.

A right-handed batter, Menke was “pulling his left foot on almost every pitch. Bailing out, as the players say,” The Sporting News reported.

Hitchcock said, “The only pitch he could handle was the one in on him. Anything from the middle to the outside part of the plate, he just couldn’t reach.”

During batting practice that evening, Menke “concentrated on keeping his left foot in place, then stepping toward, or into, the pitch,” The Sporting News noted.

Gibson held the Braves hitless until, with two outs in the fifth, Menke lined a pitch to left. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the ball was “fair by inches” as it cleared the fence for a home run, giving the Braves a 1-0 lead. Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst said Menke was fooled by the pitch “and was stepping out when he hit it.”

In the seventh, Menke batted with runners on first and second, one out, and drove a Gibson pitch over the fence in left-center for a three-run home run and a 4-0 Braves lead. “He just hit a good pitch,” Schoendienst said.

Gibson limited the Braves to four hits in the game, but Menke’s two home runs supported the shutout pitching of Dick Kelley and gave the Braves the win. Boxscore

“Gibson pitched one heck of a game,” said Schoendienst. “He didn’t make any mistakes, really. That kid (Menke) just hit the ball. That’s all.”

Special delivery

Menke was dealt to the Astros after the 1967 season and became the second baseman in 1968 when Joe Morgan was sidelined because of a knee injury.

The 1968 season is when Gibson posted a 1.12 ERA and was the recipient of the National League Most Valuable Player Award and Cy Young Award, but Menke cost him a win that season.

On May 12, 1968, a Sunday in St. Louis, the Cardinals led the Astros, 2-1, when Menke faced Gibson in the seventh inning with the bases loaded and two outs.

Gibson’s first pitch to Menke was called a ball by plate umpire Bob Engel. Gibson told the Post-Dispatch, “The guy behind the plate was calling balls on pitches that were waist high. That’s what happened on Menke. The first pitch was a ball and I know it was a strike.”

The second pitch clearly was outside the strike zone, but instead of the count being 1-and-1, it was 2-and-0.

With the bases loaded, “I’m just trying to get the ball over” on the third pitch, Gibson said.

Menke hit it for a two-run single, giving the Astros a 3-2 lead.

Starter Larry Dierker held the Cardinals scoreless over the last three innings to seal the win for the Astros. Boxscore

Moving on

Menke was the Astros’ shortstop in 1969 and 1970, and was named to the National League all-star team both years.

Learning from Astros manager Harry Walker, the former Cardinal, how to hit to all fields, Menke led the club in hits (149) and RBI (90) in 1969, and in hits (171) and RBI (92) in 1970.

Traded with Morgan and others to the Reds in November 1971, Menke was their third baseman when they won consecutive division titles in 1972 and 1973. In the 1972 World Series versus the Athletics, Menke batted a mere .083, but he hit a home run against Catfish Hunter and fielded 29 chances flawlessly at third.

For his career, Menke produced 1,270 hits.

After three seasons as a minor-league manager, Menke was a coach in the majors with the Blue Jays (1980-81), Astros (1983-88), Phillies (1989-96) and Reds (1997-2000).

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Tommy Sandt had atypical stint in Cardinals system

Posted in Games, Hitters, Trades on December 17, 2020| 4 Comments »

During his time in the Cardinals’ organization, Tommy Sandt won a labor grievance, played in the same infield with Tony La Russa and Jim Riggleman, and got traded for a pitcher who became a World Series hero.

Though he never played in the majors for the Cardinals, Sandt was in their farm system after being acquired from the Athletics.

It was an unconventional adventure.

Hanging in there

Sandt was chosen by the Athletics in the second round of the 1969 amateur baseball draft. He said he almost quit in 1973 when he was demoted from Class AA Birmingham to Class A Burlington, but Burlington manager Rene Lachemann convinced him to keep trying. “He saved my career,” Sandt told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Sandt hit .301 for Burlington and began to advance again. In 1975, his seventh season in the minors, Sandt was called up to the Athletics in June, made his debut in the majors as a defensive replacement at second base in a game against the Angels, and was sent back down. He hit .309 for Class AAA Tucson in 1975.

At spring training in 1976, Sandt was considered a longshot to earn a spot with the Athletics until he caught the attention of manager Chuck Tanner during a baserunning drill.

“The A’s wore white shoes then and I didn’t have any, so someone loaned me some new white shoes,” Sandt told the Pittsburgh Press. “I wore them to run the bases and came up with blisters. They started bleeding and Chuck told me to go in and change my shoes. I told him I’d gut it out. I didn’t know it, but Chuck told me later I made the club right there.”

Tanner confirmed to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, “Tommy made my club that day. I figured if a guy will do that, he must want it bad.”

Sandt spent the 1976 season with the Athletics as a backup to second baseman Phil Garner and shortstop Bert Campaneris, played in 41 games and hit .209.

Instead of it being the start to a playing career in the majors, it turned out to be the end.

Money matters

Though Jack McKeon had become Athletics manager after cash-strapped club owner Charlie Finley traded Tanner to the Pirates, Sandt figured to be back with the team in 1977.

At spring training, Sandt got into a contract squabble with Finley. Rather than negotiate, Finley invoked a clause to renew Sandt’s contract and cut his salary by more than 20 percent. Under baseball’s labor agreement with the players’ union, Finley had the right to renew Sandt’s contract but the maximum he could cut a salary was 20 percent.

Sandt filed a grievance. Finley retaliated by selling Sandt’s contract to the Cardinals on March 26, 1977.

Off and on

The Cardinals assigned Sandt, 26, to their Class AAA New Orleans farm club. New Orleans opened its season with a double-play combination of Tony La Russa at second and Sandt at shortstop. In a game against Iowa, Sandt and La Russa each hit a home run.

La Russa, in his final season as a player before embarking on a Hall of Fame managing career, also was serving as a coach for New Orleans manager Lance Nichols. Ken Oberkfell eventually took over at second base. La Russa managed New Orleans for five games while Nichols was treated for lymphoma.

In the book, “Tony La Russa: Man on a Mission,” Oberkfell recalled a lesson he learned from La Russa and Sandt after Oklahoma City baserunner Lonnie Smith upended him on a slide into second.

“I guess it was kind of a cheap shot, but I didn’t really know any better and I didn’t think anything about it,” Oberkfell said. “I got to the bench after the inning and Tony and Tommy Sandt came up to me and said, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll get him for you.’ I was like, ‘Get who for what?’ That was a part of the game I really didn’t know much about.”

On May 28, 1977, an arbitrator who reviewed Sandt’s grievance against Finley ruled in favor of Sandt, declared the contract invalid and made him a free agent.

Sandt left the New Orleans club and went home, hoping to field offers. The Cardinals showed the most interest, and on June 18, 1977, they signed Sandt and sent him back to New Orleans.

The Cardinals also promoted Jim Riggleman from Class AA to be the New Orleans third baseman. Riggleman, a future Cardinals coach and big-league manager, and Sandt provided pop in the lineup. Four times, they combined to hit home runs in the same game.

Sandt was called up by the Cardinals when rosters expanded in September 1977, but never played in a game for them.

Moving ahead

The Cardinals were loaded with infielders at the major-league and Class AAA levels in 1978, so they loaned Sandt to the Blue Jays. Sandt was assigned to Class AAA Syracuse, a club managed by Vern Benson, a former Cardinals player and coach. Sandt played second base next to the shortstop, basketball’s Danny Ainge.

With his path to the Cardinals blocked by better prospects, Sandt was traded to the Pirates on Jan. 25, 1979, for a minor-league pitcher, John Stuper.

Stuper got called up to the Cardinals in 1982, became a member of the starting rotation and earned a complete-game win in Game 6 of the World Series, positioning them to clinch the championship the next night.

After three more seasons as a player in the Pirates’ farm system, Sandt became a minor-league manager for them in 1982. He managed for five seasons, including at Hawaii, where he was named manager of the year in the Pacific Coast League and helped a promising prospect, Barry Bonds.

In 1987, Sandt became a coach on the staff of Pirates manager Jim Leyland. Sandt was a Pirates coach for Leyland from 1987-96. Leyland kept Sandt on his coaching staff when he managed the Marlins (1997-98) and Rockies (1999). Sandt also was a Pirates coach for managers Gene Lamont (2000) and Lloyd McClendon (2001-02).

On Twitter, Pirates broadcaster Greg Brown called Sandt “a brilliant baseball man and as humble as they come.”

Asked by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette what three words described him best, Sandt replied, “Fun-loving, emotional, dedicated.”

As a coach, Sandt developed a reputation for being a master at using the fungo stick to hit balls to players during fielding drills.

Another coach, Rich Donnelly, told the Miami Herald, “There’s no one better with a fungo. If the fungo was a sand wedge, Tommy Sandt would be Tiger Woods.”

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Gene Tenace delivered what Cardinals wanted from him

Posted in Games, Hitters, Trades on December 11, 2020| 4 Comments »

Gene Tenace brought to the Cardinals a winning pedigree, leadership and a consistent ability to get on base. Willing to accept a reserve role as a catcher and first baseman, Tenace was a good fit for a franchise looking to change its culture and transform from underachievers to champions.

On Dec. 8, 1980, the Cardinals got Tenace, pitchers Rollie Fingers and Bob Shirley, and a player to be named, catcher Bob Geren, from the Padres for catchers Terry Kennedy and Steve Swisher, infielder Mike Phillips and pitchers John Littlefield, John Urrea, Kim Seaman and Al Olmsted.

Fingers, a closer and future Hall of Famer, was the player who got the attention for the Cardinals when the deal was made, but Tenace was the one who contributed the most.

Four days after acquiring Fingers, Whitey Herzog, who had the dual roles of Cardinals manager and general manager, dealt him and another future Hall of Famer, catcher Ted Simmons, to the Brewers. Tenace remained with the Cardinals for two years, fulfilled the role Herzog envisioned for him, and helped them become World Series champions in 1982.

Finding his way

Tenace was born Fiore Gino Tennaci in Russelton, Pa. He grew up in Lucasville, Ohio, and his name was changed to Fury Gene Tenace because the family wanted it to be more American than Italian.

He was 18 and a shortstop when the Athletics selected him in the 20th round of baseball’s first amateur draft in 1965. Tenace was an outfielder and third baseman in the Athletics’ farm system before he was converted to catcher in 1968.

A right-handed batter, Tenace generated tremendous bat speed. “I play to hit,” Tenace told The Sporting News. “I love to hit.”

A turning point in Tenace’s career came in 1969 when he was assigned to Birmingham, a Class AA club managed by Gus Niarhos. A former big-league catcher who started for the 1948 Yankees before being replaced by future Hall of Famer Yogi Berra, Niarhos taught Tenace how to play the position.

Tenace, 22, was called up to the Athletics in May 1969. After he went 0-for-4 in his debut against Denny McLain, Tenace got a single the next day versus Luis Tiant for his first hit in the majors.

Though the Athletics liked Tenace’s hitting, the catcher they liked best was Dave Duncan, the future Cardinals pitching coach. Duncan was the Athletics’ starting catcher in 1971, when they won the first of five consecutive division titles.

Duncan was the starter again in 1972 before he went into a hitting slump. “He wasn’t doing it with the bat and it was beginning to affect his catching,” Athletics manager Dick Williams said.

Tenace replaced Duncan for the last two months of the 1972 season, and he was the starter when the Athletics went into the World Series against the Reds.

Valuable player

Tenace took center stage in the 1972 World Series. In Game 1, he became the first player to hit home runs in his first two World Series at-bats. The homers versus Gary Nolan produced all the runs for the Athletics in a 3-2 victory. Boxscore

Tenace hit .348 with four home runs and nine RBI against the Reds and was named most valuable player of the 1972 World Series. Video

Moved to first base in 1973, he had 24 home runs and a .387 on-base percentage. In the World Series against the Mets, Tenace had 11 walks and three hits.

In 1974, when the Athletics won a third consecutive World Series title, Tenace again played first base and hit 26 home runs. He returned to catcher in 1975 and had 29 home runs and an on-base percentage of .395.

Regarding his ability to get on base often, Tenace told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “I’ve always used discipline at the plate. I know my limitations. I’ve been in the game long enough to know I can handle only certain pitches.”

Herr almost dealt

Tenace became a free agent after the 1976 season and signed with the Padres. He was tough versus the Cardinals. In 1978, he had 11 RBI in 12 games against them and his on-base percentage was .467.

In 1980, Tenace and Fingers clashed with manager Jerry Coleman and asked to be traded. According to The Sporting News, the Padres tried to trade Tenace to the Cubs in July 1980, but it didn’t work out.

Herzog was interested in both Fingers and Tenace. The Padres wanted a young catcher, and the Cardinals’ Terry Kennedy and the Pirates’ Tony Pena were the two who appealed to them most.

In his book, “White Rat: A Life in Baseball,” Herzog said Kennedy approached him near the end of the 1980 season and asked to be traded to a team needing a starting catcher.

Herzog and Padres general manager Jack McKeon met during the 1980 World Series and agreed to a trade of Kennedy, second baseman Tommy Herr and others for Fingers, Tenace and Bob Shirley. “I can make that deal now,” Herzog told the Post-Dispatch.

Herr said, “I don’t know if I’d like it or not. I want to play with a contender.”

The trade “was close” to being made, The Sporting News reported, but it got held up because of a snag over Fingers’ contract.

Herzog and McKeon resumed their talks at the baseball winter meetings in December. In his book, Herzog said he almost traded Kennedy to the Reds for reliever Tom Hume, but when the Padres agreed to take other players instead of Herr, Herzog closed the deal with them.

Good as advertised

Herzog said Fingers was “the great relief pitcher I needed, but not the one I really wanted. The guy I was really after was Bruce Sutter.”

Fingers was insurance in case Herzog couldn’t make a deal for Sutter.

On Dec. 9, 1980, the day after the trade with the Padres, the Cardinals acquired Sutter from the Cubs. With catcher Darrell Porter joining the Cardinals earlier in the week as a free agent and Sutter filling the closer role, Herzog decided to package Fingers and Ted Simmons in a trade to the Brewers.

Tenace was projected to back up Porter at catcher and Keith Hernandez at first base. Unfazed about a reserve role, Tenace said, “I’ve been adjusting all my life.”

Tenace delivered what was expected of him. He had on-base percentages for the Cardinals of .416 in 1981 and .436 in 1982.

A leader in the clubhouse, he made sure the reserves were as ready as he was to play. Outfielder Tito Landrum said, “If I start having a letdown, he comes over and kicks my rear end. Literally. He pulls no punches. He lets you know.”

After the Cardinals won Game 7 of the 1982 World Series versus the Brewers, Porter, like Tenace in 1972, was named the Series’ most valuable player, meaning the Cardinals had two catchers on the same team who had received the honor.

Tenace became a free agent after the 1982 World Series. Herzog said the Cardinals wanted to keep him, but on a one-year contract. When the Pirates gave Tenace a three-year deal, he accepted.

After one season with the Pirates, Tenace was through playing. He went on to coach, manage and instruct, including a stint with the Cardinals as minor league hitting coordinator from 2002-07.

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Hometown kid Kerry Robinson made good with Cardinals

Posted in Games, Hitters on December 8, 2020| 4 Comments »

Kerry Robinson encountered multiple roadblocks and detours before he got a chance to play for his hometown Cardinals, completing a family quest his father began several decades earlier.

Robinson, 27, signed a minor-league contract with the Cardinals on Dec. 7, 2000, after becoming a free agent.

An outfielder with speed who hit for contact from the left side, Robinson was a St. Louis native who followed the Cardinals as a youth. His father, Rogers Robinson, spent 11 seasons as an outfielder and first baseman in the Cardinals’ farm system but never played in the majors.

Kerry Robinson was drafted and signed by the Cardinals in 1995 and played in their farm system before he was acquired by the Rays in 1997. Three years later, when he rejoined the Cardinals, Robinson was ticketed for the minor leagues, but he set his sights higher.

All in the family

Robinson was born in St. Louis in October 1973. His mother, Lois, was a special education teacher and his father, Rogers, was a pharmaceutical salesman, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Before Kerry came along, Rogers Robinson was a professional baseball player. A St. Louis native and left-handed batter, Rogers Robinson had two stints in the Cardinals’ farm system: 1957-61 and 1964-69. He had a career batting average of .298, with 1,348 hits in 1,256 games, according to baseball-reference.com.

Rogers Robinson twice reached the Class AAA level (1961 and 1964) and hit .300 or better in six seasons. He twice had seasons of more than 80 RBI and he hit 15 or more home runs five times.

Kerry Robinson attended several Cardinals games at Busch Memorial Stadium as a youth. He also developed into a standout baseball, hockey and football player at Hazelwood East High School in St. Louis. As a senior, he scored 29 goals for the hockey team and hit .557 for the baseball team.

“I’m a big hockey fan,” Robinson told the Post-Dispatch. “That’s probably my favorite sport, with football next and then baseball.”

Baseball was the sport Robinson excelled in when he went to college at Southeast Missouri State. He had a 35-game hitting streak, an Ohio Valley Conference record, his senior season.

While working toward a degree in sports management, Robinson spent time as a public relations intern for the NFL Rams, but his future was in baseball. The Cardinals chose him in the 34th round of the June 1995 amateur baseball draft.

Winding road

Robinson adapted quickly to professional baseball. In 1995, his first season, he hit .296, with 74 hits in 60 games, for Johnson City.

At spring training the next year, Robinson caught the attention of Cardinals manager Tony La Russa. “Tony said, ‘If you keep hitting like you are now, you’ll be playing here.’ ” Robinson told the Post-Dispatch.

Assigned to Peoria in 1996, Robinson hit .359 and had an on-base percentage of .422. He also had 50 stolen bases. He got promoted to Class AA Arkansas in 1997 and did well again, hitting .321, swiping 40 bases and producing an on-base percentage of .386.

At 24, his career was on the rise, but it took a turn when the Rays selected him in the American League expansion draft in November 1997.

Called up to the Rays in September 1998, Robinson went hitless in three at-bats, got waived and was claimed by the Mariners, who sent him back to the minors. Traded to the Reds in July 1999, Robinson was called up in September, used as a pinch-runner and was hitless in one at-bat.

Released by the Reds in March 2000, Robinson considered quitting, but instead signed with the Yankees, his fifth organization. He went to their Columbus farm club, hit .318 and had 37 stolen bases.

Granted free agency after the 2000 season, Robinson returned to the Cardinals, who assigned him to Class AAA Memphis.

Opportunity knocks

Though he was a non-roster player, Robinson was determined to make an impression at Cardinals spring training camp in 2001.

“My dream is to play in Busch Stadium this season, even if it’s only one game, or one at-bat,” Robinson told columnist Bernie Miklasz. “I grew up watching baseball at Busch Stadium and I want to be on that field.”

Robinson hit so well throughout spring training that after he was reassigned to the minor-league complex the Cardinals brought him back to play in big-league exhibition games.

Robinson opened the 2001 season with Memphis, batted leadoff and hit .325 in 10 games. When Mark McGwire went on the disabled list on April 18, 2001, the Cardinals called up Robinson to fill a reserve outfield spot while Craig Paquette and Bobby Bonilla moved to first base to substitute for McGwire.

Asked about getting to the big leagues with the Cardinals after his father had tried so long to do the same, Robinson told the Post-Dispatch, “I’m sort of living out his dream. I’m so proud I can do that.”

Welcome to the club

On April 24, 2001, Robinson got his first major-league hit, an infield single for the Cardinals against the Expos’ Masato Yoshii. Boxscore

A month later, Robinson got his first major-league start in the outfield and got a two-run single for his first RBI, giving the Cardinals the lead in a victory against the Brewers. Boxscore

After getting two hits in a start in center versus the Reds on June 4, 2001, Robinson was hitting .368 for the season.

“He’s got a nice calmness about him,” La Russa said. “It’s like he hasn’t been intimidated at all. He’s really had some good at-bats in clutch situations. When he puts it in play, he runs like hell.”

Bernie Miklasz noted, “Robinson is a polished hitter. He knows how to work pitchers, he can draw walks, he makes contact.”

Going deep

On June 17, 2001, Robinson entered a game against the White Sox after McGwire was ejected for arguing a called third strike. Batting in the cleanup spot, Robinson hit his first major-league home run. Boxscore

Robinson hit .285 and had 11 stolen bases for the 2001 Cardinals. In the decisive Game 5 of the National League Division Series against the Diamondbacks, he batted for McGwire in the ninth inning and executed a sacrifice bunt. Boxscore

Robinson hit .260 for the Cardinals in 2002 and .250 in 2003.

Though optioned twice to the minors during the 2003 season, Robinson came back and hit .356 for the Cardinals in August. A highlight was a walkoff home run to beat the Cubs on Aug. 28, 2003. Boxscore and Video

Bernie Miklasz wrote, “Robinson’s hunger and energy are good for the team.”

“He’s an igniter for us,” said La Russa. “He’s got a good idea about being aggressive with a ball in the strike zone, not taking those pitches.”

In March 2004, the Cardinals traded Robinson to the Padres for outfielder Brian Hunter, who was released two months later and never played a game for them.

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