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Archive for the ‘Hitters’ Category

Rafael Furcal cost Rick Ankiel Rookie of Year Award

Posted in Hitters, Pitchers on August 3, 2011| 4 Comments »

If not for Rafael Furcal, Rick Ankiel would have won the National League Rookie of the Year Award.

Furcal, acquired by the Cardinals from the Dodgers July 31 in a trade for minor-league outfielder Alex Castellanos, earned the NL’s top rookie honor in 2000 when the shortstop hit .295 with 40 stolen bases for the Braves.

Furcal received 25 of 32 first-place votes from members of the Baseball Writers Association of America. He also had six second-place votes and one third-place vote, giving him 144 total points in the balloting.

Ankiel, a left-handed pitcher, was 11-7 with a 3.50 ERA for the 2000 Cardinals. He struck out 194 in 175 innings and yielded only 137 hits.

Finishing second to Furcal in the rookie of the year balloting with 87 points, Ankiel received six first-place votes, 17 seconds and six thirds. Mets outfielder Jay Payton (.291, 17 home runs) was a distant third, with 37 points.

Though Ankiel had an epic meltdown in the 2000 postseason (nine wild pitches and 11 walks in four innings), that performance didn’t impact the rookie of the year balloting because all votes were submitted before the playoffs began.

Furcal, the first middle infielder to win the NL Rookie of the Year Award since Steve Sax of the Dodgers 18 years earlier, had come to spring training as a non-roster player in 2000 and was issued a uniform with the number 78.

He led NL rookies in runs scored (87), walks (73) and on-base percentage (.394).

“He’s got a lot of confidence,” said Braves outfielder Andruw Jones when asked about Furcal in November 2000. “I’m not saying he’s cocky, but he knows when he does his best he can be successful.”

Said Furcal in a statement to reporters after learning he had won the award, “There were a lot of other rookies who had great years, and for me to win this means my hard work has paid off.”

Ankiel never would regain the pitching skills he showed in the 2000 regular season, and was converted to an outfielder. At the time of the rookie honor, though, many thought he would recover from the wildness that plagued him in the playoffs.

“He’s a young kid and he’s tough as nails,” Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan told the Associated Press. “He’s going to be fine.”

Said Pirates manager Gene Lamont of Ankiel: “He’s probably the best-looking young pitcher in baseball, at least in our league. When he starts throwing that curveball and change-up across (the plate), they’ll start talking about him like they did about (the Cubs’) Kerry Wood.”

After Ankiel was named the surprise starter of Game 1 of the 2000 NL Division Series against the Braves at St. Louis, the first batter he faced was Furcal, who singled and then was caught attempting to steal. In the third, after Furcal popped out to first base, Ankiel threw the first of his five wild pitches in the inning. Boxscore

Furcal made a big impression on the Cardinals in his first game against them. On Aug. 4, 2000, at St. Louis, Furcal was 2-for-2 with three walks, two RBI, two steals and two runs scored against Andy Benes and reliever Matt Morris in a 6-4 Braves victory. Boxscore His career batting average against the Cardinals is .344 (83-for-241).

 

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Carl Taylor, Roger Freed experienced the ultimate

Posted in Games, Hitters on July 16, 2011| 14 Comments »

Carl Taylor and Roger Freed are the only Cardinals to achieve one of the rarest of big-league baseball feats: the ultimate grand slam, a game-ending, four-run home run that erases a three-run deficit with one swing.

Big thrill

Taylor, acquired by the Cardinals from the Pirates in October 1969 for pitcher Dave Giusti and catcher Dave Ricketts, was expected to compete for the starting right field position in 1970. Instead, the job went to Leron Lee and Taylor primarily was used as a pinch-hitter.

On Aug. 11, 1970, the Padres led the Cardinals, 10-7, in the ninth inning at St. Louis. With two outs, the bases loaded and pitcher Harry Parker due to bat, Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst sent in Taylor.

Padres reliever Ron Herbel delivered a thigh-high fastball and Taylor drove it about two feet beyond the left-field wall, giving the Cardinals an 11-10 victory.

“I figured he’d go to the fastball to try getting ahead of me,” Taylor told the Associated Press. “It’s got to be the biggest thrill I’ve ever had, because this one won the ballgame. Heck, it’s my first grand slam ever, even in Little League.”

It also was the last big-league homer Taylor would hit in a six-year career. Boxscore

“I hit the ball off the end of the bat,” Taylor told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I thought it might be another one that would just reach the warning track. I hit a lot of those in batting practice, so many that the guys rib me about it.”

Making a contribution

Nine years later, on May 1, 1979, the Astros and Cardinals were involved in a seesaw game at St. Louis. In the top of the 11th, with a 3-3 score, the Astros struck for three runs and led, 6-3.

Left-hander Joe Sambito loaded the bases with one out in the bottom half of the 11th, but when Garry Templeton struck out for the second out, the Cardinals’ hopes dimmed.

Jerry Mumphrey, due up next, hit right-handers better than he did left-handers, so manager Ken Boyer sent Freed to bat for him.

Freed, hitless in five at-bats that season, was keenly aware of reports his demotion to the minors could be imminent.

Sambito got ahead on the count, 1-and-2, but Freed worked it back to his favor.

“My knees were shaking and sweat kept pouring into my eyes,” Freed told United Press International. “I asked the ump (Dave Pallone) for time and took a few deep breaths. I felt a bit strange because I’d only been up two or three times in the last three weeks.”

Freed launched Sambito’s 3-and-2 pitch over the left-field fence, giving the Cardinals a 7-6 victory. Boxscore

“This is the biggest, most pleasing experience anyone could have in a lifetime,” Freed said to the Post-Dispatch. “Something like this really makes me feel like a part of the ballclub, like I’m an asset to the team. You get to feeling like dead weight when you’re not contributing in some way.”

Freed said Sambito’s full-count pitch “was away, but out over the plate. I’m sure he got more of the plate, maybe four or five inches, than he wanted.”

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#2,000: Hornsby, Musial, Slaughter, Brock all singled

Posted in Games, Hitters, Records on July 12, 2011| 3 Comments »

(Updated May 5, 2018)

On July 29, 2011, Albert Pujols became the first right-handed batter in 85 years to achieve 2,000 hits as a Cardinal. Pujols got his 2,000th hit, a double, against Cubs reliever Carlos Marmol.

Pujols became the fifth player to collect 2,000 hits as a Cardinal. Pujols finished his Cardinals career with 2,073 hits before becoming a free agent and joining the Angels after the 2011 World Series.

Stan Musial (3,630), Lou Brock (2,713), Rogers Hornsby (2,110) and Enos Slaughter (2,064) also achieved 2,000 hits as Cardinals. Of those four, only Musial played his entire big-league career with St. Louis. The career hit totals of the others: Brock (3,023), Hornsby (2,930) and Slaughter (2,383). Pujols achieved his 3,000th career hit on May 4, 2018.

Here is a look at the 2,000th Cardinals hit for each of the four who achieved the feat before Pujols did:

ROGERS HORNSBY

At age 30, Hornsby became both the youngest and the first to reach 2,000 hits as a Cardinal.

The player-manager achieved the milestone with a single against Don Songer of the Pirates on June 23, 1926, at St. Louis.

Hornsby, playing second base and batting third, received greater attention for his 2,001st hit _ a grand slam off Songer in the seventh inning, lifting St. Louis to a 6-2 victory. Boxscore

The Cardinals, who entered the game in third place, went on to win the pennant and their first World Series title that year.

STAN MUSIAL

With a fourth-inning single against the Phillies’ Curt Simmons on Sept. 9, 1952, at Philadelphia, Musial became the first of three left-handed batters to achieve 2,000 hits as a Cardinal.

Batting third and playing first base, it was Musial’s only hit in five at-bats that Tuesday night, but it extended his hitting streak to 14 games. The Cardinals overcame a 4-2 deficit with a five-run ninth inning, winning 7-4. Boxscore

Musial, 31, went on to earn his sixth National League batting championship (.336) that season.

ENOS SLAUGHTER

In his last season with St. Louis, Slaughter, 37, still was a productive everyday player.

Batting cleanup and playing right field, Slaughter’s 2,000th hit as a Cardinal was a RBI-single that scored Red Schoendienst from second, snapped a 2-2 tie in the third and knocked out Dodgers starter Russ Meyer on July 18, 1953, at Brooklyn. The Dodgers erupted for nine runs in the fourth and won, 14-6. Boxscore

The loss was the sixth in a row for the Cardinals, who fell eight games behind the first-place Dodgers. Slaughter was traded to the Yankees the following April.

LOU BROCK

In 1974, Brock, 35, seemed to set a record a day for the Cardinals.

On July 28, 1974, his leadoff single in the seventh inning against Cubs reliever Oscar Zamora gave the left fielder his 2,000 hit as a Cardinal. St. Louis scored a run in the eighth to tie and another in the ninth to win, 5-4, at Chicago. Boxscore

The next day, Brock stole his 700th career base in a game the Cardinals won, 11-4, against the Cubs. Boxscore

Watching Brock excel had to be torment for Chicago. Brock began his big-league career with the Cubs in 1961 and had 310 hits for them before being traded to St. Louis in June 1964.

Brock achieved his 2,000th major-league hit _ a single against Larry Gura of the Cubs to lead off the 15th inning _ on Sept. 30, 1972, at Chicago. The Cardinals won, 2-1, in 16. Boxscore

As a Cardinal, Brock batted a career-best .334 against the Cubs, with 342 hits and 103 RBI.

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Stan Musial and his 1955 All-Star Game home run

Posted in Games, Hitters, Records on July 5, 2011| Leave a Comment »

(Updated July 12, 2020)

With one swing of the bat, the Cardinals’ Stan Musial won the 1955 All-Star Game for the National League.

In 2011, MLB.com asked fans to vote for the best All-Star Game moment. Musial’s 12th-inning walkoff home run at Milwaukee on July 12, 1955, was voted the best.

It was Musial’s fourth All-Star Game homer. He would hit two more All-Star Game home runs, giving him six for his career. That remains the record. The runners-up are Ted Williams and Fred Lynn, each with four.

Warming up

In batting practice before the 1955 game, the National League players were told they would get just one swing each the last time around. “Tell you what let’s do,” Duke Snider of the Dodgers told Musial and Ted Kluszewski of the Reds. “Let’s swing from the heels and go for the distance.”

According to The Sporting News, Musial went first and and sent a shot into the right-field bleachers, near where he would later hit his game-winning homer. Kluszewski sent an even deeper blast over the fence. When Snider stepped in, he took a mighty swing _ and missed. “Serves me right,” Snider said.

Wild swings

Musial wasn’t named an all-star starter in 1955. He entered in the fourth inning as a replacement for Del Ennis in left field and wasn’t much of a factor for most of the game. Musial struck out in the fourth against Early Wynn, grounded into a double play in the sixth against the same pitcher, and tapped to second baseman Bobby Avila in the eighth with Whitey Ford on the mound. In the ninth, Musial drew a walk from Frank Sullivan of the Red Sox.

In the dugout, all-star teammate Frank Thomas told Musial, “You’ve been pulling your head, trying to kill the ball,” the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Musial admitted to the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, “I was going for the bundle the two previous times up.”

Just meet the ball

With the score tied at 5-5, Musial was the first to bat for the National League in the bottom of the 12th. “This time, I was just trying to get on base,” Musial told the Globe-Democrat.

As Musial approached the batter’s box, American League catcher Yogi Berra, who had been bantering happily with him throughout the game, was grumbling.

“What’s the matter, Yogi?” Musial asked.

“It’s these extra innings,” Berra replied. “Tough on a guy catching every day.”

As Musial dug in at the plate, he said, “Yeah, I’m getting tired, too.”

Sullivan’s first pitch to Musial was a fastball just above the waist. Musial uncoiled and met the pitch squarely. “The moment Musial connected, everyone in the park, including Sullivan, knew that the ballgame was over,” The Sporting News reported.

The home run gave the National League a 6-5 victory. Boxscore and Video

After Musial crossed the plate, his teammates wanted to carry him off the field, but Musial resisted the gesture.

Obliging every media request for a picture or interview, Musial was one of the last players to leave the locker room. Most of the National League stars were waiting aboard the team bus when Musial emerged from the clubhouse and got surrounded by adoring fans.

“It took a squad of police to disperse the happy crowd and hustle Musial to the waiting bus,” The Sporting News reported. “For the final run of about 100 feet from the point where the crowd had Stan pinned against a wall to the (bus), five police officers formed a wedge with Musial in the middle and forced their way through the throng. They had the most difficulty with a middle-aged matron who was intent upon kissing Musial.”

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How Dave Duncan got traded for Boog Powell

Posted in Hitters, Trades on June 25, 2011| Leave a Comment »

(Updated Feb. 24, 2019)

The Orioles traded one of their most popular players, Boog Powell, for catcher Dave Duncan.

A 6-foot-4, 250-pound first baseman, Powell slugged 303 home runs in 13 years with the Orioles, won the American League Most Valuable Player Award in 1970 and helped Baltimore to four World Series appearances.

After Powell had his second consecutive subpar season in 1974 (12 home runs, 45 RBI), the Orioles acquired first baseman Lee May from the Astros, making Powell expendable.

On Feb. 25, 1975, the Orioles traded Powell and pitcher Don Hood to the Indians for Duncan and outfield prospect Al McGrew.

According to The Sporting News, the Orioles initially wanted pitching prospect Dennis Eckersley as the player to join Duncan in the deal, but settled for McGrew when the Indians refused to part with Eckersley. Twelve years later, as pitching coach of the Athletics, Duncan would convert a reluctant Eckersley from a starter to a closer, launching him on a path into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

In going to Cleveland, Powell was reunited with his former Orioles teammate, Frank Robinson, who had become Indians manager, the first African-American to hold that position in the big leagues.

“Boog contributed a heck of a lot to this franchise over the years,” Orioles general manager Frank Cashen said. “I’m truly sorry that he had to go. But when we got Lee May in a trade, he was committed to play first base. That left Boog without a position, and without a job.”

Though the Orioles had three other catchers _ Andy Etchebarren, Elrod Hendricks and Earl Williams _ they anticipated Duncan would win the starting job.

“Despite a .226 career average, the Orioles were impressed with Duncan mainly because of his reputation as a good handler of pitchers,” The Sporting News reported. “His power totals, 67 homers in the last four years, are respectable even if his average could stand a booster shot.”

In a column for the Baltimore Sun, Bob Maisel described Duncan as “a good defensive catcher and handler of pitchers.”

“Duncan should prove the best catcher on the squad,” Maisel wrote. “He has the reputation of being a good competitor, who wants to play, a good man on a club.”

Duncan told the Associated Press he was happy to go to the “strongest team in the Eastern Division.” He said the Orioles had a better chance than the Indians of winning “and winning is what it’s all about.”

The trade worked out better for the Indians than it did for the Orioles. Powell hit .297 with 27 home runs and 86 RBI for the 1975 Indians and was named American League Comeback Player of the Year by The Sporting News. Duncan hit .205 with 12 home runs and 41 RBI for the 1975 Orioles.

After batting .204 with four home runs and 17 RBI in 1976, Duncan was traded by the Orioles to the White Sox after the season.

In 1979, Duncan returned to the Indians as a coach for manager Jeff Torborg. Duncan developed into a respected pitching coach and served on the staff of Cardinals manager Tony La Russa from 1996-2011.

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Rip Collins was one-of-a-kind hitter for Cardinals

Posted in Hitters on June 21, 2011| 5 Comments »

In 1932, the Cardinals’ top slugger also was their most effective bunter.

Rip Collins, a first baseman and outfielder, paced the 1932 Cardinals in home runs (21) and tied with pitcher Dizzy Dean for the team lead in sacrifice bunts (eight).

Collins, 28, was in his second big-league season with the Cardinals. A switch-hitter, Collins primarily batted fourth (80 games) or fifth (42 games) in the St. Louis order in 1932.

According to author Robert E. Hood in the book “The Gashouse Gang,” Collins earned his nickname as a youth in Altoona, Pa., “when a line drive from his bat stuck on a nail in the right-field fence.”

Collins was a favorite of Cardinals manager Frankie Frisch because he had a sly, engaging personality that fit well in the Gashouse Gang clubhouse, and he knew how to handle a bat. The latter skill explains why Collins was adept at slugging as well as bunting.

In the book “The St. Louis Cardinals: The 100th Anniversary History,” author Rob Rains wrote, “One (Cardinal) who knew how to play and when to be serious, Frisch’s type of guy, was the versatile Collins.”

In “The Gashouse Gang,” Hood described Collins as “a chunky, powerful man who hit long home runs even though he choked up on the bat.”

To put Collins’ achievement in perspective, consider that the Cardinals’ career home run leader, Stan Musial, only once had as many as eight sacrifice bunts in a season (10 in 1943) during a 22-year big-league career.

The instigator behind many of teammate Pepper Martin’s legendary pranks, the baby-faced Collins could be as an innovative off the field as he was with a baseball bat in his hand.

In “The Gashouse Gang,” Hood wrote, “Rip Collins was clever. Although he had little formal education, he started out the 1934 season writing daily news stories for the East St. Louis (Ill.) Journal and the Rochester (N.Y.) Times Union. Part way through the season, he suspended his writing career when, after he struck out one day, manager Frisch shouted at him, ‘Next time, swing your typewriter.’ “

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