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Gene Clines and his daring gambles vs. Cardinals

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents on February 12, 2022| 4 Comments »

A clever bit of baserunning by Gene Clines fooled Cardinals center fielder Jose Cruz and helped the Pirates to a comeback victory.

An outfielder who played 10 seasons (1970-79) in the majors, primarily with the Pirates and Cubs, Clines hit for average and ran well.

He was especially effective against the Cardinals. A career .277 hitter in the majors, he batted .316 versus the Cardinals.

Hit and run

A right-handed batter, Clines was 19 when he was picked by the Pirates in the sixth round of the 1966 amateur baseball draft. He reached the majors with Pittsburgh in June 1970.

In his first three big-league seasons, Clines, used mostly as a backup outfielder and pinch-hitter, batted .405 in 31 games in 1970, .308 in 97 games in 1971 and .334 in 107 games in 1972.

Clines figured he’d earned a shot to be a starter. “All He Does Is Bat .300,” declared a headline in The Sporting News.

What he didn’t do was hit home runs. He totaled one in his first three big-league seasons.

The Pirates went to spring training in 1973 with outfield openings in right and left.

Clines was bypassed for both.

Pirates manager Bill Virdon chose a catcher, Manny Sanguillen, to be the Pirates’ 1973 Opening Day right fielder, replacing the late Roberto Clemente, and a first baseman with creaky knees, Willie Stargell, to play left.

“It seems like they don’t have any plans for me,” Clines said to The Pittsburgh Press.

Virdon explained that playing Stargell in left opened a spot at first for another slugger, Bob Robertson. Virdon said he liked Sanguillen in right because he threw better than Clines and was a better run producer.

“A home run and RBI man can give the team more of a boost,” Virdon told The Pittsburgh Press. 

Timely triple

The Pirates opened the 1973 season at Pittsburgh against the Cardinals. St. Louis led, 5-2, until the Pirates scored five runs in the eighth inning.

Batting for pitcher Jim Rooker, Clines’ triple against Diego Segui drove in the tying and go-ahead runs. Clines hit the ball into the gap in left-center. Lou Brock attempted a backhanded grab, but the ball bounced off his glove.

“That ball was catchable,” Brock said to The Pittsburgh Press. “When it hits off the glove like that, you’ve just got to hang on.”

Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “You got to make those plays if you’re going to win.” Boxscore

Faked out

Two days later, in their second game of the season, the Cardinals led the Pirates, 3-2, in the bottom of the ninth.

With one out and none on, Clines batted for pitcher Nelson Briles and singled against starter Rick Wise. Rennie Stennett followed with a single to center.

Center fielder Jose Cruz gloved the ball just as Clines rounded second base. “No one in the stadium, particularly Jose Cruz, expected Clines to go to third,” The Pittsburgh Press reported.

Clines did what he called “a little stutter step” and appeared to be applying the brakes.

“A magnificent decoy,” Bob Smizik of The Pittsburgh Press observed.

Cruz dropped his arms. When Clines saw that, he shifted into high gear, bolted toward third and got there without drawing a throw.

“Cruz appeared befuddled, not knowing where to throw the ball,” Al Abrams of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted. “He could have thrown out the fleet Clines by 10 feet had he been thinking.”

Schoendienst told the Post-Dispatch, “If he throws to third, the runner has to stop at second.”

Virdon, a center fielder before becoming Pirates manager, said, “You don’t make any money holding the ball out there.”

Cruz explained to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “I heard Brock yelling, ‘Third base,’ but I thought it would be too late.”

Clines said to The Pittsburgh Press, “It’s a gamble, but I don’t think about being thrown out.”

Big run

The significance of Clines’ daring dash was illustrated when the next batter, Sanguillen, lofted a fly ball to medium right-center.

If Clines had held at second, Sanguillen’s fly ball would have been a harmless second out and the Cardinals still would have led by a run.

With Clines at third, Sanguillen’s fly ball became a scoring opportunity.

Stennett, thinking the ball might drop for a hit, moved part way toward second. Cruz, sensing he might nab Stennett, looked to first base, but no one was on the bag. First baseman Joe Torre had moved to the center of the diamond to cut off a throw if Stennett attempted to continue to second.

When Cruz hesitated, “I thought I could make it,” Clines told The Pittsburgh Press.

He raced toward the plate and easily beat Cruz’s throw, scoring the tying run.

In the 10th, Bob Robertson belted a home run against Wayne Granger, giving the Pirates a 4-3 victory. 

Asked about Cline’s performances, Virdon told the Post-Gazette, “You know, I think Gene is trying to give me some kind of message.”

Clines told The Sporting News, “I just want to remind them that I’m here and can do the job.” Boxscore

Gene the machine

Sanguillen eventually returned to catching, and Clines became the right fielder on June 15, but a month later he tore ligaments in his right ankle and was replaced by Richie Zisk.

Clines, who was hitting .291 before the injury, finished at .263 for the season, but he batted .368 against the Cardinals. It was one of four seasons in which Clines hit better than .360 versus the Cardinals. The others were 1971 (.361), 1975 (.364) and 1978 (.368).

In that 1978 season, when he was with the Cubs, Clines had a .500 on-base percentage against the Cardinals, getting seven hits and five walks in 24 plate appearances.

Clines was productive versus two of the era’s best pitchers _ Bob Gibson and Tom Seaver. He had the same career batting average against each (.364), producing four hits in 11 at-bats versus Gibson and the same versus Seaver.

On Sept. 1, 1971, Clines, the center fielder, was part of the first big-league starting lineup of all African-American and Hispanic players. Boxscore and Video interview

After his playing days, Clines coached for 20 years in the majors with five clubs _ Cubs, Astros, Mariners, Brewers and Giants.

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The disturbing saga of the Cardinals’ David Green

Posted in Games, Hitters, Prospects, Trades on February 8, 2022| 9 Comments »

Great expectations followed David Green from Nicaragua to the United States, creating golden opportunities along with a multitude of pressures.

Green had successes, but his drinking held him back, and his recklessness had devastating consequences.

Dad’s influence

Green’s father, Eduardo Green, was an outfielder on the Nicaraguan national teams in the 1940s and 1950s. Nicknamed “The Black Gazelle,” Eduardo was described by sportswriter Edgard Tijerino as having “the soul of a ballet dancer” and “the reflexes of a panther,” according to the Society for American Baseball Research.

In 1951, Eduardo joined the Dodgers at their minor-league spring training camp in Daytona Beach, but left because of the racism he encountered in Florida.

Eduardo and Bertha Green had 10 children. One of their five sons, David, was born in Managua, Nicaragua, and named in honor of his paternal grandfather, a missionary who immigrated from Jamaica.

Like his father, David Green developed into an exceptional athlete. “Soccer was my best sport,” he told the San Francisco Examiner.

He played baseball, too, and Eduardo advised him to pursue a career in the sport.

Prime prospect

David Green was playing for the Nicaraguan national team in 1978 when he caught the attention of Ray Poitevint, the Brewers’ director of scouting and player development. “He’s got Willie Mays’ physical abilities,” Poitevint told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Green was 17 when he signed with the Brewers in September 1978.

“He has all the tools _ not only to be a big-league player, but a big-league star,” Poitevint said to The Sporting News. “If you were a betting man, you would have to bet on this kid.”

Eduardo Green died in September 1980. His son had just completed his second season in the Brewers’ farm system and was rated their top prospect.

Whitey Herzog, Cardinals manager and general manager, envisioned Green as a center fielder who could become the centerpiece of the team.

The Brewers wanted to make a trade, but were reluctant to give up Green. 

In the book “You’re Missin’ a Great Game,” Herzog said, “He was so good that some of the Brewers executives damn near came to blows over giving him up.”

Years later, Herzog told Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he’d heard from a Brewers scout that Green had a drinking problem, but Herzog wanted him anyway.

In his book “White Rat: A Life in Baseball,” Herzog said, “He was absolutely the key to the deal.”

On Dec. 12, 1980, the Cardinals traded two future Hall of Famers, Ted Simmons and Rollie Fingers, and a future Cy Young Award winner, Pete Vuckovich, to the Brewers for Green, Dave LaPoint, Lary Sorensen and Sixto Lezcano.

“I had a little buyer’s remorse afterward,” Brewers general manager Harry Dalton told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I wondered if I had done the right thing.”

Ups and downs

Promoted to the Cardinals in September 1981, Green was the first National League player born in Nicaragua. The first in the American League was Orioles pitcher Dennis Martinez in 1976.

Green, 20, got his first big-league hit, a single, against the Pirates’ Luis Tiant, 40. Boxscore

At spring training in 1982, Green “probably was the Cardinals’ best player in camp,” The Sporting News reported, and he won the center field job.

“He had more raw ability than any young player I’ve ever managed,” Herzog said in “White Rat.” Video

Green, 21, began the 1982 season with a flourish, hitting .381 in April. His batting mark was at .316 on May 7 when he tore a hamstring.

While Green was on the disabled list, Willie McGee took over in center. McGee did so well he kept the job when Green returned.

The Cardinals sent Green to the minors for two months so that he could play every day. He was back with the Cardinals for their pennant push.

In the pivotal Game 2 of the National League Championship Series against the Braves, Green led off the ninth inning with a single, moved to second on a bunt and scored the winning run on Ken Oberkfell’s hit. Boxscore

Facing the Brewers in the World Series, Green had two hits, a double and a triple, in Game 5 versus Mike Caldwell. Boxscore

Dealing with change

At spring training in 1983, Herzog told The Sporting News, “We’ve got to find a place for Green. It’s almost a must.”

Toward the end of spring training, McGee separated a shoulder and began the season on the disabled list, opening a starting spot for Green in the outfield.

In June, after first baseman Keith Hernandez was traded, Herzog moved right fielder George Hendrick to first and Green took over in right.

Two months later, Green told the Post-Dispatch that an older brother, Edward, was jailed in Nicaragua. In September, Green’s mother, Bertha, and a younger brother, Enrique, joined him in the U.S.

Green led the 1983 Cardinals in triples (10) and had 34 stolen bases.

Wrong direction

Just before the start of spring training in 1984, Green’s mother died. That is when “Green’s downfall began,” the Post-Dispatch noted.

Herzog moved Hendrick back to right field and started Green at first base. In May, Green went into a funk. “He’s really gone downhill the last two or three weeks,” Herzog told The Sporting News. “His reactions were not good. Balls (thrown to him) were hitting him on the wrist.”

The Cardinals suspected Green’s drinking was to blame and convinced him to enter a rehabilitation center in St. Louis.

In “White Rat,” Herzog said, “The young man developed a real problem with alcohol. Everybody on the club knew it. He’d show up late, hung over real bad … His tolerance for booze was about zero.”

Green spent three weeks in the rehabilitation center. He told the Post-Dispatch, “I didn’t need to go, but I went anyway because somebody had to do it.”

Herzog told the Post-Dispatch, “He didn’t give himself much of a chance. You spend only 10 or 12 days there and you’re not going to be cured.”

In “You’re Missin’ a Great Game,” Herzog recalled an incident that occurred soon after Green completed his rehabilitation stint.

“I’m driving home from the ballpark and I end up a couple of car lengths behind him on the highway,” Herzog said. “He doesn’t see me. I’m keeping a safe distance. Pretty soon, here come the beer cans flying out of the car. One right after the other, every five minutes. We drove past the hospital where he did rehab. More cans!

“When they get hooked on this stuff, they turn into con artists. They’re conning themselves, and they expect you to swallow their bull, too.”

Moving on

In February 1985, in a deal that put them back on the championship track, the Cardinals traded Green, Dave LaPoint, Jose Uribe and Gary Rajsich for Jack Clark.

“Of all the players I’ve had the opportunity to manage, David Green has more ability than anyone as far as hitting, hitting with power, speed and throwing arm,” Herzog told The Sporting News after the deal. “Garry Templeton and George Brett are in that category, but Green has more power than either, he runs better than either, and he throws better than George.”

Asked about his time with the Cardinals, Green told the San Francisco Examiner, “They were expecting too much of me and then they didn’t play me. Sometimes they called me the franchise, then they played Andy Van Slyke. I think I did great in the outfield, then they moved me to first base.”

The Giants started Green at first base but he had a dreadful beginning to the 1985 season. His batting average on May 11 was .080.

“It’s a matter of concentration,” Giants hitting coach Tom McCraw told the Examiner. “I tell him something in the dugout, and he says, ‘Yeah,’ and by the time he gets to the plate he’s forgotten it.”

The Giants traded Green to the Brewers after the season, but he was released at the end of spring training in 1986.

Comeback try

After playing in Japan and Mexico, Green contacted the Cardinals and asked for a tryout with the Class AAA Louisville club.

Green signed in July 1987, hit .356 for Louisville and was called up to the Cardinals, who were contending for a division crown, in September.

The Cardinals projected him to compete for an outfield spot in 1988.

“This is my last chance,” Green told The Sporting News, “and I’m trying to take advantage of it.”

He was only 27 when he arrived at spring training in 1988, though speculation had swirled for years that his December 1960 birthdate was inaccurate.

In the book “Whitey’s Boys,” Herzog said, “David might have been a couple of years older than we thought he was. I don’t know anybody who has ever seen his birth certificate from Nicaragua.”

Cardinals general manager Dal Maxvill said to the Post-Dispatch, “He might be anywhere between 28 and 32, but I don’t care if he is 32, if he does the job.”

Green’s bid to make the Opening Day roster failed. Sent back to Louisville, he hit .216, clashed with manager Mike Jorgensen and was waived in June 1988.

Fatal accident

Seven years later, in January 1995, Green was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving in a car accident in suburban Country Club Hills, Mo. 

According to the Post-Dispatch, a passenger in the car Green struck, Gladys Yount, 85, of Jennings, Mo., suffered a fractured pelvis in the accident and died of a heart attack two hours later.

Green was charged with involuntary manslaughter and served six months in jail, the Post-Dispatch reported.

He went on to help operate a dog grooming business in south St. Louis and was a youth baseball instructor.

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How Alex Cora made a bid to join Cardinals

Posted in Hitters, Managers on February 1, 2022| 7 Comments »

Alex Cora appealed to the Cardinals as a potential player-coach in Mike Matheny’s first season as manager.

On Feb. 7, 2012, Cora signed a minor-league contract with the Cardinals, who invited him to spring training to compete for a spot on their Opening Day roster.

The defending World Series champions were seeking an experienced utility infielder, and Cora’s resume met the requirements. He also was interested in transitioning into a coaching role, and the Cardinals thought he could begin to hone those skills by mentoring their young infielders, including Matt Carpenter.

As it turned out, the Cardinals released Cora, 36, before the start of the regular season, bringing an end to his playing days but opening a multitude of new paths, both rewarding and treacherous, in his baseball career.

Learning to lead

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Alex Cora was 11 when his brother, second baseman Joey Cora, 21, made his debut in the majors with the Padres in 1987. Joey played 11 years in the majors with the Padres, White Sox, Mariners and Indians before becoming a big-league coach.

During Joey’s time as a White Sox player (1991-94), he introduced a teen-age Alex to Hall of Fame shortstop Luis Aparicio, and the team’s shortstop then, Ozzie Guillen. Aparicio and Guillen became role models, Alex told the Boston Globe.

Alex enrolled at the University of Miami and helped the baseball team reach the College World Series three times.

Regarding Cora’s college career, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe noted, “He wasn’t a standout athlete or a great hitter, yet he proved a difference-maker on the field, someone whose game awareness produced outs on defense as well as timely hits in the batter’s box.

“Cora projected a confidence that spread to teammates and defined him as a leader _ someone who was unafraid to communicate with teammates in both English and Spanish _ by the time he was a sophomore, a stature that continued to grow as a junior.”

Making the majors

Alex began his professional career with the Dodgers, who chose him in the third round of the 1996 amateur baseball draft.

On June 7, 1998, when Alex made his big-league debut for the Dodgers, it came in Seattle against the Mariners, whose second baseman was his brother, Joey. Boxscore

Alex had stints as the Dodgers’ starter at shortstop (2000-01) and at second base (2003-04). He played against the Cardinals in the 2004 National League Division Series.

Granted free agency in December 2004, Alex was pursued by the Cardinals, who needed a second baseman after Tony Womack departed for the Yankees, but they lost interest when Alex sought a multiyear contract. The Cardinals instead went with Mark Grudzielanek, and Alex signed with the Indians.

The Indians, who had Ronnie Belliard at second and Jhonny Peralta at shortstop, traded Alex to the Red Sox in July 2005. Playing for manager Terry Francona, Alex excelled in a utility role and was a member of the Red Sox’s World Series championship team in 2007. Francona told Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe, “He was tremendous. He was a manager-in-waiting.”

After four years (2005-08) with the Red Sox, Alex played for the Mets (2009-10), Rangers (2010) and Nationals (2011). In 2009, he also played for Puerto Rico, managed by the Cardinals’ Jose Oquendo, in the World Baseball Classic.

Short stay

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “Cora had considered retiring to start a career in coaching,” but when the Cardinals made him an offer in February 2012, he couldn’t refuse.

Alex, who played all four infield positions, seemed an ideal fit for the Cardinals. General manager John Mozeliak said Alex also would provide “an on-field coach” during spring training.

Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch noted, “Cora is highly regarded within the game for his instincts, and the Cardinals see him as help for some of the less experienced infielders.”

That group included Matt Carpenter, Daniel Descalso and Tyler Greene.

The 2012 Cardinals shared a spring training facility with the Marlins in Jupiter, Fla. While Alex was making a bid for a roster spot with the Cardinals, his brother Joey was serving as a coach on the staff of Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen.

The brothers took advantage of the chance to connect in their spare time.

Alex told the Miami Herald, “It’s been great being able to sit down together and just have dinner. Our father died in 1988. When you lose your dad when you’re a young kid, your big brother becomes everything for you. This is the most time we’ve been able to spend together since we were kids in Puerto Rico.”

The Post-Dispatch described it as “something of a surprise” when the Cardinals released Alex on March 25.

With Skip Schumaker on the disabled list because of a rib injury, Daniel Descalso opened the 2012 season as the Cardinals’ second baseman, and Matt Carpenter and Tyler Greene were the reserve infielders.

Success and shame

For the next five years (2012-16), Alex was general manager of a team in the Puerto Rican winter league. He also managed the team for two seasons and did TV work for ESPN.

In 2017, Alex was bench coach on the staff of Astros manager A.J. Hinch. The Astros won their first World Series title that year.

Hired by the Red Sox to be their manager, Alex led them to the 2018 World Series championship.

After the 2019 season, it was revealed that the 2017 Astros and 2018 Red Sox used technology to steal the signs relayed to players by opposing teams.

For his role in the scandal, Alex was suspended for the 2020 season by baseball commissioner Rob Manfred. When the suspension ended, the Red Sox rehired him as manager. “I am sorry for the harm my past actions have caused,” Alex said.

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How Cardinals became intrigued by Julio Gotay

Posted in Games, Hitters, Prospects on January 28, 2022| 6 Comments »

Red Schoendienst, who knew a thing or two about baseball skill, said Julio Gotay reminded him of Pepper Martin. Branch Rickey, another pretty good talent evaluator, insisted the Cardinals would be better with Gotay than with Dick Groat.

In 1962, Gotay was the Cardinals’ starting shortstop.

He turned out to be a can’t-miss prospect who did _ miss, that is.

Gotay had the athletic ability, but apparently lacked most of the rest of what it took to do the job for the Cardinals.

Fast rise

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Gotay was a teenager playing amateur baseball there when he was spotted by former Cardinals catcher Mickey Owen, who was managing a winter league club. Owen told the Cardinals about Gotay and they signed him, sight unseen, on Owen’s recommendation, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

In 1957, the year he turned 18, Gotay began his professional career in the Cardinals’ system, playing for teams in Florida and Virginia. The following season, he was assigned to Winnipeg and got a chilly reception. The Canadian club’s first three games were called off because of “the heaviest snowfall of the year combined with record-low temperatures,” The Sporting News reported.

It was the first time Gotay saw snow.

Warming to the challenge, Gotay hit .323 with 24 home runs and 95 RBI as the Winnipeg third baseman.

Intrigued, the Cardinals invited Gotay, 19, to work with the big-league team at spring training in 1959. Marty Marion, the shortstop on the Cardinals’ four pennant-winning teams of the 1940s, was brought in to provide instruction to Gotay. Marion’s mission was to teach him to be a shortstop.

Alex Grammas had been projected to be the shortstop for the 1959 Cardinals until manager Solly Hemus became enamored of Gotay. “He’ll have to play himself off the ballclub,” Hemus, a former shortstop, told the Post-Dispatch.

In addition to swinging “a vicious bat,” Gotay displayed “a powerful throwing arm, good ranging ability and deft hands … He has handled several bad bounces by split-second shifting of his glove,” The Sporting News reported.

As the 1959 opener approached, the Cardinals decided to stick with Grammas because of his smooth fielding and big-league experience, and send Gotay to the minors to continue his development.

According to The Sporting News, Marion recommended the Cardinals put Gotay with a Class A team. Instead, he was assigned to Class AA Tulsa.

Jittery play

Gotay made 50 errors with Tulsa in 1959, but hit .284 with 17 home runs. Cardinals scout Fred Hawn told the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, “He’ll be one of the most exciting players in the majors in a couple of years.”

The Cardinals promoted Gotay to Class AAA Rochester in 1960, but he slumped and complained of a nervous stomach. Sent back to Tulsa, Gotay relaxed and played better.

In August 1960, when injuries left the Cardinals with a depleted bench, they called up Gotay. In his first at-bat in the majors, he singled against the Reds’ Joe Nuxhall. Boxscore

Gotay should have been a candidate for a spot on the 1961 Cardinals, but he developed an eye infection, missed most of spring training and was assigned to Class AAA.

Daryl Spencer began the season as the Cardinals’ shortstop but was traded to the Dodgers in May. The Cardinals tried Grammas and Bob Lillis but neither hit well enough. Next, they called up Gotay.

Experiencing what The Sporting News called “butterflies under major-league pressure,” Gotay made three errors at Pittsburgh in his first start. Boxscore 

In a game at Cincinnati, two wild throws by Gotay landed in different dugouts on consecutive plays. In trying to complete a double play on a grounder by Vada Pinson, Gotay’s throw sailed into the first-base dugout and Pinson advanced to second. On the next play, Gotay fielded a grounder and tried to throw out Pinson at third, but the ball went into the third-base dugout and Pinson scored. Boxscore

In 10 June starts at shortstop for the 1961 Cardinals, Gotay made 10 errors. Returned to Class AAA, Gotay mostly played second base and hit .307. 

High hopes

After the 1961 season, Cardinals general manager Bing Devine tried to acquire power-hitting shortstop Woodie Held from the Indians, “but I don’t see how we can give up what they want,” he told The Sporting News.

A factor in Devine’s decision to end his pursuit of Held was the play of Gotay in winter ball at Puerto Rico. Cardinals manager Johnny Keane went to Puerto Rico for a week, specifically to watch Gotay, and filed an encouraging report.

Devine said, “Gotay is having his best winter ever. He has become more confident, which may help overcome his tendency to be erratic. We know he has the ability.”

Competing against another prospect, Jerry Buchek, and Grammas at spring training, Gotay won the starting shortstop job with the 1962 Cardinals.

“Julio has a tremendous amount of raw ability,” Keane told The Sporting News. “I’m elated over what he has shown me.”

Red Schoendienst, a player-coach with the 1962 Cardinals said, “Gotay reminds me of (1930s Gashouse Gang player) Pepper Martin because he’s awkward but quick and effective. Strong, too. He’ll make it.”

Gotay, who joined an infield of Bill White, Julian Javier and Ken Boyer, performed well early in the season. He hit .302 in April and .313 in May. A 12-game hitting streak raised his batting mark to .333 on May 4. A week later, he went 4-for-4 and reached base six times in a game versus the Dodgers. Three of those hits came against Sandy Koufax. Boxscore

Gotay fielded well, too, He made three errors in 15 games in April and four errors in 30 games in May.

The Sporting News declared that Gotay “stands a good chance of having the longest reign as a Cardinals shortstop since Marty Marion’s day.”

Magic missing

After that, Gotay’s season began to unravel. He hit .214 in June and .205 in July. He made as many errors in June as he did in the first two months combined.

In his book “Stranger to the Game,” Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson said Gotay “seemed to have all of the physical skills. We would learn the hard way, however, that the physical skills aren’t always enough.”

According to Gibson, Gotay “was interested in neither discipline nor fundamentals, which translated into an uncommon number of errors and foolish mistakes.”

In addition, Gibson said, Gotay “kept spooking us with voodoo. Most of us didn’t take the voodoo seriously, but now and then things would happen to make us a little uneasy.”

Gotay finished the 1962 season with a .255 batting average and 24 errors in 120 games. His main problem, The Sporting News suggested, “seems to be chiefly a matter of emotion and lack of maturity.”

Devine wanted to trade Gotay to the Pirates for shortstop Dick Groat, but Branch Rickey, who rejoined the Cardinals as a consultant and had the ear of club owner Gussie Busch, “still is high on Gotay,” The Sporting News reported.

In November 1962, Rickey reluctantly relented and Devine made the swap, but “Rickey hated the deal,” author David Halberstam wrote in “October 1964.”

Groat turned out to be the answer to the Cardinals’ shortstop need. He helped them contend in 1963 and become World Series champions in 1964.

Gotay was a bust with the Pirates. He went on to become a utility player with the Angels and Astros. He finished his playing career in 1971, hitting .302 for the Cardinals’ Tulsa farm team.

Though Gotay didn’t develop into an all-star, he had noteworthy achievements.

In a 1967 game versus the Cardinals, Gotay was 5-for-5. Four of the hits came against Bob Gibson. Boxscore

For his career, Gotay worked his voodoo versus Gibson, hitting .500 (8-for-16) against him. He also hit .438 (7-for-16) against Juan Marichal and .667 (4-for-6) versus Whitey Ford.

A nephew, Ruben Gotay, spent time in the Cardinals’ farm system and played in the majors with the Royals, Mets and Braves.

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How Gene Oliver became Cardinals’ San Francisco treat

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents on January 20, 2022| 8 Comments »

Gene Oliver didn’t deliver as many home runs as the Cardinals hoped he would, but he did hit one for them that made him popular in San Francisco.

In 1962, Oliver was the Cardinals’ starting catcher. He got the job because the Cardinals thought he could hit with consistent power and drive in runs. Instead, he finished fourth on the club in home runs (14) and sixth in RBI (45).

Oliver’s shining moment came in the Cardinals’ last game of the season when his game-winning home run against the Dodgers kept them from clinching the National League pennant and gave the Giants a chance to enter a playoff.

Big bopper

Oliver was born in Moline, Ill., one of the Quad Cities along the Mississippi River. He was a standout high school athlete in neighboring Rock Island, Ill. Oliver was considered a professional baseball prospect until, as a prep football player, he suffered a shoulder separation that hindered his ability to throw a baseball.

He went to Northwestern on a football scholarship for one year, returned to Moline, got a job with IBM and married, according to The Sporting News.

“I was ready to forget about pro baseball,” Oliver said, “but my wife insisted I try again because she didn’t want me to go through life wondering whether I might have made it.”

Oliver worked out daily at the YMCA and rebuilt his arm strength. Acting on a tip, the Cardinals monitored him and liked what they saw. Oliver was 21 when Cardinals scout Joe Monahan signed him to a contract in 1956.

Playing mostly outfield and first base, Oliver hit 39 home runs for Class D Ardmore (Okla.) in 1956 and 30 home runs for Class B Winston-Salem in 1957. He advanced to Class AAA Rochester in 1958 and, with his arm strength improving, he also did some catching.

The Cardinals called up Oliver in June 1959, but he spent the next season in the minors.

Because of his power potential and ability to play three positions, Oliver was a candidate for a utility spot with the Cardinals in 1961, but he reported to spring training at 238 pounds.

Describing his physique as “balloon-like,” The Sporting News reported the Cardinals were close to giving up on Oliver until he made amends by focusing on conditioning. He was 210 pounds when the Cardinals opened the 1961 season with him on the roster as a reserve.

In May 1961, the Cardinals sent Oliver to their Portland farm club in Oregon. A month later, the Cardinals’ catcher, Hal Smith, had to quit playing because of a heart ailment. Oliver, playing first base, was hitting with power for Portland. With Bill White having a lock on the Cardinals’ first base job, the club sent Smith to Portland to tutor Oliver in becoming a catcher.

“His throwing has improved and, yes, I think he has a good chance to stick in the majors,” Smith told The Sporting News.

Oliver hit .302 with 36 home runs and 100 RBI for Portland. His on-base percentage was .422. He returned to the Cardinals in September 1961, started 12 games at catcher and “showed 100 percent improvement behind the plate,” The Sporting News reported.

Getting his chance

The top three home run hitters for the 1961 Cardinals _ Ken Boyer (24), Bill White (20) and Stan Musial (15) _ totaled fewer home runs than Roger Maris had (61) for the 1961 Yankees. The Cardinals “desperately needed a power hitter,” The Sporting News reported. “They may have the answer in Gene Oliver.”

Oliver, 27, reported to spring training in 1962 at a fit 210 pounds and won the starting catcher job. His backups when the season opened were left-handed batter Carl Sawatski, 34, and defensive specialist Jimmie Schaffer, 26. Catching prospect Tim McCarver, 20, was deemed not ready and sent to the minors.

To the disappointment of the Cardinals, Oliver failed to provide power production early in the 1962 season. He hit one home run in April and one in May.

On April 22 at St. Louis, the Cardinals, trailing the Cubs, 5-1, loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Curt Flood, hitting .519 on the young season, was due to bat. Flood had two singles and a walk in the game, but manager Johnny Keane sent Oliver to bat for him.

“We needed the knockout blow,” Keane told The Sporting News. “We knew we could count on Flood for a hit, but we needed more than that.”

Oliver struck out looking against Cal Koonce, ending the game. Boxscore

In June, Oliver switched from a 33-ounce bat to a 35-ounce model, but it didn’t help increase his home run totals much.

Decking the Dodgers

Through August, Oliver had seven home runs for the season. He told The Sporting News that Keane said to him, “We’ve got a lot of singles hitters on this club, and we need punch from you.”

Keane determined Oliver had become defensive in his swing because he was reluctant to strike out. He advised Oliver to take “a good cut because we don’t care how many times you strike out.”

Oliver hit seven home runs in September. The big blow was the last.

On Sept. 30, 1962, the last scheduled day of the regular season, the first-place Dodgers were one game ahead of the Giants in the National League standings. If the Dodgers beat the Cardinals that afternoon in Los Angeles, they’d clinch the pennant and advance to the World Series.

At San Francisco, the Giants beat the Colt .45s, 2-1, on a tie-breaking home run by Willie Mays against Turk Farrell in the eighth inning. Boxscore

At Los Angeles, the Cardinals and Dodgers were locked in a scoreless duel. About the time the Giants’ win was posted on the scoreboard, Oliver batted against Johnny Podres with one out in the eighth.

“I went up to the plate looking for a curve, looking for the long ball,” Oliver told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “That’s all Podres throws me, breaking stuff.”

Podres, pitching on his 30th birthday, threw two fastballs to Oliver for strikes. Oliver turned to catcher John Roseboro and said, “You’ve really fooled me.”

The next pitch was a curve that missed, making the count 1-and-2. Podres came back with another curve, and Oliver lined it over the fence in left for a home run.

Oliver’s home run, combined with the five-hit shutout pitched by Curt Simmons, gave the Cardinals a 1-0 victory and dropped the Dodgers into a first-place tie with the Giants. Boxscore

“I pitched the best game of my life,” Podres said to the Los Angeles Times. “Even the pitch to Oliver was a good one, a curve in tight.”

Yes, Podres said, his performance against the Cardinals was better than the shutout he pitched to win Game 7 of the 1955 World Series for the Dodgers versus the Yankees. Boxscore

In the ensuing best-of-three playoff to determine the 1962 National League champion, the Giants prevailed.

Toast of the town

Restaurant owners Leo Giorgetti and Sam Marconi invited Oliver and his wife to San Francisco on an all-expenses paid trip for the first two games of the 1962 World Series.

Giorgetti and Marconi owned The Iron Horse restaurant and the Gold Street saloon. The Iron Horse was popular with athletes and entertainers. Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe had their wedding reception there.

Dubbing Oliver’s appearance as “San Francisco Appreciation Day,” the restauranteurs took out an advertisement in the San Francisco Examiner, informing fans that, after the Thursday afternoon Game 1 of the World Series, an autograph party with the Cardinals catcher would be held at the Gold Street saloon from 7 pm to 9 pm, followed by dinner at The Iron Horse.

Oliver also was “the key figure in an impromptu parade” on the first day of the World Series, Bob Burnes of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat reported.

According to Burnes, Oliver “has become the most lionized visitor in recent San Francisco history.”

Moving on

The fanfare in San Francisco was heady stuff for a player who hit .258 overall for the 1962 Cardinals and .190 with runners in scoring position.

Back in Moline, Ill., for the winter, Oliver worked for a clothing store, Mosenfelder’s, selling suits.

Entering spring training in 1963, Stan Musial told The Sporting News, “We can look for more long ball from Gene Oliver. He seems to have found himself.”

It became apparent, though, that Tim McCarver was the Cardinals’ best catcher in 1963. In the book “We Played the Game,” McCarver said Oliver “was a good hitter but had a weak throwing arm.”

On June 15, 1963, the Cardinals traded Oliver and pitcher Bob Sadowski to the Braves for pitcher Lew Burdette. To make room for Oliver on their roster, the Braves sent catcher Bob Uecker to the minors.

Oliver had his best season with the 1965 Braves, hitting 21 home runs. In June 1967, the Braves traded him to the Phillies _ for Bob Uecker.

As a big-leaguer, Oliver hit 93 home runs, including four versus Sandy Koufax. Oliver had a career batting average of .392 against Koufax (20 for 51).

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The story of how Red Schoendienst shocked Orlando Cepeda

Posted in Games, Hitters, Managers, Opponents on January 1, 2022| 8 Comments »

Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst had the self-confidence to make a bold decision when he thought it would give his team its best chance to win.

A prime example of how Schoendienst put team ahead of individual occurred on July 22, 1968, when the Cardinals trailed the Phillies by two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

With two on and none out, Orlando Cepeda was due to bat for the Cardinals. Cepeda was the cleanup hitter and the most recent winner of the National League Most Valuable Player Award, but he hadn’t been producing lately with runners in scoring position.

Schoendienst chose to let Lou Brock bat for Cepeda. The move stunned Cepeda, who never had been removed for a pinch-hitter, but the decision to let one future Hall of Famer bat for another turned out well.

Setting the table

Sparked by a three-run home run from Don Lock against Steve Carlton, the Phillies led the Cardinals, 4-2, entering the last of the ninth at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis.

The Cardinals’ first batter was Julian Javier. Using a bat borrowed from Curt Flood, he fought off an inside fastball from Phillies left-hander Woodie Fryman and blooped a single into shallow right, breaking the bat.

“It was my sweet stroker,” Flood told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch when asked about the bat. “I had used it a couple of weeks.”

John Boozer, a right-hander with a 1-0 record and five saves, relieved Fryman. The first batter he faced, Flood, noticed that third baseman Tony Taylor was playing back on the infield and guarding the line against an extra-base hit. Flood made the decision to try for a bunt single.

“Flood laid down a gorgeous drag bunt,” the Philadelphia Daily News reported.

Taylor charged in, grabbed the ball and threw high to first. Flood easily beat the throw for a single, and Javier advanced to second.

Phillies manager Bob Skinner, a former Cardinals teammate of Flood, said, “Give the guy credit for making the play. It’s a do or die play.”

Rare opportunity

With runners on first and second, none out, the situation seemed ideal for Cepeda, who had 111 RBI for the Cardinals the previous year, but Schoendienst had other ideas.

Cepeda had produced a mere two RBI for the month and none since July 13. (He ended up with five RBI for July.) Cardinals fans booed him the day before when he was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts versus Mets left-hander Jerry Koosman.

Though Cepeda hit well against Boozer in his career (.375 with two home runs), it was a different story in 1968. Cepeda would go hitless in four at-bats versus Boozer for the year.

Schoendienst liked the notion of having Brock, a left-handed batter, face Boozer. (Brock would hit .391 versus Boozer in his career and go 3-for-5 against him in 1968. Also, left-handed batters would hit .352 versus Boozer for the season.) Plus, Schoendienst figured Brock was less likely to hit into a double play. (Cepeda grounded into a team-high 13 double plays in 1968 compared with four by Brock.)

With the Phillies starting a left-hander (Fryman), Schoendienst had intended to give Brock, who complained of leg muscle soreness, a day off, but with the game on the line and Boozer on the mound, the manager couldn’t resist making a move.

“You don’t always have a Brock sitting on your bench in such a situation,” Schoendienst said to the Post-Dispatch. “If there was no Brock, I wouldn’t have used anyone to pinch-hit.”

Right stuff

Cepeda told the Post-Dispatch he never had been lifted for a pinch-hitter at any level of amateur or professional baseball. When Schoendienst sent Brock to bat for him, Cepeda flung his helmet and stormed into the clubhouse.

“Anyone who knows this proud Puerto Rican must realize what a severe blow it was to his pride,” The Sporting News noted.

Brock was seeking his first hit versus the Phillies in 1968. He had gone hitless in 17 at-bats against them.

Using a bat borrowed from Javier, Brock grounded a 2-and-1 pitch from Boozer into right field for a single, scoring Javier and narrowing the Phillies’ lead to 4-3. Flood advanced to third on the play.

It was Brock’s only hit in three appearances as a pinch-batter in 1968. (For his career, Brock batted .258 with 33 hits as a pinch-batter.)

Mike Shannon followed and belted a 2-and-0 pitch from Boozer over Lock’s head in right. The ball bounced into the seats for a ground-rule double. The hit drove in Flood, tying the score at 4-4, and moved Brock to third.

Left-hander Grant Jackson replaced Boozer. Tim McCarver, a left-handed batter, smacked Jackson’s first pitch to deep center, a sacrifice fly that scored Brock with the winning run. Boxscore

Learning experience

Soon afterward, Schoendienst went to the clubhouse and met with Cepeda.

“Cepeda was mad, and it’s good that he was mad because it shows he wants to play,” Schoendienst told the Post-Dispatch.

Cepeda said, “This is a new experience for me. I wanted to bat. I was mad at first, but you never stop learning in this game. The manager made the right move. I haven’t been hitting. You know Brock is not going to hit into many double plays. He’s been hitting well.”

The next night, Cepeda had two hits and scored three runs in a Cardinals rout of the Phillies.

After hitting .325 with 25 home runs and 111 RBI in 1967, Cepeda finished at .248 with 16 homers and 73 RBI in 1968. For the season, he hit .217 with runners in scoring position, but the Cardinals still won their second consecutive National League pennant.

In March 1969, the Cardinals traded Cepeda to the Braves for Joe Torre.

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