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Archive for the ‘Hitters’ Category

Tony Taylor and his considerable Cardinals connections

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents on July 26, 2020| 3 Comments »

Tony Taylor played his first and last games in the major leagues at St. Louis against the Cardinals. In between, he had two splendid series against them, one in 1960 and the other in 1970.

An infielder who had 2,007 hits in 19 seasons in the big leagues, Taylor primarily played for the Phillies, but entered the majors with the Cubs and was mentored by former Cardinals standout Rogers Hornsby.

Late in Taylor’s career, the Cardinals tried to acquire him, but he opted to return to the Phillies.

Deep in Dixie

Born and raised in Cuba, Taylor liked to study chemistry in school. “If I didn’t go into baseball, I would have become a chemist for a sugar company,” he told The Sporting News.

A friend, Felix Gomez, had played for Texas City, an independent club in the minor leagues, and persuaded Taylor to start a pro baseball career there. Taylor was 18 when he signed with Texas City in 1954. During the season, the franchise was shifted to Thibodaux, La.

On the field, Taylor thrived, playing third base and batting .314, but “off the field, he was confused, anxious and lonely,” The Sporting News reported.

“I was so homesick,” Taylor said.

Taylor said he would have quit during the season, but lacked the money for a plane ticket to Cuba.

The Giants bought his contract after the 1954 season and he spent the next three years (1955-57) in their farm system.

Success at St. Louis

In December 1957, the Cubs chose Taylor in the minor-league draft and he went to spring training in 1958 as a candidate for the third base job. At training camp, Cubs manager Bob Scheffing was impressed with Taylor’s fielding range and moved him to second base, even though Taylor never had played the position. “He’ll get a lot of balls nobody else would reach,” Scheffing said.

Two of the Cubs’ coaches, Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby and George Myatt, were former big-league second basemen and they helped Taylor make the transition from third base, The Sporting News reported.

As Opening Day neared, the Chicago Tribune reported Taylor “has done slick work at second, ” but added he “has become a controversial figure in camp. There are those who believe he can’t miss but others rate him lacking in big-league ability.”

Scheffing’s confidence in Taylor never wavered. On April 15, 1958, when the Cubs opened the season at St. Louis, Taylor was the second baseman and batted in the leadoff spot. In his first at-bat in the majors, Taylor opened the game with a double against Vinegar Bend Mizell and went on to score, giving the Cubs a 1-0 lead in a game they won, 4-0. Boxscore

In 1960, Taylor was 8-for-14 for the Cubs in a three-game series at St. Louis. Taylor capped the weekend by going 4-for-5 with three RBI in the series finale in what the Chicago Tribune called “a Taylor-made victory” for the Cubs. Boxscore

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch described Taylor as “the quiet man with the loud bat.”

A right-handed batter, Taylor had a powerful build on a 5-foot-9 frame. Rogers Hornsby, who had become a Cubs batting instructor, told The Sporting News he believed Taylor would be a .300 hitter. “If he ever learns to stride into the the ball and pull it,” Hornsby added, “he’ll be a home run slugger.”

Two weeks after his big St, Louis series, Taylor was traded to the Phillies.

Popular with Phillies

Taylor became a Phillies favorite. In 1963, he led National League second basemen in fielding percentage, produced 180 hits and scored 102 runs. Taylor six times had 20 or more stolen bases in a season.

Taylor was the Phillies’ second baseman from 1960-65, moved to a utility role in 1966-67 when Cookie Rojas became the starter, and took over at third base in 1968-69.

In 1970, the Phillies moved Don Money from shortstop to third base and went with rookies Denny Doyle at second and Larry Bowa at shortstop. Taylor, 34, opened the season in left field, but returned to second base when Doyle slumped.

Taylor time

On May 21, 1970, Philadelphia was abuzz with anticipation when the Cardinals opened a four-game series with the Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium. Slugger Richie Allen was playing in Philadelphia for the first time since being traded by the Phillies to the Cardinals.

In the Thursday night series opener, the focus was on Allen, but Taylor, his former road roommate, stole the show.

Cardinals starter Steve Carlton struck out 16 batters in eight innings, but the Phillies led, 3-0, entering the ninth. The Cardinals came back with three runs in the top of the ninth, including two on a home run by Allen, tying the score.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Phillies had runners on first and second, two outs, when Taylor came to the plate. “He was the right guy in the right spot,” Phillies manager Frank Lucchesi told the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Facing reliever Sal Campisi, Taylor told the Philadelphia Daily News, “I try to hit the ball up the middle in a spot like that. I was looking for a strike, a ball I could handle.”

Taylor grounded a single into center field, scoring John Briggs from second and giving the Phillies a 4-3 walkoff victory. Boxscore

Cardinals catcher Bart Zeller, making his big-league debut, told the Post-Dispatch, “Taylor hit a slider up, and we were trying to keep it away, but it got the middle of the plate.”

Tribute for Taylor

The next night, Taylor moved to third base to replace Don Money, who was injured in the series opener when a ball he was about to field struck him in the right eye. Taylor had two hits, scored a run and swiped a base, but the Cardinals won, 6-3. Boxscore

Game 3 of the series was Tony Taylor Night in Philadelphia and he was honored in ceremonies before the game. Standing at home plate with family, including his mother, who arrived from Cuba in March, Taylor was presented with gifts, including a trip to Spain for he and his wife.

Unfazed by the show of affection for Taylor, Bob Gibson struck him out three times in the game and finished with 16 in a 3-1 victory. Taylor did get one of the four hits Gibson allowed. Richie Allen drove in all the Cardinals’ runs with a pair of home runs versus Jim Bunning. Boxscore

The series finale on Sunday afternoon gave Taylor the chance to produce another game-winning hit, and he delivered.

In the 10th inning, with the score tied at 5-5, the Phillies loaded the bases with none out before Taylor lined a single to right on a fastball from Chuck Taylor, scoring Grant Jackson from third and giving the Phillies a 6-5 walkoff triumph. Richie Allen struck out five times in the game. Boxscore

Taylor finished the season with a .301 batting mark. He hit .411 with runners in scoring position.

Tony the Tiger

The Phillies traded Taylor to the Tigers in June 1971. He made the only postseason appearance of his career with them in 1972.

Released by the Tigers in December 1973, Taylor, 38, was pursued by the Cardinals, who wanted him for a utility role, United Press International reported, but he returned to the Phillies and played three more seasons for them.

On Sept. 29, 1976, Taylor ended his major-league playing career where it began, at St. Louis. Batting for pitcher Tug McGraw, Taylor grounded out to second versus John Curtis. Boxscore

Taylor went on to manage in the Phillies’ farm system for five seasons, coached for the Phillies and Marlins and was an instructor for the Giants.

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Mike Ryan and his links to Steve Carlton, Tim McCarver

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents on July 23, 2020| 4 Comments »

Mike Ryan connected with Steve Carlton behind the plate, not at the plate.

A catcher of superior defensive skills, Ryan played in the 1967 World Series for the Red Sox against the Cardinals.

Ryan played in 11 seasons in the big leagues because of his glove work and strong throwing arm. His career batting average with the Red Sox (1964-67), Phillies (1968-73) and Pirates (1974) was .193.

Ryan’s strength and weakness were illustrated by his interactions with Carlton. With the Phillies from 1968-71, Ryan was hitless in 26 at-bats against the Cardinals’ left-hander. When Carlton got traded to the Phillies in 1972, Ryan became one of his catchers in an award-winning season.

New England tough

Ryan was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts, about 35 miles north of Boston and near the border of New Hampshire. He grew up a Red Sox fan and took up catching when he was 9. “A catcher’s mitt wasn’t the first glove I owned, but it was my favorite,” Ryan told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I guess I liked the idea of being in on every play.”

A prominent sandlot player, Ryan signed with the Red Sox when he was 18 and played in their farm system from 1961-64.

On the last weekend of the 1964 season, injuries left the Red Sox short of catchers and they called up Ryan. Manager Billy Herman put him in the starting lineup in a Saturday game against the Senators at Boston’s Fenway Park. Bill Monbouquette pitched a shutout for the Red Sox. Ryan caught seven innings and drove in two runs in his major-league debut. Boxscore

With a Massachusetts accent described by the Philadelphia Inquirer as “thick as chowder,” Ryan was a natural for the Red Sox. He spent part of 1965 with them and was their Opening Day catcher in 1966 and 1967. In August 1967, the Red Sox acquired catcher Elston Howard from the Yankees and he supplanted Ryan as the starter for the pennant stretch.

Howard, 38, appealed to Red Sox manager Dick Williams more than Ryan, 25, did because Howard had played in nine World Series for the Yankees. Ryan objected to being displaced and spoke out about it. He considered himself a better defensive catcher than Howard, and Howard (.147) did even less at the plate for the Red Sox than Ryan did (.199).

“They put the screws to me around here,” Ryan told the Boston Globe.

The Red Sox clinched the American League pennant on the last day of the 1967 season. In the World Series versus the Cardinals, Howard did most of the catching. Ryan’s only appearance came in Game 4 at St. Louis when he replaced Howard in the fifth inning and went hitless in two at-bats against Bob Gibson. Boxscore

During the regular season, Red Sox ace Jim Lonborg, who won the 1967 American League Cy Young Award, started more games with Ryan as his catcher than he did with Elston Howard, or backups Russ Gibson and Bob Tillman.

In a tribute to Ryan in the Eagle-Tribune of North Andover, Massachusetts, Lonborg said, “He taught me what New England toughness was all about. Broken fingers, cracked ribs. The game must go on.”

Two months after the Cardinals prevailed in the 1967 World Series, Ryan was traded to the Phillies. “I’m glad to get away, to get a chance,” Ryan told the Boston Globe.

Good field, no hit

Ryan “has a strong arm, a sure glove and handled Boston’s young pitchers intelligently,” the Philadelphia Daily News noted.

He was the Phillies’ Opening Day catcher in 1968 and 1969. In the off-seasons, Ryan and his wife collected antiques. “The catcher has a poet’s soul,” wrote the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Bill Lyon.

Ryan led National League catchers in percentage of runners caught attempting to steal (57.6) in 1968 and in assists (79) in 1969, but his batting marks for those seasons were .179 and .204. “Mike Ryan can’t hit a lick and that’s the pity of it,” Bill Conlin of the Philadelphia Daily News wrote. “He’s tried a dozen stances and a jillion bats, but nothing has helped.”

Ryan told Sandy Padwe of the Philadelphia Inquirer, “There have been times I was so confused that I didn’t even know my name when I went up to bat. The whole thing is so frustrating. It takes so much out of you. Maybe I’m just not a hitter, but I can’t believe that.”

Collecting Cardinals

In October 1969, looking to get more production from the catcher position, the Phillies acquired Tim McCarver from the Cardinals and Ryan became a backup.

McCarver and Ryan were involved in a freak occurrence on May 2, 1970, in a game at San Francisco. In the sixth inning, a foul tip by Willie Mays fractured McCarver’s right hand. Ryan replaced him. After Mays singled and Willie McCovey doubled, Ken Henderson singled to right. Ron Stone’s throw to Ryan nailed McCovey at the plate, but Ryan fractured his left hand when spiked by McCovey. Boxscore

McCarver hit .287 in 1970 and .278 in 1971, but his defensive skills were slipping.

The Phillies acquired Steve Carlton from the Cardinals in February 1972. The deal reunited Carlton with McCarver, who was Carlton’s catcher with the Cardinals from 1965-69, but Phillies manager Frank Lucchesi was becoming disenchanted with McCarver’s weak throwing.

“If Mike Ryan had McCarver’s .280 bat, he would be a six-figure everyday player, a great star,” declared the Philadelphia Daily News. “If McCarver had Ryan’s sure, soft hands and lightning release, he’d be an all-star.”

Neither Carlton nor McCarver got off to a strong start with the 1972 Phillies. At the end of May, Carlton was 5-6 and McCarver was batting .208. “The Phillies watched McCarver three-hop balls to second and handle pitches as if they were live grenades while waiting for a bat which never came around,” according to the Philadelphia Daily News.

On June 14, 1972, McCarver was dealt to the Expos for catcher John Bateman.

Teaching and helping

With Bateman starting and Ryan backing up, Carlton had a big season (27-10, 1.97 ERA) for a bad team (59-97) and won the 1972 National League Cy Young Award. “I could have told the hitters what was coming and they still wouldn’t have touched Steve,” Ryan told The Sporting News. “He dominated hitters.”

In 1973, rookie Bob Boone became the Phillies’ catcher, Bateman departed and Ryan remained the backup. In two seasons (1972-73) together, Carlton and Ryan formed the Phillies’ battery in 10 games. Ryan also was reunited in 1973 with Lonborg, who was acquired by the Phillies.

Ryan finished his playing career in 1974 with the Pirates. He was a manager in the Pirates’ farm system for two years (1975-76) and mentored a teen catching prospect, Tony Pena. Ryan also managed Phillies minor-league teams for two seasons (1977-78) and helped advance the career of outfielder Lonnie Smith.

For 16 years (1980-95), Ryan was a Phillies coach. The Phillies got to the World Series three times in that stretch, including 1993, when their catcher was Darren Daulton, who bonded with Ryan. “He’s as solid as they come,” Daulton told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “How much do I think of him? I named my son for him: Zachary Ryan Daulton.”

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Chris Richard joined elite group of Cardinals sluggers

Posted in Games, Hitters, Records, Trades on July 17, 2020| 6 Comments »

After six seasons in the minors, Chris Richard got called up to the Cardinals and, on the first pitch he saw, showed he belonged in the major leagues.

On July 17, 2000, at Minneapolis, Richard hit a home run in his first plate appearance in the big leagues. It came on the first pitch of the second inning from Twins starter Mike Lincoln.

A left-handed batter who played first base and the outfield, Richard, 26, lasted two weeks with the Cardinals, but went on to play in the majors for five seasons.

Prospect with power

Richard was at Oklahoma State University when he was chosen by the Cardinals in the 19th round of the June 1995 amateur baseball draft. Multiple injuries, including a left shoulder tear requiring rotator cuff surgery, slowed his progress in the Cardinals’ system.

In 1999, Richard was injury-free for the first time in nearly two years and produced a successful season. At Arkansas, he led the club in home runs (29) and RBI (94) and batted .294.

With Memphis in 2000, Richard had 16 home runs and 75 RBI before he was called up to the Cardinals in July to fill in for outfielder J.D. Drew, who went on the disabled list because of a severely sprained left ankle.

Sweet swing

On the day Richard joined the Cardinals at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, manager Tony La Russa put him in the starting lineup as the left fielder, batting seventh.

After the Cardinals sent six batters to the plate in the first inning, Richard got his first chance to bat as the leadoff man in the second.

The first pitch to him was a fastball in the middle of the strike zone and Richard drove it to right-center. Twins center fielder Jacque Jones raced back in pursuit and reached over the short fence.

“I thought he was going to get it,” Richard told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Instead, the ball cleared the fence just before Jones tried to grab it with his glove. As the umpires signaled a home run, “I think I was just floating,” Richard said. “It was just unreal.” Video

Retired Twins outfielder Kirby Puckett later approached Richard and needled him. “If I had been playing center field, you’d have been 0-for-1,” Puckett said. Boxscore

Dream come true

Richard became the fourth Cardinals player, and the second in two weeks, to hit a home run in his first plate appearance in the majors. Catcher Keith McDonald achieved the feat on July, 4, 2000.

Since then, several others have done it for the Cardinals. The complete list:

_ Eddie Morgan, pinch-hitter, April 14, 1936, vs. Cubs.

_ Wally Moon, center fielder, April 13, 1954, vs. Cubs.

_ Keith McDonald, pinch-hitter, July 4, 2000, vs. Reds.

_ Chris Richard, left fielder, July 17, 2000, vs. Twins.

_ Gene Stechschulte, pinch-hitter, April 17, 2001, vs. Diamondbacks.

_ Hector Luna, second baseman, April 8, 2004, vs. Brewers.

_ Adam Wainwright, pitcher, May 24, 2006, vs. Giants.

_ Mark Worrell, pitcher, June 5, 2008, vs. Nationals.

_ Paul DeJong, pinch-hitter, May 28, 2017, vs. Rockies.

_ Lane Thomas, pinch-hitter, April 19, 2019, vs. Mets.

“You dream about that kind of stuff, but for it to happen, it’s unbelievable,” Richard said.

Name game

Richard had two hits and two walks in 18 plate appearances for the Cardinals before Drew came off the disabled list. Richard was assigned to Memphis when on July 29, 2000, the Cardinals traded him and pitcher Mark Nussbeck to the Orioles for reliever Mike Timlin.

The Orioles projected Richard as a player to help them rebuild. “We really hate to give him up,” Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty told the Post-Dispatch.

Viewing the trade as an opportunity to stick in the majors, Richard said to the Baltimore Sun, “I’ll have the chance to get some at-bats and get into some games. This team is going through a transition and it’s an atmosphere where we can kind of grow as a team.”

Orioles manager Mike Hargrove welcomed Richard, but told the Sun he was struggling to remember the newcomer’s name: “I told him, ‘I’m going to keep calling you Keith Richards for a while. Don’t get upset when it happens. I’m not even a fan of the Rolling Stones.”

Richard soon made a name for himself with the Orioles, hitting 13 home runs and batting .276 in 56 games in 2000. The next year, he led the Orioles in doubles (31) and tied for the club lead in home runs (15).

Besides the Cardinals and Orioles, Richard also played for the Rockies and Rays.

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Red Schoendienst and his Ruthian feat as an all-star

Posted in Games, Hitters on July 11, 2020| 6 Comments »

Cardinals second baseman Red Schoendienst showed a slugger’s swagger when brought together with baseball’s best.

On July 11, 1950, Schoendienst hit a towering home run in the 14th inning to lift the National League to victory in the All-Star Game at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The feat captured the attention of a nation watching the first televised All-Star Game.

A switch-hitter, Schoendienst’s style was to spray doubles to the gaps rather than bash balls over walls, but he had a feeling he could muscle up that day. According to multiple published reports, Schoendienst, in an uncharacteristic burst of Babe Ruthian bravado, called his game-winning home run before he went to the plate.

Powerful premonition

Schoendienst, 27, was a reserve on the 1950 National League all-star roster. Fans voted Jackie Robinson of the Dodgers to be the starting second baseman. Also selected as starters were three of Schoendienst’s Cardinals teammates: shortstop Marty Marion, first baseman Stan Musial and outfielder Enos Slaughter.

In his autobiography, “Red: A Baseball Life,” Schoendienst said he was shagging fly balls in the outfield before the game when he turned to his teammates and said if he got to play, “I’m going to hit one right up there, in the upper deck.”

The comment drew laughter from the other players, Schoendienst said. He’d hit a mere three home runs in the first half of the regular season and his long balls usually were line drives rather than majestic clouts.

From his seat on the bench, Schoendienst watched as the National League’s reigning home run king, Ralph Kiner of the Pirates, hit a ball deep to left field in the first inning. Ted Williams of the Red Sox crashed into the wall as he made the catch. Williams felt intense pain in his left arm, but stayed in the game, played eight innings and produced a hit and a RBI. The next day, X-rays revealed Williams fractured his left elbow in colliding with the wall and needed surgery to remove several bone fragments.

During the game, Schoendienst reiterated his home run prediction. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, he pointed to the upper deck and told teammates in the dugout, “I wish they’d give me a chance. I’d put one up there.”

The Sporting News reported Schoendienst said, “I’m going to surprise all you by hitting a homer if I ever get into this fight.”

Late entry

With the American League ahead, 3-2, Kiner led off the top of the ninth and hit a fastball from Art Houtteman of the Tigers into the upper deck in left for a home run, tying the score.

After the American League batters went down in order in the bottom half of the ninth, extra innings were played in an All-Star Game for the first time.

In the 11th, National League manager Burt Shotton of the Dodgers made a controversial decision. With one out, and runners on first and second, Shotton sent Johnny Wyrostek of the Reds to bat for Jackie Robinson against Yankees right-hander Allie Reynolds. Shotton made the move because Wyrostek batted from the left side, but he removed the reigning National League batting champion.

Wyrostek flied out to center and the National League failed to score. With Robinson out of the game, Schoendienst went in to play second base in the bottom half of the 11th.

Getting his pitch

Schoendienst got his first chance to bat leading off the top of the 14th against left-hander Ted Gray of the Tigers. Schoendienst hit most of his home runs from the left side, but against Gray he batted right-handed.

He fouled off the first pitch from Gray and took the second for a ball, evening the count. Plate umpire Babe Pinelli called the next one a strike, but Schoendienst thought it was outside the zone and beefed a little. “A little beefing is a lot from mild-mannered Schoendienst,” the Post-Dispatch reported. The next pitch was wide, making the count 2-and-2.

Schoendienst said he looked for Gray to throw a fastball over the plate rather than risk running the count full. Gray grooved one and Schoendienst hit a mighty blow. The ball was 50 feet high at the 360-foot marker when it went into the upper deck seats in left for a home run, the Detroit Free Press reported. Video

Gray told the Associated Press the pitch was a “low, fast one.” The Free Press described it as a sidearm curve.

When Schoendienst was asked about the pitch, he jokingly called it a “double knuckleball.” According to the Chicago Tribune, when it was suggested the pitch may have been a fastball, Schoendienst replied, “A fastball? It couldn’t have been very fast. I pulled it.”

The home run put the National League ahead, 4-3. In the bottom half of the 14th, the American League had one out and Ferris Fain of the Athletics on first when the Yankees’ Joe DiMaggio came to the plate against Ewell Blackwell of the Reds.

Making his final appearance as an all-star, DiMaggio got a curve to his liking. “I was swinging for distance,” he told the Tribune. Instead, he bounced the ball to third baseman Willie “Puddin’ Head” Jones, who threw to Schoendienst for the force on Fain. Schoendienst whipped a throw to Musial at first to nip DiMaggio and complete the game-ending double play. Boxscore

Schoendienst played in the All-Star Game nine times and hit .190. The home run in the 1950 game was his only career RBI as an all-star.

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Eddie Kasko rose to rescue as Cardinals rookie

Posted in Hitters on July 6, 2020| 2 Comments »

As third baseman for the 1957 Cardinals, rookie Eddie Kasko helped them transform from underachievers to contenders.

During his career in the major leagues, Kasko was a player, manager and scout. As a shortstop, he was a National League all-star and played in the World Series.

A fielder with sure hands and a strong arm, Kasko’s ability to play third base and hit productively for the Cardinals in 1957 enabled them to move Ken Boyer to center field and strengthen the lineup.

Feeling at home

Kasko was raised in Linden, N.J., a town with a large Polish-American population. His family name was Kosko, but his birth certificate mistakenly listed him as Kasko and he never changed it, The Sporting News reported.

A baseball talent at the high school and sandlot levels, Kasko attended Cardinals tryout camps in New Jersey when he was 18, but scout Benny Borgmann suggested he come back in a year, according to The Sporting News. Instead, Kasko launched his career in the minor leagues. After three seasons (1949-51) in the minors, Kasko went into the Army for two years (1952-53) and was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.

After his discharge, Kasko resumed his career in the minors at Richmond, Va., in 1954. Richmond became an important place for Kasko. He met a William & Mary College student, Catherine, who became his wife, and they made Richmond their home. The Richmond team was managed by Hall of Fame shortstop Luke Appling, who became a mentor to Kasko and taught him to play the position.

Kasko played two seasons (1954-55) for Appling at Richmond and developed a reputation as the best fielder in the International League.

One of the teams in the league was Rochester, a Cardinals farm club. During the 1955 season, Rochester general manager George Sisler Jr. and manager Dixie Walker suggested the Cardinals try to acquire Kasko, The Sporting News reported. The Cardinals sent scout Walter Shannon to Richmond to evaluate Kasko. Based on Shannon’s report, the Cardinals purchased Kasko’s contract in October 1955.

“I owe a lot to Richmond,” Kasko said. “That’s where the Cardinals found me and that’s where I found Catherine.”

Prime prospect

The Cardinals assigned Kasko to Rochester in 1956, and manager Dixie Walker worked with Kasko, a right-handed batter, to be more aggressive at the plate.

“At Richmond, I’d been taking a lot of pitches because Luke Appling had been that kind of hitter, a clever two-strike hitter,” Kasko told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “but Walker told me I wasn’t any Appling and couldn’t afford to give the pitcher an edge. He told me to come off the bench swinging.”

Kasko followed Walker’s advice and batted .303 with 179 hits in 147 games for Rochester. He also continued to dazzle with his fielding and throwing.

Good impression

After the 1956 season, Kasko played winter ball in Cuba. Cardinals general manager Frank Lane, manager Fred Hutchinson and scout Al Hollingsworth went to Havana and became convinced Kasko could play in the majors.

Hollingsworth referred to Kasko as “Mr. Automatic” because of his flawless fielding and said he was the best player he saw in the Caribbean. “There’s no doubt that defensively he is ready right now,” Hollingsworth told The Sporting News.

Lane said, “He can run, throw, go into the hole and make the plays … He showed he could handle a bat somewhat like Alvin Dark, hitting behind the runner.”

Kasko, 25, played well at Cardinals spring training in 1957 and made the Opening Day roster as the backup to Dark at shortstop. Lane had been talking to the Cubs about a deal of Dark for pitcher Bob Rush, but the Cubs wanted Kasko, according to the St. Louis Globe-Democrat.

Getting a chance

The 1957 Cardinals struggled early. With the club record at 13-16, Cardinals owner Gussie Busch held a meeting on May 21, 1957, with Lane, his assistant, Bing Devine, executive Dick Meyer and Walter Shannon, who had become farm director. They decided Hutchinson needed to shake up the lineup.

Lane relayed the directive to Hutchinson, who made multiple changes, including moving Ken Boyer from third base to center field to replace the slumping Bobby Gene Smith. Kasko replaced Boyer at third base.

“The position didn’t frighten me,” Kasko said. “Just getting to play was what I had been wanting.”

Bespectacled, balding and quiet, Kasko wasn’t an intimidating presence, but his performance delivered the desired results.

From May 23, when the lineup changes were implemented, until Aug. 5, the 1957 Cardinals were 50-25. The surge gave them an overall record of 63-41 and put them into contention for the National League pennant.

The Cardinals finished in second place at 87-67. Kasko made 117 starts at third base and appeared in 134 games. He batted .273 overall, including .341 versus left-handers. The Sporting News named him third baseman on its all-rookie team.

Change in plans

Instead of playing winter ball after the 1957 season, Kasko stayed in Richmond and worked as a men’s clothing salesman at a department store.

At spring training in 1958, Hutchinson said he intended to open the regular season with Boyer in center, Dark at third and Kasko at shortstop. Kasko had more range than Dark, Hutchinson said.

The plan changed when Kasko batted .141 in spring training. When the 1958 season opened, Dark was at shortstop, Boyer was back at third, Bobby Gene Smith returned to center and Kasko was on the bench.

On May 20, 1958, the Cardinals traded Dark to the Cubs for pitcher Jim Brosnan. Dick Schofield became the Cardinals’ shortstop but struggled to hit and Kasko became the starter at the end of May.

Kasko also slumped at the plate and in July he was replaced by Ruben Amaro.

Kasko hit .220 in 104 games for the 1958 Cardinals. He made 64 starts at shortstop. After the season, Kasko, Del Ennis and Bob Mabe were traded by the Cardinals to the Reds for George Crowe, Alex Grammas and Alex Kellner.

Hutchinson, fired by the Cardinals near the end of the 1958 season, became Reds manager in July 1959 and made Kasko the Reds’ shortstop. “If a guy can’t play for him,” Kasko said, “he just can’t play.”

In 1961, the Reds won the pennant and Kasko was named to the National League all-star team. In the World Series versus the Yankees, Kasko led the Reds in hits (seven) and batted .318.

In five seasons (1959-63) with the Reds, Kasko hit .277. He finished his playing career with the Astros and Red Sox.

After managing in their farm system for three seasons (1967-69), Kasko became Red Sox manager. He led them to winning records in each of his four seasons (1970-73) and was 345-295.

“I learned more from Eddie Kasko in nine minutes than I did in all my years under all the other managers who have handled this club,” outfielder Carl Yastrzemski told the Boston Globe.

Red Sox catcher Jerry Moses said Kasko “has the greatest mind in baseball.”

After managing, Kasko became a Red Sox scout before being promoted to their front office as director of scouting and then vice president of player personnel.

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Why Stan Musial nearly sought divorce from Cardinals

Posted in Games, Hitters on June 28, 2020| 6 Comments »

Disheartened when the Cardinals benched him indefinitely, Stan Musial was willing to accept a trade to the Pirates.

In 1960, Cardinals manager Solly Hemus took Musial out of the starting lineup and relegated him to a pinch-hitting role. Hemus made the move, with the approval of the front office, because Musial wasn’t hitting for average and Hemus perceived Musial’s fielding as more a liability than an asset.

A seven-time National League batting champion, Musial, 39, was stunned and saddened by the Cardinals’ determination he was washed up.

If the Cardinals couldn’t use him, the first-place Pirates were willing to take him and play him at first base. Asked whether he’d agree to a trade to the Pirates and a chance to finish his playing career near his hometown of Donora, Pa., Musial replied, “Yes.”

In his autobiography, “Stan Musial: The Man’s Own Story,” Musial said, “Few realize how close I came to finishing my career with Pittsburgh.”

Fading star

After batting .255 in 1959, the first season he didn’t top .300, Musial faithfully followed a physical fitness and diet program during the winter and reported to 1960 spring training camp in shape.

The Cardinals opened the 1960 season with Musial at first and with an outfield of Leon Wagner in left, Bill White in center and Joe Cunningham in right.

Musial hit .300 in 13 games in April, but slumped in May. As Musial’s batting average dipped, Hemus utilized him sporadically and erratically. “I know he had lost confidence in me,” Musial said in his autobiography.

The 1960 Cardinals lost 16 of their first 26 games and were a half-game out of last place after play on May 15. Hemus experimented with various lineups in an effort to jolt the Cardinals. “If ever a manager panicked, I’m afraid Hemus did,” Musial said in his book.

On May 22, 1960, Bob Broeg of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Bob Burnes of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat came out with columns criticizing the Cardinals for unfair treatment of Musial.

Broeg wrote, “If they’re trying to embarrass a man who never embarrassed them, either by word or deed, the Cardinals are succeeding.”

Burnes wrote, “What concerns us is the way an extraordinary performer and complete team man is being pushed around. Certainly his years of service to the Cardinals entitle him to more than that. What we are wondering is whether the Cardinals are trying to embarrass Musial into retiring.”

Reserve role

A few days later, Musial’s batting average for the season was at .250 when he was called to a meeting at the home of Cardinals owner Gussie Busch. Joining them were club executive Dick Meyer, general manager Bing Devine and Hemus. They informed Musial he was being benched because Hemus wanted a younger lineup.

Musial told them he would do what the club wanted. In his book, Musial said he was “hurt and disappointed” by the decision.

On May 27, 1960, Hemus started Curt Flood in center field in place of Bill White and moved White to first base in place of Musial.

Musial “has been benched indefinitely,” the Post-Dispatch reported.

“Solly and I agreed that Solly ought to play his best lineup,” Devine said. “We talked it over with Musial and he went along with the plan.”

Musial, who hit .204 in May, told the Associated Press, “We haven’t been winning and they want to try that new lineup for a while. Anything they want to do is OK with me. We’ll see what happens. I think I’ll be back in the lineup soon.”

Hemus had other ideas.

Pirates treasure

Musial was out of the starting lineup from May 27 through June 23. He appeared as a pinch-hitter nine times in that stretch and had one hit, a double versus Warren Spahn, and his batting average sank to .238.

In his autobiography, Musial said he was planning to quit during the all-star break in July if he wasn’t back in the starting lineup by then.

When the Pirates came to St. Louis for a series in June, their manager, Danny Murtaugh, asked Broeg what was wrong with Musial. Broeg told him all Musial needed was a chance to play and to “go out with a winner.” Murtaugh asked whether Musial would accept a trade to the Pirates. Broeg approached Musial, who responded, “Yes.” Broeg relayed the answer to Murtaugh, who said he would urge general manager Joe Brown to make a deal.

“Musial could mean the difference for us in the race,’ Murtaugh told Broeg.

In a June 14, 1960, column in the Post-Dispatch, Broeg wrote Musial had been “surprised and even a bit stunned” by the Cardinals’ decision to bench him and suggested Musial would be a good fit for the Pirates.

“Although he has been uncomplaining, it’s apparent he was hurt,” Broeg told readers. “Hurt enough, you ask, to go to Pittsburgh if he had a chance to play rather than sit on the bench, a chance perhaps to achieve the thrill of one more World Series? Yes.”

The Pirates wanted Musial, but couldn’t afford to offer much, Brown said to Broeg. Another option would be for Musial to ask the Cardinals for his release, leaving him free to sign with the Pirates. Either way, Brown said, it would put Bing Devine in a bind, and he didn’t want to do that to his colleague.

“As much as we’d like to have Musial,” Brown told Broeg, “I just can’t do it to Bing Devine. Sure, if Musial were released, we would grab him in a minute … and to offer too little would be taking advantage of the public sentiment, which is sure to be strongly behind Musial, not the ball club. Devine would be on a spot where i don’t care to put him.”

Still The Man

When Bob Nieman got injured and newly acquired Walt Moryn struggled to hit, Hemus put Musial back into the lineup as the left fielder on June 24, 1960.

Musial was 1-for-8 in his first two games back and his batting average fell to .229, but then he went on a tear. Musial produced 11 hits in 19 at-bats over his next five games, raising his batting mark to .281. He continued his blistering pace and got his batting average to .300 at the all-star break.

“He’s been amazing,” Cardinals third baseman Ken Boyer told the Globe-Democrat. “He’s delivering the big hits.”

Said Hemus: “Stan is popping the ball again.”

National League all-star manager Walter Alston of the Dodgers chose Musial as an all-star reserve.

On the field at Kansas City before the All-Star Game, Musial was approached by Red Sox counterpart Ted Williams, 41, who was in his last season as a player and batting .341. According to Bob Burnes, the conversation went like this:

Williams roared: “Hey, man, get on the train.”

Musial: “What train is it?”

Williams: “The one back to the minors. Us old guys are through. We’ve had it.”

The two laughed and Williams said, “What in the world got into you?”

Musial: “Just pecking away, just pecking away. I lucked a few, thumbed a few and then I got a couple of good ones.”

Williams: “Oh, hell, I wasn’t talking about your hitting. I wasn’t worried about that. What I’m talking about is that base you stole the other day.”

Musial: “Say, that was something, wasn’t it?”

The stolen base on July 8 was Musial’s first since 1957.

Musial hit .352 with 21 RBI in 21 games for the Cardinals in July. He hit .253 in August and .226 in September, finishing the season at .275 with 17 home runs and 63 RBI. He hit .338 with runners in scoring position and was 5-for-8 with the bases loaded.

“I look back on 1960 as a season of frustration and vindication, of sadness and success,” Musial said in his book. “It was the most emotional season I ever experienced.”

The Pirates went on to win the National League pennant, their first since 1927, and prevailed against the Yankees in the World Series. The Cardinals challenged the Pirates for a while and placed third at 86-69.

“I missed a chance to play in another World Series,” Musial said, “but I’m glad now I didn’t ask for my release.”

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