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Why Cardinals traded Joe McEwing to Mets

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents, Pitchers, Trades on March 18, 2020| 2 Comments »

In assessing Joe McEwing’s value to the club as a utility player, the Cardinals placed a premium on productivity instead of popularity.

On March 18, 2000, the Cardinals traded McEwing to the Mets for reliever Jesse Orosco.

The deal was disliked by Cardinals fans who rooted for McEwing when he unexpectedly emerged as an overachieving underdog to become the team’s second baseman in 1999.

Nicknamed “Super Joe” for his all-out hustle, McEwing established a Cardinals rookie record with a 25-game hitting streak in 1999. The feat earned him another tag, “Little Mac,” in relation to his slugging teammate, Mark McGwire, who was “Big Mac.”

Though McEwing endeared himself to the Cardinals, sentiment was shoved aside the following spring when he struggled in a bid to earn a role as a utility player.

Job search

McEwing, chosen by the Cardinals in the 28th round of the 1992 amateur draft, was in his seventh season in their farm system when he earned a call to the big leagues in September 1998.

Placido Polanco was the Cardinals’ Opening Day second baseman in 1999, but McEwing eventually emerged from the bench to replace him. A right-handed batter, McEwing hit .275 with 28 doubles for the 1999 Cardinals, splitting time between second base and the outfield.

After the 1999 season, the Cardinals acquired second baseman Fernando Vina from the Brewers and made him their leadoff batter in 2000. McEwing, 27, went to spring training as a candidate for a utility role.

The competition for bench spots was intense. McEwing hit .143 in spring training and was outperformed by fellow utility players Shawon Dunston, Craig Paquette and Polanco.

When left-handed reliever Scott Radinsky developed elbow trouble, the Cardinals went searching for a replacement and made the swap of McEwing for Orosco.

“It would have been tough for Joe to make the club based on what we’ve seen this spring and the other candidates,” Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

When McEwing left the Cardinals’ clubhouse in Jupiter, Fla., he wrote on a message board, “I love you guys, Joe Mac.”

Fond farewell

Most were sorry to see McEwing depart.

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said he planned to keep a pair of McEwing’s cleats in his office “to remind me of what a professional ballplayer is supposed to be.”

Jocketty said when he got home after making the trade he found a McEwing baseball card belonging to his son, Joey, on a table. “I’m not popular with my son,” Jocketty told the Post-Dispatch.

Columnist Bernie Miklasz called McEwing “one of my favorite St. Louis athletes ever” and wrote, “Trading Joe McEwing is like being mean to a kitten.”

Miklasz concluded, “I didn’t want to admit it at first, but this trade makes sense.”

Warranty expires

Orosco, who turned 43 a month after joining the Cardinals, was a standout with the Mets in 1986 when they were World Series champions. In 1999, he pitched in 65 games for the Orioles.

He told the Post-Dispatch he was glad to be with the Cardinals. “Hopefully, I’m the piece to that puzzle that they needed in the bullpen,” Orosco said.

Before becoming a Cardinal, Orosco pitched in 1,090 major-league games and never was on the disabled list.

“Maybe he’s just got elastic bands for rotator cuffs,” said Cardinals pitcher Paul Spoljaric.

Turns out, the elastic was ready to snap.

Orosco pitched in three April games for the Cardinals, hurt his elbow and went on the disabled list. He returned in June, pitched in three more games, went back on the disabled list, had surgery to repair a torn elbow tendon and was done for the season.

Orosco faced a total of 16 batters for the Cardinals. He became a free agent after the season, signed with the Dodgers and continued to pitch in the majors until 2003 with the Twins at age 46. His 1,252 games pitched, including six with the Cardinals, are a major-league record

Switching sides

With Melvin Mora and Kurt Abbott in utility roles for the Mets, McEwing began the 2000 season in the minors. In mid-May, he got called up to the Mets and was in their lineup as an outfielder for all three games of a series May 26-28 against the Cardinals at St. Louis.

“I’m excited to come back,” McEwing told the Post-Dispatch before adding, “I’m a Met now. I’m happy to be a Met.”

Helped by McEwing and another ex-Cardinal, Todd Zeile, the Mets swept the three-game series. McEwing was 4-for-12 with one RBI and was warmly greeted by Cardinals fans. Zeile was 5-for-13 with three home runs and seven RBI and was booed.

After teasing McEwing about the fan reactions, Zeile told the New York Daily News, “I get excited to play back here. With every at-bat, the fans booed me a little louder and it motivated me a little more. I don’t think there’s any animosity though.”

McEwing hit .222 for the 2000 Mets, who won the pennant by prevailing against the Cardinals in the National League Championship Series.

McEwing played five season (2000-2004) with the Mets before finishing his career in the majors with the Royals (2005) and Astros (2006). He played every position in the majors except pitcher and catcher.

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Why Cardinals made Joe Torre a third baseman

Posted in Hitters on March 15, 2020| 9 Comments »

(Updated April 13, 2025)

Joe Torre reported to Cardinals spring training prepared to be their catcher, got switched to third base two weeks before the season opened and ended up playing a similar number of games at both positions.

In March 1970, the Cardinals asked Torre to change positions after third baseman Mike Shannon was diagnosed with a kidney ailment. Torre, 29, hadn’t played third base since he was “a fat kid in high school back home in Brooklyn,” the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Torre, who got to camp weighing 228 pounds, went on a diet, lost 25 pounds and was able to perform with the agility needed at third base.

Torre as Twiggy

Torre’s weight loss wasn’t dictated by the club. He did it on his own and before he was asked to play third base.

The motivation for the weight loss was twofold:

_ He would turn 30 during the 1970 season and knew he had to work more diligently to stay in shape.

_ He also knew there was a chance he could be shifted to first base when catcher Ted Simmons, the Cardinals’ top prospect, completed a military commitment and joined the club in May.

Torre followed a diet developed by Dr. Irwin Stillman of Brooklyn. The Stillman Diet emphasized drinking large quantities of water, eating foods high in protein and avoiding carbohydrates and fats.

In his book, “Chasing the Dream,” Torre explained, “Every time you eat a hardboiled egg and then have two or three glasses of water, it’s like swallowing a sponge and filling it up. That’s the idea. You’re full.”

The Stillman Diet was controversial but it worked for Torre.

“I was the kind of guy who thought nothing of eating candy, soft drinks, banana cream pies and junk like that,” Torre said. “I really watched what I ate after the diet and learned to reduce my portions.”

Change in plans

On March 18, 1970, the Cardinals disclosed Shannon’s kidney ailment and said he’d be unavailable to play for a while.

Manager Red Schoendienst initially considered using one of his utility infielders, Cookie Rojas or Phil Gagliano, to play third, the Post-Dispatch reported, but neither was the run producer Shannon had been for the Cardinals.

Another utility player, Carl Taylor, was regarded a good hitter and, though he primarily played first base and outfield, he had caught in 29 games as a rookie for the 1968 Pirates.

According to the Post-Dispatch, the scouting report on Taylor as a catcher was “he has a strong arm,” but “he has problems getting the ball away properly.”

Schoendienst decided to test Taylor at catcher and Torre at third base.

“I’m going to give that combination every chance to make it in the last two weeks of exhibition games,” Schoendienst said. “If Carl can do it behind the plate, I believe Joe will do all right at third.”

Said Torre: “If I can get enough work there, I think I can do it.”

Hot corner lessons

Torre received a crash course on how to play third from coaches George Kissell and Vern Benson as well as Ken Boyer, a five-time Gold Glove Award winner who was in camp as manager of the Cardinals’ Arkansas farm club.

“I can use all the instruction I can get,” Torre said.

The Post-Dispatch reported, “For 15 minutes, Kissell had Torre fielding grounders hit to either side of him. Later, Phil Gagliano joined Kissell in hitting grounders and Torre began to wish he were an octopus.”

In a 2014 interview with Cardinals Yearbook, Torre recalled, “George Kissell worked miracles with helping me understand what it should be like playing third.”

In his book, “Chasing the Dream,” Torre said, “George Kissell turned me into a third baseman.”

The experience also helped Torre become a Hall of Fame manager.

“I learned one of my many lessons from George,” Torre said. “As a manager, you have to find a way to communicate with people _ to correct and suggest things _ without having them resent you for it.”

Let’s try this

While the experiment with Torre at third base was succeeding, the experiment with Taylor at catcher wasn’t doing as well.

“I never was supposed to be a Bill Dickey,” Taylor told the Post-Dispatch. “They know my glove is not what brought me up here.”

On Easter Sunday, with a week remaining in spring training, Schoendienst returned Torre to catcher and put Taylor on the bench.

“You just have to have a good defensive catcher, someone who has been catching a lot,” Schoendienst said.

The manager’s next move was to shift Dick Allen from first base to third. Allen was the Phillies’ third baseman from 1964-67 before he hurt his hand and changed positions.

After watching Allen work out at third, Schoendienst said, “Allen has been throwing a lot better from third base than he has in the six years I’ve seen him.”

Said Allen: “I don’t care where I play. I’ll do whatever the manager wants me to do … I just hope I can throw well enough to suit everybody.”

Though the Cardinals opened the season with Torre at catcher, Allen at third and Joe Hague at first base, Schoendienst said the experiments of spring training were valuable because, “We know now that Torre can play third base good enough.”

Fine fit

Allen returned to first base when Shannon came back to the lineup in mid-May. When Shannon struggled to hit, Schoendienst benched him, played Torre at third and started Simmons at catcher.

Though Shannon eventually got back in the lineup, his kidney condition deteriorated and, when he stopped playing in August 1970, Torre became the third baseman.

Torre played 90 games at catcher (88 starts) and 73 games at third base (72 starts) for the 1970 Cardinals. At spring training in 1971, Kissell continued giving Torre a tutorial on playing third.

“We spent hours on the back field, starting at 8 in the morning,” Torre recalled to Cardinals Yearbook in 2014. “He put me through maneuvers I never even dreamed of to help me learn reactions at third base.”

Torre was the Cardinals’ third baseman in 1971, when he won the National League Most Valuable Player Award, and 1972 before moving to first base in 1973 to make way for smooth-fielding Ken Reitz.

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Mike Shannon and the illness that ended his playing days

Posted in Games, Hitters on March 12, 2020| 8 Comments »

(Updated July 15, 2020)

A routine physical exam at spring training revealed a serious medical problem for third baseman Mike Shannon.

On March 18, 1970, the Cardinals disclosed Shannon, 30, had glomerulonephritis, a defect of the filtering function of the kidney.

Both of Shannon’s kidneys were affected, Cardinals team physician Dr. Stan London told The Sporting News.

Through medication, Shannon was able to play in 55 games for the Cardinals in 1970, his last season as a player.

Timely test

Shannon’s future with the Cardinals was in question when he got to spring training in 1970, but not because of his health.

Outfielder Curt Flood, who was traded by the Cardinals to the Phillies in October 1969, refused to report and filed an antitrust lawsuit against Major League Baseball. The Cardinals agreed to compensate the Phillies by sending them another player, possibly Shannon, according to columnist Dick Young in The Sporting News.

Shannon “apparently was” of interest to the Phillies, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. As general managers Bing Devine of the Cardinals and John Quinn of the Phillies were discussing a deal, a urine sample taken during a spring training physical revealed Shannon’s kidney problem.

If Shannon was going to play in 1970, it likely wouldn’t be until July or August, Dr. London said. “Mike might have to miss the entire season,” Dr. London added.

Shannon was stunned to learn he had a kidney disease. He was batting .304 in spring training games and said he had been feeling fine.

“I had no idea at all I had such a condition,” Shannon told the Post-Dispatch. “I had no warning.”

Shannon was grateful the physical exam had been thorough and that Dr. London had made the diagnosis.

“If I had gone on and played, I might really have damaged the kidney,” Shannon said. “I might never have played again. It might have taken my life.”

Dr. London confirmed, “His condition could have been aggravated by his playing baseball.”

Speedy recovery

On March 20, 1970, Shannon left training camp in Florida and returned to St. Louis. He was admitted to a hospital two days later.

The Cardinals assigned instructors George Kissell and Ken Boyer to work with catcher Joe Torre on how to play third base. Manager Red Schoendienst planned to try utility player Carl Taylor at catcher until Ted Simmons completed a military commitment in May. After watching Taylor catch in spring training, Schoendienst changed his mind. He shifted first baseman Dick Allen to third, replacing Shannon, put Joe Hague at first base and kept Torre at catcher.

At the hospital, Shannon was prescribed medication to treat his kidney ailment. Years later, he told Dan Caesar of the Post-Dispatch, “Basically they said, ‘Either this works, or banzai, goodbye.’ ”

Cardinals broadcaster Jack Buck said when he visited Shannon, “I looked at him and did not know the man. His head was like a basketball.”

Buck added, “A lot of people thought he was going to die.”

On April 16, 1970, Shannon was discharged from the hospital and continued being treated at home, the Post-Dispatch reported. “We are conservatively optimistic,” Dr. London said.

Shannon told the Post-Dispatch, “Fortunately, I was healthy enough to make it. The good Lord looked down and said, ‘I’ll get you next time.’ I was a fortunate man.”

Shannon adapted well to the medication and was given approval to return to baseball earlier than anticipated. On May 3, 1970, Shannon took part in batting and fielding drills with the Cardinals at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis.

As for a prognosis on his health, Shannon said, “It will be up to the Man upstairs. He’s running the show. Let’s face it.”

Asked about being sidelined for about seven weeks, Shannon said, “I’ll trade a few weeks for the rest of my life any time.”

Brief comeback

On May 14, 1970, Shannon made his first official appearance of the season when he batted for outfielder Leron Lee in the eighth inning of a game against the Pirates at St. Louis. Shannon, who received a standing ovation, flied out to Willie Stargell in left. Shannon stayed in the game at third base and cleanly fielded a grounder hit by leadoff batter Jose Pagan in the ninth. Boxscore

The next night, Shannon started against the Cubs at St. Louis and got a bunt single versus reliever Phil Regan. Boxscore

Shannon remained in the lineup but struggled to hit. On May 30, 1970, Schoendienst benched Shannon, who was batting .132, moved Torre to third and started Simmons at catcher.

Shannon eventually returned to the starting lineup but he lacked power. His last game as a major-leaguer was Aug. 12, 1970. Two days later, the Cardinals placed him on the disabled list for the rest of the season. Dr. London said tests revealed Shannon’s kidney condition had deteriorated.

In 55 games, including 45 starts at third base, Shannon hit .213 with no home runs for the 1970 Cardinals. Torre (72 starts) and Allen (38) were the Cardinals’ primary third basemen. Torre also started 88 games at catcher and Allen made 78 starts at first base.

On Feb. 12, 1971, the Cardinals said Shannon wouldn’t be back as a player. After spending the 1971 season in the Cardinals’ sales and promotion department, Shannon embarked on a successful second career as a broadcaster for the club rather than pursue opportunities to be a coach or manager.

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Cardinals tried to get Larry Walker after he left Expos

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents on February 18, 2020| 4 Comments »

If Walt Jocketty had gotten what he wanted, Larry Walker would have spent most of his career, not just the last two seasons, with the Cardinals.

Walker, a three-time National League batting champion who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Jan. 21, 2020, played his first six seasons in the majors with the Expos and became a free agent in October 1994, the same month Jocketty replaced Dal Maxvill as Cardinals general manager.

Jocketty was looking for opportunities to improve the Cardinals, who were 53-61 in strike-shortened 1994, and wanted to sign Walker.

The Rockies made the most lucrative offer and Walker signed with them in April 1995.

Nine years later, Jocketty finally got his man, acquiring Walker in a trade with the Rockies in August 2004. Walker finished his career with the Cardinals, helping them reach the postseason in 2004 and 2005.

Opening at first

In December 1994, Walker, who threw right and batted left, had surgery on his right shoulder. The right fielder’s agent, Jim Bronner, said Walker would wait until March 1995 or later to sign because he wanted to show teams his shoulder was healed, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Jocketty wanted Walker to be the Cardinals’ first baseman, replacing Gregg Jefferies, who became a free agent, according to the Post-Dispatch.

“Walt Jocketty says if he has time and money to sign only one free agent it would be a hitter to replace Gregg Jefferies rather than a pitcher,” the Post-Dispatch reported on Feb. 5, 1995. “His sights still are set on Larry Walker.”

A week later, as the Cardinals and all other major-league teams prepared to open spring training camps with replacement players while the big-leaguers remained on strike, Jocketty was in pursuit of Walker.

“He’s still the best player out there,” Jocketty said. “I think we’ve got as good a chance as anybody.”

Coors vs. Busch

Whatever amount Jocketty offered, it wasn’t enough to top the Rockies, who gave Walker a four-year contract for a guaranteed $22.49 million on April 8, 1995, according to the Associated Press.

The next day, with Walker out of the picture, the Cardinals acquired third baseman Scott Cooper from the Red Sox and planned to move Todd Zeile from third to first.

On April 26, 1995, Walker made his regular-season Rockies debut in the inaugural game played at Coors Field in Denver and produced three doubles and three RBI in a 14-inning victory against the Mets. Five inches of snow fell in the Denver area during the morning and the game, played at night in temperatures in the mid-30s, took 4 hours and 49 minutes to complete. Boxscore

Walker’s first game against the Cardinals since signing with the Rockies occurred on May 29, 1995, at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. The high-priced slugger went 0-for-6 and got razzed by some of the spectators after his last plate appearance. Boxscore

“One of the things about this type of deal is you get to hear a lot more imaginative things from the fans,” Walker told the Rocky Mountain News. “They were chanting, ‘Oh for six.’ They didn’t know the half of it.”

Walker’s hitless night extended his skid to 0-for-24 over his last six games.

The next night, Walker was benched by manager Don Baylor. He returned to the lineup for a day game, May 31, 1995, and snapped the slump with a two-run double and a solo home run against Cardinals starter Mark Petkovsek. The homer was a majestic shot which carried into the sixth row of the center-field bleachers, according to the Post-Dispatch. Boxscore

Petkovsek “made two bad pitches to Walker,” said Cardinals manager Joe Torre. “You’d like to make bad pitches to smaller guys, though.”

Said Walker: “I wasn’t sure if I should turn left or right the first time I got a hit because all I had been doing lately was turning to the right and going back to the dugout. That home run really messed me up, having to touch all four bases.”

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How Dave Collins became player, coach for Cardinals

Posted in Hitters on February 15, 2020| 5 Comments »

The Cardinals gave Dave Collins a chance to extend his playing days and to begin a coaching career in the major leagues.

Collins, 37, signed a minor-league contract with the Cardinals on Feb. 16, 1990, and was invited to audition for a spot with the big-league club at spring training.

A switch-hitter with speed, Collins was an outfielder, but the Cardinals envisioned him as a candidate for multiple roles, including pinch-hitter, pinch-runner and defensive replacement for Pedro Guerrero at first base.

Collins won a spot on the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster and spent the 1990 season with them. In 1991 and 1992, he was the Cardinals’ first-base coach and mentored players such as Ray Lankford, Bernard Gilkey and Felix Jose on base running and outfield play.

Career options

Born and raised in Rapid City, S.D., Collins was a top high school athlete in baseball, basketball, football and track. He ran the 100-yard dash in 9.6 seconds. A slender 5-foot-11, Collins was recruited by multiple colleges and opted to pursue a baseball career.

“I got a lot of offers and was seriously thinking about playing basketball, but I knew if I played it would just be in college and that would be it,” Collins told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I thought I would have a better chance of becoming a professional baseball player.”

After a year at Mesa Community College in Arizona, Collins was drafted by the Angels in June 1972 and signed with them. The Angels had Dick Williams as manager and Whitey Herzog as coach when Collins, 22, made his major-league debut with them in June 1975.

Collins played 16 seasons in the majors for the Angels, Mariners, Reds, Yankees, Blue Jays, Athletics, Tigers and Cardinals, producing 1,335 hits and 395 stolen bases.

His best seasons were 1980, when he hit .303, scored 94 runs and had 79 stolen bases for the Reds, and 1984, when he hit .308 with 15 triples and 60 steals for the Blue Jays.

Bench help

Fifteen years after he coached Collins with the Angels, Herzog was manager of the Cardinals in 1990 when they went looking for a pinch-hitter.

According to the Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals pursued Keith Moreland, 35, a free agent who’d spent most of his career with the Phillies and Cubs. When Moreland informed the Cardinals he intended to retire, they turned to Collins.

“He gives us a little bit of experience and he’s better than what we had,” Herzog said.

Though Collins signed a minor-league deal, he said he’d quit if he didn’t earn a spot on the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster.

“I told them I didn’t want to end my career in triple-A,” Collins said. “Either I make the club or I go home. I feel comfortable I can still play.”

Chance to coach

Once the season started, Herzog was pleased with Collins’ fielding at first base, saying, “I really think he has played better there than I thought he could play,” but not with his hitting. Collins had two hits in his first 25 at-bats. When his wife gave birth to a son in June 1990, Collins told the Post-DIspatch, “If I make another out, my baby is going to weigh more than my batting average.”

In July 1990, Herzog resigned and was replaced by Joe Torre in August.

Collins worked to stay fit and make a good impression, running up and down the steps at Busch Memorial Stadium before home games. “I’ve been with eight organizations and this is the best one,” Collins said. “I’d like to stay here.”

Collins finished the 1990 season with a .366 on-base percentage, including .406 as a pinch-hitter. Torre asked him to join his coaching staff and Collins accepted.

“Collins has had some pretty good tutors along the way, like Joe Morgan,” Torre said. “Young players need constant surveillance, somebody to hook on to, to talk to.”

According to the Post-Dispatch, Collins would “instruct young outfielders such as Felix Jose and Ray Lankford” and “work on base stealing with those two and Bernard Gilkey, among others.”

Collins instructed veterans, too. At spring training in 1991, he helped utility player Rex Hudler improve his outfield play. Hudler said Collins taught “how to charge the ball, what foot to field it on, throwing over the top, and picking up a dead ball off the wall after you’ve chased it down. He’s given me a lot of tips and tricks.”

Resetting priorities

After the 1991 season, Collins took a job during the winter as head coach of a boys’ high school basketball team in Anna, Ohio, near Dayton.

“It’s something I always thought about doing,” Collins said. “Basketball was my first love. The only way I can still stay in touch with it is to coach it.”

Collins arranged for Cardinals and Reds players to compete in a charity basketball game at the high school. Players included Lee Smith, Rich Gedman, Milt Thompson and Tim Jones of the Cardinals and the Reds’ Barry Larkin, Paul O’Neill, Hal Morris and Rob Dibble, one of the relievers known as the Nasty Boys.

“If we’d have been charting fouls, Dibble would have fouled out before the game even started,” Collins said. “He was out of control.”

Asked about Lee Smith, the Cardinals’ 6-foot-5 closer, Collins said, “He can really play. He hit about 10 three-pointers.”

After a second season as Cardinals coach in 1992, Collins went back to Ohio and coached high school basketball again.

When Collins reported to 1993 spring training to begin his third year as Cardinals coach, his heart was tugging him back to Ohio, where his two toddlers lived, and where the prep basketball team he coached still was playing its season.

Collins asked the Cardinals to be reassigned so he could spend more time in Ohio. The club granted the request, making him an advance scout.

Collins’ departure from the coaching staff saddened Lankford, who credited him with being a mentor.

“You felt comfortable going to him if you had a problem, or if you weren’t sure about certain things,” Lankford said. “He made the outfield what it was _ Felix, Gilkey, myself. I’m speaking for everybody. We’re going to miss him.”

In January 2020, Collins joined the baseball coaching staff of Indiana University Southeast in New Albany, Ind.

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Roger Kahn and his insights about the Cardinals

Posted in Executives, Hitters, Pitchers on February 12, 2020| 6 Comments »

(Updated March 5, 2023)

Roger Kahn, who gained prominence for his work about the Dodgers, wrote extensively about the Cardinals as well.

A newspaper and magazine journalist, Kahn wrote the 1972 classic “The Boys of Summer” about his hometown Brooklyn Dodgers. After covering sports for the New York Herald Tribune, he wrote for magazines such as Collier’s, The Saturday Evening Post and Sports Illustrated.

Kahn was respected by colleagues and baseball people. In February 1954, he called former Cardinals and Dodgers executive Branch Rickey, who had moved to the Pirates’ front office, at his spring training base in Fort Pierce, Fla., and was “offered a job,” The Sporting News reported.

When Kahn asked Rickey how long it would take him to do for the Pirates what he did for the Cardinals and Dodgers, Rickey replied, “I need help. If you know how to help a tail end ballclub, come down here. I’ll pay you more than you’re making. I don’t care what it is.”

Lane explains

In May 1956, Dodgers outfielder Duke Snider was the subject of a controversial Kahn article in Collier’s titled, “I Play Baseball For Money, Not Fun.”

A month later, in The Saturday Evening Post, Kahn wrote about Cardinals general manager Frank Lane in a piece titled, “I’m Here To Win A Pennant.” Lane was in his first season with the Cardinals and created a ruckus by trading players such as Red Schoendienst, Harvey Haddix and Bill Virdon.

“I didn’t come to St. Louis to raise red roses or tell after-dinner stories or take the tenor lead in ‘Hearts and Flowers,’ ” Lane told Kahn. “I came here to win a pennant and that’s exactly what I intend to do any way I can.

“I’ve got a program here to keep the club growing and improving,” Lane said. “I want to tell the other general managers around the National League that, with our fine farm clubs, and with the tough core we’ve welded, I’m not going to have to jump at every little offer for a trade. If I see something good, though, they’d better be ready.”

Lane lasted two seasons with the Cardinals and didn’t win a pennant.

Prideful struggle

Four years later, in September 1960, Kahn wrote a story on Stan Musial for Sports Illustrated titled, “Benching of a Legend.”

Musial, 39, was hitting .250 when he was benched by Cardinals manager Solly Hemus. Musial was kept out of the starting lineup from May 27 through June 23. His season batting average fell to .229 on June 25, but Musial recovered by hitting .352 in July and finished the year at .275 with 17 home runs.

Musial “intends to end his career with dignity and with base hits,” Kahn wrote. “Neither comes easily to a ballplayer several years past his peak, and so to Musial … this has been a summer of agony and pride.”

Regarding Musial’s struggles in the first part of the season, Kahn concluded, “Athletes, like chorus girls, are usually the last to admit that age has affected them, and Musial appeared to be following the familiar unhappy pattern.”

In an interview with Kahn, Hemus said, “What’s my obligation as manager? It’s not to a friendship, no matter how much I like a guy. My obligation is to the organization that hired me and to 25 ballplayers. I have to win. Stan was hurting the club. He wasn’t hitting and balls were getting by him at first base.”

Kahn reported, “Musial hated the bench. He confided to a few friends that he wouldn’t mind being traded to a club that would play him every day.”

After returning to the starting lineup, Musial told Kahn, “Maybe my wheels are gone, but I’ll be able to hit like hell for a long time.”

Musial went on to play three more seasons for the Cardinals, including 1962 when he hit .330, before retiring at 42.

High praise

When “The Boys of Summer” came out in February 1972, it received a glowing review from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which called Kahn’s work “a magnificent sports volume” and “a book which is redolent of dream and magic and which finds a common ground between one boyhood in a big city and lots of boyhoods in many other places.”

In September 1972, when Kahn was in St. Louis for a Cubs-Cardinals series, columnist Jerome Holtzman wrote in The Sporting News, “A half-dozen ballplayers got into line to meet and shake hands with Roger Kahn, who was in town promoting his bestselling ‘Boys of Summer.’ I had never seen players line up to meet a writer, and Kahn said it was a big thrill for him.”

Pitching lessons

In 2000, Kahn’s book, “The Head Game,” was published. It focused on pitchers, including two who were prominent with the Cardinals, Bob Gibson and Bruce Sutter. Gibson told Kahn, “Pitching is inexact. It begins as a craft, working with your hands, but the longer you go, if you know how to think, the more it becomes an art.”

To illustrate, Gibson cited how he threw fewer knockdown pitches as he gained experience. “As the art, the thinking, takes over, I’ve come to realize not everyone is bothered by knockdowns and some of them are afraid of my fastball, whether I throw at them or not,” Gibson said.

Like Gibson, Sutter won head games with batters. A Cardinals closer, Sutter did it with an innovative pitch, the split-fingered fastball.

“It was some time before I could control the splitter the way I had to,” Sutter told Kahn. “After a while, I found out I did best throwing for the top of the catcher’s mask. That became my target. If I used a wide finger split, the ball would end up in the dirt. If I split the fingers a little less, it would be a strike at the knees.

“Once in a while,” said Sutter, “maybe one pitch in 10, to cross them up, I’d play real dirty. I’d throw a straight fastball that didn’t drop at all.”

Sutter was taught the split-fingered pitch by Cubs minor-league instructor Fred Martin, a former Cardinal. Sutter told Kahn that he and Martin later taught the pitch to another ex-Cardinal, Roger Craig, who as a pitching coach and manager encouraged his pitchers to throw it.

“I was the guy who showed Roger Craig how to throw a splitter,” Sutter said to Kahn. “I was with the Cubs. Craig was pitching coach for San Diego. Fred Martin was there with me on the major league club that day, and on the sideline there I showed Roger how to throw it. Then Fred spent some time talking to him about it. I’m sure Roger came up with modifications, but it was Fred Martin and I who showed him the pitch.”

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