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Fernando Tatis was key to Cardinals deal with Rangers

Posted in Hitters, Pitchers, Trades on July 28, 2018| 2 Comments »

With their third baseman, Gary Gaetti, about to turn 40, the Cardinals went looking for a successor and came up with Fernando Tatis.

On July 31, 1998, the Cardinals traded pitcher Todd Stottlemyre and shortstop Royce Clayton to the Rangers for Tatis, pitcher Darren Oliver and a player to be named, outfielder Mark Little.

The move upset Gaetti, who wasn’t ready to give up his starting role, and surprised Tatis, who was happy being with the Rangers.

Though his stay in St. Louis turned out to be short, Tatis made it memorable, accomplishing an unusual feat within the most productive season of his career.

Vying for value

The 1998 Cardinals were 50-57 and out of playoff contention entering the last day of the interleague trade deadline on July 31. With Stottlemyre and Clayton eligible to become free agents after the season, the Cardinals looked to trade them rather than have them depart without getting any players in return.

The Cardinals tried to sign Stottlemyre to a long-term contract that summer, proposing three years for $21 million, but he wanted a four-year contract, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “The Cardinals don’t have to apologize for offering $7 million a season,” Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz wrote.

Stottlemyre was sought by several contenders, including the Rangers, who were neck-and-neck with the Angels in the American League West Division. Stottlemyre had extensive postseason experience, pitching in the 1992 and 1993 World Series for the Blue Jays and the 1996 National League Championship Series for the Cardinals.

The Rangers offered Oliver, a left-hander, for Stottlemyre. Oliver, 27, was younger than Stottlemyre, 33, and wouldn’t be eligible for free agency until after the 1999 season. The Cardinals liked Oliver, but also wanted Tatis. Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty told his counterpart, Doug Melvin, the Rangers would have to take Clayton, 28, in exchange for Tatis, 23, if they wanted Stottlemyre. Melvin agreed, projecting Clayton as an upgrade over Kevin Elster at shortstop.

After replacing Ozzie Smith as Cardinals starting shortstop in 1996, Clayton was a National League all-star in 1997, but he slumped in 1998 (.234 batting average) and the Cardinals weren’t interested in offering him a contract before he entered free agency.

“Clayton represented everything wrong with this disappointing team: moodiness and stubbornness,” wrote Miklasz. “He pouted when he didn’t bat leadoff. He never embraced the suggestions to hit smarter with two strikes. Clayton never tried to hit the ball the opposite way.”

All-star potential

While rating Oliver as “a solid third or fourth starter and probably better than that,” Jocketty acknowledged, “The guy we liked is Tatis. We needed to find a third baseman and he was the best guy available.”

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said Tatis had “an above-average arm. He’s got the talent to become an impact-type third baseman.”

Said Melvin: “We don’t like giving him up because we really think he’ll be an all-star third baseman.”

Tatis made his major-league debut with the Rangers in 1997 and he was batting .270 in 95 games for them in 1998 when he was traded.

After joining the Cardinals, Tatis said of the trade, “When I knew about it, I felt really bad. I was just in shock … I loved it over there.”

Gaetti was unhappy about being benched for Tatis. Gaetti, 39, was batting .263 with 23 doubles and 10 home runs when Tatis was acquired. “The third baseman was not the weakest link on this team,” Gaetti said. “It’s just frustrating.”

On Aug. 14, the Cardinals released Gaetti and he signed with the Cubs five days later, on Aug. 19, his 40th birthday.

Ups and downs

Tatis got off to a terrible start with the Cardinals, committing three errors in his first three games and going hitless in his first 11 at-bats.

“It’s asking a lot for him to make plays like Brooks Robinson and hit like Mike Schmidt, but when he settles in he’ll be fine,” La Russa said.

Tatis got on track and batted .287 for the 1998 Cardinals. Oliver made 10 Cardinals starts that season and was 4-4 with a 4.26 ERA.

After dealing Tatis, the Rangers acquired Todd Zeile, the former Cardinal, from the Marlins to play third base. Stottlemyre (5-4), Clayton (.285) and Zeile helped the 1998 Rangers finish in first place in the AL West and reach the postseason.

In 1999, Tatis had the best season of his 11-year career in the big leagues. Tatis had single-season career highs in runs (104), hits (160), home runs (34), RBI (107), walks (82), stolen bases (21), batting average (.298) and on-base percentage (.404) for the 1999 Cardinals.

On April 23, 1999, he became the only major-league player to hit two grand slams in an inning, achieving the feat in the third against Chan Ho Park of the Dodgers. Boxscore

In 2000, Tatis was limited to 96 games, none from April 30 to June 29 because of a groin injury. With Placido Polanco available to play third base, the Cardinals traded Tatis and pitcher Britt Reames to the Expos in December 2000 for pitchers Dustin Hermanson and Steve Kline.

Oliver led the 1999 Cardinals in innings pitched (196.1) and was 9-9. He became a free agent after that season and returned to the Rangers.

Free agents Stottlemyre and Clayton took different paths after the Yankees eliminated the Rangers in the 1998 AL Division Series. Stottlemyre signed with the Diamondbacks and Clayton stayed with the Rangers.

Little, 26, the player to be named in the Rangers-Cardinals deal, made his major-league debut with St. Louis in September 1998 and had one hit in 12 at-bats. After spending 1999 and 2000 with minor-league Memphis, Little was granted free agency and signed with the Rockies.

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Cardinals stint enabled Wayne Garrett to showcase skills

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents, Trades on July 22, 2018| 2 Comments »

(Updated Nov. 14, 2021)

Wayne Garrett, who had some of his best games against the Cardinals, finished his major-league playing days with them, producing a sustained stretch of solid hitting for St. Louis and positioning himself to earn an opportunity to extend his career in Japan.

On July 21, 1978, the Cardinals purchased Garrett’s contract in a waiver deal with the Expos. The Cardinals envisioned Garrett, a left-handed batter, for a pinch-hitting role, but he performed well when given the chance to substitute for slumping third baseman Ken Reitz and ended up being used in a platoon with Reitz the remainder of the season.

Playing almost exclusively against right-handed pitchers, Garrett batted .333 for the 1978 Cardinals, generating 21 hits in 63 at-bats. He hit .389 (7-for-18) with runners in scoring position.

The Cardinals were impressed and wanted Garrett, 30, to return in 1979 as a utility player, but when he and the club couldn’t agree on contract terms, Garrett departed as a free agent.

Cards connections

In 1965, Garrett was selected by the Braves in the sixth round of major-league baseball’s first amateur draft. During his stint in the Braves’ system, Garrett caught the attention of Mets scout Bob Scheffing, who recommended him to management. In December 1968, the Mets took Garrett in the Rule 5 draft and he opened the 1969 season with the major-league club.

Garrett made his big-league debut for the Mets on April 12, 1969, against the Cardinals at New York. Batting third and playing second base, Garrett had a single and walk against Dave Giusti, who pitched a shutout in a 1-0 Cardinals victory. Boxscore

The next day, April 13, Garrett again got the start at second base and had a double and walk against Bob Gibson, who pitched the Cardinals to a 3-1 triumph. Boxscore

Garrett eventually was shifted to third base and platooned there with Ed Charles.

On July 2, 1969, Garrett had his first four-hit game in the majors. He was 4-for-6 with four RBI, a walk and a run scored in the Mets’ 6-4 victory over the Cardinals in 14 innings at St. Louis. Garrett drove in two runs against Giusti with a double and a single, added a RBI-single against Chuck Taylor in the eighth and drew a bases-loaded walk from Ron Willis in the 14th. Boxscore

Garrett started 63 games at third and 34 games at second for the 1969 Mets, who supplanted the Cardinals as National League champions, and batted .218. The rookie got into two games in the 1969 World Series against the Orioles.

Big hits

In the book “After the Mircale,” Garrett told teammate Art Shamsky that at spring training in 1970, Mets manager Gil Hodges wanted to know who taught him to swing down on the ball. Garrett told him it was Charlie Lau, a manager in the Braves’ farm system who later became a respected hitting coach in the majors.

“So Gil said, ‘I don’t want you hitting down anymore. I want you swinging on a little upward plane,’ ” Garrett recalled.

Garrett made the change and began hitting more consistently.

On Sept. 1, 1970, Garrett had another four-hit game for the Mets against the Cardinals. He was 4-for-5 with a walk against Gibson and scored twice in a 4-3 Mets victory in 12 innings at St. Louis.

In the 12th, with the score tied at 3-3, Garrett led off with a single against Gibson. With Cleon Jones up next, the Mets signaled for a hit-and-run, but Jones swung and missed at a high fastball. Garrett swiped second and continued on to third when catcher Ted Simmons’ throw clanked off the glove of Milt Ramirez for an error on the shortstop. Jones followed with a sacrifice fly, driving in Garrett with the go-ahead run. Boxscore

Garrett hit .333 versus Gibson in his career, with 22 hits in 66 at-bats and 10 walks, and had a .421 on-base percentage against the Cardinals ace.

In 1973, Garrett had his best big-league season, batting .256 with 16 home runs and 58 RBI as the third baseman for the Mets, who won their second National League pennant. Facing the Athletics in the World Series, Garrett hit solo home runs against Vida Blue in Game 2 and Catfish Hunter in Game 3. Batting leadoff in all seven games of the World Series, Garrett produced five hits, five walks and was hit by a pitch, but he struck out 11 times and batted .167.

The Mets traded Garrett to the Expos in July 1976 and he platooned at second base with Pete Mackanin the remainder of the season. In 1977, Garrett was plagued by shoulder and leg injuries and was a backup to Larry Parrish at third and Dave Cash at second.

Packing a wallop

By July 1978, Garrett seldom played for the Expos. He was batting .174 for the season when the Cardinals acquired him in a transaction that attracted little attention.

Soon, Cardinals manager Ken Boyer decided to start Garrett against right-handed pitching because Reitz batted .183 overall in June and .226 in July.

On Aug. 13, 1978, Garrett was 3-for-4 with a walk, RBI and run scored in a 6-1 Cardinals triumph over the Mets at New York. Boxscore

A couple of weeks later, on Aug. 31 at St. Louis, Garrett batted for pitcher Aurelio Lopez and hit a ninth-inning grand slam against Reds reliever Doug Bair, though Cincinnati won, 11-6. The ball Garrett hit landed 20 rows deep in the bleacher seats beyond the right-field wall, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. Boxscore

It was Garrett’s second major-league grand slam. The first occurred on Sept. 29, 1976, against former Mets teammate Tom Seaver in a 7-2 Expos victory at New York.

Overseas adventure

Garrett played his final big-league game on Sept. 26, 1978, going 2-for-4 in a 3-1 Cardinals win over the Mets at New York. Boxscore

“We got to make some decisions on him,” Boyer said. “He’s looking for a long-term contract, like three years, and we want to see whether we should enter into that kind of deal with him.”

The Cardinals decided to pursue free-agent Pete Rose rather than invest in a multi-year deal for a utility player. Garrett became a free agent and drew interest from the Brewers, but his best offer came from Japan.

Adrian Garrett, Wayne’s brother, went to Japan in 1977 after eight seasons as a utility player in the major leagues with the Braves, Cubs, Athletics and Angels. Adrian hit 35 home runs for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in 1977 and 40 home runs for them in 1978.

Wayne Garrett followed his brother’s career path, signed with the Chunichi Dragons in the Japan Central League and played for them in 1979 and 1980.

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Aaron Miles and his walkoff slam for Cardinals

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents on July 19, 2018| 2 Comments »

(Updated Dec. 21, 2024)

At 5-foot-8, Aaron Miles lacked size, not stature, as a Cardinals contributor.

On July 20, 2008, Miles stunned the Padres with a walkoff grand slam in the ninth inning, carrying the Cardinals to a 9-5 victory at St. Louis.

The grand slam was the second of Miles’ big-league career, but his first walkoff home run at any level. “That’s a feeling I never would have expected to get _ a walkoff home run,” Miles told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa summarized Miles’ achievement in two words: “Fantasy Island.”

Unforced error

The grand slam turned despair into joy for the Cardinals.

In the eighth inning, Troy Glaus hit a three-run home run against Heath Bell, giving the Cardinals a 5-3 lead, but the Padres rallied for two runs in the top of the ninth against Jason Isringhausen and Brad Thompson, tying the score at 5-5.

Padres manager Bud Black sent Bryan Corey to pitch the bottom of the ninth and he got the leadoff batter, Jason LaRue, to ground out to third.

Corey, pitching for his fifth team in his fifth big-league season, walked the next batter, Albert Pujols, on four pitches.

Thompson, the pitcher, came up next and third-base coach Jose Oquendo met him at the plate and instructed him to bunt. Padres catcher Luke Carlin noticed Pujols stretching his lead at first base in anticipation of a Thompson bunt.

As first baseman Adrian Gonzalez moved in toward the plate to be in position to field a bunt, second baseman Edgar Gonzalez started to move toward the first-base bag,

When Thompson didn’t offer at Corey’s first pitch, Carlin snapped a throw toward first base, but the ball arrived before Edgar Gonzalez did and sailed into right field. Pujols raced to third on the two-base error.

“Luke Carlin was throwing to a bag that had no one there,” analyst Mark Grant said on the Padres’ television broadcast.

“It was just a stupid play by me to throw the ball,” Carlin told the Associated Press. “I tried to be overaggressive and unfortunately it hurt us.”

Mighty mite

With Pujols in scoring position, La Russa called on catcher Yadier Molina to bat for Thompson with the count at 1-and-0. Molina ran from the bullpen to the dugout, grabbed a bat and went to the plate.

The Padres, looking to set up a possible forceout at any base, elected to intentionally walk Molina as well as the next batter, Skip Schumaker, loading the bases with one out. Schumaker had hit into 11 double plays for the season, but the Padres decided to take their chances with Miles.

A switch-hitter, Miles stood in from the left side against Corey, a right-hander. Miles was batting .327 against right-handers for the season.

The first pitch was called a ball and Miles swung at the second delivery and fouled it off. The third pitch missed the strike zone, making the count 2-and-1.

Corey’s fourth pitch was in Miles’ wheelhouse and he swung, driving the ball over the right-field fence and into the Cardinals’ bullpen, where it was snared on the fly by joyous teammate Ryan Franklin.

After he connected, Miles dropped his bat at the plate, watched the ball soar and pumped his fist as he headed up the first-base line. Cardinals players poured out of the dugout to mob him at the plate. Video

“Of all the ways you look for Aaron Miles to maybe beat you, that’s not the first thing to come to mind,” said surprised Padres TV play-by-play broadcaster Matt Vasgersian. Boxscore

Rare feat

The home run was the third of the season for Miles. He would finish with four for the season and 19 in a nine-year career in the major leagues. His other grand slam was hit right-handed for the Rockies against Marlins left-hander Al Leiter in the fourth inning of an 8-1 Colorado victory on May 8, 2005, at Miami.

The walkoff home run by Miles gave the Cardinals their first four-game sweep of the Padres since 1990 and moved St. Louis 14 games above .500 for the season. It was the 10th walkoff grand slam all-time by a Cardinals batter and the first since Gary Bennett did it against the Cubs on Aug. 27, 2006.

Cardinals with walkoff grand slams before Miles did it were Pepper Martin (1936), Joe Cunningham (1957), Carl Taylor (1970), Joe Hague (1971), Roger Freed (1979), Darrell Porter (1984), Tommy Herr (1987), David Eckstein (2005) and Bennett (2006).

Since then, Cardinals with walkoff grand slams are Matt Carpenter (2017), Paul Goldschmidt (2022) and Nolan Arenado (2024).

Miles hit 14 of his 19 major-league homers from the left side. Overall, he hit eight homers for the Cardinals, eight for the Rockies and three for the Dodgers.

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How Cardinals suffered epic collapse vs. Pirates

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents, Pitchers on July 10, 2018| 2 Comments »

The Cardinals produced 22 hits, four walks and 11 runs in a game against the Pirates, but it wasn’t enough to compensate for an ineffective bullpen.

On July 12, 2008, the Cardinals had 10 extra-base hits and led 8-3 after six innings, 9-4 after seven and 10-6 after eight, but lost, 12-11, to the Pirates in 10 innings.

“That’s a game that you can’t lose that we lost,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Jason Bay, who hit a pair of two-run home runs for the Pirates, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “It’s one of our more amazing games that I’ve been involved in. I’ll never forget it.”

Getting weird

The Saturday night game at Pittsburgh matched starting pitchers Todd Wellemeyer of the Cardinals against Yoslan Herrera, making his major-league debut for the Pirates. The Cardinals scored six times in 4.1 innings against Herrera. Ryan Ludwick did the most damage with a two-run home run and a run-scoring triple.

With a 10-6 lead, the Cardinals turned to the franchise’s all-time saves leader, Jason Isringhausen, to close out the ninth. After Isringhausen struck out Jose Bautista, Jason Michaels walked, Jack Wilson got an infield single and Nate McLouth hit a three-run home run, cutting the Cardinals’ lead to 10-9. “We’re all in that dugout, the whole inning, believing this can happen,” McLouth said.

La Russa said Isringhausen’s biggest mistake was issuing the walk to Michaels with a four-run lead.

“It didn’t seem like it mattered what we threw,” Isringhausen said to the Associated Press. “They got a hit or something weird happened.”

Isrnghausen threw two pitches, both outside the strike zone, to the next batter, Luis Rivas, and was relieved by rookie Kyle McClellan. “The home run (by McLouth) really bothered him,” La Russa said in explaining why he lifted Isringhausen before he finished pitching to Rivas.

McClellan yielded singles to Rivas and Ryan Doumit. With runners on first and third, one out, Bay followed with a ground ball to shortstop Cesar Izturis, who threw to Aaron Miles at second base for the force on Doumit. Miles pivoted to make a throw to first to complete a game-ending double play, but he couldn’t get a grip on the ball. “I knew I had to get rid of it quick,” Miles said. “I just couldn’t get it out of my glove.”

Rivas raced from third base to home plate on the play, tying the score at 10-10, and Bay reached first uncontested. “We had a chance to get out of it and we didn’t get away with anything,” said La Russa.

McClellan got Xavier Nady to pop out to shortstop, ending the inning and sending the game into the 10th.

Walkoff win

Troy Glaus led off the 10th for the Cardinals with a home run against Denny Bautista, giving St. Louis an 11-10 lead.

In the bottom half of the inning, Raul Chavez singled, prompting La Russa to take out McClellan and bring in another rookie, Chris Perez. After Jose Bautista popped out to shortstop, Michaels hit a two-run home run, giving the Pirates a 12-11 victory. It was the first walkoff home run for Michaels as a professional ballplayer. Boxscore

“Big situation, coming in like that, chance to protect a lead. I just blew it,” said Perez.

The Cardinals with 22 hits and four walks stranded 12 runners and hit into three double plays. The Pirates had 13 hits, two walks and a hit batsman and left four on base.

Said La Russa: “I don’t care how many hits we had. We got beat. We’ve had games where we pitched and couldn’t get runs. We got runs today and we couldn’t pitch.”

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How Cardinals, with 2 outs, scored 10 runs in an inning

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents, Pitchers on June 24, 2018| 4 Comments »

(Updated July 21, 2019)

Trailing by eight runs with two outs and one runner on base, the Cardinals produced a 10-run inning and beat the Reds.

The Cardinals’ comeback happened on June 9, 1968, in the first game of a Sunday doubleheader at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. The Reds led, 8-0, scoring all of their runs against starter Steve Carlton, before the Cardinals rallied for 10 in the fifth inning.

Ron Willis relieved Carlton and shut out the Reds on one hit for the final five innings, earning the win in a 10-8 Cardinals victory.

Game 2 of the doubleheader was the reverse of Game 1. The Cardinals led, 6-0, in the fourth inning, but the Reds rallied with a run in the fourth, four in the sixth and a run in the eighth, tying the score at 6-6. The Reds won, 7-6, with a run in the 12th against Carlton, who relieved in the 10th.

“The wackiest doubleheader in years,” wrote Bill Ford of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

On a roll

In the opener, the Reds reached Carlton for nine hits and three walks before he was relieved by Hal Gilson with two outs in the fourth. Eight of the hits against Carlton were singles and the other was a double.

Reds starter Gerry Arrigo shut out the Cardinals for four innings. In the fifth, Dal Maxvill led off with a shot that deflected off Arrigo’s glove for a single. Maxvill moved to second on a wild pitch, but Arrigo retired the next two batters.

After that, nine in a row reached base for the Cardinals and all scored.

Julian Javier started the hit parade with a double, scoring Maxvill. Curt Flood followed with an infield single, moving Javier to third. Orlando Cepeda singled, driving in Javier, advancing Flood to second and making the score 8-2.

Arrigo walked Mike Shannon, loading the bases, and Tim McCarver singled, driving in Flood and Cepeda, moving Shannon to third and cutting the Reds’ lead to 8-4.

Bob Lee relieved Arrigo and faced Roger Maris, who was batting for right fielder Dick Simpson, the No. 7 batter in the order. Maris walked, reloading the bases. Maxvill followed with his second single of the inning, scoring Shannon and McCarver, advancing Maris to second and getting the Cardinals within two at 8-6.

Johnny Edwards, batting for Gilson, singled, scoring Maris and slicing the Reds’ lead to 8-7, with Maxvill going to third.

Bill Kelso relieved Lee and the first pitch he threw to Lou Brock was hit nearly to the top of the right-field bleachers for a three-run home run, putting the Cardinals ahead, 10-8. Javier lined out to left, ending the inning.

“If I had known we were going to score 10 runs, I’d have done something different,” Carlton told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Fly chasers

The 10-run inning and the comeback from an eight-run deficit weren’t Cardinals records. The 1926 Cardinals had a 12-run third inning in a 23-3 victory over the Phillies Boxscore and the 2012 Cardinals had a 12-run seventh inning in a 12-0 victory over the Cubs. Boxscore In 1952, the Cardinals overcame an 11-0 Giants lead after three innings and won, 14-12. Boxscore

Strong outfield play by Flood and Maris prevented the Reds from denting Willis.

In the bottom of the fifth, Tommy Helms hit a sinking liner to right that Maris caught on the run.

In the sixth, Alex Johnson’s drive to left-center was tracked down by Flood, who raced up the outfield incline to reach the ball. “My knees were up in my chest,” said Flood.

Two innings later, Flood leaped above the fence in right-center to catch a ball and deprive Vada Pinson of a home run. Boxscore

Long day

In the second game, the Cardinals used five pitchers and the Reds used six. Reds starter Billy McCool faced five batters, all reached base and he was lifted before recording an out. The Game 1 starters, Arrigo and Carlton, both relieved in Game 2. Willis pitched again, too, and held the Reds scoreless for 1.2 innings.

After scoring five runs in the first and another run in the fourth, the Cardinals went scoreless over the next eight innings. In the bottom of the 12th, Leo Cardenas doubled with two outs against Carlton, driving in Tony Perez from first with the winning run. Carlton, who had won his last five decisions, took the loss. Boxscore

The Cardinals went to the airport after the game for a flight to Atlanta. They were aboard when an electrical problem on the plane delayed takeoff. The team waited in darkness without air-conditioning inside the plane while repairs were made.

“Nothing like a sauna after a hot doubleheader,” said Flood.

History repeats

Fifty-one years later, the Cardinals repeated the comeback feat of the 1968 team.

On July 19, 2019, the Cardinals came back from a 7-0 deficit with a 10-run sixth inning and beat the Reds, 12-11, at Cincinnati. Boxscore

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How Tom Seaver got his no-hitter versus Cardinals

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents, Pitchers on June 18, 2018| 4 Comments »

Keith Hernandez provided the biggest challenge to Tom Seaver in his bid to pitch a no-hitter against the Cardinals.

On June 16, 1978, Seaver got the lone no-hitter of his 20-year major-league career in a 4-0 Reds victory over the Cardinals at Cincinnati.

Hernandez twice came close to getting singles, but skillful plays by second baseman Joe Morgan and shortstop Dave Concepcion turned the sharp shots into outs.

Hernandez also almost ruined Seaver’s shutout, drawing a walk and advancing to third with one out before being left stranded.

Early jam

In 1978, Seaver, 33, was in his second season with the Reds. He’d pitched five one-hitters in 11 seasons with the Mets before they traded him to Cincinnati in June 1977.

Facing the Cardinals for the second time in 1978, Seaver retired the first four batters before Hernandez walked with one out in the second. When Hernandez stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Don Werner, the Cardinals were positioned to score, but Jerry Morales struck out and, after Ken Reitz walked, Mike Phillips grounded out, ending the threat.

In the fourth, Hernandez hit a one-hop smash between first and second. Morgan moved to his left, snared the ball and threw out Hernandez.

“It wasn’t a tough play if I get to it,” Morgan said to the Cincinnati Enquirer. “The only question was if I’d get to it on the AstroTurf.”

Said Seaver: “Joe has a lot of smarts. He knows how to play the hitters. That was a case of intelligence getting you an out rather than raw ability.”

The Reds scored three runs in the fifth against John Denny on a two-run double by Pete Rose and a RBI-double by Morgan. A home run by Dan Driessen leading off the sixth gave the Reds a 4-0 lead.

Bearing down

In the seventh, Hernandez hit a low rocket that caromed off Seaver’s glove and deflected to Concepcion, who fielded the ball and threw out Hernandez.

“Even if Seaver doesn’t touch the ball, I think I make the play at first,” Concepcion said to The Sporting News.

Seaver survived another scare in the eighth when Morales hit a high chopper off the plate. Third baseman Ray Knight, who’d entered the game as a defensive replacement for Rose, fielded the ball and fired a throw to first to nip Morales.

Seaver retired 19 in a row before walking Jerry Mumphrey to open the ninth. “After that walk, I told myself, ‘Wait a minute, pal, you can lose this game,’ ” Seaver said.

Up next for the Cardinals were Lou Brock, Garry Templeton and George Hendrick. Ted Simmons and Hernandez awaited after that. “If I had to get down to Simmons and Hernandez, I knew the game would be in jeopardy,” Seaver said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Savvy Seaver

Brock worked the count to 2-and-1, fouled off four pitches and flied out to left. Templeton followed with a ground ball to Concepcion, who tossed to Morgan at second for the forceout of Mumphrey.

Seaver got ahead of the count, 1-and-2, on Hendrick before getting him to ground out to Driessen at first, securing the no-hitter and giving the Reds a 4-0 victory. Video of last out

“I did have a good sinker most of the way and my fastball came along later,” said Seaver. “I had my best stuff at the end.”

The no-hitter “was more a matter of skill over power,” wrote Bob Hertzel of the Enquirer.

Werner, catching in place of Johnny Bench, who had an ailing back, said Seaver called all the pitches. “Tom runs the show out there,” Werner said. “I was more of a spectator.” Boxscore

The no-hitter was the first by a Reds pitcher at Riverfront Stadium. It also was the first by a Reds pitcher since Jim Maloney versus the Astros in April 1969.

Seaver’s no-hitter was the first pitched against the Cardinals since Gaylord Perry of the Giants did it in September 1968.

“If it has to happen,” said Cardinals manager Ken Boyer, “at least it happened to a real pro.”

In 51 career starts against the Cardinals, Seaver was 25-13 with a 2.69 ERA, 21 complete games and four shutouts.

Here is a link to a game video of Seaver’s no-hitter.

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