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How Vladimir Guerrero welcomed Rick Ankiel to majors

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents, Pitchers on January 16, 2018| 2 Comments »

(Updated Aug. 23, 2018)

In his major-league debut for the Cardinals, Rick Ankiel gave up a home run to Vladimir Guerrero. Like many pitchers, Ankiel learned fast Guerrero was a dangerous hitter.

Guerrero was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018. In his playing career with the Expos (1996-2003), Angels (2004-2009), Rangers (2010) and Orioles (2011), Guerrero batted .318 with 2,590 hits, 449 home runs and 1,496 RBI.

A right-handed batter and outfielder, Guerrero batted .280 against the Cardinals with 59 hits in 55 games and 43 RBI.

His best seasons versus St. Louis were 1999 (.333 with nine RBI in nine games) and 2002 (.409 with seven RBI in six games).

Guerrero had two hits, both home runs, and three walks in seven career plate appearances against Ankiel.

Rookie mistake

Ankiel, 20, was a highly touted pitching prospect. He heightened expectations by posting a combined 13-3 record and 2.35 ERA with Class AA Arkansas and Class AAA Memphis in 1999. The Cardinals promoted him to the big leagues in late summer and he was given a start in his debut on Aug. 23, 1999, at Montreal.

In his first at-bat against Ankiel, Guerrero grounded out sharply to first baseman Mark McGwire in the second inning. With the Cardinals ahead, 4-1, Guerrero batted again in the fourth. Ankiel, a left-hander, wanted to jam Guerrero with a fastball on the fists, but the pitch stayed over the plate and Guerrero lined it over the right-field wall. The home run was his 30th of the season and extended his hitting streak to 28 games.

“I didn’t get the fastball inside,” Ankiel told columnist Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I left it out there and he capitalized on it.”

Speaking through an interpreter, Guerrero told the Associated Press, “The only thing I do is try to swing. So far, so good. I’m going to keep swinging.”

In the sixth, after Jose Vidro singled, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa lifted Ankiel with Guerrero at the plate and St. Louis ahead, 4-2. “Guerrero already had centered two balls off him, so I thought it was time for the change,” La Russa said.

Heathcliff Slocumb relieved and got Guerrero to pop out to McGwire. After that, the game unraveled for the Cardinals. Vidro eventually scored and Slocumb and Rich Croushore gave up eight runs. The Expos won, 11-7, and Ankiel, who departed with the lead, didn’t get a decision. Boxscore

Hitting a hanger

A year later, on Aug. 1, 2000, at Montreal, Guerrero came to bat against Ankiel with runners on first and second, two outs, in the fifth inning of a scoreless game.

Ankiel’s first pitch to Guerrero was a curve. He “tried to throw the best curveball he ever threw,” La Russa said. “Sometimes you try to do more and you end up doing less.”

The pitch floated over the middle of the plate and Guerrero hit it over the wall in left-center for a three-run home run. The Expos went on to win, 4-0.

Said Ankiel: “I hung it … With him up to bat, you can’t hang that pitch in that situation.” Boxscore

Pals with Pujols

Guerrero, 6 feet 3 and 235 pounds, hit 12 career home runs against the Cardinals. He hit three against Matt Morris, two apiece off Ankiel and Garrett Stephenson and one each against Cliff Politte, Larry Luebbers, Travis Smith, Jason Simontacchi and Woody Williams.

In 2001, when the Expos and Cardinals shared a spring training facility at Jupiter, Fla, Guerrero befriended Cardinals rookie Albert Pujols, who, like Guerrero, is a native of the Dominican Republic. Pujols, in a big-league camp for the first time, was looking to fit in. Guerrero included Pujols in friendly games of dominoes with other Dominican players and treated him to his mother’s home-cooked meals.

“Vladdy was one of the first guys I looked up to,” Pujols said to the Los Angeles Times in a 2016 interview. “People kind of misread Vladdy because he doesn’t like to talk too much, but he’s one of the best guys that I’ve ever been around. The way he treats people is really special. He’s always smiling. He played the game hard and had fun.”

Pujols was playing left field for the Cardinals in a game at Montreal when Guerrero hit a ball so hard it bent the top of the wall and carried over for a home run.

“On a line. He bent the wall,” Pujols said to Yahoo Sports in 2016. “He was unbelievable … He was a fearless hitter … You had to stop and watch him. If they were on TV and you were going out, you had to watch his at-bat first.”

Previously: How Cardinals gambled on Rick Ankiel in 1997 draft

Previously: Revisiting Rick Ankiel’s debut with Cardinals

 

 

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Why Cardinals traded Scott Rolen to Blue Jays

Posted in Hitters, Trades on January 13, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Unable to resolve his differences with manager Tony La Russa, third baseman Scott Rolen requested to be traded by the Cardinals.

On Jan. 14, 2008, Rolen got his wish when the Cardinals sent him to the Blue Jays for third baseman Troy Glaus.

The deal brought an unsatisfying end to the Cardinals career of a productive, popular player.

It also continued a shakeup of the Cardinals by first-year general manager John Mozeliak. After the 2007 season, when Mozeliak replaced Walt Jocketty, the Cardinals traded Rolen and center fielder Jim Edmonds, and shortstop David Eckstein was allowed to leave as a free agent. All three had been prominent contributors to the Cardinals’ 2006 World Series championship team. Like Rolen, Eckstein went to the Blue Jays.

Cardinals core

Rolen came to the major leagues with the Phillies and was named winner of the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1997. Rolen hit with power and fielded superbly, but he eventually clashed with manager Larry Bowa and the Phillies looked to deal him.

In July 2002, the Philies traded Rolen and pitcher Doug Nickle to the Cardinals for infielder Placido Polanco and pitchers Bud Smith and Mike Timlin.

Rolen, Edmonds and Albert Pujols formed the core of a lineup that powered the Cardinals to four division titles (2002, 2004, 2005, 2006), two NL pennants (2004 and 2006) and a World Series championship (2006).

In 2004, his best Cardinals season, Rolen produced a .314 batting average, a .409 on-base percentage and a .598 slugging percentage. He had 34 home runs, 124 RBI and scored 109 runs.

Rolen also earned a Gold Glove Award four times while with the Cardinals.

Looking to leave

An injury to his left shoulder limited Rolen to 56 games in 2005. That’s when his troubles with La Russa surfaced. Rolen believed the Cardinals misled him about the severity of the injury, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. La Russa objected to Rolen’s claim and an iciness developed between the two.

In 2006, the rift widened when La Russa benched Rolen during the NL Division Series. The two attempted a reconciliation in 2007, but the relationship suffered a setback when La Russa sent Rolen a four-page letter after the season, expressing his opinions of the player.

When La Russa signed a contract in October 2007 to remain Cardinals manager through 2009, Rolen contacted the club and requested a trade.

Though Rolen was an accomplished player, dealing him created a challenge for Mozeliak. Potential trade partners were limited because Rolen had $36 million and three years remaining on his contract and he had undergone three shoulder surgeries since 2005. Also, because it was no secret Rolen wanted out of St. Louis, Mozeliak’s negotiating options appeared restricted and clubs weren’t inclined to offer much in return.

Rolen has “to understand what our return must be to even consider moving someone of Scott’s talent,” Mozeliak said.

Trade talk

At the December 2007 baseball winter meetings in Nashville, the Brewers showed the most interest in trading for Rolen and met multiple times with the Cardinals, who wanted pitcher Chris Capuano. The Cardinals ended negotiations when the Brewers wouldn’t come up with an acceptable offer.

Meanwhile, La Russa told reporters Rolen should give back to the Cardinals rather than ask the club to accommodate him. The comments deepened the animosity between the two.

The public seemed fed up with the drama. In a Post-Dispatch poll asking whose side are you on, 36 percent responded in favor of La Russa, 11 percent were for Rolen and 53 percent chose no side, saying the hostilities were unbecoming and unnecessary.

Before the winter meetings ended, the Blue Jays quietly approached the Cardinals and expressed interest in Rolen. Glaus, the Blue Jays’ third baseman, underwent foot surgery in September and told the club he no longer wanted to play on the artificial surface in the Toronto stadium. The Blue Jays asked the Cardinals if they’d swap Rolen for Glaus.

The Cardinals were interested in the proposal but wanted Glaus to exercise his contract option for 2009, eliminating the possibility he could depart St. Louis after the 2008 season. Glaus agreed to the arrangement.

The Cardinals eliminated another potential obstacle to the deal when Glaus checked out clean regarding drug use. In 2007, a published report said banned performance-enhancing drugs had been delivered to Glaus at home in 2003 and 2004. Major League Baseball investigated and found insufficient evidence.

Happy slugger

Glaus five times hit 30 home runs in a season and he achieved 100 RBI four times. In 2002, he was named recipient of the World Series Most Valuable Player Award with the Angels. Glaus batted .262 with 20 home runs and 62 RBI in 115 games for the 2007 Blue Jays.

“He has off-the-chart power,” said Mozeliak.

After Blue Jays doctors checked out Rolen, 32, and Cardinals doctors did the same with Glaus, 31, and gave their approvals, the trade was completed.

“St. Louis is a city that I’ve dreamed about playing in since I was a kid (in Southern California),” Glaus said.

Said Mozeliak: “When you look at them player by player, at the end of the day what breaks the tie is a happy player versus an unhappy player.”

When Joe Strauss of the Post-Dispatch visited Rolen at Blue Jays spring training camp in Dunedin, Fla., Rolen said of the trade, “It came to a point where it had to happen.”

Regarding his dispute with La Russa, Rolen said, “A personal issue … There was nothing professional about it.”

Glaus did well for the 2008 Cardinals, batting .270 with 27 home runs and 99 RBI in 151 games. He was injured in 2009 and limited to 14 games near the end of the season.

Rolen batted .262 with 11 home runs and 50 RBI for the 2008 Blue Jays. In July 2009, the Blue Jays traded him to the Reds and he finished his playing career with them in 2012.

Previously: Scott Rolen and his strange stat line in 2004 NLDS

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Vince Coleman and his comeback attempt with Cardinals

Posted in Hitters on January 10, 2018| 4 Comments »

Eight years after he left the Cardinals, Vince Coleman made a strong bid to return. By then, however, the Cardinals had transformed from speedsters into sluggers. Though still fast, Coleman’s value had diminished.

On Jan. 13, 1998, Coleman, 36, was invited to the Cardinals’ spring training camp as a non-roster player, looking to compete for a backup outfield job.

Since leaving the Cardinals as a free agent after the 1990 season, Coleman’s career had spiraled. He played for five teams over the next seven years. When the Cardinals reconnected with him in the winter of 1998, Coleman was out of baseball. He hadn’t played since being released by the Tigers in April 1997.

Though he no longer was the disruptive force on the bases he had been for the Cardinals in the 1980s, Coleman thought he still could contribute and wanted one more chance to prove it.

The possibility he could end his career where it had started _ with the Cardinals _ appealed to him greatly.

Cardinals catalyst

Coleman first got to the major leagues in 1985 with the Cardinals and immediately made his mark as a winning ballplayer who could change a game with his base running.

A switch hitter and left fielder, Coleman established a big-league rookie record for stolen bases (110) in a season. He also scored 107 runs, sparking St. Louis to the National League pennant, and received the 1985 NL Rookie of the Year Award.

Excelling under manager Whitey Herzog, Coleman led the NL in stolen bases each of his six seasons with St. Louis. He three times swiped 100 bases in a season, twice scored 100 runs and twice was named to the all-star team. The Cardinals won pennants in two of Coleman’s first three years with the club.

In 878 career regular-season games with the Cardinals, Coleman produced 937 hits, 566 runs and 549 stolen bases.

Vagabond years

After the 1990 season, Coleman signed with the Mets. Years later, reflecting on his decision, Coleman told Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “I just thought the grass was greener on the other side. It wasn’t.”

Coleman was miserable with the Mets. His performance declined significantly and his reputation was tarnished when he threw a grenade-like device into a parking lot, injured three people and was charged with committing a felony.

After the stability of St. Louis, Coleman became a journeyman, playing for the Mets (1991-1993), Royals (1994-1995), Mariners (1995), Reds (1996) and Tigers (1997). He also had a stint in the Angels’ farm system, batting .207 for the 1996 Vancouver Canadians.

Assist from McGee

In November 1997, Coleman was at home in Scottsdale, Ariz., and no longer playing. His neighbor, Cardinals shortstop Royce Clayton, had an indoor batting cage and invited Coleman to work out with him. The sessions convinced Coleman he still could hit.

Around that time, Jim Bronner, Coleman’s agent, had a chat with St. Louis general manager Walt Jocketty and learned the Cardinals were seeking reserve outfield help for 1998. Bronner relayed that information to Coleman.

The Cardinals were heading into 1998 with a starting outfield of Ron Gant in left, Ray Lankford in center and Brian Jordan in right, with Willie McGee as a backup. The Cardinals wanted a versatile fifth outfielder.

Coleman called his friend, McGee, and asked him to speak with Cardinals manager Tony La Russa on his behalf.

“Two days later, Tony called me up and told me there was a need for a guy who could run and play all three outfield positions,” Coleman said.

When Coleman got the invitation to spring training, he told Hummel, “I don’t know who is more excited, Willie or me. I know he wants me on this club. He’s a positive influence in my life.”

Motivated to win

When Coleman arrived at Cardinals camp, he was issued uniform No. 29, the same he had worn with St. Louis in the 1980s.

“You don’t know how happy I am,” Coleman said. “I am tickled pink. For eight years, I’ve been trying to get back.”

La Russa played Coleman regularly in exhibition games. Through March 18, Coleman was batting .324.

“I knew he was in good shape,” La Russa said. “He was hungry and he came highly recommended.”

Said Coleman: “With the playing time I’ve had, I find myself getting that groove. The more at-bats I get, the more comfortable I get. I can still play.”

As spring training neared its end, the finalists for the fifth outfielder job were Coleman and Brian Hunter, a six-year major-league veteran who had played for four clubs, primarily the Braves.

Hunter was batting .344 with three home runs and nine RBI for the Cardinals in spring training. Coleman was batting .313 with four stolen bases.

La Russa chose Hunter. “I just think with the RBI potential and the extra pop we get from Hunter that that helps us more off the bench than the speed,” La Russa said.

Times have changed

Coleman said La Russa made “a bad decision.”

“I’m still the fastest man in baseball,” Coleman said. “I can definitely steal bases and help a team win a pennant.”

Said McGee: “He proved he could play in the major leagues and be an asset.”

After the Cardinals gave Coleman his release, he surprised them, volunteering to report to Class AAA Memphis under one condition: If, during his Memphis stay, Coleman received an offer from a big-league club, the Cardinals would have to promote him to the majors, or let him go to the other team.

The Cardinals agreed to the arrangement.

Coleman batted .316 with eight steals and 15 runs scored in 20 games for Memphis. He attracted scouts from the Diamondbacks, Giants and Mariners, but none made an offer.

Discouraged, Coleman left Memphis on May 4 and announced his retirement.

“Everybody is looking for big boppers … The stolen base is a lost art,” Coleman told Hummel. “I need Whitey (Herzog) back here. Where is Whitey?”

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Cardinals took in John Tudor tormentor Barry Lyons

Posted in Hitters on January 4, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Though his reputation as an unwitting villain remained intact in franchise lore, Barry Lyons was welcomed into the Cardinals organization.

On Jan. 4, 1993, the Cardinals signed Lyons, a free agent, and invited him to spring training to compete for a job as backup to Gold Glove catcher Tom Pagnozzi.

Six years earlier, the notion of Lyons joining the Cardinals would have seemed unimaginable to some.

On Easter Sunday, April 19, 1987, Lyons took a place alongside umpire Don Denkinger and other perceived wrongdoers among Cardinals faithful when he barreled into the dugout while pursuing a foul ball and crashed into John Tudor, shattering a bone in the right leg of the St. Louis pitching ace.

Though Tudor returned in August and won eight of nine decisions, helping the Cardinals win the 1987 National League East Division crown on their way to their third pennant in six years, Lyons remained vilified for his role in the injury to one of St. Louis’ best players.

When the Cardinals signed Lyons, Tudor no longer was in the organization. He was a minor-league pitching instructor for the Phillies.

Stocking up

Lyons played in the big leagues for the Mets (1986-1990), Dodgers (1990-1991) and Angels (1991). He spent the 1992 season with the Tucson Toros, Class AAA affiliate of the Astros, and caught for a staff that included future Cardinals pitchers Darryl Kile and Dave Veres.

Rich Gedman, Pagnozzi’s backup with the 1992 Cardinals, became a free agent after the season. The Cardinals signed three veteran catchers _ Lyons, Erik Pappas, and Hector Villanueva _ as contenders to replace Gedman. Villanueva had been released by the Cubs. Pappas, another ex-Cub, had become a free agent after playing in the minor-league systems of the Royals and White Sox in 1992.

Cardinals manager Joe Torre liked Villanueva because he hit 13 home runs for the Cubs in 1991, but all three newcomers were expected to have shots at winning the reserve catcher role in spring training.

“We were looking for somebody to back up our catching situation and Barry Lyons and Erik Pappas are two experienced guys who were out there,” Cardinals general manager Dal Maxvill said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in January 1993. “… I know Joe is interested in Hector being the guy because of his home run potential, but Lyons and Pappas give us added insurance we really didn’t have last year.”

Pappas promoted

On March 7, 1993, Villanueva strained a hamstring. Lyons and Pappas each had a productive spring training and stuck with the Cardinals until being sent to Class AAA Louisville when final roster cuts were made on April 3, 1993.

Lyons and Pappas each performed well at Louisville. On April 25, 1993, Lyons hit a three-run home run with two outs in the ninth inning, lifting Louisville to a 6-5 victory over Omaha.

However, when Pagnozzi injured his left knee on May 9, 1993, and needed arthroscopic surgery to repair cartilage damage, the Cardinals called up Pappas rather than Lyons. Pappas was hitting .338 with 13 RBI in 21 games for Louisville. His batting mark with runners in scoring position was .579 (11-for-19).

For the next month, Pappas was the Cardinals’ starting catcher with Villanueva in reserve, while Lyons remained in Louisville.

When Pagnozzi returned to the lineup June 17, 1993, Villanueva was sent to Louisville and Pappas stayed with the Cardinals as the backup catcher.

Left out

With Louisville stocked with catchers, Lyons moved to first base and thrived. He hit .324 in July after being sidelined for 10 days in June because of a thumb injury.

On Aug. 12, 1993, Lyons hit a two-run home run in the ninth, snapping a 4-4 tie and leading Louisville to a 6-4 triumph over Oklahoma City. “With the possibility of getting called up by St. Louis in September, it’s a good time to get hot,” Lyons said to the Louisville Courier-Journal.

Lyons went on to lead the 1993 Louisville Redbirds in home runs (18) and was second on the club in RBI (65). He played in 107 games, including 51 at first base, and batted .269.

However, when major-league rosters expanded in September, Lyons was not promoted to St. Louis. Instead, the Cardinals called up catcher Marc Ronan from Class AA Arkansas. Disappointed, Lyons asked for and was given his release.

Lyons signed with the Reds, spent 1994 in the minors and resurfaced in the major leagues in 1995 with the White Sox.

Previously: A rough and tumble Easter for John Tudor

Previously: Erik Pappas experienced extremes as Cardinals catcher

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Why Red Schoendienst put Curt Flood in cleanup spot

Posted in Games, Hitters on December 29, 2017| 2 Comments »

Desperate to fill the cleanup spot in the order with a potent bat, Cardinals rookie manager Red Schoendienst turned to Curt Flood, a player better known for scoring, not driving in, runs.

In 1965, Flood was the Cardinals’ No. 4 hitter in the lineup for most of July. It was the only time in 15 major-league seasons Flood batted cleanup. Flood appeared in the cleanup spot as a defensive replacement or pinch-runner four times in 1958 and once in 1959, but didn’t get any at-bats then.

Schoendienst, in his first season as a manager, chose Flood to bat fourth in 1965 because Ken Boyer, bothered by a bad back, wasn’t producing at his usual level and Bill White had an injured foot. Boyer had opened the 1965 season as the cleanup hitter and White largely had taken over the role in June.

Flood had led the Cardinals in runs scored in 1962 (99) and 1963 (112) and was second in 1964 (97), but he never had produced more than 12 home runs and 70 RBI in a season. He appeared to be better suited for one of the top two spots in the order, not the cleanup position usually filled by sluggers.

Mike Shannon and Tim McCarver could have been options to bat cleanup, but Flood was having a better season than either of them.

Schoendienst was rewarded for his faith in Flood.

In 13 games batting fourth for the 1965 Cardinals, Flood hit .345 (19-for-55) with nine RBI. The Cardinals had a 9-4 record with Flood as their cleanup hitter.

Winning combination

On June 30, 1965, White injured his right heel. The injury “has him moving like television’s Chester (Dennis Weaver’s character from “Gunsmoke”) and Grandpa McCoy (Walter Brennan’s character from “The Real McCoys”),” the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

The next night, the first five batters in the Cardinals’ order against the Pirates were: Phil Gagliano, Dick Groat, Lou Brock, Flood and Boyer. Unimpressed, the Post-Dispatch wrote, “The Cardinals presented one of the lightest 3-4 punches in any batting order, Brock and Flood.”

Flood drove in two runs and the Cardinals won, 7-6. Boxscore

In seven games, from July 1 through July 7, Schoendienst kept the top five in his batting order the same. The Cardinals won six of the seven. Batting cleanup, Flood hit safely in all seven games and produced at least one RBI in four. He delivered hits that drove in the winning runs in consecutive games against the Giants July 5-6.

After July 7, over the next five games, Schoendienst used Boyer, White and Tito Francona in the cleanup role and batted Flood third or first. The Cardinals lost three of the five.

Hitting leader

Flood returned to the No. 4 spot on July 16 and remained there for four consecutive games. Flood had hits in all four games and at least one RBI in two. The Cardinals won three of the four, making their record 9-2 in games with Flood as the cleanup hitter.

On July 20, White batted fourth and the Cardinals beat the Phillies. Flood was back in the cleanup spot for the next two games, July 21-22 against the Astros, and the Cardinals lost both.

For the rest of the season, Flood mostly batted in the No. 2 or No. 3 spots. Boyer went back to being the primary cleanup hitter.

The Cardinals, defending World Series champions, finished in seventh place in the National League at 80-81 in 1965. Boyer finished with 75 RBI and White had 73. Both were traded after the season.

Flood won a Gold Glove Award for his fielding and led the 1965 Cardinals in hits (191), RBI (a career-best 83), batting average (.310) and on-base percentage (.366). He did best from the No. 2 spot, batting .360 in 30 games.

Previously: The day Curt Flood got 8 straight hits against Dodgers

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Why Jim Edmonds, Cardinals agreed to a separation

Posted in Hitters, Trades on December 13, 2017| 1 Comment »

(Updated Dec. 14, 2023)

After eight years as the center fielder for the Cardinals, Jim Edmonds had no intention of taking a reduced role with the team. If the Cardinals couldn’t commit to him, Edmonds told them, he’d rather play somewhere other than St. Louis.

Concerned Edmonds no longer was durable and convinced they had candidates within the organization to replace him, the Cardinals decided the time was right to part with a player who had been among their most popular and productive.

In December 2007, John Mozeliak made his first trade as Cardinals general manager, sending Edmonds to the Padres for minor-league third baseman David Freese.

The deal sent away a player who had performed a key role in helping the Cardinals win a World Series title in 2006 and brought them a player who would perform a key role in helping them win another World Series championship in 2011.

Special talent

Edmonds, acquired by the Cardinals from the Angels in March 2000, was a central figure in the franchise’s success from 2000 to 2007. In that period, the Cardinals won a World Series crown and two National League pennants and qualified for the postseason six times.

With the Cardinals, Edmonds won the Gold Glove Award six times and was named an all-star three times.

In his eight seasons with St. Louis, Edmonds produced 1,033 hits and batted .285. He had an on-base percentage of .393.

Edmonds hit 241 home runs for St. Louis, placing him fourth all-time among Cardinals. Only Stan Musial (475), Albert Pujols (469) and Ken Boyer (255) hit more. Musial is the lone left-handed batter with more career home runs as a Cardinal than Edmonds.

Also, Edmonds had a .555 slugging percentage for St. Louis. Only six others _ Mark McGwire, Pujols, Johnny Mize, Chick Hafey, Rogers Hornsby and Musial _ have higher slugging percentages as Cardinals than Edmonds.

“If we consider the combination of offense and defense, Edmonds was the best overall center fielder in Cardinals history,” wrote Bernie Miklasz, columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

That’s high praise considering the franchise has had standout center fielders such as Curt Flood, Ray Lankford, Willie McGee and Terry Moore.

Time takes toll

In 2007, however, Edmonds showed signs his health and his skills were eroding. He had surgery on his right shoulder and left foot after the 2006 World Series. During the 2007 season, Edmonds was on the disabled list from June 16 to July 18 because of back problems. Late in the season, he had a groin injury and made one start after Sept. 17.

Edmonds played in 117 games in 2007 and batted .252 with 12 home runs and 53 RBI. He hit .198 against left-handers.

In the off-season, Edmonds, 37, heard speculation the Cardinals might reduce his playing time in 2008 and shift him to right field.

“After running down all of those line drives in the gaps, he couldn’t outrun his age,” Miklasz wrote of Edmonds.

Edmonds approached Cardinals management and asked about their plans for him. “Basically, the feedback wasn’t so great, and they couldn’t guarantee anything,” Edmonds said to the Associated Press.

The Cardinals believed Rick Ankiel, the converted pitcher, was ready to take over in center field. “I think Rick Ankiel has emerged as a force,” said Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt Jr. The Cardinals thought their top minor-league prospect, Colby Rasmus, could compete for the center field job, too.

Edmonds, believing he still could be a starter in center, agreed to relinquish the no-trade clause in his contract. He gave the Cardinals a list of teams. His preference was a Southern California club because he had a home in Irvine, Calif.

“I wanted a chance to play every day,” Edmonds said.

California dreaming

The Padres were in the market for a center fielder. Their 2007 starter, Mike Cameron, had become a free agent. San Diego was interested in Japanese League import Kosuke Fukodome, but he signed with the Cubs. Cameron went to the Brewers.

Edmonds became the Padres’ best option. “We felt it was a risk worth taking,” said Padres general manager Kevin Towers.

The Cardinals and Padres agreed to a deal on Dec. 14, 2007. The Post-Dispatch broke the news on its Web site that night. The trade formally was announced the next day, Dec. 15.

“I’m kind of shocked but excited because I get to be in Southern California next to my family and play for a contending team in a beautiful ballpark,” Edmonds said.

Towers predicted to the San Diego Union-Tribune that Edmonds would bat .270 and hit 15 to 20 home runs for the Padres in 2008.

Return on investment

The Cardinals were glad to get a player for Edmonds before he became eligible for free agency after the 2008 season.

Freese, who grew up in St. Louis and graduated from Lafayette High School, had been chosen by the Padres in the ninth round of the 2006 amateur draft. In 2007, playing for the Lake Elsinore Storm of the Class A California League, Freese batted .302 with 96 RBI and scored 104 runs.

Asked his reaction to being traded for Edmonds, Freese said, “It’s been a dream of mine to play for the Cardinals. Now it may become a reality.”

Freese debuted with the Cardinals in 2009 and became their primary third baseman in 2010.

Ankiel was the Cardinals’ primary center fielder in 2008 and Rasmus became the starter in 2009.

Edmonds played in 26 games for the 2008 Padres, batted .178 and was released in May. He spent the rest of the season with the Cubs and hit 19 homers for them.

After sitting out the 2009 season, Edmonds played for the Brewers and Reds in 2010, producing 11 home runs and 23 RBI. He attempted a comeback with the Cardinals the following year at spring training, but announced his retirement on Feb. 18, 2011.

Freese earned a permanent place in Cardinals lore with his postseason performance in 2011. He had 21 RBI _ five in the NL Division Series versus the Phillies, nine in the NL Championship Series against the Brewers and seven in the World Series versus the Rangers.

With the Cardinals on the brink of elimination in the World Series, Freese’s two-run triple with two outs in the ninth inning of Game 6 tied the score and his home run leading off the 11th gave St. Louis the win.

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