RetroSimba

(Updated July 30, 2024)

Facing three of the toughest starters in the National League, Stan Musial produced a spectacular hitting spree that propelled him to his second of seven batting titles.

From Aug. 11-12, 1946, Musial had 12 hits in 14 at-bats over three games against the Reds and Cubs. The surge put him atop the National League batting leaders list, moving his average from .359 to .375. He went on to win the batting crown with a .365 average.

Musial achieved his nearly perfect stretch in games started by Johnny Vander Meer and Ewell Blackwell of the Reds and Claude Passeau of the Cubs. All three would earn multiple all-star berths and were respected as much for their competitiveness as for their skill.

Asked whether he tried to guess what pitch he would get, Musial told Roger Kahn of Sport magazine, “I don’t guess. I know. I can tell by the speed. Every pitcher has a set of speeds. The curve goes one speed and the slider goes at something else.

“If I concentrate, I can pick up the speed of the ball about the first 30 feet it travels. I know the pitcher and I know his speeds. When I concentrate, halfway in I know what the pitch is going to be (and) how the ball is going to move when it gets up to home plate.”

Hard thrower

On Aug. 11, 1946, a Sunday afternoon, the Cardinals played a doubleheader against the Reds before a crowd of 32,288 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati.

The Reds started Vander Meer, a left-hander, in the opener. In his book, “Stan Musial: The Man’s Own Story,” Musial said of Vander Meer, “One of the toughest I ever hit against. An extremely hard thrower and wild. His ball moved up and in on a left-handed hitter. You didn’t know where the ball was going. I don’t think Vandy knew either.”

Musial drew a walk in the first inning, singled in the third, popped out to the catcher in the fourth and drilled a RBI-single in the sixth. After Vander Meer was lifted, Musial singled against Johnny Hetki in the seventh and tripled off former teammate Clyde Shoun in the ninth.

Musial’s line: 4-for-5 with a walk, three runs scored and one RBI in the Cardinals’ 15-4 victory. Boxscore

The Whip

In the second game, the Reds started Blackwell, a right-hander with a wicked sidearm delivery. “Blackie was one of the fastest and greatest pitchers I’ve seen.” said Musial. “He was big and gangly and because of his whip-like delivery you could hardly pick up the ball until it was in on you. He had natural stuff, including a terrific sinker.”

Musial had a double and a single in his two at-bats against Blackwell. Joe Beggs relieved and Musial reached him for a solo home run and a single. That gave Musial hits in seven consecutive at-bats over two games in the doubleheader.

In Musial’s fifth at-bat of Game 2, against Bob Malloy, he flied out to left.

Musial’s line: 4-for-5 with two runs scored and one RBI in a 7-3 Cardinals triumph. Boxscore

Suspicious sinker

The Cardinals boarded a train for Chicago and opened a series against the Cubs on Monday, Aug. 12, at Wrigley Field. The Cubs started Passeau, a right-hander. “His ball really went down,” Musial said. “I thought it was a spitter, just as others did, but Passeau, a mean competitor, always insisted it was a sinker. Wet or dry, it was a hell of a pitch.”

Musial singled against Passeau in the first inning. In the third, Passeau was lifted because of a back injury. Emil Kush relieved and Musial got three hits against him: a RBI-double in the third, a single in the fifth and a RBI-single in the seventh.

Musial’s line: 4-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored in a 5-0 Cardinals victory. Boxscore

Musial achieved his third consecutive four-hit game.

His three-game totals: 12-for-14, eight singles, two doubles, one triple, one home run, one walk, six runs scored and four RBI.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch hailed Musial as “the National League’s closest approach to Ted Williams.”

A humble Musial told the Associated Press, “I guess it’s just a streak that comes along for everybody if they keep swinging.”

The next day, Aug. 13, Musial cooled off a bit. He was 1-for-4 against Johnny Schmitz, a Cubs left-hander.

Musial finished the 1946 season with a major league-leading 228 hits.

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Mike Laga, a premier power hitter in the minor leagues, produced a long ball that became part of Cardinals lore.

On Aug. 10, 1986, the Cardinals traded catcher Mike Heath to the Tigers for pitcher Ken Hill and a player to be named. Three weeks later, on Sept. 2, the Tigers sent Laga, a first baseman, to the Cardinals, completing the trade.

Laga, 26, was chosen by the Tigers in the first round of the 1980 draft. A left-handed slugger, Laga three times hit 30 or more home runs in a season in the Tigers’ minor-league system, including 34 for Class AAA Evansville in 1982. However, in parts of five seasons (1982-86) with the Tigers, Laga hit just eight home runs.

The Cardinals, who won the National League pennant in 1985, were out of contention in September 1986. With first baseman Jack Clark injured, manager Whitey Herzog put Laga into the Cardinals’ lineup.

High riser

On Sept. 15, 1986, Laga was the first baseman when the Cardinals played the first-place Mets at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. Laga hit a double off Ron Darling in the second inning.

In the third, Laga was batting against Darling for the second time when he swung at a pitch and lofted it high and foul on the first-base side. The ball carried about 150 feet into the air and landed outside the stadium.

Laga became the first player to hit a ball out of Busch Stadium since it opened in May 1966. Video

“A Cardinals official said that the distance of the stadium roof from the field was 130 feet and that the ball was found in a flower bed near the employees parking lot,” the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Fans gave Laga a standing ovation.

Said Laga: “It was pretty funny … I really didn’t think about it until the people got louder and louder. I said, ‘What the heck is going on here?’ I didn’t know it was the first one.”

After the ovation, Darling struck out Laga.

“Last year, the cheering was for a pennant winner,” wrote columnist Kevin Horrigan of the Post-Dispatch. “This year, it’s for foul balls. Lo, how the mighty have fallen.” Boxscore

Coleman challenged

Later, Herzog teasingly told Cardinals speedster Vince Coleman, “If you ever hit one out (of Busch Stadium), even behind home plate, fair or foul, I’ll buy you a Rolls-Royce.”

Teammate Ozzie Smith, overhearing Herzog’s challenge, told Coleman, “And I’ll pay for the chauffeur.”

Laga added, “If I hit it right and get it up in the air, I can hit it out of any ballpark.”

Laga hit three home runs for the Cardinals in 1986 and one each in 1987 and 1988. He spent most of the Cardinals’ 1987 championship season with Louisville, hitting .304 with 29 home runs and 91 RBI for the Class AAA club.

After the 1988 season, Laga was released by the Cardinals and was signed by the Giants. He hit three home runs in parts of two seasons with the Giants, giving him a total of 16 in the major leagues.

Previously: Why Cardinals pounced on offer for Joaquin Andujar

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As a rookie starting center fielder for the 1935 Cardinals, Terry Moore struggled initially to live up to lofty expectations. What sealed his status as a premier player was a flawless hitting performance.

On Sept. 5, 1935, Moore had six hits _ a double and five singles _ in six at-bats for the Cardinals against the Braves at St. Louis. Moore was the first Cardinals player with six hits in a game since Jim Bottomley did it on Aug. 5, 1931, against the Pirates at Pittsburgh. After Moore, no other Cardinals player got six hits in a game until Skip Schumaker achieved the feat on July 26, 2008, with six singles in seven at-bats in 14 innings against the Mets at New York.

Moore’s six-hit game secured his role as an everyday player for the Cardinals. He played his entire 11-year big-league career with St. Louis, batting .280 with 1,318 hits in 1,298 games. A four-time all-star, Moore served in the military between two stints with the Cardinals (1935-42 and 1946-48). He four times led National League center fielders in assists and twice led in putouts.

Slow start

Moore was training for a career as a printer when he was discovered by a Cardinals scout in 1932.

He had a big season in 1934, batting .326 with 213 hits in 154 minor-league games in the Cardinals’ system.

Manager Frankie Frisch declared Moore the everyday center fielder for the 1935 Cardinals, replacing veteran Ernie Orsatti.

Initially, Moore was a bust. He batted .132 (5-for-38) in April.

“He made mistakes in fielding the ball,” the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. “He threw to the wrong base and seemingly he couldn’t hit big-league pitching.”

The Sporting News opined, “Much was expected of him _ more perhaps than any other lad of recent transition from the minors to the big line. Moore’s trail was marked with such superlatives and so many high hopes that the youngster didn’t quite live up to the blueprints during the early part of the season.”

Frisch has faith

Frisch stuck with the rookie because he “was impressed with his courage, his speed and style in the field,” The Sporting News observed.

Said Frisch to the Post-Dispatch: “What I like about him is that he’s always trying and he’s no alibi artist. When he makes a mistake, he knows it, but he doesn’t make the same mistake twice.”

Moore, who turned 23 in May 1935, entered August with a .251 batting average, got hot and hit .419 (26-for-62) in August. His strong hitting carried into September as the Cardinals battled the Cubs for the pennant.

Battered Braves

On Sept. 5, a Thursday afternoon, Moore batted leadoff for the Cardinals against the last-place Braves before 2,700 spectators at Sportsman’s Park.

Facing ex-Cardinal Fred Frankhouse, Moore singled in the first inning and added a RBI-single in the second. After Frankhouse yielded seven runs in two innings, Huck Betts relieved. Moore reached him for a RBI-double in the third and singles in the sixth, seventh and eighth.

Moore’s final line: 6-for-6 with two RBI and two runs scored.

Betts gave up eight runs in six innings. The Braves committed five errors, three by center fielder Wally Berger. The Cardinals collected 19 hits and four walks, winning 15-3. Boxscore

Good to great

Moore batted .329 (26-for-79) in September and finished his rookie season with a .287 batting average, totaling 131 hits in 119 games.

Said Frisch: “Moore is one of the greatest young ballplayers I have seen … I think you’ll see one of the greatest center fielders in the game within two more years.”

In his book, “Stan Musial: The Man’s Own Story,” Musial, who played in an outfield with Moore and Enos Slaughter after joining the Cardinals in 1941, said, “Terry Moore was a great team leader as well as a great competitor and center fielder … Terry was a timely hitter who’ll be best remembered for his defensive plays, his ham-sized hands, accurate arm and ability to scoop up ground balls like an infielder. I’d like to have seen a defensive outfield of (Willie) Mays, Moore and (Joe) DiMaggio.”

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Joe Torre played in 2,209 regular-season games in an 18-year career in the major leagues. Only once did he achieve five hits in a game. It occurred for the Cardinals in a game that began on Aug. 1, 1971, at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia and ended five weeks later on Sept. 7.

On Aug. 1, with the score tied at 3-3, the Cardinals scored three runs in the 12th and had runners on second and third with one out when the game was halted by rain for the second time in the inning.

When the rain stopped, a Zamboni machine began clearing the artificial turf of water. Then, the Zamboni broke down.

“Maybe somebody put sugar in the carburetor of the Zamboni,” wrote Neal Russo in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The Phillies informed the Cardinals that the Zamboni had quit working because “it was clogged with paper cups that had been thrown onto the field.”

The umpires declared the field unplayable because of the water, reverting the score to 3-3 through 11 innings and ruling the outcome a tie.

“I was told that the Zamboni had broken down and I have no way of disproving that,” said umpire and crew chief Shag Crawford. “I finally called the game because the field was unplayable.”

Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst protested, saying the game should be resumed at the point it was halted because mechanical failure, not the weather, prevented a continuation of play.

Said Cardinals coach Ken Boyer: “I finished a lot of games on fields in worse shape than this one was.”

Chub Feeney, National League president, upheld the protest and ruled it a suspended game. He said it would be resumed at the point of interruption, with St. Louis ahead 6-3, when the Cardinals visited Philadelphia again in September.

Explaining his decision, Feeney told the Post-Dispatch the umpires agreed the game could have been completed on Aug. 1 if the Zamboni had been functional.

The game forever would be referred to as the Zamboni game.

Redbirds rally

Even without the controversy involving the Zamboni, the game that began on Aug. 1 was a wild affair.

The Phillies led, 3-2, after eight innings. The Cardinals tied the score at 3-3 in the ninth on a RBI-single by pinch-hitter Ted Simmons.

Torre, batting cleanup and playing third base, flied out and struck out in his first two at-bats. In his next five at-bats, he produced five singles.

Torre had singles off starter Woodie Fryman in the sixth and eighth innings. He got his third single of the game off former Cardinals teammate Joe Hoerner in the 10th.

In the 12th, the Cardinals struck for three runs off Bill Wilson. Torre contributed to the uprising with his fourth single of the game before play was halted.

Hard on heart

When the Cardinals returned to Philadelphia in September, they split a Labor Day doubleheader with the Phillies on Sept. 6.

On Sept. 7, the Cardinals and Phillies resumed the suspended game from Aug. 1 before playing a regularly scheduled game.

The Cardinals completed the top of the 12th, stranding the runners on second and third.

In the bottom of the 12th, the Phillies scored three runs, tying the score at 6-6.

In the 13th, Torre got his fifth single of the game, a run-scoring hit off Chris Short, as part of a three-run Cardinals rally. The Phillies got two hits off Stan Williams in the bottom of the 13th but didn’t score, and St. Louis prevailed, 9-6. Boxscore

The five-hit game was the first for Torre at any level of play.

“It took me five weeks to do it, though,” Torre said.

In the regularly scheduled game that followed _ the Cardinals rallied from a two-run deficit, scoring two in the ninth and two in the 10th to win 7-5 _ Torre had three hits, giving him a total of eight in the two games that were completed that night.

“Everything was fine except that my heart is pounding too much after those two games,” Torre said.

Said Phillies manager Frank Lucchesi of pitching to Torre: “You just throw the ball and pray.”

Previously: Cards fans cheered when 1954 game forfeited to Phillies

Previously: Why Cardinals traded popular, productive Joe Torre

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(Updated June 27, 2020)

Because he didn’t produce many triples, Joe Torre wasn’t a prime candidate to hit for the cycle. On the night he achieved the feat for the Cardinals, Torre increased the degree of difficulty by nearly removing himself from the game while still in need of a single.

On June 27, 1973, Torre hit for the cycle _ a single, double, triple and home run _ against the Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh.

Jim Rooker, in his first season with the Pirates after pitching for the Tigers and Royals, got his first National League start that Wednesday night versus the Cardinals.

Torre hit a RBI-double off the wall against Rooker in the first inning and a solo home run over the right-field fence in the third.

In the fourth, facing Bob Johnson, Torre hit a triple to left. It was Torre’s second and last triple of the season.

“I didn’t think I’d ever hit for the cycle because I’m not a triples hitter,” Torre told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Needing a single to complete the cycle, Torre grounded into a double play against Johnson in the fifth inning and a drew a walk from Steve Blass in the eighth.

With the Cardinals ahead, 11-4, and figuring he likely wouldn’t get another at-bat, Torre asked manager Red Schoendienst to remove him from the game. Schoendienst, unwilling to concede the possibility of another at-bat for Torre, declined the request.

“You have to give Red an assist _ I’m glad he ignored me this time,” Torre said.

Torre was scheduled to bat fifth in the ninth inning, meaning at least two Cardinals would need to reach base to give Torre a chance at the single.

When the first two batters, Mike Tyson and Reggie Cleveland, both grounded out, the odds of Torre getting an at-bat seemed stacked against him, but Bernie Carbo and Ted Sizemore each worked a walk against Blass, who entered the game with a 9.44 ERA.

That brought Torre to the plate.

“I was pressing like crazy for the single,” he said.

Torre grounded a pitch that bounced past the mound and into center field for a RBI-single. “It was a 3-and-1 pitch and I sure wasn’t going to take another walk,” Torre told the Pittsburgh Press.

As Torre ran from the batter’s box to first base, he clapped his hands the entire way.

“If I would have hit that last ball off the wall, I would have stopped at first base,” Torre said.

Torre became the first Cardinals batter to hit for the cycle since Ken Boyer in 1964. The only Cardinals to do so since: Lou Brock (1975), Willie McGee (1984), Ray Lankford (1991), John Mabry (1996) and Mark Grudzielanek (2005).

“It’s the first time I’ve ever hit for the cycle,” Torre told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I’m not exactly a triples man, you know. It would have been a kick, though, if a lousy single had kept me from getting it.”

In producing the cycle and scoring four runs with three RBI, Torre overshadowed the performance of teammate Ted Simmons, who had his first five-RBI game in the big leagues.

“If I could run, I might be a triples hitter like Joe,” Simmons said to the Associated Press. Boxscore

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An experiment by the Cardinals to play Ted Simmons at third base lasted two games. Simmons made three errors that contributed to two defeats, got booed by Cardinals fans and lashed out at them, saying they lacked perspective and St. Louis didn’t deserve its reputation for being a good sports town.

Fortunately for Simmons, the controversy quickly faded. Simmons continued to be one of St. Louis’ best and most respected athletes, culminating his achievements with his 2020 election to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Power shortage

The 1976 Cardinals were a deeply flawed team. In June, they traded one of their top players, outfielder Reggie Smith, to the Dodgers for a catcher, Joe Ferguson, even though the Cardinals had Simmons at that position.

One of the many problem spots for the 1976 Cardinals was third base. Their 1975 third baseman, Ken Reitz, had earned a Gold Glove Award for his fielding, but the Cardinals traded Reitz to the Giants in December 1975, opening a spot at third base for Hector Cruz, who impressed as a slugger in the minor leagues.

As an everyday third baseman with the 1976 Cardinals, Cruz was a flop. His batting average by July 20 of that season was .194.

Without Smith and with Cruz struggling, Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst sought a run producer to join Simmons in the batting order. Ferguson was his choice. Schoendienst shifted Simmons to third base and put Ferguson at catcher.

Hot corner

On July 21, 1976, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Simmons appeared at third base in a major-league game for the first time.

“Simmons had played a little third base in the minors, a little in spring training and the Florida Instructional League, too,” the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported, “but never in the majors.”

In the 10th, with the score tied at 6-6 and reliever Al Hrabosky in his third inning of work, Bill Russell hit a routine grounder to Simmons at third. Simmons fielded the ball cleanly but threw it over the head of first baseman Keith Hernandez, enabling Russell to reach second. “The last thing I was worried about was throwing the ball away,” Simmons said. “I’ve never had any trouble throwing the ball and I’m not worried about ground balls.”

Ted Sizemore, the former Cardinals infielder, singled to center, scoring Russell and giving the Dodgers a 7-6 victory. Boxscore

“I imagine Simmons will make another error before it’s all over,” Schoendienst said. “At least he didn’t miss the ball. He just made the throw too strong.”

Cockroach game

The next night, July 22, 1976, Simmons was back at third base when the Cardinals faced the Cubs at St. Louis.

The Cardinals committed five errors _ two by Simmons, two by second baseman Vic Harris and one by Ferguson. The Cubs prevailed, 8-4. Five of their runs were unearned. Simmons miscues again led to runs for the opposition.

In the seventh, with two outs and Joe Wallis on third, former Cardinals infielder Mick Kelleher grounded to third. Simmons booted the ball and Wallis scored.

An inning later, with Manny Trillo on third, Larry Biittner on second and two outs, Wallis grounded to deep third. Trillo scored on the infield single. When Simmons threw wildly to first in a futile bid to get Wallis, Biittner scored on the misplay. Boxscore

“The Cardinals have had many low points … but last night’s game was right down there among the cockroaches,” wrote Rick Hummel in the Post-Dispatch.

Said Schoendienst: “It was bad, I’ll say that.”

Restless natives

Fans reacted with boos. Most were directed at Harris and Simmons.

A combative Simmons offered Hummel an exclusive response. His remarks were published in an article in the July 25, 1976, Sunday edition of the Post-Dispatch.

“I think the natives have been like this all along,” Simmons said. “I’ve been here seven years and they haven’t shown me anything in their reactions …

“They’ve got a right to boo, but there are things they have to take into account. They don’t understand what’s happening out there. What they have to understand is … we had a reserve at second base and we had a catcher playing third. If they can’t see past that, then they’re not showing much perspective.

“I don’t want to hear about this being a good sports town … I expect more than what I’ve seen in seven years. I’ve felt this way for a long time.”

Simmons said he didn’t want to leave the Cardinals _ “The ballclub has treated me super.” _ but felt underappreciated by fans.

“I hear people say, ‘Where are they going to hide Simmons? He can hit but he can’t field.’ So I made two errors. Maybe I’m the goat, but I didn’t ask to play third base. They asked me.”

Anticipating the reaction to his remarks, Simmons said, “I suspect I’ll get it when this comes out. I’ve never been quite what the doctor ordered for this town.”

Storm passes

On the day the article appeared, Simmons was held out of the lineup for the Cardinals’ game at Busch Stadium.

The next night, July 26, 1976, the Cardinals played at home against the Pirates. With a left-hander, former teammate Jerry Reuss, starting for the Pirates, Schoendienst benched Hernandez and started Simmons at first base.

When Simmons came to bat for the first time, “the cheers almost drowned out the boos,” Dick Kaegel of the Post-Dispatch reported.

“Not nearly as bad as I thought it might be,” Simmons said. “I was really surprised. I was really happy. I expected the worst and prepared for the worst.”

The game was called off in the fourth inning because of rain.

In 1976, Simmons went on to make 108 starts at catcher, 26 starts at first base, seven starts in left field and two starts at third base.

Simmons never appeared at third base again for the Cardinals, though he would play 16 games at third for the Brewers and 11 games there for the Braves after he was traded by the Cardinals in December 1980.

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