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A dandy dozen shutouts for Bob Forsch, Ted Simmons

Posted in Games, Hitters, Pitchers on August 12, 2015| Leave a Comment »

(Updated Sept. 20, 2023)

In the seven seasons they played together for the Cardinals, Bob Forsch and Ted Simmons formed a special bond. Forsch pitched 12 shutouts during that time, including his first big-league win and a no-hitter, and Simmons was the catcher for each of those dozen gems.

When Forsch debuted with the Cardinals on July 7, 1974, in the first game of a doubleheader against the Reds at Cincinnati, Tim McCarver was the catcher and Simmons played first base. After that, Simmons caught the majority of Forsch’s games while they were Cardinals teammates from 1974-80.

Simmons caught more of Forsch’s games than any other catcher during the pitcher’s 16 seasons in the majors.

Forsch pitched in 498 regular-season games. Simmons was his catcher in 181 of those (or 36 percent), according to baseball-reference.com.

(The catchers who caught Forsch the next-most were Darrell Porter at 85 and Tony Pena at 40. Craig Biggio, inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a second baseman, broke into the major leagues as a catcher and was Forsch’s batterymate in 25 games for the Astros in 1988 and 1989.)

Simmons, who led the Cardinals in RBI for seven consecutive seasons (1972-78), helped Forsch develop into a Cardinals ace. Forsch had a career ERA of 3.76. In games caught by Simmons, Forsch’s ERA was 3.43.

Opponents had a career batting average against Forsch of .261. In games caught by Simmons, foes hit .254 versus Forsch.

“Bob had a work ethic that was unsurpassed, but mainly he had a sinkerball that hitters just couldn’t lift,” Simmons told Cardinals Magazine. “It was such an effective pitch that it wasn’t unusual for him to throw six consecutive sinkers and sometimes as many as 10 in a row.

“Did you ever try to get a bowling ball in the air? A lot of nights, that’s what his sinker was like. The sinker came to him naturally. There is something about the combination of a pitcher’s release and his arm slot that enables him to turn the reverse-side spin of a sinker into a funky pitch. Bob had the gift. The only other pitcher I caught who had a comparable sinker was Mike Caldwell in Milwaukee.”

Here is a breakdown of the shutouts Forsch pitched with Simmons as his catcher:

First win

In his second appearance with the Cardinals _ and his first with Simmons as his catcher _ Forsch pitched a four-hit shutout against the Braves for his first win in the major leagues.

Forsch held the Braves to four singles at St. Louis on July 12, 1974. He also singled off Lew Krausse for his first big-league hit.

Simmons was 1-for-3 with a run scored. He also walked and was hit by a pitch.

The Cardinals supported Forsch with a nine-run first inning and won, 10-0.

“With a lead like that, I just wanted to make sure I didn’t walk anybody,” Forsch said to the Associated Press. Boxscore

Beat the Mets

Forsch yielded a leadoff single to Bud Harrelson, then didn’t give up another hit until the fifth. He pitched a four-hitter in a 3-0 Cardinals victory against the Mets on Sept. 6, 1974, at St. Louis.

Simmons contributed two singles against Jerry Koosman and a double off a former teammate, Harry Parker. Boxscore

Fast start

In the Cardinals’ second game of the season, Forsch pitched a two-hitter in a 4-0 victory over the Expos at St. Louis on April 9, 1975. The Expos were limited to singles by Tony Scott and Barry Foote.

Simmons had a sacrifice fly, a single and a RBI-double off Steve Rogers. Boxscore

Astros grounded

Cesar Cedeno singled in the first, Larry Dierker singled in the third and the Astros were held hitless by Forsch for the rest of the game. Forsch pitched a two-hitter in a 6-0 Cardinals victory at Houston on June 6, 1975.

Simmons had a single, a walk and scored a run. Boxscore

Cubs all wet

In a game delayed by rain for more than two hours at the start, Forsch retired the first 10 Cubs batters in a row before Rick Monday doubled with one out in the fourth. Forsch pitched a four-hitter in a 4-0 triumph on Aug. 2, 1975, at Chicago.

Simmons and Forsch each had a RBI. Boxscore

Big finale

In his last start of the season, Forsch pitched a three-hitter in a 1-0 victory over the Pirates on Sept. 26, 1975, at St. Louis. Simmons drove in the run with a single off Jim Rooker in the first, scoring Lou Brock.

Forsch limited the Pirates to singles by Rennie Stennett, Willie Stargell and Manny Sanguillen. Boxscore

Cruise control

Forsch pitched a three-hitter in a 4-0 Cardinals victory over the Astros at St. Louis on July 21, 1977. Jose Cruz, Forsch’s former teammate, had two of the hits. Enos Cabell had the other. Simmons twice drove in Garry Templeton from third with RBI-groundouts off J.R. Richard. Boxscore

Mets muzzled

After yielding a single to Bruce Boisclair in the first inning, Forsch gave up one other hit _ a Lenny Randle single in the sixth _ in pitching a two-hitter against the Mets on Aug. 17, 1977, at St. Louis.

Simmons had a single and a walk and scored a run in the Cardinals’ 2-0 triumph. Boxscore

Unhittable

Forsch pitched the first of his two no-hitters, beating the Phillies, 5-0, on April 16, 1978, at St. Louis.

“Forsch threw a profound power sinker, and that day it was so powerful that we all knew he was going to throw it, but that wasn’t going to make a bit of difference,” Simmons recalled to Cardinals Magazine.

“By the fifth inning, they realized he was going with his sinker 98 percent of the time and they weren’t going to be able to lift it. If they made contact, it was going to be a groundball and they were going to be out.”

In the ninth, Forsch got Jay Johnstone, Bake McBride, Larry Bowa on groundouts.

Simmons was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Boxscore

On a roll

In his third start after the no-hitter, Forsch pitched a five-hitter in a 9-0 Cardinals victory over the Giants on May 2, 1978, at St. Louis. Simmons and Forsch each had a RBI.

The Giants had three doubles, including one by Jack Clark, and stranded seven. Boxscore

Ted goes deep

Simmons broke a scoreless tie in the seventh with a home run off Burt Hooton and Forsch pitched a three-hitter in a 2-0 Cardinals victory over the Dodgers on May 11, 1978, at Los Angeles.

In the bottom of the ninth, Vic Davalillo, the former Cardinal, led off with a single. Forsch then got Ron Cey to hit into a double play and followed that with a strikeout of Steve Garvey. Boxscore

Phillies baffled

Forsch held the Phillies to three singles _ including one by their 37-year-old catcher, McCarver _ in a 5-0 Cardinals victory on July 27, 1979, at Philadelphia.

Pete Rose and Mike Schmidt were a combined 0-for-6 with a walk against Forsch.

Simmons and Forsch each contributed a RBI. Boxscore

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Willie Davis and his short, strange stay with Cardinals

Posted in Games, Hitters, Trades on August 9, 2015| 16 Comments »

(Updated June 4, 2020)

Unable or unwilling to manage his personal finances, outfielder Willie Davis left the Cardinals during a pennant drive in an effort to protect his wages from being claimed by his ex-wife.

On Aug. 15, 1975, Davis, the Cardinals’ right fielder, was placed on the club’s disqualified list after informing management he was quitting because of financial problems.

The incident added another twist to a bizarre year in which Davis served a stint in jail, got into a shouting match with a manager, staged a protest during a game and got traded twice.

Trouble in Texas

Davis was the center fielder for the Dodgers throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. He appeared in three World Series for them, twice was named an all-star and twice led the National League in triples. He produced a 31-game hitting streak in 1969.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Dodgers shortstop Maury Wills said of Davis, “He was so talented. God really blessed him with some great tools _ for any sport, really _ speed, strength, agility _ everything an athlete needs in order to make the big time.”

Asked about Davis, Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax told ESPN’s Roy Firestone, “There might have been guys who were quicker, but I don’t think anybody was faster going from first to third.”

The Dodgers traded Davis to the Expos in December 1973 and 12 months later the Expos dealt him to the Rangers. Soon after, on Feb. 13, 1975, Davis was released from the Los Angeles County jail after serving two days of a five-day sentence for failure to make child support payments, The Sporting News reported. Davis’ attorney arranged for the release by promising that the Rangers would withhold some of Davis’ salary for alimony and child support payments. Davis agreed to pay about $12,000 in back payments, the Associated Press reported.

Calm before storm

At spring training with the Rangers in 1975, Davis told columnist Melvin Durslag he was at peace because he had become a member of Nichiren Shoshu, a Buddhist religious order based on the teachings of a 13th-century Japanese monk. Davis said he spent one to four hours a day chanting. Believers say chanting enables a person to change bad karma and achieve enlightenment.

“I consider myself better adjusted than anyone else in this game,” Davis said. “That’s because nothing can make me unhappy.”

Two months later, on May 7, 1975, Davis and Rangers manager Billy Martin got into a shouting match after Davis interrupted Martin while the manager was berating the team during a locked-door clubhouse meeting.

“I just can’t play for anybody who wants to keep his foot on my neck,” Davis said, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Three weeks later, Davis staged a protest by petulantly squatting in center field, his glove under his arm, throughout an inning because teammate Steve Hargan didn’t hit a batter with a pitch after a Red Sox pitcher threw at Davis.

Soon after, when the Rangers wouldn’t give Davis a salary advance for the third time, he refused to go with the team on a road trip to Baltimore.

Feeling bad karma, the Rangers looked to trade Davis.

“We’ve been exceedingly lenient with the guy since last winter on all matters pertaining to his financial affairs,” Rangers general manager Dan O’Brien told the Star-Telegram, “but at some point you’ve got to draw the line.”

Cardinals roll dice

The 1975 Cardinals were in the market for a hitter because their rookie first baseman, Keith Hernandez, was overmatched by big-league pitching.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, O’Brien called Cardinals general manager Bing Devine and said, “We’ve got to get rid of Willie Davis. You wouldn’t want him, would you?”

Devine said no, but changed his mind three days later after talks with manager Red Schoendienst and others.

On June 4, 1975, the Cardinals traded shortstop Ed Brinkman and pitcher Tommy Moore to the Rangers for Davis. Hernandez, batting .203, was sent to the minors. The Cardinals switched Reggie Smith from right field to first base and Davis, 35, joined an outfield with Lou Brock in left and Bake McBride in center.

“The Cards took a good gamble with Willie Davis, only if they can get him to stop spending money faster than he runs,” wrote columnist Dick Young.

Devine and Davis said they believed Schoendienst would be key to making the deal successful.

“We take chances on players other teams might not want because of Red Schoendienst’s philosophy,” Devine said. “All Red looks for is a guy’s ability and how he can fit into our picture. Then, when we get a guy, Red leaves him alone.”

Davis said Schoendienst is “a lot like Walter Alston when I was with the Dodgers. Both of them leave you alone and let you enjoy playing this game.”

Schoendienst gave Davis the honor of taking the lineup card to the umpires before his first game with his new team. “With the Cardinals, I know I can play baseball without being suppressed,” Davis said. “I can be loose again.”

Unexpected departure

A left-handed batter, Davis hit .382 for the Cardinals in July.

In early August, Schoendienst was asked why he didn’t fine Davis after the outfielder made a blunder against the Padres. “How can I?” Schoendienst replied. “He doesn’t have any money.”

Davis again had fallen behind in alimony and child support payments. His ex-wife indicated she would seek a court order to have the Cardinals withhold his pay and send the money to her.

Davis said he was quitting rather than having his salary withheld. “I’m going back home and look into starting a new career,” he told the Post-Dispatch. “If I stayed, I’d be playing two months for nothing. That will never take place.”

The Cardinals placed him on the disqualified list and provided attorneys to help Davis resolve the issue, the Associated Press reported.

Regarding Davis’ absence, Brock said, “With him, we had a chance for the pennant. Without, it’s going to be tough.”

Davis’ yearly salary was $110,000. He was due about $30,000 for the remainder of the season, according to United Press International.

After missing five games, Davis and his ex-wife reached an agreement to split his remaining salary in 1975. Davis said she would receive $17,000.

“She’s satisfied and I’m satisfied,” Davis said.

Welcome back

The Cardinals were within 4.5 games of the first-place Pirates when Davis left the club and he was hitting .308.

When he returned, Davis told reporters Buddhism helped him deal with his financial problem. He delivered a few sample chants before dropping a bombshell. “I want a contract for five years and a million dollars,” Davis said. “St. Louis will have the first shot at me, but I won’t care where I go.”

In his first game back from the disqualified list, Davis started in right field, received an ovation from the fans at Busch Stadium and went 4-for-4 with a triple, double and two singles against the Reds’ Gary Nolan. Boxscore

“I felt like I was reborn,” Davis said.

Davis hit .368 in August and his Cardinals batting average entering September was .335. The Cardinals were 20-11 in August and were 72-63 overall, four games out of first place.

Reggie Smith said Davis is “the difference between winning and losing.”

Tough times

In September 1975, Davis swooned and so did the Cardinals. He hit .141 in September. The Cardinals were 10-17 for the month and finished at 82-80 _ 10.5 games behind first-place Pittsburgh.

Davis hit .291 with the 1975 Cardinals, with 50 RBI and 10 stolen bases. His batting average versus right-handed pitching was .329.

The Cardinals sought to trade him and found little interest until Padres president Buzzie Bavasi, who’d been Dodgers general manager when Davis played for them, made an offer.

On Oct. 20, 1975, the Cardinals dealt Davis to the Padres for outfielder Dick Sharon.

After his playing career, Davis “had a very difficult time … living life away from the game,” said Tommy Hawkins, a Dodgers executive.

In 1996, Davis was arrested and charged with threatening to kill his parents and burn down their house unless they gave him $5,000, the Los Angeles Times reported. He was armed with a set of throwing knives and a samurai sword.

Said Bavasi: “There was nothing more exciting than to watch Willie run out a triple. He could have been a Hall of Famer, but he had million-dollar legs and a 10-cent head.”

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Ray Lankford and his stellar debut with Cardinals

Posted in Games, Hitters, Prospects on August 6, 2015| 1 Comment »

(Updated Oct. 17, 2024)

Put at ease by management and welcomed by teammates, including those he might replace, Ray Lankford felt at home with the Cardinals and delivered a stellar performance in his big-league debut.

On Aug. 21, 1990, Lankford, 23, went 2-for-4 with a RBI, a run scored and a stolen base against future Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz of the Braves in his first game with the Cardinals.

Batting sixth and starting in center field, Lankford singled in his first at-bat and swiped second base.

In the eighth, Lankford doubled with two outs, driving in Todd Zeile from second, and scored on a single by Rex Hudler.

“I did a little bit of everything,” Lankford said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I’m happy. I couldn’t have asked for much more.” Boxscore

Top prospect

Lankford was selected by the Cardinals in the third round of the 1987 amateur draft. He and another Cardinals outfield prospect, Bernard Gilkey, became friends and were road roommates with the 1990 Class AAA Louisville farm club.

With Willie McGee eligible to become a free agent after the 1990 season, speculation was Lankford would replace McGee as Cardinals center fielder in 1991.

“When he plays hard, he’s awesome,” Gilkey said of Lankford. “… He reminds me of Kal Daniels of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he plays better defense and he runs better (than Daniels). His style is like Daniels and he’s built like Willie Mays.”

One of the few to cast doubts about Lankford was Whitey Herzog. After abruptly quitting as Cardinals manager in July 1990, Herzog remained with the club as a vice president and was sent in August to scout Cardinals prospects.

“You can talk about prospects all you want, but if you and I are hitting .270 at Louisville … those aren’t good credentials to take Willie McGee’s job,” Herzog said.

The Post-Dispatch reported Herzog said in a Louisville radio interview his opinions on Cardinals prospects “might not be the same” as those of director of player development Ted Simmons. Herzog concluded Lankford could benefit from another season at Class AAA.

No war zone

Disregarding Herzog’s advice, the Cardinals called up Lankford on Aug. 20, 1990. He was batting .260 for Louisville, but had a .362 on-base percentage, with 25 doubles, 72 RBI, 30 stolen bases, 72 walks and 123 hits in 132 games.

After reporting to Busch Stadium on Aug. 21, Lankford met with Simmons, manager Joe Torre and instructor George Kissell in Torre’s office.

“Teddy told him he wasn’t going to Vietnam,” Torre said. “This isn’t war here. Just go out and have a good time.”

Torre met with Cardinals starting outfielders McGee, Vince Coleman and Milt Thompson and explained to them he would start Lankford in center and move McGee to right, putting Thompson on the bench.

Torre said he wanted Lankford to play center “in the event McGee’s not here next year. We want to get him used to the bigger outfield here (at Busch Stadium).”

One of the first to greet Lankford in the clubhouse was Thompson. “I just have to keep my head up and keep working hard,” Thompson said.

McGee and Coleman also were friendly to Lankford. “Willie and Vince are both great players and I’m not here to take any jobs away,” Lankford said.

McGee said he hadn’t played right field since attending Diablo Valley College in California. Asked his reaction to being moved from center to right, McGee said, “I’m the employee. I do what I’m told.”

Let loose

Lankford batted .400 (6-for-15) in his first four games for the Cardinals.

“We’ll baby Lankford a little bit, but we want to get a good read on him so we know what to expect,” Torre said.

Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz endorsed the decision to play Lankford. “The Cardinals need to turn Lankford loose, let him flail away at big-league pitching,” Miklasz wrote. “… Lankford can’t be held back. Stunting his progress at this stage is counterproductive.”

On Aug. 29, 1990, the Cardinals traded McGee to the Athletics for outfielder Felix Jose, infielder Stan Royer and minor-league pitcher Daryl Green.

In 39 games with the 1990 Cardinals, Lankford hit .286 with 10 doubles, eight stolen bases and a .353 on-base percentage.

After getting the chance to see Lankford, Gilkey and Jose play in the big leagues in September 1990, the Cardinals made the trio their regular outfield in 1991.

In the 1991 Cardinals Yearbook, Ted Simmons said of Lankford, “He has the best tools of any prospect we’ve had in the two years I’ve been here (as director of player development). He’s got the kind of tools that are as good as anybody and the kind that should let him have as good a rookie season as anybody.”

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David Eckstein and his walkoff slam for Cardinals

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents on August 3, 2015| Leave a Comment »

(Updated Dec. 21, 2024)

Having already worked one grand slam miracle as an Angel, David Eckstein performed another for the Cardinals.

On Aug. 7, 2005, Eckstein hit a walkoff grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning against Chris Reitsma, lifting the Cardinals to a 5-3 victory over the Braves.

“Every once in a while, you get a miracle like this,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Eckstein, 5-foot-6 and slightly built, appeared better suited for singles than slugging.

However, the feat wasn’t a first for Eckstein. Three years earlier, on April 28, 2002, Eckstein hit a walkoff grand slam for the Angels against Pedro Borbon of the Blue Jays. It was one of three grand slams Eckstein hit for the Angels that season.

Eckstein’s grand slam for the Cardinals against the Braves was the fourth and last of his big-league career.

Subs deliver

The Braves scored a run in the top of the ninth against Jason Isringhausen, extending their lead from 2-1 to 3-1.

Reitsma, a right-hander who had yielded one run over his last 11 appearances and had converted nine consecutive save opportunities, was the choice of Braves manager Bobby Cox to pitch the bottom of the ninth.

Each of the first three Cardinals batters _ Abraham Nunez, So Taguchi and Hector Luna _ singled with two strikes, loading the bases with none out.

Nunez, subbing for injured Scott Rolen, hit a groundball single to center and Taguchi, subbing for injured Larry Walker, followed with a low liner up the middle.

Luna, pinch-hitting for catcher Mike Mahoney, who was subbing for injured Yadier Molina, slapped a grounder that deflected off Reitsma’s glove toward second baseman Marcus Giles. As Taguchi dashed in front of him, Giles tried to scoop the ball and swipe Taguchi with a tag, but he couldn’t get a handle on the ball and all the runners were safe on what was ruled an infield hit.

“If I let that go, maybe we turn two,” Reitsma said to the Associated Press. “You just react in that situation and it hit the top of my glove.”

Said Cox: “We butchered a double-play ball. You tell your pitchers not to touch a ball like that because it’s a routine double play.”

With the bases loaded and none out, La Russa called for Scott Seabol to bat for pitcher Ray King. Seabol, who hadn’t produced a hit for the Cardinals since June 21, popped out to third baseman Wilson Betemit.

Mighty mite

Next up was Eckstein, who had hit four home runs on the season and 21 since entering the major leagues in 2001.

After taking the first pitch from Reitsma for a ball, Eckstein swung at the next and drove the ball over the left-field fence and into the seats. Video

“I was trying to go down and away with a sinker for a double play,” Reitsma told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I just left it down the middle.”

Said Eckstein of his home run swing: “That’s probably all I’ve got right there.” Boxscore

After being mobbed by his teammates at the plate, Eckstein doffed his helmet to the crowd of 47,714 who had turned out on what the Cardinals promoted as Transplant Awareness Day. Eckstein’s father was scheduled to become the fourth family member to receive a kidney transplant.

Walkoff winners

The seven previous walkoff grand slams hit by Cardinals:

_ Pepper Martin hit a grand slam off George Jeffcoat of the Dodgers, breaking a 7-7 tie in the ninth inning and giving the Cardinals an 11-7 victory on July 14, 1936, at St. Louis. Boxscore

_ Joe Cunningham hit a grand slam off Ruben Gomez of the Giants, breaking a 3-3 tie in the ninth and giving the Cardinals a 7-3 victory on July 30, 1957, at St. Louis. Boxscore

_ Carl Taylor hit a grand slam off Ron Herbel of the Padres, erasing a 10-7 San Diego lead in the ninth and giving the Cardinals an 11-10 victory on Aug. 11, 1970, at St. Louis. Boxscore

_ Joe Hague hit a grand slam off Mike Marshall of the Expos, breaking a 6-6 tie in the 10th and giving the Cardinals a 10-6 victory on Sept. 24, 1971, at St. Louis. Boxscore

_ Roger Freed hit a grand slam off Joe Sambito of the Astros, erasing a 6-3 Houston lead in the 11th and giving the Cardinals a 7-6 victory on May 1, 1979, at St. Louis. Boxscore

_ Darrell Porter hit a grand slam off Bob Lacey of the Giants, breaking a 4-4 tie in the 11th and giving the Cardinals an 8-4 victory on July 18, 1984, at St. Louis. Boxscore

_ Tommy Herr hit a grand slam off Jesse Orosco of the Mets, breaking an 8-8 tie in the 10th and giving the Cardinals a 12-8 victory on April 18, 1987, at St. Louis. Boxscore

Since Eckstein’s walkoff grand slam, five other Cardinals achieved the feat:

_ Gary Bennett hit a grand slam off Bob Howry of the Cubs, breaking a 6-6 tie in the ninth and giving the Cardinals a 10-6 victory on Aug. 27, 2006, at St. Louis. Boxscore

_ Aaron Miles hit a grand slam off Bryan Corey of the Padres, breaking a 5-5 tie in the ninth and giving the Cardinals a 9-5 victory on July 20, 2008, at St. Louis. Boxscore

_ Matt Carpenter hit a grand slam against J.P. Howell of the Blue Jays, breaking a 4-4 tie in the 11th and giving the Cardinals an 8-4 victory in the first game of a doubleheader on April 27, 2017, at St. Louis. Boxscore

_ Paul Goldschmidt hit a grand slam against Ryan Borucki with two outs in the 10th for a 7-3 Cardinals victory over the Blue Jays on May 23, 2022, at St. Louis. Boxscore

_ Nolan Arenado hit a curve from Trevor Megill of the Brewers for a grand slam with one out in the 10th inning for a 10-6 Cardinals triumph at St. Louis. Boxscore

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How a lady in red got an at-bat vs. the Cardinals

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents, Pitchers on July 28, 2015| 3 Comments »

(Updated Nov. 28, 2024)

A playful blonde in a flaming red dress gave an unexpected mix of sex appeal and comedy to the first regular-season night game played by the Cardinals.

On a sultry evening in Cincinnati, July 31, 1935, Kitty Burke, 25, a nightclub entertainer, emerged from an overflow crowd at Crosley Field during a game between the Cardinals and Reds, grabbed a bat and stood at the plate, expecting a delivery from St. Louis pitcher Paul Dean.

Amazingly, with the approval of the plate umpire and with the commissioner of baseball watching from the stands, Dean tossed a soft pitch, Burke swung at it and connected with a groundball to the pitcher.

Satisfied, she departed back into the crowd and the game resumed.

Night baseball

Two months earlier, regular-season night baseball had debuted in the major leagues with a game between the Phillies and Reds at Crosley Field.

The Cardinals, who wouldn’t have lights at their home field, Sportsman’s Park, until 1940, were the defending World Series champions in 1935 with a lineup of colorful Gashouse Gang characters such as Dizzy Dean, Pepper Martin, Joe Medwick, Frankie Frisch and Leo Durocher. That made the Cardinals-Reds night game at Cincinnati a big draw, even on a Wednesday.

(In the book “Voices From Cooperstown,” Stan Musial told author Anthony J. Connor, “I always thought I would’ve enjoyed playing in that Gashouse era, although I didn’t have the same color as a guy like Pepper Martin.”)

Crosley Field in 1935 seated 26,060. Thousands more than that turned out for the Cardinals-Reds game and were admitted. Many were in a partying mood.

Out of control

“A big part of the overflow came into the park shortly before game time on special trains from Dayton, Ohio _ and to say that a good many of these excursionists were feeling their oats is putting it mildly,” The Sporting News reported. “They had been hitting it up on the train and were out for a high time. When they found no seats for themselves at the park, they just leaped the field-box fences and made for the foul lines.”

Fans initially stood along both foul lines and in territory behind the plate. When some fans who were seated in box seats had their view of the playing field obstructed by those standing in foul territory, they left their seats and joined those on the grass. Eventually, the crowd swelled so much that spectators “completely encircled Crosley Field,” the Associated Press reported.

Wrote The Sporting News: “Fans were standing right against the base lines and so close behind the catcher that it was impossible for any player to catch a foul ball.”

Official attendance was listed as 30,000. The Sporting News estimated the crowd at 30,450. Among those in attendance were baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis and Reds president Powel Crosley, who stood together for most of the game “because they couldn’t see the field while seated in box seats,” The Sporting News reported.

In the fourth inning, “irate fans stormed the field, holding up the game for 10 minutes” because of mixups in the seating arrangements, according to International News Service.

The Associated Press reported, “Players were forced to shoulder their way through to the plate. The heat _ on Cincinnati’s hottest day of the year _ added to police troubles, a number of fans being ejected from the park for disorderly conduct.”

Sizing up the boozy crowd, third-base umpire Cy Rigler ordered beer sales stopped in the fourth inning.

Kitty takes the stage

From her perch in a field-level seat, Kitty Burke was one of the patrons unable to see the playing field. Described by United Press as “a pretty young blonde wearing a flaming red dress,” Burke attracted attention when she left her seat and joined those standing near the field.

“I had a very good box seat and I figured I was entitled to see the game,” said Burke, “but it seems they oversold the park and about the sixth inning everybody started crowding in front of me … I just joined the crowd, which swarmed down on the field, and found places along the first-base line.”

The Cardinals had taken a 2-1 lead, with one of the runs being scored by Medwick. According to Burke, “The St. Louis players had been crowded out of their dugout by the mob and we were lined up behind them on the field.”

In the eighth inning, Burke found herself within shouting distance of Medwick and the two exchanged good-natured taunts.

Burke: “Medwick, you can’t hit anything.”

Medwick: “You can’t hit anything yourself.”

Burke: “I’d like to show you sometime.”

Medwick: “You can’t hit anything with an elephant.”

(Said Burke to United Press: “I think what he meant was you can’t hit an elephant.”)

Burke: “I’ll show you.”

Babe helps a babe

Burke looked toward the plate and saw a Reds player, Babe Herman.

Said Burke to United Press: “I yelled, ‘Hey, Babe, lend me your bat.’ ”

Herman said, “OK, Sis,” and handed the bat to the lady in red.

“Babe always is accommodating to his public,” The Sporting News slyly noted.

Said Burke: “So I took the bat up to the plate and made up my mind I was going to sock one if I had to stay there all night. (Dean) was on the mound when I came up, but was looking toward the outfield. You should have seen the dumb expression on his face when he turned around and saw me. He didn’t know what to do.”

The plate umpire, Bill Stewart, did nothing to stop Burke.

“The umpire was a good egg and yelled. ‘Play ball!’ ” Burke said.

Said The Sporting News: “How Stewart let her get away with it is beyond explanation. She would have had no chance pulling that on Bill Klem or some of the other umpires.”

Dean plays along

Dean, younger brother of Dizzy, was nicknamed Daffy. Burke yelled to him, “Hey, you hick, why don’t you go home and milk the cows?”

Said Burke: “That must have got him, because he started winding up to burn one in. I asked myself, ‘Should I get out of here?’ but just then Pepper Martin yells, ‘Take it easy, Daf.’ So, Daffy just grinned and lobbed one across.”

Dean made an underhanded toss.

Burke swung and hit a grounder to Dean.

Said Burke: “I smacked it … but Daffy was on first with the ball, waiting for me.”

Burke took a few steps up the line, then veered back toward the crowd.

“I saw that he had me beaten, so I stopped,” Burke said.

Before she departed, though, she gave a parting shot to Medwick.

“I said to Medwick, ‘I hit that one, didn’t I, big boy?” He was a good sport and said, ‘Yes.’ ”

When play resumed, the Reds scored two in the eighth to take the lead, the Cardinals rallied to tie the score, 3-3, in the ninth and the Reds rewarded their fans with a run in the 10th for a 4-3 victory. Boxscore

Previously: Why 1940 was year Cardinals saw the light

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How Ted Williams could have played for Cardinals

Posted in Hitters, Records on July 19, 2015| 2 Comments »

(Updated Nov. 19, 2024)

Concerned he would become forgotten in their vast minor-league system, Ted Williams rejected an offer to begin his professional career with the Cardinals.

If he would have signed with the Cardinals, Williams likely would have been in their organization at the same time as Stan Musial, making it possible the 1940s Cardinals could have had two of the game’s best left-handed hitters, Musial and Williams, in the same lineup.

Instead, Williams played two years with his hometown minor-league San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League before signing with the Red Sox. In his only World Series, Williams opposed Musial and the Cardinals in 1946.

Meet me in St. Louis

In the book “Voices From Cooperstown,” Williams told author Anthony J. Connor that as a youth his favorite player was Giants first baseman Bill Terry. Williams said, “I’d be playing, or just swinging a bat, and I’d say to myself, ‘Bill Terry’s up, last of the ninth, bases loaded, 3-and-2 count.’ You know how kids announce their own games.”

In 1935, Williams was in his junior year at Herbert Hoover High School in San Diego. Playing mostly outfield and first base, he hit .588 in 15 games and also pitched, posting a 4-2 record.

Herb Benninghoven, a scout for the Cardinals in San Diego, took notice of Williams, began attending his games and befriended him.

In his book “My Turn at Bat,” Williams recalled Benninghoven would sit “way out in the outfield, looking at me with field glasses.”

Often, after games, Benninghoven “might drive Ted home, and they’d talk baseball, or he’d invite the boy over to his house. His wife was always cooking and baking something good,” wrote Ben Bradlee Jr. in his book “The Kid: The Immortal Life of Ted Williams.”

On Aug. 6, 1935, the San Diego Evening Tribune reported Williams had been invited to try out for the Cardinals in St. Louis. It was the first public indication Williams was considered a professional baseball prospect.

“Ted Williams, slim Herbert Hoover High pitcher, with whom local diamond fans are well acquainted, has received an offer to try out with the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League,” the Evening Tribune wrote. “Herb Benninghoven … tendered the offer and informed Williams his expenses would be taken care of should he care to make the trip east for the trial.”

The newspaper added, “Doubt was expressed that Ted would accept, however, since he still has one more year of high school and should he go into organized baseball he would be declared ineligible for further high school competition.”

Williams still was 16 _ he would turn 17 a few weeks later on Aug. 30, 1935 _ and speculation was his parents didn’t want him to leave home yet.

He didn’t attend the Cardinals tryout and instead returned to high school for his senior year.

In hot pursuit

Meanwhile, the Yankees joined the Cardinals in pursuing Williams. The Yankees offered Williams a chance to play for their Oakland affiliate in the Pacific Coast League and, according to the Bradlee book, Williams and his family agreed in principle that he would sign with New York after he graduated from high school.

Still, the suitors kept arriving, most notably the Tigers and Pacific Coast League Los Angeles Angels. Benninghoven and the Cardinals hadn’t given up either.

In January 1936, in the middle of Williams’ senior year, San Diego was granted a franchise in the Pacific Coast League and the team was named the Padres. Soon after, Benninghoven, looking to sign Williams before he graduated, invited him to attend a Cardinals tryout camp in Fullerton, Calif. This time, Williams accepted.

Cardinals general manager Branch Rickey, originator of their farm system, was overseeing the tryout camp. The night before, Williams was hit by a pitch in the thigh during a game. At the tryout camp, his sore thigh hampered his mobility and Rickey was unimpressed by Williams, according to the Bradlee book.

“That sore leg made me look like I was anchored,” Williams said in his autobiography. “I was discouraged, I didn’t hit particularly well, and they hardly gave me a look.”

Still, because of a strong endorsement from Benninghoven, the Cardinals offered Williams a contract, but he spurned the offer.

In “My Turn at Bat,” Williams said of the Cardinals, “They would have probably sent me to Oshkosh or Peoria or someplace, because they had a huge farm system and you could get lost.”

Bound for Boston

Money also may have been a factor in Williams’ decision to reject the Cardinals.

When Benninghoven died in January 1970, an obituary by the Associated Press reported, “He once said he missed signing Ted Williams out of high school when the St. Louis Cardinals refused an extra $1,000 which Williams demanded.”

Williams also turned his back on the Yankees and instead, with his parents urging him to stay home, signed with the Pacific Coast League Padres.

After two seasons with the Padres, Williams, 19, signed with the Red Sox in December 1937. He played one year for their Minneapolis farm team, joined the Red Sox in 1939 and embarked on a Hall of Fame career in which he would hit .344 with 521 home runs and 1,839 RBI with Boston. In 1941, Williams hit .406, becoming the last big-league player to achieve a .400 batting average.

In 104 American League games at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis against the Browns, Williams hit .399 and had an on-base percentage of .531.

Two years after Williams first appeared with the Red Sox, Musial, who had converted from pitcher to outfielder, debuted with the 1941 Cardinals and launched his own Hall of Fame career in which he would hit .331 with 475 home runs and 1,951 RBI in 22 years with St. Louis.

In his book “Stan Musial: The Man’s Own Story,” Musial said of Williams: “Ted was a once-in-a-generation hitter, the best in our time. He knew his art and he knew his (opposing) pitchers. He had a keen appreciation of the strike zone, a great eye, quick hands and power.”

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