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Ken Griffey Jr. and his memorable games vs. Cardinals

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents on December 31, 2015| Leave a Comment »

(Updated Jan. 6, 2016)

Born in the same town and on the same day in November as Stan Musial, Ken Griffey Jr. entered this world with a powerful Cardinals connection. He strengthened that special bond by joining Musial as an outfielder in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

ken_griffey_jrGriffey, on the ballot for the first time, was elected to the Cooperstown, N.Y., shrine on Jan. 6, 2016. He got 99.3 percent of the votes from members of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Like Musial, Griffey was born in Donora, Pa., on Nov. 21. Musial’s birth year was 1920 and Griffey’s was 1969 _ the same year Musial was elected to the Hall of Fame with 93.2 percent of the vote in his first year of eligibility.

Musial and Griffey each batted left-handed and each played 22 years in the majors. Musial spent his entire career with the Cardinals from 1941 through 1963, with a year off in 1945 for military service. Griffey played for the Mariners, Reds and White Sox from 1989-2010.

Key career statistics for each:

Musial: 3,630 hits, 475 home runs, 1,951 RBI, 725 doubles, 6,134 total bases, .331 batting average and .417 on-base percentage.

Griffey: 2,781 hits, 630 home runs, 1,836 RBI, 524 doubles, 5,271 total bases, .284 batting average and .370 on-base percentage.

In 74 career games versus the Cardinals, all with the Reds, Griffey produced 74 hits, 22 home runs and 51 RBI.

He batted .289 with a .382 on-base percentage against St. Louis.

In chronological order, here are four of Griffey’s most memorable performances versus the Cardinals:

What a walkoff

On Aug. 20, 2001, Griffey hit an 11th-inning walkoff inside-the-park home run against reliever Andy Benes, breaking a 4-4 tie and carrying the Reds to a 5-4 victory at Cincinnati. The Cardinals had an 11-game winning streak snapped and the Reds ended an eight-game losing skid.

With one out and no one on in the 11th, Griffey hit a drive to left-center field. Outfielders Jim Edmonds and Kerry Robinson raced toward the ball. Edmonds leaped against the wall, but the ball eluded him, caromed off his foot and rolled along the warning track toward the left-field corner. Robinson gave chase.

Griffey circled the bases and scored. “It probably was one of the most bizarre games I’ve ever been in,” Griffey said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Boxscore and Video

Four-hit game

Three nights later, Griffey came close to hitting for the cycle against the Cardinals on Aug. 23, 2001, at Cincinnati.

Griffey was 4-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored in a 12-2 Reds victory. He had two doubles and a single versus Bud Smith and a home run against Benes.

In the fourth inning, Griffey nearly turned his second double into a triple.

According to The Cincinnati Post, Griffey’s drive “hit off the base of the wall in center and Griffey, gimpy hamstring and all, never hesitated coming around second.”

Edmonds threw to the relay man, second baseman Fernando Vina, who fired the ball to third baseman Albert Pujols.

“The relay throw to third got him by no more than a few inches, keeping Griffey from his cycle,” The Post reported.

In his postgame remarks to the Post-Dispatch, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said of Griffey, “We sure didn’t pitch him very tough.” Boxscore

Milestone home run

After a visit from Musial, Griffey hit his 500th career home run on June 20, 2004, Father’s Day, in St. Louis.

Musial, who played on the same high school baseball team in Donora with Buddy Griffey, grandfather of Ken Griffey Jr., met with the Reds outfielder near the clubhouse before the game.

Musial then went home to watch the game on television. Attending the game at the stadium were Griffey’s mother, Birdie, and father, Ken Griffey Sr., who was the right fielder for the Reds’ World Series championship clubs in 1975 and 1976.

Birdie had told her son this would be the day he would hit his milestone home run.

Leading off the sixth inning, Griffey launched a 2-and-2 pitch from Matt Morris over the right field wall, becoming the 20th player to achieve 500 home runs.

“I started smiling when I rounded second base,” Griffey told the Dayton Daily News. “I saw my dad sitting behind third base … He’s the person I wanted to be. He was my hero and he taught me everything.”

Recalling his mother’s prediction, Griffey said, “When I hit it, the first reaction was, ‘My mom is always right.’ ”

A delighted Musial told the Post-Dispatch, “I was rooting for him. It was great. The Griffeys are a nice family.” Boxscore and Video

The ball was caught by Mark Crummley, 19, a student at Southern Illinois University. Wearing a Pujols jersey, Crummley offered to give the ball to Griffey without compensation. He was taken to the Reds clubhouse, met Griffey and was given souvenirs, including the jersey Griffey wore at the end of the game.

Griffey was the second player to hit his 500th home run at Busch Memorial Stadium since the ballpark opened in 1966. The other was the Cardinals’ Mark McGwire off Andy Ashby of the Padres on Aug. 5, 1999.

New park, familiar result

On June 5, 2006, in his first game at the new Busch Stadium, Griffey lifted the Reds to an 8-7 comeback victory over the Cardinals.

Griffey was 3-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored. He had a solo home run and a double off starter Jeff Suppan, but the most damaging hit came against closer Jason Isringhausen in the ninth.

With one out and the Cardinals ahead, 7-5, the Reds had runners on second and third. Though first base was open, Isringhausen worked to Griffey, with Adam Dunn on deck.

“It was a pretty good position to hit, knowing that I couldn’t hit into a double play,” Griffey said.

With the count full, Isringhausen grooved a fastball that Griffey hit for a three-run home run.

“I just settled down and got a pitch not in the zone he wanted,” Griffey said.

Said Isringhausen: “Bad night, bad location … I’ve never had this bad of command in my career.” Boxscore

 

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How Mike Matheny helped lure Matt Morris to Giants

Posted in Opponents, Pitchers on December 21, 2015| Leave a Comment »

In a quest to bolster their starting rotation for the 2006 season, the Cardinals pursued A.J. Burnett and Javier Vazquez. Only after both efforts failed did the Cardinals turn to one of their own, Matt Morris. Too late. Mike Matheny had helped woo Morris to the Giants.

matt_morris2Rejecting the Cardinals’ request to accept a hometown discount, Morris, a free agent, signed with the Giants on Dec. 13, 2005.

Matheny played a significant role in advising Morris.

“I would not discount the presence of Mike Matheny as a factor in Matt’s decision,” Barry Axelrod, Morris’ agent, told the San Francisco Chronicle. “It was not the overwhelming factor, but a factor.”

Slap in the face

As the Cardinals’ starting catcher from 2000 through 2004, Matheny caught Morris each of those seasons, including 2001 when the right-hander led the National League with 22 wins.

“Matt has a tremendous confidence with Mike and they’ve had a good experience together in the past,” Axelrod said.

Matheny became a free agent after the 2004 season. He wanted to remain with St. Louis and the Cardinals wanted to keep him. The Giants, though, made the best financial offer and Matheny accepted.

Morris, who had a 101-62 record and 3.61 ERA in eight seasons with the Cardinals, faced a situation similar to what Matheny had experienced. The Cardinals offered to keep him, but the Giants proposed a more lucrative deal.

“Early on, Matt and I talked and I knew he was going to have some decisions to make,” Matheny said to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “… It didn’t sound like (the Cardinals) were putting him high on their priority list. I know that’s a slap in the face. I’ve been in that same situation.”

Second-half fade

Morris, 31, was part of a 2005 Cardinals starting rotation that included Chris Carpenter, Jason Marquis, Mark Mulder and Jeff Suppan. In 31 starts for the 2005 Cardinals, Morris was 14-10 with a 4.11 ERA. He placed second on the club in strikeouts (117) but also gave up the second-most hits (209) while pitching the fifth-most innings (192.2).

After posting a 10-2 record and 3.10 ERA before the 2005 all-star break, Morris was 4-8 with a 5.32 ERA in the season’s second half. In five September starts, Morris was 0-4 with a 4.08 ERA.

Morris did start and win the Cardinals’ clincher in the 2005 NL Division Series versus the Padres. However, he was 0-1 with a 5.06 ERA in the NL Championship Series against the Astros.

Bidding game

The Cardinals’ top priority after the 2005 season was to sign A.J. Burnett, 28, who became a free agent after posting 12 wins with 198 strikeouts for the 2005 Marlins. The finalists for Burnett were the Blue Jays and Cardinals. “The Cardinals are still in this thing,” Darek Braunecker, Burnett’s agent, told the Post-Dispatch on Dec. 1, 2005.

“When I saw them going after A.J. that hard, we got it in our mind that I wasn’t going to be in their plans,” Morris said of the Cardinals. “We started exploring some other options.”

The Cardinals offered Burnett a contract with an annual value of $10 million, but wouldn’t guarantee a fifth year, the Post-Dispatch reported. Burnett accepted the Blue Jays’ offer of a five-year contract for $55 million.

Next, the Cardinals talked with the Diamondbacks about a trade for Javier Vazquez, 29, who had 11 wins with 192 strikeouts for Arizona in 2005. The proposed deal fell apart when the Diamondbacks wouldn’t agree to pay a portion of Vazquez’s salary over the next two years, according to the Post-Dispatch.

Matt matters

Morris suddenly had the Cardinals’ full attention.

“Our interest in maintaining a strong rotation brings us to Matt,” Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said.

The Cardinals offered Morris a two-year contract with a club option for a third. The deal would pay Morris $13 million over two years and another $7 million if the option was used for a third, according to the Post-Dispatch.

“I hope Matt would sign for less here than somewhere else,” Jocketty said. “He may not, but we’d like to have him back.”

Feeling wanted

Morris, though, was receiving interest from several teams, most especially the Rangers and Giants.

He informed the Cardinals they were out of the running. “I don’t think they were serious about signing me,” Morris said to Rick Hummel of the Post-Dispatch.

Admitting that “it’s hard to let go,” Morris added, “I think St. Louis (with its offer) made the decision a little easier.”

Morris rejected a three-year, $25 million offer from the Rangers and accepted a three-year, $27 million contract from the Giants.

At a news conference, Morris said, “I had a great run with St. Louis. They’re a class organization and they treated me great throughout my years there.”

Said Matheny of Morris: “He’s intense. He’s one of those guys you know you’re going to get everything he’s got.”

Morris, though, wasn’t the pitcher for the Giants that he had been for the Cardinals. He was 10-15 with a 4.98 ERA in 2006 and 10-11 with a 4.89 ERA in 2007 before finishing his career with the 2008 Pirates.

After losing out on Burnett, Vazquez and Morris, the Cardinals signed Sidney Ponson, who had been released by the Orioles, to join a projected 2006 starting rotation with Carpenter, Marquis, Mulder and Suppan.

 

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Why Cardinals wanted Royce Clayton as their shortstop

Posted in Hitters, Opponents, Pitchers, Trades on December 18, 2015| Leave a Comment »

(Updated March 18, 2022)

Seeking a replacement for Ozzie Smith, the Cardinals needed a shortstop who possessed exceptional fielding skills, self-confidence and diplomacy. They chose Royce Clayton.

royce_claytonOn Dec. 14, 1995, the Cardinals traded pitchers Allen Watson, Rich DeLucia and Doug Creek to the Giants for Clayton and minor-league second baseman Chris Wimmer.

The Cardinals figured they no longer could count on Smith to be their shortstop. Smith, who turned 41 in December 1995, had been limited to 41 starts during the 1995 season because of a shoulder injury.

Two free-agent shortstops _ Greg Gagne and Walt Weiss _ had been pursued by the Cardinals, but were reluctant to succeed Smith. The Cardinals also had talked with the Athletics about a trade for shortstop Mike Bordick, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

In early December 1995, the Cardinals intensified their efforts to obtain Clayton.

Heir apparent

Clayton, who turned 26 three weeks after the Cardinals acquired him, was “one of the top two or three shortstops in our league,” Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said.

“The Ozzie Smith Era didn’t end officially, but it might as well have,” Post-Dispatch writer Rick Hummel surmised in his report about the trade.

Jocketty said the starting shortstop would be determined during spring training. “It seemed clear, though, that the Cardinals did not acquire Clayton to be a backup,” Hummel wrote.

Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz concluded the Cardinals “made a good trade” and urged them to declare Clayton the starter.

“The Cardinals didn’t send three pitchers to San Francisco so they could park Clayton in the dugout,” Miklasz wrote. “He’s taking over, so be straight with the fans, be straight with Ozzie. Clayton is the shortstop. That’s the obvious reality. Adults can handle it, and Ozzie will have to deal with it.”

Smith, though, had no plans to retire or accept a shift to second base. He also didn’t want to relinquish the starting shortstop spot.

Asked about manager Tony La Russa’s statement that an “open competition” would be held for the shortstop job, Smith told Hummel, “”What I’ve done over 18 years speaks for itself. But they seem to have made decisions already. Baseball is a challenge and adversity also is part of the challenge. True champions have a way of dealing with adversity. And I look at myself that way. We’ll deal with this head-on and see what happens.”

Said Clayton after the trade: “I have the utmost respect for Ozzie. I feel honored asked to be coming in after Ozzie. If he decides to stick around, it can be nothing but a positive situation.”

Ozzie fan

In 1982, when Clayton was 12, his father took him to see Smith play for the Cardinals at Dodger Stadium.

“When we left the game that night, I told my dad I wanted to play shortstop like Ozzie,” Clayton said. “God blessed me. Now, playing in the same uniform with him is like a dream.”

Clayton debuted with the Giants in 1991 and became their everyday shortstop in 1992, replacing a former Cardinal, Jose Uribe.

With the 1995 Giants, Clayton led NL shortstops in games (136), putouts (223) and assists (411). He produced 29 doubles, 58 RBI and 24 stolen bases. His batting average, though, was .244 and his on-base percentage was a measly .298. He struck out a team-high 109 times.

“Clayton is a phenomenal defensive shortstop _ maybe the best in San Francisco Giants history _ but his bat may never come around,” wrote Tim Keown of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Clayton said his 1995 batting average was low because he was under orders to focus on RBI. Keown conceded “Clayton may also benefit from a breakup with (Giants) hitting coach Bobby Bonds. The relationship hasn’t done much for either man’s career.”

Said Giants manager Dusty Baker of Clayton: “He’s going to a great manager in Tony and an outstanding batting instructor in George Hendrick. I hope the city of St. Louis gives Royce a chance to be Royce. It’s hard to follow a superstar. A lot of times, they expect to see a reincarnation of Ozzie.”

Tony tabs Clayton

As Baker predicted, Clayton clicked with Hendrick at Cardinals training camp in spring 1996. “I’ve learned more from George in spring training than I have in my whole career,” Clayton told Cardinals Magazine. “It’s really unbelievable.”

Hendrick said, “Royce is a very intelligent young man and those kinds of guys are normally very easy to work with. I don’t try to change anybody. I just try to alert them to how pitchers are getting them out and give them an approach as to what the pitchers are trying to do to them.”

At the end of spring training, Smith thought he had performed better than Clayton, but Smith was held out of the Opening Day lineup because of a hamstring injury.

La Russa started Clayton in the first six games of the 1996 season, all on the road, and gave Smith the start in the Cardinals’ home opener. Still hampered by a sore hamstring, Smith went on the 15-day disabled list after that game.

By the time Smith was activated, Clayton was established as the shortstop.

Clayton started in 111 games for the 1996 Cardinals, made 15 errors and had a fielding percentage of .972. He hit .277 with 33 stolen bases.

Smith started in 50 games for the 1996 Cardinals, made eight errors and had a fielding percentage of .969. He hit .282 with seven stolen bases.

All three pitchers acquired by the Giants in the deal for Clayton struggled in 1996. Their numbers: Watson (8-12, 4.61 ERA in 29 games), DeLucia (3-6, 5.84 ERA in 56 games) and Creek (0-2, 6.52 ERA in 63 games).

Smith retired after the 1996 season and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002.

In 1997, Clayton had a stellar season for the Cardinals. He was named an all-star, led NL shortstops in assists and hit .266 with 39 doubles, 61 RBI and 30 steals.

On July 31, 1998, Clayton and pitcher Todd Stottlemyre were traded by the Cardinals to the Rangers for third baseman Fernando Tatis, pitcher Darren Oliver and outfielder Mark Little. In three seasons with St. Louis, Clayton batted .262 with 372 hits in 373 games.

 

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Why Cardinals pounced on A’s offer for Joaquin Andujar

Posted in Executives, Hitters, Opponents, Pitchers, Trades on December 15, 2015| 4 Comments »

Heading into the 1985 winter meetings, the Cardinals were willing to trade ace Joaquin Andujar for either a left-handed starting pitcher or a first-string catcher. They found a club willing to give them both.

joaquin_andujar8On Dec. 10, 1985, the defending National League champion Cardinals dealt Andujar to the Athletics for catcher Mike Heath and pitcher Tim Conroy.

Heath, 30, was acquired to replace Darrell Porter, who had been released. Conroy, 25, was expected to compete for a spot in the Cardinals’ 1986 rotation alongside John Tudor, Danny Cox, Bob Forsch and Kurt Kepshire.

Neither Heath nor Conroy worked out the way the Cardinals had hoped and Andujar never achieved with the Athletics the success he had with St. Louis.

Behind the numbers

Though Andujar, 32, had an impressive regular season for the 1985 Cardinals _ 21-12 record with 10 complete games and 269.2 innings pitched _ his performance in the second half and in the postseason triggered concern.

For example:

_ Andujar was 1-3 with a 5.30 ERA in six September starts in 1985 and 0-2 with a 7.88 ERA in two regular-season October starts.

_ In the NL Championship Series against the Dodgers, Andujar was 0-1 with a 6.97 ERA in two starts. In the World Series versus the Royals, he made two appearances and was 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA.

_ He had a meltdown in Game 7 of the World Series, getting into a confrontation with home plate umpire Don Denkinger and being ejected. Peter Ueberroth, commissioner of baseball, suspended Andujar for the first 10 games of the 1986 season. Video at the 1:38 mark

Look the other way

At home in the Dominican Republic, Andujar told Braves shortstop Rafael Ramirez that people from Anheuser-Busch, the brewery that owned the Cardinals, called him and said he’d never pitch for the club again, columnist Peter Gammons reported in The Sporting News.

Dal Maxvill, Cardinals general manager, denied being told to trade Andujar. “There has not been interference from above,” Maxvill said to The Sporting News.

In comments about Andujar to St. Louis reporter Rick Hummel, Maxvill added, “I know he’s kind of crazy and I know he’s unusual, but you have to look the other way when the performance is there.”

In his 1987 book “White Rat: A Life in Baseball,” Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog admitted, “It’s been reported that Maxvill and I were ordered to trade Joaquin and I won’t deny that. I will say, though, that he might well have been traded anyway. The other players were tired of his griping and his bitching. It had gotten to the point where he was dividing the clubhouse.”

No deal

The White Sox approached the Cardinals and proposed a deal of left-handed starter Britt Burns for Andujar and pitcher Ricky Horton. Burns was 18-11 for the 1985 White Sox. The Cardinals, however, “backed off because they were concerned about a hip injury of which Burns complains,” Hummel reported.

The Cardinals approached the Red Sox and offered Andujar, Horton, Kepshire and reliever Jeff Lahti for left-handed starter Bruce Hurst, who was 11-13 for Boston in 1985.

The Red Sox rejected the offer because they were given “an immediate take-it-or-leave-it deadline” by the Cardinals and they “were afraid of taking on Andujar” and his problems, Gammons reported.

Headcases OK

The Athletics were seeking a proven winner for their rotation. They offered their starting catcher, Heath, and one selection from a pool of pitchers. The Cardinals chose Conroy.

To the Athletics, Andujar’s pitching trumped his image.

“There’s nothing wrong with a headcase or two _ as long as you don’t have eight,” Sandy Alderson, Athletics general manager, told the Sacramento Bee. “This was not a multi-headcase deal.”

To the San Jose Mercury News, Alderson said, “Flamboyance is not criminal.”

Herzog had advice for Athletics pitching coach Wes Stock, who had been Herzog’s teammate with the Orioles. “Whitey told me Joaquin still needs to be coddled,” Stock said. “He told me not to forget that.”

Asked his reaction to the trade, Andujar told St. Louis radio station KMOX, “I feel surprised. Like I always said, I wanted to die in St. Louis … I leave my heart in St. Louis.”

Unhappy Heath

Heath hit .250 with 13 home runs and 55 RBI for the 1985 Athletics. He caught 38 percent of runners attempting to steal.

According to The Sporting News, Heath asked to be traded. He feuded with Oakland management after being told he’d play only versus left-handed pitching in 1986.

“I felt I was an everyday player and I felt I would not be happy,” Heath said.

In a parting shot at the Athletics, Heath added, “When Mike Heath steps on the field, his No. 1 objective is to win. No. 2 is to win and No. 3 is to win. With the A’s, No. 1 was being compatible and No. 2 was winning.”

Change for Conroy

Conroy was 0-1 with a 4.26 ERA in 16 games for the 1985 Athletics. At Class AAA Tacoma that season, Conroy was 11-3 in 22 starts.

A first-round selection of the Athletics in the 1978 draft, Conroy made his major-league debut at age 18. In five seasons with the Athletics, Conroy was 10-19 with a 4.37 ERA.

“We probably pushed him too quickly,” Alderson said.

Conroy “had to get out of our organization … The mental strain had become too great,” Stock told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Said Herzog: “We’ve liked Conroy for a long time … We feel he was rushed in Oakland and was under too much pressure to succeed.”

The results

Heath hit .205 with four home runs and 25 RBI for the 1986 Cardinals. He caught 33 percent of runners attempting to steal.

On Aug. 10, 1986, the Cardinals traded Heath to the Tigers for pitcher Ken Hill and first baseman Mike Laga.

Conroy was 5-11 with a 5.23 ERA in 25 appearances for the 1986 Cardinals. He was 3-2 with a 5.53 ERA for St. Louis in 1987, his last big-league season. In two years with the Cardinals, Conroy was 8-13 with a 5.31 ERA.

Andujar was 12-7 with a 3.82 ERA in 28 appearances for the 1986 Athletics. He was 3-5 with a 6.08 ERA for Oakland in 1987. In two seasons with the Athletics, Andujar was 15-12 with a 4.46 ERA.

Previously: How Hub Kittle got Joaquin Andujar to Cardinals

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Why Cardinals dealt Ken Reitz after Gold Glove season

Posted in Hitters, Opponents, Pitchers, Prospects, Trades on December 12, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Enticed by the chance to add a left-hander to the starting rotation and a potential power hitter to the batting order, the Cardinals gave up a Gold Glove Award winner at third base.

ken_reitzThe deal didn’t work out the way either the Cardinals or Giants envisioned.

On Dec. 8, 1975, the Cardinals traded third baseman Ken Reitz to the Giants for pitcher Pete Falcone.

Though Reitz had been awarded the National League Gold Glove for his defensive work at third base in 1975, the Cardinals thought he was expendable because of the availability of Hector Cruz, who had excelled as a slugging third baseman for manager Ken Boyer at Class AAA Tulsa.

When Boyer, a five-time Gold Glove winner and seven-time all-star as a Cardinals third baseman, endorsed Cruz, the Cardinals were confident in dealing Reitz.

“Boyer is very high on Cruz,” Cardinals general manager Bing Devine said to the Associated Press.

Carpet cleaner

Reitz debuted with the Cardinals in 1972 and was their everyday third baseman from 1973-75. He led NL third basemen in fielding percentage in 1973 and 1974.

Mike Shannon, a Cardinals broadcaster and former third baseman, dubbed Reitz “Zamboni” because, like the machine, he cleaned up everything in his path on the artificial turf carpet at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

The Sporting News praised Reitz for having “quick hands, an extremely accurate arm, superb lateral movement.”

Reitz, 24, committed 23 errors in 1975. Noting that only eight of those errors allowed scoring or led to scoring, The Sporting News wrote that Reitz’s “great stops and throws helped save many a game” and he “has displayed the same knack shown by such former Cardinals as Ken Boyer, Julian Javier and Dal Maxvill. They rarely killed you with an error in a tight situation.”

Reitz hit .269 for the 1975 Cardinals, with five home runs and 63 RBI.

Top prospect

In contrast, Cruz, 22, batted .306 with 29 home runs and 116 RBI in 115 games for Tulsa in 1975. He made 17 errors in 289 chances at third base.

Cruz, whose brothers Jose and Tommy had been Cardinals outfielders, was named winner of the 1975 Most Valuable Player Award in the American Association and Minor League Player of the Year by The Sporting News.

“He has been the best ballplayer in the minor leagues the past two years,” said Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst.

Devine told United Press International: “We feel he’s ready.”

Falcone fits

The Cardinals saw the Giants as an ideal trade partner. The Giants needed a third baseman and they had starting pitching depth.

Falcone, 22, debuted with the Giants in 1975, posting a 12-11 record and 4.17 ERA in 32 starts. He struck out 131 and issued a team-high 111 walks.

The Cardinals’ only other potential left-handed starter was John Curtis. The Cardinals envisioned Falcone joining a 1976 rotation with Bob Forsch, John Denny, Lynn McGlothen and either Eric Rasmussen or Curtis.

“We didn’t have any good left-hand pitching prospects in the minor leagues,” said Schoendienst. “We hope to start Falcone. That’s what we acquired him for.”

The Giants were seeking a defensive upgrade at third base. Their primary starter in 1975, Steve Ontiveros, hit .289 but committed 21 errors in 89 games at third base.

Jerry Donovan, assistant to Giants owner Horace Stoneham, said, “We haven’t had a third baseman since Jimmy Davenport retired (in 1970).”

Donovan, who engineered the trade with Devine, added, “We hated to give up Pete, but we needed a third baseman badly. The Cards insisted on Falcone if we were to make the deal.”

Giants fan

Reitz was born in San Francisco and grew up in nearby Daly City. As a youth, he would scale a fence to get into Giants games at Candlestick Park. He watched as many as 60 games a season there, according to the Oakland Tribune.

His favorite player was first baseman Willie McCovey. Like McCovey with the Giants, Reitz wore No. 44 with the Cardinals.

Still, Reitz was stunned and initially disappointed to be traded. He and his wife had bought a house in St. Louis.

“I thought they’d stick with me for a couple of more years at least,” said Reitz. “I thought there was maybe one chance in 100 that I’d be traded.”

Falcone was working an off-season job as a salesman in the New York garment center while staying with his parents in Brooklyn.

“When I first learned about (the trade), I was a little mad,” said Falcone. “It was a shock. Now that I’ve thought it all over, I kind of like the idea of going to St. Louis and getting out of the cold and fog.”

How they fared

In 1976, Falcone was 12-16 with a 3.23 ERA in 32 starts for St. Louis. He led the 1976 Cardinals in strikeouts (138) and innings pitched (212) and was second in wins.

After beating the Reds on a five-hitter on Aug. 24, he was 11-11 with a 3.29 ERA, but he lost five of his last six decisions while lowering his ERA to 3.23.

Cruz hit .228 with 13 home runs and 71 RBI with a team-high 119 strikeouts for the 1976 Cardinals. He made a NL-leading 26 errors at third base.

Reitz made 19 errors in 155 games at third base for the 1976 Giants. He hit .267 with five home runs and grounded into 24 double plays.

Return to sender

After the 1976 season, the Giants traded Reitz to the Cardinals for McGlothen.

The Cardinals moved Cruz to right field. He hit .236 with six home runs in 1977 and was traded after the season with catcher Dave Rader to the Cubs for outfielder Jerry Morales and catcher Steve Swisher.

Falcone had terrible second and third seasons with the Cardinals _ 4-8 with a 5.44 ERA in 1977 and 2-7 with a 5.76 ERA in 1978 _ and was traded to the Mets in December 1978 for outfielder Tom Grieve and pitcher Kim Seaman.

Reitz remained the Cardinals’ third baseman through 1980. He was traded with first baseman Leon Durham and third baseman Ty Waller to the Cubs for reliever Bruce Sutter in December 1980. Ken Oberkfell replaced Reitz at third base.

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Keith Hernandez led Cardinals to opening win at Pittsburgh

Posted in Games, Hitters, Managers, Opponents, Pitchers on November 21, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Playing for a new manager, Vern Rapp, and with a core of young, highly regarded players, such as Keith Hernandez, Garry Templeton and John Denny, the Cardinals enjoyed a successful opening to the 1977 season.

keith_hernandez5On April 7, 1977, amid strong winds and a mix of rain and light snow, the Cardinals beat the Pirates, 12-6, at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh.

New approach

The 1977 Cardinals opened the season as a franchise looking to rebuild.

In 1976, the Cardinals finished 72-90. Red Schoendienst, who had managed the Cardinals since 1965, was fired after that 1976 debacle. He was replaced by Rapp, a St. Louis native who had played and managed in the Cardinals’ system but who never had reached the major leagues.

A disciplinarian, Rapp instructed Cardinals players during 1977 spring training to shave off their moustaches and beards and keep their hair trim.

In the opener at Pittsburgh, the Cardinals started Denny, 24, against Jerry Reuss, a St. Louis native who began his career with his hometown team.

Along with established standouts such as left fielder Lou Brock and catcher Ted Simmons, the Cardinals’ lineup included Hernandez, 23, at first base and Garry Templeton, 21, at shortstop.

Denny and Templeton were making their first Opening Day starts in the big leagues.

Helped by three Pirates errors, the Cardinals scored four runs in the opening inning off Reuss. The Pirates’ sloppy start prompted “lusty boos from many of the 35,186 spectators,” the Associated Press reported.

The Cardinals never trailed. Denny held the Pirates to three runs in 5.2 innings and got the win. Templeton had two hits and scored three runs.

Hernandez, a left-handed batter, scored twice and had key hits against a pair of left-handed relievers. Hernandez hit a two-run double off Grant Jackson and a two-run home run (estimated at 425 feet) against Terry Forster. For Hernandez, it was his first four-RBI game in the big leagues.

Playing to win

“The thing about Vern Rapp is that he has us playing aggressive baseball, taking the extra base, playing at our maximum,” Hernandez said after the game. “We don’t have a lot of power, but we do have good hitting and exceptional speed and I think we’re going to make the most of it.”

Asked about playing without his signature moustache, Hernandez replied, “I’m here to play baseball. That’s what is important to me. I’ve got five months in the off-season to grow a moustache and long hair, but right now I want to help the Cardinals play winning baseball.” Boxscore

Behind stellars seasons by Hernandez (.291 batting average, 41 doubles, 91 RBI), Templeton (.322 batting average, 200 hits, 18 triples, 28 stolen bases), Simmons (.318 batting average, 21 home runs, 95 RBI) and pitcher Bob Forsch (20 wins), the 1977 Cardinals improved to 83-79.

Hernandez’s effective hitting against left-handers continued through the season. He batted .313 in 201 at-bats versus left-handers in 1977.

Previously: Cardinals debut was dream come true for Keith Hernandez

Previously: Pete Vuckovich was fearless in great escape for Cardinals

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