RetroSimba

Throughout his career in the major leagues, Miguel Batista created drama and suspense in connection with the Cardinals. It was precisely what might be expected from a pitcher who was a novelist.

Ten years ago, on Jan. 14, 2011, the Cardinals signed Batista, a free agent, to a minor-league contract and invited him to their spring training camp. Batista, 40, earned a spot on the 2011 Cardinals’ Opening Day roster as a reliever.

The notion of Batista becoming a Cardinal might have seemed unimaginable to some who remembered him as a villain when he played for the Diamondbacks. Batista beat the Cardinals in the 2001 playoffs. Two years later, he was the instigator in an Easter Sunday brawl at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis.

Mixed emotions

A right-hander from the Dominican Republic, Batista debuted in the majors with the 1992 Pirates. He also pitched for the Marlins, Cubs, Expos and Royals before joining the Diamondbacks in 2001.

Relying on a fastball with exceptional movement, Batista was 11-8 for the 2001 Diamondbacks and helped them win a division title. He made 18 starts and 30 relief appearances. “He’s been invaluable to me because of his versatility,” Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Diamondbacks first baseman Mark Grace, who also was Batista’s teammate with the 1997 Cubs, said Batista learned to stop falling behind in the count and developed off-speed pitches to go with his fastball.

“Big-league hitters, we can get wood on a bullet if we know it’s coming,” Grace said. “So, if you’re 2-and-0, 3-and-1 consistently, you’re going to get in trouble.”

In the 2001 National League Division Series versus the Cardinals, Batista started and won Game 3. Boxscore

The next year, the reverse happened. Batista started and lost Game 3 of the 2002 Division Series against the Cardinals. Boxscore

The next time Batista faced the Cardinals was in a start for the Diamondbacks on April 20, 2003. In the fifth inning, Tino Martinez was struck on the shoulder by a Batista pitch. Martinez and Batista glared at one another. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa yelled at Batista in Spanish.

Martinez charged the mound and threw a punch. Batista fired the ball at him. Both missed. A brawl ensued. In addition to be ejected, Batista was suspended 10 games by Major League Baseball for his role in the incident. Boxscore

Poetry in motion

Batista played rough, but he was no dope. He kept a picture of Albert Einstein in his locker for inspiration. “He says imagination is the best tool you can have because talent and knowledge have their limits,” Batista told the Post-Dispatch. “In other words, man is as big as his dreams.”

Batista spent his free time reading. He became an avid reader, he said, when a friend told him books “are a window to another world.”

Reading inspired Batista to write a book of poetry. The title in English is “Feelings in Black and White.”

A team owner in the Dominican Republic gave Batista the nickname “El Poeta.”

Asked about writing poetry, Batista told the Post-Dispatch, “It’s a moment in time. You just grab a pen and paper. If not, it’s gone. If you don’t write it, then you never remember it the same way.”

Batista also wrote a novel, “The Avenger of Blood,” about a serial killer. In an interview with Trafford Publishing, Batista said of the subject matter, “I took two of the most sensitive issues in our society, the law and religion. I tried to create a scenario where facts and faith could face one another in the court of law.”

Regarding future works, Batista said, “When you become a writer, you will always write. You might not publish, but you never stop writing.”

Joining the roost

After the Cardinals won the 2006 World Series championship, they tried to sign Batista, a free agent, for their starting rotation. The Mariners offered more money, $25 million over three years, and he chose them instead.

Five years later, in 2011, Batista and the Cardinals finally connected. Though he wasn’t guaranteed a spot on the roster, Batista signed with the Cardinals because of La Russa.

At spring training in Jupiter, Fla., Batista said, “I’ve always wanted to play for a manager like Tony. So far, it’s been a real good learning experience, especially from the mental part of the game … When I was a free agent, he called me. He said, ‘If you play for me, you’re my family. If you don’t, I hate you.’ “

Batista had a 1.93 ERA in spring training games and was placed on the Cardinals’ 2011 Opening Day roster. “He’s earned it,” said La Russa.

Production problems

After Ryan Franklin had four blown saves in his first five chances, Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz suggested the Cardinals try Batista as the closer. “The role wouldn’t scare Batista,” Miklasz wrote.

The next day, La Russa said Franklin was being relieved of the closer’s role. Fernando Salas eventually replaced him.

On April 22, 2011, Batista was involved in an unusual move that paid off for the Cardinals. Kyle McClellan was scheduled to start against the Reds at St. Louis, but when the forecast showed severe weather was on the way, La Russa made a late switch, naming Batista the starter.

Batista was pitching to the second batter of the first inning when the game was halted because of rain and tornado warnings. After a delay of 2 hours, 10 minutes, the game resumed. McClellan came in, pitched six innings and got the win. The Reds’ scheduled starter, Edinson Volquez, who warmed up before the first inning, could not resume after the rain delay. His replacement, Matt Maloney, gave up three runs in two innings and was the losing pitcher. Boxscore

The next night, Batista pitched in relief against the Reds and got the loss. Boxscore

Batista entered June with an ERA of 2.01 for the season, but he faltered after that, yielding 10 earned runs in seven innings.

The Post-Dispatch reported Batista “drew high marks” from La Russa “for his impact on the Cardinals’ team chemistry,” but it wasn’t enough to keep his job. The Cardinals released him on June 22 and called up Lance Lynn from the minors.

“Miguel has been a terrific pro … so it’s a tough move,” La Russa said. “He handled it really well. He understands the business.”

In 26 appearances for the Cardinals, Batista was 3-2 with a 4.60 ERA. La Russa said he’d give a “glowing recommendation” to anyone who asked about Batista.

A month later, Batista signed with the Mets. Meanwhile, the Cardinals, with a restructured bullpen, went on to become 2011 World Series champions.

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Phil Niekro made two starts in the 1982 National League Championship Series versus the Cardinals. Only one counted.

A right-handed knuckleball master who pitched in the majors until he was 48, Niekro earned 318 wins in the majors and was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, but he never pitched in the World Series.

In 1982, when he was 17-4 for the West Division champion Braves, Niekro was the choice of manager Joe Torre to start Game 1 of the National League Championship Series. Niekro shut out the Cardinals for 4.1 innings and had a 1-0 lead before the game was called off because of rain. Niekro was two outs away from completing the five innings needed for an official game.

Three days later, Niekro started Game 2. He pitched six innings, allowed two runs and was lifted for a pinch-hitter with the Braves ahead, 3-2, but the Cardinals rallied against Gene Garber and won, 4-3.

Knuckle under

Niekro, 43, ended the 1982 regular season on a roll, winning 11 of his last 12 decisions. His last two wins were shutouts.

“That’s what you expect from someone who wants something as badly as he wants this championship,” Torre told the Atlanta Constitution.

As the Braves headed into the best-of-five National League Championship Series, Niekro was matched against Joaquin Andujar in Game 1. 

Niekro was 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in 21 innings pitched against the Cardinals in the 1982 regular season. Many of the Cardinals struggled against him throughout their careers. The list included Keith Hernandez (.233 batting average against), Gene Tenace (.211), George Hendrick (.178), Tommy Herr (.143) and Willie McGee (.100). An exception was Lonnie Smith (.514).

“What makes Niekro so tough is there’s no telling where the ball will go,” Herr told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I don’t even think he knows. You have to wait longer to swing because the ball is going to move.”

Tenace said, “His ball does everything and anything. It gets to the plate and it explodes up there. I’d just as soon take a beating as to have to hit that thing.”

In batting practice the day before the series opener, Cardinals coach Hal Lanier threw knuckleballs to try to help the hitters prepare for Niekro, “but it’s not quite the same,” said Hernandez.

“He’s not unhittable,” Hernandez said of Niekro, “but you have to be a disciplined hitter. You have to relax and wait until the last possible second before you pull the trigger.” Video of Niekro knuckler

Mind games

In the series opener on Oct. 6 at St. Louis, the Braves got a run in the first inning when Claudell Washington doubled and scored on a Chris Chambliss single.

The Cardinals threatened, loading the bases in the first and getting a runner to third base in the third, but couldn’t score against Niekro.

“I’ve seen him better,” Hernandez told the Atlanta Constitution. “I’ve seen his knuckleball do more. He wasn’t as sharp, and he still got us out. He’s smart.”

Niekro said it was the “worst knuckler I had in a couple of months.”

Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog, seeking an edge, complained to the umpires that Niekro regularly was committing a balk by not coming to a set position with a runner on base.

“I think he balked about seven or eight times,” Herzog said to the Post-Dispatch. “It’s a farce … There’s no doubt in my mind he doesn’t pause at all. I’ll guarantee you if one of my pitchers did that it would be a balk.”

Niekro, who was called for one balk during the 1982 season, responded, “If I was doing something wrong, it would have been called.”

Wiped out

Pitching in a light rain in the bottom of the fifth, Niekro got one out before plate umpire Billy Williams halted play. The forecast showed heavy rain was on the way. Williams indicated a playoff game shouldn’t be decided in a mere five innings, and that was likely to happen if he allowed the inning to be completed. 

“I didn’t want to rush and play two outs, and then have the outcome decided because we didn’t have common sense,” Williams told the Post-Dispatch. “I would have done the same thing if the score was 4-0 or 10-0.”

With rain continuing after a delay of two hours and 28 minutes, National League president Chub Feeney made the decision to call off the game.

“I’ve pitched many times when it was raining much harder than it was when the game was called,” Niekro said to the Atlanta Constitution. “I’m confident they would have completed the inning in the regular season. I’m really disappointed I didn’t get an opportunity to get two more outs.”

Torre, a former Cardinal, said he he understood the decision by Williams to stop play when he did. Torre told the Post-Dispatch, “I don’t think a team should play 162 games and then lose a playoff game in five innings. What I mean is, we don’t want to come in here and steal a game.”

Niekro had a different point of view: “It really doesn’t matter how you win a playoff game as long as you win it,” he said.

Series sweep

The rescheduled Game 1 was played the next day, Oct. 7, with Pascual Perez starting for the Braves against Bob Forsch. Forsch pitched a three-hit shutout and the Cardinals won, 7-0. Boxscore

Game 2, scheduled for Oct. 8, was rained out, enabling Torre to start Niekro when it was rescheduled for Oct. 9 at St. Louis.

In the seventh, with the Braves ahead, 3-2, they had runners on first and second, one out, when Torre sent Biff Pocoroba to bat for Niekro against Doug Bair. Pocoroba grounded out.

“I felt I could have gone two or three more innings,” Niekro told the Atlanta Constitution. “I can’t say I wasn’t disappointed. You start a ballgame, you want to finish it. I thought I had a good knuckleball. It was moving quite a bit.”

Facing closer Gene Garber, the Cardinals scored a run in the eighth and another in the ninth, and won, 4-3. Boxscore

The next night, at Atlanta, with Rick Camp starting for the Braves, the Cardinals completed the sweep, winning 6-2, and advanced to a World Series for the first time in 14 years. Boxscore

Summarizing the disappointment of the Braves falling short in their bid for a pennant, Niekro said, “How can you be so close and be so far at the same time?”

Niekro pitched five more seasons, including stints with the Yankees, Indians and Blue Jays, but never got to pitch in a World Series.

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The Cardinals were convinced Mike Hampton. who kept them from getting to the World Series in 2000, would enable them to get there in 2001.

Twenty years ago, in December 2000, the Cardinals thought Hampton, a left-handed pitcher and free agent, would accept their offer of a seven-year contract for $91 million.

Instead, Hampton signed a deal with the Rockies for $121 million over eight years, making him the highest-paid pitcher in baseball.

Two months earlier, Hampton made two starts against the Cardinals in the 2000 National League Championship Series and won both, carrying the Mets into the World Series against the Yankees.

Later, when Cardinals manager Tony La Russa made a pitch to Hampton to join the Cardinals, he told him, “With you, we go to the World Series” in 2001.

Right stuff

After entering the majors with the Mariners in 1993, Hampton was traded to the Astros and developed into an ace. He was 22-4 for them in 1999.

Knowing Hampton could become a free agent after the 2000 season, the Astros dealt him to the Mets in December 1999. The Mets, expecting to contend in 2000, were willing to risk having Hampton leave after a year.

Hampton was 15-10 for the 2000 Mets, who qualified for the postseason as a wild-card entry and defeated the Giants in the National League Division Series.

The Mets advanced to face the Cardinals in a best-of-seven series to determine the 2000 National League pennant winner.

In Game 1, Hampton started, pitched seven shutout innings and got the win. Boxscore

In Game 5, he pitched a three-hit shutout for the pennant-clinching victory. Boxscore and video

“He isn’t a dominating left-hander by any means, relying on good movement and location of his pitches rather than sheer velocity,” Mike Eisenbath of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted. “The tougher the situation, though, the better he is.”

Sales pitch

The Cardinals were a team Hampton was interested in joining. According to columnist Bernie Miklasz, Hampton told Cardinals players Darryl Kile, a former Astros teammate, and Fernando Vina he’d “like to sign with the Cardinals.”

The interest was mutual. Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said the club wanted a starting pitcher “who can put us over the top,” and viewed Hampton, 28, as that kind of talent.

Joining the Cardinals as leading contenders for Hampton were the Braves, Cubs, Indians, Mets and Rockies.

The Cardinals were invited to meet with Hampton and his agent, Mark Rodgers.

“Several Cardinals employees helped the team’s recruiting pitch by posing for photos in front of various Hampton Avenue street signs throughout St. Louis,” Miklasz wrote.

A Cardinals contingent went to Houston, where Hampton resided, to recruit him. It was well-received. Rodgers told the Post-Dispatch, “To be honest, I thought it was going to be really tough to beat St. Louis. They’ve got a dynamic ownership group that’s trying to win, and great fans.

“Mike was going to have to see something very significant not to go to St. Louis,” Rodgers said. “Tony La Russa walked in, sat down and said, ‘With you, we go to the World Series.’ Coming from him, that meant an awful lot. Tony La Russa blew us away.”

Feeling jilted

On Dec. 4, 2000, Jocketty met with Rodgers near the agent’s home in Palm City, Fla., and made an offer of $91 million over seven years.

“Hampton and Rodgers both said the Cardinals were the leaders” in the bidding, according to the Post-Dispatch.

“As recently as (Dec. 7), the Cardinals thought they had the left-hander,” Rick Hummel of the Post-Dispatch reported.

On Dec. 8, however, Hampton reached agreement with the Rockies, who offered $30 million more than the Cardinals: $121 million over eight years.

“I’m very disappointed,” Jocketty said. “I’m also very surprised because I thought we met every part of his criteria.”

Jocketty said Hampton “would have made us a lot better.”

“I talked to several of our opponents in the division and they’re so glad we didn’t get Hampton,” Jocketty told the Post-Dispatch. “They would have just shut the door. That’s part of the reason we worked so hard at it. It just would have put us at a different level.”

Rocky time

Hampton’s decision to go with the Rockies was criticized by some, who noted his career ERA at Denver’s Coors Field was 6.48. Eight months earlier, on April 28, 2000, Hampton punched a water cooler in frustration after giving up seven runs in five innings to the Rockies at Coors Field. Boxscore

“The entire baseball world was surprised an elite pitcher would choose to spend the prime of his career at Coors Field,” Ken Rosenthal of The Sporting News wrote.

Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd said, “We didn’t lie to Mike and try to sell him on Coors Field as a pitcher’s heaven.”

Some pitchers were convinced Denver’s high altitude caused their pitches to flatten and become more hittable. Hampton said he believed he’d succeed because his sinker and cut fastball induced grounders.

After missing out on Hampton, the Cardinals acquired starting pitcher Dustin Hermanson from the Expos.

With a starting rotation anchored by Darryl Kile, Matt Morris and Hermanson, and including Andy Benes, Woody Williams and Bud Smith, the 2001 Cardinals earned 93 wins and qualified for the playoffs.

Hampton beat the Cardinals on Opening Day in 2001, but for the season he was 14-13 with a 5.41 ERA. A good-hitting pitcher, Hampton batted .291 with seven home runs, but it didn’t compensate for his pitching. Overall in 2001, left-handed batters hit .346 against him, and his ERA at Coors Field was 5.77. The Rockies finished at 73-89.

In 2002, the Cardinals again thrived and the Rockies faltered. The 2002 Cardinals had 97 wins and won a division title. The Rockies were 73-89 again. Hampton was 7-15 with a 6.15 ERA. Overall in 2002, left-handed batters hit .376 against him.

Though Hampton hit .344 with three home runs in 2002, it wasn’t what the Rockies were paying him top dollar to do.

In November 2002, the Rockies traded Hampton to the Marlins, who two days later flipped him to the Braves.

Hampton had 14 wins for the Braves in 2003 and 13 in 2004. Sidelined in 2006 and 2007 after having reconstructive elbow surgery, Hampton went on to pitch for the Astros again and Diamondbacks.

His record in 16 years in the majors was 148-115, including 10-9 versus the Cardinals.

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