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Archive for the ‘Pitchers’ Category

Pitching teacher Hub Kittle passed tough test on mound

Posted in Games, Pitchers on August 22, 2020| 2 Comments »

Hub Kittle practiced what he preached to Cardinals pitching prospects.

On Aug. 27, 1980, Kittle, a minor-league pitching instructor for the Cardinals, pitched an inning as the starter for their Springfield (Ill.) farm club.

Kittle, 63, became the only player to pitch in a professional game in both the 1930s and 1980s.

Baseball lifer

Kittle began his professional pitching career in the 1930s in the Cubs’ system. He pitched in the minors for several organizations. Though he had records of 18-8 for Ponca City, 20-10 for Yakima and 10-0 for Klamath Falls, Kittle never pitched in the big leagues.

He became a manager in the farm systems of the Phillies, Braves and Astros, and also managed clubs in the Dominican Republic during the winters. Among the pitchers he mentored was Joaquin Andujar.

Kittle finally reached the majors as an Astros coach from 1971-75. He joined the Cardinals in 1976 as a roving pitching instructor in the minors.

In 1977, Kittle managed the Cardinals’ St. Petersburg farm club to an 83-56 record. The team included future big-leaguers Leon Durham at first base and Tommy Herr at second, and a future agent, Scott Boras, at third.

Kittle returned to being a minor-league pitching instructor in 1978.

Mixing his pitches

Springfield manager Hal Lanier agreed to have Kittle pitch in a game for his team in 1980. Like Kittle, Hal Lanier’s father, Max Lanier, began his professional pitching career in the 1930s.

Hal Lanier chose to have Kittle start Springfield’s home game against Iowa, a White Sox farm club, on a Wednesday night near the end of the season. According to The Sporting News, Lanier decided before the game that Kittle would handle the first inning and throw one pitch in the second before departing.

Kittle’s battery mate was Springfield catcher Jody Davis, who would go on to play for the Cubs and Braves. Davis, 23, was 40 years younger than his pitcher.

Proving he could show as well as tell, Kittle retired the side in order on 10 pitches in the first inning. Mark Naehring and Rusty Kuntz each flied out. Marv Foley grounded out to first. Kuntz and Foley had major-league experience.

Determined to pitch rather than throw, Kittle used a mix of a fastball, curve, forkball and changeup. “I wasn’t going to throw fastball, fastball, fastball,” Kittle told Larry Harnly of The Sporting News. “I’m not that dumb.”

Springfield scored a run in the bottom of the first against Iowa starter Ted Barnicle. The interlude on the bench took a toll on Kittle’s right arm. When he returned to the mound to make a final pitch and take a bow from the crowd of 1,400, “the ball felt like a ton of lead,” Kittle said.

Hector Eduardo replaced Kittle, who handed the ball to Lanier and strode into the dugout, where he was congratulated by the players.

“I enjoyed pitching so much you can’t believe it,” Kittle said. “When I walked off the mound, I got that choked up feeling. I thought I was going to cry.”

Iowa teed off against the Springfield relievers and won, 7-6.

After the season, Kittle was promoted to pitching coach on Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog’s major-league staff. He was Cardinals pitching coach for three seasons, including 1982, when St. Louis won the World Series championship.

After the 1983 season, Kittle asked to be reassigned because his wife was ill and he wanted the flexibility to spend more time with her. At 67, he returned to being a minor-league instructor.

 

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Why Cardinals players wanted their day in court

Posted in Games, Hitters, Pitchers on August 19, 2020| 2 Comments »

It didn’t take long for a Kentucky jury to determine a couple of Cardinals accused of doing wrong did right.

On Aug. 27, 1990, Cardinals pitcher Frank DiPino and catcher Tom Pagnozzi were found not guilty of misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct. The jury of three women and three men deliberated for 30 minutes before returning the verdicts.

Earlier in the day, a charge of disorderly conduct against Cardinals pitcher Greg Mathews was dismissed by the judge before the trial began.

DiPino, Pagnozzi and Mathews were arrested on May 19, 1990, in Covington, Ky., across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, during a late-night altercation at a gas station.

The players said they were trying to help a woman who was assaulted, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Trouble in river city

The Cardinals were in Cincinnati in May 1990 to play a four-game series with the Reds at Riverfront Stadium.

On May 18, a Friday night, Mathews was the Cardinals’ starter and pitched eight scoreless innings, but the Reds won, 1-0, on Paul O’Neill’s home run versus Ken Dayley with two outs in the ninth. Boxscore

After the game, Mathews, DiPino and Pagnozzi went to The Waterfront, a floating restaurant tied to moorings at Pete Rose Pier in Covington. The high-end steak and seafood place had stunning views of the Cincinnati skyline, a lively bar scene and a 1980s “Miami Vice” vibe.

Late in the evening, Stacey Winn, 23, of Cincinnati and two friends offered to drive the three players from the restaurant to the team hotel, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

At about 2:30 a.m., they stopped at a Covington gas station. Winn got out of the vehicle and was near the restroom when she said a man approached, made a suggestive remark and shoved her to the ground, The Cincinnati Post reported.

Defense attorneys identified the man as an off-duty police officer from nearby Dayton, Ky.

DiPino and Pagnozzi saw what happened, and ran over to help Winn and confront the man.

Winn testified the man punched DiPino, the Associated Press reported. DiPino and Pagnozzi fought back.

Covington police officers arrived, said they saw DiPino and Pagnozzi throwing punches and arrested them, the Post-Dispatch reported. The man who Winn said assaulted her was not arrested.

DiPino and Pagnozzi were handcuffed and put into the back seat of a police car. Mathews was arrested when he opened the back door of the police car.

The three players were taken to jail and released on bail.

That night, Saturday, May 19, DiPino pitched in the Cardinals’ game versus the Reds, facing three batters in relief of starter John Tudor. Boxscore

The next afternoon, Sunday, May 20, Pagnozzi caught in the series finale and drove in the go-ahead run for the Cardinals in the seventh inning of a 6-2 victory. Boxscore

Law and order

A trial date in Kenton County district court was scheduled for Monday, Aug. 27, 1990, a scheduled off-day in Cincinnati for the Cardinals before they opened a two-game series with the Reds.

Prosecutor John Fortner offered DiPino, Pagnozzi and Mathews a plea agreement, but they rejected it, preferring a jury trial, the Post-Dispatch reported.

“We brought this to trial so the jury could find out that what we did was correct,” DiPino told the Associated Press. “I just reacted as I thought any man should. If I saw the same thing happening again, I’m sure I’d run over there again.”

If found guilty, each player faced a maximum of 90 days in jail and a fine of $250.

On the eve of the trial, Pagnozzi said to the Post-Dispatch, “Manager Joe Torre told me I’m catching Tuesday (Aug. 28) if I’m not in jail.”

Justice served

On the morning of the trial, Judge Steven Jaeger dismissed the charge against Mathews. The judge said Mathews shouldn’t have been charged with disorderly conduct for opening the door of the police car because his teammates were handcuffed and Mathews’ action didn’t pose a threat, the Post-Dispatch reported.

During the trial, none of the players testified. Nor did the alleged assailant, who had been suspended by the Dayton, Ky., police department, The Cincinnati Post reported.

Defense attorney James Kidney of Newport, Ky., relied on the testimony of Stacey Winn to convince the jury the players came to her rescue and then defended themselves against the man who assaulted her.

After the jury returned its verdicts, Pagnozzi told the Associated Press, “We believed we were not guilty the whole time. I tried to do the right thing. We felt we did do the right thing.”

DiPino told the Post-Dispatch, “We believe what we did was right and we stuck to our guns.”

One of the women jurors, Pat Perry, told The Cincinnati Post, “We just did not feel they started it. They were only helping the girl. We all hoped if we were in the same position they would come to our aid.”

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Pedro Guerrero and his feud with Danny Darwin

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents, Pitchers on August 13, 2020| 4 Comments »

Cardinals cleanup hitter Pedro Guerrero resorted to using his hands, not his bat, to connect against Astros pitcher Danny Darwin.

On Aug. 16, 1990, during a game between the Astros and Cardinals at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis, Guerrero got upset with Darwin for throwing a pitch too close to him.

When Darwin reached first base on a single, he and Guerrero argued and Guerrero struck him.

Feeling frustrated

With the Astros ahead, 3-1, in the sixth inning, the Cardinals had runners on second and third, two outs, and Guerrero at the plate. Darwin threw a fastball that was “head high, but looked to be over the inside corner of the plate,” according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Guerrero said he thought the pitch was intended to hit him, but plate umpire Mark Hirschbeck told the Post-Dispatch, “It was not even close.”

After Guerrero struck out, stranding the runners, he glared at Darwin. “He was just looking to start something,” Hirschbeck said. “He was yelling, ‘I’m going to get you.’ ”

Said Darwin: “I don’t appreciate the look he gave me.”

Sticks and stones

The hard feelings carried over to the next inning.

With two outs and none on in the seventh, Darwin singled versus reliever Scott Terry. Standing at first base, Darwin and Guerrero jabbered at one another.

According to Guerrero, “When he got to first base, I said, ‘Hey, man, what’s wrong? Can’t anybody look at you?’ ”

According to Darwin, “When I got to first base, Guerrero said, ‘What’s your problem?’ I said, ‘What’s my problem? You mean I can’t pitch inside?’ He said, ‘I know you’re going to pitch inside.’ I said, ‘Then why’d you give me that look?’ ”

Guerrero said Darwin “pointed a finger in my face” and started cussing at him. Umpire Bob Davidson said both players were cussing at one another.

Davidson stepped between the two, but Guerrero reached around and hit Darwin, the Post-Dispatch reported. Video at 4:28 mark

Both benches emptied. Guerrero and Darwin were ejected, and Astros manager Art Howe also was tossed for arguing with the umpires.

In a corridor leading to the clubhouse, Guerrero and Astros coach Ed Ott shouted at each another before police arrived and separated them, the Post-Dispatch reported. Boxscore

Guerrero said he offered to fight Darwin anywhere he wanted to meet. “I’m not afraid of anybody,” Guerrero said.

Darwin said, “He’s a cheap-shot artist. I think he’s gutless. If he thinks he can intimidate me, he’s crazy. I’ve hit guys a lot meaner than him.”

Play ball

In remarks to Cardinals broadcaster Mike Shannon, Guerrero said Astros pitchers threw at him in a series at Houston, and he needed to put a stop to it when Darwin pitched him high and tight at St. Louis.

Guerrero may have been brushed back by the 1990 Astros but he wasn’t hit. Guerrero got plunked once in 1990 and it happened in September when he was struck on the right forearm by a pitch from the Phillies’ Jose DeJesus.

On Aug. 26, 1990, 10 days after his altercation with Guerrero, Darwin again started against the Cardinals at Houston and got a complete-game win. Guerrero wasn’t there for a rematch. He was on the disabled list because of a strained lower back. Boxscore

Guerrero batted .333 (8-for-24) versus Darwin in his career and never was hit by a pitch from him.

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The night Bob Gibson pitched 14 innings for a win

Posted in Games, Pitchers, Records on August 10, 2020| 4 Comments »

(Updated Nov. 24, 2024)

In the longest outing of his Cardinals career, Bob Gibson set a record that illustrated his consistency, dominance and endurance.

On Aug. 12, 1970, Gibson pitched 14 innings for a complete-game win in the Cardinals’ 5-4 victory over the Padres in St. Louis.

In the second inning, Gibson got his 200th strikeout of the season when he fanned Nate Colbert. Gibson, 34, became the first pitcher to strike out 200 batters in a season eight times.

Gibson’s 14-inning stint versus the Padres surpassed a pair of 13-inning complete games he pitched against the Giants on July 7, 1965, Boxscore and on July 25, 1969. Boxscore

Wobbly warm-up

Before his Wednesday night start against the last-place Padres, Gibson didn’t throw well in the bullpen. “I wouldn’t have given two cents that he’d go nine innings,” manager Red Schoendienst told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Though he lacked command of his pitches, Gibson retired the first nine batters in a row, including four on strikeouts. “I was lucky in the early innings that they were swinging,” Gibson told the Associated Press. “A lot of the strikeout total has to do with the ballclub you’re facing.”

The Padres scored a run in the fourth and three in the sixth. Colbert, a St. Louis native, put the Padres ahead, 4-3, in the sixth with a two-run home run that landed 10 rows up in the seats in left. “I was hitting the corners, but I hung some pitches, too,” Gibson told the Post-Dispatch.

The Cardinals tied the score at 4-4 in the eighth on Dick Allen’s home run versus starter Danny Coombs.

Carrying on

Gibson held the Padres scoreless over the last eight innings.

He worked out of a jam in the 11th. After the Padres loaded the bases with one out, Gibson’s former teammate, Ed Spiezio, batted. With the count 3-and-2, Gibson got Spiezio to ground into a double play. “Gibson didn’t have his real good stuff, but you could see him reach back for something extra in that spot,” Padres manager Preston Gomez said to the Post-Dispatch.

In the 13th, Gibson struck out the side. After pitching the 14th, Gibson was ready to come out if the Cardinals didn’t score in the bottom half of the inning, he told the Post-Dispatch.

Ron Willis, a former Cardinal, was the Padres’ pitcher in the 14th. Dal Maxvill, who batted .201 for the season, led off the inning with his fourth consecutive hit, a single. Gibson, who hit .303 in 1970, was allowed to bat. He bunted and reached safely on a fielder’s choice, with Maxvill advancing to second. Lou Brock’s sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, and Leron Lee got an intentional walk, loading the bases.

The next batter, Carl Taylor, worked a walk, scoring Maxvill from third with the decisive run and giving Gibson his hard-earned win. Boxscore

Wins matter most

Gibson gave up 13 hits and struck out 13.

Asked about becoming the first to achieve eight 200-strikeout seasons, Gibson told the Post-Dispatch, “I’m pleased to have the record. It shows I was a consistent pitcher over the years. Winning games is the big thing, though.”

Gibson threw 178 pitches in the marathon against the Padres, but said, “I don’t care about the number of pitches. You can throw 90 pitches and lose.”

(In a 2018 interview with Stan McNeal of Cardinals Yearbook, Gibson said, “I never came out of a game because of pitch count … I went out there to win a ballgame and complete a ballgame. The idea of getting through the fifth inning with a lead was very important. It doesn’t seem to be anymore. A manager will take you out if he sees you’re in trouble in the third inning and have a three-run lead. I’d have a heart attack if they’d tried that with me.”)

The win gave Gibson a 16-5 record for the season. He went on to finish at 23-7 with 274 strikeouts, earning his second National League Cy Young Award. The 23 wins and 274 strikeouts were his single-season career highs.

Gibson had a ninth season of 200 strikeouts when he fanned 208 batters in 1972. His 3,117 career strikeouts, as well as his 251 career wins, are most by a Cardinals pitcher.

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Cardinals inspired winning efforts by Bob Sebra

Posted in Games, Opponents, Pitchers on August 7, 2020| 2 Comments »

The Cardinals were the opponent when Bob Sebra saved his spot in the Expos’ rotation, and again when he fulfilled a boyhood dream with the Phillies. Near the end of his career, Sebra pitched in the Cardinals’ system.

A right-hander, Sebra pitched in the majors with the Rangers (1985), Expos (1986-87), Phillies (1988-89), Reds (1989) and Brewers (1990).

Sebra, who had a career record of 15-29 in the majors, was 3-2 against the Cardinals. He had more wins versus the Cardinals than he did against any other foe.

In 1993, hoping for a chance to get back to the majors, Sebra signed with the Cardinals and spent the season as a starter for their Class AAA Louisville team.

Going the distance

As a youth in southern New Jersey, Sebra was a Phillies fan, attended their games at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia and hoped to pitch for them. He played collegiate baseball for the University of Nebraska, but it was the Rangers, not the Phillies, who selected him in the fifth round of the 1983 amateur draft.

Sebra made his big-league debut with the Rangers on June 26, 1985, in a start against the Mariners. After the season, he was traded to the Expos for slugger Pete Incaviglia.

On Aug. 12, 1986, Sebra pitched his first complete game in the majors in the Expos’ 10-3 victory over the Cardinals at Montreal. Sebra also produced two hits and a walk. His first major-league hit, a single versus John Tudor, sparked a seven-run inning. Boxscore

In control

In 1987, Sebra was an Expos starter, but he lost eight of his first 11 decisions, including four in a row, and was in danger of being dropped from the rotation.

On June 26, 1987, two years to the day after he made his debut in the majors, Sebra started against the Cardinals at Montreal, looking to show the Expos they should stick with him. Sebra was matched against Cardinals rookie Joe Magrane, who won his first five decisions and was undefeated in the big leagues.

Locating his breaking pitches, Sebra held the Cardinals to six hits, walked none and struck out 10 in nine innings, earning the win in a 5-1 Expos victory. Boxscore

When Sebra throws breaking balls for strikes “it makes his fastball so much more effective,” Expos pitching coach Larry Bearnarth told the Montreal Gazette.

After Terry Pendleton singled with two outs in the fourth, Sebra retired the next 13 batters in a row. Cardinals cleanup hitter Jack Clark struck out three times and grounded into a game-ending double play.

“He was kind of like a right-handed Fernando Valenzuela,” Clark said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “He had everything.”

Said Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog: “I don’t think anybody would have beaten that guy tonight. He had control.”

Sebra also had a single in the fifth, igniting a three-run inning.

The Cardinals went on to win the 1987 National League pennant. Sebra finished the season with a 6-15 record.

Rooting interest

In 1988, the Expos demoted Sebra to the minors. Pitching on a staff with prospect Randy Johnson, Sebra was 12-6 with a 2.94 ERA for Class AAA Indianapolis.

On Sept. 1, 1988, the Expos traded Sebra to the Phillies. Two weeks later, Sebra got his first win for the team he followed as a youth, beating the Cardinals at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. It was Sebra’s first win in the majors since July 12, 1987, with the Expos, and ended a streak of eight consecutive losses for him in the big leagues. Boxscore

Sebra allowed five walks and four hits, but just two runs, in five innings against the Cardinals. “It was ugly,” he told the Philadelphia Daily News.

Said Lee Elia, manager of the last-place Phillies: “Getting this win was probably more important for him than it was for us. It gives him a sense of accomplishment.”

Down on the farm

Four years later, while in the minor leagues in 1992, Sebra had surgery on his right elbow. The Cardinals signed him to a minor-league contract in January 1993 and assigned him to Louisville.

Sebra was a consistent starter for Louisville, even though he felt persistent pain in his right arm. In the clubhouse, Louisville Courier-Journal columnist Pat Forde observed Sebra had 14 stainless steel acupuncture needles embedded in his right arm in an effort to relieve the pain.

“I had a friend in Omaha who studied acupuncture in China,” Sebra explained. “He said to do it for 10 days and see what happens. It’s feeling real good.”

Sebra, 31, led the Louisville staff in starts (26) and innings pitched (145) and tied with Tom Urbani for the team lead in wins (nine), but he didn’t get back to the majors.

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How Izzy made Cubs dizzy with doozy of a debut

Posted in Games, Pitchers on July 20, 2020| 5 Comments »

Before he became a Cardinals closer, Jason Isringhausen was a starting pitcher who appeared ready to anchor the Mets’ rotation for a long time.

On July 17, 1995, Isringhausen, 24, made his major-league debut in a start for the Mets against the Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Isringhausen, or Izzy as he became known to some, pitched impressively versus the Cubs, fulfilling lofty expectations after a stellar season in the minors, and went on to have a successful rookie year.

A right-hander, Isringhausen’s career went into reverse the following season when he had two arthroscopic surgeries _ one to repair a tear in his right shoulder and the other to remove bone chips in his right elbow.

Plagued by more illness and injuries, Isringhausen didn’t become an ace with the Mets, but he revived his career as a reliever with the Athletics before joining the Cardinals and becoming the franchise leader in career saves.

Longshot prospect

Isringhausen was born and raised in the village of Brighton, Ill., about 40 miles from St. Louis. He attended Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey, Ill., for two years and was an outfielder on its baseball team.

The Mets took Isringhausen in the 44th round of the 1991 June amateur baseball draft. He was the 1,157th player selected.

Converted to pitcher, Isringhausen made the most of the chance and rose through the Mets’ farm system as a starter. “The Mets are intrigued by the development” of Isringhausen, The Sporting News reported in May 1994.

In 1995, Isringhausen began the season at Class AA Binghamton and was 2-1 with a 2.85 ERA. Promoted to Class AAA Norfolk, he was 9-1 with a 1.55 ERA.

Amid much hype, Isringhausen made the leap from sleepy Brighton to bustling New York City when the Mets brought him to the majors in July 1995 and put him in their rotation.

Looking good

For his debut game in the big leagues, Isringhausen asked for uniform No. 44, a visual reminder of the high round he was drafted.

More than 30 friends and family members, including his father Chuck, celebrating his 54th birthday, made the 275-mile trek from Brighton to Chicago to see Isringhausen start against the Cubs on a Monday night.

Isringhausen didn’t disappoint. He retired the Cubs in order in six of his seven innings. The Cubs scored two runs, both in the fourth, on two hits and two walks. Otherwise, Isringhausen retired the first 10 batters as well as the last 10.

“It was much better than I expected,” Isringhausen told the New York Daily News. “It wasn’t easy. I worked my butt off. I was pretty nervous in the first inning, but after I got through the lineup one time I really calmed down.”

When Isringhausen departed after the seventh inning, the score was tied at 2-2. The Mets scored five times in the ninth for a 7-2 triumph. The win went to reliever Jerry DiPoto, who pitched two scoreless innings, but the story was Isringhausen. Boxscore

“The kid was everything they promised and more. Much more,” declared the Chicago Tribune.

Of the 25 batters Isringhausen faced, he threw 17 first-pitch strikes.

“The kid is real good,” said Mark Grace, whose single with one out in the fourth was the first hit against Isringhausen. “He had a great fastball and good curve. He still has to develop a third pitch, but if he does, then he’ll really be something. I have to say I was very impressed.”

Said Mets manager Dallas Green: “We know now he can pitch at the major-league level. He knows it now, too.”

First win

Isringhausen got no decision in his next start against the Rockies at Denver.

His third start, on July 30, 1995, versus the Pirates was his first in New York. Isringhausen pitched eight innings, yielded one run and got his first win in the majors. Boxscore

“Izzy had everything going, a good changeup, a real good curve and a good fastball,” said Mets catcher Alberto Castillo. “Everything he pitched, he put right in my glove.”

Said Dallas Green, “He’ll more than justify our faith in him. No question about that.”

After splitting his first four decisions, Isringhausen won his last seven in a row and finished 9-2 with a 2.81 ERA in 14 starts for the 1995 Mets.

Converted closer

At spring training in 1996, Isringhausen and two other young Mets starters, Bill Pulsipher and Paul Wilson, were drawing comparisons with the 1969 Mets trio of Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman and Nolan Ryan, but it didn’t work out. Isringhausen never had another wining season with the Mets.

After his shoulder and elbow surgeries in 1996, Isringhausen developed tuberculosis in 1997. He also broke his right wrist. He was sidelined all of the 1998 season after having reconstructive surgery on his right elbow.

In July 1999, the Mets traded Isringhausen (1-3, 6.41 ERA) to the Athletics, and the move saved his career. Isringhausen became a closer and in three seasons with the Athletics he produced 75 saves.

Granted free agency after the 2001 season, Isringhausen, 29, came close to accepting an offer from the Rangers, but signed instead with the Cardinals to play near home.

In seven seasons (2002-2008) with St. Louis, Isringhausen had a franchise-record 217 saves, including a league-leading 47 in 2004 when the Cardinals won the pennant.

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