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The story of why Cardinals gave up on Mike Cuellar

Posted in Pitchers, Trades on June 14, 2015| 4 Comments »

Determined to reconstruct their bullpen, the 1965 Cardinals acquired the closer they needed, but gave up an ace to get him.

On June 15, 1965, the defending World Series champions traded pitchers Mike Cuellar and Ron Taylor to the Astros for pitchers Hal Woodeshick and Chuck Taylor.

Woodeshick became the closer for the 1965 Cardinals and pitched effectively.

Cuellar developed into an all-star for the Astros, mastering the screwball and curve and paving his way to becoming a Cy Young Award winner with the Orioles.

Seeking a stopper

Barney Schultz and Ron Taylor were the top relievers for the 1964 Cardinals. Schultz had a team-high 14 saves and a win, all after his call-up from the minors in August 1964. Taylor had eight saves and eight relief wins.

Cuellar also was a useful reliever for the 1964 Cardinals. Overall, his record that season was 5-5 with a 4.50 ERA. As a reliever, though, Cuellar was 3-0 with four saves and a 2.53 ERA in 25 appearances.

Red Schoendienst, who replaced Johnny Keane as Cardinals manager, went into the 1965 season with Schultz and Taylor as his top two relievers. Cuellar was sent to Class AAA Jacksonville and placed in the starting rotation.

Schultz and Taylor struggled early with the 1965 Cardinals. Schultz gave up runs in five of his first six outings. Taylor yielded runs in three of his first four appearances. The Cardinals lost five of their first six games.

On June 14, 1965, the Cardinals were in seventh place at 28-30. The bullpen had accounted for five saves: two apiece by Schultz and Bob Purkey; one by Taylor.

Saves leader

The experienced left-handed relievers sought by Cardinals general manager Bob Howsam were Ron Perranoski of the Dodgers and Woodeshick. Perranoski led the NL in appearances in 1962 and 1963 and posted 14 saves or more each season from 1962-64. Woodeshick led the NL in saves in 1964, with 23.

Promoting Cuellar from the minors was an option the Cardinals rejected, even though the left-hander had compiled a 9-1 record and 2.41 ERA in 15 games.

Instead, Howsam offered Cuellar in trade talks. The Astros wanted him, but insisted on Taylor, too.

“Ron Taylor was in demand,” Schoendienst told The Sporting News. “Houston wouldn’t make the trade without him.”

After acquiring Woodeshick, the Cardinals called up right-hander Don Dennis from Jacksonville. Woodeshick and Dennis replaced Schultz and Taylor as the top Cardinals relievers. Schultz remained on the team, but in a low-profile role.

“This deal makes our staff well-balanced,” Howsam said.

Good start

Initially, the trade appeared to favor the Cardinals.

Woodeshick was as good as expected. He had seven saves and a win in July when the Cardinals had a NL-best 17-10 record. Overall, Woodeshick was 3-2 with 15 saves and a 1.81 ERA for the 1965 Cardinals. Left-handed batters hit .154 against him, with no home runs.

Dennis helped, too: six saves and a 2.29 ERA.

For the 1965 Astros, Cuellar was 1-4 and Taylor was 1-5.

By 1967, the trade looked a lot different.

Orioles, Mets benefit

Woodeshick was 2-1 with two saves and a 5.18 ERA for the 1967 NL champion Cardinals. He pitched a scoreless inning in the 1967 World Series and was released after the Cardinals won the championship. In three seasons with St. Louis, Woodeshick was 7-4 with 21 saves and a 2.67 ERA.

Cuellar was 16-11 for the 1967 Astros. He pitched two scoreless innings for the NL in the All-Star Game. After the 1968 season, Cuellar was traded to the Orioles. He earned the 1969 American League Cy Young Award, with 23 wins, a 2.38 ERA and five shutouts. He helped the Orioles win three consecutive pennants (1969-71) and a World Series title (1970) and four times won 20 or more in a season.

Ron Taylor was traded to the Mets before the 1967 season and revived his career, with eight saves and a 2.34 ERA that year. Like in 1964 for the Cardinals, Taylor was a stellar reliever for the 1969 Mets, helping them win their first World Series championship versus Cuellar and the Orioles.

Chuck Taylor made his big-league debut with the 1969 Cardinals. In three seasons with St. Louis (1969-71), he was 16-13 with 11 saves and a 2.99 ERA.

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The story of Joe DiFabio, original No. 1 pick of Cardinals

Posted in Pitchers, Prospects on June 5, 2015| 4 Comments »

Joe DiFabio had the credentials one would expect from an elite Cardinals prospect.

In high school, he was mentored by a coach who would become one of the best in his profession. In college, DiFabio sharpened his skills playing for a coach who had excelled as a big-league pitcher.

As a professional, though, DiFabio wasn’t quite good enough to pitch for the Cardinals.

On June 8, 1965, in the first amateur draft held by big-league baseball, the Cardinals made DiFabio their No. 1 pick.

A right-handed pitcher, DiFabio achieved success at multiple levels of the Cardinals’ minor-league system, but never pitched a game in the majors.

Impressive resume

DiFabio developed into a standout pitcher at Cranford High School in New Jersey. His coach was Hubie Brown, who also was assistant basketball coach. After leaving Cranford, Brown built a career in basketball. He twice was NBA Coach of the Year and was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

After graduating from high school, DiFabio continued his baseball career at Delta State in Mississippi, where Boo Ferriss was the baseball coach. In 1946, Ferriss had a 25-6 record for the Red Sox and was the winning pitcher in Game 3 of the World Series against the Cardinals.

In 1965, his junior year, DiFabio was 7-0 with an 0.55 ERA. He struck out 97 in 65 innings, pitched three one-hitters and yielded 28 hits all season.

Buddy Lewis, a former big-league catcher, scouted DiFabio for the Cardinals and recommended him.

First choice

Until 1965, an amateur player could sign with any big-league organization that made an offer. That changed when Major League Baseball started its draft of amateur players.

As defending champions, the Cardinals chose last among the 20 big-league clubs in the first round and took DiFabio. Signed at the end of June, DiFabio was sent by the Cardinals to their Class AA Tulsa team in the Texas League. Playing for manager Vern Rapp, DiFabio made seven appearances and was 0-2 with a 7.88 ERA. The Cardinals ordered him to improve his physical conditioning before the 1966 season.

“He’s about 5-foot-10 and weighed over 220,” Chief Bender, the Cardinals’ farm director, told The Sporting News.

DiFabio got his weight down to 197 pounds in 1966, Bender said. Pitching for Class A Cedar Rapids of the Midwest League, DiFabio was 11-3 with a 1.86 ERA in 17 starts. “He had a good year at Cedar Rapids after he was unable to get in shape in 1965,” Bender said.

In 1968, DiFabio had another good year. At Class AA Arkansas of the Texas League, he was 13-6 with a 2.17 ERA in 24 starts for Rapp.

At a crossroads

Meanwhile, pitchers such as Steve Carlton, Nelson Briles and Larry Jaster _ all of whom were signed by the Cardinals as amateur free agents in the years before a draft _ advanced through the organization and received promotions to St. Louis.

Major League Baseball expanded from 20 to 24 teams in 1969, opening chances for more players to get into the big leagues, but no one chose DiFabio.

Entering the 1970 season, his sixth in the Cardinals’ system, DiFabio, 25, told The Sporting News, “I know I can win in the Texas League, but I’ve got to find out if I can pitch in the majors … I’ll have to make it to the big leagues soon or get out of baseball.”

Assigned to Arkansas in 1970, DiFabio was 10-7 with a 3.26 ERA in 26 games for manager Ken Boyer, but the Cardinals didn’t call.

After the 1970 season, DiFabio and the Cardinals parted ways and he signed with the Reds organization. In 1971, pitching for Rapp at Class AAA Indianapolis, DiFabio was 0-2 with a 15.00 ERA in two starts before he called it quits.

In seven minor-league seasons (1965-71), DiFabio was 45-34 with a 3.28 ERA.

DiFabio had continued his education in the baseball off-seasons, earning a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Delta State.

Dandies and duds

Of the 20 selections in the first round of the 1965 draft, seven didn’t play in the major leagues.

The Cardinals chose 60 players in the 1965 draft. One of those _ pitcher Harry Parker, a fourth-round pick _ played for the Cardinals.

Five other Cardinals 1965 draft picks got to the big leagues with other teams: pitcher Dan McGinn, 21st round; pitcher Jerry Robertson, 27th round; shortstop Rich Hacker, 39th round; pitcher Pete Hamm, 41st round; and second baseman John Sipin, 55th round. Hacker also was a Cardinals coach on the staff of manager Whitey Herzog from 1986-90.

Like DiFabio, neither the Cardinals’ 1965 second-round choice, first baseman Terry Milani, nor their third-round selection, outfielder Billy Wolff, played in the majors.

Previously: Harry Parker: Best selection of Cardinals first draft

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How Tim McCarver helped Fred Gladding become a coach

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

With one swing, Tim McCarver lifted the Cardinals to a victory and propelled Fred Gladding toward a long, productive coaching career.

On June 2, 1973, at St. Louis, McCarver hit a pinch-hit grand slam against Gladding in the eighth inning for a 6-2 win over the Astros.

It would be the last major-league appearance for Gladding. He was sent to the minors soon after and served that summer as a player-coach at Class AAA Denver. That experience launched him the following season into a 22-year career as a coach in the Tigers, Astros and Indians organizations, including three seasons as Detroit’s pitching coach.

Fading veterans

In June 1973, McCarver, 31, and Gladding, 36, were relegated to support roles after ranking among the best at their positions. McCarver was the starting catcher on Cardinals clubs that won three National League pennants and two World Series championships in the 1960s. He twice was an all-star with St. Louis (1966-67).

After he was traded to the Phillies in October 1969, McCarver was reacquired by the Cardinals from the Expos in November 1972 and given roles as backup to Ted Simmons at catcher and Joe Torre at first base.

Gladding had been a stellar reliever. He was 6-4 with 12 saves and a 1.99 ERA in 42 games for the 1967 Tigers. In November 1967, the right-hander was dealt to the Astros, completing a trade for third baseman Eddie Mathews.

In 1969, Gladding had a NL-leading 29 saves for Houston. He followed that with 18 saves for the 1970 Astros.

McCarver magic

On June 2, 1973, a Saturday night in St. Louis, the Astros led, 2-1, when the Cardinals batted in the bottom of the eighth against reliever Jim York. With two outs, Simmons doubled, scoring Dwain Anderson from first, tying the score at 2-2.

The next batter, Jose Cruz, was walked intentionally, putting runners at first and second and setting up a potential forceout. Luis Melendez followed with an infield single, loading the bases.

With Ken Reitz due to bat next, Astros manager Leo Durocher lifted York and replaced him with Gladding. Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst countered by calling on McCarver to bat for Reitz.

Gladding had a 4.11 ERA. McCarver, a left-handed batter, had no home runs.

McCarver swung at the first pitch from Gladding and hit it over the right-field wall for his fifth grand slam of his career.

“I said when we got him back last winter we could use his bat _ and I meant it,” Schoendienst told the Associated Press. “Tim is a tough out. I don’t care who is pitching.”

Rick Wise, the Cardinals’ starter, retired the Astros in the ninth, securing the win. Boxscore

New chapter

Deemed ineffective, Gladding was sent to the minor leagues for the first time since 1964. He went 0-2 with a 4.74 ERA and one save in 20 appearances for the Astros’ Class AAA Denver farm team. The Astros released him in October 1973.

Then, his full-time coaching career began.

The Tigers named Gladding the pitching coach for their 1974 Evansville farm club. Among the pitchers Gladding worked with were future major-leaguers Vern Ruhle and Steve Grilli.

In 1975, Gladding was again at Evansville when he got the chance to mentor a phenom, Mark Fidrych.

Fidrych had started the 1975 season with Class A Lakeland and skyrocketed through the Tigers system, going to Class AA Montgomery and then Class AAA Evansville. With Gladding as his pitching coach, Fidrych, 20, was 4-1 with a 1.58 ERA in six starts for Evansville.

Back in the bigs

In 1976, Gladding returned to the major leagues as pitching coach for Tigers manager Ralph Houk. Fidrych earned a spot in the Tigers’ starting rotation. The combination produced sensational results.

Nicknamed “The Bird,” Fidrych was 19-9 for the 1976 Tigers. He led the American League in ERA (2.34) and complete games (24), started the All-Star Game and was named winner of the Rookie of the Year Award.

In the book “The Bird: The Life and Legacy of Mark Fidrych,” Gladding said of his star pupil, “He was very easy to coach. He would listen to you and do what you suggested.”

Gladding remained Tigers pitching coach in 1977 and 1978, mentoring, among others, Jack Morris, who developed into Detroit’s ace. After the 1978 season, Houk retired and his successor, Les Moss, replaced Gladding with former Cardinals pitcher Johnny Grodzicki.

Gladding spent the remainder of his coaching career in the minor-league systems of the Astros and Indians.

In an interview with MLB.com, Steve Kline, the former Cardinals reliever, cited Gladding as a positive influence while Kline was in the Indians organization.

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The story of how Danny Cox flirted with perfection

Posted in Games, Opponents, Pitchers on May 31, 2015| 2 Comments »

(Updated May 31, 2020)

No Cardinals pitcher has achieved perfection, but Danny Cox came close.

On May 31, 1985, Cox retired the Reds in order through 7.2 innings at St. Louis.

Cox was fully aware of the drama his performance was creating. Asked about the ovation he received when batting in the seventh, Cox said, “I knew it wasn’t for my hitting.”

In the eighth, Cox retired the first two batters, Alan Knicely and Gary Redus, giving him 23 consecutive outs and putting him within four outs of the perfect game.

All about location

The next batter was Dave Concepcion. At 36, the shortstop was in his 16th season with the Reds and his last as an everyday player.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, when Concepcion got to the plate, he said to umpire Jerry Crawford and catcher Darrell Porter, “It’s all over,” referring to Cox’s bid for a perfect game.

Crawford laughed and Concepcion said, “Do you want to bet?”

Crawford declined and Porter said, “I can’t bet against you. You’re a dandy player.”

From the dugout, Reds outfielder Dave Parker yelled to Concepcion, “Break his heart, Davey, break his heart,” the Dayton Daily News reported.

The first pitch from Cox to Concepcion was a strike. The second was grounded into left field for a single.

“It was a fastball,” Cox told the Associated Press. “I tried to get it inside, but I left it out over the plate.”

Said Concepcion: “He was pitching me up and in. He got (the pitch) down a little.”

Ron Oester followed with a single, moving Concepcion to second. Protecting a 5-0 lead, Cox got Wayne Krenchicki to ground out to first, ending the inning.

Praise from Pete

In the ninth, Cox set down the Reds in order. Player-manager Pete Rose flied out to left, ending the game. Rose, who four months later would become baseball’s career hits leader, grounded out in each of his previous three at-bats.

“He changes speeds well and he throws a lot of strikes,” Rose said.

Cox used an effective combination of fastballs and changeups. “He throws his fastball so hard, he can freeze you with his changeup,” Cardinals first baseman Jack Clark told The Sporting News.

Parker said, “He’s got an exceptional changeup. His whole game revolved around the changeup.”

The line for Cox: 9 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts, 96 pitches, 29 batters faced. The loss went to Reds starter John Stuper, the former Cardinal. Boxscore

Rare feat

Cox was trying to become the first National League pitcher to toss a perfect game since the Dodgers’ Sandy Koufax did it versus the Cubs on Sept. 9, 1965.

A perfect game is defined as one in which a pitcher earns a win, pitches a minimum of nine innings and no opposing player reaches base by any means. Games less than nine innings don’t qualify as perfect games. Nor do games in which an opposing player reaches base only in extra innings.

The Cardinals never have been involved in an official perfect game. They were involved in two unofficial ones.

On Aug. 11, 1907, in the second game of a doubleheader versus the Braves, Cardinals starter Ed Karger retired all 21 batters he faced. The game was called by mutual agreement after seven innings, with the Cardinals winning, 4-0. In those days, teams were allowed to shorten the second game of a doubleheader if both sides agreed.

Seventy-seven years later, on April 21, 1984, in the second game of a doubleheader versus the Cardinals, Expos starter David Palmer retired all 15 batters he faced. The game was called because of rain after five innings, with the Expos winning, 4-0.

Previously: Danny Cox vs. Mike Aldrete: Duel of 1987 Cardinals, Giants

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How Ron Reed replaced Bob Gibson in Cardinals rotation

Posted in Games, Pitchers, Trades on May 28, 2015| 4 Comments »

Convinced Bob Gibson no longer should be a starter, the Cardinals acquired Ron Reed from the Braves and put him in the rotation as the replacement for their long-time ace.

On May 28, 1975, the Cardinals traded relievers Ray Sadecki and Elias Sosa to the Braves for Reed and a player to be named. Five days later, the Braves sent Wayne Nordhagen, a minor-league outfielder, to the Cardinals, completing the deal.

At the time of the trade, the Cardinals’ rotation consisted of Gibson, Bob Forsch, Lynn McGlothen and John Curtis. With the May acquisitions of Reed from the Braves and Ron Bryant from the Giants, the Cardinals planned to move Gibson to the bullpen and go with a revamped rotation of Forsch, McGlothen, Reed, Curtis and Bryant.

Embarrassment to Bob

Gibson, 39, was upset with the decision.

“I think they’re making a mistake,” Gibson said to The Sporting News. “I still think I can throw better than 50 percent of the pitchers in the league. I think I’ve still got good stuff, not just competitive fire.”

Said Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst: “It was a tough decision to make. He’s still a good pitcher, but he’s not pitching as great as he has in the past.”

Gibson was a five-time 20-game winner and eight-time all-star with the Cardinals. He twice was named winner of the World Series Most Valuable Player Award and twice was named winner of the National League Cy Young Award.

In 1975, though, his record was 1-5 with a 4.80 ERA when he was dropped from the rotation on June 1. He yielded 71 hits in 65.2 innings and had more walks (33) than strikeouts (32).

Gibson was hampered by damaged knees. He also admitted he was reeling from a divorce.

In his 1994 book “Stranger to the Game,” Gibson said, “I didn’t conceal my anger at being sent to the bullpen, but I suspect now that some of it actually stemmed from my frustrations at home. There was a lot of pressure in suddenly being the primary parent for two teenage girls and a degree of devastation over the shattering of a family life that had been nearly 20 years in the making.”

Said Cardinals outfielder Reggie Smith: “When his body didn’t respond and then the club put him in the bullpen, it was an embarrassment to Bob.”

Two-sport standout

Reed, 32, was a good acquisition for the Cardinals. Bryant, 28, wasn’t.

Like Gibson, Reed was an outstanding basketball player. Gibson played basketball in college for Creighton and as a professional for the Harlem Globetrotters. Reed played basketball in college for Notre Dame and as a professional for the NBA’s Detroit Pistons.

A basketball and baseball standout at LaPorte (Ind.) High School, Reed was offered a contract by Athletics owner Charlie Finley, a LaPorte resident, after he graduated. Instead, Reed accepted a basketball scholarship from Notre Dame.

At 6 feet 6, Reed averaged 19 points and 14 rebounds per game in three varsity seasons at Notre Dame. He holds the Notre Dame single-season record for rebounding average at 17.7 per game.

After his senior season, Reed was selected by the Pistons in the third round of the 1965 NBA draft. Reed, who played baseball at Notre Dame only as a senior, wasn’t selected in the 1965 major-league amateur draft.

Looking for something to do in the summer before the start of the 1965-66 NBA season, Reed used a connection to contact Braves general manager John McHale, a fellow Notre Dame graduate. McHale signed Reed to a free-agent contract and assigned him to the minors.

The player-coach of the Pistons was Dave DeBusschere. He had pitched for the White Sox in 1962 and ’63. As a rookie, Reed averaged 7.5 points in 57 games for the Pistons. In his second season, Reed averaged 8.5 points in 62 games, including a 30-point performance on Dec. 16, 1966, versus the Baltimore Bullets.

At a crossroads, Reed opted for baseball. “At 6-foot-6, I was sort of caught in the middle (between forward and guard) and I doubt if I could have become anything more than a utility player in the NBA,” Reed told The Sporting News.

By 1968, Reed was in the Braves’ starting rotation. He achieved double-digit wins in five of his seven full seasons with the Braves.

Cardinals contributor

Reed was having breakfast when he learned he had been traded to the Cardinals. “I stood there with my mouth wide open,” Reed said. “I didn’t know how to react. I had never been traded before.”

In his Cardinals debut, on June 3, 1975, Reed got the start against the Braves and earned the win in a 4-2 Cardinals triumph. “When the game started, my knees began to shake,” Reed said. “I wasn’t scared … but my knees were just shaking.”

Reed won each of his first three starts with the Cardinals and had a 0.76 ERA.

Bryant, meanwhile, was a bust. A left-hander who had 24 wins for the 1973 Giants, Bryant was acquired by the Cardinals from San Francisco on May 9, 1975, for outfielder Larry Herndon and minor-league pitcher Tony Gonzalez.

In his first and only start for the Cardinals on June 16, 1975, Bryant gave up five runs in one inning against the Pirates.

Unimpressed, the Cardinals yanked Bryant from the rotation. Given a reprieve, Gibson replaced him and made four starts, winning one and losing three between June 21 and July 8. After the all-star break, Gibson was sent back to the bullpen, didn’t start again and retired in September.

John Denny and Harry Rasmussen were promoted from the minor leagues to join Forsch, McGlothen and Reed in the rotation, with Curtis being sent to the bullpen.

Reed won eight of his first 12 decisions with the Cardinals and finished 9-8 with a 3.23 ERA in 24 starts for St. Louis.

On Dec. 9, 1975, the Cardinals traded Reed to the Phillies for outfielder Mike Anderson. Converted to a reliever, Reed pitched for the Phillies in the 1980 and 1983 World Series.

Reed finished his career for manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan with the 1984 White Sox. In 19 big-league seasons, Reed was 146-140 with a 3.46 ERA and 103 saves.

Previously: Bob Gibson and his final Opening Day with Cardinals

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Why Cardinals traded pitching ace Mort Cooper

Posted in Executives, Pitchers, Trades on May 22, 2015| 2 Comments »

(Updated May 23, 2020)

Convinced he had the leverage to demand a more lucrative contract, Cardinals ace Mort Cooper played hardball with Sam Breadon. The club owner responded by trading Cooper rather than negotiating with him.

“In reckoning on his ability to outmaneuver Sam Breadon, Cooper encountered an old master who is familiar with a wide variety of curves,” The Sporting News reported.

On May 23, 1945, the Cardinals traded Cooper, 32, to the Braves for pitcher Red Barrett, 30, and $60,000. Three months later, Cooper had elbow surgery. Barrett earned 21 wins for the 1945 Cardinals.

Show me the money

Cooper was a key reason the Cardinals won three National League pennants and two World Series championships from 1942-44. He was named winner of the NL Most Valuable Player Award in 1942 when he was 22-7 with a 1.78 ERA. He followed that with a 21-8 record and 2.30 ERA in 1943 and a 22-7 record and 2.46 ERA in 1944.

Before the 1945 season, Cooper signed a one-year contract for $12,000. That amount, Breadon told Cooper, was the club ceiling on salaries. In spring training, Cooper learned the Cardinals made an exception for Marty Marion and signed the shortstop for $13,000.

Breadon offered to increase Cooper’s 1945 salary by $1,500, giving him a total of $13,500, but Cooper demanded $15,000, according to the St. Louis daily newspapers. Breadon refused. In protest, Cooper and his brother, catcher Walker Cooper, left the Cardinals’ spring training camp at Cairo, Ill., and threatened to boycott the club’s opening series against the Cubs.

The Cooper brothers eventually gave in and were with the club on Opening Day at Chicago. Soon after, Walker Cooper was inducted into the Navy. Mort Cooper made his first appearance of the season on April 22, pitching in relief against the Reds at St. Louis.

Cooper still was miffed about his contract and he didn’t show when the Cardinals left St. Louis by train for a series at Cincinnati. Instead, he arrived in Cincinnati the next day with his lawyer, Lee Havener, and demanded a salary increase.

Cooper started on April 29 against the Reds and earned the win. He also won his next start, versus the Cubs, on May 6 and got a no-decision in his third start on May 13 against the Giants.

With a 2-0 record and 1.52 ERA, Cooper appeared headed toward another big season. Because of injuries and commitments to military service, the Cardinals had little pitching depth. Sensing he had the upper hand, Cooper decided the time was right to force the issue of a new contract.

Jumping ship

In mid-May, while the Cardinals were in Boston, Cooper called traveling secretary Leo Ward about 3 a.m. at the team hotel and informed him he was leaving without permission and returning to St. Louis. Manager Billy Southworth suspended the pitcher indefinitely and fined him $500.

In St. Louis, Cooper and Havener asked Breadon to discuss a new contract. A meeting was scheduled for May 23 in Breadon’s office.

Secretly, Breadon began talking with clubs to gauge interest in Cooper. The Giants offered cash but no players. The Cubs and Phillies offered a combination of players and cash. The Braves offered the most cash, plus Barrett.

Cooper and Havener arrived at Breadon’s office, expecting to renegotiate a contract. Southworth was there with Breadon. After exchanging pleasantries, Breadon delivered his surprise, informing Cooper he was traded to the Braves.

“You could have floored Cooper and Havener with a feather,” the St. Louis Star-Times reported.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Cooper “was shocked and crestfallen.”

“This is all a big surprise to me,” Cooper said to the Star-Times.

Deal of the year

“In disposing of Cooper, Breadon took the best course, since there was little chance of an amicable agreement,” The Sporting News opined.

Post-Dispatch columnist John Wray suggested “pitchers like Cooper today are rarer than banana trees in Iceland,” but added, “a disgruntled, malingering Cooper, forced to labor in a vineyard he hated, might have hurt the morale of the other players and done even greater damage.”

United Press called the transaction “the most important baseball deal of 1945” because the departure of a perennial 20-game winner gave hope to NL teams that the three-time defending champion Cardinals could be dethroned.

Cooper “almost overnight transformed (the Braves) into a pennant contender,” wrote The Sporting News.

Braves right fielder Tommy Holmes told the Boston Globe, “Brother, he’s got everything and he knows how to use it. I’m glad to have him on my side.”

Braves general manager John Quinn deemed Cooper “the best pitcher in the league.” The Braves reworked his contract and gave Cooper $15,000 for 1945.

Singing slinger

Barrett nearly was overlooked in most reviews of the trade. He was 2-3 with a 4.74 ERA for the 1945 Braves.

Informed of the trade by Braves manager Bob Coleman, Barrett said, “I didn’t give them a chance to change their minds. I was packed and ready to leave for St. Louis two minutes later. I’d have been ready sooner but I had difficulty in getting my suitcase closed.”

Breadon told the Post-Dispatch, “Barrett is not a star, but he’s an earnest, conscientious pitcher who will strive always for the best interests of his club.”

Barrett was almost as well-known as a singer as he was a pitcher. He sang a role in the opera “Narcissus” with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He toured with bands during the off-season. “There is scarcely a big jazz band in the country that I haven’t sung with,” Barrett said. “Sammy Kaye. Tommy Dorsey. Skinny Ennis and the rest of them.”

No one expected Barrett would be the equal of Cooper. His career record in seven seasons with the Reds and Braves was 16-37.

Inserted into the rotation, Barrett produced a 21-9 record and 2.74 ERA for the 1945 Cardinals. Cooper was 7-4 with a 3.35 ERA for the 1945 Braves.

Final years

The 1945 Cardinals finished in second place at 95-59, three games behind the Cubs. The Braves finished sixth in the eight-team league at 67-85, 30 games behind Chicago.

With Breadon’s approval, Southworth left the Cardinals after the 1945 season and accepted an offer to manage the Braves. His replacement, Eddie Dyer, preferred using Barrett in relief and giving him spot starts. Barrett was 3-2 for the 1946 Cardinals. After the season, he was sent back to the Braves and pitched three more years for them.

Under Southworth, Cooper was 13-11 with a 3.12 ERA for the 1946 Braves. It was his last hurrah. In 1947, Cooper was a combined 3-10 with a 5.40 ERA for the Braves and Giants.

Previously: How Mort Cooper pitched 2 straight one-hitters for Cardinals

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