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Archive for the ‘Pitchers’ Category

How Bob Tewksbury outfoxed Mark McGwire

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents, Pitchers on June 21, 2013| Leave a Comment »

In a season when Mark McGwire pummeled pitchers with his home run power, Bob Tewksbury used lollipop pitches to keep the Cardinals slugger from hitting the ball out of the infield.

bob_tewksburyIn 1998, Tewksbury, the former Cardinal, was with the Twins in what would be the last of his 13 major-league seasons. McGwire was in his first full year with the Cardinals and headed toward a record-breaking season in which he would hit 70 home runs.

On June 28, 1998, Tewksbury got the start against the Cardinals at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis.

McGwire entered the game with 36 home runs and a .313 batting average.

When McGwire came to bat in the first inning, Tewksbury lobbed a pitch toward the plate. McGwire watched it float out of the strike zone for ball one. Tewksbury followed with another lob, a pitch accurately described by Dan Barreiro of the Minneapolis Star Tribune as a lollipop. Rather than give it a lick, McGwire swung and dribbled a grounder to first base.

As he headed toward the dugout, McGwire shared a laugh with first-base coach Dave McKay, the Associated Press reported.

“It was all of 44 (mph),” Tewksbury told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “… My son (Griffin) calls it The Dominator. (Manager) Tom Kelly calls it The Entertainment Pitch. The hitters probably call it some other things.”

Said McGwire: “It was awesome. I loved it. I tell you what, I’ll swing at it every time if it’s in the strike zone.”

When McGwire came to bat again, in the fourth, Tewksbury got two quick strikes on the slugger before he floated the lob pitch. McGwire swung and popped out near first base.

“The first time it was funny,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. “He kept getting outs with it _ and then it wasn’t funny.”

Said Tewksbury: “I can’t throw the ball by him, but I can throw it slower. I was excited to face McGwire. I couldn’t wait to face him. It was a thrill. He’s one of the best ever to play the game.”

In the sixth, McGwire singled off a Tewksbury curve. “I didn’t want to get crazy with it,” Tewksbury said about why he didn’t try the lob to McGwire again. “He’d hit it in the upper deck.”

When Ray Lankford came up in the same inning, Tewksbury delivered two lobs. Lankford watched one and grounded out on the other, ending the inning.

In 6.1 innings, Tewksbury yielded two runs on seven hits, walked none and struck out two. He threw five lobs _ three to McGwire and two to Lankford _ and recorded three outs with those floaters. The Twins won, 3-2. Boxscore

“From the variance of slowest pitch to fastest in the league, I can probably go farther than anybody,” Tewksbury said. “I can throw 44 (mph) and I can throw 83 (mph).”

Previously: Think Lance Lynn is a surprise? Check out Luis Arroyo

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The night Bob Gibson couldn’t protect a 6-0 lead

Posted in Games, Opponents, Pitchers on June 19, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Bob Gibson once squandered a 6-0 first-inning lead and was lifted before he could get three outs.

bob_gibson14The night of April 16, 1962, was cold and windy at Philadelphia. Game time temperature was 36 degrees. Only 3,895 came to see the Cardinals play the Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium that Monday night.

The pitching pairings were Gibson, making his first start of the season, against Cal McLish, making his first appearance for the Phillies after being acquired from the White Sox.

The first five Cardinals batters reached base, four on walks from McLish. The fourth walk was issued to Ken Boyer with the bases loaded. Bill White produced a run-scoring double and Doug Clemens hit a three-run double before McLish was replaced by Dallas Green. Gibson singled, driving in the sixth run of the inning.

In the bottom half of the inning, Phillies leadoff batter Tony Taylor walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Johnny Callison also walked.

After Tony Gonzalez struck out and Wes Covington flied out, Billy Klaus singled, scoring Taylor, and Frank Torre walked, loading the bases. Clay Dalrymple knocked in two more with a single, cutting the Cardinals’ lead to 6-3. After a walk to Ruben Amaro loaded the bases, Cardinals manager Johnny Keane replaced Gibson with Ernie Broglio.

Roy Sievers, batting for Green, walked, scoring Torre with the Phillies’ fourth run. Taylor singled, driving in two and tying the score at 6-6. All six runs were charged to Gibson.

When Callison made the third out, on a pop-up to the catcher, it ended a first inning that included nine walks and took 54 shivering minutes to play.

Gibson’s pitching line: 0.2 innings, two hits, six runs, four walks, one strikeout.

In his book “Stranger to the Game,” Gibson said, “I was roughed up for six runs in the first inning. After that our pitching coach, Howie Pollet, made me throw more pitches and simulate game conditions in the bullpen (before starts), which seemed to help.”

The Phillies wouldn’t score again that night. Broglio pitched 8.1 innings in relief and scattered five hits and four walks.

In the third, Cardinals catcher Gene Oliver broke the 6-6 tie with a home run off Don Ferrarese, who, two weeks later, would be traded to St. Louis.

The Cardinals won, 12-6. Broglio’s win was his first in relief since 1960. Boxscore

“We’ve been going slow with him (Broglio) because of his bad arm last year,” Keane said. “He and (Ray) Sadecki were behind in training and we were using them in long relief.”

In his next start, April 22, 1962, at Chicago, Gibson gave up four runs in eight innings and took the loss in a 5-1 Chicago victory, but limited the Cubs to four hits and struck out nine. Boxscore He finished the 1962 season with a 15-13 record and 2.85 ERA.

Previously: Bob Gibson vs. Sandy Koufax: a grand game for Charlie James

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The 19-year-old who struck out 12 Cardinals

Posted in Games, Opponents, Pitchers on June 17, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Only one teenager has struck out 10 or more Cardinals in a game. Gary Nolan, a Reds rookie, was 19 when he struck out 12 Cardinals in seven innings on July 19, 1967, at Cincinnati.

gary_nolan“Every major-league club probably has a kid in the minors with as much ability as Nolan has, but what the other kids don’t have is Nolan’s makeup _ heart _ or whatever you want to call it,” Phillies manager Gene Mauch told The Sporting News.

Nolan had an 8-2 record and 2.29 ERA entering his start against the Cardinals.

Through seven innings, Nolan held the Cardinals scoreless and limited them to four singles, walking none.

His 12 strikeouts came in the first six innings. Five Cardinals _ Roger Maris, Tim McCarver, Mike Shannon, Dal Maxvill and Larry Jaster _ each struck out twice. Lou Brock and Orlando Cepeda struck out once apiece.

The Reds led, 2-0, as Maxvill opened the Cardinals’ eighth against Nolan. Maxvill, who entered the game with a .210 batting average, doubled to right. According to the Associated Press, Nolan told Reds manager Dave Bristol the bicep in his right arm had tightened.

“The pitch Maxvill hit was up and you could tell Gary didn’t have much on it,” Bristol said.

Bristol lifted Nolan, citing the arm problem, and the umpires allowed reliever Ted Abernathy to take as many warmup pitches as he needed. (Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst told the Associated Press he wasn’t convinced Nolan’s arm had tightened and implied the Reds had used the injury as an excuse to give Abernathy extra time to loosen.)

“I just didn’t want to take any chances,” Bristol said. “It was a muscle in his arm and he was tired.”

Said Nolan: “I wasn’t tired, but my arm tightened up.”

Nolan’s departure benefitted the Cardinals. Alex Johnson, the first batter Abernathy faced, doubled to center, scoring Maxvill. Two outs later, Maris singled, driving in the tying run.

The Cardinals won, 3-2, in 12 innings when Gerry Arrigo walked Bobby Tolan with the bases loaded. Boxscore

The victory sparked a run of 10 wins in 13 games for the Cardinals and vaulted them 4.5 games ahead of the second-place Cubs.

Six days after facing the Cardinals, Nolan made his next start against the Braves and held them to a run in eight innings. Nolan finished the 1967 season with a 14-8 record and 2.58 ERA, striking out 206 in 226.2 innings.

Previously: Cardinals vs. Reds: rich tradition of July 4 showdowns

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How Rene Arocha turned Marlins fans into Cards fans

Posted in Games, Opponents, Pitchers on June 14, 2013| Leave a Comment »

In 1993, when the Cardinals made their first regular-season visit to Miami, several fans of the expansion Marlins switched their allegiance to St. Louis for one game.

rene_arocha2Cardinals pitcher Rene Arocha, a Cuban defector who settled in Miami, had the support of the South Florida Cuban community when he started against the Marlins on June 23, 1993.

Arocha was a Cardinals rookie in 1993. Two years earlier, on July 10, 1991, while with the Cuban national baseball team, Arocha defected to the United States. He walked out of Miami International Airport and into a waiting car, becoming the first member of Cuban president Fidel Castro’s baseball team to defect, the Sun-Sentinel of Fort Lauderdale reported.

Miami became Arocha’s adopted hometown. The Cardinals won a lottery among major-league teams for the right to sign the Havana native.

A right-hander, Arocha was 5-2 with a 3.05 ERA as he prepared to face the Marlins. He had been on the 15-day disabled list in April after breaking a finger on his glove hand. “If he doesn’t get hurt (again), he’ll win 15,” Cardinals broadcaster Mike Shannon told the Sun-Sentinel. “If he’s lucky, he’ll win 20.”

Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote that Arocha’s start at Miami was “one of the major happenings of the expansion Florida Marlins’ first season.”

Said Cardinals infielder Jose Oquendo: “The Cubans think that Miami is Cuba.”

Arocha partnered with a Miami radio station and Nike to buy 500 general admission tickets, the New York Times reported. “The Cubans here want to see me pitch,” Arocha told Hummel. “They would be disappointed if I didn’t … The fans, and probably myself, want to win here more than someplace else.”

As anticipation built toward game time at Joe Robbie Stadium, so did Arocha’s anxiety and adrenalin. Cardinals manager Joe Torre and pitching coach Joe Coleman tried to calm him.

“They just told me to concentrate on the job I had to do in the game,” Arocha said. “When I got to the mound, I felt very emotional. I was trying to throw the ball harder than normal.”

Arocha yielded singles to three of the first four batters he faced. “He was pumped up,” Torre said. “He did get a little out of whack trying to throw the ball too hard a few times.”

The Marlins led, 1-0, after an inning. Arocha changed the momentum in the second in a most unexpected way. After the Cardinals scored a run to tie, they had the bases loaded with one out and Arocha at the plate. Arocha, hitless in his first 19 major-league at-bats, drilled a two-run single to center off starter Ryan Bowen, giving St. Louis a 3-1 lead.

“I couldn’t believe it when the ball went into the outfield,” Arocha said of his first big-league hit. “This means more than my first major-league win. I knew what it felt like to win, but I didn’t know what it would feel like to have a base hit.”

Arocha pitched 5.1 innings, yielding six hits and three runs, walking two and striking out two. As he departed, he received a standing ovation from the crowd of 37,936.

“That was a very warm feeling,” Arocha said. “I got a great response from the people that I know were behind me.”

Said Cardinals catcher Erik Pappas: “I was surprised how loud the crowd was. It sounded like they were more for him than they were for the Marlins.”

The Cardinals received 3.2 innings of scoreless relief from Paul Kilgus, Rob Murphy, Mike Perez and Lee Smith, winning, 4-3, and boosting Arocha’s record to 6-2. Boxscore He would finish the season 11-8.

Marlins first baseman and Cuba native Orestes Destrade said of Arocha: “He’s surprised a few of his critics who said he couldn’t pitch at the major-league level.”

Previously: First Rockies lineup had prominent Cardinals connection

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Silvio Martinez was special picher for Cardinals

Posted in Games, Pitchers on May 29, 2013| Leave a Comment »

In 1978, Silvio Martinez pitched a one-hitter for the Cardinals against the Mets, four days after he pitched a no-hitter in the minor leagues.

silvio_martinezMartinez pitched two one-hitters and a pair of two-hitters for the 1978 Cardinals.

Martinez debuted in the major leagues with the 1977 White Sox, pitching 10 games in relief. After the season, the White Sox sent Martinez to St. Louis, completing an August trade of reliever Clay Carroll to Chicago for players to be named. (The Cardinals also got outfielder Nyls Nyman and pitcher Dave Hamilton.)

Martinez, 22, opened the 1978 season in the rotation of the Cardinals’ Class AAA club at Springfield, Ill. On April 24, he pitched a three-hitter against Iowa. Six days later, he combined with George Frazier on a two-hitter against Evansville.

On May 26, Martinez flirted with a perfect game against Omaha. He retired 23 in a row before an Omaha batter reached base on a error by third baseman John Scott with two outs in the eighth.

In the ninth, Martinez got a break when left fielder Jim Lentine made a diving catch of Jim Gaudet’s drive for the first out. After issuing a walk, Martinez completed the no-hitter in the 4-0 Springfield victory.

“I was throwing hard, but I wasn’t thinking about the no-hitter,” Martinez said to The Sporting News.

The Cardinals promoted Martinez and put him into their rotation. He made his first start in the major leagues on May 30 at New York’s Shea Stadium. Matched against Jerry Koosman, Martinez held New York hitless for six innings. In the seventh, Steve Henderson led off and hit the first pitch from Martinez over the left-field fence for a home run.

“I cried the minute I let it go,” Martinez said to the Associated Press.

Said Cardinals catcher Ted Simmons: “I couldn’t believe how calm (Martinez) was after his no-hit bid was wrecked. I told him to forget about it … He told me, ‘It’s not important. Don’t worry.’ ”

In the ninth, the Mets scored without a hit when Henderson walked, advanced on a wild pitch, moved to third on a ground out and scored on another wild pitch.

The Cardinals won, 8-2. Martinez walked six, hit a batter and struck out two. Boxscore

“He did a heck of a job of concentrating,” said Cardinals manager Ken Boyer. “He is real fast and just wild enough to keep the hitters off stride. I pitched him out of sheer need. He had thrown about 100 pitches Friday night (in the no-hitter). Tonight, he threw 121 times, so that’s not too bad.”

Said Mets manager Joe Torre: “He has a great fastball.”

Martinez pitched another one-hitter against the Pirates at St. Louis on July 8. He pitched a two-hitter against the Giants at Candlestick Park on July 26 and another two-hitter against the Mets on Sept. 25 at Shea Stadium.

In 22 starts, Martinez was 9-8 with a 3.64 ERA for the 1978 Cardinals. He yielded 114 hits in 138.1 innings but had more walks (71) than strikeouts (45).

Plagued by injuries and illness, Martinez never developed into a consistent winner. His record in four years (1978-81) with St. Louis was 31-31 with a 3.81 ERA. In November 1981, the Cardinals dealt him to the Indians for outfielder Lonnie Smith.

Previously: Jim Kaat revived both his career and the Cardinals

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Cot Deal: Cards prospect hurled 20-inning complete game

Posted in Managers, Pitchers, Trades on May 27, 2013| 2 Comments »

Cot Deal spent 11 years in the Cardinals organization as a player, coach and manager. As a Cardinals pitcher, he yielded three consecutive home runs to the Reds in the ninth inning _ and won. In the minor leagues, he managed Bob Gibson.

cot_dealHis most memorable feat occurred in his first year in the Cardinals system with Columbus (Ohio) of the Class AAA American Association. In what The Sporting News described as “one of the greatest exhibitions of mound stamina in minor league history,” Deal pitched a 20-inning complete game.

Though his 50 years in pro baseball sent him across the country, Deal always returned to his native Oklahoma. He was born Jan. 23, 1923, in Arapaho, population about 400, in Custer County. His given name was Ellis Deal, but he was called Cot as a boy because of his cotton-top hair color.

Signed by the Pirates while in high school, Deal was a third baseman and outfielder for three years in the Pittsburgh system before he entered military service. After three years as a training instructor for the Army Air Corps, Deal was discharged, acquired by the Athletics and sent to Class AAA Toronto, where he was converted to a pitcher.

In 1947, the Red Sox acquired Deal and he spent parts of the 1947 and 1948 seasons with Boston, posting a 1-1 record and 7.02 ERA.

Deal, 26, opened the 1949 season with Louisville, a Class AAA affiliate of the Red Sox. In May, he was traded to the Cardinals for a minor-league infielder and assigned to Columbus.

Four months later, Sept. 3, 1949, Deal started against Louisville, pitched 20 innings and got the win in Columbus’ 4-3 victory. Deal also contributed four hits.

Columbus likely would have won in the 10th if not for a loose shoe. With the score 1-1 and Les Fusselman on first base, Deal doubled to right. As Fusselman rounded third, he lost a shoe, hesitated and hobbled on one shoe to the plate, where he was tagged out.

Each team scored twice in the 12th. Columbus snapped the 3-3 tie in the bottom of the 20th on an RBI-single by Roy Broome off Gordon Mueller, who pitched nine innings in relief of starter Jack Griffore.

During the Louisville-Columbus game the next afternoon, “Deal was applauded and cheered every time he stuck his head out of the dugout,” The Sporting News reported.

In 1950, Deal pitched in three games for the Cardinals, but spent most of the season at Columbus. A switch-hitter, Deal went back to being an outfielder for Columbus in 1951 and hit 18 home runs, but returned to pitching the following year. Sent to Class AAA Rochester, Deal was 14-9 in 1952 and 16-9 in 1953.

Deal opened the 1954 season with the Cardinals and was part of the bullpen that posted the worst ERA (5.46) in Cardinals history. He appeared in 33 games and had a 2-3 record and 6.28 ERA.

Deal’s first win for the Cardinals came on July 10, 1954, at St. Louis against the Cubs. He pitched two scoreless innings in relief of starter Vic Raschi and earned the win when Joe Frazier, pinch-hitting for Deal in the ninth, hit a two-run walkoff home run against Bob Rush for a 2-1 Cardinals triumph. Boxscore

Deal’s second and final win for the Cardinals occurred in a wild Sunday afternoon game at Cincinnati. Entering in the third inning, Deal held the Reds scoreless for five innings and St. Louis went into the ninth with a 14-8 lead.

After retiring the first batter in the ninth, Deal yielded consecutive home runs to Gus Bell, Ted Kluszewski and Jim Greengrass. Deal was lifted but got the win when the Cardinals held on for a 14-12 victory. Boxscore

In 1956, Deal was a player-coach for Rochester manager Dixie Walker. He replaced Walker as manager in 1957. In 1958, Bob Gibson was promoted from the Cardinals’ Omaha farm club to Rochester in June and thrived under Deal. Gibson, 3-4 at Omaha, was 5-5 with a 2.45 ERA in 20 games for Rochester.

On Aug. 3, 1958, Deal lifted starter Lynn Lovenguth after one inning and brought in Gibson, who pitched eight innings, holding Miami to three hits and earning his first win for Rochester.

In his book ‘Stranger to the Game,” Gibson said, “Just like that, I was in the rotation. With regrets to Lovenguth, it was a good situation for me. Deal was actually a terrific guy, and black players were nothing new or objectionable to either Rochester or the International League.”

Deal returned to Rochester for a third season as manager in 1959. On Aug. 1, he resigned after Rochester lost 20 of 25 and was replaced by Reds pitching coach Clyde King. Reds manager Fred Hutchinson then hired Deal to be Cincinnati’s pitching coach.

Deal coached for 15 years in the big leagues, including serving as pitching coach for manager Johnny Keane with the 1965 Yankees.

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