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Why Cardinals dealt Ken Reitz after Gold Glove season

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Carpet cleaner

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

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

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

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

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

Top prospect

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

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

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

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

Falcone fits

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Giants fan

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

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

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

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

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

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

How they fared

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

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

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

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

Return to sender

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

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

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

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

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Don Kessinger kept Cards seat warm for Garry Templeton

Posted in Hitters, Prospects, Trades on November 7, 2015| Leave a Comment »

After more than a decade with the Cubs as one of the premier shortstops in the National League, Don Kessinger joined the rival Cardinals and stabilized the position until a phenom was ready to take over.

don_kessinger On Oct. 28, 1975, the Cardinals acquired Kessinger from the Cubs for reliever Mike Garman and a player to be named, infielder Bobby Hrapmann.

Shortstop had become a weakness since the Cardinals dealt Dal Maxvill to the Athletics in August 1972. The Cardinals had tried an array of shortstops, including Ray Busse, Mario Guerrero, Ed Brinkman and Mike Tyson, but none excelled.

The Cardinals had selected a high school shortstop, Garry Templeton, in the first round of the 1974 draft and saw him as the solution to their problem.

In the meantime, they hoped Kessinger, 33, could hold down the position while Templeton developed in the minor-league system.

Cardinals country

Kessinger, an Arkansas native, had been a baseball and basketball standout at the University of Mississippi. “I used to listen to (Cardinals) games on radio and (Stan) Musial was my favorite,” Kessinger told The Sporting News.

He signed with the Cubs as an amateur free agent in 1964 and debuted with them that year. Kessinger, possessing a strong arm and wide range, was a six-time NL all-star with the Cubs and twice (1969 and ’70) was a winner of the NL Gold Glove Award.

By September 1975, though, the Cubs were looking to rebuild with younger players. Published speculation was the Cubs would trade Kessinger.

Teams expressing the most interest were the Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals and Braves. The Yankees were reported to be offering reliever Sparky Lyle and the Cardinals were said to be offering pitcher John Curtis.

Before the season ended, Kessinger _ “acting for all the world like a displaced person,” The Sporting News wrote _ sold his house in suburban Chicago.

“I can do more to help a club now than ever before … I’ve taken care of myself and now is the time to reap the benefits from that,” Kessinger said. “I know that I’m still able to do anything on the field that I ever did. I don’t smoke, drink or run around.”

Infield shifts

Tyson had been the primary shortstop for the 1975 Cardinals. He replaced Brinkman, an American League veteran who couldn’t adjust to the artificial surface at Busch Stadium.

After acquiring Kessinger, the Cardinals traded second baseman Ted Sizemore to the Dodgers and decided to shift Tyson from shortstop to second.

During spring training in 1976, Cardinals instructor George Kissell helped Tyson adapt to his new role.

“We wanted Mike Tyson down early (in spring training) as the new second baseman so that he could get used to working with Kessinger,” Kissell said. “It’s easier for Kessinger to get used to Tyson than it is for Tyson to get used to Kessinger.”

Said manager Red Schoendienst: “If we can catch the ball, we can win.”

Fielding woes

Unfortunately for Schoendienst, the Cardinals fumbled a lot _ and lost.

Meanwhile, Templeton, 20, was establishing himself as a force. Like Kessinger, a switch-hitter, Templeton batted .321 for manager Ken Boyer at Class AAA Tulsa in 1976. He produced 142 hits in 106 games, with 24 doubles, 15 triples and 25 stolen bases.

On Aug. 9, 1976, the Cardinals called up Templeton from Tulsa and placed him in the starting lineup at shortstop. With Tyson injured, Kessinger moved to second base, a position he hadn’t played since college.

Boyer endorsed the promotion of Templeton. “I’d pay to see him play,” Boyer said.

The 1976 Cardinals committed 174 errors. Only the Giants had more errors that season among NL clubs. The Cardinals finished 72-90.

Hector Cruz, who had replaced the smooth-fielding Ken Reitz at third, had 26 errors for the 1976 Cardinals. Templetom made 24 errors in 53 games at shortstop.

Kessinger also committed 24 errors _ 18 in 113 games at shortstop and six in 31 games at second base.

Batting primarily in the No. 2 spot in the order, Kessinger hit .239 overall, with 22 doubles and 120 hits in 145 games. He was better as the No. 8 batter (.290 in 33 games) than he was in the No. 2 spot (.230 in 74 games).

Changes and transactions

After the 1976 season, Schoendienst was fired and replaced by Vern Rapp, who in 1977 started Templeton at shortstop, Tyson at second base and moved Kessinger to a utility role.

In 59 games, including 16 starts at second base and 13 starts at shortstop, Kessinger again hit .239 for the 1977 Cardinals before he was traded in August to the White Sox for minor-league pitcher Steve Staniland.

Two years later, Kessinger was named player-manager of the 1979 White Sox. He was fired in August (with a 46-60 record) and replaced by a rookie big-league manager named Tony La Russa.

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Tony La Russa, Randy Wiles and a Cardinals connection

Posted in Pitchers, Prospects, Trades on September 26, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Randy Wiles was the pitcher the Cardinals traded to acquire Tony La Russa.

In a deal made with the intention of jump-starting a pair of stalled minor-league careers, the Cardinals sent Wiles to the White Sox in exchange for La Russa on Dec. 15, 1976.

From there, the careers of the two players took different paths.

La Russa played one season as an infielder in the Cardinals system before beginning a long and successful second career as a manager, including 16 years (1996-2011) with St. Louis. His two World Series titles, three National League pennants and a franchise-leading 1,408 wins with the Cardinals helped get him elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Wiles, a left-hander, pitched briefly with the White Sox in 1977, got traded back to the Cardinals after the season and was out of baseball by the end of 1978.

Good potential

Randy Wiles was selected by the Cardinals in the fifth round of the 1973 draft after earning all-Southeastern Conference honors at Louisiana State University.

He was drafted just ahead of another pitcher, LaMarr Hoyt, who went on to become a big-league all-star.

In his first two seasons in the Cardinals’ system, Wiles established himself as a prospect with big-league potential.

He spent 1973 with the Gulf Coast Cardinals (managed by Ken Boyer) and Class A St. Petersburg, posting a 2.81 ERA in 16 games.

In 1974, Wiles had one of the best seasons of any pitcher in the Cardinals organization, with eight wins and a 2.56 ERA at Class AA Arkansas. Wiles won seven of his last eight decisions, yielding two runs for the month of August.

“Everything just clicked,” Wiles told The Sporting News. “I was consistent every time out.”

Reverse course

Wiles opened the 1975 season at Class AAA Tulsa, playing again for Boyer. Instead of positioning himself for a promotion to the big leagues, Wiles took a step back, posting a 5.92 ERA in 11 games.

“I was so inconsistent … I couldn’t keep the ball down,” said Wiles.

The Cardinals demoted him to Arkansas. Dejected, Wiles was 4-5 with a 3.45 ERA in 12 games for the Class AA club.

“I probably had an attitude problem when I was sent down to Arkansas from Tulsa,” Wiles said. “I tried to shake it, but I couldn’t. I gained a lot of weight, too. I wasn’t in shape.”

At spring training in 1976, Wiles pitched well. “I had the best spring I’ve ever had,” he said. “I gave up only one run. Ken Boyer said I would be with him (at Tulsa).”

Instead, the Cardinals sent Wiles to Arkansas. The Cardinals had signed a batch of former big-league pitchers _ Lloyd Allen, Roric Harrison, Lerrin LaGrow and Harry Parker _ and assigned them to Tulsa, leaving no spots available for Wiles.

Relying primarily on a fastball and slider, Wiles rebounded, with a 2.72 ERA in 21 games for Arkansas. “He should be in Tulsa,” said Arkansas manager Jack Krol. “He just got caught up in the numbers game this year. The organization is still high on him. He’s a good pitcher.”

Wiles did get promoted to Tulsa during the 1976 season and, reunited with Boyer, had a 3.90 ERA in 12 games.

Minor deal

After the season, his fourth in the Cardinals system, Wiles, 25, was traded to the White Sox for La Russa, who had batted .259 at Class AAA Iowa in 1976.

La Russa, 32, no longer was considered a big-league prospect, but he appealed to the Cardinals as a player-coach who could mentor infielders such as Jim Riggleman and Ken Oberkfell at Class AAA New Orleans.

“He was kind of looking out for me a little bit,” Riggleman said in the book, “Tony La Russa: Man on a Mission.” “He became like a big brother to me. He gave me a lot of advice and you knew there was a lot of respect for him among the players.”

The White Sox sent Wiles to Iowa for the 1977 season. In August, they promoted him to the big leagues.

Wiles appeared in five games for Chicago, with a 1-1 record and 10.12 ERA. After two weeks with the White Sox, Wiles was placed on waivers and claimed by the Cardinals, who sent him to join La Russa in New Orleans.

After the season, the Cardinals traded Wiles again _ to the Astros for pitcher Ron Selak, a former Cardinals prospect who had been selected by St. Louis three rounds ahead of Wiles in the 1973 draft.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals talked with La Russa about becoming manager of their rookie league club at Johnson City, Tennessee. Though flattered, La Russa said he’d rather seek a position at a higher level of the minor leagues.

In 1978, Wiles, 27, pitched his final season of professional baseball, with the Astros’ Class AAA club in Charleston, W.Va. La Russa launched his career as a manager that season, with the Class AA Knoxville affiliate of the White Sox. A year later, La Russa, 34, became White Sox manager.

Previously: The story of how Tony La Russa got his 1st Cards win

Previously: Tony La Russa and the night he got to be No. 3

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Rogers Hornsby grew up in a hurry with Cardinals

Posted in Games, Hitters, Prospects on September 8, 2015| 1 Comment »

Rogers Hornsby was a 19-year-old scrawny shortstop from Texas when he was promoted from the lowest levels of the minor leagues to the Cardinals.

Spurned by his teammates and intimidated by big-league cities, Hornsby seemed more outcast and misfit than elite prospect when he left the Class D Denison Railroaders of the Western Association and joined the Cardinals in Cincinnati on Sept. 3, 1915.

At 135 pounds, Hornsby appeared ill-equipped to handle power pitching in the big leagues. Cardinals manager Miller Huggins feared the rookie lacked the strength to generate enough bat speed.

Thus began the Cardinals career of the player who would develop into one of the all-time best hitters in the game.

Big break

Determined to become a professional ballplayer, Hornsby quit high school in Fort Worth and landed a spot with a minor-league club in Hugo, Okla. When the franchise folded, his contract was sold to the team in Denison, Texas.

During spring training in 1915, a Cardinals “B squad” club of prospects and reserves played an exhibition game against the Denison team.

In the book, “My War With Baseball,” Hornsby said, “It was my big break.”

Hornsby impressed Cardinals scout Bob Connery, who tracked the shortstop throughout the season.

The 1915 Cardinals were strapped for cash, especially after fighting the upstart Federal League’s efforts to woo players, and tended to seek inexpensive prospects from low-rung outposts rather than compete financially for top talent from the highest levels of the minor leagues.

Connery recommended Hornsby to the Cardinals. In August 1915, Roy Finley, president of the Denison team, agreed to sell Hornsby’s contract to the Cardinals for $600.

“They told me to meet the Cardinals in Cincinnati (where the club was playing the Reds on Sept. 3),” Hornsby said. “I had never been north before, let alone a big city like Cincinnati.”

Toughen up

When Hornsby arrived, he was a stranger to a team whose veterans saw him as a threat to take someone’s job.

“You didn’t have a bunch of coaches helping the rookies,” Hornsby said. “You had to scratch for everything you got. The veterans on the teams were so jealous of their jobs that most of them wouldn’t give you the time of day.”

In his first week with the Cardinals, Hornsby watched the games from the bench. He looked forward to batting practice, but sometimes was blocked by the veterans. When the club was in St. Louis, Connery was there and he pitched to Hornsby after games.

On Sept. 10, 1915, the Cardinals were playing the Reds at Robison Field in St. Louis. With the Reds ahead, 7-0, in the sixth, Huggins sent Hornsby into the game to replace shortstop Art Butler.

Hornsby went 0-for-2 against King Lear, who pitched a three-hitter in the Reds’ 7-1 victory. Boxscore

Huggins approached Hornsby after the game and said, “They throw a lot harder in the majors than Class D and you don’t have the strength to get the bat around. Try choking up on the bat.”

Fitting in

Hornsby followed his manager’s suggestion.

Four days later, on Sept. 14, Hornsby appeared in his third game, starting at shortstop and batting eighth against the Dodgers at St. Louis. Facing Rube Marquard (who, like Hornsby, would be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame), Hornsby got his first Cardinals hit, a single.

Hornsby was 2-for-2 with a sacrifice bunt in the game, a 6-2 Cardinals triumph. Boxscore

In 18 games with the 1915 Cardinals, Hornsby had 14 hits, batting .246.

Milking his chance

Before Hornsby went home to Texas for the winter, Huggins told him, “I think I’m going to have to farm you out for next year.”

In his book, Hornsby related, “I was just a country boy … so I took him at his word. I thought he meant a real farm and go to work. So I went down to my aunt and uncle’s farm at Lockhart, Texas, and went to work. I also drank all the milk I could and tried to put on some weight.”

When Hornsby reported to spring training in 1916, he was a strapping 160 pounds. Huggins told him to go back to gripping the bat at the knob. Hornsby performed so well Huggins kept him on the Opening Day roster and started him at shortstop before eventually shifting him to third base.

Hornsby was in the big leagues to stay. Second base became his primary position and hitting was his special skill.

Hornsby went on to win seven National League batting titles (six with the Cardinals). He twice won the Triple Crown (leading the league in batting average, home runs and RBI) and twice won the NL Most Valuable Player Award.

His .358 career batting average is best all-time for a right-handed batter and rates second overall to Ty Cobb’s .366.

Hornsby hit .359 with the Cardinals. He has the most career hits by a Cardinals right-handed batter (2,110). The only players with more hits as Cardinals are left-handers Stan Musial (3,630) and Lou Brock (2,713).

Previously: Rogers Hornsby tops Albert Pujols among Cards’ best

Previously: Rogers Hornsby raised bar for second basemen

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Ray Lankford and his stellar debut with Cardinals

Posted in Games, Hitters, Prospects on August 6, 2015| 1 Comment »

(Updated Oct. 17, 2024)

Put at ease by management and welcomed by teammates, including those he might replace, Ray Lankford felt at home with the Cardinals and delivered a stellar performance in his big-league debut.

On Aug. 21, 1990, Lankford, 23, went 2-for-4 with a RBI, a run scored and a stolen base against future Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz of the Braves in his first game with the Cardinals.

Batting sixth and starting in center field, Lankford singled in his first at-bat and swiped second base.

In the eighth, Lankford doubled with two outs, driving in Todd Zeile from second, and scored on a single by Rex Hudler.

“I did a little bit of everything,” Lankford said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I’m happy. I couldn’t have asked for much more.” Boxscore

Top prospect

Lankford was selected by the Cardinals in the third round of the 1987 amateur draft. He and another Cardinals outfield prospect, Bernard Gilkey, became friends and were road roommates with the 1990 Class AAA Louisville farm club.

With Willie McGee eligible to become a free agent after the 1990 season, speculation was Lankford would replace McGee as Cardinals center fielder in 1991.

“When he plays hard, he’s awesome,” Gilkey said of Lankford. “… He reminds me of Kal Daniels of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he plays better defense and he runs better (than Daniels). His style is like Daniels and he’s built like Willie Mays.”

One of the few to cast doubts about Lankford was Whitey Herzog. After abruptly quitting as Cardinals manager in July 1990, Herzog remained with the club as a vice president and was sent in August to scout Cardinals prospects.

“You can talk about prospects all you want, but if you and I are hitting .270 at Louisville … those aren’t good credentials to take Willie McGee’s job,” Herzog said.

The Post-Dispatch reported Herzog said in a Louisville radio interview his opinions on Cardinals prospects “might not be the same” as those of director of player development Ted Simmons. Herzog concluded Lankford could benefit from another season at Class AAA.

No war zone

Disregarding Herzog’s advice, the Cardinals called up Lankford on Aug. 20, 1990. He was batting .260 for Louisville, but had a .362 on-base percentage, with 25 doubles, 72 RBI, 30 stolen bases, 72 walks and 123 hits in 132 games.

After reporting to Busch Stadium on Aug. 21, Lankford met with Simmons, manager Joe Torre and instructor George Kissell in Torre’s office.

“Teddy told him he wasn’t going to Vietnam,” Torre said. “This isn’t war here. Just go out and have a good time.”

Torre met with Cardinals starting outfielders McGee, Vince Coleman and Milt Thompson and explained to them he would start Lankford in center and move McGee to right, putting Thompson on the bench.

Torre said he wanted Lankford to play center “in the event McGee’s not here next year. We want to get him used to the bigger outfield here (at Busch Stadium).”

One of the first to greet Lankford in the clubhouse was Thompson. “I just have to keep my head up and keep working hard,” Thompson said.

McGee and Coleman also were friendly to Lankford. “Willie and Vince are both great players and I’m not here to take any jobs away,” Lankford said.

McGee said he hadn’t played right field since attending Diablo Valley College in California. Asked his reaction to being moved from center to right, McGee said, “I’m the employee. I do what I’m told.”

Let loose

Lankford batted .400 (6-for-15) in his first four games for the Cardinals.

“We’ll baby Lankford a little bit, but we want to get a good read on him so we know what to expect,” Torre said.

Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz endorsed the decision to play Lankford. “The Cardinals need to turn Lankford loose, let him flail away at big-league pitching,” Miklasz wrote. “… Lankford can’t be held back. Stunting his progress at this stage is counterproductive.”

On Aug. 29, 1990, the Cardinals traded McGee to the Athletics for outfielder Felix Jose, infielder Stan Royer and minor-league pitcher Daryl Green.

In 39 games with the 1990 Cardinals, Lankford hit .286 with 10 doubles, eight stolen bases and a .353 on-base percentage.

After getting the chance to see Lankford, Gilkey and Jose play in the big leagues in September 1990, the Cardinals made the trio their regular outfield in 1991.

In the 1991 Cardinals Yearbook, Ted Simmons said of Lankford, “He has the best tools of any prospect we’ve had in the two years I’ve been here (as director of player development). He’s got the kind of tools that are as good as anybody and the kind that should let him have as good a rookie season as anybody.”

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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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