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Why Cardinals pounced on A’s offer for Joaquin Andujar

Posted in Executives, Hitters, Opponents, Pitchers, Trades on December 15, 2015| 4 Comments »

Heading into the 1985 winter meetings, the Cardinals were willing to trade ace Joaquin Andujar for either a left-handed starting pitcher or a first-string catcher. They found a club willing to give them both.

joaquin_andujar8On Dec. 10, 1985, the defending National League champion Cardinals dealt Andujar to the Athletics for catcher Mike Heath and pitcher Tim Conroy.

Heath, 30, was acquired to replace Darrell Porter, who had been released. Conroy, 25, was expected to compete for a spot in the Cardinals’ 1986 rotation alongside John Tudor, Danny Cox, Bob Forsch and Kurt Kepshire.

Neither Heath nor Conroy worked out the way the Cardinals had hoped and Andujar never achieved with the Athletics the success he had with St. Louis.

Behind the numbers

Though Andujar, 32, had an impressive regular season for the 1985 Cardinals _ 21-12 record with 10 complete games and 269.2 innings pitched _ his performance in the second half and in the postseason triggered concern.

For example:

_ Andujar was 1-3 with a 5.30 ERA in six September starts in 1985 and 0-2 with a 7.88 ERA in two regular-season October starts.

_ In the NL Championship Series against the Dodgers, Andujar was 0-1 with a 6.97 ERA in two starts. In the World Series versus the Royals, he made two appearances and was 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA.

_ He had a meltdown in Game 7 of the World Series, getting into a confrontation with home plate umpire Don Denkinger and being ejected. Peter Ueberroth, commissioner of baseball, suspended Andujar for the first 10 games of the 1986 season. Video at the 1:38 mark

Look the other way

At home in the Dominican Republic, Andujar told Braves shortstop Rafael Ramirez that people from Anheuser-Busch, the brewery that owned the Cardinals, called him and said he’d never pitch for the club again, columnist Peter Gammons reported in The Sporting News.

Dal Maxvill, Cardinals general manager, denied being told to trade Andujar. “There has not been interference from above,” Maxvill said to The Sporting News.

In comments about Andujar to St. Louis reporter Rick Hummel, Maxvill added, “I know he’s kind of crazy and I know he’s unusual, but you have to look the other way when the performance is there.”

In his 1987 book “White Rat: A Life in Baseball,” Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog admitted, “It’s been reported that Maxvill and I were ordered to trade Joaquin and I won’t deny that. I will say, though, that he might well have been traded anyway. The other players were tired of his griping and his bitching. It had gotten to the point where he was dividing the clubhouse.”

No deal

The White Sox approached the Cardinals and proposed a deal of left-handed starter Britt Burns for Andujar and pitcher Ricky Horton. Burns was 18-11 for the 1985 White Sox. The Cardinals, however, “backed off because they were concerned about a hip injury of which Burns complains,” Hummel reported.

The Cardinals approached the Red Sox and offered Andujar, Horton, Kepshire and reliever Jeff Lahti for left-handed starter Bruce Hurst, who was 11-13 for Boston in 1985.

The Red Sox rejected the offer because they were given “an immediate take-it-or-leave-it deadline” by the Cardinals and they “were afraid of taking on Andujar” and his problems, Gammons reported.

Headcases OK

The Athletics were seeking a proven winner for their rotation. They offered their starting catcher, Heath, and one selection from a pool of pitchers. The Cardinals chose Conroy.

To the Athletics, Andujar’s pitching trumped his image.

“There’s nothing wrong with a headcase or two _ as long as you don’t have eight,” Sandy Alderson, Athletics general manager, told the Sacramento Bee. “This was not a multi-headcase deal.”

To the San Jose Mercury News, Alderson said, “Flamboyance is not criminal.”

Herzog had advice for Athletics pitching coach Wes Stock, who had been Herzog’s teammate with the Orioles. “Whitey told me Joaquin still needs to be coddled,” Stock said. “He told me not to forget that.”

Asked his reaction to the trade, Andujar told St. Louis radio station KMOX, “I feel surprised. Like I always said, I wanted to die in St. Louis … I leave my heart in St. Louis.”

Unhappy Heath

Heath hit .250 with 13 home runs and 55 RBI for the 1985 Athletics. He caught 38 percent of runners attempting to steal.

According to The Sporting News, Heath asked to be traded. He feuded with Oakland management after being told he’d play only versus left-handed pitching in 1986.

“I felt I was an everyday player and I felt I would not be happy,” Heath said.

In a parting shot at the Athletics, Heath added, “When Mike Heath steps on the field, his No. 1 objective is to win. No. 2 is to win and No. 3 is to win. With the A’s, No. 1 was being compatible and No. 2 was winning.”

Change for Conroy

Conroy was 0-1 with a 4.26 ERA in 16 games for the 1985 Athletics. At Class AAA Tacoma that season, Conroy was 11-3 in 22 starts.

A first-round selection of the Athletics in the 1978 draft, Conroy made his major-league debut at age 18. In five seasons with the Athletics, Conroy was 10-19 with a 4.37 ERA.

“We probably pushed him too quickly,” Alderson said.

Conroy “had to get out of our organization … The mental strain had become too great,” Stock told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Said Herzog: “We’ve liked Conroy for a long time … We feel he was rushed in Oakland and was under too much pressure to succeed.”

The results

Heath hit .205 with four home runs and 25 RBI for the 1986 Cardinals. He caught 33 percent of runners attempting to steal.

On Aug. 10, 1986, the Cardinals traded Heath to the Tigers for pitcher Ken Hill and first baseman Mike Laga.

Conroy was 5-11 with a 5.23 ERA in 25 appearances for the 1986 Cardinals. He was 3-2 with a 5.53 ERA for St. Louis in 1987, his last big-league season. In two years with the Cardinals, Conroy was 8-13 with a 5.31 ERA.

Andujar was 12-7 with a 3.82 ERA in 28 appearances for the 1986 Athletics. He was 3-5 with a 6.08 ERA for Oakland in 1987. In two seasons with the Athletics, Andujar was 15-12 with a 4.46 ERA.

Previously: How Hub Kittle got Joaquin Andujar to Cardinals

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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_reitzThe 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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How Aaron Miles became Cardinals starter at 2nd base

Posted in Games, Hitters, Trades on December 6, 2015| Leave a Comment »

An undeterred underdog, Aaron Miles beat out the competition and emerged as the Opening Day starter at second base for the 2006 Cardinals.

aaron_miles2On Dec. 7, 2005, the Cardinals traded disgruntled reliever Ray King to the Rockies for Miles and outfielder Larry Bigbie.

King, 9-6 with a 2.91 ERA in two seasons with St. Louis, had asked to be traded after not pitching in any of the Cardinals’ nine postseason games in 2005.

For Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty, Bigbie was the prize in the deal.

Bigbie, 28, was seen as a leading candidate to replace the departed Reggie Sanders as the Cardinals’ starting left fielder in 2006. Also competing for the job were So Taguchi and John Rodriguez.

“Right now, I see him (Bigbie) as a starter for us,” Jocketty said after the trade. “He’s still a young player who we believe has high upside.”

Bigbie had hit a combined .239 for the Orioles and Rockies in 2005. He missed most of the second half of the season because of a strained Achilles’ tendon. The year before, he batted .280 and hit 15 home runs for the 2004 Orioles.

Good hit, no field?

Miles, 29, Deivi Cruz and Hector Luna were perceived as second-tier candidates behind front-runner Junior Spivey to replace the departed Mark Grudzielanek as the Cardinals’ starting second baseman in 2006.

“Miles is considered below average defensively but is adept at reaching base,” wrote Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Miles hit .281 in 99 games, including 58 starts at second base, for the 2005 Rockies.

At Cardinals spring training in 2006, Miles jammed his left hand diving into a base on March 3 and sat out for nearly two weeks. That appeared to clear the path for Spivey to win the second base job.

Spivey had played for the Brewers and Nationals in 2005, became a free agent after the season and signed with the Cardinals for a guaranteed $1.2 million. However, Spivey “struggled in all aspects of the game” during spring training, the Post-Dispatch reported. He “appeared tight defensively” and his spring training batting average at the end of March was .152.

When Miles returned to the spring training lineup, he went on a tear, with six hits in 12 at-bats. He struck out once in a stretch of 34 at-bats.

“He’s been a good player,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said of Miles. “He takes good at-bats. He’s caught the ball well to his left and right. He starts double plays.”

Right decision

Before the regular season began, the Cardinals released Cruz, sent Spivey to Class AAA Memphis and declared Luna the backup at second base to Miles.

Meanwhile, Bigbie suffered a stress fracture above his left heel and was placed on the disabled list. Taguchi opened the regular season as the Cardinals’ starting left fielder, with Jim Edmonds in center and Juan Encarnacion in right.

(Bigbie would play in 17 games for the 2006 Cardinals and hit .240. He became a free agent in October 2006 and signed with the Dodgers. A year later, in the Mitchell Report on steroid abuse in baseball, Bigbie admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs from 2001-05.)

The 2006 Cardinals opened the regular season on April 3 at Philadelphia against the Phillies. Miles, batting eighth, was 4-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. He produced two doubles, a triple and a single. Boxscore

“It feels good to make sure these guys (the Cardinals) know they made the right decision with me,” Miles said.

Said La Russa: “He’s a tough out and any eighth hitter that gives you a tough out creates a lot of possibilities in the National League game.”

On July 30, 2006, the Cardinals traded Luna to the Indians for their second baseman, Ronnie Belliard, who displaced Miles as the St. Louis starter. In 54 games, including 53 starts at second base, Belliard hit .237 for the 2006 Cardinals.

Miles batted .263 with 20 doubles in 135 games for the 2006 Cardinals. He made 71 starts at second base and 33 starts at shortstop.

The Cardinals that year won their first World Series championship since 1982, defeating the Tigers in five games. Miles was 1-for-6 with a walk and two runs scored in the 2006 World Series.

In four seasons with St. Louis (2006-08 and 2010), Miles batted .288.

Previously: Mark Grudzielanek fit a need for 2005 Cardinals

Previously: Aaron Miles keyed Cardinals’ comebacks of 2006

Previously: Ronnie Belliard re-ignited Cardinals in 2006 playoffs

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Why Cardinals traded Mickey Owen to Dodgers

Posted in Hitters, Trades on November 27, 2015| 3 Comments »

The Dodgers had the cash. The Cardinals had the players. That combination led the National League rivals to make their second significant transaction of the year at the end of 1940.

mickey_owenOn Dec. 4, 1940, the Cardinals dealt the best young catcher in the league, Mickey Owen, to the Dodgers for $65,000, catcher Gus Mancuso and minor-league pitcher John Pintar.

Six months earlier, on June 12, 1940, the Cardinals had sent left fielder Joe Medwick to the Dodgers for $125,000 and four players whom a writer described as “a few ham sandwiches.”

The Dodgers, who hadn’t won a pennant since 1920, were willing to spend lavishly to acquire the talent needed to become champions.

The Cardinals, confident their farm system could replenish their big-league roster, were willing to deal players at their peak market value to increase profitability.

Also, Cardinals executive Branch Rickey had an incentive to trade players for cash because his contract called for him to get a percentage of the sale as remuneration in addition to his salary.

Daring Dodgers

After the 1940 season, Dodgers president Larry MacPhail spoke openly of his intention to acquire Owen.

Babe Phelps, 32, had been the primary catcher for the 1940 Dodgers. He hit .295 and was named an all-star for the third time in his 11-year career in the big leagues. The Dodgers, though, wanted a younger catcher with a better arm, better defensive skills and more agility than the lumbering Phelps, who was nicknamed “Blimp.” Owen, 24, met the criteria.

Owen entered the big leagues with the 1937 Cardinals and became their starting catcher in 1938. In four seasons with St. Louis, Owen hit .257. His prime asset was his ability to deter stolen base attempts.

In 1938, Owen ranked third among National League catchers in percentage of runners caught stealing (50.9 percent). Owen was the league leader in that category in both 1939 (61.1 percent) and 1940 (60.4 percent).

By comparison, Phelps caught 33.3 percent of runners attempting to steal in 1940.

Bidding battle

Owen “is No. 1 on the MacPhail shopping list because of his youth and speed. Larry, however, isn’t at all confident of landing the fiery Redbird receiver,” The Sporting News reported.

The Giants and Cubs also wanted Owen. Rickey and Cardinals owner Sam Breadon were delighted to have multiple bidders for him. They had a hard-hitting catcher at their Columbus farm club, Walker Cooper, who was deemed ready to replace Owen.

The Cardinals “will be on the listening end of one of the most interesting _ and profitable _ bidding contests in a long time,” The Sporting News reported. “… Cardinals chieftains need only to sit back and let the other fellows do the talking and bidding … They couldn’t have done better if they had written the plot themselves.”

At the baseball winter meetings in Atlanta, the Cubs reportedly made an aggressive play for Owen. MacPhail quickly countered and sealed the deal by increasing the cash offering.

Cash trumps talent

Some were surprised the Cardinals settled for Mancuso instead of Phelps in the deal.

Mancuso, 35, who began his big-league career with the 1928 Cardinals and played in the World Series for them in 1930 and 1931, hit .229 as backup to Phelps for the 1940 Dodgers. Pintar, 27, a right-hander, posted an 11-9 record and 2.77 ERA for the Dodgers’ Texas League affiliate in Dallas.

“At first glance, it looked like the Dodgers benefitted most” with the Cardinals “getting the money they like so well,” Judson Bailey of the Associated Press wrote. Bailey called Owen “a smart defensive player and the kind of aggressive worker that (Dodgers) manager Leo Durocher likes.”

In The Sporting News, Dodgers correspondent Tommy Holmes opined, “Everybody knew MacPhail wanted Owen … What no one expected was that Mickey would come to the Dodgers for so small an outlay of useful playing material. It seems Sam Breadon … preferred the cash.”

Why not? The $190,000 the Cardinals got from the Dodgers for Medwick and Owen was a staggering sum. In 1940, the highest-paid player in the big leagues was Tigers slugger Hank Greenberg at $35,000. The average player salary in the 1940s was $11,000.

Advantage, Cardinals

In the short term, the deal worked well for both teams. In the long term, the Cardinals did better.

With Medwick and Owen as regulars, the 1941 Dodgers finished 100-54 and won the pennant, 2.5 games ahead of the second-place Cardinals (97-56).

Medwick batted .318 with 18 home runs, 88 RBI and 100 runs scored for the 1941 Dodgers.

Owen was second in the league in fielding percentage among catchers and fourth in percentage of runners caught stealing (51.8). He was named an all-star for the first time and hit .231 with 44 RBI.

In the 1941 World Series against the Yankees, Owen failed to catch a third strike pitch with two outs in the ninth inning that should have clinched a 4-3 Dodgers victory in Game 4 and evened the series at 2-2. Instead, the Yankees rallied, won the game, 7-4, and went on to secure the championship with four wins in five games.

Mancuso and Cooper formed an effective catching platoon for the 1941 Cardinals. Mancuso ranked No. 1 among National League catchers in percentage of runners caught stealing (69.2 percent) and Cooper was fifth (51.4 percent).

Cooper was the starting catcher on Cardinals clubs that won three consecutive pennants (1942-44) and two World Series titles.

Previously: How Joe Medwick got traded by Cardinals to Dodgers

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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_kessingerOn 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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Art Mahaffey and his short, shaky stint with Cardinals

Posted in Pitchers, Trades on October 29, 2015| 2 Comments »

When the Cardinals traded half of their all-star infield to the Phillies, the all-star they got in return no longer had the skills to be a consistent starter.

art_mahaffeyOn Oct. 27, 1965, the Cardinals traded first baseman Bill White, shortstop Dick Groat and catcher Bob Uecker to the Phillies for pitcher Art Mahaffey, outfielder Alex Johnson and catcher Pat Corrales.

Two years earlier, four Cardinals _ White, Groat, second baseman Julian Javier and third baseman Ken Boyer _ formed the starting infield for the 1963 National League all-star team.

After White and Groat were traded, only Javier remained with the Cardinals from that infield. Boyer had been traded by the Cardinals to the Mets a week before White and Groat were sent to the Phillies.

Mahaffey, a hard-throwing right-hander, had been an all-star with the 1961 and 1962 Phillies. He earned 19 wins in 1962 and was second in the league that season in complete games (20) and fourth in innings pitched (274).

Though limited by an arm ailment to 71 innings pitched while posting a 2-5 record for the 1965 Phillies, the Cardinals saw Mahaffey, 27, as a candidate to bolster their rotation.

In addition to a starting pitcher, Cardinals general manager Bob Howsam also believed he had acquired a starting left fielder (Johnson) and an upgrade at backup catcher (Corrales).

Feuding Phillies

In 1965, Mahaffey fell into disfavor with Phillies manager Gene Mauch. Mahaffey didn’t make a start after July 5 and appeared twice in relief after Sept. 1.

Mahaffey and Mauch “have not seen eye to eye for quite a while,” The Sporting News reported.

Published reports speculated the Phillies would trade Mahaffey to an American League club. The Senators expressed keen interest.

“I was waiting to get traded, but I had no idea I would go to the Cardinals,” Mahaffey said.

“All I need to do is start. I’m a starting pitcher, not a reliever. I can’t pitch in relief … because I have to warm up longer since I had the arm trouble a couple of years ago. My arm is all right now, however.”

Rotation depth

Agreeing to a request from Howsam, Mahaffey went to the Cardinals’ Florida Instructional League club at St. Petersburg in November 1965 with the goal of developing a slider.

“The slider should make a big difference for me,” Mahaffey said. “On days when my fastball isn’t as good as it should be, I could use my slider on left-handed hitters.”

Entering spring training in February 1966, the Cardinals had nine prime candidates for the five starting rotation spots. Joining Mahaffey among the right-handers were Bob Gibson, Ray Washburn, Tracy Stallard and Nelson Briles. The left-handers were Ray Sadecki, Curt Simmons, Al Jackson and Larry Jaster.

“Our pitching depth is much, much better than it was at this time last year,” Howsam said.

In a sign of the confidence they had in Mahaffey, the Cardinals issued him the uniform No. 14 Boyer wore.

Mahaffey “is one of the hardest workers in the Cardinals camp. He has a mission,” The Sporting News reported.

Said Mahaffey: ” I want to make a good impression. I think I can win and win big. I’m healthy, my arm is sound.”

Mahaffey sealed a spot on the Opening Day roster by pitching four scoreless innings in an exhibition start against the Reds on March 22, 1966, at St. Petersburg.

Unhappy beginning

The Cardinals opened the 1966 season with 13 pitchers. Needing only four starters early in the season, Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst and pitching coach Joe Becker chose Gibson, Washburn, Jaster and Briles.

Simmons, Stallard, Sadecki and Mahaffey complained about lack of work.

“We’re rusting and our market value is going down,” Simmons said.

Mahaffey, who switched to uniform No. 30, was the last of the 13 pitchers to appear in a game, making his Cardinals debut with four innings of shutout relief against the Astros on April 28. Boxscore

“I can’t understand it,” Mahaffey said. “I was assured when I was traded that I would be a starting pitcher.

“Bob Howsam wanted me to get off to a quick start this season, so I agreed to go to the winter league for a month. I had to drop my winter jobs and that cost me a couple of thousand dollars. So this is how I get repaid.”

Shaky starts

On May 7, 1966, Mahaffey got his first Cardinals start _ and it was a dud. Facing the Giants, Mahaffey pitched two scoreless innings before yielding seven runs in the third. Four were scored on a grand slam by Orlando Cepeda. Boxscore

(The next day, Cepeda was traded for Sadecki.)

Mahaffey made five starts for the Cardinals and won one _ against the Braves Boxscore _ and was returned to the bullpen. He earned a save _ the only one of his big-league career _ against the Mets. Boxscore

Overall, Mahaffey was 1-4 with a 6.43 ERA in 12 appearances for the Cardinals before he was demoted to Tulsa in mid-July. Mahaffey was 4-4 with a 5.05 ERA in 11 starts for the Class AAA club.

After the 1966 season, the Cardinals retained the rights to Mahaffey but gave him permission to make a deal with another club. The Giants invited him to spring training at Arizona in 1967.

Mahaffey pitched for the Giants in spring training, but they were unimpressed and returned him to the Cardinals. On April 1, 1967, Stan Musial, who had replaced Howsam, traded Mahaffey and infielders Jerry Buchek and Tony Martinez to the Mets for infielder Eddie Bressoud, outfielder Danny Napoleon and cash.

The Mets assigned Mahaffey to their Class AAA Jacksonville club and he was 1-1 with a 5.50 ERA before being released.

Mahaffey signed with Dallas-Fort Worth, an affiliate of the Cubs, and joined a staff that included his former Cardinals teammate, Stallard, and Don Larsen, 38, who’d pitched a perfect game in the World Series for the Yankees 11 years earlier.

After posting a 2-7 record and 6.00 ERA in 16 games for the Class AA club, Mahaffey, 29, was finished as a professional pitcher.

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