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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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Why Cardinals traded Ken Boyer to Mets

Posted in Executives, Hitters, Opponents, Pitchers, Trades on October 20, 2015| 7 Comments »

(Updated April 30, 2023)

From a public relations perspective, the trade of Ken Boyer from the Cardinals to the Mets was a disaster. From a baseball perspective, it was a marquee deal that produced mixed results.

ken_boyer11On Oct. 20, 1965, the Cardinals traded Boyer, their third baseman and cleanup batter, to the Mets for pitcher Al Jackson and third baseman Charlie Smith.

Cardinals general manager Bob Howsam made the trade because he indicated he believed Boyer, 34, was in decline and the club needed pitching and speed to adapt to their spacious new downtown stadium in 1966.

Howsam said Jackson, 29, bolstered the rotation, and he saw Smith, 28, as a more agile third baseman than Boyer with more power potential.

Bing Devine, former Cardinals general manager who was special assistant to Mets president George Weiss, advocated for New York to acquire Boyer as much for his leadership and professionalism as for his ability to produce runs and stabilize the third base position.

In their first four seasons after entering the National League as an expansion team in 1962, the Mets developed a reputation as a clownish club. Devine envisioned Boyer as a player who could help change that perception.

Ham-handed Howsam

The trade was unpopular with many Cardinals fans. Boyer was Cardinals royalty. In handling the trade callously, Howsam appeared to treat Boyer disrespectfully.

Boyer, who signed with the Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 1949, played 11 seasons for St. Louis (1955-65) and was named an all-star seven times.

He also won the Gold Glove Award five times and earned the NL Most Valuable Player Award in 1964, when he produced 24 home runs, 119 RBI and 100 runs in leading the Cardinals to a pennant and World Series title. Overall, Boyer had 1,855 hits in 1,667 career games with the Cardinals, including 255 home runs and 1,001 RBI.

Boyer learned of the deal in a phone call with reporter Jack Herman of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat.

“You’re kidding,” Boyer said when told of the trade. “That’s really something.

“Seventeen years is a long time (with one organization). I don’t know what to think right now. I wouldn’t be truthful if I didn’t say I was sorry to be leaving.”

The Sporting News reported “various Cardinals officials tried to contact” Boyer to tell him about the trade, but Cardinals fans concluded management, especially Howsam, didn’t try hard enough.

“As soon as the Boyer deal became public property, Cardinals fans touched off a storm,” The Sporting News reported. “They swamped all the news media and even tried to get through to Cardinals general manager Bob Howsam to register protests and threats to cancel tickets.”

The furor was comparable to the uproar that ensued when the Cardinals traded popular standouts such as Rogers Hornsby, Enos Slaughter and Red Schoendienst.

Support from Stan

Schoendienst, who completed his first season as Cardinals manager in 1965, endorsed the trade of Boyer. “We’re sorry to see Kenny go, but good left-handed pitchers are few and far between,” Schoendienst told the Associated Press. “Smith can drive in the runs and is an improved fielder.”

Stan Musial, a Cardinals vice president in 1965, told United Press International the trade was a “good deal” for St. Louis. Musial was impressed by Jackson. “Al is a good competitor,” Musial said. “That guy can beat the tough clubs.”

Said Howsam: “We hate to see a player of Ken’s caliber go, but we had a chance to get a man in Smith who is a power hitter and good fielder, and a fine starting pitcher in Jackson. We felt we couldn’t pass it up.”

Developing a deal

Initially, the Cardinals talked with the Astros about a deal that would have featured Boyer for third baseman Bob Aspromonte. The Mets had been discussing with the Angels a trade of Jackson and Smith for outfielder Jose Cardenal.

When those talks stalled, The Sporting News reported, the Cardinals and Mets struck their deal.

Jackson earned a franchise-leading 40 wins in his four seasons with the Mets. In 1965, Jackson was 8-20 with a 4.34 ERA.

Smith, who played for the Dodgers, Phillies and White Sox before joining the Mets, hit .244 in 1965. His power numbers that season (20 doubles, 16 home runs, .393 slugging percentage) were better than those produced in 1965 by Boyer (18 doubles, 13 home runs, .374 slugging percentage).

“I think I’ll be able to help the Mets,” Boyer said. “The sentiment is gone for the Cardinals … It will strictly be on a business basis now.”

Boyer led the 1966 Mets in RBI (61) and doubles (28) and was second on the club in home runs (14).

In his autobiography, “Cleon Jones: Coming Home,” Mets outfielder Cleon Jones said, “Ken Boyer was an icon, the very best at what he did at his position. Ken Boyer was one of the greatest third basemen to play the game. He was a great defensive player, an offensive force and became a great teammate.

“He was the kind of guy who would always reach out to his teammates. He could talk about the game in a way that made you feel like you belonged in the league, that you could do it because he wasn’t talking to you about what you did wrong but about how you have to be prepared to be successful. That was one of the bright spots in my early career. to have Ken Boyer as a teammate and to watch him go out on the field and perform like he did.”

Al Jackson was second to Bob Gibson in wins (13), complete games (11) and innings pitched (232.2) for the 1966 Cardinals. He had nine wins for the 1967 World Series champion Cardinals, then was dealt back to the Mets.

Charlie Smith had 104 hits and struck out 81 times in 116 games for the 1966 Cardinals. He produced 10 home runs and 43 RBI. After the season, Smith was traded to the Yankees for Roger Maris and was replaced at third by Mike Shannon.

 

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Frank Lane and his tumultuous stint as Cardinals GM

Posted in Executives, Trades on October 8, 2015| 2 Comments »

Seeking a general manager who could turn the Cardinals from flops into champions, team owner Gussie Busch sought the advice of the leader of the publication considered the authority on baseball.

frank_laneAs the 1955 season neared its end, Busch asked J.G. Taylor Spink, publisher of The Sporting News, to recommend the best general manager to hire. Spink suggested Frank Lane of the White Sox.

In September 1955, Lane resigned from the White Sox and sent a telegram to Busch. The wire read: “Have tux, will travel.”

On Oct. 6, 1955, Busch hired Lane to be general manager of the Cardinals.

In a column for The Sporting News, Spink wrote of Lane’s hire, “Probably the most exciting chapter in the history of St. Louis baseball is about to be enacted … The Cardinals will have a team that will win more games _ or the players who lose won’t be around long.”

Taking a trader

Busch bought the Cardinals in 1953 and appointed one of his Anheuser-Busch executives, Dick Meyer, as general manager. Meyer was better suited to run the business side of the franchise rather than the baseball operations side.

As the Cardinals headed to a 68-86 record and next-to-last finish in the National League in 1955, Busch wanted a general manager with a proven record of producing a winner.

Lane, a longtime baseball executive, became general manager of the White Sox after they finished the 1948 season in last place at 51-101. He improved the White Sox through trades and they posted 89 wins in 1953, 94 in 1954 and 91 in 1955.

In seven seasons (1949-55) with the White Sox, Lane made 241 trades involving 353 players, earning the nickname “Trader.”

Rich resources

Busch sent Meyer to New York to begin negotiations with Lane during the 1955 World Series between the Dodgers and Yankees. That led to a follow-up meeting involving Busch, Lane and Meyer in St. Louis.

The Cardinals signed Lane, 59, to a three-year contract. Meyer was promoted to executive vice president. Bill Walsingham Jr., a Cardinals vice president for nine years, resigned, acknowledging the club didn’t need two vice presidents.

Busch gave Lane “full authority” to make all baseball decisions.

“I had three offers but only considered one of them _ the job with the St. Louis club,” Lane said. “Why? Because the Cardinals have the potential for a great club and I know the management has the wherewithal to get what it needs if it doesn’t have what it takes to win.

“I don’t think I’m going too far when I say we should be a first division club and quite possibly a contender if we made the deals needed to augment an already fine nucleus of talent.”

Asked if any Cardinals players were untouchables for trading, Lane replied, “Yes. We’ll start with Stan Musial, then add Red Schoendienst, Bill Virdon, Wally Moon, Ken Boyer, Harvey Haddix and a few others.”

Lane identified the Cardinals’ top needs as a first baseman, catcher and pitching.

His first major move was to replace manager Harry Walker with Fred Hutchinson, the former Tigers manager.

Bad deals

According to Bob Broeg in the book, “Redbirds: A Century of Cardinals Baseball,” Lane would watch Cardinals home games from the roof outside the Busch Stadium press box, “squinting like a sun worshipper who didn’t see well and listening to the radio.”

“Lane lived for baseball, traveling always with a radio at his ear and a stack of newspaper sports sections under his arm,” Broeg observed.

Expecting magic, the Cardinals instead saw blunders in the trades Lane made in 1956. Among his worst deals that season:

_ Pitchers Harvey Haddix and Stu Miller to the Phillies for pitchers Murry Dickson and Herm Wehmeier.

_ Center fielder Bill Virdon to the Pirates for outfielder Bobby Del Greco and pitcher Dick Littlefield.

_ Second baseman Red Schoendienst and others to the Giants for shortstop Alvin Dark and others.

When Busch got wind of Lane’s plans to trade Musial to the Phillies for pitcher Robin Roberts, he blocked the deal, then told Lane that any future trade proposals would have to be approved by Busch and Meyer before being enacted.

The 1956 Cardinals finished in fourth place at 76-78.

Win or else

Before the 1957 season, Busch told a Knights of Columbus banquet audience, “If the Cardinals don’t win this year or next, Frank Lane will be out on his ass.”

Lane was miffed. Wanting assurances he had the owner’s support, Lane asked Busch to extend his contract beyond 1958. Busch refused.

Lane did make a couple of good trades before the 1957 season, acquiring pitcher Sam Jones from the Cubs and slugging outfielder Del Ennis from the Phillies. The Cardinals placed second in the NL in 1957 at 87-67.

Still upset by Busch’s win-or-else ultimatum before the season and offended that he had to get approval before making deals, Lane resigned in November 1957, with a year remaining on his Cardinals contract, and became general manager of the Indians.

Busch replaced Lane with Bing Devine.

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