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Sparky Anderson taught Sonny Ruberto the Cardinal Way

Posted in Managers, Prospects, Trades on April 2, 2014| 9 Comments »

Their given names were John and George.

Their baseball names were Sonny and Sparky.

sonny_rubertoTogether, they contributed to a standard of teaching that became a hallmark of the Cardinals.

Sonny Ruberto, mentored by Sparky Anderson in the Cardinals’ system, influenced St. Louis players and prospects from 1977-81 as a big-league coach and minor-league manager.

Two of his pupils in the Cardinals system, Jim Riggleman and John Stuper, carried on with reputations as first-rate instructors. Riggleman managed five big-league teams. Stuper, who started and won Game 6 of the 1982 World Series for the Cardinals, coached the Yale University baseball team.

George “Sparky” Anderson, who built a Hall of Fame career as manager of the Reds and Tigers, was 30 when he began his managerial career with Class AAA Toronto in 1964. A year later, he became a manager in the Cardinals system.

John “Sonny” Ruberto was 24 when he began his managerial career with the Padres’ Class A Lodi club in 1970. At 31, he became the youngest coach in the major leagues when he joined the staff of first-year Cardinals manager Vern Rapp in 1977.

Cardinals prospect

A standout catcher at Curtis High School in Staten Island, N.Y., where he played with other future major leaguers such as Terry Crowley and Frank Fernandez, Ruberto signed with the Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 1964. Two years later, he was on a Class A St. Petersburg team managed by Anderson.

In a 1966 game that began on June 14 and ended at 2:30 a.m. on June 15, the visiting Miami Marlins beat St. Petersburg, 4-3, in 29 innings. “It was the darndest thing I’ve ever seen,” Anderson told The Sporting News.

Ruberto played all 29 innings _ the first nine as catcher and the last 20 at shortstop. He had two hits in 10 at-bats and scored a run.

Ruberto hit .283 in 88 games for St. Petersburg. The next year, he played for the Cardinals’ Class A Modesto club, managed by Anderson.

On May 22, 1969, the Cardinals traded Ruberto and second baseman John Sipin to the Padres for infielder Jerry DaVanon and first baseman Bill Davis. Ruberto made his big-league debut as a player with the Padres that month.

Big Red Machine

After a season managing Lodi, Ruberto in 1971 joined the Reds organization, where he was reunited with two key figures from his Cardinals days: Anderson (the Reds’ manager) and Bob Howsam, the former Cardinals general manager who took over the same role with Cincinnati.

Ruberto resumed his playing career and was sent to Class AAA Indianapolis. His manager there for the next five years, 1971 through 1975, was Rapp. As catcher, Ruberto was credited with helping the progress of several Reds pitching prospects, including Joaquin Andujar, Ross Grimsley, Tom Hume, Milt Wilcox and Pat Zachry.

“I feel I had something to do with their development,” Ruberto told The Sporting News.

When Rapp was named Cardinals manager, replacing Red Schoendienst, for the 1977 season, he selected Ruberto to be the first-base coach.

Wrote The Sporting News: “Like Rapp, Ruberto had been a career Triple-A catcher highly regarded for his ability to handle pitchers. Ruberto even has some ideas on helping Ted Simmons improve his backstopping duties.”

Rapp was brought to the Cardinals to instill discipline. At spring training in 1977, The Sporting News reported, “Rapp sized up his charges to make sure that the regulation baseball uniforms were worn properly. He had coach Sonny Ruberto demonstrate how he wanted the uniforms worn.”

At the helm

Rapp was fired in April 1978 and replaced by Ken Boyer. After the season, two of the coaches Boyer had inherited, Ruberto and Mo Mazzali, were replaced by Schoendienst and Dal Maxvill.

The Cardinals, though, kept Ruberto in the organization, naming him manager of the 1979 St. Petersburg club, succeeding Hal Lanier, who was promoted to Class AAA Springfield.

“What kind of manager will I be?” Ruberto said in response to a question from the St. Petersburg Times. “Well, a little of Vern Rapp, a little of Sparky Anderson, a little of Billy Martin and a lot of Sonny Ruberto.”

St. Petersburg finished 64-71, but the Cardinals were pleased with how their prospects, such as Stuper and fellow starting pitcher Andy Rincon, developed under Ruberto.

In 1980, Ruberto managed the Cardinals’ Class AA Arkansas team to an 81-55 record and a Texas League championship. Stuper had a 7-2 record for Arkansas. Riggleman, a third baseman, hit .295 with 21 home runs and 90 RBI in 127 games.

Ruberto managed the Cardinals’ Class A Erie team to a 44-30 record in 1981.

He operated a photography business in St. Louis and resided there with his family for 26 years.

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Spring fling: How Tony Womack sparked 2004 Cardinals

Posted in Games, Hitters, Trades on March 17, 2014| Leave a Comment »

A minor move for a one-time heartbreaker paid off in a major way for the 2004 Cardinals.

tony_womackDesperate for a second baseman late in spring training, the Cardinals acquired Tony Womack from the Red Sox for reliever Matt Duff on March 21, 2004.

The Cardinals weren’t sure Womack was even healthy enough to play.

He turned out to be the catalyst for a club that won the National League pennant.

Womack, 34, had undergone ligament replacement surgery on his right elbow in October 2003.

The Cardinals, unwilling to enter the 2004 season with either Marlon Anderson or Bo Hart as their everyday second baseman, took a chance on Womack, even though they were told he still was a month away from being able to field and throw.

After Womack reported to the Cardinals’ spring training camp in Jupiter, Fla., pulling into the players’ parking lot in a purple Lamborghini, he declared, “I’m ready to go now. I’ve been ready for a while,” the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

The Cardinals immediately put him into minor-league games on the back fields of the training complex and, sure enough, Womack proved fit. His elbow had healed far ahead of schedule.

An impressed and grateful Cardinals management team, seeking a replacement for departed free-agent second baseman Fernando Vina, quickly made plans to get him into the starting lineup and atop the batting order in big-league games.

Forgive us our trespasses

Three years earlier, Womack was a Cardinals nemesis. Playing shortstop for the Diamondbacks, Womack delivered the game-winning hit that eliminated the Cardinals in the fifth and deciding game of the National League Division Series.

On Oct. 14, 2001, at Phoenix, Womack came to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 5 against reliever Steve Kline with the score tied at 1-1, two outs and a runner at second. Womack’s single to left drove in pinch-runner Danny Bautista, giving the Diamondbacks a 2-1 victory and enabling them to advance on the path toward their first World Series championship. Boxscore

Reminded of that hit after he joined the Cardinals, Womack told Joe Strauss of the Post-Dispatch, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to break their hearts, but better their heart than mine.”

In response, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, chuckling, told Rick Hummel of the Post-Dispatch, “I’ve forgiven (Womack). I haven’t forgiven Kline. I’ve got to make sure Kline doesn’t throw batting practice to Womack.”

Said Kline of Womack: “I like the guy. Now he doesn’t have to get a hit off me.”

Spark plug

After Womack singled twice and stole two bases against Tigers catcher Ivan Rodriguez in his first Cardinals spring training game, La Russa gushed, “He looked like what I thought he’d be, a guy with a lot of energy who can be very disruptive. Impressive.”

Two weeks after he was acquired, Womack was the 2004 Cardinals’ Opening Day second baseman. Batting leadoff against the Brewers at St. Louis, Womack was 1-for-3 with two walks and a run scored. Boxscore

He had a strong April (.351 batting average with seven steals and a .415 on-base percentage) and, except for a slump in May, was consistently productive all season.

Womack hit especially well against some of St. Louis’ Central Division foes: . 382 (26-for-68) vs. the Reds; .373 (25-for-67) vs. the Cubs; .357 (25-for-70) vs. the Pirates; and .333 (15-for-45) vs. the Brewers.

In 145 regular-season games for the 2004 Cardinals, Womack had 170 hits, scored 91 runs and had 26 stolen bases. He batted .307 and had an on-base percentage of .349. Both figures were far better than his career marks in those categories. (In 13 major-league seasons, Womack had a .273 batting average and .317 on-base percentage.) He fielded adequately, with 15 errors in 1,113 innings at second base for St. Louis.

In the 2004 World Series, Womack batted .182, 2-for-11, in the four games against the Red Sox, but fielded flawlessly. He then became a free agent and signed with the Yankees. He eventually bounced to the Reds and the Cubs. Two years after leaving the Cardinals, his playing career was finished.

In 2005, the Cardinals replaced Womack with another free agent, Mark Grudzielanek.

Previously: Tino Martinez, Mike Matheny and the Cardinals’ Easter brawl

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John Mozeliak outfoxed Billy Beane on Brett Wallace deal

Posted in Hitters, Prospects, Trades on March 14, 2014| 4 Comments »

(Updated July 14, 2019)

In dealing Brett Wallace, the Cardinals acquired one of the cornerstones of their batting order, left fielder Matt Holliday, and cleared the way for David Freese to become their third baseman.

brett_wallaceHolliday and Freese became key players for Cardinals teams that won a World Series championship and two National League pennants.

Heavy hitter

Wallace, a left-handed batter, was chosen by the Cardinals with the 13th pick in the first round of the June 2008 amateur draft. At Arizona State University, he twice led the Pacific-10 Conference in batting average, home runs and RBI.

Though the Cardinals hoped Wallace could handle third base, scout Chuck Fick said, “His position is hitting.”

“It’s too difficult to walk away from a guy who has this kind of chance to hit … He’s a dangerous hitter,” Fick said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Said Jeff Luhnow, the Cardinals’ vice-president of player development: “He knows, as do we, his value is what he does at the plate.”

Wallace was listed at 6 feet 1 and between 230 and 245 pounds. The Cardinals’ other 2008 first-round pick, awarded for the loss of free-agent reliever Troy Percival, was pitcher Lance Lynn.

Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch wrote, “Lynn, like Wallace, has a bulky frame and the Cardinals acknowledge both players will have to watch their weight to reach the potential that got them drafted.”

After receiving an estimated bonus of $1.8 million from the Cardinals, Wallace reported to the minor leagues in July 2008. In 54 games combined for Class A Quad Cities and Class AA Springfield, Wallace had 68 hits and a .337 batting average.

Big deal

Wallace was playing third base and batting .293 (65 hits in 62 games) for Class AAA Memphis in 2009 when he was traded on July 24 to the Athletics with two other prospects, pitcher Clayton Mortensen and outfielder Shane Peterson, for Holliday.

Wallace was the “keystone of the deal,” said Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak, who added that his counterpart, Billy Beane of the Athletics, insisted on Wallace being involved in any trade talks.

“He’s a guy we’ve always sort of longed for,” Beane told the San Francisco Chronicle.

The Cardinals were bullish on Wallace’s offense _ Mozeliak said Wallace “is not the type of hitter you’re going to replace easily” _ but didn’t see him fitting a position. With Albert Pujols at first base, the Cardinals saw third base as the best option for Wallace.

“There was debate within the Cardinals’ front office whether he could be an everyday third baseman in the majors,” the Post-Dispatch reported. “Uncertainty about that made him available in the right trade.”

Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz endorsed the trade: “Wallace represents tomorrow, but you don’t worry about tomorrow when Albert Pujols is batting third in your lineup today. Make the most of it.”

Steal for St. Louis

Freese, who was at Springfield, replaced Wallace as Memphis’ third baseman. He became the Cardinals’ starter the next year and was a World Series hero in 2011.

Holliday immediately boosted the 2009 Cardinals’ production. He batted .353 (83 hits in 63 games) with 55 RBI, helping the Cardinals win the Central Division title.

Wallace never played in a big-league game for the Athletics. He was traded to the Blue Jays and was stuck in their minor-league system until he joined the Astros, where he eventually was reunited with Luhnow, who became their general manager in December 2011.

In six major-league seasons with the Astros (2010-13) and Padres (2015-16), primarily as a first baseman, Wallace batted .238 and had more strikeouts (432) than hits (305).

Previously: Fernando Salas: Cool Hand Luke of 2011 Cardinals

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Why Cardinals thought they had an ace in Vic Raschi

Posted in Games, Pitchers, Trades on February 19, 2014| 4 Comments »

(Updated July 1, 2024)

Desperate for pitching, the 1954 Cardinals settled on a simple solution: Raid the Yankees, winners of five consecutive World Series titles.

vic_raschiThe strategy backfired, but the Cardinals at least succeeded in electrifying the fan base and creating buzz throughout the major leagues.

On Feb. 23, 1954, the Cardinals made bids to pry two right-handed aces, Vic Raschi and Allie Reynolds, from the Yankees. They got Raschi but failed to land Reynolds.

The acquisition of Raschi, one of the top pitchers in the American League, was considered a bold move by the Cardinals. Though some were skeptical about why the Yankees were willing to part with Raschi, many believed the deal vaulted the Cardinals from also-rans to National League pennant contenders.

Raschi, 35, had a regular-season record of 120-50 in eight years with the Yankees. He was 5-3 with a 2.24 ERA in six World Series (1947 and 1949-53) for New York. Reynolds, 37, was 118-56 from 1947-53 with the Yankees. He was 7-2 with a 2.79 ERA in six World Series for them.

Big spenders

In 1954, the Cardinals and Yankees both trained in St. Petersburg, Fla. While there, Cardinals owner Gussie Busch saw Dan Topping, a co-owner of the Yankees, and asked whether the Yankees could spare “any kind of right-hander with a fair chance,” The Sporting News reported.

Busch had deep pockets and a desire to spend. Meanwhile, several Yankees were feuding with general manager George Weiss over contract offers for the 1954 season. The Yankees were willing to dump some of their aging, high-priced talent.

According to The Sporting News, Busch “was astonished” when he found the Yankees willing to deal. Busch offered $85,000 for Raschi and $100,000 for Reynolds, according to John Carmichael of the Chicago Tribune.

First, both pitchers needed to clear waivers through the American League in order for the transactions to be completed with the Cardinals. Raschi went unclaimed; Reynolds didn’t. When the Indians claimed him, the Yankees pulled Reynolds off the waiver list and kept him for the 1954 season.

Surprise shake-up

Raschi was at the beach when Bill Greene, a photographer for the New York World-Telegram and Sun, found him and informed him of the trade.

Greene: “You’ve been sold to the Cardinals.”

Raschi: “No, you’re kidding.”

Raschi, who was 13-6 for the 1953 Yankees, wanted a salary for the 1954 season of $40,000, the same amount he was paid in 1951 (when he won 21 for the third season in a row) and in 1952 (when he won 16). Weiss offered $34,000.

“This club is complacent … Raschi’s attitude was like so many other attitudes on this club,” Weiss said.

Almost no one saw the deal coming. Wrote The Sporting News: “Imagine the amazement of the writers when (it was) announced the New York club had sold Raschi to the Cardinals.”

Frank Lane, general manager of the White Sox, thought Raschi was in decline. “As short as the Yankees are on pitchers, don’t you think they would have kept him if he possibly could have helped them? Guys the Yankees get rid of usually are through,” Lane said.

Most, though, thought the Cardinals helped themselves. The 1953 Cardinals had finished at 83-71 _ 22 games behind the National League champion Dodgers.

_ Steve O’Neill, Phillies manager: “Before this deal, we figured we had only Brooklyn and Milwaukee to beat. But now we have the Cards as well.”

_ Leo Durocher, Giants manager: “This tightens up our race some more. I know Raschi is a great competitor.”

_ Casey Stengel, Yankees manager: “(Raschi) certainly wasn’t sold for anything he did on the field. They must have been awfully sore at him in the front office.”

_ Bob Broeg, St. Louis writer: “The acquisition of Vic Raschi was hailed from ballpark front office to tavern backroom … Raschi considerably strengthened the club’s pennant chances.”

_ The Sporting News: “If Raschi wins for the Cards, and the Bombers fail, there will be a storm over the Bronx which will rock (Yankee) Stadium to its very foundations.”

In his autobiography, “The Mick,” Yankees slugger Mickey Mantle said, “They called Raschi the Springfield Rifle. He was a battler, always pushing himself to the limit of his abilities and probably beyond, playing the bulk of his career on damaged knees.”

Ace folds

Raschi heightened expectations, saying, “I expect to have three or four more seasons of top-flight pitching … I’ll be disappointed if I don’t win 20 games.”

Cardinals manager Eddie Stanky said he’d be pleased if Raschi matched the 13 wins he had in 1953. “I’m sure he can do that, at least,” Stanky said.

Raschi won his first five decisions for the 1954 Cardinals, including a shutout of the Giants on May 19 at New York. Raschi held the Giants to five singles, two by Willie Mays, in a 3-0 Cardinals triumph. Boxscore The win gave Raschi a career mark of 125-50, a .714 winning percentage.

When Raschi shut out the Giants again, on a three-hitter on July 29 Boxscore, his record was 8-5, but an assortment of ailments, including back pain, plagued Raschi in the final two months. He lost his last four decisions and finished the 1954 season at 8-9 with a 4.73 ERA in 30 games.

Raschi ranked second on the 1954 Cardinals in starts (29), innings pitched (179) and strikeouts (73). He was 3-0 with 1.85 ERA against the Giants, who won the pennant that season, but Raschi didn’t deliver at the level he and the Cardinals expected. St. Louis led the league in batting (.281) but was seventh in pitching (4.50 ERA). The Cardinals slumped to 72-82 _ 25 games behind the Giants.

At Cardinals spring training in 1955, Raschi was limited to five innings pitched. He made one start in the regular season, got shelled by the Reds and was released the next day.

“I always admired Vic as a great competitor,” Stanky told The Sporting News, “and he proved himself a man, a real man, the way he took this unfortunate news, but we’ve got to stake our chances on younger pitchers who have shown promise.”

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Cubs knew Lou Brock was on verge of stardom in 1964

Posted in Hitters, Opponents, Trades on January 17, 2014| 2 Comments »

Lou Brock was expected to have a breakout year in 1964 _ with the Cubs, not the Cardinals.

lou_brock8From October 1963 until the start of the 1964 season, Brock was heralded as an emerging superstar who, along with Billy Williams and Ron Santo, gave the Cubs legitimate hope of building a contender.

Instead, the Cubs deviated from their plan to construct a team with Brock as a cornerstone. Desperate for experienced pitching, the Cubs traded Brock and pitchers Jack Spring and Paul Toth to the Cardinals on June 15, 1964, in a deal that brought them pitchers Ernie Broglio and Bobby Shantz along with outfielder Doug Clemens.

Brock propelled the Cardinals to the 1964 National League pennant with his hitting (.348 batting average in 103 games) and speed (33 steals) after being acquired from the Cubs.

Many had predicted he would produce those kinds of numbers for Chicago.

After hitting .258 with 24 steals for the Cubs in 1963, his second full season in the major leagues, Brock, 24, finished runner-up to Cardinals catcher Tim McCarver in balloting by the Associated Press for the honor of National League sophomore of the year.

“Brock is going to be one of the great players in the game within a few years,” Cubs executive Bob Whitlow told The Sporting News in October 1963.

A month later, The Sporting News reported, “In order to acquire (an) extra starting hurler, the Cubs will not break up their infield nor will they deal either Billy Williams or Lou Brock of the outfield.”

Said Santo: “As for Brock, he’s just going to keep getting better.”

Brock led the Cubs in hitting at .380 during the 1964 spring training season.

In a poll of National League writers conducted by The Sporting News before the start of the 1964 regular season, Brock was selected the Cubs player “likeliest to improve.”

Brock started the season well, hitting .306 in April, but batted .221 in May. He entered June in a 4-for-29 slump. On the day he was traded to the Cardinals, his batting average was .251.

Cubs beat writer Edgar Munzel sensed the Cubs were erring in dumping Brock. Calling Brock “a great young prospect,” Munzel wrote, “Even though he was hitting only .251, the youngster combines power with tremendous speed. He was a constant base-running threat.”

Brock, acquired by the Cardinals three days before his 25th birthday, went on to enjoy a spectacular 19-year big-league career, with 3,023 hits, 938 stolen bases and election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985.

Previously: Bill White: We thought Brock deal was nuts

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Do Cards still win if Dick Groat gets dealt for Roger Maris?

Posted in Hitters, Trades on January 2, 2014| Leave a Comment »

(Updated Dec. 20, 2019)

Dick Groat and Roger Maris, players who helped the Cardinals win World Series championships in the 1960s, might never have played for St. Louis if the Pirates and Athletics had completed a proposed trade involving them.

maris_groatIn December 1959, the Pirates were close to dealing Groat to the Athletics for Maris but backed off at the last moment. Spurned, the Athletics turned to the Yankees and traded Maris to New York.

The decisions worked out well for the Pirates and Yankees _ and, eventually, for the Cardinals.

Groat, the Pirates’ shortstop, won the 1960 National League Most Valuable Player Award and helped the Pirates win the pennant and World Series championship, their first since 1925. Maris, the Yankees’ right fielder, won the 1960 American League Most Valuable Player Award and helped the Yankees win their 10th pennant in 12 seasons under manager Casey Stengel.

Two years later, in December 1962, the Pirates traded Groat to the Cardinals and he helped them win the 1964 World Series title, their first in 18 years. In December 1966, Maris was dealt by the Yankees to the Cardinals and he helped them win consecutive pennants and the 1967 World Series championship.

If Groat had been traded for Maris in December 1959, the chances of both landing with the Cardinals likely would have been diminished.

Pirates wanted power

Pirates general manager Joe L. Brown went to the 1959 baseball winter meetings determined to trade for a slugger. He told The Sporting News he made offers for Tigers outfielder Al Kaline, Indians outfielder Rocky Colavito, Senators third baseman Harmon Killebrew and Maris, an outfielder for the Athletics.

“Cleveland turned us down quickly for Colavito, but Detroit, Kansas City and Washington considered our propositions,” Brown said.

The Athletics wanted a shortstop because their starter, Joe DeMaestri, was considering retirement. If the Pirates would deal Groat, the Athletics were willing to send them Maris. Brown and Athletics general manager Parke Carroll agreed to make the trade.

Interviewed for the book “Roger Maris: Baseball’s Reluctant Hero,” Groat recalled, “I heard it was cut-and-dried.”

George Weiss, general manager of the Yankees, told The Sporting News in January 1960 that the Pirates came close to completing the deal for Maris.

The proposed deal was for the Athletics to send Maris, DeMaestri and catcher Hal Smith to the Pirates for Groat, center fielder Bill Virdon, pitcher Ron Kline and catcher Hank Foiles, The Sporting News reported. According to the Pittsburgh Press, the deal was Groat, Kline, outfielder Roman Mejias and pitcher Dick Hall to the Athletics for Maris, Smith and pitcher Ned Garver.

Under the headline “Swap Groat? Very Thought Jars Bucs Fans,” The Sporting News wrote, “The shocker developed when Dick Groat’s name bobbed up in discussions with several American League teams, notably the Senators and Athletics … Word from Kansas City has revealed that Groat’s name also was bandied about when the Pirates sought outfielder Roger Maris.”

Pirates manager balks

According to the Maris biography by co-authors Tom Clavin and Danny Peary, Brown and Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh stepped out of the room during a break in the talks with the Athletics.

Said Groat: “When they got out in the hallway, Danny said, ‘I don’t want to trade Groat.’ And they called it off.”

In a slightly different version, Brown told The Sporting News, “I believe we could have completed the deal for Maris, but the more I thought it over I felt perhaps we were giving up too much.”

“If we had gone through with this trade,” Brown added, “it would have been Page One in Pittsburgh and Kansas City.”

Wrote The Sporting News: “Chances are that thoughts of operating next season without Groat were the factor in casting the negative vote in Brown’s scheme. Brown and his aides probably couldn’t have visualized a Pirates team without the steadiness of Groat and thus backed out on the trade talk.”

On Dec. 11, 1959, the Athletics swapped Maris, DeMaestri and first baseman Kent Hadley to the Yankees for outfielders Hank Bauer and Norm Siebern, pitcher Don Larsen and first baseman Marv Throneberry.

“Had I gone to Kansas City, I’d have been buried for my career,” a grateful Groat told the Maris biographers.

Groat was the 1960 National League batting leader at .325 and paced the Pirates in hits (186).

Maris was the 1960 American League RBI leader with 112. He slugged 39 home runs and topped the league in slugging percentage (.581).

Previously: Cardinals nearly traded Bob Gibson to Senators

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