RetroSimba

How Johnny Rizzo came back to haunt Cardinals

June 17, 2017 by retrosimba

Johnny Rizzo, once a top prospect in the St. Louis system, had his best big-league game against the Cardinals, setting a record that lasted nearly 80 years.

Playing for the Pirates, Rizzo produced nine RBI versus the Cardinals in the second game of a doubleheader on May 30, 1939. That was the single-game record by a Cardinals opponent until Scooter Gennett of the Reds had 10 RBI against St. Louis on June 6, 2017.

Rizzo, a left fielder, achieved his feat with two home runs, two doubles and a single at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis. He had gone hitless in four at-bats in the opener.

No vacancy

Rizzo, a right-handed batter, played five seasons (1933-37) in the Cardinals organization. He batted better than .300 each year, but never got called up to St. Louis.

In 1937, the Cardinals’ Columbus (Ohio) farm club had two top outfielders: Rizzo and Enos Slaughter.

Rizzo batted .358 with 209 hits in 150 games for Columbus. He had 38 doubles, 18 triples and 21 home runs.

Slaughter batted a league-leading .382 with 245 hits in 154 games for Columbus. He had 42 doubles, 13 triples and 26 home runs.

Both clearly were ready to play in the big leagues in 1938.

The Cardinals had two outfield mainstays: Joe Medwick in left and Terry Moore in center. That left one spot, right field, for either Slaughter or Rizzo. Cardinals executive Branch Rickey opted for Slaughter, rating him a better all-around player than Rizzo.

In October 1937, the Cardinals traded Rizzo to the Pirates for catcher Tom Padden, outfielder Bud Hafey and minor-league first baseman Bernard Cobb. Rizzo “was sought by several other clubs, notably the Cubs, but Rickey saw something in the Pittsburgh (offer) that appealed to him,” The Sporting News reported.

Rizzo had a better rookie season than Slaughter in 1938. Rizzo batted .301 with 23 home runs and 111 RBI for the Pirates. Slaughter batted .276 with eight home runs and 58 RBI for the Cardinals.

Pirates power

A year later, Rizzo was in a slump and his batting average was at .239 heading into the second game of the Memorial Day doubleheader against the Cardinals. A day earlier, Rizzo had hit into a triple play.

Facing starter Clyde Shoun, Rizzo had a RBI-single in the first, popped out to shortstop in the third and hit a three-run home run in the fifth. Rizzo added a single off Mort Cooper in the fifth.

With the score tied at 7-7 in the eighth, the Pirates had runners on second and third, none out, and Arky Vaughan at the plate. The Cardinals opted to give an intentional walk to Vaughan, loading the bases, and pitch to Rizzo.

Rizzo ripped a double off Curt Davis, clearing the bases and giving the Pirates a 10-7 lead. “The ball was hit with such force that it bounded off the wall, away from Joe Medwick and Pepper Martin,” The Pittsburgh Press reported.

In the ninth, Rizzo hit a two-run home run off Bob Bowman, capping a 5-for-6 performance in a 14-8 Pirates victory. Boxscore

Rizzo finished the 1939 season with a .261 batting average, six home runs and 55 RBI. He spent three more seasons (1940-42) in the big leagues with four teams: Pirates, Reds, Phillies and Dodgers.

Previously: Cards rookie Enos Slaughter set torrid extra-hit pace

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents, Records | 2 Comments »

How Fernando Valenzuela ended career with Cardinals

June 14, 2017 by retrosimba

For Fernando Valenzuela, a baseball odyssey that began brilliantly with the Dodgers ended sadly in a short, unsatisfying stint with the Cardinals.

Seeking a veteran to temporarily plug an opening in their starting rotation, the Cardinals took a chance on Valenzuela, 36, and acquired him in a six-player trade with the Padres.

The deal, made on June 13, 1997, was a surprise. The Cardinals had approached the Padres about a utility infielder. In talks with his counterpart, Kevin Towers of the Padres, Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty learned Valenzuela was available.

The trade was Valenzuela, infielder Scott Livingstone and outfielder Phil Plantier to the Cardinals for pitchers Danny Jackson and Rich Batchelor and outfielder Mark Sweeney.

The player the Padres wanted most was pitcher Mark Petkovsek, but when Jocketty insisted on pitcher Tim Worrell in return the Padres backed off, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

“None of the exchanged players are at the top of their game right now,” columnist Bernie Miklasz wrote.

Valenzuela was the most prominent _ and intriguing _ of the group.

Traveling man

After debuting in the big leagues in 1980 with the Dodgers, Valenzuela made a splash in 1981, winning the National League Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards and creating energy and interest in a strike-marred season.

In 1990, his final year with the Dodgers, Valenzuela pitched a no-hitter against the Cardinals.

After that, he was more journeyman than ace. From 1991-97, Valenzuela pitched for the Angels, Orioles, Phillies and Padres.

His record for the 1997 Padres was 2-8 with a 4.75 ERA.

When Jocketty and Towers began trade talks, Livingstone and Jackson were the players involved. The Cardinals wanted a backup infielder who batted left-handed. Livingstone, who led the NL in pinch-hits in 1996, fit that need.

The Cardinals needed a starting pitcher to fill in for Donovan Osborne, who was on the disabled list because of a torn groin muscle. When the Padres offered Valenzuela, the Cardinals expanded the deal.

“Fernando was an important part of this,” Jocketty said. “(He) gives us some flexibility. When Donovan gets back, Fernando will go to the bullpen. We feel he’ll be better there than Danny (Jackson) would have been.”

Valenzuela was informed by Padres manager Bruce Bochy of the trade while warming up in the bullpen for a start against the Angels.

“It wasn’t easy to look him in the face,” Bochy said to the Los Angeles Times. “He was shocked.”

Tough stretch

Valenzuela joined the Cardinals in Milwaukee on June 16 and was given a start against the Brewers the next night.

He held the Brewers to two hits _ a Jeff Cirillo single and a Mike Matheny double _ and no runs through five innings.

In the sixth, Valenzuela allowed the first four batters to reach base. All scored. Cirillo led off the inning with a home run. Television replays indicated it was a foul ball. A throwing error by Valenzuela after he fielded a bunt by Jeromy Burnitz aided the Brewers’ comeback. The Brewers won, 4-3, and Valenzuela was the losing pitcher. Boxscore

Valenzuela lost his second Cardinals start _ 3-0 to the Cubs on June 23. Boxscore

In his next start, June 28 versus the Reds, the Cardinals won, 12-6, but Valenzuela didn’t get a decision. He was lifted in the fifth inning with the Cardinals ahead, 10-5. “Sometimes it’s better to give the ball to somebody else who can have better stuff,” Valenzuela said. Boxscore

In his fourth start, July 3 against the Pirates, Valenzuela suffered his third loss with the Cardinals. Boxscore

Manager Tony La Russa decided to give Valenzuela extra rest. Eleven days later, Valenzuela got his fifth Cardinals start. It would be his last.

Time to go

On July 14, against the Reds, Valenzuela yielded three runs, issued six walks and hit a batter before being relieved with two outs in the third. The Reds won, 4-2. Boxscore

“Today was a step backward,” La Russa said.

Said Valenzuela: “It’s hard to pitch when you’re not even close to the plate.”

After five starts for the Cardinals, Valenzuela had an 0-4 record and 5.56 ERA.

Valenzuela was released the next day.

La Russa had asked Valenzuela if he wanted to go on the disabled list, but the pitcher said his arm didn’t hurt.

“He said, ‘I can’t be dishonest,’ ” La Russa told the Post-Dispatch.

Said Jocketty: “Commendable. He’s such a nice man and he’s had such a distinguished career. It’s tough.”

The release brought an end to Valenzuela’s big-league career. In 17 seasons, Valenzuela had a 173-153 record and 3.54 ERA. He pitched more than 200 innings in a season seven times.

Posted in Games, Pitchers, Trades | 6 Comments »

Jimmy Piersall and his NL debut against Cardinals

June 11, 2017 by retrosimba

When Jimmy Piersall made his Mets debut in St. Louis, the league and the opponent were new to him, but the ballpark was quite familiar.

On May 24, 1963, a day after he was acquired by the Mets from the Senators in a deal that paired one of the game’s most mercurial characters with baseball’s most inept team, Piersall played against the Cardinals in his first National League game.

Piersall, batting leadoff and playing center field, was 1-for-4 with a walk against Bob Gibson at Busch Stadium. Piersall’s single drove in a run, but the Cardinals prevailed, 10-4.

Ten years earlier, while in the American League with the Red Sox, Piersall had his most productive game. He had six hits in six at-bats against the Browns in the opener of a doubleheader at Busch Stadium. Boxscore

Piersall, whose struggles with mental illness were detailed in the book and movie, “Fear Strikes Out,” was known as much for on-field antics and feuds with umpires as he was for his sterling outfield play.

When he joined the Mets and their rougish manager, Casey Stengel, in St. Louis, it was a match that attracted attention.

That’s entertainment

The Mets had released first baseman Gil Hodges so that he could become manager of the Senators. Piersall was sent to the Mets in return.

The Mets had opened the 1963 season with Duke Snider, 36, in center field. Snider soon was moved to a corner outfield spot and Jim Hickman, 26, took over in center. Hickman, too, was better at playing right or left. Piersall, 33, was a defensive upgrade.

“Piersall can play center field beautifully, which I hate to say has not been done for us,” Stengel said to The Sporting News.

The Mets were terrible. They had finished 40-120 in their inaugural season, 1962, and they were 16-25 when they got Piersall. Some suspected the move was made to keep fans and media interested in a team that couldn’t compete.

“I know he will be an attraction with the club and with the fans,” Stengel said.

Piersall understood that.

When he arrived at Busch Stadium and met with reporters, Piersall said, “Baseball is like show business. If I don’t hurt the club, I might do anything to entertain the fans. What’s wrong with that?”

Regarding his relationship with Stengel, Piersall told the Associated Press, “I only hope New York is ready for both Casey and me. Casey is one of my biggest boosters, but he baffles me. Case is beautiful, but I don’t always know what he’s talking about.”

As for his new team, Piersall said, “The Mets and their fans are helping to save baseball and they are keeping the writers in business and it is better than being in Russia.”

When photographers gathered to take photos of Piersall and Stengel together in the dugout, Piersall said to his manager, “I better not pose with you, Case, because I’m prettier than you are.”

Making an impression

In the Friday night opener at St. Louis, Piersall went 0-for-3 with a walk in his first four plate appearances against Gibson. In the eighth, with the Cardinals ahead, 8-3, Piersall singled, scoring Choo Choo Coleman. Boxscore

Asked his impressions of Gibson, Piersall said, “Gibson put one pitch right on the very edge of the plate for a strike. I turned to the catcher (Gene Oliver) and remarked, ‘If they keep on doing that in this league, I’ll starve to death.’ ”

Piersall started in center again the next day, May 25, and was 0-for-4 against Ray Sadecki and Harry Fanok.

On Sunday, May 26, Piersall started in the opener of a doubleheader and had three hits _ two singles and a double _ off Cardinals starter Curt Simmons. Piersall also successfully disputed an umpire’s call.

Ed Sudol ruled a ball hit to right by George Altman was trapped, not caught, by Hickman.

Piersall “sprinted from his center field post all the way to first base to exchange a few not too pleasantries with Sudol,” the Associated Press reported.

Crew chief Stan Landes overruled Sudol and called Altman out. Boxscore

Piersall didn’t start the second game. The Mets, suspecting the Cardinals were stealing signs, sent Piersall to the bullpen to watch the Cardinals’ first-base coach. “I couldn’t spot anything,” Piersall said.

In a letter to The Sporting News, a Cardinals fan, John T. Copeland of Piedmont, Mo., wrote, “Piersall hardly saw enough of the game to know the score, much less to discover any sign stealing. He was in arguments with fans during the entire game. I hope the Cards never have to hire a Piersall-type clown to draw crowds.”

Fun while it lasted

Two weeks later, on June 9, the Cardinals were in New York for a Sunday doubleheader with the Mets.

In the opener, the Mets led, 3-2, in the sixth when Piersall hit a two-run double off Simmons. Boxscore

Piersall didn’t start the second game, but he again made his presence known.

Between innings, while Mets catcher Norm Sherry was putting on his gear, Piersall went out to warm up the pitcher. Piersall piled dirt onto the plate before returning to the dugout. As umpire Ed Vargo dusted the dish, Piersall mocked him, making dusting motions with his cap and a towel, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted.

Piersall appeared in 40 games for the Mets and batted .194. On June 23, he hit a home run, the 100th of his big-league career, off the Phillies’ Dallas Green and backpedaled around the bases. Released in late July, Piersall returned to the American League with the Angels.

Previously: Cards were victims of historic homers by Gil Hodges

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents | 5 Comments »

How Cardinals gambled on Rick Ankiel in 1997 draft

June 8, 2017 by retrosimba

(Updated Jan. 6, 2019)

Every club in the major leagues knew Rick Ankiel was a pitching prospect worthy of being taken early in the 1997 draft. Many, though, thought it would cost too much to sign him. The Cardinals decided to take a chance.

On June 3, 1997, the Cardinals selected Ankiel in the second round. Ankiel, who had indicated he wanted between $5 million and $10 million, signed two months later with the Cardinals for $2.5 million.

The move sent a clear signal Cardinals ownership, in its second year under a group headed by Bill DeWitt, was committed to investing in talent.

Prep sensation

Ankiel, a left-hander, was a standout pitcher at Port St. Lucie High School on Florida’s Treasure Coast. He had a three-year record of 30-4.

As a senior, Ankiel was 11-1 with an 0.41 ERA. He pitched three no-hitters and four one-hitters and struck out 162 batters in 74 innings.

“He went from being good his sophomore year to great his junior year and this year he became the best,” John Messina, baseball coach at Port St. Lucie High School, told the Palm Beach Post.

Said Marty Maier, Cardinals scouting director: “We think he’s the top left-handed high school pitcher in the draft.”

Ankiel also batted .359 with seven home runs and 27 RBI as a senior.

John DiPuglia, who scouted Ankiel for the Cardinals, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “In Florida, I’ve never seen a left-handed pitcher with his type of composure and stuff on the mound.”

In March 1997, Ankiel signed a letter of intent to attend the University of Miami. Ankiel and his adviser, Scott Boras, told major-league organizations it would take as much as $10 million, and no less than $5 million, to sign him, or else he would play college baseball for the Miami Hurricanes.

“A couple of teams said, ‘Will you take less than ($5 million)?’ and I told them no,” Ankiel said. “I was firm.”

Steal of a deal

No organization wanted to pay the price Ankiel was asking and few were willing to risk using a high draft choice on a player they might not be able to sign.

“He should have been drafted in the top 10,” said Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty.

Deep into the second round, Ankiel still was undrafted.

When it was the Cardinals’ turn to make their second choice, with the 72nd overall pick, they took Ankiel, not knowing whether they could sign him.

“We thought long and hard about it,” Jocketty said. “We took our time … Bill DeWitt was there with us.”

Wrote the Post-Dispatch: “The Cards might have taken a risk in the second round, but possibly got the steal of the draft.”

Boras, a former Cardinals minor-league player, had warned Ankiel he might slip past the first round because of his financial demands. “It was something we talked about and we kind of knew in a way it was going to happen,” Ankiel said.

Sales pitch

Two weeks after the draft, Jocketty, Maier, vice president of player personnel Jerry Walker and player development director Mike Jorgensen met with Ankiel and his parents at their home in Fort Pierce, Fla.

Jocketty said they talked about how the Cardinals develop pitchers and informed them about the history and philosophy of the organization. He said they didn’t discuss money.

When contract discussions got under way with Boras, both sides played hardball. “At one point,” Jocketty said, “we were prepared to go the other way and he was prepared to go to school. It was a tough negotiation, but not any tougher than most.”

On Aug. 25, a month after his 18th birthday and three days before he was to enroll at Miami, Ankiel agreed to a deal with the Cardinals. He signed the contract on Aug. 28 in St. Louis.

Though the $2.5 million was much less than what he said he wanted, Ankiel received more money than infielder Adam Kennedy, the Cardinals’ first-round pick who signed two months earlier for about $1 million.

“We told (Ankiel) all along we would approach him like a first-round pick,” Jocketty said.

In recalling the signing in his book, “The Phenom,” Ankiel said, “The only job I’d ever had was helping a friend’s father tear up carpet and scrape floors. He’d pay me out of his pocket. I didn’t have a checking account. I didn’t have a savings account. Whatever money I had was in my wallet, maybe $50, but probably not. And then I was rich. I was really rich.”

High hopes

The Cardinals projected Ankiel to develop fast. “If he stays healthy and progresses like he should, he should move quickly through our organization,” Jocketty said to the Associated Press.

Said Ankiel: “I’m thinking I’ll make it to the big leagues in three years. My goal is to be here when I’m 21.”

Ankiel advanced ahead of schedule, making his Cardinals debut at age 20 in August 1999.

After achieving an 11-7 record with a 3.50 ERA and 194 strikeouts in 175 innings during the 2000 regular season, Ankiel had a meltdown in the postseason, losing his ability to throw strikes consistently.

He gave up pitching after the 2004 season, transformed into an outfielder and made his big-league comeback with the 2007 Cardinals.

Ankiel played in the majors for 11 seasons, four as a pitcher and seven as an outfielder. He posted a 13-10 pitching record and a .251 batting average with 49 home runs.

Posted in Pitchers, Prospects | Leave a Comment »

Home run helped Roger Maris feel at home in St. Louis

June 5, 2017 by retrosimba

The first home run Roger Maris hit in St. Louis as a Cardinal was worth the wait.

On June 10, 1967, two months into his first Cardinals season, Maris hit a walkoff three-run home run in the 11th inning at Busch Stadium, giving St. Louis a 5-2 victory over the Dodgers.

The home run was Maris’ third for the Cardinals _ the first two occurred at New York and at Pittsburgh _ but was his first in his home ballpark since being acquired by St. Louis from the Yankees in December 1966.

Maris, who six years earlier had established a major-league single-season record with 61 home runs for the Yankees, no longer was a consistent power hitter, but he was a key member of a Cardinals club that would win the World Series championship.

His first Busch Stadium home run enabled the Cardinals to continue a hot streak that one week later would propel them into first place in the National League.

Stormy night

The Cardinals were 3.5 games behind the front-running Reds entering their Saturday night game against the defending NL champion Dodgers. Maris, batting .291, was held out of the starting lineup by manager Red Schoendienst. The Dodgers were starting a left-hander, Jim Brewer, and Maris did much better against right-handers.

Tornado warnings were issued in the St. Louis area that evening and a severe thunderstorm struck downtown St. Louis, delaying the start of the game 64 minutes and creating treacherous conditions in the outfield.

The Dodgers scored twice in the first inning off their nemesis, Larry Jaster, who had pitched five shutouts against them the previous year.

Brewer, primarily a reliever, held the Cardinals scoreless for six innings. “He told me he was tiring a little going into the seventh,” Dodgers manager Walter Alston said to the Pasadena Independent Star-News, “but you couldn’t take him out the way he was going.”

Curt Flood led off the Cardinals’ half of the seventh with a walk and Bobby Tolan lined a home run over the right-field wall, tying the score at 2-2.

Maris entered the game in the ninth as a pinch-hitter for Jaster and popped out to second baseman Ron Hunt. Maris stayed in the game, replacing Alex Johnson in right field, and Joe Hoerner relieved Jaster.

Extra innings

Phil Regan, who came in for Brewer in the eighth, held the Cardinals scoreless for three innings.

In the 11th, Alston brought in Bob Miller to pitch. Miller, a St. Louis native, had made his major-league debut in 1957 with the Cardinals and pitched for them in four seasons.

Tim McCarver led off the 11th against Miller with a double. Dal Maxvill attempted to advance McCarver with a bunt, but Miller fielded the ball and threw out McCarver at third.

With Maxvill at first and one out, Tolan singled.

That brought Maris to the plate against the right-hander.

Easy swing

Maris swung at a 2-and-2 pitch.

“I was just trying to avoid making an out,” Maris said. “I didn’t swing hard. I just wanted to meet the ball.”

Said Dodgers catcher John Roseboro: “That’s the way it looked when he swung. He just dropped his bat in front of the ball.”

Joe Hendrickson of the Pasadena newspaper wrote, “The ball sailed like a rocket over the fence and into the seats.”

Said Maris: “That was my most satisfying hit since coming to St. Louis.” Boxscore

The victory was part of a stretch in which the Cardinals won 15 of 17 and surged to the top of the NL standings.

“This Cardinals team reminds me of my Yankees days,” Maris told United Press International. “The Yankees at one time played for the big hit. The atmosphere is also something like we had in New York. In those days, we’d get some runs behind, but we knew we were going to win it.”

Previously: With last homer, Roger Maris helped Cards clinch title

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents | 11 Comments »

How World Series hero Bob Kuzava landed with Cards

June 2, 2017 by retrosimba

Seeking a left-handed reliever to help their pennant push, the Cardinals got Bob Kuzava, a proven producer under postseason pressure. The price, though, was steep: To open a roster spot for Kuzava, the Cardinals cut loose a future Hall of Fame pitcher.

With nine games left in the 1957 season, the second-place Cardinals, in pursuit of the Braves, were without a left-hander in their bullpen. On Sept. 19, general manager Frank Lane filled the need, acquiring the contract of Kuzava, 34, from the Pirates.

With their roster at the limit, the Cardinals needed to remove a player to create a spot for Kuzava. They opted to send Hoyt Wilhelm to the Indians for the waiver price.

Wilhelm went on to pitch in 1,070 big-league games and became the first reliever to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Kuzava pitched in three games for the 1957 Cardinals, who lost six of their last nine and finished eight behind the pennant-winning Braves.

A World Series standout with the Yankees, Kuzava never got a chance to pitch in the postseason for the Cardinals.

Series star

Kuzava made his major-league debut with the 1946 Indians and also pitched for the White Sox and Senators before being dealt to the Yankees in June 1951.

In Game 6 of the 1951 World Series, the Yankees led the Giants, 4-1, entering the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Johnny Sain, in his second inning in relief of starter Vic Raschi, yielded singles to the first three Giants batters. Yankees manager Casey Stengel called on Kuzava to end the threat.

Kuzava retired all three batters he faced, earning the save in the Yankees’ 4-3 championship clincher. Boxscore

A year later, Kuzava did it again. In Game 7 of the 1952 World Series at Brooklyn, the Yankees led, 4-2, but the Dodgers loaded the bases with one out in the seventh. Stengel brought in Kuzava to relieve Raschi. Kuzava got Duke Snider to pop out to third and Jackie Robinson to pop out to second. Kuzava held the Dodgers scoreless in the eighth and ninth, sealing the championship for the Yankees. Boxscore

Placed on waivers by the Yankees in August 1954, Kuzava went on to pitch for the Orioles and Phillies. He opened the 1957 season with the Pirates, but was sent to their Class AAA farm club, the Columbus (Ohio) Jets, in May.

Comeback in Columbus

Used primarily as a starter, Kuzava won his first six decisions with Columbus. The highlight occurred on July 20 when he pitched a one-hitter against Richmond. Kuzava retired the first 17 batters before yielding a ground single by pitcher Marty Kutyna in the sixth.

In August, Kuzava was sidelined because of elbow trouble. Still, he won two of his last three decisions and finished the minor-league season with an 8-1 record and 3.41 ERA in 20 appearances.

Cardinals manager Fred Hutchinson wanted a left-handed reliever. The staff’s lone left-hander was starter Vinegar Bend Mizell.

“We’ve been unable to jockey against tough left-handed hitters who don’t like southpaws,” Hutchinson said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Columbus general manager Harold Cooper, who had been trying to interest the Reds in Kuzava, was glad to make a deal with the Cardinals.

(A day after acquiring Kuzava, the Cardinals obtained another left-handed reliever, Morrie Martin, from the Class AAA Vancouver Mounties, an Orioles farm club, for outfielder Eddie Miksis.)

Too little, too late

The Cardinals had three games remaining with each of three foes: Reds, Braves and Cubs. Figuring the Cardinals needed to win nearly all nine to have a chance to overtake the Braves, Hutchinson wanted left-handers to use against sluggers such as Ted Kluszewski of the Reds and Eddie Mathews and Wes Covington of the Braves.

The Cardinals won two of three against the Reds at Cincinnati and went to Milwaukee five games behind the Braves with six to play. The Braves clinched the pennant by beating the Cardinals in the series opener, 4-2, on Hank Aaron’s two-run home run off Billy Muffett in the 11th inning.

Kuzava appeared in three games _ one against the Reds and two versus the Cubs _ for the Cardinals and posted a 3.86 ERA in 2.1 innings pitched. Left-handed batters were 0-for-3 with a walk against him. Right-handed batters were 4-for-8 with a walk.

After the season, the Cardinals assigned Kuzava to the minors, but promised he would be given a chance to make the St. Louis staff in spring training.

Kuzava got his chance, but pitched poorly for the Cardinals in spring training in 1958.

On March 11, he yielded four runs in three innings against the Athletics. On March 25, he gave up six runs to the Dodgers in the ninth inning. “It was dangerous all over the field the way they were bombarding Kuzava,” the Post-Dispatch reported.

Kuzava, 35, spent the 1958 season with the Cardinals’ Class AAA Rochester Red Wings club on a staff that included 22-year-old Bob Gibson. Kuzava was 5-3 with a 3.31 ERA in 25 games.

Kuzava finished his playing career in the White Sox farm system in 1959 and 1960.

Previously: How Hoyt Wilhelm got traded to Cardinals

Posted in Games, Pitchers, Trades | Leave a Comment »

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