RetroSimba

Larry Dierker and his unsatisfying stint with Cardinals

November 18, 2016 by retrosimba

(Updated Nov. 22, 2019)

Larry Dierker was a popular, personable and productive Astros pitcher, as smooth a fit for Houston as oil, aerospace and barbecue. His trade to the Cardinals caused shockwaves in Texas.

larry_dierker The Cardinals acquired Dierker and infielder Jerry DaVanon from the Astros for catcher Joe Ferguson and outfielder Bob Detherage on Nov. 23, 1976.

It appeared to be a masterful move by Cardinals general manager Bing Devine.

Dierker, 30, had produced nine seasons with double-digit win totals for the Astros, including 1969 when he became the first Houston pitcher to earn 20 and 1976 when he had a no-hitter versus the Expos among his 13 wins.

When he joined the Cardinals, Dierker ranked fifth among active National League pitchers in career NL wins, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The four ahead of him were future Hall of Famers Tom Seaver, Don Sutton, Steve Carlton and Phil Niekro.

“Every good pitching staff needs a stabilizer and I think he’ll help our staff,” Cardinals manager Vern Rapp said.

Dierker’s stay with the Cardinals, though, turned out to be short and unsatisfying.

Youth movements

Planning to enter the 1977 season with four starting pitchers 27 or younger _ Bob Forsch, John Denny, Eric Rasmussen and Pete Falcone _ the Cardinals sought a veteran to anchor the rotation.

The Astros, flush with young starting pitchers such as Joaquin Andujar and Floyd Bannister, needed a reliable catcher and a power hitter. Ferguson could be both.

Though Ferguson had been a bust with the Cardinals, batting .201 with four home runs in 71 games in 1976, he displayed power with the Dodgers, hitting 25 home runs in 1973 and 16 in 1974.

With other teams inquiring about Ferguson, the Astros offered Dierker to enhance their chances of making a deal.

“We feel he’s the best of all possible available acquisitions,” Astros general manager Tal Smith said to the Associated Press. “There were at least nine clubs in the market for a top-notch catcher and we feel fortunate to get him.”

Smith said he regretted having to deal Dierker, but told United Press International, “If we were going to fill a void, we had to satisfy the other club. In this case, the price was a real quality pitcher.”

Astros ace

Dierker made his big-league debut with Houston on Sept. 22, 1964, his 18th birthday. Facing the Giants, he struck out Willie Mays in the first inning.

In 13 years (1964-76) with Houston, Dierker had a 137-117 record and 3.28 ERA.

Dierker accepted his trade to the Cardinals, saying, “It seems kind of like a new beginning.”

“I’m still confident I can pitch and I’m not going to be afraid for my job until I know I can’t compete with the youngsters anymore,” Dierker said to The Sporting News. “… I like to feel the Cardinals are getting a pretty good pitcher.”

Injury woes

The high expectations for Dierker were set back on March 3, 1977, when he broke his left ankle while running wind sprints in the outfield at the Cardinals’ spring training camp. He opened the 1977 season on the disabled list.

On May 22, 1977, Dierker made his Cardinals debut with a start against the Giants at St. Louis. He worked five innings, yielded two runs and took the loss. Boxscore

In June, Dierker developed right shoulder problems.

The Cardinals asked Dierker to go to the minor leagues to work his arm into shape, but he turned down the request, according to The Sporting News.

After missing a start on July 12 at Philadelphia because of shoulder woes, Dierker was shelled in a start on July 16 at Montreal, yielding three runs and being lifted before completing the first inning. He didn’t appear in another game for the Cardinals until working an inning of relief on Oct. 1.

New careers

In an assessment of the 1977 Cardinals, The Sporting News declared Dierker “was useless most of the season.”

Rapp said Dierker was someone “you figured would win 15.”

Instead, Dierker had a 2-6 record and 4.58 ERA in 11 appearances for the 1977 Cardinals.

Dierker went to spring training with the 1978 Cardinals and said he “was feeling great,” but he struggled with command of his pitches. In 17 exhibition game innings, Dierker yielded 21 hits and eight walks and posted a 4.76 ERA.

At the end of spring training, the Cardinals released Dierker, “a development he expected and accepted with grace,” according to The Sporting News.

In February 1979, Dierker joined the Astros’ front office as director of community relations and ticket sales. He was an Astros broadcaster from 1979-96. In 1997, Dierker replaced Terry Collins as Astros manager and led the club to four division titles in five seasons.

Previously: From the start, Cards vs. Houston rivalry was special

Posted in Pitchers, Trades | 3 Comments »

Why Cardinals chose Delino DeShields over Ryne Sandberg

November 15, 2016 by retrosimba

After pursuing Ryne Sandberg to be their second baseman, the Cardinals chose Delino DeShields soon after it seemed the free agent had agreed to a deal with the Reds.

delino_deshields2 On Nov. 20, 1996, the Cardinal signed DeShields, 27, to a one-year contract with a club option for a second season.

DeShields, motivated to rebuild a career that had stalled during a three-year stint with the Dodgers, was a standout for a dismal 1997 Cardinals club, providing a spark at the top of the batting order.

Courting a Cub

In 1996, though the Cardinals won the National League Central Division title, their primary second baseman, Luis Alicea, committed the most errors (24) at that position in the National League and batted .258.

After Alicea became a free agent in October 1996, the Cardinals initially focused on Sandberg, the longtime Cubs second baseman, who also had become a free agent. Sandberg, 37, produced 25 home runs and 92 RBI for the 1996 Cubs.

“It’s a very, very strong interest of Sandberg’s to engage in dialogue with the Cardinals,” Jim Turner, Sandberg’s agent, told Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in November 1996. “If they’re interested in talking, we are, too.”

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa told Barry Rozner of the Daily Herald of Arlington Heights, Ill., “Of course we’d be interested in Ryne Sandberg. I’m surprised he’s still available, but I’m sure we’ll talk to him.”

Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said Sandberg is “an interesting name for us … That would be an interesting idea for our club.”

Seeking right fit

The Cardinals also were talking with the Pirates about a trade for Jeff King, who played second base as well as third and first. King produced 30 home runs and 111 RBI for the 1996 Pirates.

Eventually, the Cardinals ruled out both Sandberg and King. Sandberg wanted a guaranteed two-year contract, Hummel reported, and the Cardinals were leery of doing that deal for a player in his late 30s. The asking price for King was deemed too steep by the Cardinals.

(Sandberg re-signed with the Cubs and King was traded to the Royals.)

Instead of a power hitter, the Cardinals decided to pursue a second baseman who could bat leadoff and turned their attention to DeShields.

A free agent, DeShields struggled with the Dodgers after beginning his career impressively with the Expos. In four years (1990-93) with the Expos, DeShields hit .277 with an on-base percentage of .367. In three years (1994-96) with the Dodgers, DeShields hit .241 with an on-base percentage of .326.

In 1996, DeShields slumped to .224 and had almost as many strikeouts (124) as hits (130), but he did have 48 stolen bases. “He’s a talented player who just hasn’t played up to his potential,” Jocketty said.

Seeing red

The pursuit of DeShields took a twist on Nov. 14, 1996, when the Dayton Daily News and Los Angeles Times reported he had agreed to a two-year contract with the Reds. The newspapers said the Reds planned to trade second baseman Bret Boone to the Padres to open a spot for DeShields. The Associated Press picked up the reports and the story made national news.

Adam Katz, agent for DeShields, quickly refuted the stories.

“Cincinnati will not even be on our list to consider until Bret Boone is gone,” Katz told Bob Queenan of The Cincinnati Post. “We won’t talk to any club unless there is a job for Delino.”

Katz told Hummel, “Nothing fell apart. It was irresponsible journalism. There never was a deal with Cincinnati.”

The Reds wanted pitchers Scott Sanders and Dustin Hermanson from the Padres for Boone. Padres general manager Kevin Towers told The Cincinnati Post he would deal one, but not both, of the pitchers for Boone.

With the Reds and Padres unable to work a deal _ Boone would be traded by the Reds to the Braves in November 1998 _ the Cardinals again had a path to DeShields.

St. Louis success

DeShields agreed to a Cardinals contract that paid him $1.5 million in 1997. That was about half of what DeShields earned with the 1996 Dodgers.

A grateful DeShields said he chose the Cardinals because “there is a good group of guys on the team and it’s a good situation. I have a lot of respect for guys like (Tom) Pagnozzi, Ray (Lankford) and Brian (Jordan).”

Said Pagnozzi, the Cardinals’ catcher: “Getting out of L.A. is going to have a big impact on him … He’s a perfect fit for the Cardinals.”

Jocketty said some of DeShields’ problems in Los Angeles stemmed from his working relationship with Tommy Lasorda, who was Dodgers manager until replaced by Bill Russell in June 1996. DeShields, who said he played with a damaged hip in 1996, was benched for part of the season by Russell.

“He didn’t like the situation in L.A.,” Jocketty said. “He didn’t like Tommy. This will be a much better environment for him … Tony (La Russa) is very good at working with players like this and getting the most out of them.”

Igniting the offense

DeShields delivered for the Cardinals. He led the National League in triples (14) in 1997 and he was the Cardinals leader in hits (169), stolen bases (55) and multi-hit games (50). He batted .295 and had an on-base percentage of .357. His 71-point improvement in batting average was the greatest gain among National League players from 1996 to 1997.

The 1997 Cardinals, however, finished 73-89.

In 1998, DeShields hit .290 with 26 stolen bases and an on-base percentage of .371 in 117 games for the Cardinals. After that season, he became a free agent and signed with the Orioles. Joe McEwing was the Cardinals’ primary second baseman in 1999.

Previously: How Luis Alicea got encore with Cardinals

Posted in Hitters | Leave a Comment »

Del Ennis provided power in Cardinals lineup

November 11, 2016 by retrosimba

In a bid to bolster their offense, the Cardinals acquired one of the top run producers of the 1950s. The move helped them become contenders again.

del_ennis On Nov. 20, 1956, the Cardinals got outfielder Del Ennis from the Phillies for outfielder Rip Repulski and infielder Bobby Morgan.

At the time, the only active major leaguers with more career RBI than Ennis were Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Mickey Vernon and Enos Slaughter, Cardinals general manager Frank Lane said.

The deal was a steal for the Cardinals.

Placed in a batting order with Musial and Ken Boyer, Ennis hit .286 with 24 home runs and 105 RBI for the 1957 Cardinals.

St. Louis, which had finished in fourth place in the National League at 76-78 in 1956, placed second at 87-67 in 1957. It was the Cardinals’ first finish of second or higher since 1949 and their first winning season since 1953.

Ennis had a lot to do with that turnaround.

High expectations

A Philadelphia native, Ennis played 11 seasons (1946-56) with the Phillies, batting .286 and producing 1,812 hits and 1,124 RBI. He six times had seasons of 100 or more RBI with the Phillies. In 1950, when the Phillies won the pennant, Ennis led the NL in RBI with 126, eight ahead of the Pirates’ Ralph Kiner.

The Cardinals had interest in Ennis for several years. In 1949, Cardinals owner Fred Saigh offered Phillies owner Bob Carpenter $200,000 for Ennis, according to Ed Pollock of the Philadelphia Bulletin.

“We have the fellow you want, but we won’t take money for him,” Carpenter said to Saigh. “You can have Ennis and we’ll take Musial.”

That ended the discussion.

Even with his success, Ennis was “a favorite target of abuse for the Phillies’ bleacher fans,” who expected more from the hometown player, The Sporting News reported.

Ennis told Bob Broeg of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “I don’t think I’ve been helped either by the boos back there (in Philadelphia) because, though I’ve tried to accept them and shrug them off, I believe maybe I’ve tried too hard.”

Ennis added, “I’ll confess there were times I would have liked to have gone into the stands to get a particularly vicious heckler.”

Younger model

During the 1956 World Series, Lane met with Phillies general manager Roy Hamey to discuss a trade. The Phillies wanted Repulski, 28, who they saw as a younger version of Ennis, 31.

Repulski’s best season with the Cardinals was 1954 when he produced 175 hits, 39 doubles, 19 home runs and 79 RBI. In 1955, he had 23 home runs and 73 RBI. In 1956, slowed by a hairline wrist fracture, Repulski was limited to 112 games, producing 11 home runs and 55 RBI.

To sweeten the deal, Lane included Morgan, whom the Phillies had dealt to the Cardinals in May 1956 for infielder Solly Hemus. Lane knew the Phillies liked Morgan as a utility player.

The 1956 Cardinals had ranked fourth in the NL in runs (678) and sixth in home runs (124).

Said Lane: “Our crying need has been for power … and we feel Ennis ought to help provide the punch … Ennis is a good whacker.”

Some were surprised the Cardinals were able to acquire Ennis.

“I don’t think Repulski is going to drive in as many runs as Ennis,” Dodgers catcher Roy Campanella said to The Sporting News. “That guy drives them in pretty good every year and he’s been doing it for a long time.”

Del delivers

Ennis started slowly for the 1957 Cardinals. He was batting .225 at the end of May. He heated up with the summer, hitting .317 in June, .308 in July and .357 in September. Overall, Ennis hit .299 with runners in scoring position.

His 105 RBI for the 1957 Cardinals ranked second in the NL, trailing only Hank Aaron of the Braves at 132. Musial had 102 RBI. Ennis and Musial became the first Cardinals teammates to produce 100 or more RBI in a season since Musial (126) and Ray Jablonski (104) in 1954.

Musial (29), Ennis (24) and Wally Moon (24) also gave the 1957 Cardinals three players with 20 or more home runs in a season for the first time since Musial (30), Steve Bilko (21) and Jablonski (21) in 1953.

The 1957 Cardinals ranked third in the NL in runs with 737 _ 59 more than they’d scored in 1956.

Repulski had 20 home runs and 68 RBI for the 1957 Phillies, who finished in fifth place at 77-77.

In 1958, Ennis’ production tailed off. He hit .261 with three home runs and 47 RBI for the Cardinals. He was traded to the Reds after the season.

Previously: Frank Lane and his tumultuous stint as Cardinals GM

Posted in Hitters, Trades | Leave a Comment »

Tito Francona and his Cardinals connections

November 6, 2016 by retrosimba

As a utility player with the Cardinals, Tito Francona was thinking about his future. The idea of becoming a manager appealed to him.

tito_francona In 1966, Francona said “he had learned a lot on the sidelines that should help him in his hoped for career as a manager,” The Sporting News noted.

Francona, who played 15 seasons in the majors, including two (1965 and 1966) with the Cardinals, never did get to fulfill his dream of becoming a manager. After 1970, his final season as a player, Francona became a Pennsylvania parks and recreation director, according to a biography by the Society for American Baseball Research.

It was Francona’s son, Terry, who would become a manager, winning World Series titles with the Red Sox in 2004 and 2007 and an American League pennant with the Indians in 2016.

Like his father, Terry also was a big-league player, primarily a first baseman and outfielder, who spent 10 years (1981-90) in the majors, mostly with the Expos.

Terry was 5 years old when his father was acquired by the Cardinals from the Indians in a cash transaction on Dec. 15, 1964, two months after St. Louis had won the World Series championship.

Bound for Browns

John Francona was born in Aliquippa, Pa., about 25 miles north of Pittsburgh, in 1933 and was nicknamed Tito _ which, in Italian, means Giant _ by his father.

In 1952, at 18, Francona signed with the St. Louis Browns. “They were at the bottom (of the American League) and I figured I’d have a better chance of moving up fast with them,” Francona told The Sporting News in 1964.

Francona never made it to St. Louis with the Browns. The franchise relocated to Baltimore in 1954 and became the Orioles. Francona made his big-league debut with the 1956 Orioles.

In 1959, Francona had his best big-league season, batting .363 with 145 hits in 122 games for the Indians. In 1961, his lone season as an all-star, Francona batted .301 and had career highs of 178 hits and 85 RBI for the Indians.

A left-handed batter, Francona sprayed the ball to all fields. The Indians, though, were seeking more power from a corner outfielder. After the 1964 season, in which he hit .248 in 111 games, Francona was put on the trading block.

The Indians offered to trade Francona, catcher Johnny Romano and pitcher Gary Bell to the Twins for catcher Earl Battey, pitcher Dick Stigman and outfielder Jimmie Hall, The Sporting News reported, but the proposal was rejected. The Indians also talked with the Cubs about a deal involving Francona and others for outfielder Billy Williams, but that also fell through.

Unable to package Francona in a major trade, the Indians sold his contract to the Cardinals for cash. After nine seasons in the American League, Francona would be playing in the National League for the first time.

Quality move

The Cardinals envisioned Francona, 31, as a pinch-hitter and backup to Mike Shannon in right field and to Bill White at first base. His acquisition generally was seen as a shrewd move by general manager Bob Howsam.

“Tito’s not too old and the St. Louis ballpark was made for good left-handed hitters,” Phillies pitcher Jim Bunning said to The Sporting News.

Phillies first baseman Roy Sievers added, “Tito can do a lot of things well … He can do a good job in the outfield and he’s an excellent backup man for Bill White at first base … The short porch in right field at Busch Stadium will help him a lot.”

Francona batted .259 in 81 games for the 1965 Cardinals, including .265 as a pinch-hitter. On July 9, 1965, with the score tied at 1-1 in the eighth inning at Wrigley Field, Francona smacked a three-run home run against ex-Cardinal Lindy McDaniel, propelling St. Louis to a 7-3 victory versus the Cubs. Boxscore

Used in the same role by the Cardinals in 1966, Francona slumped to .212 in 83 games, including .171 as a pinch-hitter.

Goodbye to good guy

In spring training 1967, Bobby Tolan, 21, beat out Francona, 33, for the role of left-handed pinch-hitter and backup outfielder and first baseman.

On April 10, a day before the Cardinals opened the 1967 regular season, Stan Musial, in one of his first transactions as general manager, sold Francona’s contract to the Phillies.

Noting that the Cardinals received an amount greater than the $20,000 waiver price in the deal, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported, “The indication is that the Cardinals felt Francona had to play regularly to be of help with his bat and the Redbirds have several younger ballplayers to move in at first or the outfield.”

In 1969 and 1970, Francona played for an Athletics team that included infielder Tony La Russa and catcher Dave Duncan. In 2004, La Russa was manager and Duncan was pitching coach of a Cardinals team that played in the World Series against manager Terry Francona’s Red Sox.

La Russa told the Post-Dispatch then that he and Tito Francona had roomed together on road trips with the Athletics.

“Some guys treated me like I shouldn’t be there … but not Tito,” said La Russa, who was a light-hitting reserve infielder. “He was just a terrific roommate and a very, very helpful guy.”

Posted in Hitters, Managers, Trades | Leave a Comment »

How Tony Scott found a home with Cardinals

November 4, 2016 by retrosimba

Initially perceived as a marginal player in an unimportant trade, Tony Scott replaced Bake McBride in center field for the Cardinals and was their most prominent starter at that position until Willie McGee claimed the role.

tony_scott Though Scott got his chance with the Cardinals because of his connections to Vern Rapp, it was under another manager, Ken Boyer, with whom Scott had his best St. Louis season.

On Nov. 8, 1976, the Cardinals traded pitchers Bill Grief and Angel Torres and outfielder Sam Mejias to the Expos for pitcher Steve Dunning, infielder Pat Scanlon and Scott.

Underwhelmed by the transaction, Dick Kaegel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote, “On the surface, it looks like one of those meaningless exchanges of baseball bodies, a deal that could hurt both clubs.”

Rapp’s guys

Dunning, Scanlon and Scott all had played in 1976 for Rapp, who managed Denver, the Class AAA club of the Expos.

In comments to The Sporting News, Scott said of Rapp, “He handles players right. He always gives people a fair shot. He made a winner out of everybody. It was a great experience to play for him.”

After the 1976 season, Rapp was chosen by the Cardinals to replace Red Schoendienst as manager.

On Rapp’s recommendation, Cardinals general manager Bing Devine made the trade for Dunning, Scanlon and Scott.

Devine said the key player for St. Louis was Dunning, a right-handed reliever who had been a first-round choice of the Indians in the 1970 draft. Dunning, 27, split the 1976 season between the Expos (2-6, 414 ERA) and Denver (3-0, 2.74 ERA).

The Cardinals hoped Scanlon could provide pop as a pinch-hitter. Scanlon, 24, hit .308 with 18 home runs for Denver in 1976.

Odd fit

Scott, 25, seemed the least likely to fit in with the 1977 Cardinals, who were flush with outfielders such as McBride, Lou Brock, Hector Cruz, Jerry Mumphrey and Mike Anderson.

McBride, who won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1974, had been limited to 64 starts in center field for the 1976 Cardinals because of knee surgery, but he was expected to be recovered in 1977.

Scott, a switch-hitter, had batted .182 with the 1975 Expos after having spent parts of the 1973 and 1974 seasons with them. At Denver in 1976, Scott batted .311 with 21 doubles, 18 stolen bases and an on-base percentage of .361.

Regarding Scott’s play in center, Rapp said, “Denver has one of the larger fields in baseball. Tony had a lot of room to run and he did a good job.”

Unimpressed, Ian MacDonald of The Sporting News wrote, “The Expos were in the market for a good defensive outfielder and they feel that they may have their man in Mejias.”

Job won

Scott played in the Puerto Rican Winter League after his trade to the Cardinals and established a single-season record with 25 stolen bases, including three steals of home.

After a strong spring training, Scott opened the 1977 season as a Cardinals reserve outfielder. The starters were Brock in left, McBride in center and Cruz in right.

Neither Dunning nor Scanlon would play for the Cardinals.

Scott sizzled from the start. He batted .357 (10-for-28) in April and .355 (27-for-76) in May.

Meanwhile, McBride, hampered by a shoulder injury, was feuding with Rapp, who had banned his players from growing long hair or facial hair.

In The Sporting News, Neal Russo wrote, “Rapp was not on the greatest of terms with McBride. It was Bake who became the first to defy the new manager on his hair code.”

On June 15, 1977, the Cardinals traded McBride to the Phillies and made Scott the center field starter. McBride, who had hit .300 or better in each of his first four seasons (1973-76) with the Cardinals, was batting .262 when traded. Scott had a .331 batting average.

Redbird regular

Scott finished the 1977 season with a .291 batting mark, 16 doubles and 13 stolen bases in 95 games.

Scott opened the 1978 season as the Cardinals’ starting center fielder. In April, Rapp was fired and replaced by Boyer. A month later, the Cardinals acquired George Hendrick from the Padres and made him their everyday center fielder. Scott hit .228 in 96 games.

In 1979, Boyer moved Hendrick to right field and reinserted Scott at center field. Scott responded with a solid season: .259 batting average, 152 hits in 153 games, 22 doubles, 10 triples, 68 RBI (including eight sacrifice flies) and 37 stolen bases. Scott also ranked first among NL center fielders in assists (13) and third in putouts (398).

Scott again was the Cardinals’ starting center fielder in 1980 _ he ranked first among NL center fielders in fielding percentage at .997 _ and at the beginning of 1981.

On June 7, 1981, the Cardinals traded Scott to the Astros for pitcher Joaquin Andujar. The following year, McGee emerged as the Cardinals’ everyday center fielder. McGee and Andujar played prominent roles in helping the 1982 Cardinals to a World Series championship.

In five seasons (1977-81) with the Cardinals, Scott batted .255.

Posted in Hitters, Trades | 2 Comments »

Tom Lawless and his role in Cardinals World Series lore

November 1, 2016 by retrosimba

(Updated July 26, 2022)

Four of the most memorable Cardinals World Series home runs were hit by third basemen: Whitey Kurowski, Ken Boyer, David Freese and Tom Lawless.

In 1942, Kurowski hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning of Game 5 at New York, breaking a 2-2 tie and carrying the Cardinals to a 4-2 victory over the Yankees in the championship clincher.

tom_lawless In 1964, Boyer hit a sixth-inning grand slam off Al Downing in Game 4 at New York, lifting the Cardinals to a 4-3 victory over the Yankees and evening the series at 2-2.

In 2011, Freese hit an 11th-inning walkoff home run off Mark Lowe in Game 6 at St. Louis, giving the Cardinals a 10-9 victory over the Rangers and evening the series at 3-3.

Kurowski, Boyer and Freese were Cardinals starters in the years in which they hit their dramatic World Series home runs.

Not so for Lawless, who rarely played during the regular season for the 1987 Cardinals. After three games of the 1987 World Series, slugger Reggie Jackson, working the event for ABC television, told USA Today, “I’m still trying to find out who Tom Lawless is.”

In Game 4, on Oct. 21, 1987, Lawless introduced himself to the nation in a most unexpected manner. He hit a three-run home run off Frank Viola in the fourth inning, carrying the Cardinals to a 7-2 victory over the Twins and evening the series at 2-2.

Lawless had gotten two hits, none a home run, and no RBI during the 1987 regular season. Though Lawless was on the Cardinals’ active roster all season, he appeared in a mere 19 games and batted .080 (2-for-25).

Fat pitch

Lawless, who made three starts (none at third base) during the regular season, got his chance to play in the World Series because of a rib-cage injury to third baseman Terry Pendleton.

Lawless started at third in Game 1 versus Viola and was hitless in three at-bats. Jose Oquendo started at third for the Cardinals in Games 2 and 3.

In Game 4, manager Whitey Herzog returned Lawless to the starting lineup. He batted eighth and played third, with Oquendo moving to right field.

Pitching for the Twins was Viola, who earned 17 wins during the regular season and won Game 1 of the World Series.

According to Cardinals Magazine, after Viola struck out Lawless in the second inning of Game 4, Lawless said to teammate Jack Clark, “Viola is killing me. I can’t hit his change-up.”

Clark advised him to look for a fastball.

In the Cardinals’ half of the fourth inning, with the score tied at 1-1, Tony Pena led off with a walk and moved to third on Oquendo’s single.

Lawless batted next and, with the count 0-and-1, Viola threw a fastball.

“A mediocre fastball,” said Twins manager Tom Kelly.

“It was less than mediocre,” said Viola. “It was a brutal fastball.”

Flipping out

Lawless swung and lifted a high fly toward left field.

Lawless “gazed fondly as the ball headed for the facing behind the wall,” the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

“From the way he hit it and stood there, I thought it must be in the upper deck,” said Herzog.

Keeping his eye on the ball, Lawless, bat in hand, began a slow walk toward first base. When he saw the ball carry just beyond the wall and the umpire signal home run, Lawless flipped the bat into the air and began his jubilant home run trot. Video

On the ABC telecast, broadcaster Al Michaels exclaimed, “Did we really see that?”

Regarding the bat flip, Lawless said, “I just must have blanked out there for a second. This never happened to me before.”

Divine intervention

The home run gave the Cardinals a 4-1 lead and stunned the Twins.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune described it as “a sporting miracle” and “a swing that will forever become a part of World Series lore.”

Lawless said he walked slowly to first while watching the ball because he thought he had hit a sacrifice fly and didn’t want to pass Oquendo on the basepath.

“It’s a big stadium, especially for a little guy like me,” Lawless told the Post-Dispatch. “I’ve hit balls that good before, but they haven’t gone out.” Boxscore

On the rare side

Until then, Lawless had hit only one home run in the big leagues. It occurred on April 25, 1984, for the Reds against Ken Dayley of the Braves at Atlanta. Dayley was a teammate of Lawless on the 1987 Cardinals.

Lawless became the third Cardinals player to hit a World Series home run after having hit none during the regular season that year. The others were pitchers: Jesse Haines in 1926 and Bob Gibson, who did it twice, in 1967 and in 1968.

Before Lawless, the last non-pitcher to hit a World Series home run after having hit none during the regular season that year was outfielder Marv Rickert of the 1948 Braves, according to the Post-Dispatch.

Acknowledging the dreamlike status of his achievement, Lawless said, “I may sleep in my uniform tonight.”

Previously: Les Bell to David Freese: Cardinals 3rd base champions

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents | 2 Comments »

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