RetroSimba

Cardinals taught Mike Leake hard lesson as a rookie

February 9, 2016 by retrosimba

(Updated Dec. 21, 2024)

Matched against a big-game pitcher in an atmosphere overloaded with emotion, Reds rookie Mike Leake unraveled versus the Cardinals.

mike_leake On Aug. 9, 2010, Reds manager Dusty Baker gave Leake the start in the opener of a showdown series against the Cardinals at Cincinnati. St. Louis manager Tony La Russa countered with an ace, Chris Carpenter.

After a scoreless duel for three innings, Leake cracked. He yielded seven runs in the fourth and became unnerved, losing track of the number of outs and heading toward the dugout before being sent back to the mound.

Emboldened, the Cardinals won the game, swept the series and overtook the Reds for first place in the National League Central Division.

Five years later, on Dec. 22, 2015, Leake, a free agent, signed with the Cardinals.

Queen City drama

In 2010, the Reds were seeking their first NL Central title in 15 years. On the morning of Aug. 9, they held a two-game lead over the second-place Cardinals entering a three-game series against them.

The tension between the division rivals, already high, was intensified that day by two developments:

_ Reds general manager Walt Jocketty acquired Jim Edmonds from the Brewers for outfielder Chris Dickerson.

Jocketty won two NL pennants and a World Series title as Cardinals general manager before he was fired after the 2007 season. Edmonds was the Cardinals’ center fielder on those championship clubs, but was traded after Jocketty left.

Edmonds joined four other former Cardinals _ third baseman Scott Rolen, infielder Miguel Cairo and pitchers Russ Springer and Mike Lincoln _ on the Reds.

_ In an interview with Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News, Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips lit into the Cardinals. McCoy posted the comments online before the game and the Cardinals read the remarks.

Said Phillips of the Cardinals, “All they do is bitch and moan about everything, all of them. They’re little bitches … I really hate the Cardinals. Compared to the Cardinals, I love the Chicago Cubs. Let me make this clear: I hate the Cardinals.”

Schumaker slam

Dusty Baker started a lineup that night with Phillips in the leadoff spot, Rolen at cleanup and Edmonds, in his Reds debut, batting fifth.

The Cardinals focused on trying to lay off Leake’s sinker and get him to deliver pitches up in the strike zone.

In the fourth, the Cardinals produced six hits and six runs on 12 pitches. Jon Jay doubled and Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, Colby Rasmus and Yadier Molina each singled. The hits by Holliday and Rasmus each drove in a run. Molina’s single loaded the bases for Skip Schumaker, who was playing his first game since spraining his left wrist Aug. 3.

Schumaker swung at Leake’s first pitch and drove the ball 408 feet over the wall in left-center field for his first career grand slam, giving St. Louis a 6-0 lead.

Dazed and confused

“They got six in a span of 12 pitches,” Baker said to the Associated Press. “It happened so quickly that I didn’t have time to get anybody warmed up.”

After Schumaker’s slam, Leake fanned two batters, jogged off the mound and was at the foul line before he realized there were two outs, not three.

Leake returned, pitched to Felipe Lopez, who singled, and got yanked. Reliever Carlos Fisher walked Jay and yielded a single to Pujols, scoring Lopez. That run was charged to Leake, whose final line showed seven runs allowed in 3.2 innings.

Good plan

In the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Joe Strauss wrote, “The Cards perfectly executed an early attack against Leake … They noticed a flattening of Leake’s assortment in his previous start and adopted a very aggressive tact.”

The Cardinals won, 7-3, and moved within a game of the Reds. Boxscore

Phillips was 0-for-5. Edmonds and Rolen also were hitless.

“I’m guessing Phillips really hated seeing Schumaker hit the grand slam, a massive hit that wasn’t very Cubs-like,” wrote columnist Bernie Miklasz.

Tempers flare

The next night, Aug. 10, Phillips sparked a brawl when, in the batter’s box, he used his bat to tap Molina’s shin guards. Molina responded angrily, both benches emptied and the fight carried to the backstop.

Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto kicked Cardinals catcher Jason LaRue in the head and he also kicked Carpenter in the back. Baker and La Russa were ejected.

The Cardinals won that game, 8-4, and moved into a tie with the Reds for first place. Boxscore

(Asked about the incident with Phillips, Molina said to Stan McNeal in an interview for the 2019 Cardinals Yearbook, “Moments like that are going to happen. We spent time together at the All-Star Game {the next year}, and we talked. I met his family. He met mine. We’re good.”)

On Aug. 11, the Cardinals completed the sweep with a 6-1 triumph. Rasmus hit a grand slam off Bronson Arroyo, Adam Wainwright pitched seven shutout innings and the Cardinals had first place to themselves.

The Reds, though, recovered and went on to win the division title, finishing five games ahead of the runner-up Cardinals.

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Price was right for Cardinals to get Dennis Eckersley

February 6, 2016 by retrosimba

(Updated Oct. 26, 2024)

Needing a closer, the 1996 Cardinals wanted Dennis Eckersley. What they didn’t want was the obligation to pay his entire salary.

dennis_eckersley3 When the Athletics agreed to pay part of the sum and Eckersley agreed to defer much of the rest, the Cardinals agreed to a deal.

On Feb. 13, 1996, the Cardinals got Eckersley from the Athletics for reliever Steve Montgomery.

Eckerlsey, 41, was under contract to receive $2.2 million in 1996.

To make the trade, all sides agreed to this arrangement: The Athletics would pay him $700,000, the Cardinals would pay him $500,000 and Eckersley would defer $1 million to another year, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Sticking together

Looking to rebuild after finishing in last place in 1995, the Athletics were eager to grant Eckersley’s request to be traded to St. Louis. Eckersley sought to be reunited with manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan.

Eckersley was transformed from a starter to a closer by La Russa and Duncan after he was traded to the Athletics by the Cubs in April 1987. With Eckersley reliably sealing wins, the Athletics won three consecutive American League pennants and a World Series title from 1988-90.

Asked about La Russa by Chicago Tribune columnist Jerome Holtzman, Eckersley said, “I respect everything about him.”

Because he had pitched in the big leagues for at least 10 years, including the last five in a row with one club, Eckersley could veto a trade.

“If he goes elsewhere, it’ll be St. Louis,” Athletics general manager Sandy Alderson told The Sporting News. “It won’t be anywhere else.”

Experience wanted

La Russa, who left the Athletics after the 1995 season to become manager of the Cardinals, told Rick Hummel of the Post-Dispatch he was “hoping” Eckersley could be acquired by the time training camp opened at St. Petersburg, Fla. Acknowledging that negotiations were held up, La Russa added, “I don’t know if it can happen.”

Eckersley had one of his worst seasons in 1995. Though he earned 29 saves in 38 chances, Eckersley had a 4.83 ERA in 52 appearances. It was his third consecutive season with an ERA above 4.00. From 1988 through 1992, Eckersley posted ERAs below 3.00 each year.

“Eck has got plenty left physically,” La Russa said. “Mentally and emotionally, he’s still at the top of his game.”

Tom Henke, who had 36 saves and a 1.82 ERA for the 1995 Cardinals, had retired, leaving St. Louis without an established closer.

The Cardinals envisioned Eckersley as a fit for the role while a pair of potential successors, T.J. Mathews and John Frascatore, continued to develop.

Oakland connections

After the deal was made, La Russa said, “We’re getting a guy who will be anywhere from good to great as a closer this year.”

Said Eckersley: “To be an effective closer, you have to have a manager who knows how to use you.”

It also helped that Dave Duncan was there, too. Eckersley described Duncan to Stan McNeal of Cardinals Magazine this way: “He was analytics before analytics.”

“I had been in the big leagues a long time, but when Duncan said something, I listened,” Eckersley told McNeal. “He was a calming force. You know how it is when you trust somebody implicitly? That was me with Duncan.”

The Athletics reportedly wanted Mathews _ who would be dealt to Oakland a year later for slugger Mark McGwire _ but settled for Montgomery, 25, a prospect who earned 36 saves for manager Mike Ramsey at Class AA Arkansas in 1995.

“This was more to accommodate Dennis than acquire Steve,” Alderson told the San Francisco Chronicle. “… This is what Dennis wanted and, given where we are, this is probably best for us, too.”

Eckersley joined Rick Honeycutt, Mike Gallego and Todd Stottlemyre as former Athletics the Cardinals acquired since La Russa became their manager.

“I was 41 when I was traded to the Cardinals, but Tony and Duncan still trusted me,” Eckersley told Cardinals Magazine. “I can’t imagine having gone to another regime and trying to make my mark at that point in my career.”

Eckersley pitched two seasons for the Cardinals. He had 30 saves in 38 chances (0-6 record, 3.30 ERA) in 1996. He followed that with 36 saves in 44 chances (1-5 record, 3.91 ERA) in 1997.

In two years with the Athletics, Montgomery was a combined 1-1 with a 9.45 ERA. He also pitched for the 1999 Phillies and 2000 Padres.

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Jedd Gyorko feasted on Cardinals pitching

February 3, 2016 by retrosimba

If Jedd Gyorko hits as well for the Cardinals as he did against them, St. Louis will have added a productive batter to its lineup.

jedd_gyorko Acquired by the Cardinals from the Padres in a trade for outfielder Jon Jay on Dec. 8, 2015, Gyorko entered the 2016 season as a versatile infielder who can perform at second base, shortstop and third base.

His career batting average versus the Cardinals is .342 (25-for-73), with five home runs and 16 RBI in 20 games.

Two of Gyorko’s best games came against the Cardinals in 2014.

Here is a look at those performances:

Sweet swing

Batting sixth and playing second base, Gyorko was 3-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored against the Cardinals in a 12-1 Padres victory at San Diego on July 30, 2014.

He got a hit apiece off three pitchers.

Gyorko began his barrage with a solo home run in the fourth inning off starter Joe Kelly.

“Pitches were up that should have been down,” Kelly told the Associated Press.

In the sixth, Gyorko singled off Carlos Martinez. An inning later, with the bases loaded and one out, Gyorko hit a three-run double off Seth Maness, giving San Diego a 9-1 lead.

‘It was probably our ugliest loss of the year,” said Cardinals manager Mike Matheny.

Gyorko had been activated two days earlier after a 44-day stint on the disabled list because of foot problems.

“It obviously feels good to swing the bat the way I wanted to,” Gyorko said. “It feels a lot like how I was swinging it there at the end of the year last year. It’s something to build on, but I still have a long way to go.” Boxscore

Grand game

Two weeks later, on Aug. 16, 2014, at St. Louis, Gyorko hit a grand slam, lifting the Padres to a 9-5 victory over the Cardinals.

Batting fifth and playing second base, Gyorko was 2-for-3 with five RBI, two runs scored and two walks.

In the third, Gyorko’s two-out, RBI-single off Shelby Miller scored Abraham Almonte from third base, sparking a four-run Padres inning and tying the score at 4-4.

Said Miller: “Unacceptable. Obviously, it doesn’t sit well with me. I should have done a better job of making pitches.”

The Cardinals led, 5-4, entering the seventh. With one out and the bases loaded, Gyorko connected on a 94-mph fastball from reliever Kevin Siegrist, launching a grand slam over the left field wall and giving the Padres an 8-5 lead.

“It was a fastball down and in,” Gyorko said. “It probably wasn’t a bad pitch. I just put a good swing on it.”

The home run was the 31st of Gyorko’s big-league career, moving him past Mark Loretta as the Padres’ all-time home run leader as a second baseman.

“That’s a credit to the guys hitting in front of me,” Gyorko told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “Really, they are doing a great job of getting on base. I just have to capitalize more like tonight.”

The grand slam was the third of Gyorko’s big-league career and the only one yielded by Siegrist with the Cardinals. Boxscore

Afterward, Siegrist was demoted to the minor leagues and Martinez was recalled from Class AAA Memphis to replace him.

Said Matheny of Siegrist: “He feels physically strong, but there’s just something that’s a click off.”

Previously: Cards steals leader Jon Jay plays similar to Wally Moon

Previously: Jon Jay matched Curt Flood as flawless in center

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Cardinals helped Walt “No Neck” Williams return to majors

January 31, 2016 by retrosimba

(Updated Nov. 10, 2023)

When Walt “No Neck” Williams played in the Cardinals’ system, he was hailed as the best hitter in the minor leagues and was said to have the potential to be the next Minnie Minoso.

walt_williams Though he impressed the Cardinals, he never played for them at the major-league level.

The Cardinals were stocked with premier outfielders such as Lou Brock and Curt Flood, with prospects such as Bobby Tolan waiting in reserve. When the Cardinals acquired Roger Maris from the Yankees in December 1966, Williams was deemed expendable.

On Dec. 14, 1966, the Cardinals traded Williams and reliever Don Dennis to the White Sox for catcher Johnny Romano and minor-league pitcher Leland White.

Rushed to majors

At 19, Williams signed with the Houston Colt .45s, got sent to the Class A level of the minor leagues and batted .341 in 1963.

At spring training in 1964, Williams, 20, impressed the Colt .45s _ he nailed three runners at home with his outfield throws _ and opened the regular season in the major leagues.

Williams told The Sporting News it was during this time someone in the front office gave him the nickname of “No Neck.”

At 5 feet 6 and 190 pounds, Williams was described by one writer as “built along the lines of a fireplug,” creating a perception his head was touching his shoulders.

In his book “Five Seasons,” Roger Angell wrote that Williams had “the shoulders and chest of a heavyweight prizefighter. At the plate, he stands with his arms and shoulders raised high, peering at the pitcher over his left biceps, and waggles the bat fiercely.”

Williams, hitless in nine at-bats for the Colt .45s, was placed on waivers in May 1964 and claimed by the Cardinals, who assigned him to Class A Winnipeg.

Coached by Cardinals

Williams batted .318 at Winnipeg, went to the Florida Instructional League after the season, got guidance from manager George Kissell and hit .320 for the instructional league team.

In 1965, Williams was moved up a level to Class AA Tulsa and hit safely in his first 18 games. Williams finished the 1965 season with a .330 batting average, 36 stolen bases and 106 runs scored.

In 1966, Tulsa joined the Class AAA Pacific Coast League and Williams, playing left field, had another stellar season there. He led the league in batting average, hitting .330 for the second consecutive season, and produced 54 doubles and 25 steals with 107 runs scored.

Asked about the 1966 team in a 1981 interview with the Tulsa World, Williams said, “That year was one of the high moments of my career. The thing I remember about that 1966 team was that we had six or seven guys hitting over .300 but nobody was envious of the other. It was just a fun season.”

Change in plans

Cardinals general manager Bob Howsam and manager Red Schoendienst considered promoting Williams to St. Louis during the 1966 season, The Sporting News reported, but opted to have him stay at Tulsa, knowing he was unlikely to get at-bats on a club featuring outfielders Brock, Flood and Mike Shannon.

Based on his minor-league success, Williams was rated likely to win a spot with the 1967 Cardinals until the club acquired Maris on Dec. 8, 1966. The Cardinals planned to move Shannon to third base and start Maris in an outfield with Brock and Flood.

A week later, Williams was dealt to the White Sox.

“Williams should be a crowd pleaser,” Howsam said. “When you take a look at our outfield picture, you can see why we could afford to deal him.”

Hit man

The White Sox expected Williams to contend for the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 1967. “We picked up the best hitter in the minor leagues,” said White Sox general manager Ed Short.

Comparisons were made to Minoso, an all-star outfielder who six times batted better than .300 for the White Sox in a career that led to election to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

“White Sox officials believe they may just have another Minnie Minoso in No Neck Williams,” The Sporting News declared.

Les Moss, manager of the White Sox’s Class AAA Indianapolis team, had seen Williams play for Tulsa and said, “He’s the nearest thing to Minnie in his hustle, desire and aggressiveness that I’ve seen around anywhere. He’s no power hitter, but he can whack that ball. He’s an excellent leadoff man.”

Said Tulsa manager Charlie Metro: “The White Sox got themselves a fine-looking prospect. He not only was the best hitter in the league, but he’s a pretty fair outfielder … He overcomes mistakes with his speed.”

No fooling around

Williams hit .358 in spring training for the 1967 White Sox and was named Opening Day starting left fielder by White Sox manager Eddie Stanky.

“He’s really an aggressive hitter,” Stanky said. “He doesn’t fool around up there at the plate. He attacks the ball. He’s one of the few players who can tie into a high pitch and whack it for a line drive.”

Williams, 23, hit .240 as a White Sox rookie. He went on to play 10 years in the majors for the Colt .45s, White Sox, Indians and Yankees, batting .270 overall. His best season was in 1969 when he hit .304 for the White Sox and ranked third among American League right fielders in assists.

Looking back at his time in the majors, Williams told the Tulsa World, “I felt they never gave me a chance to relax to see me really play at my best.”

Neither of the players acquired by the Cardinals for Williams contributed much. Romano, a backup to catcher Tim McCarver, hit .121 in 24 games for the 1967 Cardinals and was released after the season. White, a left-hander, never appeared in a big-league game for St. Louis.

With Brock, Flood and Maris in the outfield and Shannon at third base, the 1967 Cardinals won the National League pennant and World Series championship.

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Cardinals gave up too quickly on Brooks Lawrence

January 28, 2016 by retrosimba

Brooks Lawrence, a 15-game winner as a Cardinals rookie pitcher in 1954, was their Opening Day starter in 1955, but he was weak from a bleeding ulcer, slumped and got demoted to the minor leagues.

brooks_lawrence The Cardinals decided Lawrence wouldn’t regain the effectiveness he had as a rookie.

On Jan. 31, 1956, the Cardinals traded Lawrence and pitcher Sonny Senerchia to the Reds for reliever Jackie Collum. It was the first deal general manager Frank Lane made since he joined the Cardinals in October 1955.

It turned out the Cardinals gave up on Lawrence too soon.

With his strength back and his ulcer under control, Lawrence pitched for the Reds in 1956 the way he had as a Cardinals rookie.

Long road to majors

In 1943, after graduating from high school in Springfield, Ohio, Lawrence joined the Army and served in the Pacific. He was awarded a Bronze Star for using a machine gun to fight off an enemy plane attacking U.S. soldiers. After military service, he attended Miami University in Ohio in 1947. Two years later, he began his professional pitching career in the Cleveland Indians’ farm system.

The Reds acquired Lawrence from the Indians in October 1953 on the recommendation of former Cardinals catcher Mickey Owen, who managed Lawrence in the winter league at Puerto Rico and taught him to throw a slider and a changeup. The Reds left Lawrence exposed in the 1953 minor-league draft and the Cardinals claimed him.

Lawrence opened the 1954 season with the Cardinals’ Class AAA club at Columbus, Ohio, and was promoted to St. Louis in June 1954.

Milestone performance

In his major-league debut against the Pirates at Pittsburgh, Lawrence, 29, started, pitched a four-hitter and became the first African-American pitcher to earn a win for the Cardinals. Boxscore

In 35 appearances for the 1954 Cardinals, Lawrence was 15-6 with a 3.74 ERA. He was adept at starting (9-2, 3.85 ERA) and relieving (6-4, 3.25 ERA).

Against the Cubs that season, Lawrence was 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA.

Medical emergency

Shortly after the 1954 season, Lawrence collapsed at his Springfield, Ohio, home. “I was coming out of the bathroom and passed out from loss of blood,” he told The Sporting News.

Diagnosed with a bleeding ulcer, Lawrence needed eight transfusions and spent 10 days in a hospital. “The doctor told me that if they had waited a half hour longer to bring me to the hospital it would have been too late,” Lawrence said.

According to The Sporting News, Lawrence was placed on a strict diet of milk, cream and baby food.

“I reported for spring training in 1955 weighing 217 pounds,” Lawrence said. “That’s about 12 pounds more than I usually weigh. I was healthy and looked it, but I wasn’t strong.”

Shaky season

Lawrence was the choice of manager Eddie Stanky to be the 1955 Cardinals’ Opening Day starter at Chicago against the Cubs, but he was shelled for five runs and lifted before he could complete the first inning. Boxscore

The poor start foreshadowed his season. In 46 games, including 10 starts, for the 1955 Cardinals, Lawrence was 3-8 with a 6.56 ERA.

He was equally bad as a starter (2-5, 6.58 ERA) and as a reliever (1-3, 6.55 ERA).

Against the Cubs that season, Lawrence was 0-3 with an 11.37 ERA.

After Lawrence was demoted to the minor leagues in August, Harry Walker, who had replaced Stanky as manager, said, “He’s a good man and I hope he proves again that he’s a good pitcher.”

Lawrence finished the season on an upswing, posting a 5-1 record and 2.37 ERA for Class AAA Oakland of the Pacific Coast League.

Change environment

After the 1955 season, Lane was tasked with rebuilding a club that finished 68-86.

Lane asked his Reds counterpart, Gabe Paul, about a pair of former Cardinals, Collum and third baseman Ray Jablonski. “When I heard what he wanted in return,” Lane said, “I told him he must have been the key man in the Brink’s holdup.”

Paul countered by saying Lane “was too much in love with St. Louis major- and minor-leaguers” to strike a deal.

Columnist Dick Young reported Paul contacted Lawrence “to ascertain that the pitcher’s ulcers have not been kicking up.”

Cardinals doctors declared Lawrence cured of ulcers, The Sporting News reported.

Said Lawrence: “There was nothing wrong with my arm last year. That ulcer was the trouble.”

Make a deal

The trade was made when Lane agreed to take only Collum in exchange for Lawrence and Senerchia.

“It’s not earth-shaking,” Lane said to United Press, “but it’s a start.”

Surprised, Lawrence said he thought the Cardinals “would have at least given me a good look” in spring training.

Lawrence worked for the water department in Springfield that winter and said, “I operated an air hammer. That takes the fat off you.”

Collum, who had pitched for the Cardinals from 1951-53 and was 9-8 for the 1955 Reds, “is not a great pitcher, but he’s a great competitor,” Lane said.

Used mostly in relief with the 1956 Cardinals, Collum was 6-2 with seven saves and a 4.20 ERA.

Lawrence won his first 13 decisions with the 1956 Reds and finished the season 19-10 with a 3.99 ERA.

Previously: The debut of Bill Greason, first black Cardinals pitcher

Posted in Games, Pitchers, Trades | 2 Comments »

Why Bernard Gilkey no longer fit Cardinals plans

January 25, 2016 by retrosimba

Deemed too expensive to be a reserve and not enough of a power hitter to remain the everyday left fielder, Bernard Gilkey no longer fit into the Cardinals’ plans.

bernard_gilkey3 Looking to restock their farm system, the Cardinals were offered packages of prospects by the Mets, White Sox and Royals for Gilkey.

On Jan. 22, 1996, the Cardinals traded Gilkey, 29, to the Mets for three minor-league players: right-handed pitchers Eric Ludwick and Erik Hiljus and outfielder Yudith Ozorio.

In the short term, the deal had little impact on the Cardinals, even though Gilkey had a career year with the 1996 Mets. The Cardinals won the 1996 National League Central Division championship and qualified for the postseason for the first time since 1987.

In the long term, the trade hurt the Cardinals because they didn’t get the pitching help they needed. Neither Ludwick nor Hiljus could help a staff whose team ERA increased each year from 1997 through 1999, contributing to the Cardinals missing the playoffs in those seasons.

Hometown regular

Gilkey, a St. Louis native, debuted with the Cardinals in 1990, replaced Vince Coleman as the starting left fielder in 1991 and held the position through 1995.

For those six years, he batted .282 with 602 hits in 593 games. In 1993, his best Cardinals season, Gilkey batted .305 with 170 hits, including 40 doubles, 16 home runs, 15 stolen bases and a .370 on-base percentage.

However, Gilkey never hit more than 17 home runs or produced more than 70 RBI in a season with St. Louis.

In December 1995, the Cardinals signed free-agent Ron Gant, 30, to a contract for five years and $25 million. Gant had three times hit 32 or more home runs with the Braves and twice had topped 100 RBI. He had driven in at least 80 in five consecutive seasons.

Money ball

Gilkey was paid $1.6 million in 1995, when he led NL left fielders in fielding percentage (.986) and batted .298 with 17 home runs and 69 RBI.

Eligible for salary arbitration, Gilkey was seeking $3 million in 1996. The Cardinals offered $2.5 million. A settlement likely could be reached for $2.8 million, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

However, the Cardinals were looking to acquire a closer, either Dennis Eckersley of the Athletics or free-agent Gregg Olson, and trading Gilkey would help free up money to make such a deal.

“The only reason we’d have to move Gilkey is because of money,” Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said.

It’s business

Projecting a 1996 outfield of Gant in left, Ray Lankford in center and Brian Jordan in right, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa discussed the possibility of moving Gilkey to first base. “We were saying that, but I didn’t see that as an alternative,” Jocketty said. “That probably would have hurt us defensively.”

On the day he was traded, Gilkey said, “I’m not bitter. I understand business.”

He was, however, hurt by the rejection.

“Once they signed Ron Gant, I knew the opportunity for me playing in St. Louis was slim,” Gilkey said. “It’s kind of shocking to know that you’ve played with the St. Louis Cardinals through all the down times and you did whatever you could to help. All of a sudden, they turn into contenders and they send me on my way.”

Of the players acquired by the Cardinals, Ludwick, 24, projected to be the most promising. He had a 13-6 record and 3.31 ERA for Mets farm teams in 1995. “We have excellent reports on him,” Jocketty said.

Hiljus, 23, was 10-8 with a 3.94 ERA in the minors in 1995. Ozorio, 21, batted .217 with 40 stolen bases in Class A.

The aftermath

Joining a revamped Mets outfield that included another former Cardinal, Lance Johnson, in center, Gilkey had a sensational 1996 season. He batted .317 with 181 hits, including 44 doubles, 30 home runs, 117 RBI, 17 stolen bases and a .393 on-base percentage.

Gant hit .246 with 103 hits, including 14 doubles, 30 home runs, 82 RBI, 13 stolen bases and a .359 on-base percentage for the 1996 Cardinals.

Though Gilkey outperformed Gant in 1996, the Cardinals finished 88-74 and reached the NL Championship Series. The Mets finished 71-91.

Neither Hiljus nor Ozorio would play for St. Louis. Both were out of the Cardinals’ organization after the 1997 season.

Ludwick, older brother of outfielder Ryan Ludwick, pitched well at Class AAA Louisville _ 2.83 ERA in 1996 and 2.92 ERA in 1997 _ but flopped in two stints with the Cardinals. He was 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in six games for the 1996 Cardinals and 0-1 with a 9.45 ERA in five appearances for the 1997 Cardinals.

On July 31, 1997, the Cardinals traded Ludwick and pitchers T.J. Mathews and Blake Stein to the Athletics for first baseman Mark McGwire.

Previously: How Bernard Gilkey foiled an opponent’s masterpiece

Previously: How Bernard Gilkey spoiled Frank Castillo’s big moment

Posted in Hitters, Pitchers, Prospects, Trades | Leave a Comment »

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