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How Harry Caray survived near-fatal car accident

November 4, 2013 by retrosimba

In search of a late-night drink at a venerable St. Louis hotel, longtime Cardinals broadcaster Harry Caray nearly was killed when struck by a car.

harry_carayOn Saturday afternoon, Nov. 2, 1968, less than a month after he’d called the World Series between the Cardinals and Tigers, Caray did the broadcast of the Oklahoma State vs. Missouri football game at Columbia, Mo.

Afterward, he drove to St. Louis and, on a whim, decided to stop by and watch the NHL game between the Blues and North Stars. During the hockey game, Caray, who was estranged from his second wife at the time, called a friend and arranged to meet for dinner.

After dinner, unwilling to call it a night, Caray headed to the Chase Park Plaza Hotel, a landmark in St. Louis since the 1920s and a venue for music and shows. It was about 1:15 a.m., Sunday morning, Nov. 3, 1968, when Caray drove up to the hotel in the rain.

A regular at the Chase Park Plaza, Caray, 54, usually left his car with a parking attendant at the entrance, but, because of the rain, there was a backup of vehicles in the hotel driveway.

Impatient, Caray noticed an empty parking spot along the curb on the other side of the street, directly across from the hotel. He parked, exited the car and started to cross the busy street, Kingshighway.

Sent flying

Midway across, Caray told The Sporting News, “I turned to see if anything was coming from my left. The last thing I remember was, ‘Am I OK out here?’ ”

A car driven by Michael Poliquin, 21, a Vietnam War veteran from Overland, Mo., struck Caray. “He was knocked 40 feet in the air,” The Sporting News reported. “His shoes were found 25 feet south of the hotel and he landed 40 feet north.”

Poliquin, who hours earlier had been engaged to be married, told police he saw a pedestrian step into the street in midblock and wasn’t able to stop on the slickened pavement, the Associated Press reported. Poliquin said Caray saw the car at the last moment and jumped in the direction the vehicle was skidding.

In his book “Holy Cow!,” Caray said, “I was lying in the street … in the pouring rain. People started to gather around. Many recognized me; all were afraid to touch me.

“A Goodwill truck came down Kingshighway. The driver saw a body in the street and … stopped his truck. When he saw I was just lying unattended to in the rain, he pulled a few burlap bags from the back of the truck and covered me with them _ keeping me warm and dry _ then just drove away. I think he saved my life.”

Taken to a hospital, Caray was treated for compound fractures of both legs, a broken right shoulder, a broken nose and facial cuts, the Associated Press reported. “I had almost died on the street when the rainwater and blood nearly congested my lungs … I was extremely fortunate they didn’t have to amputate my left leg during surgery,” Caray said.

Police cited the driver of the car for failure to display a license and Caray was cited for crossing a street while not at an intersection, the Associated Press reported.

Party room

Initially, the only visitors permitted in Caray’s hospital room were family members and Robert Hyland, general manager of Cardinals flagship radio station KMOX, according to United Press International. “We can’t keep Harry from talking,” Hyland said. “He’s full of spirit and already tired of being in the hospital. He’s been pestering the doctors to let him go back to work.”

The doctors informed Caray he would need to remain in the hospital until just before Christmas. Caray convinced hospital staff his recovery would progress if he could have lots of visitors.

“My room became headquarters for off-duty nurses, for kids who wanted to talk baseball, for all my friends,” Caray said. “At night they would send martinis down from the restaurant on the top floor, as well as specially prepared meals, so I didn’t have to eat the awful hospital food. After a while, it was like a nightclub in there. It got so I hated to leave.”

Upon Caray’s release, Cardinals owner Gussie Busch offered the broadcaster the use of Busch’s beach house near St. Petersburg, Fla. Caray recuperated there _ under the care of a male nurse, he said _ and was back in the Cardinals’ broadcast booth for the start of the 1969 season.

 

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The story of Ellis Burton, Cardinals Comet

November 1, 2013 by retrosimba

Ellis Burton was a Cardinals outfield prospect who recovered from a near-fatal car accident to earn a spot on St. Louis’ Opening Day roster in 1960.

ellis_burtonThough he enjoyed stellar seasons in the Cardinals’ minor-league system and impressed St. Louis manager Solly Hemus during spring training in 1960, Burton’s stint with the club was short and largely unproductive.

Accident survivor

Burton signed with the Pirates after he was graduated from high school in 1955.

Two years later, Burton “was nearly killed in an automobile crash,” according to The Sporting News. The publication reported that Burton’s car “went over a 115-foot cliff.” Burton broke his collarbone and also suffered a concussion and internal injuries, The Sporting News wrote.

“I was supposed to be in a cast for six months, but I couldn’t keep it on,” Burton said to writer Jack Herman. “I was playing ball again inside of a month.”

Tony Governor, West Coast scout for the Cardinals, long had followed Burton’s athletic career. When the Pirates, concerned about Burton’s ability to recover fully from the accident, made him available in the minor-league draft in December 1957, Governor recommended the Cardinals select him.

Plucked by Cardinals

Paying the $3,500 draft price, the Cardinals followed their scout’s advice, acquired Burton and assigned him to Class AA Houston of the Texas League for 1958.

Burton opened the season as a second baseman. His collarbone still hadn’t healed sufficiently enough to allow him to make long throws. Harry Walker, Houston’s manager, “literally worked hours with (Burton) on improving his throwing,” The Sporting News reported.

Burton recovered well enough to move from second base to the outfield that year.

Meanwhile, Paul Waner, the Cardinals’ minor-league hitting instructor, had noticed Burton often jerked his head around when he batted. “I want your head steady,” Waner said to Burton.

The tip worked. A switch-hitter, Burton hit .286 with a league-high 41 doubles and 22 home runs in 147 games for Houston.

In September 1958, Burton, 22, was rewarded with a promotion to the Cardinals. In eight games for St. Louis, he batted .233 (7-for-30) with two home runs.

Burton spent the 1959 season with the Cardinals’ Class AAA club at Omaha and hit .292 with 26 doubles, 14 homers and 18 stolen bases.

Bright prospect

At spring training in March 1960, Burton caught the attention of Hemus. In an article headlined, “Burton, Cardinals Comet, Escaped Death By An Eyelash,” The Sporting News recounted Burton’s 1957 car accident and touted his spring training performance.

“He is one of the most promising youngsters in the St. Louis camp,” The Sporting News wrote of Burton. “He’s as versatile with the glove as he is with the bat.”

Burton opened the 1960 season as a reserve outfielder for St. Louis behind starters Stan Musial, Curt Flood and Joe Cunningham.

On April 16, 1960, Burton gave a glimpse of his potential. Batting leadoff, Burton had two of the Cardinals’ four hits off the Dodgers’ Don Drysdale, who pitched a complete game in a 3-2 victory for Los Angeles. Boxscore

Two months later, June 11, Burton sparked a three-run ninth-inning rally for St. Louis, driving in a run and scoring in the Cardinals’ 7-6 victory over the Pirates. Boxscore

But Burton batted just .214 (13-for-58) in 37 games for the 1960 Cardinals. In mid-June, he was sent to Class AAA Rochester, where he spent the remainder of the season, hitting .257 with 14 home runs.

After the 1960 season, the Cardinals sent Burton to Toronto, then an independent Class AAA franchise, to complete a trade for pitcher Al Cicotte. In his two stints with St. Louis, the Cardinals Comet produced an overall batting average of .224 (13-for-58).

Burton eventually returned to the big leagues and played for the Indians and Cubs. In five major-league seasons, he hit .216 with 17 home runs.

Previously: Clyde King mentored young Cardinals of 1960s

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Cardinals hoped Reggie Smith would recharge offense

October 30, 2013 by retrosimba

(Updated Oct. 22, 2023)

In 1967, Reggie Smith hit two home runs for the Red Sox in the World Series against the Cardinals. Six years later, the Cardinals traded for Smith, hoping he could provide them with the power they needed.

reggie_smith2On Oct. 26, 1973, the Cardinals dealt pitcher Rick Wise and outfielder Bernie Carbo to the Boston Red Sox for Smith and pitcher Ken Tatum.

Smith, a switch-hitting right fielder, and Wise were the key players. The Cardinals, who had the fewest home runs (75) in the National League in 1973, wanted a slugger and Boston needed a starting pitcher to compete with the deep staffs of the Athletics and Orioles in the American League.

In his autobiography, Cardinals general manager Bing Devine said of the deal, “You hated to trade a productive pitcher, but everything else being equal, if you could get a guy who plays every day for a guy who plays every four or five days, you do it.”

Turning pro

Born in Shreveport, La., and raised in Los Angeles, Smith was 16 when he learned to hit from both sides of the plate, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Two years later, he signed with the Minnesota Twins.

Smith played shortstop for a Twins farm club, Wytheville, Va., in the Appalachian League in 1963. Made available in the minor-league draft, he was taken by the Red Sox in December 1963.

Moved to the outfield, Smith hit .320 in 1966 for Toronto, a Class AAA club managed by Dick Williams. In 1967, Williams was the Red Sox manager and he selected Smith, 22, to be their center fielder. The 1967 Red Sox won the American League pennant and faced the Cardinals in the World Series. Smith hit a home run against Nelson Briles in Game 3 and another versus Dick Hughes in Game 6, but the Cardinals prevailed in seven games.

Smith led the American League in doubles in 1968 (37) and 1971 (33). He also was the 1971 league leader in total bases (302) and extra-base hits (65).

The Red Sox moved Smith from center to right in 1972 and he made the American League all-star team for the second time.

Bad vibes

The 1973 season was a troubled one for Smith. His knees ached. He got into a fight with teammate Bill Lee in the dugout. He felt unappreciated.

According to the Associated Press, Smith “became the target of boos in Boston when he missed a pair of routine fly balls in the outfield. The fans felt Smith was loafing, but the outfielder said he couldn’t reach the balls because of bad knees. Smith angrily labeled Boston a racist city and sat out for two weeks.”

In The Sporting News, Peter Gammons wrote of Smith, “He always was burdened with the pressure of becoming Boston’s first black (baseball) star, a role he could not fill. In his final year, he had become embittered with fans who got on him about his occasional lackadaisical play, had entanglements with teammates (most of whom were unsympathetic) and missed a month with injuries.”

Still, in 115 games for the 1973 Red Sox, Smith hit .303 with 21 home runs and had an on-base percentage of .398.

His friend and teammate, Carl Yastrzemski, told the Boston Globe, “I know what Reggie went through. He was hurt and people didn’t believe him. He went out and tried to play hurt, and when he looked bad, they ridiculed him. He was embarrassed. They tell you to go out and play when you’re hurt, and when you do and play badly, they boo the hell out of you.”

Power supply

The Cardinals saw Smith, 28, as a player who could boost their run production and join an outfield with Lou Brock in left and Bake McBride in center. In eight seasons with the Red Sox, Smith had 1,064 hits, including 149 home runs.

“Nobody can be a big home run hitter in our park (Busch Memorial Stadium),” Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst told The Sporting News, “but Smith should help our offense a lot.”

Ted Simmons and Joe Torre tied for the Cardinals’ 1973 season high in home runs, each with 13.

The Sporting News noted, “The addition of Smith should enable the Cardinals to lift some of the pressure off Ted Simmons especially and Joe Torre … All too often last season, especially when Torre was hurt or slumping, the enemy was able to pitch around Simmons.”

For Boston in 1973, Smith hit .290 with 17 homers versus right-handers and .339 with four homers against left-handers. He told the Post-Dispatch, “I’m a lowball hitter left-handed and like the pitch up and away from me right-handed. I’ve learned that because my stroke at bat is quicker left-handed, I hit the long ball more often that way. I hit more line drives right-handed and for better average.”

Regarding the trade to St. Louis, Smith said to the Boston Globe, “I’m happy to be going to the National League because there they challenge a hitter. I’m happy to be going to a club where I am needed … I got awfully tired of people saying that I never lived up to my potential. Everybody expected me to be a Willie Mays or a Hank Aaron. A superstar. Why couldn’t I just be Reggie Smith?”

In Wise, 28, Boston got a starter to join a rotation with Luis Tiant and Bill Lee.

Wise had a 32-28 record, 3.24 ERA, 34 complete games and seven shutouts in two seasons with St. Louis after the Cardinals acquired him from the Phillies for Steve Carlton. Wise was 16-16 for St. Louis in 1972 and 16-12 in 1973, when he started and won the All-Star Game for the National League.

How it turned out

Smith hit .309 for the 1974 Cardinals and had an on-base percentage of .389. He totaled 160 hits (including 23 home runs) and 71 walks. He also produced 100 RBI, the only time he reached that mark in his career.

In his book “Stranger to the Game,” Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson said, “Reggie Smith was both talented and tough. He improved our lineup in virtually every respect … My affinity for Reggie Smith was a natural because we were very much alike … Smith was a very bright, thoughtful guy who was ready to fight if somebody looked at him wrong. I called him Spike because he reminded me of those spike-collared bulldogs on Saturday morning cartoons.”

(The Cardinals, who were eighth in the 12-team National League in runs scored in 1973, were fourth in runs scored in 1974 but still ranked last in home runs.)

Two years later, in June 1976, the Cardinals traded Smith to the Dodgers for catcher Joe Ferguson and two prospects, outfielder Bob Detherage and first baseman Freddie Tisdale.

In three seasons with St. Louis, Smith hit .293 and had a .371 on-base percentage. With the Dodgers, he played in three World Series (1977, 1978 and 1981). Smith played 17 seasons in the majors and finished with 2,020 hits, 1,092 RBI and a .366 on-base percentage.

An arm injury limited Wise to nine starts and a 3-4 record for the 1974 Red Sox. He won 19 for the Red Sox in 1975 and helped them win the American League pennant. He was the winning pitcher in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series when Carlton Fisk hit his walkoff home run against the Reds. In four seasons with Boston, Wise was 47-32 with a 3.96 ERA.

Posted in Hitters, Pitchers, Trades | 2 Comments »

4 Series aces for Cards: Gibson, Porter, Eckstein, Freese

October 28, 2013 by retrosimba

(Updated Dec. 7, 2024)

One of the most exclusive Cardinals clubs is the one in which membership requires a World Series Most Valuable Player Award.

david_freese2Four Cardinals have earned the honor: Bob Gibson (twice), Darrell Porter, David Eckstein and David Freese.

Because a World Series most valuable player first was named in 1955 (Dodgers pitcher Johnny Podres), that left out Cardinals candidates from St. Louis’ World Series championship teams of 1926, 1931, 1934, 1942, 1944 and 1946.

Gibson is one of four players to twice be awarded a World Series MVP. The others: Sandy Koufax (1963 and 1965), Reggie Jackson (1973 and 1977) and Corey Seager (2020 and 2023).

In chronological order, a look at the Cardinals’ World Series MVP Award winners:

BOB GIBSON, 1964

Key stats: Three starts, 2-1 record, 3.00 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 27 innings.

Behind the numbers: In winning Games 5 and 7, Gibson relied on his fastball. He struck out 13 Yankees in 10 innings in Game 5 and nine in Game 7.

Fun fact: Gibson established a record with his 31 strikeouts in a World Series, breaking the mark of 28 set by Bill Dinneen of the 1903 Red Sox. Gibson struck out Mickey Mantle five times during the Series.

Best quote: “I was committed to this fellow’s heart more than anything else.” Cardinals manager Johnny Keane to the Associated Press, explaining why he stuck with a tiring Gibson in Game 7.

BOB GIBSON, 1967

Key stats: Three starts, 3-0 record, 1.00 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 27 innings.

Behind the numbers: Gibson held the Red Sox to a total of 14 hits in winning Games 1, 4 and 7. The 14 hits allowed were the fewest for three complete games in a World Series since Christy Mathewson yielded the same with the 1905 Giants.

Fun fact: Gibson hit a home run in Game 7.

Best quote: “Nothing. I gave the ball to Gibson.” _ Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst to the Associated Press when asked what he said to his team before Game 7.

DARRELL PORTER, 1982

Key stats: .286 batting mark (8-for-28), five RBI.

Behind the numbers: In the sixth inning of Game 2, the Brewers led, 4-2, and were close to clinching a second consecutive win in St. Louis. But Porter produced a two-out, two-run double, tying the score, and the Cardinals rallied to win the game. Porter hit a two-run home run in Game 6 and his run-scoring single in the eighth inning of Game 7 gave St. Louis a crucial insurance run.

Fun fact: Two years earlier, in the 1980 World Series while with the Royals, Porter batted just .143 (2-for-14).

Best quote: “I haven’t had a drink in two and a half years, or any pot or pills. I feel wonderful. I think I’ll go fishing.” _ Darrell Porter to United Press International.

DAVID ECKSTEIN, 2006

Key stats: .364 batting mark (8-for-22), four RBI, three runs.

Behind the numbers: In Game 4, with the Tigers ahead, 3-2, Eckstein led off the seventh with a double and scored the tying run. An inning later, in what Sports Illustrated described as a “Series-changing at bat,” he broke a 4-4 tie with a two-out double that scored Aaron Miles from second with the winning run. In the decisive Game 5, Eckstein gave St. Louis a 1-0 lead with a RBI-single in the third, drove in the winning run in the fourth and scored in the seventh.

Fun fact: Eckstein became the third player to start at shortstop for two different World Series champions (2002 Angels and 2006 Cardinals). The others: Dick Groat (1960 Pirates and 1964 Cardinals) and Everett Scott (1915, 1916 and 1918 Red Sox and 1923 Yankees).

Best quote: “He’s the toughest guy I’ve ever seen in a uniform.” _ Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, describing Eckstein to the Associated Press.

DAVID FREESE, 2011

Key stats: .348 batting mark (8-for-23), seven RBI, five walks, four runs.

Behind the numbers: His two-run triple with two outs in the ninth inning of Game 6 tied the score, 7-7, and his home run leading off the 11th gave St. Louis an epic 10-9 victory. In Game 7, his two-run double with two outs in the first tied the score, 2-2, and sparked St. Louis to the championship.

Fun fact: Freese hit safely in 16 of his 17 postseason games in 2011.

Best quote: “No dream is as good as this.” _ David Freese to USA Today.

Recalling his Game 6 walkoff homer in an interview for the 2016 Cardinals Yearbook, Freese said, “Right when the ball left, I remember telling myself to slow down and soak this all in. I wanted to enjoy it with my teammates and the fans … I remember rounding second, peeking into the dugout and seeing how fired up all the guys were coming to home plate … It was just an incredible feeling to have everybody waiting for you, and seeing that kind of excitement from grown men. That takes it to a whole new level.”

As for spiking his batting helmet as he approached the plate, Freese said, “I was so pumped up that I just wanted to make some noise somehow.”

 

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Dane Iorg excelled as World Series DH for Cardinals

October 25, 2013 by retrosimba

In 1982, when the Cardinals first used a designated hitter in a World Series, Dane Iorg delivered. dane_iorg3

A left-handed batter, Iorg, 32, was a reserve outfielder and first baseman for the 1982 Cardinals. He made 62 starts in the outfield and five at first base that season.

Iorg would have been a pinch-hitter in the 1982 World Series versus the Brewers if not for the designated hitter rule. In 1982, Major League Baseball allowed teams to use the DH in every World Series game.

Used as the designated hitter in five of the World Series games (manager Whitey Herzog went with Gene Tenace in Game 1 and Lonnie Smith in Game 5), Iorg batted .529 (9-for-17) with four runs scored. Five of his hits were for extra bases (four doubles and a triple).

In Game 6, Iorg had a double and triple versus Don Sutton and a double against Doc Medich.

Dave Nightingale, in his story in The Sporting News about that game, wrote, “Dane who? The same Dane Iorg who led all Series hitters in slugging percentage (.929) after six games? The same Dane Iorg who has spent more than a few sleepless nights wondering if he was good enough to play major league baseball; who thinks World Series pressure is a piece of cake compared to the strain of trying to make a ballclub in spring training? Yeah, that Dane Iorg.”

Described by columnist Bill Conlin as the “Cardinals’ sweet-swinging DH hero,” Iorg finished the Series with a slugging percentage of .882, the best of any hitter on either club.

In a 2007 interview with the Topeka Capital-Journal, Iorg said, “I always loved playing in the big game and I always wanted to be up there with the game on the line.”

Cardinals designated hitters batted .429 (12-for-28) in the 1982 World Series; their Brewers counterparts hit .125 (3-for-24).

Posted in Games, Hitters | 1 Comment »

Yadier Molina played in 4 World Series for Cardinals

October 18, 2013 by retrosimba

(Updated Dec. 21, 2024)

In 2013, catcher Yadier Molina became the first Cardinals player in 67 years to appear in four World Series for them.

yadier_molina14Molina played in the 2004, 2006, 2011 and 2013 World Series.

In 21 World Series games, Molina batted .328 with 12 RBI. He hit .412 in the 2006 World Series versus the Tigers and .333 with nine RBI in the 2011 World Series against the Rangers.

As importantly, Molina’s strong arm and ability to manage a game on the field were attributes that helped the club become champions.

In an article he did for the 2019 Cardinals Yearbook, Tony La Russa, the manager for the World Series champion Cardinals clubs of 2006 and 2011, said, “I truly believe Yadier Molina was the key guy on both championship teams I managed with the St. Louis Cardinals … It comes down to pitching, and Yadi, along with our pitching coach Dave Duncan, was truly incredible guiding our staff through those Series … making the important calls, giving them confidence and helping to keep them calm. Then there was Yadi’s impact at the plate those postseasons _ his hitting was huge.”

In a November 2019 interview with broadcaster Dan McLaughlin, former Cardinals catcher Ted Simmons said Molina’s throwing skill was comparable to Johnny Bench and Carlton Fisk. Simmons called Molina “an extraordinary player” who “runs the game like no other I’ve ever seen.”

“Yadi has the ability to be the hitting instructor, pitching coach, manager and catcher,” said Simmons. “What is extraordinary about him is he could do them all at the same time. I’m not exaggerating.

“He can literally take young pitchers and force them to pitch above their skill set,” Simmons said. “… He will never let a young pitcher just give up. It’s how he makes really special pitchers out of ordinary ones. If a good pitcher pitches to Yadi, he has a chance of being a great pitcher. Yadi makes them do things that they don’t think they can do.”

Simmons also told the 2019 Cardinals Yearbook, “I’ve seen … all the great catchers going back to watching (Yogi) Berra on TV when I was a kid. (Molina) is the best I ever saw, the best defender. I wish I had his ability to throw.”

Until Molina, the last to play in four World Series for the Cardinals were Whitey Kurowski, Marty Marion and Stan Musial. Each played in the World Series of 1942, 1943, 1944 and 1946.

Molina is the 11th player (and first catcher) to appear in four World Series for St. Louis. In chronological order, a look at the 10 others who achieved the feat:

_ Jim Bottomley, 1926, 1928, 1930, 1931 World Series: The Hall of Fame first baseman, a career .310 hitter, batted .200 in 24 World Series games for St. Louis. He was spectacular in the 1926 World Series against the Yankees, hitting .345. He was 8-for-61 in the three World Series after that, including 1-for-22 with nine strikeouts in the 1930 matchup against the Athletics.

_ Chick Hafey, 1926, 1928, 1930, 1931 World Series: Like Bottomley, this Hall of Fame outfielder mostly was a World Series flop with St. Louis. A career .317 hitter, he batted .205 with two RBI and 19 strikeouts in 23 World Series games for the Cardinals. Hafey did produce five doubles in six games in the 1930 World Series.

_ Jesse Haines, 1926, 1928, 1930, 1934 World Series: The Hall of Fame pitcher was 3-1 with a 1.67 ERA in six World Series games for St. Louis. In 1926, he won Game 3 with a five-hit shutout of the Yankees and he started and won the epic Game 7 in which Grover Cleveland Alexander earned the save. He also recorded a complete-game win against Lefty Grove and the Athletics in Game 4 in 1930. Haines was 41 when he appeared in relief for St. Louis in Game 4 of the 1934 World Series versus the Tigers.

_ Bill Hallahan, 1926, 1930, 1931, 1934 World Series: The left-hander was 3-1 with a 1.36 ERA in seven World Series games for the Cardinals. In 1931, Hallahan earned two wins and a save against the Athletics. He had an 0.49 ERA, yielding one run in 18.1 innings. Hallahan pitched a three-hit shutout in Game 2, won Game 5 with another complete game and got the save in Game 7 when he relieved starter Burleigh Grimes with two outs and two on in the ninth and got Max Bishop to fly out to center.

_ Flint Rhem, 1926, 1928, 1930, 1931 World Series: The right-hander was 0-1 with a 6.10 ERA in four World Series games for St. Louis. In Game 4 of the 1926 World Series, Babe Ruth hit two home runs off Rhem.

_ Frankie Frisch, 1928, 1930, 1931, 1934 World Series: The Hall of Fame second baseman was player-manager of the 1934 champions. In Game 7 that year, Frisch hit a three-run double off Tigers starter Elden Auker in an 11-0 victory.

_ Ernie Orsatti, 1928, 1930, 1931, 1934 World Series: The outfielder, who spent his entire nine-year big-league career with the Cardinals, hit .273 in 13 World Series games for St. Louis. Orsatti, the starting center fielder in 1934, hit .318 with three walks in that year’s World Series.

_ Whitey Kurowski, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1946 World Series: In 1946, the third baseman tied with Enos Slaughter for the Cardinals World Series lead in hits, with eight. In 23 World Series games for St. Louis, Kurowski hit .253 with nine RBI.

_ Marty Marion, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1946 World Series: The shortstop hit just one home run during the 1943 regular season, but he belted a homer against Tiny Bonham in Game 2 of the 1943 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Marion hit .357 in that Series. In 23 World Series games for St. Louis, Marion hit .231.

_ Stan Musial, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1946 World Series: The Hall of Fame outfielder’s best World Series performance was in 1944 when he batted .304 versus the Browns. Musial hit his lone career World Series home run that year against Sig Jakucki in Game 4. In 23 World Series games, The Man batted .256 with 12 walks and eight RBI.

Previously: Yadier Molina: Most RBI in a World Series game by Cards catcher

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