RetroSimba

Carl Sawatski hit homers in a pinch for Cardinals

August 12, 2013 by retrosimba

(Updated Feb. 13, 2014)

Carl Sawatski had one special skill as a ballplayer. He could hit with power against right-handed pitching. In 11 big-league seasons, Sawatski hit 58 home runs _ all against right-handers.

In 1961, Sawatski delivered four home runs as a pinch-hitter for the Cardinals. No St. Louis pinch-hitter has slugged that many homers in a season since.

Like Sawatski, George Crowe also hit four pinch-hit home runs in a season for the Cardinals. Crowe did it twice, in 1959 and again in 1960.

When Sawatski, a catcher who batted left-handed, was acquired by the Cardinals from the Phillies in December 1959 for outfielder Bobby Gene Smith and pitcher Bill Smith, a headline in The Sporting News declared, “Sawatski to Supply Power Behind Platter.”

Said Cardinals manager Solly Hemus: “We got Sawatski for his bat. He’s not outstanding with the glove, but he’s improving.”

A backup to catcher Hal Smith, Sawatski hit .229 with six home runs (one as a pinch-hitter) in 78 games for the 1960 Cardinals.

The next season, Sawatski, 33, produced the kind of hitting the Cardinals expected. As a pinch-hitter, Sawatski hit .282 (11-for-39) with four home runs and 14 RBI for the 1961 Cardinals. Overall, he batted .299 with 10 homers.

Sawatski’s four pinch-hit homers were one behind the 1961 National League leader, Jerry Lynch of the Reds, and two behind the big-league record holder, Johnny Frederick of the 1932 Dodgers.

(Dave Hansen of the 2000 Dodgers and Craig Wilson of the 2001 Pirates now share the major-league record for pinch-hit home runs in a season. Each hit seven.)

A look at Sawatski’s four pinch-hit home runs in 1961:

Denting Drysdale

_ April 19, Dodgers 7, Cardinals 2, at Los Angeles: With the Dodgers ahead, 3-0, Sawatski, pinch-hitting for Hal Smith, led off the third inning with a home run off starter Don Drysdale. It was one of four homers Sawatski hit against the Hall of Fame pitcher in his career. Boxscore

Cubs crusher

_ June 5, Cardinals 10, Cubs 8, at St. Louis: Pinch-hitting in the seventh for shortstop Alex Grammas, Sawatski hit a two-run home run off reliever Joe Schaffernoth, giving the Cardinals a 6-5 lead and sparking a six-run Cardinals inning. Boxscore

Happy hooker

_ June 20, Reds 4, Cardinals 3, at Cincinnati: In the seventh inning, Sawatski, pinch-hitting for second baseman Bob Lillis, erased a 2-0 Reds lead with a three-run home run off starter Jay Hook. It was one of three homers Sawatski hit off Hook in his career. But the Reds scored a run in the bottom of the ninth, tying the score, and won with a run in the 11th. Boxscore

Doing it all

_ Aug. 6, Cardinals 3, Phillies 2, at St. Louis: In the seventh, with the Phillies ahead, 2-0, Sawatski, pinch-hitting for catcher Chris Cannizzaro, hit a two-run home run with two outs off starter Jim Owens. Sawatski stayed in the game at catcher. In the ninth, he hit the game-winning single off Jack Baldschun with one out and the bases loaded. Boxscore

After the 1961 season, the Cardinals needed to decide which of their players to expose to the expansion draft being conducted by the Mets and Colt .45s.

Wrote The Sporting News, “Catcher Carl Sawatski, who was believed to be on the fence at one time because of his defensive shortcomings, was regarded as a sure bet to stay among the untouchables. The Birds need (Sawatski’s) big bat, especially as a weapon for coming off the bench.”

Sawatski hit one pinch-hit home run in 16 at-bats for the 1962 Cardinals and was homerless in 31 pinch-hit at-bats for St. Louis in 1963, his final season in the big leagues.

Previously: Pure-hitting Jerry Lynch savored Cardinals pitching

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How Bing Devine helped Stan Musial plan retirement

August 9, 2013 by retrosimba

A timely talk with the Cardinals’ general manager helped Stan Musial determine how to inform his teammates and fans he would end his major-league playing career after the 1963 season.

On Aug. 12, 1963, Musial surprised many with a tearful announcement of his retirement plans at a Cardinals team picnic.

Privately, the Cardinals’ all-time greatest player had reached his decision on July 25 at Milwaukee. That day, Musial, 42, had driven in the winning run for the Cardinals with a single against another 42-year-old, Braves pitcher Warren Spahn. Boxscore

Though Musial wasn’t hitting at the level he had when he won seven National League batting championships, he still was effective, ranking among the top five on the club in RBI. But his fading fielding skills in the outfield convinced him it was time to quit playing.

In his book “Stan Musial: The Man’s Own Story,” Musial said, “I noticed that I really had difficulty untracking to get started after a fly ball.”

From Milwaukee, the Cardinals went to Chicago for a series against the Cubs. General manager Bing Devine joined the team there and invited Musial to breakfast in his hotel suite. Musial suspected Devine wanted to know his plans for 1964.

“The words came hard because it’s not easy to quit,” Musial said in his book.

Musial said to Devine, “After this year, Bing, I’ll have had it.”

“Devine seemed relieved, as relieved as I was when I got the words out,” Musial said.

Musial told Devine he wanted to make the announcement in St. Louis and he wanted his teammates to hear it first. Devine suggested Musial use the team picnic on Aug. 12 as the venue and Musial agreed.

The picnic, on a rainy Monday, was at Grant’s Farm, the estate of Cardinals owner Gussie Busch. Players, their families, team officials and a small group of reporters attended. Busch was out of town for a family wedding.

Only Musial, his family and Devine knew what he planned to say at the gathering. Many anticipated Musial would wait until after the season to reveal his plans.

Musial was “choked with emotion,” the Associated Press reported, as he stood before a battery of microphones and said 1963 would be the last of his 22 seasons as a player.

“Baseball has been my life,” Musial said. “I have loved St. Louis and this ballclub and I have had fun all these years.

“I’ve had the best job in the world. The thrill of putting on a major-league uniform, hitting, fielding and playing ball is greater than any other job I could ever have.”

Musial acknowledged he would become a grandfather for the first time in September 1963. His son, Dick, and daughter-in-law Sharon were expecting their first child.

In an effort to lighten the mood after the emotional retirement announcement, The Sporting News reported, Musial turned to his wife, Lil, and said, “I don’t think you want to kiss an old, retired ballplayer.”

Replied Lil: “I don’t think you want to kiss an old grandmother.”

Posted in Executives, Games, Hitters | 2 Comments »

How Mike Matheny aided unassisted triple play

August 7, 2013 by retrosimba

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa took a gamble that triggered one of the rarest plays in baseball.

On Aug. 10, 2003, the Braves faced the Cardinals in a Sunday night game at St. Louis before a national television audience on ESPN. In the fifth inning, with runners on first and second, no outs and pitcher Woody Williams batting, La Russa called for the hit-and-run. Williams lined the ball to shortstop Rafael Furcal, who turned an unassisted triple play.

Only 15 unassisted triple plays have been achieved in the major leagues. The Cardinals never have converted one. They twice have been the victims.

The Cardinals first hit into an unassisted triple play at Pittsburgh on May 7, 1925. The Cardinals had Jimmy Cooney on second base and Rogers Hornsby on first, with no outs in the ninth, when cleanup batter Jim Bottomley hit a liner to shortstop Glenn Wright, who caught the ball, “leaped on second base after the catch” to double up Cooney and tagged out Hornsby, who was racing toward second and couldn’t stop in time to elude Wright, The Sporting News reported. Boxscore

Furcal turned a similar play against the Cardinals.

With the score 1-1, Mike Matheny was on second and Orlando Palmeiro was on first, with no outs, when Williams came to bat against starter Horacio Ramirez.

Squaring to bunt, Williams saw two pitches, one a strike and the other a ball. Confident of Williams’ ability to handle the bat, La Russa removed the bunt sign and called for the hit-and-run. “More guts than brains,” La Russa told MLB.com. “I’ve been accused of that many times.”

As Ramirez unleashed his pitch, Matheny and Palmeiro took off running. Williams lined the ball on a path toward left-center field. “I thought it got through,” Ramirez told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

One-man show

Furcal leaped and snared the ball. With Matheny almost at third, Furcal could have flipped the ball to second baseman Marcus Giles, who was positioned to receive the toss at second base.

“When Giles asked me, ‘Give me the ball, give me the ball,’ I said, ‘No. I got a chance to make it myself.’ ” Furcal said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Said Giles: ” I could tell by the look in his eyes that he wasn’t giving it up. It was pretty cool.”

Furcal stepped on second to double up Matheny for the second out.

Palmeiro, steaming toward second, had crossed the bag, applied the brakes, turned and began to retreat. Furcal caught him easily and applied the tag, completing the 12th unassisted big-league triple play. Video

“And so, the worst thing that could have happened for the Cardinals, did happen,” ESPN broadcaster Jon Miller said in summarizing the play.

Good instincts

Miller’s broadcast partner, Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan, praised an “excellent job by Furcal not to take off for second base” when Furcal saw Palmeiro break from first on the pitch. Furcal held his ground until Ramirez delivered his pitch and was positioned to field the line drive, Morgan told viewers.

“You could see it developing, just like that,” Braves manager Bobby Cox said to the Associated Press.

Said Furcal: “I thought the play had a real flow.” Boxscore

(Eight years later, the Cardinals acquired Furcal from the Dodgers and he was their starting shortstop when they won the 2011 World Series title. Three days after winning the title, La Russa retired. Matheny replaced him and opened the 2012 season with Furcal as his shortstop.)

It was the second unassisted triple play turned by the Braves. The other was achieved by shortstop Ernie Padgett on Oct. 6, 1923, in the season finale against the Phillies at Boston.

Since Furcal’s feat, there have been three unassisted triple plays in the major leagues. Those were turned by Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki on April 29, 2007; Indians second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera on May 12, 2008; and Phillies second baseman Eric Bruntlett on Aug. 23, 2009. Complete list

Previously: Rafael Furcal cost Rick Ankiel Rookie of the Year Award

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Ray Lankford found redemption in 5-strikeout game

August 5, 2013 by retrosimba

Fighting demons and split-fingered sinkers, Ray Lankford experienced the extremes of baseball’s highs and lows, all in one memorable game.

On Aug. 8, 1998, Lankford was humiliated when he struck out five times in five at-bats against the Cubs at St. Louis.

In a stunning reversal, he redeemed himself in his final two at-bats of the game, clubbing a two-run home run that tied the score in the 11th and, two innings later, producing a walkoff game-winning single.

Sammy Sosa hit a two-run home run off Cardinals reliever Rich Croushore in the top of the ninth, tying the score at 5-5. In the bottom half of the inning, reliever Terry Mulholland struck out Lankford. It was Lankford’s fifth strikeout of the game, tying the Cardinals’ single-game record established by Richie Allen against the Phillies on May 24, 1970. Boxscore

Lankford also struck out three times against starter Mark Clark, the former Cardinal, and once against Felix Heredia. With each strikeout, the boos increased.

“It was the worst,” Lankford told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about the experience. “The first couple of at-bats I was swinging like I was clueless.”

In the 11th, pinch-hitter Tyler Houston hit a two-run home run off Curtis King, giving the Cubs a 7-5 lead.

In the bottom half of the inning, Lankford batted against Rod Beck with two outs and Brian Jordan on first base. Longtime rivals, Lankford knew Beck would deliver his best pitch, the split-fingered sinker. “There are not a lot of secrets with Lankford and me,” Beck said to the Arlington Heights Daily Herald. “We’ve faced each other a lot.”

Lankford, a left-handed batter, swung at a splitter away and lifted the ball toward the opposite field. “I thought I had him off-balance,” Beck said.

The ball carried over the left-field wall for a two-run home run, tying the score at 7-7.

Each team scored a run in the 12th. After the Cubs were held scoreless in the 13th by Bobby Witt, the Cardinals loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom half of the inning against Dave Stevens.

It was Lankford’s turn to bat again.

Cubs manager Jim Riggleman, looking to keep a ground ball in the infield, moved center fielder Lance Johnson directly in front of the second base bag as a fifth infielder.

Stevens got ahead on the count, 1-and-2, against Lankford, who tried to fight off thoughts of a sixth strikeout. ‘With two strikes, I said, ‘Ray, come on now. Put the ball in play,’ ” Lankford told St. Louis writer Rick Hummel.

Lankford swung at the next pitch and hit a hard grounder to the right side of the infield. Johnson dived to his left and second baseman Mickey Morandini dived to his right. The ball eluded both.

Lankford’s walkoff RBI-single gave the Cardinals a 9-8 victory. Boxscore

Said a joyful Lankford: “I was able to go out there and fight all of those demons off.”

Previously: Ray Lankford did what Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle could not

Posted in Games, Hitters, Records | 2 Comments »

How Bernard Gilkey spoiled Frank Castillo’s big moment

August 2, 2013 by retrosimba

With the most important pitch of his big-league career, Frank Castillo tried to slip a fastball by Bernard Gilkey.

Wrong choice.

One strike away from a no-hitter, Castillo’s high fastball was lined by Gilkey into right-center field. Sammy Sosa attemped a diving catch, but the ball landed about eight feet away from him and rolled to the wall for a triple.

In 13 major-league seasons, Castillo was 82-104 with a 4.56 ERA. His best game was the one-hitter against the Cardinals, a 7-0 Cubs victory on Sept. 25, 1995, at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. Castillo, a right-hander, struck out a career-high 13.

Throwing strikes

Facing a Cardinals club that ranked 27th in the major leagues in batting average at .248, Castillo was in command from the start.

“I knew right from the first pitch … that I could throw any pitch I wanted for a strike,” Castillo said to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Benefitting from a wide strike zone by home plate umpire Jerry Layne, Castillo walked two: Ray Lankford in the first and Tripp Cromer in the seventh.

With two outs in the ninth inning, Castillo appeared poised to complete the Cubs’ first no-hitter since Milt Pappas in 1972.

All that stood in Castillo’s way was Gilkey, the Cardinals’ left fielder and leadoff batter.

Cat and mouse

“Nobody was on my side,” Gilkey told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I was up there all alone. It was a very intense situation, everybody in the stands yelling all kinds of stuff.”

After Gilkey fell behind in the count 0-and-2, Castillo threw a slider outside, followed by a low changeup, evening the count.

“I thought I threw a good pitch on the 1-and-2 changeup,” Castillo said. “I was hoping he would bite.”

Said Gilkey: “When he threw me the slider and then a changeup down, I felt like he was trying to lull me to sleep.”

Cubs catcher Scott Servais said he figured Gilkey would be looking for another slow pitch. “So, I thought, ‘OK, let’s try a fastball up and away,’ ” Servais said. “Frankie got it up fine, but it caught too much of the plate.”

Said Castillo to the Chicago Tribune: “It was one of those pitches that, as soon as I threw it, I wanted it back.”

Command and focus

Sosa had no real chance to catch the sinking liner.

“When I walked up to the plate, I had to lock in,” Gilkey said. “I had to use every ounce of energy, mentally and physically, to get that hit.”

Castillo retired the next batter, Cromer, on a fly out, preserving the shutout and earning his second complete game of the season. The Cardinals were shut out for the 19th time, most in the big leagues in 1995. Boxscore

“This definitely was the best command I’ve had all year and probably in my career,” Castillo said.

Said Cubs first baseman Mark Grace: “I’d have to say that’s the best (pitched) game I’ve played behind.”

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George Scott: Bob Gibson ‘won’t survive 5’ in Game 7

July 31, 2013 by retrosimba

George Scott tried to psyche out Bob Gibson before Game 7 of the 1967 World Series. Naturally, it didn’t work. Instead, Gibson struck out Scott for the final out to seal the championship for the Cardinals.

In 1967, Scott, a first baseman, won the first of eight Gold Glove awards and batted .303 with 19 home runs and 82 RBI for the Red Sox.

In Game 1 of the World Series, Scott had a double, single and walk against Gibson. The Cardinals ace ran the count to three balls on only one batter, Scott in the ninth inning, before walking him on a 3-and-2 pitch. In Game 4, Scott singled off Gibson. The Cardinals won both games.

On Oct. 12, 1967, the morning of the decisive Game 7 at Boston, a headline in the Boston Herald Traveler newspaper blared, “We’ll KO Gibson in Five _ Scott.”

The article by George Sullivan led with this sentence: “George Scott poetically predicts Bob Gibson ‘won’t survive five’ in Thursday’s World Series Game 7.”

Brash words for a second-year big-leaguer.

Gibson and the Cardinals were neither impressed nor intimidated. Instead, they were angered, motivated.

In his book “Stranger to the Game,” Gibson said Scott gave “a poor imitation of Cassius Clay (as Muhammad Ali was known at the time).”

Said Cardinals reliever Joe Hoerner of Gibson’s reaction to Scott’s comments: “He responded … by taking it personally.”

Fifth-inning fireworks

Scott was wrong in his prediction that Gibson wouldn’t survive five, but the fifth inning did turn out to be memorable for both players.

Leading 2-0, the Cardinals scored twice in the fifth. Gibson slugged a solo home run off starter Jim Lonborg and Roger Maris produced a sacrifice fly.

Scott opened the bottom of the fifth with a triple off Gibson and scored Boston’s first run when second baseman Julian Javier, taking the relay from center fielder Curt Flood, made an errant throw trying to nail Scott at third.

That was one of the few Red Sox highlights. As he had in Games 1 and 4, Gibson dominated Game 7.

Sweet revenge

In the ninth, Scott came to bat with two outs. Gibson fanned him for his 10th strikeout of the game, securing a 7-2 Cardinals victory and their second championship in four years. Video

Gibson’s pitching line for Game 7: 9 innings, 3 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts. Boxscore

In three wins in the 1967 World Series, Gibson struck out 26 in 27 innings.

Scott hit .231 (6-for-26) during the World Series. Against Gibson, he was 4-for-11 (.364) with a double, triple and two singles.

“There are pitchers in our league with his stuff, guys like (Dean) Chance and (Joel) Horlen and (Gary) Peters,” Scott said to The Sporting News about Gibson after Game 7. “But the thing that makes Gibson is that he’ll never give in. He’ll always challenge you. He’ll throw the ball across the plate with something on it and say, ‘There it is. See if you can hit it.’

“Other good pitchers will give you the ball when they get in trouble. But not him. He won’t give you anything. That’s what makes him a winner.”

Previously: Dick Williams couldn’t intimidate 1967 Cardinals

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

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