RetroSimba

Cardinals can thank Pat Hentgen for Mike Matheny

November 15, 2011 by retrosimba

Pat Hentgen played one season for the Cardinals, but his impact on the franchise was significant.

It was Hentgen who recommended the Cardinals sign Mike Matheny, a free agent, to a contract in December 1999. The Cardinals were looking for a backup to catcher Eli Marrero.

Matheny signed a one-year deal for $750,000, leapfrogged Marrero to become the starting catcher in 2000 and remained the Cardinals’ catcher for five seasons, helping them to four postseason appearances and their first National League pennant in 17 years.

After the 2011 season, Matheny became the Cardinals’ manager, replacing Tony La Russa, and led them to a National League pennant in 2013.

Hentgen, a right-handed starting pitcher who won the American League Cy Young Award in 1996, was acquired by the Cardinals from Toronto in November 1999 along with pitcher Paul Spoljaric in a trade for catcher Alberto Castillo and pitchers Lance Painter and Matt DeWitt.

Matheny had been Hentgen’s teammate with Toronto in 1999. Though Matheny was the backup to Blue Jays catcher Darrin Fletcher, he made a lasting impression on Hentgen because of his arm, defense, leadership and management of a pitching staff.

In an article in May 2000, the Associated Press reported the Cardinals signed Matheny “largely at the urging of Hentgen.”

“He was pretty vocal about it. He was on my side,” Matheny said. “That’s just the ultimate compliment _ when a pitcher with as much experience and success as Pat has had thinks that highly of me to put his name on the line.”

Matheny had a stellar start for St. Louis in 2000. He batted .313 in April and threw out 15 of the first 22 baserunners who attempted to steal.

When Marrero tore a ligament in his left thumb on July 1, the Cardinals had little help behind Matheny. A couple of weeks later, Matheny cracked a rib but continued to play. He wore a flak jacket and had his chest taped before every game.

Gritty determination was one element of Matheny’s leadership style. He also displayed respect and selflessness when the Cardinals acquired first baseman Will Clark from the Orioles on July 31, 2000.

For most of his 15-year big-league career, Clark had worn uniform No. 22 _ the same number worn by Matheny in his seven seasons in the major leagues. Matheny offered the number to Clark as a welcome to the Cardinals, asking for nothing in return. Clark was touched by the gesture. Matheny switched to uniform No. 44.

“It’s just a number,” Matheny told The Sporting News in September 2000. “I don’t see the big deal.”

Matheny hit .261 with 47 RBI in 128 games for the 2000 Cardinals. He sat out the postseason after he accidently severed two tendons and a nerve in his right ring finger while using a hunting knife he received as a 30th birthday gift. Matheny threw out 49 of 93 baserunners attempting to steal in 2000 and received the NL Gold Glove Award.

Hentgen had a 15-12 record and 4.72 ERA in 33 starts for the Cardinals. He became a free agent after the 2000 season and signed with the Orioles.

Posted in Managers, Pitchers | 1 Comment »

The story of how Bob Forsch converted to pitching

November 9, 2011 by retrosimba

(Updated Nov. 2, 2019)

The Cardinals planned for Bob Forsch to be a third baseman, not a pitcher.

Forsch was chosen by the Cardinals in the 26th round of the 1968 amateur draft and sent to their Gulf Coast League team in Sarasota. Forsch, 18, played third base and some outfield. His instructors included George Kissell and Joe Medwick. Forsch displayed a strong arm but batted .224 in 44 games.

In the book “Tales From The Cardinals Dugout,” Forsch described his first day as a professional ballplayer:

I had sort of thought I was going to Florida on a vacation to play baseball. And so I went to the minor-league complex and they gave me a uniform. It was wool. And it had patches in the seat from where other guys had ripped it up while they were sliding. They didn’t have enough caps, because there were too many players. So I got a batting helmet and put that on.

In 1969, Forsch continued to play third base but hit .203 in 26 games for Lewiston of the Northwest League and .235 in 33 games for Modesto of the California League.

At age 20, his playing career was in jeopardy after he opened the 1970 season by hitting .149 in 20 games for Modesto, striking out 21 times in 47 at-bats. Forsch was moved to Cedar Rapids of the Midwest League and did even worse, hitting .088 through 19 games.

Short of pitchers, manager Roy Majtyka put Forsch into a game as a reliever against Clinton. Forsch had pitched in batting practice for Cedar Rapids and had posted a 9-1 record as a pitcher during his senior year in high school at Sacramento, Calif.

The first Clinton batter Forsch faced was Bob Hansen, who would become a first baseman with the Brewers. Forsch’s first pitch sailed over Hansen’s head.

“Mick Kelleher, our shortstop, came over to me and said, ‘Come on, Bob, you can throw it by him,’ ” Forsch told The Sporting News in 1974. “Hansen hit the next pitch for the longest home run I’ve ever seen, even though I threw the ball as hard as I could.”

Forsch worked three innings and gave up six hits and four runs, but his career as a pitcher had begun. The Cardinals sent him to Lewiston and instructed manager Fred Hatfield to use Forsch as a pitcher. In seven games, five as a starter, Forsch was 2-3 with a 4.94 ERA.

When Forsch reported to spring training in 1971, he didn’t know whether the Cardinals planned to employ him as a pitcher or as a third baseman because the Cardinals had a shortage of third basemen in their farm system.

Bob Kennedy, a former big-league player and manager, was the Cardinals’ director of player development and he made the decision Forsch would be converted exclusively to pitching.

Forsch was 11-7 with a 3.13 ERA for Cedar Rapids in 1971 and 8-10, including a no-hitter, for Arkansas in 1972. After the 1972 season, he went to the Florida Instructional League and posted a 7-1 record while working with instructor Bob Milliken.

Forsch was 12-12, including another no-hitter, for Tulsa in 1973.

Playing for manager Ken Boyer at Tulsa in 1974, Forsch was 8-5 with a 3.67 ERA in 15 games when the Cardinals, on the recommendation of Kennedy, called him to the major leagues in July. “He threw hardest and had an excellent curve,” Kennedy explained.

Said Forsch: “I didn’t even know how to throw a curve until Bob Milliken showed me how at the Florida Instructional League.”

Posted in Pitchers, Prospects | 3 Comments »

Ken Boyer: Matty Alou handled bat as well as Musial

November 7, 2011 by retrosimba

Matty Alou, one of baseball’s best hitters in the 1960s and 1970s, had one of the most productive seasons of his 15-year big-league career with the Cardinals.

Alou is best remembered for his years with his first major-league team, the Giants, and his time with the Pirates, with whom he won a National League batting crown, hitting .342 in 1966.

Often overlooked is Alou’s splendid 1971 season with the Cardinals. Alou had career highs of 74 RBI and seven home runs with the 1971 Cardinals and hit .315 in 149 games.

A left-handed batter, Alou was adept at hitting the ball to all fields.

“Matty and Stan Musial handle the bat better than anyone I’ve ever seen,” Cardinals hitting coach Ken Boyer told The Sporting News in August 1971. “Like Stan, Matty has a great level swing, and, like Stan, he can handle just about any kind of pitch.

“Alou uses bats of at least 10 different weights,” Boyer said. “He studies the pitchers and the defense as well as anybody because he’s always looking for some way to beat you.”

The Cardinals acquired Alou and pitcher George Brunet from the Pirates for pitcher Nelson Briles and outfielder Vic Davalillo on Jan. 29, 1971.

In announcing the deal, Cardinals general manager Bing Devine said he and manager Red Schoendienst agreed Alou, 33, would bat leadoff and play center field. Left fielder Lou Brock would move from the leadoff spot to bat No. 3 in the order and second baseman Ted Sizemore, acquired from the Dodgers, would bat between Alou and Brock.

“Guys like Alou and Sizemore make things happen,” Devine said. “They ought to help make the Cardinals a much more exciting team.”

Alou said his goal was to hit .335 for the 1971 Cardinals. “I like to hit in St. Louis. It’s a good park for hitters. The ball comes off the AstroTurf good and the ground in front of the plate is hard.”

The Cardinals batted Alou, Sizemore and Brock in the top three spots of the order for the first 14 games of the 1971 season and went 8-6 before Schoendienst returned Brock to the leadoff spot and moved Alou to the No. 2 position.

Alou was a free swinger and Brock’s ability to steal bases was compromised when Alou would foul off or hit, rather than take, pitches. It was when Schoendienst moved Sizemore to No. 2 in the batting order and Alou to No. 3 that the Cardinals’ offense clicked. Asked to explain why he had so many more RBI with the Cardinals than he had with the Pirates, Alou said, “It makes a lot of difference hitting behind Lou Brock instead of (Pirates catcher) Jerry May and the pitcher.”

Alou hit .332 in 78 games from the No. 2 spot and .294 in 46 games from the No. 3 position.

Though he began the 1971 season as St. Louis’ center fielder, Alou moved to right field after Jose Cardenal was traded to the Brewers, and took over first base for Joe Hague when the Cardinals inserted Luis Melendez as the right fielder.

Alou hit .313 in 73 games as the center fielder, .364 in 20 games as the right fielder and .305 in 58 games as the first baseman.

In 1972, Alou played first base and right field for the Cardinals and hit .314 in 108 games, but the Cardinals wanted to move Joe Torre from third base to first base. Out of contention for a postseason spot, the Cardinals traded Alou to the Athletics on Aug. 27, 1972, for outfielder Bill Voss and a minor leaguer.

Speaking to reporters about how he enjoyed his time with the Cardinals, Alou called Schoendienst the “best man I ever played for. He kept everybody loose.”

Alou was reacquired by the Cardinals for the stretch run on Sept. 6, 1973, in a cash deal with the Yankees. He hit .273 in 11 games. After the season, the Cardinals sold his contract to the Padres.

Alou’s career statistics as a Cardinal: .314 batting average, 322 hits in 268 games, 30 stolen bases.

Matty Alou and his brothers Felipe and Jesus all were big-league outfielders. Asked in October 1971 who was the best ballplayer of the three, Felipe told The Sporting News, “I have the most ability. Matty is the best hitter. He has more guts and confidence than Jesus (Alou) and I put together. But Jesus is the most professional of all three.”

Posted in Hitters, Trades | 2 Comments »

Bob Forsch: Touch of class from his Cardinals debut

November 5, 2011 by retrosimba

On July 7, 1974, I went with my parents and younger sister to a Cardinals-Reds doubleheader at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. It was a blistering hot Sunday afternoon along the Ohio River. I was 18 and pumped with a mix of excitement and dread about seeing the team I followed passionately, the Cardinals.

The excitement came from the anticipation of seeing two Cardinals games in one day. The Cardinals were in first place in the National League East, three games ahead of the Expos, and I was getting my first look at them in person that year.

The dread came from knowing the Cardinals would be facing the Big Red Machine. This was the Reds lineup of Pete Rose, Ken Griffey Sr., Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez and George Foster.

We had missed by one day seeing St. Louis ace Bob Gibson, who had pitched a three-hitter in the Cardinals’ 3-1 victory against the Reds Saturday afternoon. Boxscore

For the doubleheader, the Cardinals’ starters would be a pair of 24-year-old right-handers _ Bob Forsch, making his major-league debut, in Game 1, and Mike Thompson, 0-2 with a 5.06 ERA, in the second game.

Thompson was yanked after allowing three runs on four walks in one inning of Game 2 and never pitched again for St. Louis. (The Reds won, 11-2. Boxscore).

Forsch, though, was splendid in the opener. Paired against Tom Carroll, 21, a right-hander who also was making his major-league debut, Forsch pitched with poise against a potent lineup.

Griffey, Morgan, Perez and Bench each was 0-for-3 against Forsch. Bench struck out twice. Rose managed only an infield single against the rookie.

Center fielder Cesar Geronimo, the seventh-place batter, was Forsch’s nemesis. In the second inning, after a home run by first baseman Ted Simmons gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead, Geronimo hit a two-out double, scoring Dan Driessen from second base, tying the score.

In the seventh, Geronimo hit a home run against Forsch. It was the deciding run in the Reds’ 2-1 victory. Forsch pitched 6.2 innings, allowing four hits, five walks and striking out two. Boxscore

“When you give up just two runs and four hits, you ought to win,” Tim McCarver, who caught Forsch’s debut game, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I’m proud of Bobby. He did a good job, an excellent job. You couldn’t ask any more of him.”

I became a big Bob Forsch fan that day and remained so. His sudden death at age 61 on Nov. 3, 2011, stunned and deeply saddened me.

After my wife and I settled in Florida in 2002, we went as spectators to a Cardinals fantasy camp game at Jupiter, Fla., and saw Forsch as he and pitcher Joe Magrane were walking down the right-field line at Roger Dean Stadium. We called to them and they came over and were wonderful to us. I mentioned to Forsch that I had witnessed his debut in the majors. He smiled and said, “In the pregame meeting, they told me, ‘Whatever you do, don’t walk Geronimo.’ Well, I didn’t.”

Forsch wrote a book, “Tales From The Cardinals Dugout,” which I had brought with me and asked him to sign it. In bold, clear handwriting, he wrote, “Diane and Mark: Hope you enjoy! Bob Forsch”

There is a passage in the book where Forsch writes about his big-league debut:

“Tim McCarver caught my first big-league game … Red Schoendienst was the manager then and all Red said before I went to the mound was, ‘Go out and do the best you can. No matter what happens, you’ll get another chance.’ That was good to hear. I didn’t know Red well enough to think he’d lie to me!

“We had gone over the hitters before the game, how to pitch to each one … Geronimo was their center fielder, and he was real fast and a threat to steal. They told me, ‘Just don’t walk him. Make him hit to get on.’ He ended up hitting a double … and a home run. But, hey, I didn’t walk him.”

Posted in Games, Opponents, Pitchers | 4 Comments »

Tony La Russa: Proud pupil of mentor Paul Richards

October 31, 2011 by retrosimba

(Updated April 4, 2025)

To get insights into what made Tony La Russa a Hall of Fame manager, I recommend the book “The Wizard of Waxahachie.” Written by Warren Corbett, it is a well-researched biography of Paul Richards, a baseball innovator who had a long career as a player, manager and executive in the minors and majors.

Richards managed the White Sox and Orioles. He was director of player development for the White Sox when La Russa began his managerial career in the Chicago farm system. Richards became a mentor to La Russa.

In an interview with Cardinals Yearbook in 2014, La Russa said, “Managing is about preparation and leadership. It’s a message Paul Richards preached and it’s more true now than ever before.”

La Russa wrote the introduction to Richards’ biography. Reading it provides a link to the philosophies La Russa followed.

“During the three-year period from 1978 to 1980, when I’d managed in AA, AAA, and the White Sox, Paul’s influence was a career maker for me,” La Russa said. “He continually provided lessons on baseball fundamentals, strategies and leadership.

“To this day his emphasis on playing the game correctly and what that meant has been a key to my survival as a manager in baseball. His explanation of different offensive and defensive strategies has helped put my teams in a position to compete. And his leadership advice set the foundation for my contributions as a decision maker that I am expected to provide.

“My favorite example of a ‘Paulism’ was his principle that a manager should make decisions by ‘trusting your gut, not by trying to cover your butt.’ A manager’s decision must avoid the temptation of taking the popular or conventional path that your bosses, fans and media expect. Instead your responsibility as a manager is to decide what you think is your team’s best shot and then take it.”

La Russa was true to that principle throughout his Cardinals career.

An example of how La Russa applied Richards’ teachings is how he handled an incident in Game 2 of the 2006 World Series. Tigers pitcher Kenny Rogers appeared to be caught doctoring the baseball. La Russa told the umpires about the foreign substance on the ball but didn’t ask them to inspect Rogers. Critics claimed La Russa was protecting his friend, Tigers manager Jim Leyland. Instead, it was La Russa following a principle he learned from Richards, and later manager Sparky Anderson.

In the book “Tony La Russa: Man on a Mission,” author Rob Rains explained, “It was Anderson and Paul Richards who taught him the difference between having a strategy and a philosophy, and those thoughts filled his head as he watched Rogers pitch.”

La Russa explained, “I had the luxury and good fortune of teachers who taught me the difference between philosophy and strategy. In that situation, I might have strategized, ‘Hey, I can get this guy thrown out of the game.’

“Strategies have their place, but they don’t replace philosophy, because philosophy is what you represent, and what you want your team to represent … We want to win within our philosophy. Part of that philosophy is abhorring BS baseball. I don’t like it … I believe in the beauty of the competition. Let’s play the game. We get ready, they get ready. You play as hard as you can, and there’s a winner and a loser.

“I was so appreciative of all the teachers I had over the years, and in the end you just have to believe in the lessons you have learned about their philosophies.”

Posted in Managers | Leave a Comment »

Cardinals twice mirrored Game 6 in regular seasons

October 30, 2011 by retrosimba

(Updated May 30, 2020)

Among the factors that make Game 6 of the 2011 World Series an instant classic is the extreme rarity of the type of comeback mounted by the Cardinals.

The Cardinals twice were a strike away from elimination but rallied to score twice in the ninth to tie and twice in the 10th to tie before winning, 10-9, in the 11th on a home run by David Freese. Boxscore

Until Game 6 against the Rangers, only twice before had the Cardinals rallied from two-run deficits in the ninth and 10th innings to win games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Both of those occurred in regular-season games.

Here’s a look at both:

CARDINALS vs. PADRES

On May 30, 1982, at St. Louis, the first-place Cardinals scored three in the ninth to tie the score and three in the 10th to beat the Padres, 6-5.

With the Padres ahead, 3-0, the Cardinals’ Keith Hernandez and George Hendrick each singled off Gary Lucas in the bottom of the ninth, and Lonnie Smith doubled, scoring Hernandez.

On a groundout by Mike Ramsey, Hendrick held third and Smith held second. Julio Gonzalez followed with a grounder to shortstop Mario Ramirez, who flipped the ball to third baseman Luis Salazar. As Hendrick broke for home plate, Smith got caught in a rundown and collided with Salazar in the basepath. Smith appeared to have been tagged out, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported, but Salazar was called for obstruction by umpire Joe West. Smith was awarded third base, Gonzalez took second and Hendrick scored, cutting the Padres’ lead to 3-2.

“If we execute the play right, then we’re OK,” Padres manager Dick Williams told United Press International. “It was a routine rundown play, but we didn’t execute it.”

With first base open, Lucas intentionally walked David Green, loading the bases.

Tommy Herr, batting for pitcher Doug Bair, hit a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Smith with the tying run. Ozzie Smith grounded out, ending the inning.

In the 10th, the Cardinals turned to closer Bruce Sutter, who gave up two runs on a pair of singles, a double and a walk.

After Lucas retired the first two Cardinals batters in the 10th, Hendrick singled, Lonnie Smith drove him in with a double and Ramsey singled in Smith with the tying run.

Rattled, Lucas hit Gonzalez with a pitch and was relieved by rookie Floyd Chiffer. Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog countered by sending Dane Iorg to bat for Green.

“What I didn’t want to have happen eventually did,” Williams said to the Associated Press. “… I didn’t want to face Iorg with a right-handed pitcher.”

Said Iorg: “I was calm. I was probably the calmest player out there.”

With the count 1-and-1, Chiffer delivered a high, inside pitch. Iorg swung, breaking his bat, and hit a soft liner to center for a single, scoring Ramsey from second and giving the Cardinals a 6-5 victory. Boxscore

“As long as I have a line drive stroke, it doesn’t make any difference where it hits my bat,” Iorg said.

CARDINALS vs. PHILLIES

On June 6, 1990, at St. Louis, a struggling Cardinals team scored twice in the ninth to tie and three times in the 10th to beat the Phillies, 12-11.

The Phillies went ahead, 9-7, in the top of the ninth on a two-run home run by Ron Jones. “As the ball landed in the right field seats, lightning cracked over the rim of Busch Stadium,” the Philadelphia Daily News reported, “and thunder rumbled and a full moon broke through the dark and stormy skies.”

In the bottom half of the ninth, the Cardinals had Dave Collins on second with two outs when Phillies manager Nick Leyva replaced Pat Combs with closer Roger McDowell.

The move backfired. Ozzie Smith singled, scoring Collins. Smith stole second, Willie McGee walked and Pedro Guerrero drove in Smith with a single, tying the score at 9-9. After a walk to Terry Pendleton, Todd Zeile grounded out, forcing extra innings.

In the 10th, the Cardinals turned to Frank DiPino, who gave up a two-out, two-run single to Sil Campusano.

Undaunted, the Cardinals began the bottom of the 10th with singles by Milt Thompson and Jose Oquendo against McDowell. Denny Walling singled, scoring Thompson.

After Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog sent in Rex Hudler to run for Oquendo, Vince Coleman executed a sacrifice bunt, advancing Hudler to third and Walling to second. Leyva ordered McDowell to walk Ozzie Smith, loading the bases.

With Willie McGee up next, Leyva replaced McDowell with Terry Mulholland and positioned his outfielders to play shallow. McGee responded with a double over the head of center fielder Len Dykstra, scoring Hudler and Walling for a 12-11 Cardinals victory. Boxscore

“That might be the screwiest game I’ve ever seen,” Herzog told the Post-Dispatch.

Said McGee: “The only better game I’ve played in was against Chicago in 1984 when Ryne Sandberg hit two home runs off Bruce Sutter (and McGee hit for the cycle).”

DiPino, amazed he earned the win, said, “I almost fainted in the dugout.”

Posted in Games, Hitters | 2 Comments »

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