RetroSimba

Juan Agosto had futile, lucrative ride with Cardinals

June 27, 2011 by retrosimba

Perhaps no performance better symbolizes the disappointing tenure of Juan Agosto with the Cardinals than the 1992 game in which he gave up the winning run by hitting a batter with the bases loaded.

Agosto’s name resurfaced June 22 as the Mets beat the Athletics, 3-2, in the 13th inning when Brad Ziegler hit Justin Turner with a pitch, forcing in the winning run. It was the first time a major-league team had won on a game-ending hit-by-pitch in the 13th inning or later since the Mets beat Agosto and the Cardinals 19 years ago, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Agosto, a left-handed reliever, signed a three-year, $4.6 million free-agent contract with the Cardinals in December 1990. The money was guaranteed: a $500,000 signing bonus, with base contracts of $1 million in 1991, $1.5 million in 1992 and $1.6 million in 1993.

At the time, that deal was considered quite lucrative for a left-handed reliever who wasn’t a stopper. The Cardinals and their fans expected Agosto to be an effective setup specialist for closer Lee Smith.

Agosto had built a reputation for durability while pitching for the White Sox, Twins and Astros. In 1988, he was 10-2 with four saves and a 2.26 ERA in 75 games for Houston.

“Juan solidifies our bullpen considerably,” Cardinals general manager Dal Maxvill told The Sporting News in announcing the signing. “He is a workhorse who wants to pitch every day.”

Though he did pitch often, Agosto often didn’t pitch well.

Lacking command, Agosto drew the ire of many Cardinals fans, starting with his first season in 1991. Though he appeared in 72 games and had a 5-3 record with two saves, Agosto had more hits allowed (92) than innings pitched (86) and had a 4.81 ERA. He hit a team-high eight batters and recorded more walks (39) than strikeouts (34). Batters hit .291 against him.

When Agosto started poorly in 1992, booing increased from Cardinals fans.

On April 23, 1992, at New York’s Shea Stadium, the Cardinals and Mets battled into the 13th inning of a scoreless duel.

The Mets had been held to four hits entering the 13th. Then, Agosto yielded singles to Dave Magadan and Junior Noboa, and issued a walk to Charlie O’Brien.

That brought up Daryl Boston, a left-handed batter. Claire Smith, writing for the New York Times, described what happened next:

When the ball hit him in the stomach, unbuttoning his jersey and settling between uniform and undershirt, 3 hours 57 minutes of baseball finally, and officially, came to an end.

“It just slipped out of my hand,” Agosto said of the pitch that struck Boston and gave the Mets a 1-0 victory.

Cardinals manager Joe Torre summarized it best when he told reporters: “If you’re a baseball fan, this is a great game. If you’re a Cardinals fan, your stomach hurts like mine does.” Boxscore

Agosto continued to struggle. His record was 2-4 with a 6.25 ERA when the Cardinals released him June 13, 1992. When he received the news, Agosto approached Torre and apologized for his performance.

“I told him there was nothing to apologize for,” Torre told reporters. “He took the ball every time. He never made an excuse. He wanted to stay here.”

Agosto’s overall record as a Cardinal: 7-7, 5.20 ERA, 131 hits allowed in 117.2 innings.

In reporting Agosto’s departure from St. Louis, The Sporting News wrote:

The Cardinals ate their biggest contract ever when they released reliever Juan Agosto … The Cardinals owe Agosto, who had a 6.25 ERA, about $2.7 million.

Posted in Games, Pitchers | Leave a Comment »

How Dave Duncan got traded for Boog Powell

June 25, 2011 by retrosimba

(Updated Feb. 24, 2019)

The Orioles traded one of their most popular players, Boog Powell, for catcher Dave Duncan.

A 6-foot-4, 250-pound first baseman, Powell slugged 303 home runs in 13 years with the Orioles, won the American League Most Valuable Player Award in 1970 and helped Baltimore to four World Series appearances.

After Powell had his second consecutive subpar season in 1974 (12 home runs, 45 RBI), the Orioles acquired first baseman Lee May from the Astros, making Powell expendable.

On Feb. 25, 1975, the Orioles traded Powell and pitcher Don Hood to the Indians for Duncan and outfield prospect Al McGrew.

According to The Sporting News, the Orioles initially wanted pitching prospect Dennis Eckersley as the player to join Duncan in the deal, but settled for McGrew when the Indians refused to part with Eckersley. Twelve years later, as pitching coach of the Athletics, Duncan would convert a reluctant Eckersley from a starter to a closer, launching him on a path into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

In going to Cleveland, Powell was reunited with his former Orioles teammate, Frank Robinson, who had become Indians manager, the first African-American to hold that position in the big leagues.

“Boog contributed a heck of a lot to this franchise over the years,” Orioles general manager Frank Cashen said. “I’m truly sorry that he had to go. But when we got Lee May in a trade, he was committed to play first base. That left Boog without a position, and without a job.”

Though the Orioles had three other catchers _ Andy Etchebarren, Elrod Hendricks and Earl Williams _ they anticipated Duncan would win the starting job.

“Despite a .226 career average, the Orioles were impressed with Duncan mainly because of his reputation as a good handler of pitchers,” The Sporting News reported. “His power totals, 67 homers in the last four years, are respectable even if his average could stand a booster shot.”

In a column for the Baltimore Sun, Bob Maisel described Duncan as “a good defensive catcher and handler of pitchers.”

“Duncan should prove the best catcher on the squad,” Maisel wrote. “He has the reputation of being a good competitor, who wants to play, a good man on a club.”

Duncan told the Associated Press he was happy to go to the “strongest team in the Eastern Division.” He said the Orioles had a better chance than the Indians of winning “and winning is what it’s all about.”

The trade worked out better for the Indians than it did for the Orioles. Powell hit .297 with 27 home runs and 86 RBI for the 1975 Indians and was named American League Comeback Player of the Year by The Sporting News. Duncan hit .205 with 12 home runs and 41 RBI for the 1975 Orioles.

After batting .204 with four home runs and 17 RBI in 1976, Duncan was traded by the Orioles to the White Sox after the season.

In 1979, Duncan returned to the Indians as a coach for manager Jeff Torborg. Duncan developed into a respected pitching coach and served on the staff of Cardinals manager Tony La Russa from 1996-2011.

Posted in Hitters, Trades | Leave a Comment »

Rip Collins was one-of-a-kind hitter for Cardinals

June 21, 2011 by retrosimba

In 1932, the Cardinals’ top slugger also was their most effective bunter.

Rip Collins, a first baseman and outfielder, paced the 1932 Cardinals in home runs (21) and tied with pitcher Dizzy Dean for the team lead in sacrifice bunts (eight).

Collins, 28, was in his second big-league season with the Cardinals. A switch-hitter, Collins primarily batted fourth (80 games) or fifth (42 games) in the St. Louis order in 1932.

According to author Robert E. Hood in the book “The Gashouse Gang,” Collins earned his nickname as a youth in Altoona, Pa., “when a line drive from his bat stuck on a nail in the right-field fence.”

Collins was a favorite of Cardinals manager Frankie Frisch because he had a sly, engaging personality that fit well in the Gashouse Gang clubhouse, and he knew how to handle a bat. The latter skill explains why Collins was adept at slugging as well as bunting.

In the book “The St. Louis Cardinals: The 100th Anniversary History,” author Rob Rains wrote, “One (Cardinal) who knew how to play and when to be serious, Frisch’s type of guy, was the versatile Collins.”

In “The Gashouse Gang,” Hood described Collins as “a chunky, powerful man who hit long home runs even though he choked up on the bat.”

To put Collins’ achievement in perspective, consider that the Cardinals’ career home run leader, Stan Musial, only once had as many as eight sacrifice bunts in a season (10 in 1943) during a 22-year big-league career.

The instigator behind many of teammate Pepper Martin’s legendary pranks, the baby-faced Collins could be as an innovative off the field as he was with a baseball bat in his hand.

In “The Gashouse Gang,” Hood wrote, “Rip Collins was clever. Although he had little formal education, he started out the 1934 season writing daily news stories for the East St. Louis (Ill.) Journal and the Rochester (N.Y.) Times Union. Part way through the season, he suspended his writing career when, after he struck out one day, manager Frisch shouted at him, ‘Next time, swing your typewriter.’ “

Posted in Hitters | 5 Comments »

Stan Musial reached 500 hits vs. six NL franchises

June 18, 2011 by retrosimba

(Updated May 24, 2025)

Stan Musial of the Cardinals had 500 or more hits against each of six franchises: Braves, Dodgers, Giants, Phillies, Pirates and Reds.

To put that in perspective, consider Pete Rose, the only player with more National League hits (4,256) than Musial (3,630), never got 500 hits against any franchise.

Hank Aaron, who had more total hits (3,771) than Musial, also never achieved 500 hits against any opponent.

The most hits Rose recorded against an opponent were 486 in 1,513 at-bats against the Braves.

Aaron’s career-best hits total against one team: 448 against the Reds in 1,403 at-bats.

Musial was amazingly consistent in a big-league career that stretched from 1941-63. He hit against most teams with equal skill.

Not counting the Mets and Colt .45s (who entered the league in 1962 and against whom he had 79 career at-bats apiece), Musial failed to reach 500 hits against just one franchise _ the Cubs (and he missed by only eight).

Musial used a Louisville Slugger bat with the thinnest handle the company made. Musial’s bat “was 15/16th of an inch at its thinnest point on the handle, and he would shave it even closer to his liking,” according to the 2004 Cardinals Yearbook. Rex Bradley of the Hillerich & Bradsby bat company said to writer Thomas R. Raber, “Musial held the bat way out in his fingers. His grip was a lot like a golfer’s.”

First baseman Bill White, a Cardinals teammate of Musial, told Yankees Magazine, “Stan could beat you any way he wanted to. He hit the ball wherever it was pitched. He had power. He was just the best hitter I’ve ever seen.

“Ted Williams, I understand, was a great hitter, but Ted’s reputation was built on his eyes. If the pitch was that far outside, he wouldn’t swing at it. Stan would have gotten a base hit on that pitch. If you pitched him outside, he could get the bat on it and get a base hit to left. If you pitched him inside, he’d hit it up on the roof. I’ve never seen anybody handle a bat like that.”

Listed in order of most hits, here is how Musial did against NL opponents:

TEAM……..HITS…….AT-BATS…….BATTING AVERAGE

Pirates……526……….1,546……….. .340

Dodgers….522……….1,530………. .341

Phillies……522……….1,547……… .337

Braves…….515……….1,571……… .328

Giants…….504……….1,494……… .337

Reds………500……….1,574……… .318

Cubs………492……….1,550……… .317

Mets………32…………79………….. .405

Colt .45s..17………….79………….. .215

Posted in Hitters | 2 Comments »

Ronnie Belliard re-ignited Cardinals in 2006 playoffs

June 16, 2011 by retrosimba

(Updated July 30, 2018)

In his two months with the Cardinals during the 2006 regular season, Ronnie Belliard didn’t compile dazzling statistics, but he did play a significant part in Cardinals postseason history.

Belliard’s performance in the 2006 National League Division Series enabled the Cardinals to eliminate the Padres and advance on a postseason path that led them to their first World Series title in 24 years.

On July 30, 2006, the Cardinals acquired Belliard, a second baseman, from the Indians for infielder Hector Luna. The Cardinals rated Belliard a more complete player than either Luna or their incumbent second baseman, Aaron Miles.

In declaring Belliard the everyday second baseman, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said, “Sometimes you have to seize the moment. This is our chance to win.”

“I’ve seen him rise to the occasion in winning situations,” La Russa told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “He doesn’t hide from them. He takes charge of them.”

Belliard gave the Cardinals an infield that had at each position a starter who had been a big-league all-star: Albert Pujols at first, Belliard at second, David Eckstein at short and Scott Rolen at third.

When acquired by St. Louis, Belliard was hitting .291 with eight home runs and 44 RBI for the Indians.

In 54 games with the Cardinals, Belliard batted .237 with five home runs and 23 RBI.

After losing nine of their final 13 regular-season games and barely holding off Houston to win the NL Central championship, the Cardinals stumbled into the first round of the playoffs against San Diego.

That’s when Belliard played his best as a Cardinal.

In Game 1 at San Diego, the Padres trailed by four runs in the seventh inning, but had the bases loaded with two outs and Todd Walker at the plate against reliever Tyler Johnson.

Walker hit a sharp grounder, but Belliard “dived on the outfield grass, knocked the ball down, rolled over and threw out Walker by a step,” Ryan Fagan of The Sporting News reported. “It was the play the locker room was buzzing about.” Video

If the ball had gotten past Belliard, two runs would have scored and the Padres would have had the tying runs on base with Dave Roberts (who was 3-for-3 in the game) up next.

Instead, the Cardinals went on to win, 5-1, setting the tone for the series and restoring their swagger after their wobbly finish to the regular season. Boxscore

“That saved the game for us,” Cardinals outfielder Jim Edmonds said. “If they get two runs in right there, we’re in trouble.”

Added Pujols: “I never thought he was going to get to the ball.”

In the clubhouse, his Cardinals teammates presented Belliard with a game ball.

“I think I got lucky on that one.” Belliard said. “… It was a pretty good play and I know we need that play for the win.”

Belliard also delivered with the bat. In the decisive Game 4 against the Padres, Belliard’s two-run, two-out single in the first tied the score and helped St. Louis regain momentum en route to a 6-2 victory. Boxscore

For the four-game series, Belliard batted .462 (6-for-13).

The Cardinals went on to eliminate the Mets in a classic seven-game League Championship Series and knocked off the Tigers in the World Series.

Belliard’s strong play didn’t last. He was hitless in 12 at-bats in the World Series.

On Oct. 31, 2006, Belliard declared for free agency, sat for five months without an offer, and finally signed with the Nationals on March 24, 2007.

Posted in Games, Hitters | 2 Comments »

How Chase Riddle got Steve Carlton for Cardinals

June 14, 2011 by retrosimba

Chase Riddle never played a game for the Cardinals, but he had a major impact on the makeup of their teams.

Riddle was the scout who signed pitcher Steve Carlton for the Cardinals and who opened the talent pipeline for the club in Latin America.

Riddle was a Cardinals minor-league manager from 1955-62 before he became a scout, with responsibilities primarily for the Caribbean region and southeastern United States.

In 1963, John Buik, an American Legion coach in North Miami, Fla., contacted Riddle, tipping him off to a gangly left-handed pitcher on the team named Steve Carlton.

“Chase Riddle was a nice guy,” Buik said in a 1996 interview with Baseball Digest magazine. “He was a good scout and a good worker.”

Riddle liked what he saw of Carlton. Other teams, especially the Pirates, also had been scouting Carlton, so Riddle felt a sense of urgency to act.

“Chase convinced me there would be a good opportunity for advancement with the Cardinals,” Carlton told The Sporting News in June 1972.

Riddle arranged for Carlton to participate in a tryout for Cardinals personnel in St. Louis in September 1963.

“I threw as hard as I could and as well as I could, but I don’t think I threw fast enough for them,” Carlton recalled in a May 1967 interview with The Sporting News. “They were looking mostly for that hummer.”

Besides Riddle, the only other observer that day impressed by Carlton was Cardinals pitching coach Howie Pollet. “I liked Steve’s sneaky fastball and I felt his curve was good enough to make him worth a $5,000 gamble,” Pollet said. “I figured he could improve a lot more with experience than the other kids.”

With Pollet’s significant support, Riddle signed Carlton for $5,000.

By April 1965, Carlton, 20, made his big-league debut with the Cardinals. He helped them to two National League pennants and a World Series title before he got into a contract dispute and was traded to the Phillies before the 1972 season.

Carlton is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, with 329 wins and 4,136 strikeouts in a 24-year big-league career.

Meanwhile, Riddle used his connections in the Caribbean to sign players such as outfielder Jose Cruz for the Cardinals.

In separate articles in February 1970, The Sporting News noted, “George Silvey, (Cardinals) director of player procurement, had just returned from the Caribbean area, which he toured with Chase Riddle, the scout who has had a big hand in the Redbirds’ emphasis on signing Latin Americans in recent years.

“No fewer than 24 Latin Americans grace the rolls of the Cardinals’ organization. Scouts like Chase Riddle, Tony Martinez and (Carlos) Negron have been chiefly responsible for the recent emphasis on signing Latins.”

In 1978, Riddle left the Cardinals to become manager of the Troy University baseball team in Alabama. His Troy teams won NCAA Division II national titles in 1986 and 1987. Riddle remained Troy’s manager until 1990, compiling more than 430 wins.

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

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