RetroSimba

As a rookie with the 1951 Cardinals, Dick Bokelmann took over the role of closer.

Bokelmann died Dec. 27, 2019, at 93. A right-handed reliever, his major-league career consisted of spending parts of three seasons (1951-53) with the Cardinals.

He experienced his most success after his promotion from the minors in August 1951.

Handy man

Bokelmann, 20, was pitching for Northwestern University when he got an offer from the Cardinals and signed with them in 1947.

His breakout season came in 1951, his fifth year in the Cardinals’ farm system, when he posted a 10-2 record and 0.74 ERA as the closer for Houston of the Texas League.

“Dick began learning to place his sinking fastball and splendid curve where he wanted it,” The Sporting News reported.

Bokelmann, 24, was called up to the Cardinals and made his debut with them on Aug. 3, 1951, earning a save in relief of starter Harry Brecheen against the Giants at St. Louis. Boxscore

In his first three appearances for the Cardinals, all against the Giants, Bokelmann faced a total of 10 batters and retired all of them.

“A kid like Bokelmann comes in handy,” Brecheen told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

In the groove

Bokelmann’s emergence prompted Cardinals manager Marty Marion to move closer Al Brazle into the starting rotation, where he thrived, posting a 2.83 ERA in eight starts.

“If we had a relief pitcher like Dick Bokelmann all season, we could have started Brazle more often,” Marion said.

After a couple of shaky outings against the Dodgers and Braves in late August, Bokelmann experienced a hot streak. In four appearances from Aug. 26 to Sept. 9, Bokelmann yielded no runs over 16 innings, earning two wins and a save.

The save came on Sept. 6 when Bokelmann worked four scoreless innings in relief of starter Cliff Chambers against the Cubs at Chicago. Boxscore

The next night, Sept. 7, the Cardinals were at Pittsburgh and Bokelmann got his first big-league win, yielding one hit and no runs over five innings in relief of starter Tom Poholsky. Boxscore

On Sept. 9, at Pittsburgh, Bokelmann, the Cardinals’ third pitcher of the game, entered with one out in the fourth, held the Pirates to one hit over 5.2 innings and got the win. Boxscore

Changing careers

Bokelmann finished the season with a 3-3 record and three saves in 20 appearances for the 1951 Cardinals.

He opened the 1952 season with the Cardinals, gave up runs in seven of his 11 appearances and was sent back to the minors.

Bokelmann ended his big-league career with three appearances for the 1953 Cardinals. His overall record for them: 3-4, three saves and a 4.90 ERA in 34 games.

After his baseball career, Bokelmann worked for Prudential Insurance in Illinois for 30 years.

Andy Hassler was willing to return to the minor leagues for the first time in 10 years to show the Cardinals he belonged with them in the majors.

Hassler died Dec. 25, 2019, at 68. A left-hander, he pitched for 14 seasons in the big leagues, primarily with the Angels.

In 1984, the Angels released Hassler at the end of spring training. He was 0-5 with a 5.45 ERA for them in 1983 and didn’t do enough at training camp the following spring to convince them to keep him.

The Cardinals offered Hassler, 32, a chance to stay in the game, but it was a humbling proposition. He would have to go to the minors, two levels down to Class AA. The last time he pitched in the minors was 1974. The last time he pitched in Class AA was 1970 when he was 18.

“It’s tough to go down after that many seasons,” Hassler told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “You have to question yourself why you really want to do it.”

Hassler did it, and by the end of the season he was back in the big leagues with the Cardinals.

Rapid rise

Hassler was 17 and recently graduated from high school in Tucson, Ariz., when he was chosen by the Angels in the 25th round of the 1969 amateur draft.

Two years later, on May 30, 1971, he made his major-league debut for them at 19 in a start at Yankee Stadium. Boxscore

Hassler lost his first eight decisions in the big leagues. Though he pitched for the Angels in parts of 1971 and 1973, his first win for them didn’t come until June 23, 1974, versus the Rangers. Boxscore

His career often was defined by extremes. He either was very good or very bad. In 1974, Hassler pitched a one-hitter against the White Sox and, on a staff with Nolan Ryan and Frank Tanana, led the Angels in ERA at 2.61. From 1975-76, he lost 18 consecutive decisions _ his last 11 of 1975 and his first seven of 1976.

“There were games in there where I pitched downright badly. I pitched poorly, period,” Hassler told the Boston Globe. “When I did pitch well, something (bad) would happen. I don’t like to make excuses, but it was a last-place team. There were a lot of plays that weren’t made.”

Hassler’s success depended on the effectiveness of his sinker.

“If I can keep the ball down, I don’t give a damn who’s up there,” Hassler told the Los Angeles Times.

Red Sox slugger Carl Yastrzemski rated Hassler “one of the four best left-handers in the league.”

Mutual admiration

On July 5, 1976, the Angels sold Hassler’s contract to the Royals, who were in first place in the American League West. The Royals’ manager, Whitey Herzog, had been an Angels coach in 1974 and 1975 when Hassler pitched for them.

According to The Sporting News, Angels owner Gene Autry told Hassler, “At least you are going to a team on top that will score some runs for you.” Regarding his Angels, Autry added, “You can’t get any lower than this one.”

After losing his first decision, his 18th in a row, with the Royals, Hassler won four in a row. “Without Andy, we wouldn’t be in first place,” Herzog said.

Said Hassler: “I have all the admiration in the world for Whitey.”

In 1984, Herzog was manager of the Cardinals when Hassler took the offer to go back to the minors.

Comeback trail

After signing with the Cardinals on May 2, 1984, Hassler reported to their Class AA farm club at Arkansas. In his Arkansas debut, Hassler took the loss, giving up a home run to Mets prospect Billy Beane, who years later became the Athletics general manager who inspired the book and movie “Moneyball.”

Hassler pitched in nine games for Arkansas, posted a 1-1 record with three saves and showed enough to earn a promotion to Class AAA Louisville.

The 1984 Louisville manager, Jim Fregosi, was Hassler’s teammate with the 1971 Angels and managed him with the 1981 Angels during Hassler’s second stint with the franchise.

Hassler regained his form with Louisville, putting together a stretch of 15 scoreless innings over nine appearances. With a 7-4 record, 10 saves and a 2.11 ERA at Louisville, Hassler got called up to the Cardinals in September 1984.

In his Cardinals debut on Sept. 16, 1984, against the Pirates at St. Louis, Hassler got the win when David Green produced a two-run single in the bottom of the 10th. Boxscore

Real pro

At spring training in 1985, Hassler allowed one earned run in 11 innings and got a spot as a reliever on the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster.

“If I was a right-hander, I’d have been done 10 years ago,” Hassler said. “Thank God there will always be teams looking for left-handers.”

Herzog said he liked Hassler “for his control and movement on his fastball.”

Hassler made 10 appearances for the 1985 Cardinals and was 0-1 with a 1.80 ERA, but with two other left-handers, Ken Dayley and Ricky Horton, in the bullpen, Hassler was sent back to Louisville in May to open a roster spot in St. Louis for outfielder Tito Landrum.

“I might be the first guy to get sent out with an ERA under two,” Hassler said.

At Louisville, Hassler, 33, mentored Todd Worrell, who struggled as a starter and was being converted into a reliever.

“It was just good timing that he was there to help me,” Worrell said. “What better source to get it from than somebody who’s been there?”

Worrell excelled as a reliever, got promoted to the Cardinals, became their closer in the last month of the 1985 season and helped them become National League champions.

Hassler was 4-5 with two saves and a 3.29 ERA for Louisville and retired from baseball in August 1985.

Pitching for six big-league teams (Angels, Royals, Red Sox, Mets, Pirates and Cardinals), Hassler was 44-71 with 29 saves.

St. Louis Browns manager Marty Marion wanted to convert rookie pitcher Don Larsen into an outfielder.

Marion reconsidered after Larsen put together a string of wins late in the 1953 season.

Three years later, with the Yankees, Larsen pitched the only World Series perfect game, a feat unlikely to have happened if Marion had implemented his plan.

Larsen died on Jan. 1, 2020, at 90. His professional baseball career was influenced by a couple of former Cardinals, Marion and Harry Brecheen.

Prized prospect

Larsen’s father, the son of Norwegian immigrants, was a watchmaker who moved the family from Indiana to San Diego. Larsen, 17, was pitching for an American Legion team when a Browns scout signed him for $850.

After four seasons (1947-50) in the Browns’ farm system, Larsen served stateside in the Army for two years (1951-52). He was on the roster of the San Antonio farm club when he reported to 1953 spring training with the Browns.

A right-hander, Larsen, 23, impressed in spring training and opened the 1953 season in the Browns’ starting rotation.

“He has the confidence and could be a terrific pitcher by the end of the season,” Browns general manager Bill DeWitt Sr. told The Sporting News.

ABC-TV broadcaster and former Cardinals ace Dizzy Dean said Larsen “could retire many of the big sluggers with only his blazing pitches if he could control them.”

Catcher Les Moss said Larsen’s curve and changeup improved with the help of Brecheen, the left-hander who joined the Browns following his release by the Cardinals. Brecheen, 38, mentored multiple Browns pitchers.

Marion, who’d been an all-star shortstop for the Cardinals and managed them in 1951 before joining the Browns, said Larsen “is the best-looking pitching prospect I’ve seen in the American League this season. He’s not a finished product, but he has all the tools to make a great pitcher.”

Preparing an experiment

Larsen struggled to fulfill expectations.

After a loss to the Red Sox at Boston on Aug. 5, 1953, he was 2-10 with a 4.32 ERA, but his batting average was .288. Boxscore

Over a span of three games from July 24 to Aug. 5, Larsen produced hits in seven consecutive at-bats.

Intrigued by the combination of Larsen’s bat and arm, Marion wanted to make him an outfielder.

Immediately after the Aug. 5 game at Fenway Park, Marion “ordered a practice session during which he had Larsen shag flies in the outfield for some 30 minutes,” the St. Louis Globe-Democrat reported.

“Since spring training, I’ve been toying with the idea of trying Larsen as an outfielder,” Marion said. “The way he’s been hitting of late, I may take a look at him out there in a game in the near future.”

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Marion planned to start Larsen in the outfield the next day, Aug. 6, at Fenway Park.

“I decided against it at the last minute,” Marion said. “I was afraid he might run into the left field fence. As soon as I feel Don is mentally ready for the experiment, I’ll start him.”

Worth a try

After the series at Boston, the Browns went to Washington to play the Senators. In the series opener on Aug. 7, 1953, Browns left fielder Dick Kokos “bungled a fly ball” which fell for a double in the fifth inning, the Post-Dispatch reported. Marion replaced Kokos with Larsen in the sixth. Larsen played the final three innings in left field, had no fielding chances and grounded out in his one at-bat. Boxscore

Facing back-to-back doubleheaders, Marion used Larsen as a starting pitcher in one on Aug. 11 against the Tigers. Larsen was shelled for seven runs in four innings and took the loss, dropping his record to 2-11. Boxscore

The next day, the Globe-Democrat reported Larsen “has been working out afternoons as an outfielder.”

“He might be a better outfielder than a pitcher,” Marion told The Sporting News.

Said Larsen: “I’ll try anything they ask me to try. If I can’t make it in the outfield, I can always go back to pitching.

“If I get to play every day in the outfield, my hitting will improve. It’s worth trying and I’m happy Marty suggested it.”

Change of plans

A turnaround for Larsen occurred on Aug. 20, 1953, at Baltimore when the Browns played the minor-league Orioles in an exhibition game. Baltimore was trying to adopt the Browns and the game was important for the city. Larsen pitched a five hitter, striking out 11, in an 8-2 Browns victory.

On Aug. 30, the Browns were at home to play their third doubleheader in seven days. Brecheen, scheduled to start Game 1 against the Senators, had a sore shoulder, so Marion went with Larsen.

In what the Globe-Democrat described as “the surprise of the day,” Larsen pitched a two-hit shutout for his first win since June. Boxscore

“After being considered seriously for the role of outfielder, Larsen just missed pitching a no-hitter,” the Post-Dispatch reported.

Larsen held the Senators hitless until Wayne Terwilliger singled with one out in the eighth. The other hit was a Pete Runnels single in the ninth.

The first batter of the game, Eddie Yost, walked on four pitches. When Larsen went to a 2-and-0 count on the next batter, Runnels, Marion called for Bob Cain to warm up in the bullpen. Larsen settled down and, starting with Runnels, struck out five batters in a row.

The shutout was the first of five consecutive wins for Larsen.

Browns owner Bill Veeck and Marion “vetoed all plans that had been afoot a few weeks ago to convert Larsen into an outfielder,” The Sporting News reported.

Larsen finished with a 7-12 record for the 1953 Browns and batted .284 with three home runs.

A year later, Larsen was traded to the Yankees and was 45-24 for them in five seasons. His career record in 14 big-league seasons was 81-91.

Larsen was 0-3 with a 3.41 ERA in 19 appearances versus the Cardinals. One loss was in 1963 while with the Giants. The other losses came in 1964 while with the Houston Colt .45s, including one on Aug. 18 in his lone career start against the Cardinals. Boxscore