RetroSimba

How Sam Huff got the glory against Cardinals

November 18, 2021 by retrosimba

Led by middle linebacker Sam Huff, the 1961 New York Giants unleashed the full force of their top-ranked defense on the St. Louis Cardinals.

On Oct. 8, 1961, Huff recovered a fumble and returned the ball 12 yards for a touchdown, sparking the Giants to a 24-9 victory in the Cardinals’ home opener at Busch Stadium.

Performing with ferocious flair, Huff epitomized the punishing power of the Giants’ defense and helped define the role of middle linebacker.

In his book, “The Best Game Ever,” author Mark Bowden wrote, “Huff was an outsized character, with enough ambition on and off the field to frighten the faint of heart. He was outspoken, brash and unapologetic … He played football with unmatched ferocity, reveling in the game’s violence.”

Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Huff played in the NFL for 13 seasons _ eight with the Giants and five with the Washington Redskins. The Giants got to the NFL championship game in six of Huff’s eight seasons with them.

Right fit

Huff was born in a coal mining camp in West Virginia. He became a baseball catcher and football lineman at West Virginia University. According to the Washington Post, the Cleveland Indians signed Huff to a baseball contract, but he chose professional football when the Giants selected him in the third round of the 1956 NFL draft.

As a rookie at Giants training camp, Huff was tried as a lineman on offense and defense, but was overmatched and became a target of criticism from head coach Jim Lee Howell.

In “The Best Game Ever” book, Huff said he regretted his decision to try football instead of baseball and told himself, “I think I’m in the wrong game.”

Huff and another unhappy rookie, kicker Don Chandler, decided to quit. As they were leaving camp, assistant coach Ed Kolman stopped them. According to author Mark Bowden, Kolman told Huff, “Sam, if you leave here, it will be the biggest mistake you’ve ever made in your life. I played this game, and I really believe you can be a star in this league.”

Huff stayed and convinced Chandler to do the same.

Giants defensive coordinator Tom Landry was experimenting with a concept that featured four linemen instead of the standard five. The key was to have a middle linebacker who, as author Mark Bowden described, was “a kind of super-athlete, a man as big as a lineman, quick enough and fast enough to play pass defense, and smart enough to recognize which role to play with every snap of the ball.”

The player Landry wanted for the role was Sam Huff. It turned out to be the perfect choice. Video

We meet again

Five years later, in 1961, Huff was enjoying the star status Ed Kolman had predicted for him. Landry had left to become head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Allie Sherman, 38, replaced Howell as Giants head coach.

Sherman and the Giants got shocked in their season opener, losing 21-10 to the Cardinals at Yankee Stadium. Both teams were 2-1 when the rematch was held at St. Louis.

The Cardinals’ first three games were on the road and, though they played well, it took a toll. Several players were injured, including running backs John David Crow and Joe Childress, defensive end Joe Robb and defensive back Pat Fischer, and were unavailable for the home opener.

Head coach Pop Ivy started Prentice Gautt at halfback against the Giants, shifted tight end Taz Anderson to fullback and moved flanker Bobby Joe Conrad to tight end, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

The makeshift offense faced a Giants defense with a fantastic front four of ends Jim Katcavage and Andy Robustelli, and tackles Dick Modzelewski and Rosey Grier. The linebackers: Huff, Cliff Livingston and Tom Scott. The backfield: cornerbacks Erich Barnes and Dick Lynch, and safeties Jimmy Patton and Dick Nolan.

Under pressure

In the first half, the Cardinals produced no first downs, according to the Associated Press. The Giants led, 7-2, at halftime. The Cardinals’ points came when Larry Wilson blocked a Don Chandler punt and the ball bounced through the end zone for a safety.

The outcome was determined by the Giants’ defense within 100 seconds of the second half.

On the second play from scrimmage in the third quarter, Robustelli forced a fumble by quarterback Sam Etcheverry. Livingston recovered and ran five yards to the Cardinals’ 11-yard line. From there, Alex Webster carried on four consecutive plays, the last a one-yard touchdown plunge, and the Giants led, 14-2.

Three plays after the kickoff, Modzelewski knocked the ball loose from Etcheverry. Huff recovered and ran for the touchdown. Just like that, the Giants were ahead, 21-2.

In the book “Giants In Their Own Words,” Huff said, “I got myself up for every game, not just the big ones. It was just a natural competitive spirit. I think we all had it on the Giants’ defense … All of us on defense were close: Robustelli, Grier, Modzelewski, Katcavage. It’s like a platoon in the army. You depend on each other.”

Katcavage told author Richard Whittingham, “We used to tell (Huff) that we did all the work for him to set him up so he could make all those tackles and look good to the press and the fans. We loved to kid him, but Sam was a hell of a ballplayer. He could really diagnose plays, and he was a big factor in why our defense was as good as it was in those days.”

Special unit

Desperate to try anything against the Giants’ defense, Pop Ivy replaced Etcheverry with Ralph Guglielmi, making his first Cardinals appearance since being acquired from the Washington Redskins, but the Giants intercepted him three times.

The Cardinals committed seven turnovers (four interceptions and three fumbles), a total the Post-Dispatch simply called “amazing.” Dick Lynch picked off three passes and Cliff Livingston intercepted the other.

In addition to forcing the Cardinals to make mistakes, the Giants’ defense held them to a total of five first downs and 28 yards rushing.

“Our best defensive performance of the year,” Allie Sherman told the Post-Dispatch. Game stats

The Giants finished the 1961 season ranked No. 1 in team defense. They led the league in takeaways with 54 (the league average was 40) and their 220 points allowed were the fewest of any defense (the league average was 301). The Giants yielded a mere six rushing touchdowns in 14 regular-season games.

Posted in Games, Opponents | 2 Comments »

The night Tom Matte, Colts ran wild vs. Cardinals

November 15, 2021 by retrosimba

Baltimore Colts halfback Tom Matte made the longest run of his NFL career the first time he faced the St. Louis Cardinals.

On Oct. 12, 1964, Matte took a handoff from Johnny Unitas and rushed 80 yards for a touchdown, helping the Colts to a 47-27 victory over the Cardinals at Baltimore.

A versatile runner and reliable receiver who could fill in at quarterback, Matte played for the Colts from 1961-72. In 1969, he led the NFL in touchdowns scored, with 13. Eleven of those came on runs and two on receptions.

From Woody to Weeb to Shula

Born in Pittsburgh, Tom Matte was the son of Joe Matte, who played hockey for the minor-league St. Louis Flyers before reaching the NHL with the Chicago Black Hawks.

Playing for head coach Woody Hayes at Ohio State, Tom Matte was a running back as a sophomore and a quarterback his junior and senior seasons.

The Colts chose him in the first round of the 1961 NFL draft, one pick ahead of the Cardinals, who selected Auburn offensive tackle Ken Rice.

In Matte’s first two seasons with the Colts, Weeb Ewbank was the head coach. After Ewbank left to join the New York Jets, Don Shula took over. Matte was the Colts’ leading rusher in 1963, Shula’s inaugural season. Video

Both the Cardinals and Colts got off to strong starts in 1964. The Cardinals had a 3-0-1 record and the Colts were 3-1 heading into their Monday night showdown.

The game had been scheduled for Busch Stadium in St. Louis, but was moved to Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium because the baseball Cardinals were in the World Series against the Yankees and had first priority for use of the ballpark they shared with the NFL team.

On the afternoon of Oct. 12, a few hours before the kickoff to the football game in Baltimore, Tim McCarver hit a three-run home run in the 10th inning at Yankee Stadium, giving the Cardinals a 5-2 victory in Game 5. Needing one more win for the championship, the Cardinals returned to a hero’s welcome in St. Louis, where the World Series would conclude at Busch Stadium.

At Baltimore, the football Cardinals, facing a Colts lineup with the likes of Johnny Unitas, Raymond Berry and Lenny Moore, were hoping to fare as well as the baseball Cardinals did against a Yankees lineup with the likes of Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and Elston Howard.

Swiss cheese defense

A capacity crowd of 60,213 filled Memorial Stadium for the Colts’ bonus home game.

Behind the exceptional blocking of center Dick Szymanski, guards Jim Parker and Alex Sandusky, and tackles George Preas and Bob Vogel, Colts rushers romped for 266 yards and four touchdowns against a shell-shocked Cardinals defense.

Unitas and running backs Lenny Moore and Tony Lorick scored rushing touchdowns for the Colts, but the most spectacular was Matte’s.

In the first minute of the fourth quarter, the Colts were on their 20-yard line and leading, 37-13, when Unitas called a simple draw play.

Facing the Cardinals for the first time, Matte took the handoff and “galloped like a scared rabbit” through the middle of the defense, the Baltimore Evening Sun noted. Matte credited receiver Raymond Berry with making a key block on defensive back Jimmy Hill.

“We caught them in a blitz with their outside linebacker coming in,” Matte told the Baltimore Evening Sun. “Raymond knocked off the halfback (Hill). Then I just had to outrun them. It was a good feeling to do so.”

The 80-yard run was the longest by a Colts player since 1958.

“I didn’t realize the Baltimore ground game would be as strong as it is,” Cardinals head coach Wally Lemm told the Baltimore Evening Sun.

Winning combination

The Colts’ 47 points were the most scored against the Cardinals since they moved to St. Louis from Chicago in 1960.

The Cardinals played most of the game without left defensive end Joe Robb, who pulled an abdominal muscle when he knocked down a Unitas screen pass in the early minutes. When Robb departed, “Unitas exploited that side of the defense with his stable of runners,” Lemm said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Cardinals linebacker Bill Koman, a former Colt, had no alibis. “We were not ready, and you have to be when you play the Colts,” Koman said to the Baltimore Evening Sun.

With the robust rushing attack, Unitas didn’t need to pass much. He completed eight throws, including one for a touchdown to Raymond Berry, who wrestled the ball away from Jimmy Hill.

“He’s in a class by himself,” Hill told the Baltimore Sun. “Raymond has the best moves of any end in the business. I almost have to concede him the short pass or he’ll put a good move on me for a quick six. Berry never does the same thing twice. I’ve seen him fake guys down to their knees.”

Rough and ready

The Cardinals’ offense wasn’t much better than their defense. Two of the Cardinals’ touchdowns came late in the fourth quarter after the Colts sent in substitutes.

The Colts’ defensive coordinator was Charley Winner, who two years later would replace Lemm as Cardinals head coach.

“Standing out above all the things that made the Colts a very fine football team last night was the viciousness and consistency of their tackling and charging,” the Baltimore Evening Sun observed. “It was magnificent.”

The Baltimore Sun concurred: “No Colts team, including the two championship ones, ever looked as devastating. It was a brutal game, with the Colts slamming the Cardinals all over the field.”

The Colts were so dominant that they won by 20 points even though the Cardinals were not called for a penalty.

Asked by the Baltimore Sun to describe the turning point, Lemm replied, “When we kicked off to start the game.” Game stats

The Cardinals went on to a 9-3-2 record, finishing in second place to the Cleveland Browns (10-3-1) in the East Division. The Colts (12-2) were champions of the West Division. In the NFL championship game, the Browns beat the Colts, 27-0. The Browns haven’t won a NFL championship since.

Posted in Games, Opponents | 8 Comments »

How Lonnie Smith came gift-wrapped to Cardinals

November 12, 2021 by retrosimba

(Updated June 9, 2024)

The Cardinals weren’t looking to trade for outfielder Lonnie Smith. The deal fell into their laps.

On Nov. 19, 1981, the Cardinals obtained Smith in a three-way trade with the Indians and Phillies. The Indians sent catcher Bo Diaz to the Phillies for Smith and a player to be named (pitcher Scott Munninghoff). The Indians then swapped Smith to the Cardinals for pitchers Lary Sorensen and Silvio Martinez.

Smith and another outfield newcomer, Willie McGee, became the catalysts of the Cardinals’ offense, igniting the team’s run to the 1982 National League pennant and World Series championship.

Mix and match

Whitey Herzog, who had the dual role of Cardinals manager and general manager, sought to swap two unhappy players, shortstop Garry Templeton and outfielder Sixto Lezcano, after the 1981 season. Herzog wanted a shortstop and starting pitcher in return.

Neither the Indians nor the Phillies seemed a likely trade partner for the Cardinals. The Indians wanted pitching and the Phillies needed a catcher. Neither was looking for Templeton or Lezcano.

Bo Diaz of the Indians was the catcher the Phillies coveted. Phillies scout Hugh Alexander rated Diaz “the best-throwing catcher in the major leagues,” the Philadelphia Daily News reported. Phillies manager Pat Corrales, a former catcher, managed Diaz during winter baseball in Venezuela and viewed him as a successor to Bob Boone.

The Indians, who had catchers Ron Hassey and Chris Bando, were willing to trade Diaz, but the Phillies didn’t have the pitching needed to get him.

An offer you can’t refuse

A pitcher the Indians wanted was Lary Sorensen, who was 7-7 with a 3.27 ERA for the 1981 Cardinals. Sorensen had seasons of 12, 15 and 18 wins for the Brewers before being traded to the Cardinals in December 1980.

Indians general manager Phil Seghi “has long been a fan of” Sorensen, The Sporting News reported, “and continually pestered the Cardinals” about dealing him. The Indians didn’t have what it took to get Sorensen from the Cardinals, but the Phillies suggested a creative solution. They thought the Cardinals would like Lonnie Smith.

The Cardinals were solid in right field with George Hendrick, but planned to try rookie David Green in center in 1982 and go with a platoon of Dane Iorg and Tito Landrum in left.

The Phillies, figuring Smith would be an upgrade for the Cardinals in either center or left, suggested sending Smith to the Indians for Diaz, and, in turn, the Indians would swap Smith to the Cardinals for Sorensen.

In his book, “White Rat: A Life in Baseball,” Herzog said Phil Seghi called Cardinals assistant general manager Joe McDonald and asked whether the club would be interested in Lonnie Smith.

McDonald relayed the message to Herzog: “(Seghi) says he needs pitching more than he needs Lonnie Smith, and you can have him for Silvio Martinez and Lary Sorensen.”

Herzog replied, “Get (Seghi) on the phone and make that deal right now.”

“All we gave up was two guys who didn’t figure to pitch much for us anyway,” Herzog said. “It’s deals like that which make you look like a genius.”

As good as advertised

In Philadelphia, the trade “provoked a firestorm of fan outrage that lit the Phillies’ switchboard like the White House Christmas tree,” the Philadelphia Daily News reported. Smith was “the club’s most explosive young offensive player.”

Smith finished the 1981 season with a 23-game hitting streak. The year before, he batted .339 with 33 stolen bases for the World Series champions. The Phillies planned to replace him with rookie Bob Dernier.

Though “shocked and disappointed” to be traded, Smith said to the Philadelphia Daily News, “I’m glad to go to a team that can beat the Phillies.”

After acquiring Lonnie Smith, the Cardinals traded Templeton and Lezcano to the Padres and got another important player, shortstop Ozzie Smith, and starting pitcher Steve Mura.

Lonnie Smith settled into left field for the Cardinals and Willie McGee, called up from the minors in May to replace injured David Green, became the center fielder.

The 1982 Cardinals won the National League East Division title, finishing three games ahead of the runner-up Phillies, and Smith had a lot to do with it. He led the league in runs scored (120). He also led the Cardinals in hits (182), doubles (35), stolen bases (68), batting average (.307) and total bases (257).

In the 1982 World Series, when the Cardinals prevailed in seven games versus the Brewers, Lonnie Smith batted .321 with nine hits, including four doubles and a triple, and six runs scored. Video

“Lonnie was a very tough ballplayer, very good hitter,” Herzog told Cardinals Magazine. “Below average defensively, below average arm, but … a good offensive player. He could bust up the double play as good as anybody in the league.”

When left fielder and speedster Vince Coleman emerged as a force for the Cardinals, Lonnie Smith was traded to the Royals in May 1985.

Though he battled cocaine addiction, Lonnie Smith went on to play 17 seasons in the majors and appeared in a total of five World Series _ one each for the Phillies, Cardinals and Royals, and two with the Braves.

Posted in Hitters, Trades | 6 Comments »

Why Joaquin Andujar decided to stay with Cardinals

November 9, 2021 by retrosimba

In a move that was important to their bid for a 1982 World Series championship, the Cardinals kept the pitcher they wanted at the price they wanted.

On Nov. 13, 1981, Joaquin Andujar became a free agent after finishing the 1981 season with the Cardinals.

Though he preferred to stay with the Cardinals and they wanted him to return, a contract agreement was not a given.

The determining factor was salary, and, for a while, neither side was willing to compromise.

Good fit

Acquired from the Astros in June 1981 for outfielder Tony Scott, Andujar was 6-1 with a 3.74 ERA for the Cardinals that season.

Andujar liked playing for manager Whitey Herzog and for pitching coach Hub Kittle, who mentored him in the Dominican Republic winter league, but he also wanted to test his worth on the open market.

Represented by brothers Alan and David Hendricks, Andujar sought a contract of $2 million for three years. The Cardinals offered $1 million for the same time frame, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Andujar figured he had leverage because the Cardinals needed another starter to bolster a rotation led by Bob Forsch and including the likes of John Martin and Andy Rincon.

Agent Alan Hendricks told the Post-Dispatch he “wanted to see Joaquin wind up with the Cardinals because Whitey Herzog and the club are good for him.”

Herzog’s assistant, Joe McDonald, said, “We’re still very keen on Andujar. We like the guy and he likes it here.”

Price isn’t right

The good vibes began to fade when neither Andujar nor the Cardinals budged on their salary number. The Sporting News reported Andujar “is likely to be gone” from the Cardinals.

Herzog told the Post-Dispatch he had a financial figure he was sticking with and “I’m not going to lose any sleep over it.”

Agent David Hendricks said six teams were interested in Andujar. It soon became evident to Herzog that the interest was tepid _ at least at the salary Andujar was seeking.

The Philadelphia Daily News accused Andujar of “harboring delusions of grandeur.”

According to the Oakland Tribune, Giants second baseman Joe Morgan, who was Andujar’s teammate with the 1980 Astros, lobbied for the Giants to sign Andujar, but it didn’t work out.

Bargaining power

David Hendricks said the Cardinals remained Andujar’s first choice and “the ingredients are still right” for a signing with them.

According to the Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals could get a deal done with Andujar for $1.5 million, splitting the difference between what Andujar was asking and what the club was offering, but Herzog stuck to a lower number.

Herzog, who had the dual role of manager and general manager, sized up the soft competition for Andujar and said, “I’m not going up on my offer. Nobody is higher than us. If he doesn’t like it, he can sit in the Dominican for a year.”

A couple of days later, Herzog turned up the heat again. “His agents keep asking me to raise my offer,” he told the Post-Dispatch. “Why should I outbid myself? I’ve got the best offer out there.”

With his options dwindling, Andujar and his agents lowered their asking price.

On Dec. 30, 1981, Andujar signed with the Cardinals for $1.2 million over three years. According to the Post-Dispatch, the $1.2 million figure was the amount Herzog and the Cardinals were prepared to settle for all along.

The signing took place at Andujar’s home in the Dominican Republic. Attending for the Cardinals was assistant general manager Joe McDonald and scout Willie Calvino. In 1969, when he worked for the Reds, Calvino was the scout who signed Andujar to his first professional contract.

Andujar rewarded the Cardinals with 15 wins, including five shutouts, during the 1982 season. He was the winning pitcher in their pennant-clinching game against the Braves in the National League Championship Series. Then he earned two wins versus the Brewers in the World Series, including the title clincher in Game 7. Boxscore and Video

Though a 20-game winner in both 1984 and 1985, Andujar was traded to the Athletics after he had a confrontation with umpire Don Denkinger during Game 7 of the 1985 World Series.

Posted in Games, Pitchers | 6 Comments »

Plate to pasture: Johnny Bench was at the center of it all

November 5, 2021 by retrosimba

(Updated July 31, 2023)

In a game that brought together the three best National League hit producers _ Hank Aaron, Pete Rose and Stan Musial _ the most prominent catcher of the era started in center field.

On May 17, 1970, Johnny Bench was the Reds’ center fielder in the second game of a doubleheader against the Braves at Cincinnati. For Bench, the National League’s Gold Glove-winning catcher, it was the first time he played the outfield in a major-league game.

Bench fielded flawlessly and hit a home run, helping the Reds complete a doubleheader sweep, but the spotlight was on Aaron, who got his 3,000th career hit in the game.

Musial, the retired Cardinals’ standout and the last player before Aaron to achieve 3,000 hits, was in the stands to witness the feat, and Rose, who would become baseball’s all-time hits leader, was in right field that day for the Reds.

Hot ticket

With Sparky Anderson in his first season as their manager, the Reds won 13 of their first 17 games in 1970. Entering the Sunday doubleheader on May 17, the Reds were 25-10 and five games ahead of the second-place Braves.

A combination of the Reds’ hot start and the chance to possibly see Aaron get his 3,000th hit generated a big turnout at Crosley Field. Swelled by 4,000 standing room-only tickets sold, the doubleheader drew 33,217 spectators, the Reds’ largest home crowd since 36,961 came out for a Sunday doubleheader versus the Pirates on April 27, 1947.

The Braves were playing at Crosley Field for the last time. When they next returned to Cincinnati to open a series on June 30, the Braves were the Reds’ first opponent in the new Riverfront Stadium.

Special support

Aaron got his 2,999th career hit on Saturday afternoon, May 16, at Crosley Field. Musial wanted to be present when Aaron got No. 3,000. Wearing a blue suit, Musial, 49, arrived at the Cincinnati airport at 10:48 on Sunday morning, May 17, stopped to get his shoes shined and headed to Crosley Field.

At 11:55 a.m., Aaron and Musial posed for pictures inside the clubhouse. “They laughed and swapped stories about baseball,” the Atlanta Constitution reported.

As Aaron headed to the field for batting practice, Musial took a front-row box seat next to Braves owner Bill Bartholomay.

In Game 1, Aaron went hitless in four at-bats against Jim Merritt. Bench caught all nine innings and had a RBI in the 5-1 Reds victory. Boxscore

Bold move

Bench, 22, entered Game 2 of the doubleheader with 10 home runs and 30 RBI for the young season. Wanting to keep Bench’s bat in the lineup but not wanting him to catch two games in one day, Sparky Anderson looked to shift Bench to another position in Game 2.

Bench had started three games at first base in place of an ailing Lee May in April, but the Braves were starting a left-hander, George Stone in Game 2, and Anderson wanted all of his right-handed sluggers, Bench, May and third baseman Tony Perez, in the lineup. The Reds’ regular center field, ex-Cardinal Bobby Tolan, batted left.

Bench’s favorite player as a youth was Yankees center fielder and fellow Oklahoman Mickey Mantle, so when Anderson suggested Bench play center field in Game 2, he got an enthusiastic response.

“This sort of fulfills a boyhood dream,” Bench told the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Anderson said, “I believe Bench can play anywhere and do a major-league job. I was going to play him in right field, but he said he has trouble with balls curving away from him. In center, everything is hit straight at you, so he shouldn’t have any trouble.”

Magic moment

The Reds’ starting outfield in Game 2 was Hal McRae in left, Bench in center and Pete Rose in right. Ex-Cardinal Pat Corrales was their catcher. The Reds’ starting pitcher, rookie Wayne Simpson, was 5-1 with a 2.05 ERA.

Aaron, 36, got his 3,000th hit when he faced Simpson, 21, in the first inning. Aaron’s grounder was scooped on the shortstop side of second by second baseman Woody Woodward, who couldn’t make a throw. Felix Millan scored from second on the play. Video

As the crowd gave Aaron a standing ovation, Musial vaulted over the railing in front of his seat and joined him at first base. Photographers snapped pictures of the only living 3,000-hit players.

According to the Dayton Daily News, Musial said to Aaron, “It’s a thrill for me to be here and see this.”

Aaron replied, “I really appreciate your taking the time to come from St. Louis to Cincinnati for this.”

In his autobiography, “I Had a Hammer,” Aaron said, “I was proud to be joining a man I admired so much and pleased to carry on his tradition.”

Musial was playing left field the night Aaron got his first hit in the majors. It came against the Cardinals’ Vic Raschi on April 15, 1954, at Milwaukee.

After witnessing Aaron get his 3,000th hit, Musial told the Cincinnati Enquirer, “Right after I got my 3,000 hits (the milestone came in May 1958), I was playing against the Braves. I was standing around the batting cage and I told Henry he’d be the next man to reach 3,000. It wasn’t too hard to predict. He looked like a great hitter, he could run, and you could see he wasn’t the kind of player who would be injured often.”

Elite group

Hit No. 3,000 for Aaron came in the 2,460th game of his career.

Aaron was the ninth player with 3,000 hits. The others: Cap Anson, Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker, Honus Wagner, Eddie Collins, Nap Lajoie, Paul Waner and Musial.

Aaron was the first to get 3,000 hits and 500 home runs.

Two innings after his 3,000th hit, Aaron hit his 570th home run, a two-run shot against Simpson.

“If he hits like this now,” Simpson said to the Dayton Daily News, “how did he hit 10 years ago? I’m glad I wasn’t pitching then.”

After the game, Aaron told the Atlanta Constitution that Willie Mays and Pete Rose were the most likely to next reach 3,000 hits.

Rose, who played his entire career in the National League, went on to become baseball’s all-time leader in hits (4,256). Cobb, an American Leaguer, is second at 4,189. Aaron ranks third (3,771) and Musial is fourth (3,630).

Aaron had 3,600 hits as a National League player with the Braves and 171 as an American Leaguer with the Brewers. Thus, the top three in career hits in the National League are Rose (a switch-hitter), Musial (who batted left) and Aaron (who batted right).

Versatile and durable

Almost overlooked in the drama surrounding Aaron was the play of Bench in center. He had no problems fielding the position, but in the ninth inning, with the score tied at 3-3, Bench went back to catching and Tolan took over in center.

After the Braves scored three times in the top of the 10th, the Reds rallied against Ron Kline, an ex-Cardinal. Tony Perez stroked his fifth hit of the game, and Bench and Lee May followed with home runs, tying the score at 6-6.

The game reached the 15th inning before 19-year-old rookie Don Gullet, who pitched two scoreless innings, drove in the winning run for the Reds with a single. Boxscore

Nine days later, against the Padres at San Diego, Bench started in center field for the second and last time. Boxscore

In 15 total innings as a center fielder, Bench made three putouts and no errors.

Bench made 17 outfield starts _ eight in left, seven in right and two in center _ in 1970, plus five starts at first base.

In 17 seasons in the majors, Bench made 1,627 starts at catcher, 182 at third base, 98 at first base and 96 in the outfield.

In the book “Season Ticket,” Cardinals catcher Ted Simmons told author Roger Angell that as a catcher “Bench was picture perfect. A marvelous mechanical catcher. There’s no better.”

Posted in Games, Hitters, Records | 11 Comments »

Why Braves said no to Mike Shannon for Bob Uecker

November 1, 2021 by retrosimba

In a decision that impacted the course of baseball broadcasting, the Braves rejected a chance to acquire Mike Shannon from the Cardinals for Bob Uecker.

During spring training in 1964, the Cardinals were in the market for a backup catcher and the Braves were seeking a reserve outfielder.

The Cardinals targeted Uecker because of his strong arm, quick release and defensive skills. To get him, they offered the Braves their choice of an outfielder _ Shannon or Gary Kolb. The Braves picked Kolb.

If the Braves had taken Shannon, he likely wouldn’t have contributed as he did to Cardinals clubs that won two World Series championships and three National League pennants in the 1960s.

If Shannon hadn’t had a prominent role as a Cardinals player, he likely wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to become a team broadcaster.

As it turned out, Uecker, with the Brewers, and Shannon, with the Cardinals, built successful careers as broadcasters and continued in those roles into their 80s.

Outfield glut

After being called up from the minors to the Cardinals during the 1962 and 1963 seasons, Shannon was looking to be on their Opening Day roster in 1964.

Shannon had lots of competition for one of the six outfielder spots. The favorites to open the season as outfield starters were Charlie James in left, Curt Flood in center and Carl Warwick in right, The Sporting News reported.

Competing with Shannon for backup jobs were Doug Clemens, Ron Cox, Gary Kolb, Johnny Lewis, Bobby Tolan, Corky Withrow and Don Young.

As spring training neared its end, the Cardinals settled on Clemens and Lewis for two of the three reserve outfield spots. Clemens and Lewis batted left-handed, giving the Cardinals the chance to platoon them with James and Warwick.

The last outfield spot came down to Kolb and Shannon.

What the Cardinals needed was a backup to catcher Tim McCarver. The Cardinals had Jim Coker and Dave Ricketts as candidates, but were looking for an upgrade.

Uecker, who had spent parts of the 1962 and 1963 seasons with the Braves, was available because he was third on the depth chart behind Joe Torre and Ed Bailey.

Easy choice

The Cardinals offered Coker and an outfielder for Uecker.

“We had a choice of Gary Kolb or Mike Shannon,” Braves general manager John McHale told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Kolb produced a .403 on-base percentage (26 hits, 22 walks) with the 1963 Cardinals. He also batted .500 (9-for-18) against the Braves that year. Shannon batted .308 (eight hits) for the 1963 Cardinals. “We asked 15 people, some with the Braves and others who were friends of mine in baseball, which one they preferred,” McHale said. “It was 14-to-1 in favor of Kolb.”

McHale said Walter Shannon, a former Cardinals farm director who had joined the Indians’ scouting staff, cast the lone vote for Mike Shannon. A couple of St. Louis natives, Walter and Mike were not related, but those Shannons stuck together.

Taking advantage

The trade of Uecker to the Cardinals for Kolb and Coker was made on April 9, five days before the Cardinals opened the season.

Cardinals consultant Branch Rickey rated Kolb a top prospect and opposed the deal made by general manager Bing Devine. According to the book, “October 1964,” when Uecker was introduced to Rickey in the Cardinals’ clubhouse, Rickey replied, “I didn’t want you. I wouldn’t trade 100 Bob Ueckers for one Gary Kolb.”

Uecker, though, gave the 1964 Cardinals the defense they desired. He threw out 38 percent of runners attempting to steal. By comparison, McCarver’s rate was 29 percent. Uecker also contributed a game-winning hit against the Braves in the pennant stretch.

Shannon hardly played early in the 1964 season. He had three at-bats and struck out each time. The Cardinals sent him to their Jacksonville farm club in early May. Called back to the majors in July, Shannon took over in right field and drove in 43 runs in 88 games. He also hit a home run against Yankees ace Whitey Ford in Game 1 of the World Series.

Kolb hit .188 with no home runs in 64 at-bats for the 1964 Braves and was traded to the Mets in July 1965.

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