RetroSimba

All business: Why the Cardinals traded for Hack Wilson

December 24, 2021 by retrosimba

During the Great Depression, the Cardinals played the baseball trade market like bond investors.

On Dec. 9, 1931, the reigning World Series champion Cardinals acquired outfielder Hack Wilson and pitcher Bud Treachout from the Cubs for pitcher Burleigh Grimes.

Wilson and Grimes, a pair of future Hall of Famers, were the principals. A year earlier, in 1930, Wilson established a major-league record for RBI in a season (191) and a National League mark for home runs (56). Grimes earned 17 wins for the 1931 Cardinals, then was the winning pitcher in Games 3 and 7 of the World Series versus the Athletics.

The Cardinals made the trade as much for financial, rather than baseball, reasons. In dealing Grimes, the Cardinals removed from the payroll their highest-paid pitcher. In acquiring Wilson, they got an asset whom they were able to swap a month later for a substantial amount of cash.

Big production

Listed at 5 feet 6 and 200 pounds, Lewis Wilson was nicknamed “Stouts” in the minor leagues and then became known as “Hack” because his short, broad build reminded some of wrestler George Hackenschmidt, the St. Louis Globe-Democrat reported.

Wilson began his professional baseball career as a catcher in the minors. With Martinsburg, W.Va., in 1921, he broke a leg on Opening Day. When he recovered, he couldn’t squat in a catcher’s position, and was converted into an outfielder.

Wilson was called up to the Giants in September 1923 and played for them in 1924 and 1925 before being sent to the Toledo Mud Hens farm team in August 1925. Left off the Giants’ roster, Wilson was drafted by the Cubs.

Playing for Cubs manager Joe McCarthy, Wilson led the National League in home runs four times _ 1926 (21), 1927 (30), 1928 (31) and 1930 (56) _ and twice was the league’s RBI leader: 1929 (159) and 1930 (191).

The good times for Wilson changed when the former Cardinal, Rogers Hornsby, became the Cubs’ manager, replacing McCarthy, who left for the Yankees in 1931.

Big trouble

Hornsby and Wilson were a toxic match. Described by the United Press wire service as the “roly-poly playboy of the majors,” Wilson enjoyed the nightlife. Hornsby objected to Wilson’s carousing and inattention to conditioning, and after Wilson slumped early in the 1931 season (no home runs in April and two in May) Hornsby often benched him.

“His usefulness had been greatly impaired by what club officials said was a lack of training and a lack of respect for the more righteous social pursuits,” the Chicago Tribune noted.

Wilson sulked when Hornsby kept him out of the lineup. The slugger also was miffed because Hornsby ordered him not to swing at pitches when the count was 2-and-0 or 3-and-1.

“They took that bat right out of my hands,” Wilson said to the Chicago Tribune.

Tensions reached a boiling point on Sept. 5, 1931, when the Cubs boarded a train for Chicago after a loss in Cincinnati. Wilson confronted three newspaper reporters in the vestibule of the train and complained about their coverage. Pitcher Pat Malone joined them and, goaded by Wilson, slugged two of the newspapermen, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The Cubs suspended Wilson without pay for the rest of the season, and club owner William Wrigley said Wilson never would play for the Cubs again.

“He can be as good a player as he wants to be, but he’ll have to change his conduct and his habits,” Hornsby told The Sporting News.

Wilson produced a mere 13 home runs and 61 RBI for the 1931 Cubs after his 1930 output of 56 homers and 191 RBI. “An all-America bust,” The Sporting News declared.

The Chicago Tribune concluded, “Wilson rose to the heights among the greatest in the game, then through the medium of self-neglect, he plumbed the depths, experiencing his most disappointing year.”

Change of mind

Asked whether they were interested in trading for Wilson, the Cardinals repeatedly said no.

“We don’t want Wilson,” Cardinals owner Sam Breadon informed the St. Louis Star-Times.

Cardinals vice-president Branch Rickey told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “We’re not making any offer for Wilson and we’re not in the bidding for him.”

The Cardinals’ stance changed when they got to the baseball winter meetings in December 1931 and found three clubs _ Braves, Dodgers and Reds _ vying for Wilson. Seeing there was a competitive market for him, the Cardinals sensed an opportunity and entered the bidding at the 11th hour.

“Properly handled, an investment in Wilson could be made a profitable one,” Rickey told the Post-Dispatch.

The Cubs offered Wilson and cash for outfielders George Watkins and Ernie Orsatti, but the Cardinals said no, the Associated Press reported.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the Cardinals countered by offering the Cubs their choice of one of three players: Watkins, Orsatti or Burleigh Grimes. The Cubs pounced at the chance to get Grimes, who was 5-0 against them in 1931.

Wheel and deal

Because Grimes was a World Series hero and because Breadon and Rickey had said Wilson wasn’t a player they wanted, the trade was “unexpected,” the St. Louis Star-Times reported. The Post-Dispatch called it “a big surprise.”

The Cardinals’ reasons for trading Grimes were:

_ Breadon said Grimes was the highest-paid pitcher on the team “and we had to cut down on our expenses,” the Globe-Democrat reported. Grimes was paid $20,000 in 1931.

_ Grimes was 38 and the Cardinals suspected he was approaching the downside of his career.

_ Pitching prospects Dizzy Dean and Tex Carleton were deemed ready to come up from the minors and join the Cardinals’ starting rotation in 1932.

Within hours of acquiring Wilson, the Cardinals tried to trade him.

“Our buying of Wilson is like the purchase of a good bond,” Rickey said to the Post-Dispatch. “The market is always good for a player like Wilson, the same as the stock market is for a good bond.”

As the Globe-Democrat put it, Wilson, 31, “will be used as bait.”

Sales tactics

When the Cardinals shopped Wilson to the Braves, Dodgers and Reds, the proposed return wasn’t what they’d hoped. Wilson’s value “is at an absolute lowest low on the market,” the Post-Dispatch reported.

The Cardinals worked to change that. They had Wilson take an eye exam and made a show of heralding the results, which rated his vision as excellent. Then Breadon and Rickey told the newspapers they might keep Wilson on the team.

Sid Keener of the Star-Times called their bluff. “It is my opinion that Breadon and Rickey are employing salesmanship methods on spreading this ballyhoo,” Keener wrote. “They are trying to increase his value in trade negotiations by publicly admitting they intend retaining the outfielder.”

The Braves offered $15,000 for Wilson, the Post-Dispatch reported, but the Cardinals figured they could do better.

The Cardinals sent Wilson a contract for $7,500. Wilson, who was given a salary of $37,500 by the Cubs in 1931, returned the contract unsigned. Wilson told the Post-Dispatch he expected to take a salary cut, perhaps as much as 50 percent, but nothing like the amount the Cardinals offered.

Published speculation was the Cardinals made the low offer because they had no intention of signing Wilson, but by offering him a contract it showed prospective suitors they were serious about keeping him.

Pay day

The Dodgers, who had been rebuffing the Cardinals’ offers of Wilson for either pitcher Watty Clark or Dazzy Vance, came back with a cash proposal.

On Jan. 23, 1932, the Cardinals sent Wilson to the Dodgers for $45,000 and a minor-league first baseman, Bob Parham.

“I expected it all along,” Wilson told the Associated Press. “That move to the Cards was nothing more than a stopover.”

For the Cardinals, it was a bonanza.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $45,000 in January 1932 was the equivalent of $857,000 in December 2021. The $20,000 the Cardinals saved by moving Burleigh Grimes was the equivalent of $381,000 in 2021.

Thus, by dealing Grimes and Wilson, the Cardinals improved their Depression Era bottom line by $65,000, or the equivalent of about $1.2 million in 2021 value.

Rickey had a personal incentive to trade players for cash because his contract called for him to get a percentage of the sale.

Wilson, who got a contract of $16,500 from the Dodgers, had his last big season for them, hitting .297 with 23 home runs and 123 RBI in 1932.

Burleigh Grimes was 6-11, including 1-3 versus the Cardinals, in 1932, but the Cubs won the National League pennant. Released by the Cubs in July 1933, Grimes came back to the Cardinals.

Posted in Hitters, Trades | 5 Comments »

How Carlos Beltran found a home with Cardinals

December 20, 2021 by retrosimba

(Updated Dec. 20, 2024)

Soon to be 35, Carlos Beltran wanted to play outfield, not be a designated hitter, for a contender. A free agent, he had multiple offers, but only one provided precisely what he sought.

On Dec. 23, 2011, Beltran signed a two-year contract worth $26 million to be the Cardinals’ right fielder.

A switch-hitter with power, Beltran was an important acquisition for the reigning World Series champions, who were looking to reload after the departure of first baseman Albert Pujols.

Still a factor

Beltran began the 2011 season with the Mets and was traded to the Giants in July for pitching prospect Zack Wheeler.

“By trading for Beltran, the Giants picked up their most prominent hitter since Barry Bonds,” the San Francisco Examiner declared.

Late in the season, Beltran switched agents, dropping Scott Boras and going with Dan Lozano, who also represented Albert Pujols.

Beltran’s final totals for the year were impressive: .300 batting average, 39 doubles, 22 home runs and 84 RBI. His on-base percentage was .385.

Granted free agency in October 2011, Beltran received offers from four American League clubs: Blue Jays, Indians, Rays and Red Sox, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

When Pujols, also a free agent, signed with the Angels, the Cardinals joined in the bidding for Beltran.

With Pujols gone and outfielder Allen Craig unavailable until May 2012 because of knee surgery, the Cardinals needed an run producer. They envisioned Beltran joining an outfield with Matt Holliday in left and Jon Jay in center. Lance Berkman, who played right field in 2011, would shift to the first base spot Pujols vacated.

Complete player

Beltran had knee surgery in January 2010, and though he thought his performance for the Mets and Giants in 2011 showed he was agile enough to play the outfield, the American League clubs pursuing him wanted to split his time between being a designated hitter and an outfielder.

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wrote, “From a pure hitting point of view, Beltran would be perfect, but scouts question his ability to patrol right field.”

The Cardinals didn’t share those concerns. They were quite familiar with Beltran. In two playoff appearances, 2004 with the Astros and 2006 with the Mets, Beltran excelled against the Cardinals.

In the 2004 National League Championship Series, Beltran batted .417, hit four home runs and scored 12 runs in seven games. His on-base percentage for the series was .563.

In the 2006 National League Championship Series, Beltran batted .296, hit three home runs and scored eight runs in seven games. His on-base percentage for the series was .387. His strikeout with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth inning of Game 7, however, overshadowed his overall production.

Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak told the Post-Dispatch that Beltran “was on top” of the list of free agents the club wanted to sign in December 2011.

“One of the exercises we were doing at the winter meetings was definitely looking at what the world might look like if we weren’t able to keep Albert,” Mozeliak said to MLB.com. “So … we had a pretty good idea of what we were going to do and how we were going to do it. Didn’t actually know if we could pull it off.”

In an interview that appeared in the Post-Dispatch on Christmas Day 2011, Beltran explained to Derrick Goold why he signed with St. Louis: “I’m looking for an opportunity to win a championship … I believe the Cardinals are a club that can do it again.”

Also in the Cardinals’ favor was their willingness to let Beltran, a three-time Gold Glove Award winner, play in the outfield. Beltran told the Post-Dispatch, “I want to play in the field at this stage of my career. I feel I can still make a difference in the field.”

Right move

Beltran’s signing by the Cardinals generally was well-received.

“By adding Beltran, you get a player who is confident in the postseason and is going to (impact) the lineup,” Matt Holliday told the Post-Dispatch.

Columnist Bernie Miklasz called it “an aggressive, smart move by the Cardinals. They successfully recruited one of the top five position players available.”

According to Richard Justice of MLB.com, “The Cards may have gotten a player who is an absolutely perfect fit for the situation they find themselves in … From the moment Pujols signed with the Angels, Beltran was the single guy who made the most sense.”

Hard feelings

Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, though, had a different view. He developed a dislike for Beltran as an opponent because of how Beltran battered Cardinals pitching. “I hated him, honest,” Molina recalled to Stan McNeal of Cardinals Yearbook in 2019.

At 2012 spring training, Beltran could tell Molina wasn’t fond of him. At Beltran’s suggestion, manager Mike Matheny and coach Jose Oquendo arranged a meeting with the two players. According to Beltran, when he told Molina he was the same person as a Cardinal that he’d been as an opponent, Molina unhappily replied, “OK then, there is nothing else to talk about.”

“You could sense a little anger with the way he was raising his voice,” Beltran recalled to Stan McNeal.

It took a while for the relationship to improve. Over time, Molina saw Beltran had a positive impact on the team. One day, during the second half of the 2012 season, Molina sat beside Beltran on a team flight. Beltran recalled to McNeal, “He said to me, ‘Hey, man, I have to say I apologize … You are a good man. I respect you. I have treated you wrong.’ “

Molina said to McNeal, “I asked him to forgive me because I wasn’t a good person to him. I told him he was one of the best professionals I have ever met, and I apologized.”

Big bopper

Beltran, who turned 35 in April 2012, had 32 home runs and 97 RBI for the 2012 Cardinals. Primarily batting in the No. 2 spot in the order, he followed that with 24 home runs and 84 RBI in 2013 when the Cardinals won the National League championship. Video Beltran had a .400 on-base percentage in the 2013 World Series versus the Red Sox.

Beltran had more hits, home runs and RBI in his two seasons with the Cardinals than Pujols did in his first two seasons with the Angels. The Cardinals reached the playoffs, including a World Series, in those two seasons and the Angels did not.

After the 2013 World Series, Beltran became a free agent and signed with the Yankees. After a brief stint with the 2016 Rangers, Beltran, 40, finished his playing career with a World Series championship as a member of the 2017 Astros.

He was the first player to have four consecutive seasons of 20 or more home runs, 100 or more runs scored, 100 or more RBI and 30 or more stolen bases. Beltran did it from 2001 through 2004.

For his career, Beltran totaled 2,725 hits, 435 home runs, 1,587 RBI and 312 stolen bases.

Posted in Hitters | 6 Comments »

How Tom Lampkin came to the rescue of Cardinals

December 17, 2021 by retrosimba

When the Cardinals got Tom Lampkin, it was not with the expectation he would be their Opening Day catcher in each of the next two seasons.

On Dec. 19, 1996, the Cardinals acquired Lampkin from the Giants for a player to be named. Two months later, the Giants chose pitcher Rene Arocha from a list of four players offered by the Cardinals, completing the deal.

Lampkin was projected to be a backup, but when starter Tom Pagnozzi got injured in 1997 and 1998, Lampkin was in the Cardinals’ Opening Day lineup both years.

Supporting role

After graduating from the University of Portland with a degree in marketing and management, Lampkin reached the major leagues in September 1988 with the Cleveland Indians. The next year, he was traded to the Padres.

In 1991, Lampkin began a season on a major-league roster for the first time, serving as backup to Padres catcher Benito Santiago. The Padres traded Lampkin to the Brewers in 1993. The Giants signed him after the season when he became a free agent.

Lampkin spent a full season in the majors for the first time in 1995 when he was backup to Kirt Manwaring. After the Giants traded Manwaring to the Astros in July 1996, Lampkin became the starter.

“He’s done a good job with the young (pitchers), especially Shawn Estes and William VanLandingham,” Giants manager Dusty Baker told the San Francisco Examiner.

Lampkin nailed 17 of 33 runners attempting to steal (51.5 percent, best in the National League) in 1996 and didn’t allow a passed ball, but he became expendable when the Giants deemed Rick Wilkins and Marcus Jensen to be their catchers in 1997.

Good fit

The Cardinals had a three-time Gold Glove Award winner, Tom Pagnozzi, as their catcher, with Danny Sheaffer as the backup, but both were right-handed batters. Lampkin appealed to the Cardinals because he batted from the left side.

“This creates a little competition,” Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch after he acquired Lampkin.

Manager Tony La Russa said Lampkin “comes with really good endorsements from pitchers whom he’s caught and managers he’s played for. He’s a good thrower, has good hands and he’s a left-handed hitter who’s a dangerous out. I think this really adds balance to our catching corps.”

With the Giants in 1996, Lampkin had batted .264 versus right-handers and had one of his best games in May when he produced three hits and a walk and scored four times against the Cardinals. Boxscore

After joining St. Louis, Lampkin told the Post-Dispatch, “I don’t intend to be named the starting catcher, but I’m not going to lay down … I know La Russa. He’s the kind of manager who likes to keep all his players ready. Hopefully I’ll get to see some playing time.”

Stepping in

Lampkin’s value increased late in spring training of 1997 when Pagnozzi, 34, went on the disabled list because of a strained calf muscle.

The Cardinals began the regular season with Lampkin, 33, and Sheaffer, 35, as the catchers. Lampkin was the Opening Day starter against the Expos at Montreal Boxscore and in the Cardinals’ home opener. Boxscore

Pagnozzi missed the first 19 games of the season, returned and soon suffered a torn hip flexor, sidelining him until August.

The Cardinals called up Mike Difelice, 27, from Class AA and demoted Sheaffer. A defensive specialist, Difelice platooned with Lampkin.

Lampkin hit seven home runs, including a game-winner versus LaTroy Hawkins of the Twins on July 1. Boxscore

He batted .245 in 108 games for the 1997 Cardinals, but a mere .209 with runners in scoring position. He also disappointed as a pinch-hitter (.171).

Lampkin wasn’t as good on defense for the 1997 Cardinals as he was the year before with the Giants. He threw out 22 of 77 runners attempting to steal against him (29 percent) and was charged with six passed balls.

The Cardinals had five catchers make starts for them in 1997: Difelice (81), Lampkin (56), Eli Marrero (13), Pagnozzi (11) and Sheaffer (one). A right-handed batter, Marrero hit .273 with 20 home runs in the minors in 1997 and was considered the heir apparent to Pagnozzi

Helping hand

After the 1997 season, Difelice was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the expansion draft, leaving the Cardinals with a catching corps of Pagnozzi, Lampkin and Marrero.

What seemed a team strength turned into a weakness during 1998 spring training. Marrero, 24, had a cancerous thyroid gland removed in March. Pagnozzi became sidelined because of a shoulder problem.

When the Cardinals opened the 1998 regular season, Lampkin was their starting catcher. Boxscore “I prepared myself every spring to play every day,” Lampkin told the Post-Dispatch. “Now it’s paid off because it’s actually happening.”

Lampkin eventually split time with Marrero and Pagnozzi when they got healthy enough to return.

Noting Lampkin’s intensity, La Russa said, “He’s too gung-ho, too Marine-like to play every day. He’s a good player and there’s no question he’d do anything to try to win for this team.”

Lampkin hit .231 in 93 games for the 1998 Cardinals. He hit .246 with runners in scoring position and .304 as a pinch-hitter.

Lampkin also caught 13 of 43 runners attempting to steal against him (30 percent) and allowed four passed balls.

Marrero made 67 starts at catcher for the 1998 Cardinals. Lampkin had 54 starts and Pagnozzi made the rest.

Lampkin became a free agent after the 1998 season and was considered “most likely to return” to the Cardinals, the Post-Dispatch reported, but he opted to sign with the Mariners.

He spent three seasons with the Mariners as backup to Dan Wilson before finishing his playing career as the primary catcher for the 2002 Padres.

In his last eight seasons (1995-2002), Lampkin played for four managers who were among the game’s most successful: Dusty Baker, Tony La Russa, Lou Piniella and Bruce Bochy.

Posted in Games, Hitters, Trades | 8 Comments »

How Vicente Romo attempted comeback with Cardinals

December 14, 2021 by retrosimba

In building a bullpen for the 1982 season, the Cardinals took a look at a pitcher described as the Cy Young of Mexico.

On Dec. 9, 1981, the Cardinals signed Vicente Romo and invited him to their major-league spring training camp.

Romo hadn’t pitched in the big leagues since 1974 and was nearly 39 years old, but he was a consistent winner in the Mexican League and the Cardinals considered him a talent worth exploring.

Reaching the top

Romo was born in Santa Rosalia, a port city on Mexico’s Baja peninsula. The family moved to the fishing hub of Guaymas, on the other side of the Gulf of California in the state of Sonoma, when Romo was a youth.

Romo was 19 when he became a professional ballplayer in the Mexican League in 1962. The Cleveland Indians purchased his contract in October 1964 and he was sent into their farm system.

In 1967, Romo almost made the Indians’ Opening Day roster, but was sent back to the minors at the 11th hour. The Dodgers selected him in the November 1967 Rule 5 draft.

A right-hander, Romo began the 1968 season with the Dodgers and pitched in one game for them. When the Dodgers called up Don Sutton from the minors in April, they tried to assign Romo to a farm club, but the Indians reclaimed him.

Indians pitching coach Jack Sanford became Romo’s tutor and helped him develop into a reliable reliever. Mixing a sidearm fastball with an assortments of curves, Romo was 5-3 with 12 saves and a 1.62 ERA for the 1968 Indians.

In April 1969, the Indians traded Romo to the Red Sox. He was 6-0 with six saves and a 2.43 ERA for them as a reliever in 1970; 1-3 with a 6.10 ERA in 10 starts.

On May 30, 1970, at Boston’s Fenway Park, Romo pitched four scoreless innings of relief against the White Sox and hit a game-winning home run over the 37-foot wall in left. Boxscore

Romo also pitched for the White Sox (1971-72) and Padres (1973-74) before going back to the Mexican League.

Better with age

In Mexico, Romo thrived as a starting pitcher. According to the Society for American Baseball Research, “He is viewed as his nation’s Cy Young.” For seven consecutive seasons (1975-81), he never had an ERA higher than 2.63. In 1981, he was 16-6 with a 1.40 ERA for Coatzacoalcos.

The Cardinals were seeking depth for a bullpen projected to include Bruce Sutter, Doug Bair, Jim Kaat and Mark Littell in 1982. Scouting reports on Romo indicated he could help.

At spring training camp in St. Petersburg, Fla., in 1982, Kaat was 43 and Romo was a month away from turning 39, though speculation was he might be older. Fourteen years earlier, in 1968, they first pitched against one another when Kaat was with the Twins and Romo was with the Indians. Boxscore

Romo made a strong bid to make the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster, posting a 1.80 ERA in 15 innings in spring training games. “I thought I pitched very well,” he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The final bullpen spot on the roster apparently came down to a choice between Kaat and Romo. The Cardinals kept Kaat, a much-needed left-hander, but as the Post-Dispatch noted, “The way the gag goes, they decided to keep 43-year-old Kaat over 39-year-old Romo because Kaat was younger.”

Back where he began

The Cardinals wanted Romo to go to their Class AAA Louisville farm club, but he opted to return to the Mexican League.

Pitching for Coatzacoalcos, Romo was 7-0 with a 1.54 ERA in eight starts when the Dodgers purchased his contract on May 24, 1982.

The Dodgers’ move surprised Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog, who indicated he’d hoped Romo could come back to the Cardinals. “Herzog said his scout in Mexico, Willie Calvino, had not kept him apprised that Romo was doing so well,” the Post-Dispatch reported.

Pitching in the big leagues for the first time in eight years, Romo thrived as a Dodgers reliever. On June 18, he got a save against the Reds. Boxscore It was his first big-league save since July 9, 1974.

After posting a 1.29 ERA in nine relief appearances, Romo was moved into the Dodgers’ starting rotation. On July 19, he pitched seven scoreless innings versus the Expos and got the win, his first in the majors as a starter since April 1970. Boxscore

“He used all his pitches, and that means about seven or eight of them,” said Dodgers catcher Mike Scioscia.

Expos manager Jim Fanning said, “He fooled us all night.”

In late July, Romo injured his left knee and was done for the season. His record for the 1982 Dodgers: 1-2 with a 3.03 ERA.

Romo returned to the Mexican League in 1983. He went to spring training with the California Angels in 1984, but was included in the first roster cut and spent the season, his last, in the Mexican League.

In eight years in the majors, Romo was 32-33 with 52 saves and a 3.36 ERA. In nine games versus the Cardinals, he was 0-1 with three saves and a 2.45 ERA.

A younger brother, Enrique Romo, pitched six years in the majors, including 1979, when he was 10-5 with five saves for the World Series champion Pirates. Against the Cardinals in his career, Enrique Romo was 6-1 with three saves.

Posted in Games, Pitchers | 8 Comments »

Why Donn Clendenon finished career with Cardinals

December 10, 2021 by retrosimba

Donn Clendenon made magic with the Mets, but the wizardry waned when he joined the Cardinals.

In December 1971, Clendenon connected with the Cardinals. Released by the Mets, the slugging first baseman worked out a deal to play for St. Louis.

The Cardinals had two left-handed batters, Matty Alou and Joe Hague, at first base. Clendenon, an experienced run producer, figured to provide power from the right side.

Making his mark

In 1935, a pregnant Helen Clendenon was expecting a daughter and planned to name her Donna, Bob Broeg of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. When instead she gave birth to a boy, she added a second “n” to his name, Donn.

Donn Clendenon was born in Neosho, Mo., about 25 miles from Joplin. His father, Claude, a professor of mathematics and psychology at Langston University in Oklahoma, had moved back to his hometown of Neosho when diagnosed with leukemia.

Claude Clendenon died about six months after Donn’s birth, and Helen moved from Neosho to her hometown, Atlanta.

Donn Clendenon developed into a top athlete in multiple sports. He enrolled at Morehouse College and excelled in football and basketball. The NFL Cleveland Browns and basketball’s Harlem Globetrotters and New York Knicks wanted him, but his stepfather, Nish Williams, a former Negro League baseball player, encouraged Donn to attend a Pittsburgh Pirates tryout camp.

The Pirates signed Clendenon and he reached the big leagues with them in September 1961.

Big swinger

A rangy 6 feet 4, Clendenon was a significant contributor to a lineup that included future Hall of Famers Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell and Bill Mazeroski.

In 1965, Clendenon hit .301 with 32 doubles, 14 triples, 14 home runs and 96 RBI. On June 15, he belted two home runs in a game against the Cardinals, one each versus Tracy Stallard and Barney Schultz. Boxscore The next day, he hit another home run against the Cardinals’ Bob Purkey. Boxscore

Clendenon batted .299 with 28 home runs and 98 RBI for the 1966 Pirates.

He also twice led the National League in most times striking out: 136 in 1963 and 163 in 1968.

Dick Young of the New York Daily News wrote, “Against a left-handed pitcher, Donn Clendenon has a good home run swing. Against a right-handed pitcher, he has a good strikeout swing.”

After the 1968 season, the Expos chose Clendenon in the National League expansion draft, then traded him and Jesus Alou to the Astros for Rusty Staub.

When Clendenon told the Astros he was retiring, baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn interceded. He got the Expos to send two pitchers, Jack Billingham and Skip Guinn, plus cash, to the Astros as compensation for the loss of Clendenon. Then the Expos enticed Clendenon to stay by giving him a two-year contract, unusual for the time, with a hefty raise.

Amazing season

In need of right-handed power, the Mets had been pursuing Clendenon for a while. When they offered the Expos a package of prospects, including pitcher Steve Renko, a deal was done in June 1969.

Clendenon developed a knack for getting important hits for the Mets. Two of the most prominent were a pair of home runs against the Cardinals on Sept. 24 when the Mets clinched their first division title. Clendenon hit a three-run home run against Steve Carlton in the first inning, sending the Shea Stadium crowd into a frenzy, and followed with a solo shot versus Dave Giusti in the fifth. Boxscore

“I never hit a bigger home run than the one I got in the first inning tonight,” Clendenon told the Post-Dispatch. “I was keyed up for the game.”

A month later, Clendenon was named Most Valuable Player of the World Series when he hit .357 and slugged three home runs against the Orioles. Video

In 1970, Clendenon set a Mets single-season record for RBI (97). He achieved the total in fewer than 400 at-bats.

Platooned at first base with Ed Kranepool in 1971, Clendenon went into a funk, finishing the season with 37 RBI. Manager Gil Hodges said “one of the reasons he stopped playing Clendenon was that pitchers were throwing fastballs right by him,” The Sporting News reported.

In October 1971, the Mets released Clendenon. “He more or less asked for it,” The Sporting News reported.

The Mets suggested to Clendenon he could make a lot of money playing in Japan, but he wanted to stay in the big leagues.

High hopes

In December 1971, Cardinals general manager Bing Devine told the Post-Dispatch he got a call from Clendenon, 36, who said he could help the club. “We then indicated that we were interested in him,” Devine said.

The signing was announced Jan. 6, 1972. Clendenon “was acquired primarily to lend some balance to an offense that is much too lefthanded-hitting,” The Sporting News noted.

Clendenon hit .292 against left-handers in his big-league career.

In a spring training game at St. Petersburg, Fla., in March 1972, Clendenon hit two home runs for the Cardinals against Mets left-hander Jon Matlack. Clendenon told the Post-Dispatch, “It’s nice to hit against a club that releases you _ even when the game doesn’t count. I think I can hit, and also hit home runs, if I play more than I did in New York.”

According to columnist Dick Young, Clendenon switched from using a 38-ounce bat to a 35-ounce model.

Running on empty

Clendenon made the Cardinals’ 1972 Opening Day roster as a role player, but he went hitless in his first 18 at-bats.

A highlight came on June 8 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco when Clendenon hit a game-winning home run against Don McMahon, the Giants’ 42-year-old reliever who also served as their pitching coach. Boxscore

“That’s the swing Clendenon has been trying for all season,” teammate Lou Brock told the Post-Dispatch.

On July 11, Brock got five hits, using Clendenon’s bat, in a game versus the Braves. Boxscore

The bat worked better for Brock than it did for his teammate. Clendenon hit .191 with four home runs for Cardinals.

In August, with the Cardinals out of contention and preparing to call up prospects from the minors, Devine informed Clendenon he wouldn’t play much. According to the Post-Dispatch, Devine “offered him the option of staying with the club or obtaining his release.”

Clendenon chose to be released, ending his playing career.

“I am disappointed I was unable to perform as expected and I realize the present conditions would further limit my playing time,” Clendenon said.

In 1978, Clendenon earned a law degree from Duquesne University and practiced criminal law.

Posted in Games, Hitters | 4 Comments »

How Cardinals got Bill Virdon from Yankees

December 7, 2021 by retrosimba

A recommendation from a manager in their farm system prompted the Cardinals to acquire a player who would become the top rookie in the National League.

Bill Virdon was an outfielder with the Yankees’ minor-league American Association club in Kansas City in 1953. Johnny Keane, managing the Cardinals’ Columbus, Ohio, club in the American Association, was impressed by Virdon’s defense, speed and throwing, and rated him ready for the big leagues.

Acting on Keane’s advice, the Cardinals acquired Virdon and two other prospects from the Yankees for outfielder Enos Slaughter in April 1954. Virdon became the Cardinals’ center fielder in 1955 and won the National League Rookie of the Year Award. He went on to play 12 years in the majors before becoming a coach and manager.

Eyeing opportunity

Virdon was born in Hazel Park, Mich., near Detroit. His parents moved there from Missouri to find work in the auto industry. Virdon’s father was a machinist in an auto plant, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

When Virdon was 12, the family relocated to West Plains, Mo., about 20 miles from the Arkansas border. West Plains was the birthplace of actor Dick Van Dyke and country singer Porter Wagoner. Virdon later became a West Plains neighbor of Preacher Roe, who operated a grocery store there on the corner of Broadway and Porter Wagoner Boulevard after finishing his big-league pitching career.

Signed by the Yankees, Virdon entered their farm system in 1950.

“He credits his powerful forearms and biceps to gymnastics and summer jobs of toting full 24-bottle cases _ one to each hand _ for a soft-drink company in West Plains,” the Post-Dispatch reported.

In 1953, while with the Yankees’ Class AAA affiliate in Kansas City, Virdon struggled to hit, puzzling manager Harry Craft.

“Virdon was barely hitting over .200,” a teammate, pitcher Bob Wiesler, told The Sporting News, “and one day he was reading the paper in the hotel lobby when Craft walked in. Craft nearly fell over when he saw Virdon wearing glasses.

“He asked Bill if it was something new, but Bill told him he always used them for reading. Because he wasn’t hitting, Craft suggested he wear them on the field, too.”

Said Virdon, “The way I wasn’t hitting, he knew I had nothing to lose.”

Tests revealed Virdon had astigmatism in his right eye, the Post-Dispatch reported. A left-handed hitter, Virdon’s right eye was the one closest to the pitcher when he batted.

Virdon began wearing steel-rimmed spectacles on the field. The Yankees sent him to Birmingham, Ala., and Virdon hit .317 for the Class AA team.

“Virdon credits his improved hitting to the use of glasses after an eye test proved his vision in one eye was 50 percent impaired,” The Sporting News reported.

Prized prospect

Early in 1954, the Pirates offered pitchers Vern Law and Max Surkont to the Yankees for Virdon, The Sporting News reported. The Yankees were more interested in obtaining Enos Slaughter from the Cardinals. When the Yankees agreed to package Virdon with two other minor-leaguers, outfielder Emil Tellinger and pitcher Mel Wright, the deal was done.

“It was Johnny Keane’s report and recommendation on Bill Virdon that was the big factor in his being included in the deal,” Cardinals farm director Walter Shannon told The Sporting News.

Virdon was assigned to the Cardinals’ Class AAA Rochester, N.Y., farm team in 1954. Playing for manager Harry Walker, Virdon was the International League batting champion (.333) and led the club in home runs (22) and RBI (98). He also “continues to cover the outfield like a tarpaulin, and none take liberties with his arm,” The Sporting News noted.

“Virdon undoubtedly is the best player I’ve ever managed,” Walker said after the season. “He excels in every phase of the game.”

With prospects such as Virdon, Ken Boyer and Don Blasingame in their system, “for the first time I can see a future without Stan Musial and Red Schoendienst,” Cardinals vice-president Bill Walsingham told The Sporting News.

After Rochester’s season ended, Virdon played winter baseball in Cuba and led the Havana Reds in hitting (.340).

Cardinals scout Gus Mancuso, who watched Virdon in Cuba, called him “one of the best young stars I’ve come across in a long time.”

Rookie sensation

The Cardinals’ center fielder in 1954 had been Wally Moon, who won the National League Rookie of the Year Award that season. To make room for Virdon in center in 1955, Cardinals manager Eddie Stanky shifted Moon to a corner outfield spot. The other corner outfielder was Rip Repulski. Stanky moved Stan Musial from the outfield to first base.

Virdon was given uniform No. 9, the same Enos Slaughter wore with the Cardinals.

Though Virdon got off to a good start, the Cardinals didn’t. Stanky was fired in May and replaced by Harry Walker.

Virdon hit .281 with 17 home runs for the 1955 Cardinals and fielded impressively. Virdon “can go get them as well as Willie Mays,” Cardinals infielder Solly Hemus said to The Sporting News.

In balloting for the Rookie of the Year Award, Virdon got 15 of the 24 votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America.

When Virdon struggled to hit early in the 1956 season, Cardinals general manager Frank Lane suspected it was because of an eye problem and traded him to the Pirates for outfielder Bobby Del Greco and pitcher Dick Littlefield.

Virdon spent the rest of his playing career with the Pirates. He was part of their 1960 World Series championship team and won a Gold Glove Award in 1962. Virdon three times led National League center fielders in fielding percentage and finished with 1,596 hits.

Leader and teacher

In 1966 and 1967, Virdon was a manager in the Mets’ farm system. The Mets’ director of player development was Whitey Herzog. He and Virdon had become friends when both were outfield prospects with the Yankees.

Virdon went on to manage in the big leagues with the Pirates, Yankees, Astros and Expos. He also coached for the Pirates and Astros. He had four stints as a Pirates coach, including two with manager Jim Leyland.

“I can’t think of anybody I respect in baseball more than Bill Virdon,” Leyland told Scripps Howard News Service in 1992.

In 1985, Whitey Herzog arranged for Virdon to spend the season as the Cardinals’ minor-league hitting instructor.

‘I think Whitey’s basic theory is to drive the ball and not worry about home runs,” Virdon told the Post-Dispatch. “If my thinking was a great deal different than Whitey’s, I wouldn’t be doing this.”

Posted in Hitters, Prospects, Trades | 4 Comments »

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