RetroSimba

How catcher Alex Trevino contributed to Cardinals

January 1, 2021 by retrosimba

Joe Torre guided Alex Trevino into the majors and was with him again 13 years later when he left.

On Jan. 2, 1991, the Cardinals signed Trevino, a free agent, as backup catcher.

The deal reunited Trevino with Torre, the Cardinals’ manager and former catcher. Torre was manager of the Mets when Trevino, 21, made his major-league debut with them in September 1978. Trevino and Torre were together with the Mets for four seasons (1978-81). Trevino also played for Torre in 1984 when Torre was managing the Braves.

Torre and the Cardinals projected Trevino to back up starting catcher Tom Pagnozzi in 1991, but it didn’t work out. Instead, Trevino got released near the end of spring training. The next season, Trevino was back in the Cardinals’ organization and, though he played in the minors, he made a major contribution in helping a top pitching prospect get acclimated to baseball in the United States.

From Mexico to Mets

A native of Monterrey, Mexico, Trevino was 7 and playing youth baseball when he saw the World Series on television for the first time in 1964, the Cardinals versus the Yankees. “I was impressed so much by Bob Gibson because I was a pitcher then,” Trevino told United Press International.

Trevino was 16 when the Mets signed him in May 1974 with the intention of making him a shortstop. Assigned to a rookie league club in Marion, Va., Trevino became a catcher for manager Chuck Hiller, a future Cardinals coach.

Four years later, Trevino got called up to the Mets and he and Torre bonded.

“To me, he’s like my second father,” Trevino told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “He took me under his wing when I came to the big leagues. I owe him a lot. He gradually gave me playing time and let me build my confidence.”

Torre said, “He had such great hands. I always like the way he caught.”

Trevino was a backup to John Stearns with the Mets in 1978 and 1979. An agile catcher with a strong throwing arm, Trevino got more starts than Stearns in 1980, but went back to a reserve role in 1981 because Stearns was the better hitter.

Trevino led National League catchers in throwing out the highest percentage of runners attempting to steal in 1979 (47.7 percent) and 1980 (44.3 percent).

Torre said Trevino became the favorite player of his daughter, Tina. Also, Trevino got to be a teammate of his favorite player from the 1964 World Series, Bob Gibson, who became a coach on Torre’s staff with the 1981 Mets.

“Several clubs are interested in Trevino, but Torre won’t part with the kid,” The Sporting News reported.

On the move

After the 1981 season, Torre became manager of the Braves, and the Mets packaged Trevino in a trade to the Reds for slugger George Foster. Trevino took over for future Hall of Famer Johnny Bench, who no longer could catch regularly.

When the Reds opened the 1982 season, Trevino was the catcher and Bench was at third base. Boxscore

A contact hitter with little power, Trevino was no Bench, and he fell into disfavor with the Reds.

“They expected me to hit .300 and throw out every baserunner,” Trevino told The Sporting News. “It was a bad time … They played with my head there.”

In April 1984, the Reds sent Trevino to the Braves to be the backup to Bruce Benedict. Torre was the manager and he “treasured Trevino’s skills,” The Sporting News reported. Also, Bob Gibson was on the coaching staff.

After the 1984 season, Torre was fired and Trevino was traded to the Giants. Trevino went from the Giants (1985) to the Dodgers (1986-87) and to the Astros (1988-90).

On June 13, 1986, Trevino and Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela formed what is believed to be the first all-Mexican battery in the majors, according to the Los Angeles Times. Boxscore

One of Trevino’s best games came on May 22, 1988, at St. Louis when he got four hits and scored the winning run in the Astros’ 2-1 victory over the Cardinals. Boxscore

Ups and downs

In 1990, Trevino was the backup to Astros catcher Craig Biggio, but in July he was released and replaced by Rich Gedman, who was acquired from the Red Sox.

The Mets signed Trevino in August 1990, but the reunion started badly. In his first start for the Mets, on Aug. 5, 1990, against the Cardinals at St. Louis, Trevino was hitless, committed two errors and allowed two passed balls. Boxscore

“It was the worst game of my career,” Trevino told the Post-Dispatch. “I’ve never had a day like that.”

A month later, the Reds selected Trevino off waivers. Trevino got three hits in seven at-bats for the Reds, who went on to become 1990 World Series champions.

Change in plans

Trevino became a free agent in December 1990 and the Cardinals arranged for him to reunite with Torre again. The Cardinals had decided to move Todd Zeile from catcher to third base, and were seeking a veteran backup to Tom Pagnozzi, who became the starting catcher.

The Cardinals also had considered Gary Carter (36) and Ernie Whitt (38) as the backup catcher but took Trevino (33) because he was younger, the Post-Dispatch reported. Carter signed with the Dodgers and Whitt went with the Orioles.

Cardinals general manager Dal Maxvill, who had been a coach on Torre’s staffs with the Mets (1978) and Braves (1984) when Trevino was there, said, “We’re not trying to look beyond this year, but, if the guy is still catching decently and throwing decently, it could be something beyond a year. I’m not ruling out he could be here four or five years.”

A month later, the Cardinals signed Rich Gedman, the catcher who in 1990 had replaced Trevino on the Astros, to a minor-league contract. “Gedman figures to be Louisville’s starting catcher this season unless he beats out Alex Trevino for the backup catching job” with the Cardinals, the Post-Dispatch reported.

At Cardinals spring training in 1991, Trevino was “erratic on defense,” according to the Post-Dispatch. Gedman, a left-handed batter, hit .375. Trevino, a right-handed batter, hit .353.

Torre liked having a catcher who batted left-handed to back up Pagnozzi, who hit from the right side. On March 31, 1991, Torre told Trevino he was being placed on waivers for the purpose of giving him his release. “It was hard, really hard,” Torre said of his talk with Trevino.

A stoic Trevino said, “Gedman had a good spring. It was obvious.”

Keep on going

Trevino signed a minor-league contract with the Angels and was assigned to their Class AA club at Midland, Texas, where he was reunited with Fernando Valenzuela, who was attempting a comeback.

After playing in 14 games for Midland, Trevino joined his hometown team, Monterrey, in the Mexican League.

In February 1992, the Cardinals invited Trevino to spring training as a non-roster player, and he earned a spot with their Louisville farm club.

The Cardinals had signed a promising pitching prospect, Cuban defector Rene Arocha, and assigned him to Louisville. Trevino caught most of Arocha’s games, served as his interpreter and mentored him.

In September 1992, after the end of Louisville’s season, Trevino was rewarded for his effort. He was called up to the Cardinals, though not activated, and spent the final month of the season in the big leagues.

Posted in Games, Hitters, Managers, Opponents | 2 Comments »

How Cardinals came up short in bid for Mike Hampton

December 29, 2020 by retrosimba

The Cardinals were convinced Mike Hampton. who kept them from getting to the World Series in 2000, would enable them to get there in 2001.

In December 2000, the Cardinals thought Hampton, a left-handed pitcher and free agent, would accept their offer of a seven-year contract for $91 million.

Instead, Hampton signed a deal with the Rockies for $121 million over eight years, making him the highest-paid pitcher in baseball.

Two months earlier, Hampton made two starts against the Cardinals in the 2000 National League Championship Series and won both, carrying the Mets into the World Series against the Yankees.

Later, when Cardinals manager Tony La Russa made a pitch to Hampton to join the Cardinals, he told him, “With you, we go to the World Series” in 2001.

Right stuff

After entering the majors with the Mariners in 1993, Hampton was traded to the Astros and developed into an ace. He was 22-4 for them in 1999.

Knowing Hampton could become a free agent after the 2000 season, the Astros dealt him to the Mets in December 1999. The Mets, expecting to contend in 2000, were willing to risk having Hampton leave after a year.

Hampton was 15-10 for the 2000 Mets, who qualified for the postseason as a wild-card entry and defeated the Giants in the National League Division Series.

The Mets advanced to face the Cardinals in a best-of-seven series to determine the 2000 National League pennant winner.

In Game 1, Hampton started, pitched seven shutout innings and got the win. Boxscore

In Game 5, he pitched a three-hit shutout for the pennant-clinching victory. Boxscore and video

“He isn’t a dominating left-hander by any means, relying on good movement and location of his pitches rather than sheer velocity,” Mike Eisenbath of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted. “The tougher the situation, though, the better he is.”

Sales pitch

The Cardinals were a team Hampton was interested in joining. According to columnist Bernie Miklasz, Hampton told Cardinals players Darryl Kile, a former Astros teammate, and Fernando Vina he’d “like to sign with the Cardinals.”

The interest was mutual. Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said the club wanted a starting pitcher “who can put us over the top,” and viewed Hampton, 28, as that kind of talent.

Joining the Cardinals as leading contenders for Hampton were the Braves, Cubs, Indians, Mets and Rockies.

The Cardinals were invited to meet with Hampton and his agent, Mark Rodgers.

“Several Cardinals employees helped the team’s recruiting pitch by posing for photos in front of various Hampton Avenue street signs throughout St. Louis,” Miklasz wrote.

A Cardinals contingent went to Houston, where Hampton resided, to recruit him. It was well-received. Rodgers told the Post-Dispatch, “To be honest, I thought it was going to be really tough to beat St. Louis. They’ve got a dynamic ownership group that’s trying to win, and great fans.

“Mike was going to have to see something very significant not to go to St. Louis,” Rodgers said. “Tony La Russa walked in, sat down and said, ‘With you, we go to the World Series.’ Coming from him, that meant an awful lot. Tony La Russa blew us away.”

Feeling jilted

On Dec. 4, 2000, Jocketty met with Rodgers near the agent’s home in Palm City, Fla., and made an offer of $91 million over seven years.

“Hampton and Rodgers both said the Cardinals were the leaders” in the bidding, according to the Post-Dispatch.

“As recently as (Dec. 7), the Cardinals thought they had the left-hander,” Rick Hummel of the Post-Dispatch reported.

On Dec. 8, however, Hampton reached agreement with the Rockies, who offered $30 million more than the Cardinals: $121 million over eight years.

“I’m very disappointed,” Jocketty said. “I’m also very surprised because I thought we met every part of his criteria.”

Jocketty said Hampton “would have made us a lot better.”

“I talked to several of our opponents in the division and they’re so glad we didn’t get Hampton,” Jocketty told the Post-Dispatch. “They would have just shut the door. That’s part of the reason we worked so hard at it. It just would have put us at a different level.”

Rocky time

Hampton’s decision to go with the Rockies was criticized by some, who noted his career ERA at Denver’s Coors Field was 6.48. Eight months earlier, on April 28, 2000, Hampton punched a water cooler in frustration after giving up seven runs in five innings to the Rockies at Coors Field. Boxscore

“The entire baseball world was surprised an elite pitcher would choose to spend the prime of his career at Coors Field,” Ken Rosenthal of The Sporting News wrote.

Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd said, “We didn’t lie to Mike and try to sell him on Coors Field as a pitcher’s heaven.”

Some pitchers were convinced Denver’s high altitude caused their pitches to flatten and become more hittable. Hampton said he believed he’d succeed because his sinker and cut fastball induced grounders.

After missing out on Hampton, the Cardinals acquired starting pitcher Dustin Hermanson from the Expos.

With a starting rotation anchored by Darryl Kile, Matt Morris and Hermanson, and including Andy Benes, Woody Williams and Bud Smith, the 2001 Cardinals earned 93 wins and qualified for the playoffs.

Hampton beat the Cardinals on Opening Day in 2001, but for the season he was 14-13 with a 5.41 ERA. A good-hitting pitcher, Hampton batted .291 with seven home runs, but it didn’t compensate for his pitching. Overall in 2001, left-handed batters hit .346 against him, and his ERA at Coors Field was 5.77. The Rockies finished at 73-89.

In 2002, the Cardinals again thrived and the Rockies faltered. The 2002 Cardinals had 97 wins and won a division title. The Rockies were 73-89 again. Hampton was 7-15 with a 6.15 ERA. Overall in 2002, left-handed batters hit .376 against him.

Though Hampton hit .344 with three home runs in 2002, it wasn’t what the Rockies were paying him top dollar to do.

In November 2002, the Rockies traded Hampton to the Marlins, who two days later flipped him to the Braves.

Hampton had 14 wins for the Braves in 2003 and 13 in 2004. Sidelined in 2006 and 2007 after having reconstructive elbow surgery, Hampton went on to pitch for the Astros again and Diamondbacks.

His record in 16 years in the majors was 148-115, including 10-9 versus the Cardinals.

Posted in Games, Opponents, Pitchers | 5 Comments »

Phil Linz hit sweet and sour notes versus Cardinals

December 26, 2020 by retrosimba

(Updated July 6, 2024)

In the 1964 World Series, Phil Linz was in and out of tune against the Cardinals.

A utility player during the regular season, Linz started all seven games of the Series for the Yankees as their shortstop and leadoff batter.

Linz was in the Yankees’ starting lineup against the 1964 Cardinals because shortstop Tony Kubek had a severely sprained wrist and couldn’t play.

A right-handed batter, Linz had seven hits, including two home runs, and scored five times in that Series. He also made two errors, including a Game 7 miscue that enabled the Cardinals to take the lead, and was involved in a costly misplay in Game 4.

Music man

Linz was 22 when he debuted with the Yankees in 1962. Because he played all four infield positions and the outfield, Linz became a valuable backup.

After the 1962 season, the Cardinals, seeking a shortstop, wanted Linz. According to the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, Linz was “a No. 1 target” of general manager Bing Devine, but a deal couldn’t be worked out. (The Cardinals got Dick Groat from the Pirates instead.)

In 1964, Linz made 50 starts at shortstop, 38 at third base and three at second base for an injury-plagued Yankees team trying to stay in contention with the White Sox and Orioles for the American League pennant.

After the Yankees were swept by the White Sox in a four-game series at Chicago in August, dropping them 4.5 games out of first place, they boarded a bus for the airport. In his book “The Mick,” Yankees slugger Mickey Mantle said, “I had sneaked a couple of beers on the bus. Probably a few other guys did the same.”

Linz, seated near the back, took out a new harmonica he was learning to play and began an amateurish rendition of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”

From the front of the bus, manager Yogi Berra hollered out for Linz to stop playing. Unsure what Berra said, Linz asked Mantle what he heard. In his book, Mantle, a prankster, said he replied, “Play it fast.”

As Linz tooted the tune, Berra confronted him and they argued. In the heat of the moment, Linz flipped the harmonica to Berra, who slapped at the instrument, The Sporting News reported. The harmonica struck teammate Joe Pepitone on the knee, fell to the floor and broke apart.

Linz apologized to Berra the next day and was fined $200, according to The Sporting News. Later, a harmonica company gave Linz $10,000 to endorse its product, the New York Times reported. Not a bad return for Linz on his investment in the $2.50 harmonica.

Though some initially thought the incident was an indication the Yankees were cracking under pennant pressure, the opposite occurred.

The Yankees played the incident for laughs, relaxed and surged, winning 22 of 28 games in September and finishing a game ahead of the second-place White Sox.

Borrowed bat

Linz helped the Yankees beat Bob Gibson and the Cardinals in Game 2 of the 1964 World Series. Using a bat borrowed from Mantle, Linz had three hits, a walk, a RBI and scored two runs in the Yankees’ 8-3 victory at St. Louis.

“He could play regularly on a lot of ballclubs,” Cardinals third baseman Ken Boyer told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

With the Yankees ahead, 2-1, Linz led off the seventh inning with a single against Gibson and advanced from first to third on a wild pitch. Bobby Richardson followed with a single, scoring Linz.

In the ninth, Barney Schultz, who allowed one home run in 30 appearances during the season, relieved Gibson and gave up a homer to the first batter he faced, Linz.

Linz fouled off several pitches before connecting for the home run on a fastball from the knuckleball specialist. “I guess he wasn’t afraid of me,” Linz told the Post-Dispatch. Boxscore

Botched chance

The Yankees won two of the first three games of the Series and were leading, 3-0, in the sixth inning of Game 4 when the Cardinals put runners on first and second with one out.

Dick Groat hit a grounder that had the makings of an inning-ending double play. Second baseman Bobby Richardson went to his right, gloved the ball and intended to toss it to Linz, who was moving toward the bag at second, but the ball stuck in the webbing of Richardson’s glove.

After a moment of hesitation, Richardson managed to flip the ball with his glove hand to Linz, but their timing was off.

As the ball reached Linz, baserunner Curt Flood slid into him hard and the ball fell to the ground. “On any other Sunday, Flood would have been penalized 15 yards for clipping,” Linz said to the Post-Dispatch.

All runners were safe, loading the bases, and Richardson was charged with an error. The next batter, Ken Boyer, hit a grand slam against Al Downing, erasing the Yankees’ lead and propelling the Cardinals to victory. Boxscore

“It was entirely my fault,” Richardson told The Sporting News. “Phil couldn’t possibly have handled (the throw).”

Linz said to the Post-Dispatch, “It was just as much my fault. I was a little late getting to the bag. I was on the bag, but I had to reach back for the ball. That’s when Flood hit me.”

Flood told the New York Daily News, “I was sure they had me when I saw Richardson get the ball. All I wanted to do was break up the double play. So I slid into Linz’s right leg to knock him off balance.”

Turning point

In the winner-take-all Game 7, Linz was involved in the play that turned the momentum in the Cardinals’ favor.

The game was scoreless in the fourth inning when the Cardinals put runners on first and second with no outs. Tim McCarver hit a grounder sharply to first baseman Joe Pepitone. The Yankees were expecting to turn a double play.

Pepitone threw to Linz, covering second, for the forceout, but the return throw from Linz to pitcher Mel Stottlemyre, covering first, was wild. The ball sailed wide of first base and bounced to the bunting draping the stands. Ken Boyer scored from second, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.

“A good throw and we got him,” Yogi Berra told the Post-Dispatch.

Instead of two outs, none in and a runner on third, the Cardinals had one out, one in and a runner on first because of the Linz error.

Berra called Linz’s wild throw “the key play” in the game. The Cardinals went on to score three runs, including a McCarver steal of home, in the inning.

The Cardinals took a 7-3 lead into the ninth. Gibson struck out Tom Tresh before Clete Boyer hit a home run, making the score 7-4. Johnny Blanchard struck out for the second out.

Up next was Linz. He hit a Gibson fastball deep to left. Lou Brock raced back to the wall and leaped, but the ball went into the stands, where it was caught by a fan, for a home run.

Linz’s homer made the score 7-5. Cardinals manager Johnny Keane, saying he was committed to Gibson’s heart, left him in the game to face Bobby Richardson, who hat 13 hits in the Series. If Richardson reached base, slugger Roger Maris was up next, representing the potential tying run, and Keane told The Sporting News, “I would have had to get Gibson out.”

Instead, Gibson got Richardson to pop out to second baseman Dal Maxvill, and the Cardinals won the championship. Boxscore

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents | 4 Comments »

How George Sisler became a Cardinals farmhand

December 23, 2020 by retrosimba

George Sisler, an elite hitter who spent his prime years with the St. Louis Browns, chose to wind down his playing career in the Cardinals’ organization.

On Dec. 13, 1930, Sisler signed with the Rochester Red Wings, a Cardinals farm club, to be their first baseman after 15 seasons in the majors with the Browns, Senators and Braves.

Though Sisler, 37, had hoped to continue in the majors in 1931 rather than go to the minors, the move proved beneficial because it gave him the chance to play for a championship club for the only time in his Hall of Fame career.

.400 hitter

Sisler’s baseball career soared when he enrolled at the University of Michigan. Branch Rickey was head baseball coach when Sisler arrived there. Rickey left Michigan to join the Browns after Sisler’s sophomore season. Two years later, in 1915, Sisler, 22, signed with the Browns, who were managed by Rickey, and pitched and played outfield and first base his rookie season.

Settled in at first base in 1916, Sisler went on to become a special player. “At his peak, Sisler was a striking figure _ supple, rhythmic and graceful in action,” Joe Williams wrote in the New York World-Telegram. “The hits flew off his bat with a whistling hum _ sharp, clean and powerful.”

A left-handed batter, Sisler hit .344 in 12 seasons with the Browns. He led the American League in batting in 1920 (.407) and 1922 (.420), joining Ty Cobb as the only American League players to twice hit .400 in a season. Sisler had 2,295 hits for the Browns in 1,647 games.

“For 12 years, he was the baseball idol of St. Louis boydom as no other player has been,” the St. Louis Post-Dispatch declared.

Sisler received the American League Most Valuable Player Award in 1922, but he sat out the 1923 season because a sinus infection impaired his vision. He returned in 1924 as player-manager and served in that role for three years. The 1927 season, when he played but didn’t manage, was Sisler’s last with the Browns. In December 1927, they sold his contract to the Senators. Five months later, the Senators sent him to the Braves.

Free agent

In three seasons (1928-30) with the Braves, Sisler hit .326. In 1930, Sisler batted .309, had 133 hits in 116 games, and was second on the club in RBI (67), but after the season the Braves informed him he wasn’t in their plans for 1931.

“Sisler’s main difficulty last season was his legs,” the Post-Dispatch reported. “He slowed down badly. His fielding was not as good as in previous campaigns.”

The Braves told Sisler he could stay with them as a coach, but Sisler wanted to keep playing, the Boston Globe reported.

In response, the Braves gave Sisler “permission to make the best arrangements possible for his service,” the Associated Press reported. In effect, The Sporting News noted, Sisler “was made a free agent.”

According to the Boston Globe, “The club has promised not to stand in his way. There’s only one sure thing about Sisler, and that is he won’t drop back into the minors.”

Limited options

Sisler attended the baseball winter meetings at New York in December 1930, looking to convince a big-league team to sign him as a first baseman. In 15 seasons in the majors, Sisler batted .340 and had 2,812 hits and 1,178 RBI, but he never played with a championship club.

The American League Tigers and National League Dodgers showed interest. So did the International League Rochester Red Wings, a Cardinals farm club. Branch Rickey was running the Cardinals’ front office, and Rochester club president Warren Giles knew Rickey endorsed bringing Sisler into the organization.

Rochester needed a first baseman to replace Rip Collins, whose contract was purchased by the Cardinals after he batted .376 and hit 40 home runs for the Red Wings in 1930. The Cardinals, defending National League champions, would have future Hall of Famer Jim Bottomley and Collins at first base in 1931.

Giles told the Rochester Democrat-Chronicle, “George still feels he can play in the major leagues, but assured me if he decided to play in the minors that he would give Rochester first consideration.”

Sisler never had played in the minors, but when the Tigers and Dodgers failed to make offers, he agreed to sign with Rochester.

Sisler told the St. Louis Star-Times he was “sound and fit,” and could play for another five years.

“There are a number of clubs in the majors that could have used me,” Sisler said. “I’m still a good first baseman and can hit and field probably better than a number of the players who will be seen playing regularly in the American and National leagues next summer.”

Regarding going to the minors, Sisler said, “Baseball is baseball no matter where you play it. I probably will be just as happy over at Rochester as I might have been at Boston or some other places in the big leagues.”

Top of the heap

Sisler, 38, batted .303 for Rochester and was second on the club in hits (186) and doubles (37). Best of all, he got to play for a championship club. Rochester won the International League pennant for the fourth consecutive season.

In an editorial, the Post-Dispatch declared, “That such a pleasure has at last come to him as a member of the Rochester Red Wings will gladden the heart of many a St. Louis baseball fan who knew the work of the Browns’ former first baseman and held it in the highest esteem.”

Sisler “had a great deal to do” with the Red Wings winning the pennant, the Rochester Democrat-Chronicle reported. The Sporting News added Sisler “was a prominent factor” and “a good influence on the players.”

Limited mobility, however, hampered his fielding. His lack of range resulted in “a slower brand of baseball” at first base, the Rochester Democrat-Chronicle observed.

The Sporting News reported, “He was slow, and many plays, completed with ease and grace when he was in his prime, entailed extra effort.”

End of the line

As International League champions, Rochester advanced to play the American Association pennant-winning St. Paul Saints in the 1931 Junior World Series. In Game 1, Sisler singled in his first at-bat, but left because of a groin injury. He sat out the rest of the series, though Rochester prevailed.

Afterward, on Oct. 14, 1931, Sisler requested and got his unconditional release after he learned the club was planning to develop a younger player at first base for 1932, The Sporting News reported.

“I had an understanding at Rochester that if I wanted my release I could have it,” Sisler said to the Post-Dispatch.

In March 1932, Sisler became player-manager of the Shreveport team in the Texas League. He hit .287 in 70 games, and, at 39, was done as a player.

Posted in Hitters | 12 Comments »

Denis Menke had game-winning hits against Bob Gibson

December 20, 2020 by retrosimba

(Updated Nov. 25, 2024)

Denis Menke was a menace to Bob Gibson.

Menke was an infielder who played 13 seasons with the Braves (1962-67), Astros (1968-71, 1974) and Reds (1972-73). He also coached in the majors for 20 years.

Though he batted .184 against Gibson in his career, Menke delivered multiple game-winning hits to beat the Cardinals’ ace. The highlights:

_ A three-run home run against Gibson in a 6-3 Braves win in 1963.

_ Two home runs against Gibson to drive in all the runs in a 4-0 Braves win in 1966.

_ A two-run single against Gibson in a 3-2 Astros win in 1968.

In the book “Stranger to the Game,” Gibson’s friend and teammate Joe Torre said, “Denis Menke was one who hit Bob a little better than he should have.”

Menke told Joe Schuster of Cardinals Yearbook in 2018, “Any success I had against him (Gibson) might have involved more than just a little luck.”

Power provider

Born in Bancroft, Iowa, Menke developed into an amateur baseball standout and was signed by the Braves for $125,000 in May 1958. He made his debut in the majors with them in 1962.

Menke played all four infield positions, though his primary spot was shortstop.

In 1963, Braves manager Bobby Bragan put him at third base and moved the future Hall of Famer, Eddie Mathews, from third to left field.

On Aug. 9, 1963, in a Friday night game against the Cardinals at Milwaukee, the Braves featured a lineup with Hank Aaron, Mathews, Torre and Menke in the third through sixth spots in the batting order against Gibson.

In the second inning, Menke doubled and scored. In the third, he hit a three-run home run, giving the Braves a 6-0 lead. Menke’s homer provided them the margin of victory in a 6-3 win. Boxscore

Adjustments at-bat

Three years later, in 1966, the Braves relocated from Milwaukee to Atlanta. Menke had two big performances against the Cardinals that season.

The first was on June 5, a Sunday in Atlanta. Batting in the leadoff spot, Menke produced five hits and five RBI in the Braves’ 14-4 victory. He had a pair of singles against starter Al Jackson, a RBI-single versus Don Dennis, a three-run home run against Art Mahaffey and another RBI-single versus Hal Woodeshick. Boxscore

Two months later, the Braves fired Bobby Bragan and replaced him with Billy Hitchcock, who returned Menke to shortstop.

On Sept. 21, 1966, a Wednesday night in Atlanta, Gibson was seeking his 21st win of the season when he started for the Cardinals against the Braves.

Before the game, Hitchcock asked Menke to come to the ballpark early and review film of himself at the plate. “He could hardly believe what he saw,” Hitchcock told the Atlanta Constitution.

A right-handed batter, Menke was “pulling his left foot on almost every pitch. Bailing out, as the players say,” The Sporting News reported.

Hitchcock said, “The only pitch he could handle was the one in on him. Anything from the middle to the outside part of the plate, he just couldn’t reach.”

During batting practice that evening, Menke “concentrated on keeping his left foot in place, then stepping toward, or into, the pitch,” The Sporting News noted.

Gibson held the Braves hitless until, with two outs in the fifth, Menke lined a pitch to left. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the ball was “fair by inches” as it cleared the fence for a home run, giving the Braves a 1-0 lead. Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst said Menke was fooled by the pitch “and was stepping out when he hit it.”

In the seventh, Menke batted with runners on first and second, one out, and drove a Gibson pitch over the fence in left-center for a three-run home run and a 4-0 Braves lead. “He just hit a good pitch,” Schoendienst said.

Gibson limited the Braves to four hits in the game, but Menke’s two home runs supported the shutout pitching of Dick Kelley and gave the Braves the win. Boxscore

“Gibson pitched one heck of a game,” said Schoendienst. “He didn’t make any mistakes, really. That kid (Menke) just hit the ball. That’s all.”

Special delivery

Menke was dealt to the Astros after the 1967 season and became the second baseman in 1968 when Joe Morgan was sidelined because of a knee injury.

The 1968 season is when Gibson posted a 1.12 ERA and was the recipient of the National League Most Valuable Player Award and Cy Young Award, but Menke cost him a win that season.

On May 12, 1968, a Sunday in St. Louis, the Cardinals led the Astros, 2-1, when Menke faced Gibson in the seventh inning with the bases loaded and two outs.

Gibson’s first pitch to Menke was called a ball by plate umpire Bob Engel. Gibson told the Post-Dispatch, “The guy behind the plate was calling balls on pitches that were waist high. That’s what happened on Menke. The first pitch was a ball and I know it was a strike.”

The second pitch clearly was outside the strike zone, but instead of the count being 1-and-1, it was 2-and-0.

With the bases loaded, “I’m just trying to get the ball over” on the third pitch, Gibson said.

Menke hit it for a two-run single, giving the Astros a 3-2 lead.

Starter Larry Dierker held the Cardinals scoreless over the last three innings to seal the win for the Astros. Boxscore

Moving on

Menke was the Astros’ shortstop in 1969 and 1970, and was named to the National League all-star team both years.

Learning from Astros manager Harry Walker, the former Cardinal, how to hit to all fields, Menke led the club in hits (149) and RBI (90) in 1969, and in hits (171) and RBI (92) in 1970.

Traded with Morgan and others to the Reds in November 1971, Menke was their third baseman when they won consecutive division titles in 1972 and 1973. In the 1972 World Series versus the Athletics, Menke batted a mere .083, but he hit a home run against Catfish Hunter and fielded 29 chances flawlessly at third.

For his career, Menke produced 1,270 hits.

After three seasons as a minor-league manager, Menke was a coach in the majors with the Blue Jays (1980-81), Astros (1983-88), Phillies (1989-96) and Reds (1997-2000).

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents, Pitchers | 4 Comments »

Tommy Sandt had atypical stint in Cardinals system

December 17, 2020 by retrosimba

During his time in the Cardinals’ organization, Tommy Sandt won a labor grievance, played in the same infield with Tony La Russa and Jim Riggleman, and got traded for a pitcher who became a World Series hero.

Though he never played in the majors for the Cardinals, Sandt was in their farm system after being acquired from the Athletics.

It was an unconventional adventure.

Hanging in there

Sandt was chosen by the Athletics in the second round of the 1969 amateur baseball draft. He said he almost quit in 1973 when he was demoted from Class AA Birmingham to Class A Burlington, but Burlington manager Rene Lachemann convinced him to keep trying. “He saved my career,” Sandt told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Sandt hit .301 for Burlington and began to advance again. In 1975, his seventh season in the minors, Sandt was called up to the Athletics in June, made his debut in the majors as a defensive replacement at second base in a game against the Angels, and was sent back down. He hit .309 for Class AAA Tucson in 1975.

At spring training in 1976, Sandt was considered a longshot to earn a spot with the Athletics until he caught the attention of manager Chuck Tanner during a baserunning drill.

“The A’s wore white shoes then and I didn’t have any, so someone loaned me some new white shoes,” Sandt told the Pittsburgh Press. “I wore them to run the bases and came up with blisters. They started bleeding and Chuck told me to go in and change my shoes. I told him I’d gut it out. I didn’t know it, but Chuck told me later I made the club right there.”

Tanner confirmed to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, “Tommy made my club that day. I figured if a guy will do that, he must want it bad.”

Sandt spent the 1976 season with the Athletics as a backup to second baseman Phil Garner and shortstop Bert Campaneris, played in 41 games and hit .209.

Instead of it being the start to a playing career in the majors, it turned out to be the end.

Money matters

Though Jack McKeon had become Athletics manager after cash-strapped club owner Charlie Finley traded Tanner to the Pirates, Sandt figured to be back with the team in 1977.

At spring training, Sandt got into a contract squabble with Finley. Rather than negotiate, Finley invoked a clause to renew Sandt’s contract and cut his salary by more than 20 percent. Under baseball’s labor agreement with the players’ union, Finley had the right to renew Sandt’s contract but the maximum he could cut a salary was 20 percent.

Sandt filed a grievance. Finley retaliated by selling Sandt’s contract to the Cardinals on March 26, 1977.

Off and on

The Cardinals assigned Sandt, 26, to their Class AAA New Orleans farm club. New Orleans opened its season with a double-play combination of Tony La Russa at second and Sandt at shortstop. In a game against Iowa, Sandt and La Russa each hit a home run.

La Russa, in his final season as a player before embarking on a Hall of Fame managing career, also was serving as a coach for New Orleans manager Lance Nichols. Ken Oberkfell eventually took over at second base. La Russa managed New Orleans for five games while Nichols was treated for lymphoma.

In the book, “Tony La Russa: Man on a Mission,” Oberkfell recalled a lesson he learned from La Russa and Sandt after Oklahoma City baserunner Lonnie Smith upended him on a slide into second.

“I guess it was kind of a cheap shot, but I didn’t really know any better and I didn’t think anything about it,” Oberkfell said. “I got to the bench after the inning and Tony and Tommy Sandt came up to me and said, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll get him for you.’ I was like, ‘Get who for what?’ That was a part of the game I really didn’t know much about.”

On May 28, 1977, an arbitrator who reviewed Sandt’s grievance against Finley ruled in favor of Sandt, declared the contract invalid and made him a free agent.

Sandt left the New Orleans club and went home, hoping to field offers. The Cardinals showed the most interest, and on June 18, 1977, they signed Sandt and sent him back to New Orleans.

The Cardinals also promoted Jim Riggleman from Class AA to be the New Orleans third baseman. Riggleman, a future Cardinals coach and big-league manager, and Sandt provided pop in the lineup. Four times, they combined to hit home runs in the same game.

Sandt was called up by the Cardinals when rosters expanded in September 1977, but never played in a game for them.

Moving ahead

The Cardinals were loaded with infielders at the major-league and Class AAA levels in 1978, so they loaned Sandt to the Blue Jays. Sandt was assigned to Class AAA Syracuse, a club managed by Vern Benson, a former Cardinals player and coach. Sandt played second base next to the shortstop, basketball’s Danny Ainge.

With his path to the Cardinals blocked by better prospects, Sandt was traded to the Pirates on Jan. 25, 1979, for a minor-league pitcher, John Stuper.

Stuper got called up to the Cardinals in 1982, became a member of the starting rotation and earned a complete-game win in Game 6 of the World Series, positioning them to clinch the championship the next night.

After three more seasons as a player in the Pirates’ farm system, Sandt became a minor-league manager for them in 1982. He managed for five seasons, including at Hawaii, where he was named manager of the year in the Pacific Coast League and helped a promising prospect, Barry Bonds.

In 1987, Sandt became a coach on the staff of Pirates manager Jim Leyland. Sandt was a Pirates coach for Leyland from 1987-96. Leyland kept Sandt on his coaching staff when he managed the Marlins (1997-98) and Rockies (1999). Sandt also was a Pirates coach for managers Gene Lamont (2000) and Lloyd McClendon (2001-02).

On Twitter, Pirates broadcaster Greg Brown called Sandt “a brilliant baseball man and as humble as they come.”

Asked by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette what three words described him best, Sandt replied, “Fun-loving, emotional, dedicated.”

As a coach, Sandt developed a reputation for being a master at using the fungo stick to hit balls to players during fielding drills.

Another coach, Rich Donnelly, told the Miami Herald, “There’s no one better with a fungo. If the fungo was a sand wedge, Tommy Sandt would be Tiger Woods.”

Posted in Games, Hitters, Trades | 4 Comments »

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