RetroSimba

Mike Ryan and his links to Steve Carlton, Tim McCarver

July 23, 2020 by retrosimba

Mike Ryan connected with Steve Carlton behind the plate, not at the plate.

A catcher of superior defensive skills, Ryan played in the 1967 World Series for the Red Sox against the Cardinals.

Ryan played in 11 seasons in the big leagues because of his glove work and strong throwing arm. His career batting average with the Red Sox (1964-67), Phillies (1968-73) and Pirates (1974) was .193.

Ryan’s strength and weakness were illustrated by his interactions with Carlton. With the Phillies from 1968-71, Ryan was hitless in 26 at-bats against the Cardinals’ left-hander. When Carlton got traded to the Phillies in 1972, Ryan became one of his catchers in an award-winning season.

New England tough

Ryan was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts, about 35 miles north of Boston and near the border of New Hampshire. He grew up a Red Sox fan and took up catching when he was 9. “A catcher’s mitt wasn’t the first glove I owned, but it was my favorite,” Ryan told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I guess I liked the idea of being in on every play.”

A prominent sandlot player, Ryan signed with the Red Sox when he was 18 and played in their farm system from 1961-64.

On the last weekend of the 1964 season, injuries left the Red Sox short of catchers and they called up Ryan. Manager Billy Herman put him in the starting lineup in a Saturday game against the Senators at Boston’s Fenway Park. Bill Monbouquette pitched a shutout for the Red Sox. Ryan caught seven innings and drove in two runs in his major-league debut. Boxscore

With a Massachusetts accent described by the Philadelphia Inquirer as “thick as chowder,” Ryan was a natural for the Red Sox. He spent part of 1965 with them and was their Opening Day catcher in 1966 and 1967. In August 1967, the Red Sox acquired catcher Elston Howard from the Yankees and he supplanted Ryan as the starter for the pennant stretch.

Howard, 38, appealed to Red Sox manager Dick Williams more than Ryan, 25, did because Howard had played in nine World Series for the Yankees. Ryan objected to being displaced and spoke out about it. He considered himself a better defensive catcher than Howard, and Howard (.147) did even less at the plate for the Red Sox than Ryan did (.199).

“They put the screws to me around here,” Ryan told the Boston Globe.

The Red Sox clinched the American League pennant on the last day of the 1967 season. In the World Series versus the Cardinals, Howard did most of the catching. Ryan’s only appearance came in Game 4 at St. Louis when he replaced Howard in the fifth inning and went hitless in two at-bats against Bob Gibson. Boxscore

During the regular season, Red Sox ace Jim Lonborg, who won the 1967 American League Cy Young Award, started more games with Ryan as his catcher than he did with Elston Howard, or backups Russ Gibson and Bob Tillman.

In a tribute to Ryan in the Eagle-Tribune of North Andover, Massachusetts, Lonborg said, “He taught me what New England toughness was all about. Broken fingers, cracked ribs. The game must go on.”

Two months after the Cardinals prevailed in the 1967 World Series, Ryan was traded to the Phillies. “I’m glad to get away, to get a chance,” Ryan told the Boston Globe.

Good field, no hit

Ryan “has a strong arm, a sure glove and handled Boston’s young pitchers intelligently,” the Philadelphia Daily News noted.

He was the Phillies’ Opening Day catcher in 1968 and 1969. In the off-seasons, Ryan and his wife collected antiques. “The catcher has a poet’s soul,” wrote the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Bill Lyon.

Ryan led National League catchers in percentage of runners caught attempting to steal (57.6) in 1968 and in assists (79) in 1969, but his batting marks for those seasons were .179 and .204. “Mike Ryan can’t hit a lick and that’s the pity of it,” Bill Conlin of the Philadelphia Daily News wrote. “He’s tried a dozen stances and a jillion bats, but nothing has helped.”

Ryan told Sandy Padwe of the Philadelphia Inquirer, “There have been times I was so confused that I didn’t even know my name when I went up to bat. The whole thing is so frustrating. It takes so much out of you. Maybe I’m just not a hitter, but I can’t believe that.”

Collecting Cardinals

In October 1969, looking to get more production from the catcher position, the Phillies acquired Tim McCarver from the Cardinals and Ryan became a backup.

McCarver and Ryan were involved in a freak occurrence on May 2, 1970, in a game at San Francisco. In the sixth inning, a foul tip by Willie Mays fractured McCarver’s right hand. Ryan replaced him. After Mays singled and Willie McCovey doubled, Ken Henderson singled to right. Ron Stone’s throw to Ryan nailed McCovey at the plate, but Ryan fractured his left hand when spiked by McCovey. Boxscore

McCarver hit .287 in 1970 and .278 in 1971, but his defensive skills were slipping.

The Phillies acquired Steve Carlton from the Cardinals in February 1972. The deal reunited Carlton with McCarver, who was Carlton’s catcher with the Cardinals from 1965-69, but Phillies manager Frank Lucchesi was becoming disenchanted with McCarver’s weak throwing.

“If Mike Ryan had McCarver’s .280 bat, he would be a six-figure everyday player, a great star,” declared the Philadelphia Daily News. “If McCarver had Ryan’s sure, soft hands and lightning release, he’d be an all-star.”

Neither Carlton nor McCarver got off to a strong start with the 1972 Phillies. At the end of May, Carlton was 5-6 and McCarver was batting .208. “The Phillies watched McCarver three-hop balls to second and handle pitches as if they were live grenades while waiting for a bat which never came around,” according to the Philadelphia Daily News.

On June 14, 1972, McCarver was dealt to the Expos for catcher John Bateman.

Teaching and helping

With Bateman starting and Ryan backing up, Carlton had a big season (27-10, 1.97 ERA) for a bad team (59-97) and won the 1972 National League Cy Young Award. “I could have told the hitters what was coming and they still wouldn’t have touched Steve,” Ryan told The Sporting News. “He dominated hitters.”

In 1973, rookie Bob Boone became the Phillies’ catcher, Bateman departed and Ryan remained the backup. In two seasons (1972-73) together, Carlton and Ryan formed the Phillies’ battery in 10 games. Ryan also was reunited in 1973 with Lonborg, who was acquired by the Phillies.

Ryan finished his playing career in 1974 with the Pirates. He was a manager in the Pirates’ farm system for two years (1975-76) and mentored a teen catching prospect, Tony Pena. Ryan also managed Phillies minor-league teams for two seasons (1977-78) and helped advance the career of outfielder Lonnie Smith.

For 16 years (1980-95), Ryan was a Phillies coach. The Phillies got to the World Series three times in that stretch, including 1993, when their catcher was Darren Daulton, who bonded with Ryan. “He’s as solid as they come,” Daulton told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “How much do I think of him? I named my son for him: Zachary Ryan Daulton.”

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents | 4 Comments »

How Izzy made Cubs dizzy with doozy of a debut

July 20, 2020 by retrosimba

Before he became a Cardinals closer, Jason Isringhausen was a starting pitcher who appeared ready to anchor the Mets’ rotation for a long time.

On July 17, 1995, Isringhausen, 24, made his major-league debut in a start for the Mets against the Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Isringhausen, or Izzy as he became known to some, pitched impressively versus the Cubs, fulfilling lofty expectations after a stellar season in the minors, and went on to have a successful rookie year.

A right-hander, Isringhausen’s career went into reverse the following season when he had two arthroscopic surgeries _ one to repair a tear in his right shoulder and the other to remove bone chips in his right elbow.

Plagued by more illness and injuries, Isringhausen didn’t become an ace with the Mets, but he revived his career as a reliever with the Athletics before joining the Cardinals and becoming the franchise leader in career saves.

Longshot prospect

Isringhausen was born and raised in the village of Brighton, Ill., about 40 miles from St. Louis. He attended Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey, Ill., for two years and was an outfielder on its baseball team.

The Mets took Isringhausen in the 44th round of the 1991 June amateur baseball draft. He was the 1,157th player selected.

Converted to pitcher, Isringhausen made the most of the chance and rose through the Mets’ farm system as a starter. “The Mets are intrigued by the development” of Isringhausen, The Sporting News reported in May 1994.

In 1995, Isringhausen began the season at Class AA Binghamton and was 2-1 with a 2.85 ERA. Promoted to Class AAA Norfolk, he was 9-1 with a 1.55 ERA.

Amid much hype, Isringhausen made the leap from sleepy Brighton to bustling New York City when the Mets brought him to the majors in July 1995 and put him in their rotation.

Looking good

For his debut game in the big leagues, Isringhausen asked for uniform No. 44, a visual reminder of the high round he was drafted.

More than 30 friends and family members, including his father Chuck, celebrating his 54th birthday, made the 275-mile trek from Brighton to Chicago to see Isringhausen start against the Cubs on a Monday night.

Isringhausen didn’t disappoint. He retired the Cubs in order in six of his seven innings. The Cubs scored two runs, both in the fourth, on two hits and two walks. Otherwise, Isringhausen retired the first 10 batters as well as the last 10.

“It was much better than I expected,” Isringhausen told the New York Daily News. “It wasn’t easy. I worked my butt off. I was pretty nervous in the first inning, but after I got through the lineup one time I really calmed down.”

When Isringhausen departed after the seventh inning, the score was tied at 2-2. The Mets scored five times in the ninth for a 7-2 triumph. The win went to reliever Jerry DiPoto, who pitched two scoreless innings, but the story was Isringhausen. Boxscore

“The kid was everything they promised and more. Much more,” declared the Chicago Tribune.

Of the 25 batters Isringhausen faced, he threw 17 first-pitch strikes.

“The kid is real good,” said Mark Grace, whose single with one out in the fourth was the first hit against Isringhausen. “He had a great fastball and good curve. He still has to develop a third pitch, but if he does, then he’ll really be something. I have to say I was very impressed.”

Said Mets manager Dallas Green: “We know now he can pitch at the major-league level. He knows it now, too.”

First win

Isringhausen got no decision in his next start against the Rockies at Denver.

His third start, on July 30, 1995, versus the Pirates was his first in New York. Isringhausen pitched eight innings, yielded one run and got his first win in the majors. Boxscore

“Izzy had everything going, a good changeup, a real good curve and a good fastball,” said Mets catcher Alberto Castillo. “Everything he pitched, he put right in my glove.”

Said Dallas Green, “He’ll more than justify our faith in him. No question about that.”

After splitting his first four decisions, Isringhausen won his last seven in a row and finished 9-2 with a 2.81 ERA in 14 starts for the 1995 Mets.

Converted closer

At spring training in 1996, Isringhausen and two other young Mets starters, Bill Pulsipher and Paul Wilson, were drawing comparisons with the 1969 Mets trio of Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman and Nolan Ryan, but it didn’t work out. Isringhausen never had another wining season with the Mets.

After his shoulder and elbow surgeries in 1996, Isringhausen developed tuberculosis in 1997. He also broke his right wrist. He was sidelined all of the 1998 season after having reconstructive surgery on his right elbow.

In July 1999, the Mets traded Isringhausen (1-3, 6.41 ERA) to the Athletics, and the move saved his career. Isringhausen became a closer and in three seasons with the Athletics he produced 75 saves.

Granted free agency after the 2001 season, Isringhausen, 29, came close to accepting an offer from the Rangers, but signed instead with the Cardinals to play near home.

In seven seasons (2002-2008) with St. Louis, Isringhausen had a franchise-record 217 saves, including a league-leading 47 in 2004 when the Cardinals won the pennant.

Posted in Games, Pitchers | 5 Comments »

Chris Richard joined elite group of Cardinals sluggers

July 17, 2020 by retrosimba

After six seasons in the minors, Chris Richard got called up to the Cardinals and, on the first pitch he saw, showed he belonged in the major leagues.

On July 17, 2000, at Minneapolis, Richard hit a home run in his first plate appearance in the big leagues. It came on the first pitch of the second inning from Twins starter Mike Lincoln.

A left-handed batter who played first base and the outfield, Richard, 26, lasted two weeks with the Cardinals, but went on to play in the majors for five seasons.

Prospect with power

Richard was at Oklahoma State University when he was chosen by the Cardinals in the 19th round of the June 1995 amateur baseball draft. Multiple injuries, including a left shoulder tear requiring rotator cuff surgery, slowed his progress in the Cardinals’ system.

In 1999, Richard was injury-free for the first time in nearly two years and produced a successful season. At Arkansas, he led the club in home runs (29) and RBI (94) and batted .294.

With Memphis in 2000, Richard had 16 home runs and 75 RBI before he was called up to the Cardinals in July to fill in for outfielder J.D. Drew, who went on the disabled list because of a severely sprained left ankle.

Sweet swing

On the day Richard joined the Cardinals at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, manager Tony La Russa put him in the starting lineup as the left fielder, batting seventh.

After the Cardinals sent six batters to the plate in the first inning, Richard got his first chance to bat as the leadoff man in the second.

The first pitch to him was a fastball in the middle of the strike zone and Richard drove it to right-center. Twins center fielder Jacque Jones raced back in pursuit and reached over the short fence.

“I thought he was going to get it,” Richard told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Instead, the ball cleared the fence just before Jones tried to grab it with his glove. As the umpires signaled a home run, “I think I was just floating,” Richard said. “It was just unreal.” Video

Retired Twins outfielder Kirby Puckett later approached Richard and needled him. “If I had been playing center field, you’d have been 0-for-1,” Puckett said. Boxscore

Dream come true

Richard became the fourth Cardinals player, and the second in two weeks, to hit a home run in his first plate appearance in the majors. Catcher Keith McDonald achieved the feat on July, 4, 2000.

Since then, several others have done it for the Cardinals. The complete list:

_ Eddie Morgan, pinch-hitter, April 14, 1936, vs. Cubs.

_ Wally Moon, center fielder, April 13, 1954, vs. Cubs.

_ Keith McDonald, pinch-hitter, July 4, 2000, vs. Reds.

_ Chris Richard, left fielder, July 17, 2000, vs. Twins.

_ Gene Stechschulte, pinch-hitter, April 17, 2001, vs. Diamondbacks.

_ Hector Luna, second baseman, April 8, 2004, vs. Brewers.

_ Adam Wainwright, pitcher, May 24, 2006, vs. Giants.

_ Mark Worrell, pitcher, June 5, 2008, vs. Nationals.

_ Paul DeJong, pinch-hitter, May 28, 2017, vs. Rockies.

_ Lane Thomas, pinch-hitter, April 19, 2019, vs. Mets.

“You dream about that kind of stuff, but for it to happen, it’s unbelievable,” Richard said.

Name game

Richard had two hits and two walks in 18 plate appearances for the Cardinals before Drew came off the disabled list. Richard was assigned to Memphis when on July 29, 2000, the Cardinals traded him and pitcher Mark Nussbeck to the Orioles for reliever Mike Timlin.

The Orioles projected Richard as a player to help them rebuild. “We really hate to give him up,” Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty told the Post-Dispatch.

Viewing the trade as an opportunity to stick in the majors, Richard said to the Baltimore Sun, “I’ll have the chance to get some at-bats and get into some games. This team is going through a transition and it’s an atmosphere where we can kind of grow as a team.”

Orioles manager Mike Hargrove welcomed Richard, but told the Sun he was struggling to remember the newcomer’s name: “I told him, ‘I’m going to keep calling you Keith Richards for a while. Don’t get upset when it happens. I’m not even a fan of the Rolling Stones.”

Richard soon made a name for himself with the Orioles, hitting 13 home runs and batting .276 in 56 games in 2000. The next year, he led the Orioles in doubles (31) and tied for the club lead in home runs (15).

Besides the Cardinals and Orioles, Richard also played for the Rockies and Rays.

Posted in Games, Hitters, Records, Trades | 6 Comments »

Cardinals pitcher Bob Duliba experienced tragic accident

July 14, 2020 by retrosimba

On a journey to join in a happy occasion, Cardinals pitcher Bob Duliba was injured in a car accident in which two infants and a woman were killed.

On July 12, 1960, Duliba was driving from St. Louis to Kansas City to attend the wedding of teammate Ray Sadecki when his car skidded in the rain near Boonville, Mo., and was hit head-on by another vehicle.

In Duliba’s car were his wife, Alice, 21, and two other passengers, Sophie Wilga, 40, and her nine-month-old daughter, Anna Marie Wilga. The girl was killed in the accident, and Duliba and the two women were injured.

In the other car were the driver, Robert Haukap, 26, of Columbia, Mo.; his wife, Margie Haukap, 24; and their two sons, Robert Jr., 3, and nine-month-old Timothy. Killed in the accident were Timothy and his mother. Robert Jr. and his father were injured.

Duliba was charged with careless and reckless driving, but the misdemeanor charge was dismissed by a prosecutor when a jury couldn’t reach a verdict. Duliba resumed his playing career with the Cardinals and went on to pitch for three other big-league clubs.

Pitching prospect

Duliba was born in Glen Lyon, Pa., about 30 miles west of Scranton. He was 9 when his father, who worked in the coal mines, died.

In 1952, when Duliba was 17, he signed with the Cardinals. A right-handed pitcher, he played four seasons in their farm system before enlisting in the Marines in 1956. After three years in the Marines, Duliba returned to baseball with the Cardinals’ Omaha farm team in 1959.

The Cardinals promoted Duliba to the big leagues in August 1959 and he posted a 2.78 ERA in 11 relief appearances for them. Citing the young pitching talent available to the Cardinals, The Sporting News reported, “Among those who look like money in the bank are Bob Duliba, Bob Miller, Bob Gibson, Ernie Broglio and Marshall Bridges.”

In the fall of 1959, the Cardinals brought Duliba to their Florida Instructional League club to have a couple of tutors, former pitchers Johnny Grodzicki and Howie Pollet, work on improving his curveball. “We certainly feel they helped him,” said Cardinals general manager Bing Devine.

Heading into spring training in 1960, Cardinals manager Solly Hemus said he was counting on Lindy McDaniel, Duliba and Bridges to be the club’s top relievers.

In the first half of the 1960 season, Duliba, 25, made 27 relief appearances for the Cardinals and was 4-4 with a 4.20 ERA.

At the all-star break, Duliba prepared to attend Ray Sadecki’s July 13 wedding.

Highway horror

At about 7 p.m. on July 12, Duliba was driving west on U.S. Highway 40, about 10 miles past Columbia, Mo., when he lost control of the car on a curve in a rainstorm, a state trooper told the Kansas City Times.

Duliba’s passenger, Sophie Wilga, testified in magistrate court that the road was slick and the vehicle began skidding, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. Wilga said Duliba’s car came to a stop in the wrong lane immediately before being struck by the car driven by Robert Haukap.

According to the Kansas City Times, Robert Haukap was an engineering student at the University of Missouri and worked for the State Highway department. He suffered a back injury, concussion and cuts in the accident.

His son, Robert Haukap Jr., suffered cuts and bruises.

Duliba’s wife, Alice, fractured her pelvis.

Sophie Wilga, who suffered cuts in the accident, was a former neighbor of Ray Sadecki. She planned to visit family in Kansas City with her daughter after attending the wedding. She was traveling with the Dulibas because her husband Stanley, a grain inspector, had to work in St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch reported.

Duliba suffered multiple injuries, including five rib fractures, a concussion, cuts and a bruised kidney, The Sporting News reported. The Cardinals declared him inactive for the remainder of the 1960 season.

Case in court

On Aug. 12, 1960, in the Boone County magistrate court, Duliba was charged with careless and reckless driving after a coroner’s jury held him responsible for the accident, citing his car being in the wrong lane when struck. Duliba posted a $100 bond and pleaded not guilty.

According to the Post-Dispatch, Haukap had no recollection of the accident, his attorney, James L. Walsh, said at the inquest.

Duliba declined to testify at the inquest on advice of his attorney, Arnold J. Willman, the St. Louis Globe-Democrat reported. According to the Post-Dispatch, Willman said his client had no auto insurance because he couldn’t afford it.

Willman requested a jury trial and a change of venue. His requests were granted, and the case was shifted from Columbia, Mo., to Fayette, Mo.

A month later, on Oct. 17, 1960, the charge against Duliba was dismissed. Prosecuting attorney Larry Woods of Boone County recommended dismissal after the trial in magistrate court resulted in a hung jury, the Post-Dispatch reported.

Playing again

Duliba recovered from his injuries and played winter ball in Venezuela with Cardinals teammate Bob Gibson before reporting to spring training in 1961. Duliba spent the 1961 season in the minors and made 59 relief appearances.

Back in the minors at the start of the 1962 season, Duliba, 27, got called up to the Cardinals in July. In his first appearance in the majors since the accident, he worked two scoreless innings in relief of Gibson. Boxscore

On July 19, 1962, Duliba got his first save for the Cardinals in three years when he sealed a win for Sadecki against the Cubs. Boxscore

Duliba was 2-0 with two saves and a 2.06 ERA in 28 relief appearances for the 1962 Cardinals.

He figured to be in the club’s plans for 1963, but on April 5 he was optioned to the minors. Duliba “angrily demanded the Cardinals trade him,” the Globe-Democrat reported, and he was sent to the Angels for pitcher Bob Botz.

In three seasons with the Cardinals, Duliba was 6-5 with three saves and a 3.07 ERA in 66 relief appearances. He went on to pitch for the Angels (1963-64), Red Sox (1965) and Athletics (1967). His best season was 1964 when he was 6-4 with nine saves in 58 games for the Angels.

Posted in Games, Pitchers | 8 Comments »

Red Schoendienst and his Ruthian feat as an all-star

July 11, 2020 by retrosimba

Cardinals second baseman Red Schoendienst showed a slugger’s swagger when brought together with baseball’s best.

On July 11, 1950, Schoendienst hit a towering home run in the 14th inning to lift the National League to victory in the All-Star Game at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The feat captured the attention of a nation watching the first televised All-Star Game.

A switch-hitter, Schoendienst’s style was to spray doubles to the gaps rather than bash balls over walls, but he had a feeling he could muscle up that day. According to multiple published reports, Schoendienst, in an uncharacteristic burst of Babe Ruthian bravado, called his game-winning home run before he went to the plate.

Powerful premonition

Schoendienst, 27, was a reserve on the 1950 National League all-star roster. Fans voted Jackie Robinson of the Dodgers to be the starting second baseman. Also selected as starters were three of Schoendienst’s Cardinals teammates: shortstop Marty Marion, first baseman Stan Musial and outfielder Enos Slaughter.

In his autobiography, “Red: A Baseball Life,” Schoendienst said he was shagging fly balls in the outfield before the game when he turned to his teammates and said if he got to play, “I’m going to hit one right up there, in the upper deck.”

The comment drew laughter from the other players, Schoendienst said. He’d hit a mere three home runs in the first half of the regular season and his long balls usually were line drives rather than majestic clouts.

From his seat on the bench, Schoendienst watched as the National League’s reigning home run king, Ralph Kiner of the Pirates, hit a ball deep to left field in the first inning. Ted Williams of the Red Sox crashed into the wall as he made the catch. Williams felt intense pain in his left arm, but stayed in the game, played eight innings and produced a hit and a RBI. The next day, X-rays revealed Williams fractured his left elbow in colliding with the wall and needed surgery to remove several bone fragments.

During the game, Schoendienst reiterated his home run prediction. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, he pointed to the upper deck and told teammates in the dugout, “I wish they’d give me a chance. I’d put one up there.”

The Sporting News reported Schoendienst said, “I’m going to surprise all you by hitting a homer if I ever get into this fight.”

Late entry

With the American League ahead, 3-2, Kiner led off the top of the ninth and hit a fastball from Art Houtteman of the Tigers into the upper deck in left for a home run, tying the score.

After the American League batters went down in order in the bottom half of the ninth, extra innings were played in an All-Star Game for the first time.

In the 11th, National League manager Burt Shotton of the Dodgers made a controversial decision. With one out, and runners on first and second, Shotton sent Johnny Wyrostek of the Reds to bat for Jackie Robinson against Yankees right-hander Allie Reynolds. Shotton made the move because Wyrostek batted from the left side, but he removed the reigning National League batting champion.

Wyrostek flied out to center and the National League failed to score. With Robinson out of the game, Schoendienst went in to play second base in the bottom half of the 11th.

Getting his pitch

Schoendienst got his first chance to bat leading off the top of the 14th against left-hander Ted Gray of the Tigers. Schoendienst hit most of his home runs from the left side, but against Gray he batted right-handed.

He fouled off the first pitch from Gray and took the second for a ball, evening the count. Plate umpire Babe Pinelli called the next one a strike, but Schoendienst thought it was outside the zone and beefed a little. “A little beefing is a lot from mild-mannered Schoendienst,” the Post-Dispatch reported. The next pitch was wide, making the count 2-and-2.

Schoendienst said he looked for Gray to throw a fastball over the plate rather than risk running the count full. Gray grooved one and Schoendienst hit a mighty blow. The ball was 50 feet high at the 360-foot marker when it went into the upper deck seats in left for a home run, the Detroit Free Press reported. Video

Gray told the Associated Press the pitch was a “low, fast one.” The Free Press described it as a sidearm curve.

When Schoendienst was asked about the pitch, he jokingly called it a “double knuckleball.” According to the Chicago Tribune, when it was suggested the pitch may have been a fastball, Schoendienst replied, “A fastball? It couldn’t have been very fast. I pulled it.”

The home run put the National League ahead, 4-3. In the bottom half of the 14th, the American League had one out and Ferris Fain of the Athletics on first when the Yankees’ Joe DiMaggio came to the plate against Ewell Blackwell of the Reds.

Making his final appearance as an all-star, DiMaggio got a curve to his liking. “I was swinging for distance,” he told the Tribune. Instead, he bounced the ball to third baseman Willie “Puddin’ Head” Jones, who threw to Schoendienst for the force on Fain. Schoendienst whipped a throw to Musial at first to nip DiMaggio and complete the game-ending double play. Boxscore

Schoendienst played in the All-Star Game nine times and hit .190. The home run in the 1950 game was his only career RBI as an all-star.

Posted in Games, Hitters | 6 Comments »

Mike McCormick worked magic versus 1967 Cardinals

July 9, 2020 by retrosimba

In the year he won the National League Cy Young Award, Mike McCormick did his part to try to enable the Giants to keep pace with the Cardinals in the pennant race, but he didn’t get enough help from a pair of future Hall of Famers on the pitching staff.

McCormick, a left-hander, pitched 16 years in the major leagues. He had his best season in 1967 when he was 22-10 with a 2.85 ERA for the Giants.

Relying on a screwball to keep batters off stride, McCormick was 3-0 in three starts against the 1967 Cardinals.

The Cardinals finished with a 101-60 record, 10.5 games ahead of the second-place Giants (91-71). One reason the Giants couldn’t catch the Cardinals was the performances of two starters destined for Cooperstown, Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry. Marichal was 0-2 versus the Cardinals in 1967 and Perry was 0-5.

ERA leader

A baseball standout from Alhambra, Calif., McCormick was 17 when he signed with the Giants for $50,000 in August 1956. He went directly to the majors and made his debut with a scoreless inning of relief versus the Phillies on Sept. 3, 1956. “He could really throw when I first saw him,” Giants second baseman Red Schoendienst told The Sporting News.

McCormick’s first decision in the big leagues was a loss to the Cardinals in a start on Sept. 15, 1956, at the Polo Grounds in New York. Alvin Dark, who became McCormick’s manager with the 1961-62 Giants, hit a home run against him. Boxscore

The Giants moved from New York to San Francisco after the 1957 season. At their Bay Area home, McCormick and his wife became collectors of antique clocks. “I specialize in school and railroad clocks from the period between 1860 and 1880,” McCormick told The Sporting News.

In 1960, McCormick led the National League in ERA at 2.70. The runner-up was the Cardinals’ Ernie Broglio (2.74). Hall of Fame left-hander Carl Hubbell, the Giants’ farm director, told the Sporting News, “McCormick has a lot of what I call pitching instinct. He doesn’t have a set pattern for pitching to any particular hitter, but he senses what to throw next. Mike amazes me with his poise and control.”

Two years later, the Giants won the National League pennant, but McCormick, who developed a left shoulder injury, was limited to 98.2 innings and had a 5-5 record. He didn’t pitch in the World Series against the Yankees.

After the season, the Giants traded him to the Orioles. “He had a sore arm, a hot temper and a fastball he thought he could throw past any batter,” The Sporting News noted.

Continuing to experience shoulder pain, McCormick was 6-8 for the Orioles in 1963 and 0-2 in 1964 before he was demoted to the minors. In April 1965, the Orioles dealt McCormick to the Senators and he was 19-22 for them over two seasons before being traded back to the Giants in December 1966.

“We think he can help us in relief and as a spot starter,” said Giants general manager Chub Feeney.

Pitching lessons

No longer a power pitcher, McCormick, 29, relied on control and changing speeds in his second stint with the Giants.

It wasn’t an easy transition. Because of rainouts and days off, he made a mere two starts in April 1967. At the end of May, his record was 3-2 with a 4.64 ERA and manager Herman Franks sent him to the bullpen. One of McCormick’s relief appearances came June 16, 1967, against the Cardinals. He pitched 4.1 innings and allowed one run. Boxscore

Returned to the starting rotation, McCormick won seven consecutive decisions from June 19 to July 15. One of those wins was June 27, 1967, a shutout versus the Cardinals at St. Louis. McCormick scattered seven hits and walked none. In contrast, Cardinals starter Steve Carlton walked six in 4.2 innings and gave up four runs. Boxscore

Cardinals hitting coach Dick Sisler said batters made the mistake of trying to pull McCormick’s screwball.

“You can’t play long ball against a screwball,” Sisler told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “You’ve got to hit to the opposite field.”

Doing his part

On Aug. 10, 1967, the Giants opened a four-game series against the Cardinals at St. Louis. The Giants were nine games behind the first-place Cardinals and needed to win the series if they were going to challenge for the pennant. “If anybody can catch them, it’s us,” McCormick said.

Hoping to set the tone, McCormick prevailed in the opener, limiting the Cardinals to six hits in a 5-2 victory.

“When he makes you hit his pitch, he’s got you,” Sisler said. “When he wins, I’d say that nine out of 10 batters swing at bad pitches.” Boxscore

Unfazed, the Cardinals won the final three games of the series, beating Gaylord Perry and two former Cardinals, Lindy McDaniel and McCormick’s road roommate, Ray Sadecki. The Giants left St. Louis 11 games behind with 47 left to play.

Top of his game

McCormick faced the Cardinals for the final time in 1967 on Aug. 23 at San Francisco and beat them again, pitching another shutout. His ERA versus the Cardinals for the season was 0.86. Boxscore

“McCormick has done about all he can to stall the Cardinals’ pennant express,” declared the Post-Dispatch.

Said Cardinals outfielder Roger Maris: “He’s always on the borderline with his pitches. He’s on the inside corner or the outside corner, or right on the borderline high or low, but he never has thrown me a pitch down the middle of the plate.”

In games not started by McCormick, the Giants were 4-11 versus the Cardinals in 1967.

McCormick led the league in wins (22) and became the first Giants left-hander with 20 in a season since Johnny Antonelli in 1956. In winning the Cy Young Award, McCormick got 18 of 20 votes from the baseball writers.

McCormick followed the 1967 season with 12 wins for the Giants in 1968 and 11 in 1969 before he was traded to the Yankees in 1970. His last season in the majors was 1971 with the Royals. He finished with a career record of 134-128.

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