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Eddie Kasko rose to rescue as Cardinals rookie

July 6, 2020 by retrosimba

As third baseman for the 1957 Cardinals, rookie Eddie Kasko helped them transform from underachievers to contenders.

During his career in the major leagues, Kasko was a player, manager and scout. As a shortstop, he was a National League all-star and played in the World Series.

A fielder with sure hands and a strong arm, Kasko’s ability to play third base and hit productively for the Cardinals in 1957 enabled them to move Ken Boyer to center field and strengthen the lineup.

Feeling at home

Kasko was raised in Linden, N.J., a town with a large Polish-American population. His family name was Kosko, but his birth certificate mistakenly listed him as Kasko and he never changed it, The Sporting News reported.

A baseball talent at the high school and sandlot levels, Kasko attended Cardinals tryout camps in New Jersey when he was 18, but scout Benny Borgmann suggested he come back in a year, according to The Sporting News. Instead, Kasko launched his career in the minor leagues. After three seasons (1949-51) in the minors, Kasko went into the Army for two years (1952-53) and was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.

After his discharge, Kasko resumed his career in the minors at Richmond, Va., in 1954. Richmond became an important place for Kasko. He met a William & Mary College student, Catherine, who became his wife, and they made Richmond their home. The Richmond team was managed by Hall of Fame shortstop Luke Appling, who became a mentor to Kasko and taught him to play the position.

Kasko played two seasons (1954-55) for Appling at Richmond and developed a reputation as the best fielder in the International League.

One of the teams in the league was Rochester, a Cardinals farm club. During the 1955 season, Rochester general manager George Sisler Jr. and manager Dixie Walker suggested the Cardinals try to acquire Kasko, The Sporting News reported. The Cardinals sent scout Walter Shannon to Richmond to evaluate Kasko. Based on Shannon’s report, the Cardinals purchased Kasko’s contract in October 1955.

“I owe a lot to Richmond,” Kasko said. “That’s where the Cardinals found me and that’s where I found Catherine.”

Prime prospect

The Cardinals assigned Kasko to Rochester in 1956, and manager Dixie Walker worked with Kasko, a right-handed batter, to be more aggressive at the plate.

“At Richmond, I’d been taking a lot of pitches because Luke Appling had been that kind of hitter, a clever two-strike hitter,” Kasko told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “but Walker told me I wasn’t any Appling and couldn’t afford to give the pitcher an edge. He told me to come off the bench swinging.”

Kasko followed Walker’s advice and batted .303 with 179 hits in 147 games for Rochester. He also continued to dazzle with his fielding and throwing.

Good impression

After the 1956 season, Kasko played winter ball in Cuba. Cardinals general manager Frank Lane, manager Fred Hutchinson and scout Al Hollingsworth went to Havana and became convinced Kasko could play in the majors.

Hollingsworth referred to Kasko as “Mr. Automatic” because of his flawless fielding and said he was the best player he saw in the Caribbean. “There’s no doubt that defensively he is ready right now,” Hollingsworth told The Sporting News.

Lane said, “He can run, throw, go into the hole and make the plays … He showed he could handle a bat somewhat like Alvin Dark, hitting behind the runner.”

Kasko, 25, played well at Cardinals spring training in 1957 and made the Opening Day roster as the backup to Dark at shortstop. Lane had been talking to the Cubs about a deal of Dark for pitcher Bob Rush, but the Cubs wanted Kasko, according to the St. Louis Globe-Democrat.

Getting a chance

The 1957 Cardinals struggled early. With the club record at 13-16, Cardinals owner Gussie Busch held a meeting on May 21, 1957, with Lane, his assistant, Bing Devine, executive Dick Meyer and Walter Shannon, who had become farm director. They decided Hutchinson needed to shake up the lineup.

Lane relayed the directive to Hutchinson, who made multiple changes, including moving Ken Boyer from third base to center field to replace the slumping Bobby Gene Smith. Kasko replaced Boyer at third base.

“The position didn’t frighten me,” Kasko said. “Just getting to play was what I had been wanting.”

Bespectacled, balding and quiet, Kasko wasn’t an intimidating presence, but his performance delivered the desired results.

From May 23, when the lineup changes were implemented, until Aug. 5, the 1957 Cardinals were 50-25. The surge gave them an overall record of 63-41 and put them into contention for the National League pennant.

The Cardinals finished in second place at 87-67. Kasko made 117 starts at third base and appeared in 134 games. He batted .273 overall, including .341 versus left-handers. The Sporting News named him third baseman on its all-rookie team.

Change in plans

Instead of playing winter ball after the 1957 season, Kasko stayed in Richmond and worked as a men’s clothing salesman at a department store.

At spring training in 1958, Hutchinson said he intended to open the regular season with Boyer in center, Dark at third and Kasko at shortstop. Kasko had more range than Dark, Hutchinson said.

The plan changed when Kasko batted .141 in spring training. When the 1958 season opened, Dark was at shortstop, Boyer was back at third, Bobby Gene Smith returned to center and Kasko was on the bench.

On May 20, 1958, the Cardinals traded Dark to the Cubs for pitcher Jim Brosnan. Dick Schofield became the Cardinals’ shortstop but struggled to hit and Kasko became the starter at the end of May.

Kasko also slumped at the plate and in July he was replaced by Ruben Amaro.

Kasko hit .220 in 104 games for the 1958 Cardinals. He made 64 starts at shortstop. After the season, Kasko, Del Ennis and Bob Mabe were traded by the Cardinals to the Reds for George Crowe, Alex Grammas and Alex Kellner.

Hutchinson, fired by the Cardinals near the end of the 1958 season, became Reds manager in July 1959 and made Kasko the Reds’ shortstop. “If a guy can’t play for him,” Kasko said, “he just can’t play.”

In 1961, the Reds won the pennant and Kasko was named to the National League all-star team. In the World Series versus the Yankees, Kasko led the Reds in hits (seven) and batted .318.

In five seasons (1959-63) with the Reds, Kasko hit .277. He finished his playing career with the Astros and Red Sox.

After managing in their farm system for three seasons (1967-69), Kasko became Red Sox manager. He led them to winning records in each of his four seasons (1970-73) and was 345-295.

“I learned more from Eddie Kasko in nine minutes than I did in all my years under all the other managers who have handled this club,” outfielder Carl Yastrzemski told the Boston Globe.

Red Sox catcher Jerry Moses said Kasko “has the greatest mind in baseball.”

After managing, Kasko became a Red Sox scout before being promoted to their front office as director of scouting and then vice president of player personnel.

Posted in Hitters | 2 Comments »

How Mike Morgan made his masterpiece vs. Montreal

July 3, 2020 by retrosimba

Mike Morgan delivered a special performance for the Cardinals at a special time in his life.

On July 3, 1995, Morgan came close to pitching a no-hitter. He held the Expos hitless until giving up an infield single with one out in the ninth at Busch Stadium.

Morgan’s gem capped a life-altering three-week stretch in which he became a father for the first time and got dealt from the Cubs to the Cardinals.

Trial and tribulation

A right-handed pitcher, Morgan was 18 when he was selected by the Athletics in the first round of the 1978 amateur baseball draft. He went directly from high school in Las Vegas to the big leagues and made his debut with the Athletics in a start against the Orioles on June 11, 1978.

Morgan embarked on an odyssey, pitching for the Athletics (1978-79), Yankees (1982), Blue Jays (1983), Mariners (1985-87), Orioles (1988), Dodgers (1989-91) and Cubs (1992-95). The Cardinals were the eighth of 12 teams he pitched for in the majors.

The most successful seasons Morgan had were 1991 with the Dodgers (14-10, 2.78 ERA) and 1992 with the Cubs (16-8, 2.55).

His most trying year was 1994. His mother had stomach surgery, his father developed a brain aneurysm and his wife suffered a miscarriage. Morgan was the Cubs’ Opening Day starter, went on the disabled list three times for multiple physical ailments as well as emotional stress, and finished the strike-shortened season with a 2-10 record and 6.69 ERA.

When the 1995 season began, Morgan was on the disabled list again with an injured rib cage, but his outlook brightened in late May. Morgan’s wife, who got pregnant again in October, was progressing encouragingly and Morgan returned to the Cubs’ rotation.

After winning two of three decisions for the 1995 Cubs, Morgan told The Sporting News, “If I’m healthy, I can pitch with anyone, and right now I’m healthy.”

The Cubs came close to dealing Morgan to the Phillies, prompting him to say, “I don’t want to go anywhere. Four years are the longest I’ve been with one club. These are my friends. They’re great dudes.”

Big changes

On the morning of June 16, 1995, Morgan was with his wife, who had gone into labor, at a hospital near their home in Utah. Soon after his wife gave birth to their first child, a girl, Morgan got a phone call from the Cubs. Expecting congratulations, Morgan instead was told he’d been traded to the Cardinals with two minor-league prospects for first baseman Todd Zeile. Morgan also learned the Cardinals had fired manager Joe Torre.

Morgan said goodbye to his wife and daughter, and dutifully reported to St. Louis, where two days later, June 18, 1995, he started for the Cardinals and took the loss against the Giants. Boxscore

He earned a complete-game win versus the Phillies in his second start and lost to the Astros in his third, giving him a 1-2 mark and 4.19 ERA with the Cardinals.

Taking control

Morgan, 35, made his next start against the Expos on a Monday night in St. Louis.

The Cardinals got a run in the first and five in the eighth, including John Mabry’s first home run in the big leagues, while Morgan kept the overeager Expos from getting a hit, enticing them to chase pitches.

“This is precisely the kind of guy who gives an undisciplined team like ours trouble,” Expos manager Felipe Alou told the Montreal Gazette.

The Expos didn’t get a ball out of the infield until Darrin Fletcher lined out to left in the eighth. Fletcher described Morgan’s pitches as “a little cutter away, a sinker away, a little harder sinker. Nothing inside.”

Rondell White, one of the Expos’ top hitters, said, “You get anxious because he’s not doing anything but throwing the ball to the outside. You’re up there hoping you get that fastball, just one of them, but it never comes.”

White hit a groundball in the eighth between first and second. Ranging to his left, second baseman Geronimo Pena gloved the ball, spun and threw blindly to first. The throw was wide and low, pulling first baseman Danny Sheaffer off the bag.

Official scorer Jack Herman gave an error to Pena. “I thought he had time to make a good throw,” Herman told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He also admitted to the Montreal Gazette, “I might have scored it differently if it wasn’t a no-hitter.”

Alou called the ruling “an insult.” Morgan said, “Let’s face it, that ball gets hit like that in Montreal and it’s scored a hit.”

The next batter, Jeff Treadway, hit a drive to deep center. Brian Jordan raced to the wall and made a twisting catch.

Tough play

In the ninth, after Curtis Pride led off and flied out to left, Tony Tarasco drew a walk and Wil Cordero came to the plate.

Cordero hit a grounder down the third-base line. Scott Cooper grabbed the ball with his bare hand and fired a low throw to Sheaffer, who scooped it out of the dirt as Cordero streaked across the bag for a single.

Umpire Wally Bell told the Post-Dispatch, “I don’t think he would have beaten it out if the throw was good.”

Sheaffer said, “He had it beat, no question.”

Said Morgan: “Cooper did everything he could.”

With the no-hit bid gone, Jeff Parrett, a former Expo, relieved Morgan and secured the win, striking out David Segui and getting Moises Alou to ground out. Boxscore

Morgan lost his next four decisions and didn’t win again until Aug. 25. He was 5-6 with a 3.88 ERA for the 1995 Cardinals.

In 1996, Morgan was 4-8 with a 5.24 ERA for the Cardinals before he was released in August. He went on to pitch for the Reds (1996-97), Twins (1998), Cubs again (1998), Rangers (1999) and Diamondbacks (2000-2002).

With the 2001 Diamondbacks, Morgan, 42, got to the World Series for the first and only time. He made three relief appearances versus the Yankees and held them scoreless over 4.2 innings.

Morgan finished his career in the majors with a 141-186 record.

Posted in Games, Pitchers | 6 Comments »

The day Cardinals called Sportsman’s Park their home

July 1, 2020 by retrosimba

(Updated Nov. 24, 2024)

An impressive collection of managerial talent participated in an important game in the evolution of the Cardinals.

The Cardinals played a regular-season home game at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis for the first time on July 1, 1920.

In addition to managers Branch Rickey of the Cardinals and George Gibson of the Pirates, seven of the players in the game went on to manage in the big leagues.

Moving in

The Cardinals had been playing their home games at dilapidated Robison Field until club owner Sam Breadon convinced his counterpart with the American League Browns, Sportsman’s Park landlord Phil Ball, to take in the cash-strapped Cardinals as a tenant.

The move to renting at Sportsman’s Park enabled Breadon to demolish Robison Field and sell most of the property to the city of St. Louis for $200,000 and sell the rest of the land for $75,000 to a trolley company.

On June 6, 1920, a Sunday afternoon, the Cardinals played their last game at Robison Field before going on a road trip for the rest of the month. Boxscore.

When the Cardinals got back from the trip, their first game at Sportsman’s Park was scheduled for a Thursday afternoon against the Pirates.

Attracting a crowd

The Pirates vs. Cardinals game was the feature of a program of events held at Sportsman’s Park that day to benefit the St. Louis Tuberculosis Society.

Described by the St. Louis Star-Times as an “athletic carnival.” the program included a five-inning matchup between Army and Navy baseball teams and the completion of a high school boys’ road run. The Navy beat the Army, 7-5. The game between the Pirates and Cardinals was scheduled to follow at 4 p.m.

According to an advertisement in The Sporting News, the price for a ticket to the day’s entire program ranged from 50 cents to $1.50.

Customers poured into Sportsman’s Park early. By 2 p.m., “the reserved seats were taken,” the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Those with tickets for unreserved seats, referred to by the Post-Dispatch as “the unseated mob,” preferred standing room on the field to the “sun-baked bleachers” and they “swarmed into roped off areas” on both sides of left and right fields.

When the game began, attendance was 20,000, the Star-Times estimated.

Lots of leaders

Lineups for the two teams featured these future big-league managers:

_ Pirates center fielder Max Carey, who became manager of the Dodgers (1932-33).

_ Pirates right fielder Billy Southworth, who became manager of the Cardinals (1929 and 1940-45) and Braves (1946-51). Southworth managed the Cardinals to three National League pennants and two World Series titles. He also won a pennant with the Braves.

_ Pirates shortstop Bill McKechnie, who became manager of the Pirates (1922-26), Cardinals (1928-29), Braves (1930-37) and Reds (1938-46). McKechnie managed the Cardinals to the 1928 pennant. He also won a pennant and World Series title with the Pirates, and two pennants and a World Series championship with the Reds.

_ Pirates first baseman Charlie Grimm, a St. Louis native who became manager of the Cubs (1932-38, 1944-49 and 1960) and Braves (1952-56). Grimm managed the Cubs to three pennants.

_ Cardinals left fielder Burt Shotton, who became manager of the Phillies (1928-33), Reds (1934) and Dodgers (1947-50). Shotton managed the Dodgers to two pennants.

_ Cardinals second baseman Rogers Hornsby, who became manager of the Cardinals (1925-26), Giants (1927), Braves (1928), Cubs (1930-32), Browns (1933-37 and 1952) and Reds (1952-53). Hornsby managed the Cardinals to their first pennant and World Series title in 1926.

_ Cardinals third baseman Milt Stock, who managed the Pirates for one game in 1951 and was a longtime coach in the majors.

Five of the participants in the game _ Carey, Hornsby, McKechnie, Rickey and Southworth _ would be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Carey and Hornsby got in as players, Southworth and McKechnie as managers and Rickey as an administrator.

Pirates prevail

The Pirates led, 2-0, through seven innings, but the Cardinals got a run in the eighth and another in the ninth, tying the score at 2-2.

In the 10th, Cardinals starter Ferdie Schupp was relieved by Bill Sherdel, whose “slants were eaten up like hot waffles,” according to the Pittsburgh Daily Post.

Carey led off with a single to left and Southworth struck out looking. Possum Whitted singled to right and Carey dashed to third, beating the throw of right fielder Joe Schultz.

Whitted rounded first on the play, drawing a throw from third baseman Milt Stock. Carey broke for home as Stock’s throw went to first baseman Jack Fournier. Whitted got back to the bag safely and Fournier hurried a throw toward home plate, hoping to nail Carey.

“Fournier should have had him by 40 feet,” the Pittsburgh Press declared, but the low toss eluded catcher Verne Clemons. As the ball rolled toward a dugout, Carey crossed the plate, putting the Pirates ahead, 3-2, and Whitted went to third.

Rattled, Sherdel walked McKechnie. Grimm doubled to center, scoring Whitted and giving the Pirates a 4-2 lead. The Pirates scored twice more against Sherdel and went on to a 6-2 victory. Boxscore

Though the outcome of their first game at Sportsman’s Park wasn’t what the Cardinals wanted, the move there was hailed as a positive for the franchise.

In its July 8, 1920, edition, The Sporting News reported, “Everyone seems happy over the shift of the Cards to the Browns’ park. The attendance at the games played there has been all that could be asked for by the club management, and everything has run smoothly to date.”

St. Louis fans of both the Browns and Cardinals, however, had a reputation for being tough on visiting players.

In his book “Busting ‘Em,” Ty Cobb said, “The two worst towns on the American League circuit for rooters riding visiting ballplayers are St. Louis and Philadelphia.”

Regarding fans in St. Louis, Cobb said, “It seems as if about half the spectators there attend the game for the fun of panning the visiting players. The names that the occupants of the bleachers call the outfielders could not be printed on asbestos paper. If they ever get a winner in St. Louis, every visiting ballplayer will have to have police protection each time the home club loses a close game.”

In the book “The Glory of Their Times,” Pirates right fielder Paul Waner recalled that when he reached the majors in 1926 his teammates warned him about the fans in St. Louis.

“So the first time we went into St. Louis, I figured if they jumped on me I’d have a little fun,” Waner said. “Sure enough, as soon as I showed up in right field, they started in and gave me a terrible roasting. I turned around and yelled, ‘They told me about all you fans in St. Louis, that all the drunken bums in the city come here, and now that I’m here, I see it’s true.’ Oh, did they scream!”

Waner said months later he won over the fans in St. Louis when he handed a ball to “some old fellow” in the stands.

The Cardinals continued to play at Sportsman’s Park, later renamed Busch Stadium, until May 1966 when they moved into a new stadium downtown.

Posted in Games, Opponents | 4 Comments »

Why Stan Musial nearly sought divorce from Cardinals

June 28, 2020 by retrosimba

Disheartened when the Cardinals benched him indefinitely, Stan Musial was willing to accept a trade to the Pirates.

In 1960, Cardinals manager Solly Hemus took Musial out of the starting lineup and relegated him to a pinch-hitting role. Hemus made the move, with the approval of the front office, because Musial wasn’t hitting for average and Hemus perceived Musial’s fielding as more a liability than an asset.

A seven-time National League batting champion, Musial, 39, was stunned and saddened by the Cardinals’ determination he was washed up.

If the Cardinals couldn’t use him, the first-place Pirates were willing to take him and play him at first base. Asked whether he’d agree to a trade to the Pirates and a chance to finish his playing career near his hometown of Donora, Pa., Musial replied, “Yes.”

In his autobiography, “Stan Musial: The Man’s Own Story,” Musial said, “Few realize how close I came to finishing my career with Pittsburgh.”

Fading star

After batting .255 in 1959, the first season he didn’t top .300, Musial faithfully followed a physical fitness and diet program during the winter and reported to 1960 spring training camp in shape.

The Cardinals opened the 1960 season with Musial at first and with an outfield of Leon Wagner in left, Bill White in center and Joe Cunningham in right.

Musial hit .300 in 13 games in April, but slumped in May. As Musial’s batting average dipped, Hemus utilized him sporadically and erratically. “I know he had lost confidence in me,” Musial said in his autobiography.

The 1960 Cardinals lost 16 of their first 26 games and were a half-game out of last place after play on May 15. Hemus experimented with various lineups in an effort to jolt the Cardinals. “If ever a manager panicked, I’m afraid Hemus did,” Musial said in his book.

On May 22, 1960, Bob Broeg of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Bob Burnes of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat came out with columns criticizing the Cardinals for unfair treatment of Musial.

Broeg wrote, “If they’re trying to embarrass a man who never embarrassed them, either by word or deed, the Cardinals are succeeding.”

Burnes wrote, “What concerns us is the way an extraordinary performer and complete team man is being pushed around. Certainly his years of service to the Cardinals entitle him to more than that. What we are wondering is whether the Cardinals are trying to embarrass Musial into retiring.”

Reserve role

A few days later, Musial’s batting average for the season was at .250 when he was called to a meeting at the home of Cardinals owner Gussie Busch. Joining them were club executive Dick Meyer, general manager Bing Devine and Hemus. They informed Musial he was being benched because Hemus wanted a younger lineup.

Musial told them he would do what the club wanted. In his book, Musial said he was “hurt and disappointed” by the decision.

On May 27, 1960, Hemus started Curt Flood in center field in place of Bill White and moved White to first base in place of Musial.

Musial “has been benched indefinitely,” the Post-Dispatch reported.

“Solly and I agreed that Solly ought to play his best lineup,” Devine said. “We talked it over with Musial and he went along with the plan.”

Musial, who hit .204 in May, told the Associated Press, “We haven’t been winning and they want to try that new lineup for a while. Anything they want to do is OK with me. We’ll see what happens. I think I’ll be back in the lineup soon.”

Hemus had other ideas.

Pirates treasure

Musial was out of the starting lineup from May 27 through June 23. He appeared as a pinch-hitter nine times in that stretch and had one hit, a double versus Warren Spahn, and his batting average sank to .238.

In his autobiography, Musial said he was planning to quit during the all-star break in July if he wasn’t back in the starting lineup by then.

When the Pirates came to St. Louis for a series in June, their manager, Danny Murtaugh, asked Broeg what was wrong with Musial. Broeg told him all Musial needed was a chance to play and to “go out with a winner.” Murtaugh asked whether Musial would accept a trade to the Pirates. Broeg approached Musial, who responded, “Yes.” Broeg relayed the answer to Murtaugh, who said he would urge general manager Joe Brown to make a deal.

“Musial could mean the difference for us in the race,’ Murtaugh told Broeg.

In a June 14, 1960, column in the Post-Dispatch, Broeg wrote Musial had been “surprised and even a bit stunned” by the Cardinals’ decision to bench him and suggested Musial would be a good fit for the Pirates.

“Although he has been uncomplaining, it’s apparent he was hurt,” Broeg told readers. “Hurt enough, you ask, to go to Pittsburgh if he had a chance to play rather than sit on the bench, a chance perhaps to achieve the thrill of one more World Series? Yes.”

The Pirates wanted Musial, but couldn’t afford to offer much, Brown said to Broeg. Another option would be for Musial to ask the Cardinals for his release, leaving him free to sign with the Pirates. Either way, Brown said, it would put Bing Devine in a bind, and he didn’t want to do that to his colleague.

“As much as we’d like to have Musial,” Brown told Broeg, “I just can’t do it to Bing Devine. Sure, if Musial were released, we would grab him in a minute … and to offer too little would be taking advantage of the public sentiment, which is sure to be strongly behind Musial, not the ball club. Devine would be on a spot where i don’t care to put him.”

Still The Man

When Bob Nieman got injured and newly acquired Walt Moryn struggled to hit, Hemus put Musial back into the lineup as the left fielder on June 24, 1960.

Musial was 1-for-8 in his first two games back and his batting average fell to .229, but then he went on a tear. Musial produced 11 hits in 19 at-bats over his next five games, raising his batting mark to .281. He continued his blistering pace and got his batting average to .300 at the all-star break.

“He’s been amazing,” Cardinals third baseman Ken Boyer told the Globe-Democrat. “He’s delivering the big hits.”

Said Hemus: “Stan is popping the ball again.”

National League all-star manager Walter Alston of the Dodgers chose Musial as an all-star reserve.

On the field at Kansas City before the All-Star Game, Musial was approached by Red Sox counterpart Ted Williams, 41, who was in his last season as a player and batting .341. According to Bob Burnes, the conversation went like this:

Williams roared: “Hey, man, get on the train.”

Musial: “What train is it?”

Williams: “The one back to the minors. Us old guys are through. We’ve had it.”

The two laughed and Williams said, “What in the world got into you?”

Musial: “Just pecking away, just pecking away. I lucked a few, thumbed a few and then I got a couple of good ones.”

Williams: “Oh, hell, I wasn’t talking about your hitting. I wasn’t worried about that. What I’m talking about is that base you stole the other day.”

Musial: “Say, that was something, wasn’t it?”

The stolen base on July 8 was Musial’s first since 1957.

Musial hit .352 with 21 RBI in 21 games for the Cardinals in July. He hit .253 in August and .226 in September, finishing the season at .275 with 17 home runs and 63 RBI. He hit .338 with runners in scoring position and was 5-for-8 with the bases loaded.

“I look back on 1960 as a season of frustration and vindication, of sadness and success,” Musial said in his book. “It was the most emotional season I ever experienced.”

The Pirates went on to win the National League pennant, their first since 1927, and prevailed against the Yankees in the World Series. The Cardinals challenged the Pirates for a while and placed third at 86-69.

“I missed a chance to play in another World Series,” Musial said, “but I’m glad now I didn’t ask for my release.”

Posted in Games, Hitters | 6 Comments »

How split from Cardinals revived career of Cookie Rojas

June 25, 2020 by retrosimba

(Updated Feb. 2, 2023)

Cookie Rojas was supposed to be a 1970s version of Jose Oquendo for the Cardinals, but it didn’t work out.

On June 13, 1970, the Cardinals traded Rojas to the Royals for outfielder Fred Rico. The deal brought an unsatisfactory end to an unexpectedly short stint with the Cardinals for Rojas.

After acquiring Rojas from the Phillies in the October 1969 trade involving Dick Allen, Curt Flood and Tim McCarver, the Cardinals envisioned him as a valuable role player in 1970.

Like Oquendo did with the Cardinals in the 1980s and 1990s, Rojas played all nine positions for the Phillies in the 1960s. Unlike Oquendo, Rojas said he used the same glove to play each position. He donated it to the Baseball Hall of Fame. “I believe that glove represents what I was as a ballplayer and what kind of fielder I was,” Rojas told Bill Francis of the Hall of Fame. “I even used the glove when I caught.” (Rojas caught in seven games for the Phillies.)

Phillies manager Gene Mauch called Rojas the National League’s most versatile athlete since the Cardinals’ Red Schoendienst _ “and I never heard of Schoendienst catching,” Mauch said to the Wilmington (Delaware) News Journal.

The Cardinals projected Rojas to back up second baseman Julian Javier and shortstop Dal Maxvill, and to help out at third base after Mike Shannon was sidelined because of a kidney ailment.

Instead of being a Secret Weapon, as Oquendo was nicknamed, Rojas was more like a lost secret, who didn’t play much for the Cardinals and who rarely reached base when he did.

Cuban cutie

Octavio Victor Rojas was born in Havana, Cuba. His father was a pharmacist at the University of Havana hospital, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

When Octavio was a boy, his mother called him Cuqui, a common Cuban term of endearment loosely translated to mean cute, and the nickname morphed into Cookie when he came to the United States at 17 to begin his baseball career with a Reds farm club, the West Palm Beach Sun Chiefs.

After six years (1956-61) in the minors, Rojas debuted in the majors with the Reds in 1962 as the backup to second baseman Don Blasingame, the former Cardinal. Rojas’ first big-league hit was a single against Sandy Koufax and his first RBI came against the Cardinals’ Curt Simmons. Boxscore

To make room for their rookie second baseman, Pete Rose, in 1963, the Reds traded Rojas to the Phillies.

Rojas spent seven seasons (1963-69) with the Phillies. His first two years were as a utility player before he became their second baseman in 1965.

“Cookie Rojas is a remarkable individual, indefatigable, willing and able to play any position on the field,” syndicated columnist Red Smith wrote.

Rojas told the Philadelphia Inquirer, “I’m not a great ballplayer. I don’t have the ability some players have, but I can help my team win ballgames. Give me a chance, I’ll do it.”

Multiple skills

On June 30, 1967, Rojas pitched an inning against the Giants. With two on and two outs, Willie Mays came to the plate. “The only thing I could think of was I didn’t care how far Willie hit the ball as long as it didn’t come back through the middle,” Rojas said to the Philadelphia Daily News.

After Mays was retired on a soft fly to right, Rojas said, “I think Willie was more afraid of me than I was of Willie. He was probably worried I’d throw one wild and bean him.”

Said Mays: “He pitches good for a second baseman.”

Rojas was a good second baseman. He was a National League all-star in 1965, when he led the Phillies in hitting (.303), and he was tops among the league’s second basemen in fielding percentage, putouts and double plays turned in 1968. When the Phillies had a keystone combination of Rojas at second and Bobby Wine at shortstop, the plays of Wine and Rojas became a fan favorite.

Mauch told the Wilmington (Delaware) News Journal, “There are only three second basemen in the league who compare with Cookie as a glove man _ Tony Taylor, Bill Mazeroski, Julian Javier.”

Tough times

With rookie Denny Doyle projected to take over at second base in 1970, the Phillies deemed Rojas expendable. The Padres, managed by Rojas’ friend and winter-league manager, Preston Gomez, made offers for Rojas, The Sporting News reported, but the Phillies sent him to the Cardinals.

Though Rojas preferred to be a starter, he welcomed the trade to the Cardinals. “This club can win and, even more than playing regularly, I want to play on a championship team,” Rojas told the Post-Dispatch.

The union got off to an awkward start. On Feb. 23, Rojas phoned manager Red Schoendienst at the club’s spring training site in St. Petersburg, Fla., and said, “I think I’ve got chicken pox. What should I do?” Schoendienst replied, “Stay home until you’re sure you’re not contagious.”

Rojas didn’t report to camp until the day before the first exhibition game.

When the regular season began, Rojas, wearing the uniform No. 11 that Oquendo later wore with the Cardinals, struggled to hit. One of his few Cardinals highlights came on April 14, 1970, when he drove in the winning run with a scratch hit against the Expos. Batting for pitcher Sal Campisi in the bottom of the 10th with the bases loaded, one out and the score tied at 5-5. Rojas hit a squibber off the end of his bat down the third-base line.

“The ball was foul, but hit something and bounced over third baseman Angel Hermoso’s glove and over the bag,” the Post-Dispatch reported.

Said Cardinals third-base coach George Kissell: “It looked like the ball hit a cleat mark.”

Julian Javier scored from third on the single for a 6-5 Cardinals victory. Boxscore

Rojas played in 23 games for the Cardinals and hit .106. He made eight starts at second base and three in left field.

Reflecting on his short St. Louis stay, Rojas told the Philadelphia Inquirer, “I sat and I sat. I gained 10 pounds. Everybody said, ‘Rojas is done. Rojas is too slow.’ ”

Revival with Royals

When the Cardinals informed Rojas he was traded to the Royals, an American League team in its second season of existence, “I was going to quit,” Rojas said. “I thought, ‘I’m 31. What does an expansion ball club want with me?’ ”

Before declaring his intentions, Rojas consulted with Preston Gomez, whose Padres, like the Royals, were in their second season as a big-league franchise. Gomez told Rojas, “I think you’re wrong,” and urged him to play for the Royals.

When Rojas reported to the Royals, manager Bob Lemon put him in the starting lineup at second base, replacing Luis Alcaraz.

Out of shape from his limited playing time with the Cardinals, Rojas said, “I couldn’t run. My range was terrible. I got by on experience.”

Rojas played in 98 games for the 1970 Royals and hit .260. He had two four-hit games and a pair of four-RBI games, and stabilized the Royals’ infield. “I knew Rojas would help us defensively,” Lemon told the Kansas City Star. “He makes the right moves all the time.”

In 1971, with the help of hitting instructor Charlie Lau, Rojas batted .300. He went on to play eight seasons (1970-77) with the Royals and was named to the American League all-star team four times. In the 1972 All-Star Game in Atlanta, Rojas batted for Rod Carew and hit a two-run home run versus Bill Stoneman. Boxscore

In 16 big-league seasons, Rojas produced 1,660 hits.

Rojas went on to manage the Angels in 1988, replacing Mauch, who abruptly retired and recommended Rojas for the job. Rojas also was a coach for the Cubs (1978-81), Marlins (1993-96), Mets (1997-2000) and Blue Jays (2001-2002) before becoming a broadcaster on Marlins Spanish radio (2003-12).

Posted in Games, Hitters, Trades | 2 Comments »

The night Biff Pocoroba created havoc with Cardinals

June 23, 2020 by retrosimba

With two swings in one game, Biff Pocoroba created quite a bit of damage against the Cardinals.

A switch-hitting catcher, Pocoroba played 10 years in the major leagues, all with the Braves.

Born in Burbank, Calif., “Biff” was Pocoroba’s given name, not a nickname.

Selected by the Braves in the 17th round of the 1971 amateur baseball draft, Pocoroba reached the majors in 1975. He became the Braves’ starting catcher in 1977 and hit .290 with 24 doubles and an on-base percentage of .394. The Braves rewarded him with a six-year, $1 million contract.

In 1978, Ted Simmons of the Cardinals was voted starting catcher for the National League all-star team and his backups were the Reds’ Johnny Bench and the Phillies’ Bob Boone. When an injury made Bench unavailable for the All-Star-Game in San Diego, Pocoroba was chosen to replace him and caught an inning. Boxscore

A month later, Pocoroba injured his right shoulder and was out for the rest of the season. During rotator cuff surgery in September 1978, Dr. Frank Jobe transferred muscle from Pocoroba’s lower bicep to his shoulder, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

When Pocoroba returned to the Braves in June 1979, Bruce Benedict had taken over as the starting catcher.

Danger zone

On May 14, 1982, Pocoroba was in the lineup against the Cardinals in Atlanta. The Cardinals were in first place in the East Division and the Braves led the West. The pitching matchup was Joaquin Andujar for the Cardinals and Phil Niekro for the Braves. During Niekro’s Hall of Fame career, Benedict and Pocoroba caught more of his games than any other catchers.

While batting in the second inning, Pocoroba’s foul tip broke the right index finger of Cardinals catcher Darrell Porter. After the inning, Porter was replaced by Orlando Sanchez. The injury sidelined Porter for three weeks.

Pocoroba helped Niekro hold the Cardinals scoreless for eight innings. He threw out two base runners, Keith Hernandez and Mike Ramsey, attempting to steal.

Trailing 1-0, the Cardinals rallied for a run in the top of ninth versus Braves closer Gene Garber. Lonnie Smith singled, swiped second, moved to third on Ozzie Smith’s bunt hit and scored on Hernandez’s sacrifice fly.

Biff bops

In the bottom half of the ninth, Cardinals reliever Doug Bair retired the first two batters before Pocoroba came to the plate.

“I was looking for a fastball because Bair had been getting ahead of batters with the pitch,” Pocoroba told the Atlanta Constitution.

Bair told the Post-Dispatch, “I tried to throw the ball low and away. He’s a first-ball, fastball hitter. I threw it right in his wheelhouse.”

Pocoroba hit Bair’s first pitch over the fence in right for a walkoff home run and a 2-1 Braves victory. Boxscore

It was Pocoroba’s first home run since August 1980 versus the Cardinals’ Bob Forsch. It also was the first home run Bair allowed in 22 innings in 1982.

The Cardinals and Braves went on to win division titles and met in the 1982 National League Championship Series. The Cardinals won the pennant, sweeping the Braves in three games. Pocoroba had one at-bat in the postseason. Porter was named most valuable player in both the NL Championship Series and in the World Series versus the Brewers.

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents | 5 Comments »

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