What do Andy Messersmith, Jim Kaat, Phil Niekro, Steve Carlton, Joaquin Andujar and Fernando Valenzuela have in common?
They were all NL Gold Glove Award-winning pitchers who didn't deserve the honor. In each case, the Gold Glove Award should have gone to just one guy: Rick Reuschel. All told, ten seasons of Gold Glove snubs are represented by these six fine NL pitchers (Messersmith and Kaat both won two in a row, and Niekro won three in a row).
How did this happen? It may sound preposterous, but I have it figured out.
Andy Messersmith: GG in '74 and '75 for no real reason; at least it had nothing to do with actually "fielding" his position well. His Range Factor of 1.91 in '74 was slightly better than league average (1.88). He followed that up with a 1.51 in '75, which was significantly worse than league average. Let's face it: He was chosen simply because he was a high profile free agent who was signed by the Dodgers in '74 - and they went on to play (and lose) in the World Series. Somehow, the aura of all that notoriety lasted for another season; hence, the ridiculous second GG.
Rick Reuschel led the NL with a 2.77 Range Factor in '74 and a 2.95 in '75.
Jim Kaat: GG in '76 and '77 for no real reason; except his reputation from all those GG seasons in the AL carried over in his first two seasons in the NL. Kaat's Range Factor for both seasons was exactly 1.46. These would be the last of 16 Gold Glove Awards Kaat would bag. He actually deserved the first four.
Rick Reuschel led the NL with a 2.63 RF in '76 and a 2.57 in '77.
Phil Niekro: 3 straight GG - '78 (2.21 RF) - '79 (2.29 RF) & '80 (1.90 RF). Niekro had never won before, so it was simply his time. He was very good with the glove, but somebody else was better.
Rick Reuschel led the NL with a 2.52 RF in '78, a 2.86 RF in '79 and a 2.94 RF in '80. Do we detect a trend yet?
Steve Carlton was about as "high profile" as it gets for a pitcher in '81. He was a taciturn World Series champion in '80 and he was closing in on the 3000 career strikeout plateau. Of course, that has nothing to do with "fielding" - which Carlton rarely did that season (1.18 RF).
Rick Reuschel led the NL with a 2.59 RF in '81. Can you believe it?
Reuschel was out of commission for the '82 and '83 seasons. When he came back in '84, he was still leading the NL with a 2.53 RF, but '82 World Series champion Joaquin Andujar posted a respectable 2.38 RF to take home the Gold. He was colorful, and that's good enough here, folks.
By 1985, the opposing coaches and managers in the NL finally realized this Rick Reuschel fellow was pretty darned good with the glove. He won GG number one with a 2.97 RF.
Fernando Valenzuela: GG in '86 with a very nice 2.54 RF. He almost deserved it.
Rick Reuschel led the NL with a 2.84 RF in '86, so it appears he should have won back-to-back Gold Glove Awards. But no.
However, Reuschel led the NL with a 2.50 RF in '87. Not coincidentally, his team - the San Francisco Giants - just happened to play the Cardinals in that season's NLCS, thus creating the perfect candidate for the GG: Big Daddy!
For his career, the underrated Reuschel had a career 2.52 RF (compared to NL average 1.89 RF). In the National League, only Greg Maddux was a better fielding pitcher in the history of the Gold Glove Award. He was a guy who deserved all 18 of his Gold Gloves; proving that sometimes, they do get it right.
Showing posts with label Phil Niekro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Phil Niekro. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Monday, June 16, 2014
Niekro, Blyleven & Stieb - Flying Under the Cy Young Award Radar
How underrated was Phil Niekro? In three different seasons - 1974 - '78 - '79 - he posted the highest WAR among all National League pitchers - 7.8 - 10.0 - 7.6 - but never won a Cy Young Award.
In 1977, his 8.9 WAR was second only to Rick Reuschel's 9.4 - and neither of them won the CYA - it went to Steve Carlton, who posted a 5.9 WAR. Niekro, in fact, never even got a single vote that year.
For the entire decade of the '70's, Niekro and his knuckle-ball flew under the Cy Young Award radar, despite the fact that his 64.7 WAR for a pitcher was second only to Tom Seaver's 67.1 - a first ballot Hall of Famer.
Yet with all of his accomplishments throughout his long and illustrious career, Phil Niekro didn't even get enough votes for Cooperstown until his fifth try.
Bert Blyleven - another underrated great pitcher and prankster - had to wait nearly 15 years before he finally got in.
In 1973, his 9.9 WAR was tops in the American League, but in the CYA voting that year - the man with perhaps the greatest curve-ball in history - finished a distant seventh.
In the strike-shortened '81 season, Rollie Fingers won both the AL MVP and Cy Young Awards, with a 4.2 WAR. Blyleven's 5.6 WAR led the way for pitchers - yet received nary a CYA vote.
In '84, his 7.2 WAR was second only to Dave Stieb's 7.9 - and neither of them won the CYA - although Blyleven finished third - and Stieb - another highly underrated pitcher - finished seventh. Relief pitcher Willie Hernandez and his 4.8 WAR won it that year.
In 1989, at the advanced age of 38, Blyleven had the second highest WAR among AL pitchers - 6.0 - yet finished fourth in the CYA voting. At least this time, the pitcher with the highest WAR - Bret Saberhagen (9.7) - won the Cy Young Award. Imagine that.
Dave Stieb - at least for three straight seasons - may have been the most underrated pitcher in major league history. From 1982 to 1984, Stieb was the best pitcher in the American League, but never came close to winning a Cy Young Award. In 1982, however, The Sporting News named him Pitcher of the Year - an honor usually bestowed upon a Cy Young Award winner...
Stieb's greatest claim to fame came with having two no-hitters and one perfect game broken up in the ninth-inning - just one out shy of nailing down all three. No quitter - he finally got one on September 2, 1990 - the only one in Toronto Blue Jays history.
Time to examine another batch of Cy Young Awards. Niekro, Blyleven and Stieb had a lot of company in getting snubbed - including three rookies and a future Hall of Fame reliever who got snubbed as a starter - and should have been snubbed as a low-WAR reliever.
PART TWO - Revising CYA History (1976 - 1985) - 5 Out of 20 Correct Picks According to WAR
The year was 1976. A free-spirited Detroit Tigers rookie pitcher - Mark "The Bird" Fidrych - captivated the nation with his antics - most notably, his frequent in-game-on-the-mound conversations with baseballs - with explicit instructions on what he wanted them to do. Apparently, they listened.
Fidrych was not only the best pitcher in major league baseball in 1976, he was the best all-around player in the American League - period - with a 9.6 WAR as proof.
Coincidentally, in the National League, Joe Morgan was putting together his second straight MVP season with an identical 9.6 WAR.
However, Fidrych was runner-up to Jim Palmer (6.6 WAR) for the Cy Young Award, while Thurman Munson (5.3 WAR) won the Most Valuable Player Award.
Of course, The Bird took home the AL Rookie of the Year Award - with the highest WAR ever recorded by a rookie - until Mike Trout came along in 2012 - posting his astounding 10.8 WAR.
That same year - 1976 - San Francisco Giants pitcher - John "The Count" Montefusco - the '75 NL Rookie of the Year (6.4 WAR) - rejected any notion of experiencing a sophomore jinx in his second full season. His 6.9 WAR was the highest for any National League pitcher in '76 - but Randy Jones (4.8 WAR) took home the CYA - while The Count's CYA vote count was zero.
Here are the rest of the CYA winners (through '85) - along with evidence (if applicable) that indicates another pitcher deserved to win (more often than not):
1977 (AL) - Sparky Lyle (3.7) - Frank Tanana (8.3)
1977 (NL) - Steve Carlton (5.9) - Rick Reuschel (9.4)
1978 (AL) - Ron Guidry (9.6)
1978 (NL) - Gaylord Perry (4.3) - Phil Niekro (10.0)
1979 (AL) - Mike Flanagan (3.9) - Dennis Eckersley* (7.3)
1979 (NL) - Bruce Sutter (4.9) - Phil Niekro (7.6)
(*For Eckersley, who probably deserved to win the CYA in '79, this makes up for the one he'd get in '92 for no good reason.)
1980 (AL) - Steve Stone (4.0) - Britt Burns (7.0)*
1980 (NL) - Steve Carlton (10.2)
(*Burns was a Chicago White Sox rookie in 1980, and despite the high WAR, only finished 5th in the ROY voting.)
1981 (AL) - Rollie Fingers (4.2) - Bert Blyleven (5.6)
1981 (NL) - Fernando Valenzuela (4.8) - Steve Carlton (5.5)
1982 (AL) - Pete Vuckovich (2.8) - Dave Stieb (7.7)
1982 (NL) - Steve Carlton (5.5) - Steve Rogers (7.7)
1983 (AL) - Lamar Hoyt (3.7) - Dave Stieb (7.0)*
1983 (NL) - John Denny (7.4)
(*Stieb's reward for being the best AL pitcher in '82 without winning the CYA was to be completely snubbed by voters in '83 - despite once again, being the league's best pitcher.)
1984 (AL) - Willie Hernandez (4.8) - Dave Stieb (7.9)*
1984 (NL) - Rick Sutcliffe (3.9) - Dwight Gooden (5.5)**
(*Stieb's reward for being the best pitcher in the American League for the third straight year was a seventh place finish in this year's CYA race. Whoopee.)
(**Gooden was good enough to go back-to-back. See below.)
1985 (AL) - Bret Saberhagen (7.3)
1985 (NL) - Dwight Gooden (12.1)*
(*Gooden was so good in '85, he posted the highest WAR of any pitcher since the CYA was established in 1956.)
Up Next: Part Three (1986 - 1995) - Two More Overrated Closers & Other Surprises
In 1977, his 8.9 WAR was second only to Rick Reuschel's 9.4 - and neither of them won the CYA - it went to Steve Carlton, who posted a 5.9 WAR. Niekro, in fact, never even got a single vote that year.
For the entire decade of the '70's, Niekro and his knuckle-ball flew under the Cy Young Award radar, despite the fact that his 64.7 WAR for a pitcher was second only to Tom Seaver's 67.1 - a first ballot Hall of Famer.
Yet with all of his accomplishments throughout his long and illustrious career, Phil Niekro didn't even get enough votes for Cooperstown until his fifth try.
Bert Blyleven - another underrated great pitcher and prankster - had to wait nearly 15 years before he finally got in.
In 1973, his 9.9 WAR was tops in the American League, but in the CYA voting that year - the man with perhaps the greatest curve-ball in history - finished a distant seventh.
In the strike-shortened '81 season, Rollie Fingers won both the AL MVP and Cy Young Awards, with a 4.2 WAR. Blyleven's 5.6 WAR led the way for pitchers - yet received nary a CYA vote.
In '84, his 7.2 WAR was second only to Dave Stieb's 7.9 - and neither of them won the CYA - although Blyleven finished third - and Stieb - another highly underrated pitcher - finished seventh. Relief pitcher Willie Hernandez and his 4.8 WAR won it that year.
In 1989, at the advanced age of 38, Blyleven had the second highest WAR among AL pitchers - 6.0 - yet finished fourth in the CYA voting. At least this time, the pitcher with the highest WAR - Bret Saberhagen (9.7) - won the Cy Young Award. Imagine that.
Dave Stieb - at least for three straight seasons - may have been the most underrated pitcher in major league history. From 1982 to 1984, Stieb was the best pitcher in the American League, but never came close to winning a Cy Young Award. In 1982, however, The Sporting News named him Pitcher of the Year - an honor usually bestowed upon a Cy Young Award winner...
Stieb's greatest claim to fame came with having two no-hitters and one perfect game broken up in the ninth-inning - just one out shy of nailing down all three. No quitter - he finally got one on September 2, 1990 - the only one in Toronto Blue Jays history.
Time to examine another batch of Cy Young Awards. Niekro, Blyleven and Stieb had a lot of company in getting snubbed - including three rookies and a future Hall of Fame reliever who got snubbed as a starter - and should have been snubbed as a low-WAR reliever.
PART TWO - Revising CYA History (1976 - 1985) - 5 Out of 20 Correct Picks According to WAR
The year was 1976. A free-spirited Detroit Tigers rookie pitcher - Mark "The Bird" Fidrych - captivated the nation with his antics - most notably, his frequent in-game-on-the-mound conversations with baseballs - with explicit instructions on what he wanted them to do. Apparently, they listened.
Fidrych was not only the best pitcher in major league baseball in 1976, he was the best all-around player in the American League - period - with a 9.6 WAR as proof.
Coincidentally, in the National League, Joe Morgan was putting together his second straight MVP season with an identical 9.6 WAR.
However, Fidrych was runner-up to Jim Palmer (6.6 WAR) for the Cy Young Award, while Thurman Munson (5.3 WAR) won the Most Valuable Player Award.
Of course, The Bird took home the AL Rookie of the Year Award - with the highest WAR ever recorded by a rookie - until Mike Trout came along in 2012 - posting his astounding 10.8 WAR.
That same year - 1976 - San Francisco Giants pitcher - John "The Count" Montefusco - the '75 NL Rookie of the Year (6.4 WAR) - rejected any notion of experiencing a sophomore jinx in his second full season. His 6.9 WAR was the highest for any National League pitcher in '76 - but Randy Jones (4.8 WAR) took home the CYA - while The Count's CYA vote count was zero.
Here are the rest of the CYA winners (through '85) - along with evidence (if applicable) that indicates another pitcher deserved to win (more often than not):
1977 (AL) - Sparky Lyle (3.7) - Frank Tanana (8.3)
1977 (NL) - Steve Carlton (5.9) - Rick Reuschel (9.4)
1978 (AL) - Ron Guidry (9.6)
1978 (NL) - Gaylord Perry (4.3) - Phil Niekro (10.0)
1979 (AL) - Mike Flanagan (3.9) - Dennis Eckersley* (7.3)
1979 (NL) - Bruce Sutter (4.9) - Phil Niekro (7.6)
(*For Eckersley, who probably deserved to win the CYA in '79, this makes up for the one he'd get in '92 for no good reason.)
1980 (AL) - Steve Stone (4.0) - Britt Burns (7.0)*
1980 (NL) - Steve Carlton (10.2)
(*Burns was a Chicago White Sox rookie in 1980, and despite the high WAR, only finished 5th in the ROY voting.)
1981 (AL) - Rollie Fingers (4.2) - Bert Blyleven (5.6)
1981 (NL) - Fernando Valenzuela (4.8) - Steve Carlton (5.5)
1982 (AL) - Pete Vuckovich (2.8) - Dave Stieb (7.7)
1982 (NL) - Steve Carlton (5.5) - Steve Rogers (7.7)
1983 (AL) - Lamar Hoyt (3.7) - Dave Stieb (7.0)*
1983 (NL) - John Denny (7.4)
(*Stieb's reward for being the best AL pitcher in '82 without winning the CYA was to be completely snubbed by voters in '83 - despite once again, being the league's best pitcher.)
1984 (AL) - Willie Hernandez (4.8) - Dave Stieb (7.9)*
1984 (NL) - Rick Sutcliffe (3.9) - Dwight Gooden (5.5)**
(*Stieb's reward for being the best pitcher in the American League for the third straight year was a seventh place finish in this year's CYA race. Whoopee.)
(**Gooden was good enough to go back-to-back. See below.)
1985 (AL) - Bret Saberhagen (7.3)
1985 (NL) - Dwight Gooden (12.1)*
(*Gooden was so good in '85, he posted the highest WAR of any pitcher since the CYA was established in 1956.)
Up Next: Part Three (1986 - 1995) - Two More Overrated Closers & Other Surprises
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Cy Young Awards - Revisionist's History (1956 - 1975) Based on WAR
Before I begin my rant, I'm going to make a major assumption: The saber-metric geniuses who devised the formula for estimating a player's true value in wins created - Wins Above Replacement (WAR) - should be trusted. After all, according to WAR, players like Ruth, Williams, Mays and Mantle were usually at or near the top of the Wins Above Replacement heap, year in and year out - right where they belong.
WAR cuts through all the useless misinformation with one simple number that can be used to determine the best overall player in baseball - or, in the case of Cy Young Award voting - the best pitcher. Quite often, the best pitcher also happens to be the best overall player. Something voters tend to ignore when deciding Most Valuable Player Awards.
Much to my surprise, the pitcher with the highest WAR failed to win the Cy Young Award for the first seven years of its existence (1956 - '62). As a matter of fact, the pitcher who deserved the award wasn't even on the ballot the first six years! Chances are, they never even knew they deserved the award - but if they're still alive, maybe they'll find out through word of mouth. If you happen to run into them, congratulate them for me - although they still won't get the plaque. This is merely an unofficial adjustment, for the sake of Wins Above Replacement authenticity.
PART ONE - Revising CYA History - The Early Years (1956 - 1975)
Of course, over a half-century ago, nobody knew anything about WAR. Cy Young Award voters favored the pitchers from teams that won a pennant (or finished the regular season in a first-place tie), as long as they won 20 games. ERA didn't seem very important - just wins, and getting into the World Series. This process excluded the pitchers who actually had better seasons, but flew under the radar, with deceivingly mediocre won-loss records - playing on mediocre teams that didn't win. But it wasn't their fault - as their WAR numbers suggest.
Year - CYA Winner vs The Best Pitcher
1956 - Don Newcombe (4.5) - Early Wynn (7.8)
1957 - Warren Spahn (4.7) - Don Drysdale (6.1)
1958 - Bob Turley (3.6) - Frank Lary (6.7)
1959 - Early Wynn (2.8) - Larry Jackson (7.2)
1960 - Vernon Law (4.2) - Ernie Broglio (7.2)
1961 - Whitey Ford (3.8) - Don Cardwell (6.1)
1962 - Don Drysdale (5.3) - Bob Purkey (7.3)
1963 - Sandy Koufax (10.7)
1964 - Dean Chance (9.3)
1965 - Sandy Koufax (8.1)
1966 - Sandy Koufax (10.3)
1967 (AL) - Jim Lonborg (4.1) - Jim Merritt (6.4)
1967 (NL) - Mike McCormick (4.4) - Jim Bunning (7.8)
1968 (AL) - Denny McClain (7.4) - Luis Tiant (7.8)
1968 (NL) - Bob Gibson (11.9)
1969 (AL) - Tie: Mike Cuellar (4.5) and Denny McClain (8.2) - Just McClain (8.2)
1969 (NL) - Tom Seaver (7.2) - Bob Gibson (11.3)
1970 (AL) - Jim Perry (3.8) - Sam McDowell (8.3)
1970 (NL) - Bob Gibson (8.9)
1971 (AL) - Vida Blue (9.0) - Wilbur Wood (11.7)
1971 (NL) - Fergie Jenkins (10.3)
1972 (AL) - Gaylord Perry (11.0)
1972 (NL) - Steve Carlton (12.1)
1973 (AL) - Jim Palmer (6.3) - Bert Blyleven (9.9)
1973 (NL) - Tom Seaver (10.6)
1974 (AL) - Catfish Hunter (6.9) - Gaylord Perry (8.6)
1974 (NL) - Mike Marshall (3.1)* - Phil Niekro (7.8)
(*Marshall had the distinction of being the first erroneously selected CYA winner who was a relief specialist. Others would follow in years to come - all mistakes.)
1975 (AL) - Jim Palmer (8.4)
1975 (NL) - Tom Seaver (7.8)
Imagine that. Jim Merritt and Luis Tiant over Jim Lonborg and Denny McClain in '67 and '68. Or Wilbur Wood over Vida Blue - who made the cover of Time Magazine in 1971!
Believe it.
Up next: PART TWO - Revising CYA History - (1976 - 1985) - 5 Out of 20 Correct CYA Winners!
WAR cuts through all the useless misinformation with one simple number that can be used to determine the best overall player in baseball - or, in the case of Cy Young Award voting - the best pitcher. Quite often, the best pitcher also happens to be the best overall player. Something voters tend to ignore when deciding Most Valuable Player Awards.
Much to my surprise, the pitcher with the highest WAR failed to win the Cy Young Award for the first seven years of its existence (1956 - '62). As a matter of fact, the pitcher who deserved the award wasn't even on the ballot the first six years! Chances are, they never even knew they deserved the award - but if they're still alive, maybe they'll find out through word of mouth. If you happen to run into them, congratulate them for me - although they still won't get the plaque. This is merely an unofficial adjustment, for the sake of Wins Above Replacement authenticity.
PART ONE - Revising CYA History - The Early Years (1956 - 1975)
Of course, over a half-century ago, nobody knew anything about WAR. Cy Young Award voters favored the pitchers from teams that won a pennant (or finished the regular season in a first-place tie), as long as they won 20 games. ERA didn't seem very important - just wins, and getting into the World Series. This process excluded the pitchers who actually had better seasons, but flew under the radar, with deceivingly mediocre won-loss records - playing on mediocre teams that didn't win. But it wasn't their fault - as their WAR numbers suggest.
Year - CYA Winner vs The Best Pitcher
1956 - Don Newcombe (4.5) - Early Wynn (7.8)
1957 - Warren Spahn (4.7) - Don Drysdale (6.1)
1958 - Bob Turley (3.6) - Frank Lary (6.7)
1959 - Early Wynn (2.8) - Larry Jackson (7.2)
1960 - Vernon Law (4.2) - Ernie Broglio (7.2)
1961 - Whitey Ford (3.8) - Don Cardwell (6.1)
1962 - Don Drysdale (5.3) - Bob Purkey (7.3)
1963 - Sandy Koufax (10.7)
1964 - Dean Chance (9.3)
1965 - Sandy Koufax (8.1)
1966 - Sandy Koufax (10.3)
1967 (AL) - Jim Lonborg (4.1) - Jim Merritt (6.4)
1967 (NL) - Mike McCormick (4.4) - Jim Bunning (7.8)
1968 (AL) - Denny McClain (7.4) - Luis Tiant (7.8)
1968 (NL) - Bob Gibson (11.9)
1969 (AL) - Tie: Mike Cuellar (4.5) and Denny McClain (8.2) - Just McClain (8.2)
1969 (NL) - Tom Seaver (7.2) - Bob Gibson (11.3)
1970 (AL) - Jim Perry (3.8) - Sam McDowell (8.3)
1970 (NL) - Bob Gibson (8.9)
1971 (AL) - Vida Blue (9.0) - Wilbur Wood (11.7)
1971 (NL) - Fergie Jenkins (10.3)
1972 (AL) - Gaylord Perry (11.0)
1972 (NL) - Steve Carlton (12.1)
1973 (AL) - Jim Palmer (6.3) - Bert Blyleven (9.9)
1973 (NL) - Tom Seaver (10.6)
1974 (AL) - Catfish Hunter (6.9) - Gaylord Perry (8.6)
1974 (NL) - Mike Marshall (3.1)* - Phil Niekro (7.8)
(*Marshall had the distinction of being the first erroneously selected CYA winner who was a relief specialist. Others would follow in years to come - all mistakes.)
1975 (AL) - Jim Palmer (8.4)
1975 (NL) - Tom Seaver (7.8)
Imagine that. Jim Merritt and Luis Tiant over Jim Lonborg and Denny McClain in '67 and '68. Or Wilbur Wood over Vida Blue - who made the cover of Time Magazine in 1971!
Believe it.
Up next: PART TWO - Revising CYA History - (1976 - 1985) - 5 Out of 20 Correct CYA Winners!
Monday, April 28, 2014
April 21, 1971 - Comeback Win in San Francisco - April 22, 1977 - Cards Crush Phillies at the Vet - April 23, 1979 - Extra Inning Win in Atlanta
April 21, 1971 - A mere 6,178 fans gathered at Candlestick Park in San Francisco to watch a pitching matchup between two future Hall of Famers - Bob Gibson and Gaylord Perry. The Giants hurler held the early advantage after another future Hall of Famer, first baseman Willie McCovey blasted a fourth-inning two-run homer off Gibson; and that would be the only scoring in the game until the Redbirds came to bat in the sixth-inning.
That's when the fun began. Perry was still on the mound for the Giants as Lou Brock led off with a single, and moved up a base when Matty Alou reached on third baseman Jim Ray Hart's throwing error. Ted Simmons then singled, loading the bases. Joe Torre, who would go on to win the NL MVP Award in '71, cleared the bases with a triple to right field; Torre then scored when Jose Cardenal doubled to right field, chasing Perry from the game. The next batter, Joe Hague, knocked Cardenal in with a single to centerfield, scoring the fifth and final run of the inning. That was enough, although Gibson surrendered another home run in the eighth-inning - a solo shot by Ken Henderson to narrow the gap to 5-3, and that's how it ended.
Gibson got the complete game victory, allowing five hits and three runs, with one base on balls and nine strikeouts.
The '71 season was a promising one for the Cardinals, winning 91 games while finishing second in the NL East, behind Pittsburgh - the eventual World Champions. Whatever hope the Cardinals had for the foreseeable future was dashed when ownership decided two young pitchers - Steve Carlton and Jerry Reuss - didn't fit in with their plans (they wanted to be paid a little bit more that Gussie Busch was willing to spend) - so they were traded away, and St Louis didn't get enough in return. With Bob Gibson beginning to show signs of age, this was a team in decline; and things would get worse until they got better - which wouldn't happen until 1981.
April 22, 1977 - On this particular late April Friday evening in Philadelphia, the Cardinals looked like a team on the rise, while the Phillies appeared overmatched and listless. Proof positive that anything can happen in one game.
In this particular game, St Louis had the reigning NL ERA leader from the previous season - John Denny (2.52) trying to win his fourth straight decision of the young season. This one was a walk in the park, as the Redbirds scored early and often to rout the Phillies, 10-1. Denny breezed through eight innings of work, allowing one run on six hits and a walk; he struck out five, then gave the ball to the Mad Hungarian to provide a little entertainment for the few partisan fans in the paid crowd of 26,430 who were still around to watch their team take its last hacks. Hrabosky yielded a harmless single before storming off the mound after the final out was recorded; not a save situation, thanks to all the damage done by the St Louis lineup in this blowout.
The hitting star was Keith Hernandez, who went 3 for 5 with a triple and a three-run home run, good for five RBI and two runs scored. Meanwhile, John Denny's fast start would fade into a disappointing, injury-plagued ending. From that 4-0 start, he would only win another four games over the next five months, while losing eight with a high 4.51 ERA. His days in St Louis were numbered (traded to Cleveland after the '79 season) but luckily for him, he still had magic left in that right arm; by 1983, he would help another new team - the Phillies - reach the World Series, winning the NL Cy Young Award (19-6 - 2.37 ERA) in the process.
April 23, 1979 - The Cardinals sent Pete Vuckovich to the mound in Atlanta to square off against the Braves' knuckleball ace, Phil Niekro - a future Hall of Famer. Vuckovich pitched admirably (7 IP - 8 H - 2 R - 2 BB - 7 SO - 2 HR), but thanks to solo home runs by Atlanta's Matthews and Burroughs, St Louis was on the wrong end of a 2-0 score, heading into the ninth. Niekro, naturally, was still on the mound, going for the complete game shutout. No such luck.
After Dane Iorg grounded out leading off the inning, Tony Scott delivered a single to centerfield; then promptly moved up to second on a passed ball, with free-swinging Ken Reitz at bat. Somehow, Reitz managed to draw a base on balls, then was wisely removed for a pinch runner - the speedy Jerry Mumphrey. After Ken Oberkfell struck out, pinch hitter Bernie Carbo calmly stroked an opposite field single to left field, scoring Scott, as Mumphrey stopped at second. Removing Niekro from the game wasn't even a consideration in those days; given the durability, talent, and desire to finish this game off by the crusty veteran. Gary Templeton wasted no time in smacking a line drive single to centerfield, while Mumphrey raced home with the game-tying run. It should be noted that if the base runner had been the slew-footed Reitz, he more than likely would've been thrown out at third on that base hit; let alone try to score. Just kidding; he may have made it to third safely, if he really hustled.
That was all the scoring for the Redbirds in the ninth, as the 4,725 in attendance sat in stunned silence; dumbfounded by what they had just witnessed. Actually, they were probably expecting something to go wrong, based on past experience with this hapless bunch. As Niekro went back out to the mound to start the tenth-inning, he quickly retired the first two Cardinals hitters before the ubiquitous Tony Scott would come through again, lining a single to right field; then stealing second and advancing to third on the errant throw by the catcher. Next up was Jerry Mumphrey, who had scored the tying run as a pinch runner, so he was taking his first AB of the night. He delivered the two-out single to left field, bringing Scott home with the go-ahead run.
Mark Littell, who was in his second inning of work, made things interesting by walking two after retiring the first two. Could this be deja vu all over again? No, he got the win after coaxing the pesky Roland Office into popping one up to the shortstop - one of the heroes, Mr Templeton; whose biggest contribution to the success of the franchise was getting traded to San Diego for another shortstop known as the Wizard.
That's when the fun began. Perry was still on the mound for the Giants as Lou Brock led off with a single, and moved up a base when Matty Alou reached on third baseman Jim Ray Hart's throwing error. Ted Simmons then singled, loading the bases. Joe Torre, who would go on to win the NL MVP Award in '71, cleared the bases with a triple to right field; Torre then scored when Jose Cardenal doubled to right field, chasing Perry from the game. The next batter, Joe Hague, knocked Cardenal in with a single to centerfield, scoring the fifth and final run of the inning. That was enough, although Gibson surrendered another home run in the eighth-inning - a solo shot by Ken Henderson to narrow the gap to 5-3, and that's how it ended.
Gibson got the complete game victory, allowing five hits and three runs, with one base on balls and nine strikeouts.
The '71 season was a promising one for the Cardinals, winning 91 games while finishing second in the NL East, behind Pittsburgh - the eventual World Champions. Whatever hope the Cardinals had for the foreseeable future was dashed when ownership decided two young pitchers - Steve Carlton and Jerry Reuss - didn't fit in with their plans (they wanted to be paid a little bit more that Gussie Busch was willing to spend) - so they were traded away, and St Louis didn't get enough in return. With Bob Gibson beginning to show signs of age, this was a team in decline; and things would get worse until they got better - which wouldn't happen until 1981.
April 22, 1977 - On this particular late April Friday evening in Philadelphia, the Cardinals looked like a team on the rise, while the Phillies appeared overmatched and listless. Proof positive that anything can happen in one game.
In this particular game, St Louis had the reigning NL ERA leader from the previous season - John Denny (2.52) trying to win his fourth straight decision of the young season. This one was a walk in the park, as the Redbirds scored early and often to rout the Phillies, 10-1. Denny breezed through eight innings of work, allowing one run on six hits and a walk; he struck out five, then gave the ball to the Mad Hungarian to provide a little entertainment for the few partisan fans in the paid crowd of 26,430 who were still around to watch their team take its last hacks. Hrabosky yielded a harmless single before storming off the mound after the final out was recorded; not a save situation, thanks to all the damage done by the St Louis lineup in this blowout.
The hitting star was Keith Hernandez, who went 3 for 5 with a triple and a three-run home run, good for five RBI and two runs scored. Meanwhile, John Denny's fast start would fade into a disappointing, injury-plagued ending. From that 4-0 start, he would only win another four games over the next five months, while losing eight with a high 4.51 ERA. His days in St Louis were numbered (traded to Cleveland after the '79 season) but luckily for him, he still had magic left in that right arm; by 1983, he would help another new team - the Phillies - reach the World Series, winning the NL Cy Young Award (19-6 - 2.37 ERA) in the process.
April 23, 1979 - The Cardinals sent Pete Vuckovich to the mound in Atlanta to square off against the Braves' knuckleball ace, Phil Niekro - a future Hall of Famer. Vuckovich pitched admirably (7 IP - 8 H - 2 R - 2 BB - 7 SO - 2 HR), but thanks to solo home runs by Atlanta's Matthews and Burroughs, St Louis was on the wrong end of a 2-0 score, heading into the ninth. Niekro, naturally, was still on the mound, going for the complete game shutout. No such luck.
After Dane Iorg grounded out leading off the inning, Tony Scott delivered a single to centerfield; then promptly moved up to second on a passed ball, with free-swinging Ken Reitz at bat. Somehow, Reitz managed to draw a base on balls, then was wisely removed for a pinch runner - the speedy Jerry Mumphrey. After Ken Oberkfell struck out, pinch hitter Bernie Carbo calmly stroked an opposite field single to left field, scoring Scott, as Mumphrey stopped at second. Removing Niekro from the game wasn't even a consideration in those days; given the durability, talent, and desire to finish this game off by the crusty veteran. Gary Templeton wasted no time in smacking a line drive single to centerfield, while Mumphrey raced home with the game-tying run. It should be noted that if the base runner had been the slew-footed Reitz, he more than likely would've been thrown out at third on that base hit; let alone try to score. Just kidding; he may have made it to third safely, if he really hustled.
That was all the scoring for the Redbirds in the ninth, as the 4,725 in attendance sat in stunned silence; dumbfounded by what they had just witnessed. Actually, they were probably expecting something to go wrong, based on past experience with this hapless bunch. As Niekro went back out to the mound to start the tenth-inning, he quickly retired the first two Cardinals hitters before the ubiquitous Tony Scott would come through again, lining a single to right field; then stealing second and advancing to third on the errant throw by the catcher. Next up was Jerry Mumphrey, who had scored the tying run as a pinch runner, so he was taking his first AB of the night. He delivered the two-out single to left field, bringing Scott home with the go-ahead run.
Mark Littell, who was in his second inning of work, made things interesting by walking two after retiring the first two. Could this be deja vu all over again? No, he got the win after coaxing the pesky Roland Office into popping one up to the shortstop - one of the heroes, Mr Templeton; whose biggest contribution to the success of the franchise was getting traded to San Diego for another shortstop known as the Wizard.
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