Saturday, July 24, 1982 - At Busch Stadium II (Bob Forsch - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: Houston Astros (Bob Knepper - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 22,462
The Cardinals had to be opportunistic to win this game - and they were - getting just five hits and five walks of total offense, they managed to score five runs, in handing the Houston Astros a frustrating 5-1 loss.
Houston, on the other hand, squandered most of their scoring opportunities - unable to get the key hit off Cardinals starter Bob Forsch - who yielded ten hits in 7.1 innings pitched, but just one lone run.
Houston had at least one hit in every inning - except the second - and their frustration started early - in the very first-inning. After a lead-off single, Astros second baseman Dickie Thon tried to steal second base - unsuccessfully - while Terry Puhl was batting. With one down and nobody on base now, Puhl then tripled - but was stranded when Forsch reached back for a little extra on his fastball - striking out Ray Knight. Bob only had two strikeouts all day. Jose Cruz was then retired on a fly ball to left to end the threat. It was going to be that type of game for Houston - plenty of chances and plenty of missed opportunities.
The Cardinals, on the other hand, had very few scoring chances, but when they arose, the Redbirds rose to the occasion - starting with a third-inning run they tallied on just one hit - a lead-off single from Ozzie Smith. With Forsch batting, Ozzie immediately swiped second - allowing Forsch the chance to move him to third with a sacrifice bunt - and he did. Tommy Herr's sacrifice fly to center gave the Cards a quick 1-0 lead.
St Louis then jumped on Houston starter Bob Knepper for four runs in the fourth. With one out, George Hendrick singled, then advanced to third on a single by Gene Tenace. The next batter - Tito Landrum - scored Hendrick with a double to left field, while Tenace stopped at third. Light-hitting Mike Ramsey then got into the act - scoring both runners with a single to left - and when Astros third baseman Art Howe botched the relay from the outfield, Ramsey advanced all the way to third base. Ozzie then plated the fourth run of the inning (an unearned run) with a sacrifice fly to center field.
That was the extent of the St Louis attack on this Saturday afternoon. Knepper's day was over after being lifted for a pinch hitter in the fifth-inning - then Mike Lacoss and Randy Moffitt each pitched two-innings of no-hit-no-run relief for Houston - but the Astros lineup could only muster one fifth-inning run - on a two-out Dickie Thon double and a Terry Puhl run-scoring single.
After Ray Knight's one-out single off Forsch in the eighth-inning, manager Whitey Herzog brought in Jim Kaat to pitch to Jose Cruz - and the veteran lefty induced Cruz to hit into a Taylor-made 6-4-3 double play.
Bruce Sutter then got the final two outs in the ninth-inning (both strikeouts) to preserve the victory (although not a save situation), as Forsch improved to 10-5 on the season.
This was the kind of game the Cardinals managed to win with remarkable consistency in '82 - when they were outhit, but not outscored. Opportunistic would seem to be their M.O.
Showing posts with label bob forsch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bob forsch. Show all posts
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Bob Gibson - A Saber-metric Revelation You Probably Didn't Know
Practically everyone knows St Louis Cardinals' pitcher Bob Gibson had one of the most dominant seasons ever - in 1968 - featuring that legendary 1.12 ERA which made him a unanimous pick for the National League Cy Young Award. He was not only the best pitcher in the game that season - he was also the best all-around player in the game that season - not only winning the league's Most Valuable Player Award, he also had the highest WAR in the game: 11.9.
The next highest WAR did not belong to AL CYA & MVP Award winner, Denny McClain - 7.3. In fact, McClain didn't even have the highest WAR among AL pitchers. Luis Tiant came in at 7.8. Among position players, Carl Yastrzemski was tops in the AL: 10.5 - so yeah, he should have won back-to-back MVP Awards. Brooks Robinson came in second among position players: 8.4.
If this makes no sense to you, or you don't adhere to any of this saber-metric mumbo-jumbo, you may not agree with the revelation I happened to discover, just the other day:
Gibson was not only the best all-around player in major league baseball in 1968 - he was also the best all-around player in '69 and '70, as well.
The fact that Gibson didn't win either the NL Cy Young Award, nor the league's Most Valuable Player Award in '69 means nothing. Tom Seaver was a natural choice in '69 for the CYA - pitching for the team that made the postseason for the very first time, and of course, he had a wonderful record (25-7 - 2.21 ERA).
Likewise, Willie McCovey was a natural choice for the NL MVP Award in '69. He led the league in home runs (45), RBI (126) and slugging percentage (.656), and his team - the San Francisco Giants - finished a close second to the Atlanta Braves in the newly-formed NL West division.
As we have seen over the years, voting for Most Valuable Player Awards is generally weighted heavily in favor of players putting together "big numbers" on teams that either reach the postseason, or teams that played well above nearly everyone's (so-called baseball experts) expectations. Generally, position players tend to get more support than pitchers, for two reasons: (1) Pitchers have their "own" award, so let them have that instead of this, and (2) pitchers generally only pitch once every five days, so there's no way they can help their team win more than guys who play every day. Which of course, is total nonsense.
In 1969, McCovey had an MVP-caliber 8.1 WAR - Seaver had a CYA-caliber 7.2 WAR. However, Gibson's was 11.3 - surprisingly, nearly as high as the 11.9 he posted the previous season - when he won both awards.
In 1970, when Gibson won his second NL CYA, he still had the highest WAR in major league baseball: 10.1 - although strictly as a pitcher it was 8.9. The reason his overall WAR was higher is quite simple - Gibson had a great year as a hitter (.303/.347/.404) with two home runs and 19 RBI. Also, defensive metrics come into play - getting a boost from the fact that he was a Gold Glove Award winning pitcher, year in and year out.
Those three years - 1968 - '69 - '70 - were Gibson's saber-metric peak, when he was the best all-around player in the game. Now you know.
The next highest WAR did not belong to AL CYA & MVP Award winner, Denny McClain - 7.3. In fact, McClain didn't even have the highest WAR among AL pitchers. Luis Tiant came in at 7.8. Among position players, Carl Yastrzemski was tops in the AL: 10.5 - so yeah, he should have won back-to-back MVP Awards. Brooks Robinson came in second among position players: 8.4.
If this makes no sense to you, or you don't adhere to any of this saber-metric mumbo-jumbo, you may not agree with the revelation I happened to discover, just the other day:
Gibson was not only the best all-around player in major league baseball in 1968 - he was also the best all-around player in '69 and '70, as well.
The fact that Gibson didn't win either the NL Cy Young Award, nor the league's Most Valuable Player Award in '69 means nothing. Tom Seaver was a natural choice in '69 for the CYA - pitching for the team that made the postseason for the very first time, and of course, he had a wonderful record (25-7 - 2.21 ERA).
Likewise, Willie McCovey was a natural choice for the NL MVP Award in '69. He led the league in home runs (45), RBI (126) and slugging percentage (.656), and his team - the San Francisco Giants - finished a close second to the Atlanta Braves in the newly-formed NL West division.
As we have seen over the years, voting for Most Valuable Player Awards is generally weighted heavily in favor of players putting together "big numbers" on teams that either reach the postseason, or teams that played well above nearly everyone's (so-called baseball experts) expectations. Generally, position players tend to get more support than pitchers, for two reasons: (1) Pitchers have their "own" award, so let them have that instead of this, and (2) pitchers generally only pitch once every five days, so there's no way they can help their team win more than guys who play every day. Which of course, is total nonsense.
In 1969, McCovey had an MVP-caliber 8.1 WAR - Seaver had a CYA-caliber 7.2 WAR. However, Gibson's was 11.3 - surprisingly, nearly as high as the 11.9 he posted the previous season - when he won both awards.
In 1970, when Gibson won his second NL CYA, he still had the highest WAR in major league baseball: 10.1 - although strictly as a pitcher it was 8.9. The reason his overall WAR was higher is quite simple - Gibson had a great year as a hitter (.303/.347/.404) with two home runs and 19 RBI. Also, defensive metrics come into play - getting a boost from the fact that he was a Gold Glove Award winning pitcher, year in and year out.
Those three years - 1968 - '69 - '70 - were Gibson's saber-metric peak, when he was the best all-around player in the game. Now you know.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
May 28, 1982 - 5 Hits = 5 Runs in Win Over Padres - May 29, 1987 - Cards Score Late, Score Often in Win Over Astros
Friday, May 28, 1982 - The San Diego Padres were in town for the first game of a three-game weekend series at Busch Stadium II. Juan Eichelberger would pitch a complete game for San Diego, limiting the Cardinals to just five hits and a pair of walks. Bob Forsch was on the mound for St Louis, allowed the Padres seven hits, including a home run, and also issued a pair of walks. He failed to strike out a single batter and failed to go the distance. Naturally, he won the game with a little relief help from Bruce Sutter.
The Cardinals parlayed the five hits, two walks, some shoddy Padres defense and their no-so-secret weapon - team speed - into a relatively easy 5-2 win. It seemed Willie McGee was in scoring position continuously, but in reality, it was only three times - and the rookie scored each time, displaying the remarkable speed that would fit in so nicely with the Redbird offensive approach throughout the '80's.
In the first-inning, a one-out McGee triple plus a Lonnie Smith ground out to the shortstop put the first run on the board for St Louis. Then after Willie singled to lead off the fourth-inning, he advanced all the way to third base on a ground ball by Lonnie Smith which was booted by the first baseman. He then scored the unearned run on a Keith Hernandez sacrifice fly. Finally, in the eighth-inning, McGee coaxed a one-out walk, immediately stole second, then scored for the third time on Lonnie Smith's single to left field. Not a bad night.
The Cards scored their other two runs in the seventh-inning when McGee's turn in the batting order didn't come up. This time it was Keith Hernandez getting into scoring position with a lead-off double; he then advanced to third on a fielder's choice and came home on a David Green base hit to center. Later in the inning, Ken Oberkfell came home from third on one of Whitey Herzog's favorite weapons - the squeeze play.
Every hit, plus one of the walks the Cardinals had in this game either came around to score or drove in a run. Talk about offensive efficiency! It was on display tonight for those 31,733 fans to enjoy in just a little over two hours.
Forsch (6-1) went 7.2 innings, allowed seven hits (including a solo home run), walked two, didn't strike out anybody, but only gave up two runs - with a little help from Bruce Sutter - who finished up the remaining 1.1 innings in the game, allowing just one hit, no walks, and believe it or, no strikeouts.
Just another night at the old ballpark for a team that fooled everybody en route to a World Series title in 1982.
Friday, May 29, 1987 - The Houston Astros were paying a visit to St Louis for a three-game weekend series with the Cardinals, as their ace, Mike Scott was all set to go for game one. Rookie Joe Magrane got the start for St Louis, as a huge crowd of 48,423 jammed into Busch Stadium II to see how their Redbirds would fare against the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner.
Houston got on the board first, with two second-inning runs, thanks to a Kevin Bass lead-off home run and an RBI ground out by pitcher Scott - scoring Ashby - to help his own cause. That 2-0 lead remained intact until the Cardinals came to bat in the fifth-inning. With one out, Ozzie Smith drew a base on balls, immediately stole second, and advanced to third when the shortstop forgot to catch the ball. Tommy Herr then brought Ozzie home with a base hit to left. Scott was able to escape any further scoring in the inning, but for some reason, didn't return to the mound for the next inning. The new Astros pitcher would be the corpulent Aurelio Lopez.
In the meantime, Magrane was removed from the game after working just four innings, allowing just those two runs in the second-inning. Lee Tunnell would work the next two hit-less and scoreless innings, while the Redbirds were going to work on Lopez in the sixth. His job, of course, was to preserve that 2-1 lead for Mike Scott. After two straight doubles by Clark and McGee, Ford singled in McGee, stole second with Lindeman batting, then advanced to third when Lindeman grounded out - for the first out Lopez was able to get in his disastrous 0.1 inning of work.
Out of the Astros bullpen came the zany Larry Anderson - a fun-loving practical joker - who managed to escape any further damage. But the Cardinals now led, 3-2. The beneficiary of this sudden lead change was reliever Tunnell, who stood to be the winning pitcher if the Redbirds could keep the lead.
Anderson, the practical joker who pitched brilliantly to minimize the damage in the sixth, got lit up for five runs in the seventh, which was no fun at all to him; but the Cardinals were having a blast. The key hits for the Cardinals were McGee's two-run single, and pinch hitter Tony Pena's bases loaded triple, as St Louis put this game on ice. Ricky Horton worked the final two hit-less and scoreless innings to preserve the 8-2 victory.
This was a tale of two bullpens - one did the job, the other was a joke - at least tonight.
.
The Cardinals parlayed the five hits, two walks, some shoddy Padres defense and their no-so-secret weapon - team speed - into a relatively easy 5-2 win. It seemed Willie McGee was in scoring position continuously, but in reality, it was only three times - and the rookie scored each time, displaying the remarkable speed that would fit in so nicely with the Redbird offensive approach throughout the '80's.
In the first-inning, a one-out McGee triple plus a Lonnie Smith ground out to the shortstop put the first run on the board for St Louis. Then after Willie singled to lead off the fourth-inning, he advanced all the way to third base on a ground ball by Lonnie Smith which was booted by the first baseman. He then scored the unearned run on a Keith Hernandez sacrifice fly. Finally, in the eighth-inning, McGee coaxed a one-out walk, immediately stole second, then scored for the third time on Lonnie Smith's single to left field. Not a bad night.
The Cards scored their other two runs in the seventh-inning when McGee's turn in the batting order didn't come up. This time it was Keith Hernandez getting into scoring position with a lead-off double; he then advanced to third on a fielder's choice and came home on a David Green base hit to center. Later in the inning, Ken Oberkfell came home from third on one of Whitey Herzog's favorite weapons - the squeeze play.
Every hit, plus one of the walks the Cardinals had in this game either came around to score or drove in a run. Talk about offensive efficiency! It was on display tonight for those 31,733 fans to enjoy in just a little over two hours.
Forsch (6-1) went 7.2 innings, allowed seven hits (including a solo home run), walked two, didn't strike out anybody, but only gave up two runs - with a little help from Bruce Sutter - who finished up the remaining 1.1 innings in the game, allowing just one hit, no walks, and believe it or, no strikeouts.
Just another night at the old ballpark for a team that fooled everybody en route to a World Series title in 1982.
Friday, May 29, 1987 - The Houston Astros were paying a visit to St Louis for a three-game weekend series with the Cardinals, as their ace, Mike Scott was all set to go for game one. Rookie Joe Magrane got the start for St Louis, as a huge crowd of 48,423 jammed into Busch Stadium II to see how their Redbirds would fare against the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner.
Houston got on the board first, with two second-inning runs, thanks to a Kevin Bass lead-off home run and an RBI ground out by pitcher Scott - scoring Ashby - to help his own cause. That 2-0 lead remained intact until the Cardinals came to bat in the fifth-inning. With one out, Ozzie Smith drew a base on balls, immediately stole second, and advanced to third when the shortstop forgot to catch the ball. Tommy Herr then brought Ozzie home with a base hit to left. Scott was able to escape any further scoring in the inning, but for some reason, didn't return to the mound for the next inning. The new Astros pitcher would be the corpulent Aurelio Lopez.
In the meantime, Magrane was removed from the game after working just four innings, allowing just those two runs in the second-inning. Lee Tunnell would work the next two hit-less and scoreless innings, while the Redbirds were going to work on Lopez in the sixth. His job, of course, was to preserve that 2-1 lead for Mike Scott. After two straight doubles by Clark and McGee, Ford singled in McGee, stole second with Lindeman batting, then advanced to third when Lindeman grounded out - for the first out Lopez was able to get in his disastrous 0.1 inning of work.
Out of the Astros bullpen came the zany Larry Anderson - a fun-loving practical joker - who managed to escape any further damage. But the Cardinals now led, 3-2. The beneficiary of this sudden lead change was reliever Tunnell, who stood to be the winning pitcher if the Redbirds could keep the lead.
Anderson, the practical joker who pitched brilliantly to minimize the damage in the sixth, got lit up for five runs in the seventh, which was no fun at all to him; but the Cardinals were having a blast. The key hits for the Cardinals were McGee's two-run single, and pinch hitter Tony Pena's bases loaded triple, as St Louis put this game on ice. Ricky Horton worked the final two hit-less and scoreless innings to preserve the 8-2 victory.
This was a tale of two bullpens - one did the job, the other was a joke - at least tonight.
.
Monday, May 26, 2014
This Day in St Louis Cardinals History - May 20, 1985 - May 21, 1988 - The Best & Worst of Joaquin Andujar
Monday, May 20, 1985 - After winning the 1982 World Series, the St Louis Cardinals had fallen on hard times. After fading miserably in September of '83, the Cardinals never regained consciousness in '84; then, after losing relief ace Bruce Sutter to free agency prior to the '85 season, it was a widely held notion that the comatose Cardinals were on life support - on their way to a dead-last finish in the NL East. To this point in the season, St Louis had done little to dispel that notion, playing sub-.500 ball since Opening Day.
The journey up to .500 and above began in earnest on this night, with the Atlanta Braves - Sutter's new employer - in town for the first time this season. A paid crowd of 25,112 at Busch Stadium II had little time to ponder their reaction if the likable World Series hero from '82 happened to make an appearance in this game. By the third-inning, the Braves were already down 5-0 with Cards' ace Joaquin Andujar in complete control. A save situation wouldn't be happening tonight, for either side.
The Redbirds were anything but dead birds tonight, pounding out 16 hits in scoring a season-high 14 runs for the second time in the last five days. Leading the assault on Braves pitching was Willie McGee with three hits - including a home run - five RBI and three runs scored; Terry Pendleton with three more RBI and two runs scored; and Andy Van Slyke who also had a home run and three RBI. In fact, every position player had at least one hit tonight. But this team's forte was the stolen base. On this particular night, the Runnin' Redbirds stole five bags, including two by the rookie left fielder, Vince Coleman - on his way to 110.
In the meantime, Joaquin Andujar continued his superb pitching with a complete game six-hit shutout, improving to 7-1 on the young season. The Braves used four pitchers in this debacle, starting with Zane Smith (2-3) who gave up those five quick runs to get an early exit. His replacement actually fared even worse (Craig McMurtry), yielding a half dozen runs before being relieved of duty.
After this win, the Cardinals were still two games under .500 (17-19), but they'd complete a momentum-building three-game sweep of Atlanta to start them on the road to the top of the division; and beyond.
Saturday, May 21, 1988 - In the world of major league baseball, three seasons can bring about dramatic change. Just three years and one day after shutting out the Atlanta Braves, Joaquin Andujar was back with his original team - the Houston Astros - relegated to bullpen duty, with rapidly diminishing skills. This would be his final big league season, as well as his final mound appearance in St Louis - the town that embraced his zany antics during his five-year stint with the Cardinals. This farewell didn't go so well for the self-proclaimed "tough Dominican".
The defending National League champion St Louis Cardinals still drew large crowds, as 47,320 packed into Busch Stadium II to see the action between the Cards and Astros. The pitching match-up - Randy O'Neal for St Louis and Danny Darwin for Houston - didn't exactly bring evoke memories of Gibson vs Seaver from twenty years ago (May 6, 1968, to be exact). Except for some reason, this game drew 35,000 more fans out to the old ballpark. Maybe it was Bob Horner Bobble Head Night? Ouch.
Once again, Jack Clark's replacement at first base for the Cardinals did nothing to help his team win. And the fans would soon be getting restless over the oft-injured Horner's continued lack of production; especially since the guy that walked away - Clark - was healthy and still hitting a lot of home runs for his new team - the New York Yankees.
This game itself had a vintage feel to it initially, with Vince Coleman scoring a run in his first two plate appearances to stake the Cards to a quick 2-0 lead. The Astros cut the deficit in half on a fourth-inning Alan Ashby run-scoring double. Houston would then take the lead in the top of the sixth-inning in a bizarre way. So bizarre in fact, it may not have ever happened in major league history - before or since.
Here's the scenario: Houston has runners on first and second with two out. The batter - Allan Ashby - swings and misses on strike three. But it's a wild pitch. Everybody's safe, as the bases are now loaded. The next batter - Jim Pankovits - scores all three runners with a double. Astros now lead 4-2, as the 47,320 fans are wondering if anybody's ever hit a three-run double immediately following a wild pitch strikeout of the previous batter that loaded the bases to begin with.
Undaunted, with Ozzie Smith on base in the bottom of the sixth, Tom Brunansky hits one into the left field bleachers to tie the game, 4-4. Darwin pitched one more inning for the Astros, giving up just the four runs on six hits. O'Neal survived long enough to record one out in the eighth-inning before his exit. He too, yielded just the four runs, but on eleven hits and that crazy wild pitch strikeout (one of just two strikeouts) that he wishes he had back.
This game was to be decided by the bullpens. Ken Dayley relieved O'Neal with one out in the eighth, avoided trouble, then worked a scoreless ninth-inning. Veteran mainstay Bob Forsch would take care of the Astros for the next two innings.
For Houston, three relievers - Agosto, Anderson, and Smith - allowed nary a hit for their three combined innings of work, setting the stage for Andujar's farewell appearance in the Gateway City.
McGee started his old teammate's demise by reaching safely when second baseman Jim Pankovits - previously a hero for Houston - booted his grounder. Obviously distracted by this unfortunate situation, Andujar pays little attention to the speedy McGee at first, who immediately steals second. Andujar then retires Brunansky on a come-backer to the mound, as Willie has to stay at second . The next hitter - Curt Ford - is intentionally walked to set up a potential double play with Tony Pena coming up to the plate. That strategy is quickly foiled when McGee and Ford execute a successful double steal.
Now, with runners on second and third and just one out, Andujar elects to pitch to Pena with first base open. That didn't work out so well, either. Pena blasts a three-run home run to left field, ending the game, just like that. Cardinals 7 - Astros 4 (11 innings).
The pitchers of record, Bob Forsch (4-3) and Joaquin Andujar (0-1) - teammates on that World Championship Cardinal team of '82 - were both nearing the end of the road. On August 31, 1988, Forsch would be dealt to these same Houston Astros, ending his 15-year tenure with St Louis - a one-time 20-game winner with two no-hitters to his credit. He'd retire the following season. For Andujar - a two-time 20-game winner with the Cardinals - 1988 would be his final season.
The journey up to .500 and above began in earnest on this night, with the Atlanta Braves - Sutter's new employer - in town for the first time this season. A paid crowd of 25,112 at Busch Stadium II had little time to ponder their reaction if the likable World Series hero from '82 happened to make an appearance in this game. By the third-inning, the Braves were already down 5-0 with Cards' ace Joaquin Andujar in complete control. A save situation wouldn't be happening tonight, for either side.
The Redbirds were anything but dead birds tonight, pounding out 16 hits in scoring a season-high 14 runs for the second time in the last five days. Leading the assault on Braves pitching was Willie McGee with three hits - including a home run - five RBI and three runs scored; Terry Pendleton with three more RBI and two runs scored; and Andy Van Slyke who also had a home run and three RBI. In fact, every position player had at least one hit tonight. But this team's forte was the stolen base. On this particular night, the Runnin' Redbirds stole five bags, including two by the rookie left fielder, Vince Coleman - on his way to 110.
In the meantime, Joaquin Andujar continued his superb pitching with a complete game six-hit shutout, improving to 7-1 on the young season. The Braves used four pitchers in this debacle, starting with Zane Smith (2-3) who gave up those five quick runs to get an early exit. His replacement actually fared even worse (Craig McMurtry), yielding a half dozen runs before being relieved of duty.
After this win, the Cardinals were still two games under .500 (17-19), but they'd complete a momentum-building three-game sweep of Atlanta to start them on the road to the top of the division; and beyond.
Saturday, May 21, 1988 - In the world of major league baseball, three seasons can bring about dramatic change. Just three years and one day after shutting out the Atlanta Braves, Joaquin Andujar was back with his original team - the Houston Astros - relegated to bullpen duty, with rapidly diminishing skills. This would be his final big league season, as well as his final mound appearance in St Louis - the town that embraced his zany antics during his five-year stint with the Cardinals. This farewell didn't go so well for the self-proclaimed "tough Dominican".
The defending National League champion St Louis Cardinals still drew large crowds, as 47,320 packed into Busch Stadium II to see the action between the Cards and Astros. The pitching match-up - Randy O'Neal for St Louis and Danny Darwin for Houston - didn't exactly bring evoke memories of Gibson vs Seaver from twenty years ago (May 6, 1968, to be exact). Except for some reason, this game drew 35,000 more fans out to the old ballpark. Maybe it was Bob Horner Bobble Head Night? Ouch.
Once again, Jack Clark's replacement at first base for the Cardinals did nothing to help his team win. And the fans would soon be getting restless over the oft-injured Horner's continued lack of production; especially since the guy that walked away - Clark - was healthy and still hitting a lot of home runs for his new team - the New York Yankees.
This game itself had a vintage feel to it initially, with Vince Coleman scoring a run in his first two plate appearances to stake the Cards to a quick 2-0 lead. The Astros cut the deficit in half on a fourth-inning Alan Ashby run-scoring double. Houston would then take the lead in the top of the sixth-inning in a bizarre way. So bizarre in fact, it may not have ever happened in major league history - before or since.
Here's the scenario: Houston has runners on first and second with two out. The batter - Allan Ashby - swings and misses on strike three. But it's a wild pitch. Everybody's safe, as the bases are now loaded. The next batter - Jim Pankovits - scores all three runners with a double. Astros now lead 4-2, as the 47,320 fans are wondering if anybody's ever hit a three-run double immediately following a wild pitch strikeout of the previous batter that loaded the bases to begin with.
Undaunted, with Ozzie Smith on base in the bottom of the sixth, Tom Brunansky hits one into the left field bleachers to tie the game, 4-4. Darwin pitched one more inning for the Astros, giving up just the four runs on six hits. O'Neal survived long enough to record one out in the eighth-inning before his exit. He too, yielded just the four runs, but on eleven hits and that crazy wild pitch strikeout (one of just two strikeouts) that he wishes he had back.
This game was to be decided by the bullpens. Ken Dayley relieved O'Neal with one out in the eighth, avoided trouble, then worked a scoreless ninth-inning. Veteran mainstay Bob Forsch would take care of the Astros for the next two innings.
For Houston, three relievers - Agosto, Anderson, and Smith - allowed nary a hit for their three combined innings of work, setting the stage for Andujar's farewell appearance in the Gateway City.
McGee started his old teammate's demise by reaching safely when second baseman Jim Pankovits - previously a hero for Houston - booted his grounder. Obviously distracted by this unfortunate situation, Andujar pays little attention to the speedy McGee at first, who immediately steals second. Andujar then retires Brunansky on a come-backer to the mound, as Willie has to stay at second . The next hitter - Curt Ford - is intentionally walked to set up a potential double play with Tony Pena coming up to the plate. That strategy is quickly foiled when McGee and Ford execute a successful double steal.
Now, with runners on second and third and just one out, Andujar elects to pitch to Pena with first base open. That didn't work out so well, either. Pena blasts a three-run home run to left field, ending the game, just like that. Cardinals 7 - Astros 4 (11 innings).
The pitchers of record, Bob Forsch (4-3) and Joaquin Andujar (0-1) - teammates on that World Championship Cardinal team of '82 - were both nearing the end of the road. On August 31, 1988, Forsch would be dealt to these same Houston Astros, ending his 15-year tenure with St Louis - a one-time 20-game winner with two no-hitters to his credit. He'd retire the following season. For Andujar - a two-time 20-game winner with the Cardinals - 1988 would be his final season.
Friday, August 23, 2013
August 23, 1982: This Date in St Louis Cardinals Championship History
August 23, 1982: In the first game of a three-game series between the host St Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Redbirds used timely hitting and capitalized on four Dodgers errors to cruise to an easy 11-3 victory. Every St Louis position player had at least one hit in the game, and with the exception of Tommy Herr and Ken Oberkfell, drove in at least one run. Reserve catcher Gene Tenace led the attack with four RBIs, while his battery mate, Bob Forsch (13-7) pitched 7.1 innings - was charged with three runs on seven hits; didn't walk any batters, and struck out two. In other words, a typical Bob Forsch game.
After the Cardinals jumped on Dodgers starter Jerry Reuss (12-10) for four runs in the third-inning, Forsch kept LA at bay through seven innings, holding a 5-1 lead entering the eighth. After yielding a run on two hits while retiring one batter, manager Whitey Herzog brought in relief specialist Bruce Sutter to nail the win down. Although an inherited runner scored on a two-base hit, making the score 5-3, Sutter was able to retire the next two batters to end the threat. The Cardinals made things easy for Bruce by plating six runs of their own in the bottom half of the eighth-inning, aided by more sloppy Dodgers defense.
Preserving an 11-3 win for the Cards may have been the easiest save (27) of Sutter's career. Still, by today's standards, a five-out save is considered almost heroic; perhaps even a bit desperate. Nowadays, most teams have specialists to nail down the final three innings. Herzog used Sutter in the highest leverage situations, and more often than not, the National League's premier closer and his remarkable split-fingered fastball delivered the save. In this particular outing, the future Hall of Fame relief ace struck out four batters in 1.2 innings of work. He allowed two hits (both doubles), walked none, and was charged with no runs. The Dodgers managed nine hits in the game, but with no free passes and no fielding miscues to capitalize on, they were unable to muster enough offense to threaten the future World Series champions.
The Redbirds dropped the final two games of the series at Busch Stadium to the Dodgers; the season series went LA's way as well in 1982, with the Cards winning five games, while losing seven. As it played out, the Atlanta Braves barely slipped past the Dodgers by a single game in the NL West that year, so it would be Atlanta - not LA - advancing to the NLCS to face the Cardinals. The Braves had to feel confident squaring off against the Redbirds, as they also held the edge in the season series - winning seven of the eleven games; however, the postseason is a different animal, and the Cards became beasts in sweeping Atlanta out of the postseason in three exciting NLCS games.
Whether or not the Cardinals would have whipped the Dodgers in a postseason showdown, as well, is anybody's guess. The showdown between the two iconic franchises would have to wait three years to become a reality. That one went decisively in favor of the Cards, four games to two. Many considered the 1985 edition of the Cardinals to be even better than the World Champions of 1982. Maybe Herzog's '82 squad got a bit lucky in the postseason; maybe not so lucky in '85.
Thanks to this shellacking administered by St Louis to Los Angeles on this date in 1982, the possibility of a Cardinals - Dodgers NLCS ultimately never materialized. That one may or may not have turned out so well for the Redbirds.
We'll never know, but it's always fun to consider the possibilities.
After the Cardinals jumped on Dodgers starter Jerry Reuss (12-10) for four runs in the third-inning, Forsch kept LA at bay through seven innings, holding a 5-1 lead entering the eighth. After yielding a run on two hits while retiring one batter, manager Whitey Herzog brought in relief specialist Bruce Sutter to nail the win down. Although an inherited runner scored on a two-base hit, making the score 5-3, Sutter was able to retire the next two batters to end the threat. The Cardinals made things easy for Bruce by plating six runs of their own in the bottom half of the eighth-inning, aided by more sloppy Dodgers defense.
Preserving an 11-3 win for the Cards may have been the easiest save (27) of Sutter's career. Still, by today's standards, a five-out save is considered almost heroic; perhaps even a bit desperate. Nowadays, most teams have specialists to nail down the final three innings. Herzog used Sutter in the highest leverage situations, and more often than not, the National League's premier closer and his remarkable split-fingered fastball delivered the save. In this particular outing, the future Hall of Fame relief ace struck out four batters in 1.2 innings of work. He allowed two hits (both doubles), walked none, and was charged with no runs. The Dodgers managed nine hits in the game, but with no free passes and no fielding miscues to capitalize on, they were unable to muster enough offense to threaten the future World Series champions.
The Redbirds dropped the final two games of the series at Busch Stadium to the Dodgers; the season series went LA's way as well in 1982, with the Cards winning five games, while losing seven. As it played out, the Atlanta Braves barely slipped past the Dodgers by a single game in the NL West that year, so it would be Atlanta - not LA - advancing to the NLCS to face the Cardinals. The Braves had to feel confident squaring off against the Redbirds, as they also held the edge in the season series - winning seven of the eleven games; however, the postseason is a different animal, and the Cards became beasts in sweeping Atlanta out of the postseason in three exciting NLCS games.
Whether or not the Cardinals would have whipped the Dodgers in a postseason showdown, as well, is anybody's guess. The showdown between the two iconic franchises would have to wait three years to become a reality. That one went decisively in favor of the Cards, four games to two. Many considered the 1985 edition of the Cardinals to be even better than the World Champions of 1982. Maybe Herzog's '82 squad got a bit lucky in the postseason; maybe not so lucky in '85.
Thanks to this shellacking administered by St Louis to Los Angeles on this date in 1982, the possibility of a Cardinals - Dodgers NLCS ultimately never materialized. That one may or may not have turned out so well for the Redbirds.
We'll never know, but it's always fun to consider the possibilities.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
April 28, 1982: This Date in St Louis Cardinals Championship History
April 28, 1982: In a game that epitomized "Whitey Ball", the Cardinals (14-6) were somehow able to scratch out a win over the Houston Astros (8-13) at Busch Stadium, by a score of 5-4. Bob Forsch (4-0) pitched seven innings, allowed eight hits and six walks - but only four of those baserunners came around to score.
While the Astros were frustrated by their missed opportunities to break the game open, the Cardinals were able to turn a two run deficit into a two run lead in the sixth-inning, by scoring four runs on four walks, three hits and a wild pitch - a typical Redbird rally of the early '80s. David Green delivered a key two-run single in the inning and for good measure, threw Tony Scott out at second base trying to stretch a single into a double earlier in the game.
Bruce Sutter relieved Forsch with a runner on second base and nobody out in the eighth-inning, with the Cardinals clinging to the same two-run lead they manufactured two innings prior. Although the Astros were able to bring that run home, Sutter was able to prevent further damage, recording his seventh save of the young season en route to a NL leading 36 saves - the fourth consecutive year he topped the Senior Circuit in that category.
Forsch would go on to win 15 games for the Redbirds in '82, helping them win their first division title and reach the postseason for the first time since 1968. He also pitched brilliantly in Game One of the NLCS vs the Atlanta Braves, as the Cards swept that series to meet the Milwaukee Brewers in a classic 1982 Fall Classic.
This late April victory was pivitol for the Redbirds, who came into this game on a three-game losing streak. As it turned out, they would lose the next three games after this one, so their ability to steal a win from Houston essentially prevented a seven-game losing sreak.
A few days after David Green's game-winning hit, he went on the DL with a severe hamstring injury. This paved the way for rookie Willie McGee to be called up from the minors. It didn't take long for McGee to take over the regular duties in centerfield for the Redbirds, relegating Green - who never quite lived-up to the expectations the Cardinals had for him - to part-time status. Eventually, he would be packaged with a few other marginal players in exchange for Giants slugger Jack Clark prior to the '85 season. Clark would prove to be the perfect fit for St Louis during his three seasons as a Cardinal, helping the Redbirds win National League championships in '85 and '87.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, Jack Clark became a free agent after the '87 season. His departure to the New York Yankees signaled the end of the Whitey Herzog Era. By 1990, the team was in a state of disaray; Herog resigned prior to the All-Star break and St Louis finished last in the standings for the first time since 1918.
While the Astros were frustrated by their missed opportunities to break the game open, the Cardinals were able to turn a two run deficit into a two run lead in the sixth-inning, by scoring four runs on four walks, three hits and a wild pitch - a typical Redbird rally of the early '80s. David Green delivered a key two-run single in the inning and for good measure, threw Tony Scott out at second base trying to stretch a single into a double earlier in the game.
Bruce Sutter relieved Forsch with a runner on second base and nobody out in the eighth-inning, with the Cardinals clinging to the same two-run lead they manufactured two innings prior. Although the Astros were able to bring that run home, Sutter was able to prevent further damage, recording his seventh save of the young season en route to a NL leading 36 saves - the fourth consecutive year he topped the Senior Circuit in that category.
Forsch would go on to win 15 games for the Redbirds in '82, helping them win their first division title and reach the postseason for the first time since 1968. He also pitched brilliantly in Game One of the NLCS vs the Atlanta Braves, as the Cards swept that series to meet the Milwaukee Brewers in a classic 1982 Fall Classic.
This late April victory was pivitol for the Redbirds, who came into this game on a three-game losing streak. As it turned out, they would lose the next three games after this one, so their ability to steal a win from Houston essentially prevented a seven-game losing sreak.
A few days after David Green's game-winning hit, he went on the DL with a severe hamstring injury. This paved the way for rookie Willie McGee to be called up from the minors. It didn't take long for McGee to take over the regular duties in centerfield for the Redbirds, relegating Green - who never quite lived-up to the expectations the Cardinals had for him - to part-time status. Eventually, he would be packaged with a few other marginal players in exchange for Giants slugger Jack Clark prior to the '85 season. Clark would prove to be the perfect fit for St Louis during his three seasons as a Cardinal, helping the Redbirds win National League championships in '85 and '87.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, Jack Clark became a free agent after the '87 season. His departure to the New York Yankees signaled the end of the Whitey Herzog Era. By 1990, the team was in a state of disaray; Herog resigned prior to the All-Star break and St Louis finished last in the standings for the first time since 1918.
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