Wednesday, October 20, 1982 - World Series - Game 7 at Busch Stadium II vs Milwaukee Brewers - Starting Pitchers: Joaquin Andujar vs Pete Vuckovich - Attendance: 53,723
For the first time since 1968, the Cardinals were playing host to a seventh and deciding game of the World Series - but this time, the home team won - coming from behind for a 6-3 World Series winner - the ninth in franchise history.
It was a rematch of Game Three starters - Joaquin Andujar and Pete Vuckovich - and once again, Andujar came away with a victory - allowing three runs (two earned runs) in seven innings of work. Bruce Sutter pitched two perfect innings of relief for his third postseason save - striking out Gorman Thomas on a full-count ten-pitch at bat to finally end it.
After a scoreless first three innings of play, Game Three hero Willie McGee started a fourth-inning rally with a base hit to center off Brewers ace Pete Vuckovich, who was probably relieved Willie didn't hit another home run this time around. Tommy Herr followed with a single to right, as McGee easily advanced to third.
Vuckovich then retired Ozzie Smith on a pop fly to second baseman Ganter, as the runners remained on the corners. However, Lonnie Smith drove in McGee with an infield single to shortstop Yount, as Herr took second.
Vuckovich managed to avoid further damage by retiring Ken Oberkfell on an infield grounder and getting a frustrated Keith Hernandez to chase strike three - stranding Herr at third base.
It didn't take the Brewers long to answer back, as Ben Oglivie hit a fifth-inning lead-off home run to tie the game at one run apiece. Andujar was able to regroup after that blast to retire the next three batters in order.
However, he ran into serious trouble in the sixth, which was only exasperated by his own fielding miscue which led to an unearned run crossing the plate. Jim Gantner started the inning with a lead-off double in the right center field gap. Next up - Paul Molitor - may have caught Andujar off guard with a bunt down the third base line, designed to move the runner up to third. However, after fielding it, Andujar threw wildly past first base, allowing Gantner to score as Molitor took second.
Robin Yount followed that up with an infield hit which second baseman Herr had no play on. Runners were now on first and third - still nobody out. This appeared on the verge of getting out of hand. However, Andujar escaped total disaster, although Yount did score the second run of the inning on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Cecil Cooper. Next up - Ted Simmons - who smacked a line drive off Andujar's knee in Game Three, grounded one to Hernandez, resulting in a force out at second this time around. Likewise, Oglivie, who homered in his last at bat, grounded into a force out to end the threat - and keep it a 3-1 Milwaukee lead.
With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Ozzie Smith singled - then Lonnie Smith doubled him over to third base. With that, Brewers manager Harvey Kuenn went to the bullpen - bringing in lefty reliever Bob McClure to pitch to Oberkfell with two runners in scoring position. Whitey Herzog then countered with pinch hitter Gene Tenace - a World Series hero a decade earlier with Oakland. With first base open, McClure didn't give Tenace anything good to hit - and Tenace patiently drew a base on balls - bringing Keith Hernandez to the plate, with redemption on his mind.
With pinch runner Mike Ramsey replacing Tenace at first base, the stage was set for a classic Fall Classic bit of drama. Two San Francisco Bay Area high school rivals - McClure and Hernandez - were meeting once again in the Main Event - with the world championship on the line - and for the first time in World Series history, two "Smiths" scored on the same base hit - a single to center, as this game was now tied, 3-3.
With pinch runner Mike Ramsey perched on third, George Hendrick brought him in with a base hit in the hole between first and second - to give the Cardinals a 4-3 lead.
An inspired Andujar protected that lead with a scoreless seventh-inning, with Bruce Sutter waiting in the wings to finish this one up. After Milwaukee failed to score in the eighth, St Louis tacked on a couple of insurance runs in the bottom half, to put this one on ice.
Facing reliever Moose Haas, Lonnie Smith led-off the eighth-inning with a ground rule double down the right field line - but Mike Ramsey's sacrifice bunt attempt failed - fouling off strike three. After Hernandez was intentionally walked, Hendrick was retired on a fly ball to center.
Lefty Mike Caldwell - who dominated the Cardinals in Game One's 10-0 blowout - was then brought in to face Darrell Porter - but the strategy backfired - as Porter got the RBI single to right field, which in all likelihood was the deciding factor in the World Series MVP voting. Steve Braun followed that up with a base hit to center - scoring Hernandez with the sixth and final run of the game.
With Sutter looking to close this one out quickly, Ted Simmons obliged with a ground ball right back to the mound - for out number one. Next up - Oglivie - grounded out to second for out number two.
Out number three wouldn't be so easy. Gorman Thomas worked the count full - fouling off pitch after pitch after pitch after pitch - but finally, on the tenth pitch of the at bat, Thomas took a home run cut on non-split-fingered fastball - and came up empty.
That was a World Series winner - ironically, the only one the Cardinals managed to come away with during Herzog's tenure as manager.
The next time St Louis made it to the World Series - in 1985 - a couple of former teammates - Lonnie Smith and Dane Iorg - would be playing for the eventual world champion Kansas City Royals. Twenty-nine years later, KC has returned - but a second I-70 Fall Classic will have to wait awhile.
Showing posts with label keith hernandez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label keith hernandez. Show all posts
Monday, October 20, 2014
Thursday, October 9, 2014
October 9, 1982 - Game 2 NLCS 4-3 Walk-Off Winner Over Braves
Saturday, October 9, 1982 - Game 2 NLCS - At Busch Stadium II (John Stuper - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: Atlanta Braves (Phil Niekro - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 53,408
After scoring an eighth-inning run to tie the game, the Cardinals got the walk-off win in the ninth - by the slimmest of margins - to steal Game Two of the National League Championship Series vs the Atlanta Braves - by a score of 4-3. St Louis also won Game One, so now have a commanding two games to none lead in this best-of-five championship showdown.
As we all know, baseball is a game of inches. For Braves' manager Joe Torre, his defensive maneuvers late in this game sacrificed some precious inches - and probably cost his team a chance to avoid the ninth-inning calamity which turned a line drive off the bat of Ken Oberkfell into the walk-off game-winning hit.
Before all that unfolded, pitching from both sides did a nice job of keeping the opposing lineups from doing much damage. Sloppy defense cost the Cardinals an early run, while Niekro's erratic knuckle ball cost his team an early run, as well.
After Cards starter John Stuper made it through the first-inning unscathed, Niekro wasn't quite as lucky. With two out and Lonnie Smith on second and Oberkfell on third - Niekro uncorked a wild pitch with Darrell Porter at the plate - allowing Oberkfell to race home with the game's first run - and that was the extent of the scoring for the Cardinals until the sixth-inning.
By that time, the Braves had scored three runs - with one very costly unearned run added to the mix. Bruce Benedict started a third-inning rally by drawing a lead-off walk. After Niekro advanced him to second with a sacrifice bunt, it appeared Stuper might be able to navigate through a scoreless inning when he struck out Claudell Washington. But disaster struck when Rafael Ramirez singled to center. Willie McGee, in his haste to prevent Benedict from scoring from second, charged the ball aggressively, but missed it completely - allowing Ramirez to zip all the way around the bases to give the Braves a shocking 2-1 lead.
Atlanta tacked on another run in the fifth when Niekro batted with runners on second and third and nobody out. He helped his own cause with a sacrifice fly - scoring Glenn Hubbard from third - but the runner on second - Benedict - would eventually be stranded. Atlanta would also squander another scoring opportunity later in the game, which further killed their chances of pulling this one out of the fire.
The Redbirds finally got another run home in the sixth, but probably should have scored more. Keith Hernandez started the rally with a base hit to right - then scored on Porter's double down the right field line. Porter himself would be thrown out at the plate, trying to score on an Ozzie Smith single to right. An unusual 9-6-5 assist nailed Porter - so despite collecting four hits in the inning, the Cards had just one run to show for it.
After Atlanta had runners on first and second and nobody out in the eighth, manager Whitey Herzog brought in Bruce Sutter from the bullpen to work his magic. Stuper had pitched well enough, but was on the hook for the loss already - and the situation looked grim with the two runners on base being his responsibility, as well (Chris Chambliss on first and Dale Murphy on second).
Sutter struck out the first batter - Bob Horner - then with Jerry Royster batting - Murphy tried to steal third - but was nailed on a great throw from Porter to Oberkfell. Royster then bounced out to end the threat and shift the momentum in favor of the home team.
The Cardinals immediately cashed in on the opportunity, off reliever Gene Garber. With one out in the eighth, Porter walked. George Hendrick - quiet in the game to this point - let his bat do the talking with a singe to right - advancing Porter to third. McGee then hit a slow roller to the shortstop who got the force out at second - unassisted - but McGee easily beat the relay to first, as Porter scored the tying run.
By that time, in a series of lineup changes and manuevers, center fielder Dale Murphy moved over to left field, as Brett Butler became the new center fielder. As it would play out, that move cost the Braves the game, although probably nobody thought much about it at the time. Thirty-two years later, it seems obvious.
The fateful ninth-inning rally began with a single off the bat of David Green, who was immediately pushed to second on Herr's sacrifice bunt. Next up - Ken Oberkfell - hit a line drive to center field which 5' 10" Brett Butler couldn't quite reach. Cardinal play-by-play broadcaster Jack Buck's description of the play: "Butler came within an eyelash - within an eyelash - of catching that ball!"
Meanwhile, out in left field, 6' 4" Dale Murphy - who probably would have caught that ball had he remained in center field - could only helplessly watch the ball land safely, as a jubilant Green dashed home with the winning run.
Heading back to Atlanta down two games to none was too much to overcome. Putting Butler in center field - simply because he was speedy - was a routine practice throughout his seventeen-year major league career. Defensive metrics tell a different story, however. He was a far better left fielder, so really, he had no business playing center field. Murphy, on the other hand, was a far better center fielder who had no business playing left field.
Especially in the most important game of his career, when a game of inches - six to be exact - proved to be the difference between a game-winning hit or a routine putout.
The opportunistic Cardinals, were of course, very glad to put this one in the postseason win column. They'd find a way to win five more games in October - good for another World Series trophy.
After scoring an eighth-inning run to tie the game, the Cardinals got the walk-off win in the ninth - by the slimmest of margins - to steal Game Two of the National League Championship Series vs the Atlanta Braves - by a score of 4-3. St Louis also won Game One, so now have a commanding two games to none lead in this best-of-five championship showdown.
As we all know, baseball is a game of inches. For Braves' manager Joe Torre, his defensive maneuvers late in this game sacrificed some precious inches - and probably cost his team a chance to avoid the ninth-inning calamity which turned a line drive off the bat of Ken Oberkfell into the walk-off game-winning hit.
Before all that unfolded, pitching from both sides did a nice job of keeping the opposing lineups from doing much damage. Sloppy defense cost the Cardinals an early run, while Niekro's erratic knuckle ball cost his team an early run, as well.
After Cards starter John Stuper made it through the first-inning unscathed, Niekro wasn't quite as lucky. With two out and Lonnie Smith on second and Oberkfell on third - Niekro uncorked a wild pitch with Darrell Porter at the plate - allowing Oberkfell to race home with the game's first run - and that was the extent of the scoring for the Cardinals until the sixth-inning.
By that time, the Braves had scored three runs - with one very costly unearned run added to the mix. Bruce Benedict started a third-inning rally by drawing a lead-off walk. After Niekro advanced him to second with a sacrifice bunt, it appeared Stuper might be able to navigate through a scoreless inning when he struck out Claudell Washington. But disaster struck when Rafael Ramirez singled to center. Willie McGee, in his haste to prevent Benedict from scoring from second, charged the ball aggressively, but missed it completely - allowing Ramirez to zip all the way around the bases to give the Braves a shocking 2-1 lead.
Atlanta tacked on another run in the fifth when Niekro batted with runners on second and third and nobody out. He helped his own cause with a sacrifice fly - scoring Glenn Hubbard from third - but the runner on second - Benedict - would eventually be stranded. Atlanta would also squander another scoring opportunity later in the game, which further killed their chances of pulling this one out of the fire.
The Redbirds finally got another run home in the sixth, but probably should have scored more. Keith Hernandez started the rally with a base hit to right - then scored on Porter's double down the right field line. Porter himself would be thrown out at the plate, trying to score on an Ozzie Smith single to right. An unusual 9-6-5 assist nailed Porter - so despite collecting four hits in the inning, the Cards had just one run to show for it.
After Atlanta had runners on first and second and nobody out in the eighth, manager Whitey Herzog brought in Bruce Sutter from the bullpen to work his magic. Stuper had pitched well enough, but was on the hook for the loss already - and the situation looked grim with the two runners on base being his responsibility, as well (Chris Chambliss on first and Dale Murphy on second).
Sutter struck out the first batter - Bob Horner - then with Jerry Royster batting - Murphy tried to steal third - but was nailed on a great throw from Porter to Oberkfell. Royster then bounced out to end the threat and shift the momentum in favor of the home team.
The Cardinals immediately cashed in on the opportunity, off reliever Gene Garber. With one out in the eighth, Porter walked. George Hendrick - quiet in the game to this point - let his bat do the talking with a singe to right - advancing Porter to third. McGee then hit a slow roller to the shortstop who got the force out at second - unassisted - but McGee easily beat the relay to first, as Porter scored the tying run.
By that time, in a series of lineup changes and manuevers, center fielder Dale Murphy moved over to left field, as Brett Butler became the new center fielder. As it would play out, that move cost the Braves the game, although probably nobody thought much about it at the time. Thirty-two years later, it seems obvious.
The fateful ninth-inning rally began with a single off the bat of David Green, who was immediately pushed to second on Herr's sacrifice bunt. Next up - Ken Oberkfell - hit a line drive to center field which 5' 10" Brett Butler couldn't quite reach. Cardinal play-by-play broadcaster Jack Buck's description of the play: "Butler came within an eyelash - within an eyelash - of catching that ball!"
Meanwhile, out in left field, 6' 4" Dale Murphy - who probably would have caught that ball had he remained in center field - could only helplessly watch the ball land safely, as a jubilant Green dashed home with the winning run.
Heading back to Atlanta down two games to none was too much to overcome. Putting Butler in center field - simply because he was speedy - was a routine practice throughout his seventeen-year major league career. Defensive metrics tell a different story, however. He was a far better left fielder, so really, he had no business playing center field. Murphy, on the other hand, was a far better center fielder who had no business playing left field.
Especially in the most important game of his career, when a game of inches - six to be exact - proved to be the difference between a game-winning hit or a routine putout.
The opportunistic Cardinals, were of course, very glad to put this one in the postseason win column. They'd find a way to win five more games in October - good for another World Series trophy.
Friday, October 3, 2014
October 3, 1985 - Coleman, Smith & McGee Spark Crucial Win Over Mets
Thursday, October 3, 1985 - At Busch Stadium II (Danny Cox - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: New York Mets (Rick Aguilera - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 47,720
It wasn't a postseason game, although it certainly felt like one. One the Cardinals really needed to win - and they did - sparked by Vince Coleman's two-out two-run fourth-inning single, the Redbirds salvaged the final game of this crucial three-game series with the Mets, by a final score of 4-3.
After dropping the first two games on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Cardinals suddenly found themselves with a scant one-game lead over New York, heading into Thursday's action. Another loss would create a tie between the two fierce NL East rivals - with just three games remaining to be played. As far as manager Whitey Herzog was concerned, that would be a revolting development.
Former Cardinal Keith Hernandez, who was dispatched to New York a couple of seasons ago, was going to do everything in his power to ruin Herzog's postseason party - and he nearly pulled it off. His first-inning single off Danny Cox scored Mookie Wilson from second base, to stake Rick Aguilera to a quick 1-0 lead. For Hernandez, the fun was just beginning.
Up to this point in the series, the Cardinals weren't having any fun at all - until they pushed a second-inning run across to tie the game at one run apiece. Terry Pendleton drew a one-out walk, then advanced all the way to third when Aguilera uncorked a very wild pitch with Darrell Porter batting. Porter eventually walked, as well - bringing Ozzie Smith to the plate. His ground ball to second resulted in a force out - but no double play - as Pendleton scored the first run for the Redbirds.
With the score still knotted at one run apiece, Porter started another one-out rally in the fourth-inning with his second free pass of the game. Ozzie followed with a base hit, advancing Porter to second. Next up - Danny Cox - not a particularly good hitting pitcher - was able to lay down a nice sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position for Vince Coleman - who came through with a base hit to center field to give St Louis its first lead of the game: 3-1.
Hernandez knocked in another run in the fifth-inning - scoring Wally Backman from third base with a double - cutting the lead down to a single run, with the dangerous Gary Carter threatening to force a tie - or worse - give the Mets the lead. Cox got his man, and the Redbirds still had the lead - but it was a precarious lead.
After Cox worked a scoreless sixth-inning - striking out the side (the only strike outs he recorded in the game) the Cardinals tacked on a crucial insurance run in their half of the inning. With one out, Ozzie singled - then with Danny Cox batting, Aguilera balked - advancing the Wizard into scoring position - but Cox struck out. Coleman kept the inning alive with another single to left field, but the ball was hit so hard Smith had to stop at third, as the throw from left fielder George Foster was a good one - probably good enough to nail even the speedy Cardinal shortstop at the plate.
Next up - Willie McGee - on his way to a batting title and Most Valuable Player Award - scored Ozzie with a base hit of his own - plating the fourth, and final St Louis run.
With a two-run lead to protect, Herzog went to the bullpen - bringing in Ken Dayley - the first of four St Louis relievers - to start the seventh-inning. After yielding a two-out hit, Worrell was summoned to get the final out - and he did.
The Mets weren't quite finished, however, Facing Worrell in the eighth-inning, Darryl Strawberry led-off with a double, then advanced to third on Porter's passed ball. Worrell got Foster to wave at a third strike, but Howard Johnson brought the Mets another run closer with a single to right field. Ricky Horton was summoned from the bullpen to face Ray Knight - retiring him on a fly ball to McGee - then striking out future long-time Twins manager Ron Gardenhire - who in 2014 is out of a job again.
Horton got the first two Mets batters in the top of the ninth, but Hernandez kept the inning alive with his fifth straight hit - forcing Herzog to bring in Jeff Lahti for the save. Lahti did his job successfully for the 19th time this season - retiring Carter on a fly ball to Andy Van Slyke in right field - to give Danny Cox (18-9) the biggest win of his career.
With that final putout, the Cardinals were back on top by two games over the relentless Mets - reducing the magic number to clinch their second division title to two games. The official clincher would happen in Saturday's win over the Cubs, but for all intents and purposes, this was the one that sealed the deal for the Redbirds.
In the meantime, October would prove to be quite an exciting month for the Cardinals.
It wasn't a postseason game, although it certainly felt like one. One the Cardinals really needed to win - and they did - sparked by Vince Coleman's two-out two-run fourth-inning single, the Redbirds salvaged the final game of this crucial three-game series with the Mets, by a final score of 4-3.
After dropping the first two games on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Cardinals suddenly found themselves with a scant one-game lead over New York, heading into Thursday's action. Another loss would create a tie between the two fierce NL East rivals - with just three games remaining to be played. As far as manager Whitey Herzog was concerned, that would be a revolting development.
Former Cardinal Keith Hernandez, who was dispatched to New York a couple of seasons ago, was going to do everything in his power to ruin Herzog's postseason party - and he nearly pulled it off. His first-inning single off Danny Cox scored Mookie Wilson from second base, to stake Rick Aguilera to a quick 1-0 lead. For Hernandez, the fun was just beginning.
Up to this point in the series, the Cardinals weren't having any fun at all - until they pushed a second-inning run across to tie the game at one run apiece. Terry Pendleton drew a one-out walk, then advanced all the way to third when Aguilera uncorked a very wild pitch with Darrell Porter batting. Porter eventually walked, as well - bringing Ozzie Smith to the plate. His ground ball to second resulted in a force out - but no double play - as Pendleton scored the first run for the Redbirds.
With the score still knotted at one run apiece, Porter started another one-out rally in the fourth-inning with his second free pass of the game. Ozzie followed with a base hit, advancing Porter to second. Next up - Danny Cox - not a particularly good hitting pitcher - was able to lay down a nice sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position for Vince Coleman - who came through with a base hit to center field to give St Louis its first lead of the game: 3-1.
Hernandez knocked in another run in the fifth-inning - scoring Wally Backman from third base with a double - cutting the lead down to a single run, with the dangerous Gary Carter threatening to force a tie - or worse - give the Mets the lead. Cox got his man, and the Redbirds still had the lead - but it was a precarious lead.
After Cox worked a scoreless sixth-inning - striking out the side (the only strike outs he recorded in the game) the Cardinals tacked on a crucial insurance run in their half of the inning. With one out, Ozzie singled - then with Danny Cox batting, Aguilera balked - advancing the Wizard into scoring position - but Cox struck out. Coleman kept the inning alive with another single to left field, but the ball was hit so hard Smith had to stop at third, as the throw from left fielder George Foster was a good one - probably good enough to nail even the speedy Cardinal shortstop at the plate.
Next up - Willie McGee - on his way to a batting title and Most Valuable Player Award - scored Ozzie with a base hit of his own - plating the fourth, and final St Louis run.
With a two-run lead to protect, Herzog went to the bullpen - bringing in Ken Dayley - the first of four St Louis relievers - to start the seventh-inning. After yielding a two-out hit, Worrell was summoned to get the final out - and he did.
The Mets weren't quite finished, however, Facing Worrell in the eighth-inning, Darryl Strawberry led-off with a double, then advanced to third on Porter's passed ball. Worrell got Foster to wave at a third strike, but Howard Johnson brought the Mets another run closer with a single to right field. Ricky Horton was summoned from the bullpen to face Ray Knight - retiring him on a fly ball to McGee - then striking out future long-time Twins manager Ron Gardenhire - who in 2014 is out of a job again.
Horton got the first two Mets batters in the top of the ninth, but Hernandez kept the inning alive with his fifth straight hit - forcing Herzog to bring in Jeff Lahti for the save. Lahti did his job successfully for the 19th time this season - retiring Carter on a fly ball to Andy Van Slyke in right field - to give Danny Cox (18-9) the biggest win of his career.
With that final putout, the Cardinals were back on top by two games over the relentless Mets - reducing the magic number to clinch their second division title to two games. The official clincher would happen in Saturday's win over the Cubs, but for all intents and purposes, this was the one that sealed the deal for the Redbirds.
In the meantime, October would prove to be quite an exciting month for the Cardinals.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
August 17, 1982 - Hernandez Lifts Cards to Walk-Off Win Over Padres
Tuesday, August 17, 1982 - At Busch Stadium II (Joaquin Andujar - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: San Diego Padres (Eric Show - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 27,679
Keith Hernandez scored the first run and drove in the final run in a 3-2 walk-off win over the San Diego Padres. Bruce Sutter - who entered the game in relief of Joaquin Andujar in the ninth-inning, inheriting a runner on second with no out - got out of the jam and got the win - improving to 8-5 on the season. This win, coupled with the Phillies' loss in Montreal, gives the Cardinals (68-50) a two-game lead in the tight NL East race.
It was a lead-off triple by Keith Hernandez in the sixth-inning - followed by a sacrifice fly off the bat of George Hendrick - that broke a scoreless tie. For Padres starting pitcher Eric Show, it was only the third hit surrendered in the game.
San Diego answered back with a pair of runs in the seventh-inning. Broderick Perkins' two-out double scored Terry Kennedy from first - then Tim Flannery drove in Perkins with a single to center - and when Willie McGee booted the ball - Flannery kept running all the way to third base. The next scheduled hitter - pitcher Eric Show - was removed for a pinch hitter - former Cardinal Sixto Lezcano - who was retired on a fly ball to Lonnie Smith in left field. The decision by manager Dick Williams to remove Show from the game with a one-run lead - when he had been pitching brilliantly - may have been a favor to the Cardinals.
With Gary Lucas now pitching for the Padres, Ken Oberkfell greeted him with a lead-off seventh-inning single to right field. Ozzie Smith then said hello to his former teammate with a run-scoring double to left. Andujar got into the act, screaming "Say hello to my little friend!" - ripping the third straight hit off Lucas - a single to left - advancing Ozzie to third.
Next up - Tommy Herr - hit into some bad luck. His line drive was hit directly to second baseman Flannery, who then doubled an absent-minded scar-face Andujar - who apparently thought the ball was not going to be caught - off first base. Lucas managed to escape further damage - but in his first inning of work he had allowed the same number of base hits Show had allowed in six innings.
It appeared Andujar's base running blunder might come back to haunt the Cardinals when Terry Kennedy led-off the ninth-inning with a double. At that point, manager Whitey Herzog brought in his miracle worker - Bruce Sutter - to bail the Redbirds out of this precarious situation - and he did - with a little help from his shortstop - actually, a lot of help from his shortstop.
After the Padres' catcher started the ninth with that two-base hit, Joe Pittman entered the game as Kennedy's pinch runner - representing the lead run. After Jim Lefebvre moved the runner up to third with a sacrifice bunt, the Cardinal infield moved in - hoping for a ground ball to one of the infielders to keep the runner from scoring. The strategy paid off - in an unconventional manner. The next hitter - Luis Salazar - ripped a hard hit ground ball to Ozzie's right - who made a diving back-hand stop - freezing Pittman at third. Salazar got the hit, but Ozzie saved the run.
Sutter then got Perkins on a pop fly to Ozzie - and Flannery on a ground out to Herr.
Leading off the bottom of the ninth was none other than The Wizard himself - Ozzie Smith - who received his second standing ovation from the appreciative fans for his game-saving stop. Smith coaxed a walk off the doomed Lucas - then advanced to second on Mike Ramsey's sacrifice bunt. Herr was intentionally walked to set up a possible double play - but Lonnie Smith was the next batter - who rarely hit into double plays.
Williams then brought in Luis DeLeon to pitch to Lonnie - who also walked - to load the bases for Keith Hernandez. With no place to put him, DeLeon gave Hernandez a pitch he could handle - and Keith lined it into right for the game winner.
Three walks and a hit. A typical Cardinal rally for a team that knew how to manufacture runs - and knew how shut down the opponent's chances to manufacture runs - with some pretty slick fielding.
Keith Hernandez scored the first run and drove in the final run in a 3-2 walk-off win over the San Diego Padres. Bruce Sutter - who entered the game in relief of Joaquin Andujar in the ninth-inning, inheriting a runner on second with no out - got out of the jam and got the win - improving to 8-5 on the season. This win, coupled with the Phillies' loss in Montreal, gives the Cardinals (68-50) a two-game lead in the tight NL East race.
It was a lead-off triple by Keith Hernandez in the sixth-inning - followed by a sacrifice fly off the bat of George Hendrick - that broke a scoreless tie. For Padres starting pitcher Eric Show, it was only the third hit surrendered in the game.
San Diego answered back with a pair of runs in the seventh-inning. Broderick Perkins' two-out double scored Terry Kennedy from first - then Tim Flannery drove in Perkins with a single to center - and when Willie McGee booted the ball - Flannery kept running all the way to third base. The next scheduled hitter - pitcher Eric Show - was removed for a pinch hitter - former Cardinal Sixto Lezcano - who was retired on a fly ball to Lonnie Smith in left field. The decision by manager Dick Williams to remove Show from the game with a one-run lead - when he had been pitching brilliantly - may have been a favor to the Cardinals.
With Gary Lucas now pitching for the Padres, Ken Oberkfell greeted him with a lead-off seventh-inning single to right field. Ozzie Smith then said hello to his former teammate with a run-scoring double to left. Andujar got into the act, screaming "Say hello to my little friend!" - ripping the third straight hit off Lucas - a single to left - advancing Ozzie to third.
Next up - Tommy Herr - hit into some bad luck. His line drive was hit directly to second baseman Flannery, who then doubled an absent-minded scar-face Andujar - who apparently thought the ball was not going to be caught - off first base. Lucas managed to escape further damage - but in his first inning of work he had allowed the same number of base hits Show had allowed in six innings.
It appeared Andujar's base running blunder might come back to haunt the Cardinals when Terry Kennedy led-off the ninth-inning with a double. At that point, manager Whitey Herzog brought in his miracle worker - Bruce Sutter - to bail the Redbirds out of this precarious situation - and he did - with a little help from his shortstop - actually, a lot of help from his shortstop.
After the Padres' catcher started the ninth with that two-base hit, Joe Pittman entered the game as Kennedy's pinch runner - representing the lead run. After Jim Lefebvre moved the runner up to third with a sacrifice bunt, the Cardinal infield moved in - hoping for a ground ball to one of the infielders to keep the runner from scoring. The strategy paid off - in an unconventional manner. The next hitter - Luis Salazar - ripped a hard hit ground ball to Ozzie's right - who made a diving back-hand stop - freezing Pittman at third. Salazar got the hit, but Ozzie saved the run.
Sutter then got Perkins on a pop fly to Ozzie - and Flannery on a ground out to Herr.
Leading off the bottom of the ninth was none other than The Wizard himself - Ozzie Smith - who received his second standing ovation from the appreciative fans for his game-saving stop. Smith coaxed a walk off the doomed Lucas - then advanced to second on Mike Ramsey's sacrifice bunt. Herr was intentionally walked to set up a possible double play - but Lonnie Smith was the next batter - who rarely hit into double plays.
Williams then brought in Luis DeLeon to pitch to Lonnie - who also walked - to load the bases for Keith Hernandez. With no place to put him, DeLeon gave Hernandez a pitch he could handle - and Keith lined it into right for the game winner.
Three walks and a hit. A typical Cardinal rally for a team that knew how to manufacture runs - and knew how shut down the opponent's chances to manufacture runs - with some pretty slick fielding.
Saturday, July 19, 2014
July 19, 1983 - Neil Allen Blanks Padres on 3 Hits
Tuesday, July 19, 1983 - At Busch Stadium II (Neil Allen - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: San Diego Padres (Tim Lollar - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 31,395
On June 15, 1983, the St Louis Cardinals traded the popular, line-drive-hitting Gold Glove first baseman - Keith Hernandez - to the New York Mets, for pitchers Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey. While the acquisition of Hernandez was one of the key ingredients to the mid-'80's rise of the Mets - the Cardinals, on the other hand, became National League champions in '85 and '87, in spite of this trade.
To Allen's credit, he pitched well for St Louis, initially. In fact, his first starting assignment with the Cardinals came against the Mets, at Shea Stadium - pitching eight strong innings in a 6-0 St Louis win.
One month later, as the Cardinals desperately tried to cling to first place in the weak NL East, Allen had his finest outing in a Cardinal uniform - going the distance - blanking the San Diego Padres on three hits. He walked just one, while striking out just three.
Strangely enough, Padres starter - Tim Lollar - also allowed just three hits in his eight innings of work. But thanks to a home run from an unexpected power source and a bunch of walks, the Cardinals manufactured four runs - more than enough to win on this night.
After Allen induced Steve Garvey to ground into an inning-ending double play (following a one-out walk to Juan Bonilla), the Cardinals wasted little time in putting pressure on Padres starter - Tim Lollar. Lonnie Smith led-off with a single to right field - and with Willie McGee batting - stole second. When McGee grounded one right back to the pitcher, Lollar had the presence of mind to catch Lonnie straying too far away from the second base bag. Smith was retired in an unusual pitcher-to-second baseman-to-catcher putout at third base - and in the pursuit of Lonnie, Willie had time to scamper to second base. With David Green now batting, McGee stole third - then raced home when Green was retired on a ground ball to the shortstop.
Little did anyone know, that one run was going to be enough to win this game. The Padres would only have three more base runners for the rest of the game - a pair of singles by Rupert Jones, in the third and fifth-innings, and a one-out single by Alan Wiggins in the ninth. That was it. San Diego never even got a runner in scoring position all night long.
Meanwhile, still nursing that 1-0 lead in the fifth-inning, Ozzie Smith connected for his second home run of the season - a two-run shot (following a walk to Tommy Herr). He would go on to hit one more in '83 - a new career high. Ozzie had two home runs in '82 - his first season with St Louis - prior to that, in four seasons with San Diego, the Wizard had just one home run to his credit - in 2536 plate appearances.
The Cardinals added one more run in the sixth-inning - when seldom-use utility infielder Floyd Rayford doubled - scoring McGee from second base.
After this win, Neil Allen had improved to 4-1 with his new team, as the Cardinals maintained the illusion of competing for a second straight division title. At the time, their record of 46-44 was good enough for the top spot in the NL East - but only a game ahead of Pittsburgh, a game and a half ahead of Philadelphia, and two games ahead of Montreal. Two nights later - after losing the next two games with San Diego, the Cardinals had slipped to third place - and would never see first again in '83.
The season that began with high hopes had slowly faded into mediocrity, thanks to a 33-39 finish. Even the Mets - who were mired in last place at the time - finished the rest of the schedule just a game under .500. They now had their first baseman of the future - the Cardinals now had their excess baggage.
On June 15, 1983, the St Louis Cardinals traded the popular, line-drive-hitting Gold Glove first baseman - Keith Hernandez - to the New York Mets, for pitchers Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey. While the acquisition of Hernandez was one of the key ingredients to the mid-'80's rise of the Mets - the Cardinals, on the other hand, became National League champions in '85 and '87, in spite of this trade.
To Allen's credit, he pitched well for St Louis, initially. In fact, his first starting assignment with the Cardinals came against the Mets, at Shea Stadium - pitching eight strong innings in a 6-0 St Louis win.
One month later, as the Cardinals desperately tried to cling to first place in the weak NL East, Allen had his finest outing in a Cardinal uniform - going the distance - blanking the San Diego Padres on three hits. He walked just one, while striking out just three.
Strangely enough, Padres starter - Tim Lollar - also allowed just three hits in his eight innings of work. But thanks to a home run from an unexpected power source and a bunch of walks, the Cardinals manufactured four runs - more than enough to win on this night.
After Allen induced Steve Garvey to ground into an inning-ending double play (following a one-out walk to Juan Bonilla), the Cardinals wasted little time in putting pressure on Padres starter - Tim Lollar. Lonnie Smith led-off with a single to right field - and with Willie McGee batting - stole second. When McGee grounded one right back to the pitcher, Lollar had the presence of mind to catch Lonnie straying too far away from the second base bag. Smith was retired in an unusual pitcher-to-second baseman-to-catcher putout at third base - and in the pursuit of Lonnie, Willie had time to scamper to second base. With David Green now batting, McGee stole third - then raced home when Green was retired on a ground ball to the shortstop.
Little did anyone know, that one run was going to be enough to win this game. The Padres would only have three more base runners for the rest of the game - a pair of singles by Rupert Jones, in the third and fifth-innings, and a one-out single by Alan Wiggins in the ninth. That was it. San Diego never even got a runner in scoring position all night long.
Meanwhile, still nursing that 1-0 lead in the fifth-inning, Ozzie Smith connected for his second home run of the season - a two-run shot (following a walk to Tommy Herr). He would go on to hit one more in '83 - a new career high. Ozzie had two home runs in '82 - his first season with St Louis - prior to that, in four seasons with San Diego, the Wizard had just one home run to his credit - in 2536 plate appearances.
The Cardinals added one more run in the sixth-inning - when seldom-use utility infielder Floyd Rayford doubled - scoring McGee from second base.
After this win, Neil Allen had improved to 4-1 with his new team, as the Cardinals maintained the illusion of competing for a second straight division title. At the time, their record of 46-44 was good enough for the top spot in the NL East - but only a game ahead of Pittsburgh, a game and a half ahead of Philadelphia, and two games ahead of Montreal. Two nights later - after losing the next two games with San Diego, the Cardinals had slipped to third place - and would never see first again in '83.
The season that began with high hopes had slowly faded into mediocrity, thanks to a 33-39 finish. Even the Mets - who were mired in last place at the time - finished the rest of the schedule just a game under .500. They now had their first baseman of the future - the Cardinals now had their excess baggage.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
July 9, 1982 - A Big Win: Cards Hand Nolan Ryan a Tough Loss
Friday, July 9, 1982 - At The Astrodome (Dave LaPoint - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: Houston Astros (Nolan Ryan - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 21,178
The Cardinals were sitting atop the standings in the tight NL East race, prior to the start of a three-game series with the Houston Astros - but the Philadelphia Phillies were lurking, just two games back.
Houston Astros pitcher Nolan Ryan struck out ten Cardinal batters in nine innings of work; but it wasn't enough, as St Louis held on for a 3-2 win at the Astrodome.
And it's a good thing the Redbirds won the first game of this series, because they would drop the next two by identical 4-2 scores - leaving them in a first-place tie with Philadelphia at the All Star break. So yeah - this was a big game to win.
George Hendrick's second-inning home run gave the Cardinals an early 1-0 lead; then, after Houston tied the game on a two-out RBI single off the bat of Art Howe in the fourth-inning - Willie McGee got the big hit in the sixth-inning to propel the Redbirds to victory.
The inning started with a lead-off single to center by Tommy Herr. McGee then plugged the gap in right-center field to chase Herr home, as Willie cruised into third with a triple. Keith Hernandez then lined a single into right field to score McGee with the Cardinals' third run - but that was all they could muster against the ageless Ryan.
However, three runs was good enough tonight. Dave LaPoint allowed just two runs in 7.1 innings pitched - the second run coming across in the sixth-inning when Phil Garner's sacrifice fly scored Ray Knight from third.
After Tony Scott's one-out eighth-inning single ended LaPoint's night, Jeff Lahti provided quality relief - retiring the two batters he faced in the inning to preserve the one-run lead.
Lahti also retired the first two batters in the ninth, and should have gotten the third - but Terry Puhl reached base when Hernandez couldn't handle his ground ball - a rare error for the perennial Gold Glover.
When pinch hitter Danny Heep was announced, Whitey Herzog decided to bring in the veteran lefty - Jim Kaat - to nail this one down - and that's just what he did - striking out Heep to end the game - to earn his first (of two) save of the year.
The next several weeks would be trying times for the Cardinals - slipping into second-place and sliding back into first - a see-saw battle for the division title that wouldn't be decided any time soon.
In retrospect, winning this game against a very dominant Nolan Ryan was huge.
The Cardinals were sitting atop the standings in the tight NL East race, prior to the start of a three-game series with the Houston Astros - but the Philadelphia Phillies were lurking, just two games back.
Houston Astros pitcher Nolan Ryan struck out ten Cardinal batters in nine innings of work; but it wasn't enough, as St Louis held on for a 3-2 win at the Astrodome.
And it's a good thing the Redbirds won the first game of this series, because they would drop the next two by identical 4-2 scores - leaving them in a first-place tie with Philadelphia at the All Star break. So yeah - this was a big game to win.
George Hendrick's second-inning home run gave the Cardinals an early 1-0 lead; then, after Houston tied the game on a two-out RBI single off the bat of Art Howe in the fourth-inning - Willie McGee got the big hit in the sixth-inning to propel the Redbirds to victory.
The inning started with a lead-off single to center by Tommy Herr. McGee then plugged the gap in right-center field to chase Herr home, as Willie cruised into third with a triple. Keith Hernandez then lined a single into right field to score McGee with the Cardinals' third run - but that was all they could muster against the ageless Ryan.
However, three runs was good enough tonight. Dave LaPoint allowed just two runs in 7.1 innings pitched - the second run coming across in the sixth-inning when Phil Garner's sacrifice fly scored Ray Knight from third.
After Tony Scott's one-out eighth-inning single ended LaPoint's night, Jeff Lahti provided quality relief - retiring the two batters he faced in the inning to preserve the one-run lead.
Lahti also retired the first two batters in the ninth, and should have gotten the third - but Terry Puhl reached base when Hernandez couldn't handle his ground ball - a rare error for the perennial Gold Glover.
When pinch hitter Danny Heep was announced, Whitey Herzog decided to bring in the veteran lefty - Jim Kaat - to nail this one down - and that's just what he did - striking out Heep to end the game - to earn his first (of two) save of the year.
The next several weeks would be trying times for the Cardinals - slipping into second-place and sliding back into first - a see-saw battle for the division title that wouldn't be decided any time soon.
In retrospect, winning this game against a very dominant Nolan Ryan was huge.
Friday, May 30, 2014
May 30, 1982 - A Wild Come From Behind (Twice) Extra-Inning Winner
Sunday, May 30, 1982 - This was the rubber game of a three-game series with the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium II. The Cardinals worked some magic in the first game on Friday night - a 5-2 win - scoring those five runs on just five hits. The Padres got some measure of revenge on Saturday, when they broke a 2-2 tie with two runs in the ninth - good for a 4-2 win. The way some of the Padres sauntered off the field after Saturday's win rankled more than a few of the Cardinals, who vowed to turn the tables on Sunday. What would happen at the end of this game was almost beyond belief. For those among the crowd of 32,410 who stuck around until the end; it was a game they'd never forget.
Dave LaPoint got the start for St Louis, and pitched well through eight innings; holding San Diego to just two runs on six hits. Unfortunately, the Cardinal offense could do nothing with Padres starter Tim Lollar, who blanked the Redbirds on just two hits through the first six innings. Then, in the seventh-innng, after retiring both George Hendrick and Lonnie Smith on routine ground outs, light-hitting Mike Ramsey doubled down the left field line - only the third hit Lollar had allowed up to this point in the game.
Apparently, Padres manager Dick Williams had seen enough. He brought in Gary Lucas to pitch to Julio Gonzalez, who struck out to end the threat. Lucas would then be asked to pitch the eighth and ninth innings for San Diego; normally, a routine assignment.
After St Louis failed to score in the seventh, the Padres put runners on second and third with nobody out in the top of the eighth-inning. Herzog elected to keep LaPoint in the game, and his starter rewarded him by retiring the next three batters - stranding the runners. It seemed inconsequential at the time; especially after Lucas retired the Cardinals on just one hit and no runs in the bottom-half of the eighth.
It really seemed inconsequential when the Padres came right back to tack on an insurance run in the ninth inning, off reliever Doug Bair. With two out and nobody on, Luis Salazar singled, stole second, then came around to score on Jerry Manuel's triple. Ironically, after an intentional walk put runners on first and third, Gary Lucas was allowed to hit for himself - striking out to end the inning; but the Padres now led 3-0, as Lucas headed back to the mound, anxious to close this one out.
The Cardinals had other ideas. Keith Hernandez began the ninth-inning rally with a single. George Hendrick also singled, as Hernandez stopped at second. The next hitter, Lonnie Smith ripped a double down the left field line, scoring Hernandez, as Hendrick stopped at third. One run in, still nobody out. Lucas finally retired a batter - Mike Ramsey - on a ground out to third, as the runners remained at second and third. The next batter, Julio Gonzalez hit another ground ball to third, but this time, Luis Salazar made an errant throw to first, allowing Hendrick to score, as Smith held up at third; but Gonzalez hustled all the way to second on the error. After David Green was intentionally walked to load the bases, Tommy Herr pinch hit for Bair - and got the third and final run of the inning home with a sacrifice fly to left. Ozzie Smith, who had a tough day at the plate, going 0 for 5, grounded out to end the inning.
The Cardinals had tied it, 3-3. On to one of the wildest tenth innings in Cardinal history.
The Cardinals' relief ace, Bruce Sutter was now pitching. The first two batters he faced -Wiggins and Richards - both singled - putting runners on first and third. The next batter, Lefebvre, doubled - scoring Wiggins, as Richards stopped at third. After Jones was intentionally walked to load the bases (still nobody out), Lezcano hit a ground ball to Ozzie who made a strong throw home to force Richards. One out. Salazar hit another ground ball to Ozzie. His only play was a force out at second. Two out, but another run in as Lefebvre scored. Salazar stole second, but the inning ended when Manuel grounded one to Ozzie, who threw to first for the third out. The Padres were back on top, 5-3, with Gary Lucas heading back to the mound once again, trying to close it out.
Lucas retired the first two hitters - Sanchez on a ground out to second and Hernandez on a line out to center - but trouble lurked ahead. George Hendrick poked a single to left field and scored when Lonnie Smith smoked a double down the left field line. Mike Ramsey then delivered the game-tying hit - a single to left as Lonnie crossed home, sending 32,410 - minus a few who left early - into pandemonium. Lucas, obviously rattled, hit the next batter, Gonzalez, with a pitch - and that signaled the end of his day. He was still responsible for the base runners - the important one being Ramsey at second, representing the winning run.
Floyd Chiffer was the third and final pitcher for the Padres. He would face only one batter - Dane Iorg - who wasted no time in lining a single to center field, scoring Ramsey with the improbable game winner.
The winning pitcher - Bruce Sutter (3-1) - was smiling a sheepish grin in the Cardinal clubhouse, as his teammates were needling him about his performance. His pitching line: 1 IP - 3 H - 2 R - 1 BB - 0 SO
Gary Lucas (0-4) wasn't so happy in the visitor's clubhouse. He worked three innings, but probably came into the game too early - and he probably stayed in the game too long. The Cardinals roughed him up for seven hits and six runs, including one very costly unearned run.
In the end, it was by far, the craziest game of the season for the Cardinals - and a very nice one to win.
Dave LaPoint got the start for St Louis, and pitched well through eight innings; holding San Diego to just two runs on six hits. Unfortunately, the Cardinal offense could do nothing with Padres starter Tim Lollar, who blanked the Redbirds on just two hits through the first six innings. Then, in the seventh-innng, after retiring both George Hendrick and Lonnie Smith on routine ground outs, light-hitting Mike Ramsey doubled down the left field line - only the third hit Lollar had allowed up to this point in the game.
Apparently, Padres manager Dick Williams had seen enough. He brought in Gary Lucas to pitch to Julio Gonzalez, who struck out to end the threat. Lucas would then be asked to pitch the eighth and ninth innings for San Diego; normally, a routine assignment.
After St Louis failed to score in the seventh, the Padres put runners on second and third with nobody out in the top of the eighth-inning. Herzog elected to keep LaPoint in the game, and his starter rewarded him by retiring the next three batters - stranding the runners. It seemed inconsequential at the time; especially after Lucas retired the Cardinals on just one hit and no runs in the bottom-half of the eighth.
It really seemed inconsequential when the Padres came right back to tack on an insurance run in the ninth inning, off reliever Doug Bair. With two out and nobody on, Luis Salazar singled, stole second, then came around to score on Jerry Manuel's triple. Ironically, after an intentional walk put runners on first and third, Gary Lucas was allowed to hit for himself - striking out to end the inning; but the Padres now led 3-0, as Lucas headed back to the mound, anxious to close this one out.
The Cardinals had other ideas. Keith Hernandez began the ninth-inning rally with a single. George Hendrick also singled, as Hernandez stopped at second. The next hitter, Lonnie Smith ripped a double down the left field line, scoring Hernandez, as Hendrick stopped at third. One run in, still nobody out. Lucas finally retired a batter - Mike Ramsey - on a ground out to third, as the runners remained at second and third. The next batter, Julio Gonzalez hit another ground ball to third, but this time, Luis Salazar made an errant throw to first, allowing Hendrick to score, as Smith held up at third; but Gonzalez hustled all the way to second on the error. After David Green was intentionally walked to load the bases, Tommy Herr pinch hit for Bair - and got the third and final run of the inning home with a sacrifice fly to left. Ozzie Smith, who had a tough day at the plate, going 0 for 5, grounded out to end the inning.
The Cardinals had tied it, 3-3. On to one of the wildest tenth innings in Cardinal history.
The Cardinals' relief ace, Bruce Sutter was now pitching. The first two batters he faced -Wiggins and Richards - both singled - putting runners on first and third. The next batter, Lefebvre, doubled - scoring Wiggins, as Richards stopped at third. After Jones was intentionally walked to load the bases (still nobody out), Lezcano hit a ground ball to Ozzie who made a strong throw home to force Richards. One out. Salazar hit another ground ball to Ozzie. His only play was a force out at second. Two out, but another run in as Lefebvre scored. Salazar stole second, but the inning ended when Manuel grounded one to Ozzie, who threw to first for the third out. The Padres were back on top, 5-3, with Gary Lucas heading back to the mound once again, trying to close it out.
Lucas retired the first two hitters - Sanchez on a ground out to second and Hernandez on a line out to center - but trouble lurked ahead. George Hendrick poked a single to left field and scored when Lonnie Smith smoked a double down the left field line. Mike Ramsey then delivered the game-tying hit - a single to left as Lonnie crossed home, sending 32,410 - minus a few who left early - into pandemonium. Lucas, obviously rattled, hit the next batter, Gonzalez, with a pitch - and that signaled the end of his day. He was still responsible for the base runners - the important one being Ramsey at second, representing the winning run.
Floyd Chiffer was the third and final pitcher for the Padres. He would face only one batter - Dane Iorg - who wasted no time in lining a single to center field, scoring Ramsey with the improbable game winner.
The winning pitcher - Bruce Sutter (3-1) - was smiling a sheepish grin in the Cardinal clubhouse, as his teammates were needling him about his performance. His pitching line: 1 IP - 3 H - 2 R - 1 BB - 0 SO
Gary Lucas (0-4) wasn't so happy in the visitor's clubhouse. He worked three innings, but probably came into the game too early - and he probably stayed in the game too long. The Cardinals roughed him up for seven hits and six runs, including one very costly unearned run.
In the end, it was by far, the craziest game of the season for the Cardinals - and a very nice one to win.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
April 27, 1992 - April 28, 1993 - April 29, 1978 - April 30, 1977 - 3 Come-From-Behind Winners & Boyer's Successful Managerial Debut
April 27, 1992 - With 42,902 on hand at Dodger Stadium on a beautiful night for baseball, the Cardinals fell behind early but rallied to grab the lead, and then held on, as four relievers kept the Dodgers scoreless over the final four innings to secure a 5-4 win; and send most of those fans home unhappy by the seventh-inning (traffic is always so bad in La La Land).
Donovan Osborne started this game for St Louis, and struggled through five innings of work, allowing the only four runs LA would score in the game (one of which was unearned) on five hits and three walks, while getting a pair of strikeouts.
But it was the bat in Osborne's hands that helped his team the most, and which ultimately bailed himself out of a probable loss. With the Redbirds trailing 4-1, Osborne ignited a two-out, two-run fifth-inning rally with a seeing-eye single to left field. That opened the floodgates. Successive singles by Ray Lankford, Ozzie Smith and Milt Thompson scored two runs, reducing the deficit to a single tally.
St Louis then took the lead for good in a two-run sixth-inning, with four straight singles (Guerrero, Gilkey, Hudler and Pagnozzi) and a Craig Wilson sacrifice fly. All told, the Cardinals had 13 hits in the game - all singles - to go along with a pair of walks. Milt Thompson had three hits in five trips to the plate - good for two RBI; Ozzie, Pagnozzi, and Wilson had one RBI apiece.
Defensively, the Cardinals committed three errors - one by the left fielder, Thompson, and believe it or not, two by the defensive Wiz himself - Ozzie Smith - which led to an unearned run for the Dodgers. Strangely enough, Smith only had 10 errors all season long, so 20% of them happened in this somewhat unusual game.
Four Cardinal relievers - Perez, McClure, Carpenter (Cris not Chris), and Lee Smith (who got his fifth save of the season) shut the Dodgers out over the final four innings of the game. More from Donovan Osborne coming up next...
April 28, 1993 - With a brand-spanking new franchise to adore, 49,765 rabid Colorado Rockies' fans were on hand to witness a wild, see-saw battle between the visiting St Louis Cardinals and the Rockies in their new, hitter friendly ballpark known as Coors Field.
In this high-altitude environment, where routine fly balls routinely fly over walls, this particular evening featured just one - a two-run shot in the fifth-inning by the Cards' Mark "Hard Hittin'" Whiten. Other than that, the Redbird offense consisted of eight hits and a mind-numbing eleven walks. Even so, it took a ninth-inning rally for St Louis to pull this one out of the fire, and the game-winning hit was delivered by a utility player who played in just 172 games over a brief, four-year career; which ended after the '93 season.
The festivities began with old pal Donovan Osborne lasting just four innings, allowing five hits, four runs (three earned runs), four walks and two strikeouts. Donovan may not have pitched well in this hostile environment, but he liked hitting there, going 1 for 2 with a key RBI. Four Cardinals relievers managed to navigate through the final five innings with just two runs scored - Lancaster, Perez, Murphy, and Lee Smith.
As the Redbirds came up to bat in the ninth-inning, trailing Colorado 6-5, three successive one-out walks (Lankford, Pena, Pagnozzi) loaded the bases. Luis Alicea's slow roller to short forced Pena at third, but Lankford scored the tying run. With two out, pinch hitter Rod Brewer (remember him?) delivered a run-scoring single to right field (Pagnozzi scored), which proved to be the game winner. Lee Smith pitched a nerve-wracking bottom of the ninth (one hit, one walk and two strikeouts) for his ninth save of the year, giving bullpen mate Rob Murphy a rare win in relief.
For the 27-year old Brewer, this was a rare chance to be the hero; his career would be ending at the conclusion of this season, despite hitting .286 in limited action.
On the other side of the field, Dale Murphy would soon be calling it a career as well, which ended after 26 games of futility in Colorado - hitting just .143. On this particular night, however, Murphy looked like the Murphy of old, going 1 for 3 with an RBI. It's hard to imagine that just ten years earlier, he was one of the best players in the game, winning back-to-back NL MVP Awards ('82 - '83). In the span of one decade, Murph went from the top of the mountain to Rockies bottom. Holy cow, I still think he belongs in the Hall of Fame.
April 29, 1978 - In one of the most dismal seasons in franchise history - just ten years removed from a classic World Series appearance - the Cardinals were a team in total disarray. When manager Vern Rapp forced a mandatory "clean cut" grooming code down the throats of these Redbirds, there was a lot of squawking - and losing - going on, from the onset. When Rapp's band of malcontents posted a 6-11 record right out of the gate (featuring a seven-game losing streak), Rapp was dismissed before interim manager Jack Kroll (1-1) turned the reigns over to fan-favorite, Kenny Boyer to guide the team - further into oblivion. But who knew?
The 20th game of the '78 season would be Boyer's first as manager (drawing an above average crowd of 20,596), as the defending National League champion LA Dodgers came to town, with their crafty veteran knuckle-curve ball specialist, Burt Hooton on the mound facing 26-year old Eric Rasmussen for the Redbirds. Both pitchers were brilliant; in fact, Hooton had allowed just one hit through six scoreless innings - a double to Ted Simmons. But trouble was lurking ahead.
Leading off the seventh-inning, Keith Hernandez got the second - and last hit of the night for St Louis - with a line drive single to center. Perhaps rattled by the prospect of Ted Simmons now batting, Hooton unleashed a wild pitch, sending Hernandez to second. Simmons then pulled a ground ball to second base, allowing Hernandez to move up to third on the out. An intentional walk to Jerry Morales set up a potential inning-ending double play with Ken Reitz due up - the Cardinals' third baseman, and quite possibly the slowest runner in the world. Reitz foiled that strategy by lifting a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Hernandez, and breaking up Hooton's shutout bid. That ended the scoring for St Louis.
But one run was enough as Rasmussen quickly finished off the Dodgers with a complete game four-hit shutout. Game time: One hour and thirty-three minutes!
Strangely enough, in a season in which the Cardinals would post a miserable 69-93 record, they were able to win seven of twelve encounters with the Dodgers - a team heading to a second straight World Series engagement with the New York Yankees (and a second straight World Series defeat).
This would be the last game Rasmussen would win as a member of the Cardinals. After three straight losses, Rasmussen was traded to San Diego for controversial right fielder "Silent" George Hendrick, in an effort to help spark an anemic offense. Although Hendrick hit well, the Cardinals still floundered for the most part until the strike-shortened '81 season; and it would be Hendrick leading the '82 Cardinals with 104 RBI, and then delivering the game-winning single against the Milwaukee Brewers in Game Seven of the World Series. That turned out to be a pretty good trade for St Louis.
April 30, 1977 - With 16,883 on hand at Busch Stadium II, the Cardinals played host to the bumbling Atlanta Braves, who nearly won this game despite committing five errors which led to two unearned runs. Not to be outdone, the Cardinals only made one error - by shortstop Garry Templeton - but it was a whopper, also allowing two unearned runs to score.
Cards starter Pete Falcone pitched well enough to win (5.1 IP - 6 H - 4 R - 2 ER - 0 BB - 4 SO - 1 HR), but was fortunate to escape defeat, leaving the game on the wrong end of a 4-1 score. In the sixth-inning, after a Ted Simmons lead-off home run, Keith Hernandez walked, then Ken Reitz lined a single to center field which was booted, allowing Hernandez to score the second, and final run of the inning.
In the seventh-inning, the Cards tied it on a Templeton single, a Bake McBride sacrifice bunt and a Hector Cruz run-scoring single. They grabbed the lead in the eighth, thanks again to the Braves' sloppy defense. Hernandez sliced a double down the left field line, and eventually advanced to third with two out. Jerry Mumphrey then reached base on a botched ground ball by the shortstop, as Hernandez scored the go-ahead run.
John Urrea pitched three scoreless innings of relief for the win. Final: 5-4, St Louis over Atlanta. If we were only counting "earned runs", the Cardinals still won, 3-2.
This sloppy win on the last day of April gives the Cardinals (in select games from 1964 to 2013) a perfect 30-0 won-loss record. I wonder what May will have in store for this team?
Donovan Osborne started this game for St Louis, and struggled through five innings of work, allowing the only four runs LA would score in the game (one of which was unearned) on five hits and three walks, while getting a pair of strikeouts.
But it was the bat in Osborne's hands that helped his team the most, and which ultimately bailed himself out of a probable loss. With the Redbirds trailing 4-1, Osborne ignited a two-out, two-run fifth-inning rally with a seeing-eye single to left field. That opened the floodgates. Successive singles by Ray Lankford, Ozzie Smith and Milt Thompson scored two runs, reducing the deficit to a single tally.
St Louis then took the lead for good in a two-run sixth-inning, with four straight singles (Guerrero, Gilkey, Hudler and Pagnozzi) and a Craig Wilson sacrifice fly. All told, the Cardinals had 13 hits in the game - all singles - to go along with a pair of walks. Milt Thompson had three hits in five trips to the plate - good for two RBI; Ozzie, Pagnozzi, and Wilson had one RBI apiece.
Defensively, the Cardinals committed three errors - one by the left fielder, Thompson, and believe it or not, two by the defensive Wiz himself - Ozzie Smith - which led to an unearned run for the Dodgers. Strangely enough, Smith only had 10 errors all season long, so 20% of them happened in this somewhat unusual game.
Four Cardinal relievers - Perez, McClure, Carpenter (Cris not Chris), and Lee Smith (who got his fifth save of the season) shut the Dodgers out over the final four innings of the game. More from Donovan Osborne coming up next...
April 28, 1993 - With a brand-spanking new franchise to adore, 49,765 rabid Colorado Rockies' fans were on hand to witness a wild, see-saw battle between the visiting St Louis Cardinals and the Rockies in their new, hitter friendly ballpark known as Coors Field.
In this high-altitude environment, where routine fly balls routinely fly over walls, this particular evening featured just one - a two-run shot in the fifth-inning by the Cards' Mark "Hard Hittin'" Whiten. Other than that, the Redbird offense consisted of eight hits and a mind-numbing eleven walks. Even so, it took a ninth-inning rally for St Louis to pull this one out of the fire, and the game-winning hit was delivered by a utility player who played in just 172 games over a brief, four-year career; which ended after the '93 season.
The festivities began with old pal Donovan Osborne lasting just four innings, allowing five hits, four runs (three earned runs), four walks and two strikeouts. Donovan may not have pitched well in this hostile environment, but he liked hitting there, going 1 for 2 with a key RBI. Four Cardinals relievers managed to navigate through the final five innings with just two runs scored - Lancaster, Perez, Murphy, and Lee Smith.
As the Redbirds came up to bat in the ninth-inning, trailing Colorado 6-5, three successive one-out walks (Lankford, Pena, Pagnozzi) loaded the bases. Luis Alicea's slow roller to short forced Pena at third, but Lankford scored the tying run. With two out, pinch hitter Rod Brewer (remember him?) delivered a run-scoring single to right field (Pagnozzi scored), which proved to be the game winner. Lee Smith pitched a nerve-wracking bottom of the ninth (one hit, one walk and two strikeouts) for his ninth save of the year, giving bullpen mate Rob Murphy a rare win in relief.
For the 27-year old Brewer, this was a rare chance to be the hero; his career would be ending at the conclusion of this season, despite hitting .286 in limited action.
On the other side of the field, Dale Murphy would soon be calling it a career as well, which ended after 26 games of futility in Colorado - hitting just .143. On this particular night, however, Murphy looked like the Murphy of old, going 1 for 3 with an RBI. It's hard to imagine that just ten years earlier, he was one of the best players in the game, winning back-to-back NL MVP Awards ('82 - '83). In the span of one decade, Murph went from the top of the mountain to Rockies bottom. Holy cow, I still think he belongs in the Hall of Fame.
April 29, 1978 - In one of the most dismal seasons in franchise history - just ten years removed from a classic World Series appearance - the Cardinals were a team in total disarray. When manager Vern Rapp forced a mandatory "clean cut" grooming code down the throats of these Redbirds, there was a lot of squawking - and losing - going on, from the onset. When Rapp's band of malcontents posted a 6-11 record right out of the gate (featuring a seven-game losing streak), Rapp was dismissed before interim manager Jack Kroll (1-1) turned the reigns over to fan-favorite, Kenny Boyer to guide the team - further into oblivion. But who knew?
The 20th game of the '78 season would be Boyer's first as manager (drawing an above average crowd of 20,596), as the defending National League champion LA Dodgers came to town, with their crafty veteran knuckle-curve ball specialist, Burt Hooton on the mound facing 26-year old Eric Rasmussen for the Redbirds. Both pitchers were brilliant; in fact, Hooton had allowed just one hit through six scoreless innings - a double to Ted Simmons. But trouble was lurking ahead.
Leading off the seventh-inning, Keith Hernandez got the second - and last hit of the night for St Louis - with a line drive single to center. Perhaps rattled by the prospect of Ted Simmons now batting, Hooton unleashed a wild pitch, sending Hernandez to second. Simmons then pulled a ground ball to second base, allowing Hernandez to move up to third on the out. An intentional walk to Jerry Morales set up a potential inning-ending double play with Ken Reitz due up - the Cardinals' third baseman, and quite possibly the slowest runner in the world. Reitz foiled that strategy by lifting a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Hernandez, and breaking up Hooton's shutout bid. That ended the scoring for St Louis.
But one run was enough as Rasmussen quickly finished off the Dodgers with a complete game four-hit shutout. Game time: One hour and thirty-three minutes!
Strangely enough, in a season in which the Cardinals would post a miserable 69-93 record, they were able to win seven of twelve encounters with the Dodgers - a team heading to a second straight World Series engagement with the New York Yankees (and a second straight World Series defeat).
This would be the last game Rasmussen would win as a member of the Cardinals. After three straight losses, Rasmussen was traded to San Diego for controversial right fielder "Silent" George Hendrick, in an effort to help spark an anemic offense. Although Hendrick hit well, the Cardinals still floundered for the most part until the strike-shortened '81 season; and it would be Hendrick leading the '82 Cardinals with 104 RBI, and then delivering the game-winning single against the Milwaukee Brewers in Game Seven of the World Series. That turned out to be a pretty good trade for St Louis.
April 30, 1977 - With 16,883 on hand at Busch Stadium II, the Cardinals played host to the bumbling Atlanta Braves, who nearly won this game despite committing five errors which led to two unearned runs. Not to be outdone, the Cardinals only made one error - by shortstop Garry Templeton - but it was a whopper, also allowing two unearned runs to score.
Cards starter Pete Falcone pitched well enough to win (5.1 IP - 6 H - 4 R - 2 ER - 0 BB - 4 SO - 1 HR), but was fortunate to escape defeat, leaving the game on the wrong end of a 4-1 score. In the sixth-inning, after a Ted Simmons lead-off home run, Keith Hernandez walked, then Ken Reitz lined a single to center field which was booted, allowing Hernandez to score the second, and final run of the inning.
In the seventh-inning, the Cards tied it on a Templeton single, a Bake McBride sacrifice bunt and a Hector Cruz run-scoring single. They grabbed the lead in the eighth, thanks again to the Braves' sloppy defense. Hernandez sliced a double down the left field line, and eventually advanced to third with two out. Jerry Mumphrey then reached base on a botched ground ball by the shortstop, as Hernandez scored the go-ahead run.
John Urrea pitched three scoreless innings of relief for the win. Final: 5-4, St Louis over Atlanta. If we were only counting "earned runs", the Cardinals still won, 3-2.
This sloppy win on the last day of April gives the Cardinals (in select games from 1964 to 2013) a perfect 30-0 won-loss record. I wonder what May will have in store for this team?
Friday, April 25, 2014
6 Thrilling April (13th - 18th) Victories in St Louis Cardinals History
April 13, 1968 - A Saturday afternoon game for the Cardinals at Wrigley Field had an ominous beginning, but a familiar ending for the defending World Champions - another come-from-behind victory at the expense of their long-suffering rivals - the Chicago Cubs.
Steve Carlton started the game for St Louis, who failed to score in their half of the first-inning; and before most of the paid crowd of 33,875 even had a chance to get settled into their seats, the Cubbies had chased four runs home - capped off by Ron Santo's three-run home run into the left field bleachers. Carlton would make it through seven innings, and managed to keep Santo & Company at bay the rest of the way. Meanwhile, the Cardinals pecked away, scoring one in the second on a Dick Simpson home run, two in the third on RBI base hits by Orlando Cepeda and Tim McCarver, and another run in the fifth on an RBI single by Curt Flood. The game was all tied, and the Redbirds had the momentum. In the eighth, pinch hitter Phil Gagliano's two-run single broke the deadlock, as the inspired Cardinals went on to score four times, putting the game out of reach. Chicago scored an unearned run in their half of the eighth, but it was too little, too late. Final score: 8-5.
The hitting star of the game was Curt Flood, who had five singles in five at bats, scored one run and drove in two. All told, the Cardinals had sixteen hits - thirteen of which were singles - and they drew three walks, for good measure. This type of offense would certainly prove to be the "exception" in '68 - The Year of the Pitcher - but it was still early in the season; the Cardinals didn't know any better.
April 14, 1970 - Just two years and one day removed from that Saturday game at Wrigley Field, the Cardinals had undergone major changes to its roster. Gone: Curt Flood, Tim McCarver, Orlando Cepeda and Roger Maris. Added: Dick Allen, Joe Torre, Joe Hague and Jose Cardenal. On paper, this seemed like a contending team; in reality, by season's end, it was a sub .500 team. However, on this particular day, the Redbirds were looking good, and came away with a 10-inning 6-5 win over the visiting Montreal Expos; good for a 4-2 record in the new season.
With a small crowd of just 9,891 on hand at Busch Stadium, the Cardinals staked pitcher Bob Gibson to a quick 3-0 lead after two innings. For a while, that seemed to be enough for the ace right-hander, but after surrendering a run in the sixth-inning, Gibson simply ran out of gas in the seventh, facing four batters; retiring none. He was charged with the three runs Montreal scored, and suddenly was on the wrong side of a 4-3 deficit. As a hitter, Gibby fared much better, collecting 2 hits in 3 ABs, scoring one run and driving home another. The Montreal lead was short-lived, as Jose Cardenal's solo home run in the bottom of the seventh tied the game at 4-4, and got Gibson off the hook.
The game remained deadlocked after regulation, but only one extra inning was required to settle this contest. After the Expos pushed a run across off reliever Sal Campisi (the eventual winning pitcher) in the top half of the tenth, the Cardinals came roaring back in the bottom half to win it in "walk-off" fashion. A Jim Campbell RBI single tied the game once again, and with the bases loaded and one out, pinch hitter Cookie Rojas' infield single to third base sent what was left of the small gathering, back to their nice, warm homes.
April 15, 1980 - Ten years and one day after St Louis won that 10-inning affair in front of that small partisan crowd, an even smaller crowd (8,166) ventured out to see the Cardinals clobber the eventual World Champion Philadelphia Phillies, by a score of 7-2. Pete Vuckovich, who pitched a complete game 1-0 shutout of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Opening Day (April 10), went the distance for the second straight start, limiting the Phillies to five hits and a walk, while striking out three. Both runs Philadelphia scored were of the "earned" variety, raising the colorful right hander's ERA to 1.00 on the young season. He also handled the bat well on this particular day, doubling home a couple of runs to ensure a postgame interview on Jack Buck's Star of the Game program. Honorable mention goes to 1979's NL co-MVP, Keith Hernandez (3 for 3 with a triple and 2 singles, BB, 1 R, 1 RBI).
Despite all that offense by the home team (12 hits & 3 walks), the hyperactive Vuckovich wrapped up this contest in just an hour and 57 minutes. No muss, no fuss; no visits to the mound to discuss strategy, and no long walks in from the bullpen by a handful of relief specialists. Alas, in the long run, this team would prove to be a high-scoring bunch of misfits with not enough pitching - especially in the back end of the bullpen. That problem would be solved by the time the '81 season began (Bruce Sutter in a trade with the Cubs), and a whole new era of Cardinal baseball (spearheaded by Whitey Herzog) would make the '80s a very successful decade for this franchise; and give fans a reason to show up for the games.
April 16, 1981 - The aforementioned Bruce Sutter would earn his second save as a Redbird (2.2 IP - 1 H - 0 R - 0 BB - 2 SO) in this game between the visiting Cardinals and the still-hapless New York Mets at Shea Stadium. The final score: 5-1, as all five of the St Louis runs came as a result of the long ball - a game-tying solo shot by Darrell Porter, and a pair of two-run blasts by silent George Hendrick and future Met Keith Hernandez. Rookie Andy Rincon (6.1 IP - 6 H - 1 R (unearned) - 1 BB - 2 SO) earned his first career major league win, but arm trouble would end his promising career just a few weeks later; proving that success at this level can be fleeting, especially if the injury bug decides to bite.
On the other side of the equation was the Mets' starting (and losing) pitcher - Mike Scott, who remained injury-free yet toiled in futility with New York; but after a trade to the Houston Astros, became one of the most dominant pitchers in the game over a five year stretch (1985 - 1989), winning the NL Cy Young Award in 1986, and almost preventing his old team's trip to the World Series in a classic NLCS. Former Cardinal-future teammate-future adversary Keith Hernandez later accused the crafty Scott of scuffing the baseballs to make his pitches break in suspicious and nearly unhittable trajectories. Nothing was ever proven, but whatever he was or wasn't doing with the Mets wasn't working; however, whatever tricks he learned with the Astros worked quite well, thank you very much.
Meanwhile, the strike-shortened 1981 season would be a frustrating one for St Louis, who had the best overall record in the NL East, but failed to qualify for postseason play because they finished second in each newly-created "half". Justice was served the following season, as a very good but not "great" team managed to win when it counted, all the way through a Seven Game World Series showdown with a colorful team from Milwaukee.
Steve Carlton started the game for St Louis, who failed to score in their half of the first-inning; and before most of the paid crowd of 33,875 even had a chance to get settled into their seats, the Cubbies had chased four runs home - capped off by Ron Santo's three-run home run into the left field bleachers. Carlton would make it through seven innings, and managed to keep Santo & Company at bay the rest of the way. Meanwhile, the Cardinals pecked away, scoring one in the second on a Dick Simpson home run, two in the third on RBI base hits by Orlando Cepeda and Tim McCarver, and another run in the fifth on an RBI single by Curt Flood. The game was all tied, and the Redbirds had the momentum. In the eighth, pinch hitter Phil Gagliano's two-run single broke the deadlock, as the inspired Cardinals went on to score four times, putting the game out of reach. Chicago scored an unearned run in their half of the eighth, but it was too little, too late. Final score: 8-5.
The hitting star of the game was Curt Flood, who had five singles in five at bats, scored one run and drove in two. All told, the Cardinals had sixteen hits - thirteen of which were singles - and they drew three walks, for good measure. This type of offense would certainly prove to be the "exception" in '68 - The Year of the Pitcher - but it was still early in the season; the Cardinals didn't know any better.
April 14, 1970 - Just two years and one day removed from that Saturday game at Wrigley Field, the Cardinals had undergone major changes to its roster. Gone: Curt Flood, Tim McCarver, Orlando Cepeda and Roger Maris. Added: Dick Allen, Joe Torre, Joe Hague and Jose Cardenal. On paper, this seemed like a contending team; in reality, by season's end, it was a sub .500 team. However, on this particular day, the Redbirds were looking good, and came away with a 10-inning 6-5 win over the visiting Montreal Expos; good for a 4-2 record in the new season.
With a small crowd of just 9,891 on hand at Busch Stadium, the Cardinals staked pitcher Bob Gibson to a quick 3-0 lead after two innings. For a while, that seemed to be enough for the ace right-hander, but after surrendering a run in the sixth-inning, Gibson simply ran out of gas in the seventh, facing four batters; retiring none. He was charged with the three runs Montreal scored, and suddenly was on the wrong side of a 4-3 deficit. As a hitter, Gibby fared much better, collecting 2 hits in 3 ABs, scoring one run and driving home another. The Montreal lead was short-lived, as Jose Cardenal's solo home run in the bottom of the seventh tied the game at 4-4, and got Gibson off the hook.
The game remained deadlocked after regulation, but only one extra inning was required to settle this contest. After the Expos pushed a run across off reliever Sal Campisi (the eventual winning pitcher) in the top half of the tenth, the Cardinals came roaring back in the bottom half to win it in "walk-off" fashion. A Jim Campbell RBI single tied the game once again, and with the bases loaded and one out, pinch hitter Cookie Rojas' infield single to third base sent what was left of the small gathering, back to their nice, warm homes.
April 15, 1980 - Ten years and one day after St Louis won that 10-inning affair in front of that small partisan crowd, an even smaller crowd (8,166) ventured out to see the Cardinals clobber the eventual World Champion Philadelphia Phillies, by a score of 7-2. Pete Vuckovich, who pitched a complete game 1-0 shutout of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Opening Day (April 10), went the distance for the second straight start, limiting the Phillies to five hits and a walk, while striking out three. Both runs Philadelphia scored were of the "earned" variety, raising the colorful right hander's ERA to 1.00 on the young season. He also handled the bat well on this particular day, doubling home a couple of runs to ensure a postgame interview on Jack Buck's Star of the Game program. Honorable mention goes to 1979's NL co-MVP, Keith Hernandez (3 for 3 with a triple and 2 singles, BB, 1 R, 1 RBI).
Despite all that offense by the home team (12 hits & 3 walks), the hyperactive Vuckovich wrapped up this contest in just an hour and 57 minutes. No muss, no fuss; no visits to the mound to discuss strategy, and no long walks in from the bullpen by a handful of relief specialists. Alas, in the long run, this team would prove to be a high-scoring bunch of misfits with not enough pitching - especially in the back end of the bullpen. That problem would be solved by the time the '81 season began (Bruce Sutter in a trade with the Cubs), and a whole new era of Cardinal baseball (spearheaded by Whitey Herzog) would make the '80s a very successful decade for this franchise; and give fans a reason to show up for the games.
April 16, 1981 - The aforementioned Bruce Sutter would earn his second save as a Redbird (2.2 IP - 1 H - 0 R - 0 BB - 2 SO) in this game between the visiting Cardinals and the still-hapless New York Mets at Shea Stadium. The final score: 5-1, as all five of the St Louis runs came as a result of the long ball - a game-tying solo shot by Darrell Porter, and a pair of two-run blasts by silent George Hendrick and future Met Keith Hernandez. Rookie Andy Rincon (6.1 IP - 6 H - 1 R (unearned) - 1 BB - 2 SO) earned his first career major league win, but arm trouble would end his promising career just a few weeks later; proving that success at this level can be fleeting, especially if the injury bug decides to bite.
On the other side of the equation was the Mets' starting (and losing) pitcher - Mike Scott, who remained injury-free yet toiled in futility with New York; but after a trade to the Houston Astros, became one of the most dominant pitchers in the game over a five year stretch (1985 - 1989), winning the NL Cy Young Award in 1986, and almost preventing his old team's trip to the World Series in a classic NLCS. Former Cardinal-future teammate-future adversary Keith Hernandez later accused the crafty Scott of scuffing the baseballs to make his pitches break in suspicious and nearly unhittable trajectories. Nothing was ever proven, but whatever he was or wasn't doing with the Mets wasn't working; however, whatever tricks he learned with the Astros worked quite well, thank you very much.
Meanwhile, the strike-shortened 1981 season would be a frustrating one for St Louis, who had the best overall record in the NL East, but failed to qualify for postseason play because they finished second in each newly-created "half". Justice was served the following season, as a very good but not "great" team managed to win when it counted, all the way through a Seven Game World Series showdown with a colorful team from Milwaukee.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
MLB's Injury Epidemic
Recently, when St Louis Cardinals utility outfielder Skip Schumacher became the latest victim of major league baseball's trendiest injury - the strained oblique - I suddenly realized I never even knew what an "oblique" was when I was a kid (about 40 - 50 years ago); primarily since guys like Lou Brock, Billy Williams, Orlando Cepeda, Roberto Clemente, Tony Perez, Brooks Robinson, Pete Rose, Ron Santo, Kenny Boyer, or Carl Yastrzemeski never seemed to have a problem with that. In fact, each one of these great players averaged over 150 games played in the five-year span beginning with their age 28 season, through their age 32 season. Billy Williams actually spent that five-year stretch playing in every single game for his team, the Chicago Cubs; while his fellow Hall of Fame teammate, Ron Santo, played in nearly every game in that time frame, while privately battling diabetes. How's that for tough?
Clearly, there are significant occupational hazards in baseball which cause injuries; some minor, some career-ending. These great players from my youth not only avoided straining their obliques or calves throughout the bulk of their careers, they also were fortunate enough - or smart enough - to steer clear of things like bone-breaking bean balls and outfield walls; and when sliding into bases, avoided bodily injury from their collisions with opposing players. In the case of Pete Rose, who played the game as hard as anyone who ever played the game; he was usually the guy doling out the pain on the base paths, as Cleveland Indians catcher Ray Fosse could attest on that famous last bone-crushing play of the 1970 All-Star Game.
While Fosse fell victim to that vicious, but clean, hit delivered by Charlie Hustle, a young Cardinals catcher by the name of Ted Simmons was just getting his career off the ground. One of the greatest hitting catchers of all-time, Simmons was also one of the toughest. In a feat unlikely to be duplicated any time soon, Simmons appeared in at least 150 games as catcher for St Louis, for an astounding seven consecutive seasons - 1972 - 1978. In case anyone hasn't experienced the heat and humidity of St Louis in July and August, you don't know what you're missing. For the tough-minded and durable Ted Simmons, "missing" (as in games) simply wasn't a part of his vocabulary.
Durability is as important to a player's success as his overall ability. For every Cal Ripken Jr who grinds out every single game, year in, year out; seemingly forever; there are hundreds of of Grady Sizemores who seem to have everything going for them, except luck. Injuries may be a part of the game, but for some players, injuries have become the biggest part of their game. World Series hero David Freese is hoping for his first full injury-free season to prove what he accomplished last Fall was no fluke. If the Cardinals have any chance of successfully defending their World Championship, they need to get 150 games out of their rising star, and close to that out of their seasoned stars - Lance Berkman and his old Astros teammate and newly acquired free-agent, Carlos Beltran.
Nowadays, most players remain physically fit, year 'round, following a strict workout regimen that is intended to make them strong and agile. But are some of these guys overdoing it? I mean, when a 19-year old phenom - Bryce Harper - is sidelined with stiffness in his left calf, something's just not right.
Recently, I heard an interesting perspective from New York Mets color commentator, Keith Hernandez, on the rash of injuries plaguing so many players. Hernandez observed that many of the Mets players were going to the gym before the scheduled games; since pumping iron tends to restrict muscles, it hampers the ability to play baseball the way it's meant to be played - free and easy. His simple suggestion: Hit the gym after the games, instead!
I think he knows what he's talking about. I recall Hernandez, who was a superb defensive first baseman, spent a lot of time before games, stretching out the old muscles; with special emphasis on keeping the legs limber and flexible. His strategy seemed to work; with cat-like defensive agility, Hernandez revolutionized the way first base was played, and no one played it better.
It's unclear what caused the calf problem of Bryce Harper; is it possible he overdid the weight-lifting routine on his legs, just a bit? Was he so determined to make the Opening Day roster of the Washington Nationals, he spent a little extra time in the gym; instead of the batting cage? After an unimpressive 8 for 28 (.286) performance in 9 games, which featured a team-leading 11 strikeouts and no home runs, the club decided the gimpy-calved teen-aged phenom would be better served playing AAA ball instead; at least for a while.
In the meantime, as more iron-pumping ballplayers strain their tight muscles, perhaps they could learn a thing or two from the training regimen of former Heavy Weight Boxing Champion - the late Smokin' Joe Frazier - when he was in his prime. Frazier, who was known for his relentless style of fighting and ferocious punching ability, explained why he avoided lifting weights: "It makes me muscle-bound, and I can't afford to be muscle-bound."
Major league ballplayers can't afford to be muscle-bound, either; it's just not conducive to playing the game the way it's meant to be played. Nor is it conducive to being able to play the game on a regular basis, for any players who really want to help their teams win.
Clearly, there are significant occupational hazards in baseball which cause injuries; some minor, some career-ending. These great players from my youth not only avoided straining their obliques or calves throughout the bulk of their careers, they also were fortunate enough - or smart enough - to steer clear of things like bone-breaking bean balls and outfield walls; and when sliding into bases, avoided bodily injury from their collisions with opposing players. In the case of Pete Rose, who played the game as hard as anyone who ever played the game; he was usually the guy doling out the pain on the base paths, as Cleveland Indians catcher Ray Fosse could attest on that famous last bone-crushing play of the 1970 All-Star Game.
While Fosse fell victim to that vicious, but clean, hit delivered by Charlie Hustle, a young Cardinals catcher by the name of Ted Simmons was just getting his career off the ground. One of the greatest hitting catchers of all-time, Simmons was also one of the toughest. In a feat unlikely to be duplicated any time soon, Simmons appeared in at least 150 games as catcher for St Louis, for an astounding seven consecutive seasons - 1972 - 1978. In case anyone hasn't experienced the heat and humidity of St Louis in July and August, you don't know what you're missing. For the tough-minded and durable Ted Simmons, "missing" (as in games) simply wasn't a part of his vocabulary.
Durability is as important to a player's success as his overall ability. For every Cal Ripken Jr who grinds out every single game, year in, year out; seemingly forever; there are hundreds of of Grady Sizemores who seem to have everything going for them, except luck. Injuries may be a part of the game, but for some players, injuries have become the biggest part of their game. World Series hero David Freese is hoping for his first full injury-free season to prove what he accomplished last Fall was no fluke. If the Cardinals have any chance of successfully defending their World Championship, they need to get 150 games out of their rising star, and close to that out of their seasoned stars - Lance Berkman and his old Astros teammate and newly acquired free-agent, Carlos Beltran.
Nowadays, most players remain physically fit, year 'round, following a strict workout regimen that is intended to make them strong and agile. But are some of these guys overdoing it? I mean, when a 19-year old phenom - Bryce Harper - is sidelined with stiffness in his left calf, something's just not right.
Recently, I heard an interesting perspective from New York Mets color commentator, Keith Hernandez, on the rash of injuries plaguing so many players. Hernandez observed that many of the Mets players were going to the gym before the scheduled games; since pumping iron tends to restrict muscles, it hampers the ability to play baseball the way it's meant to be played - free and easy. His simple suggestion: Hit the gym after the games, instead!
I think he knows what he's talking about. I recall Hernandez, who was a superb defensive first baseman, spent a lot of time before games, stretching out the old muscles; with special emphasis on keeping the legs limber and flexible. His strategy seemed to work; with cat-like defensive agility, Hernandez revolutionized the way first base was played, and no one played it better.
It's unclear what caused the calf problem of Bryce Harper; is it possible he overdid the weight-lifting routine on his legs, just a bit? Was he so determined to make the Opening Day roster of the Washington Nationals, he spent a little extra time in the gym; instead of the batting cage? After an unimpressive 8 for 28 (.286) performance in 9 games, which featured a team-leading 11 strikeouts and no home runs, the club decided the gimpy-calved teen-aged phenom would be better served playing AAA ball instead; at least for a while.
In the meantime, as more iron-pumping ballplayers strain their tight muscles, perhaps they could learn a thing or two from the training regimen of former Heavy Weight Boxing Champion - the late Smokin' Joe Frazier - when he was in his prime. Frazier, who was known for his relentless style of fighting and ferocious punching ability, explained why he avoided lifting weights: "It makes me muscle-bound, and I can't afford to be muscle-bound."
Major league ballplayers can't afford to be muscle-bound, either; it's just not conducive to playing the game the way it's meant to be played. Nor is it conducive to being able to play the game on a regular basis, for any players who really want to help their teams win.
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