JUNE 11: 1926 - '27 - '28 - Wattie Holm's Favorite Day to Play

JUNE 11 - Of course we all remember Wattie Holm - a part-time outfielder/utility player for the St Louis Cardinals (1924 - '29 & '32) - appeared in 436 games in his seven-year career.  He may not have played very often, but for three straight years, he loved playing on June 11.

1926 - At The Polo Grounds:  The Cardinals score four runs in the 8th-inning and four more in the 9th - in a 10-2 drubbing of the New York Giants.  Part-time starter Vic Keen allows nine hits but only two runs in his complete game win (8-2).

Pacing the Cardinals' attack with 2 RBI apiece:  Les Bell, Bob O'Farrell and Wattie Holm.

The hard-luck loser for the Giants - Fat Freddie Fitzsimmons (4-4) - allowed just two runs in seven innings - but reliever Chick Davies (who led the NL with 6 saves in '26) got whacked for eight runs on six hits and three walks in the final two innings - driving Fat Freddie to consume a record-setting 16 hot fudge sundaes in one sitting, afterwards.

1927 - At Sportsman's Park:  40 year-old Pete Alexander (7-3) holds the Philadelphia Phillies to two runs (one earned run) on seven hits in a complete-game 4-2 win.  

Wattie Holm paced the St Louis attack with two RBI.

Losing pitcher Hub Pruett (4-6) had a little trouble finding the strike zone today.  In four innings pitched, the St Louis area native allowed just one hit - but three runs - thanks to nine walks.

Taylor Douthit, Frankie Frisch and Sunny Jim Bottomley led the Redbird "walk in the park" with two walks apiece.

1928 - At Braves Field:  41 year-old Pete Alexander (5-3) scattered nine hits in nine innings - allowing just one run - as the Cardinals clobbered the Boston Braves by a score of 8-1.

Pacing the Cardinals' attack with a home run and 2 RBI was, of course, Wattie Holm.  Actually Taylor Douthit and Jimmie Wilson also drove in two runs for the Redbirds - trying to steal Wattie's thunder.

But it was old Pete Alexander who made a bit of baseball history today, by hitting the 11th - and final - home run of his 20-year major league career.  He's probably better known for his 373 career wins, however.

JUNE 10: 2003 - Cards Out-Slug Red Sox - 2005 - And Crush Error-Prone Yankees

2003 - At Fenway Park:  The Cardinals and Boston Red Sox played a wild, see-saw slug-fest before a partisan Tuesday night crowd of 34,937 - and in the end, a two-run ninth-inning rally finally gave the persistent Redbirds a 9-7 win over the equally persistent Red Sox.

After St Louis failed to score in the first-inning off Boston starter Byung-Hyun Kim - a World Series basket case for the Arizona Diamondbacks in '01 (back-to-back blown saves against the Yankees) - the Red Sox scored twice in the bottom half off Woody Williams, with back-to-back RBI doubles by Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz.

The Cardinals finally broke through in the fifth-inning against Kim.  Renteria led-off with an opposite-field double down the line in right - then Tino Martinez - who greatly facilitated Kim's '01 Fall Classic meltdown - just missed hitting this one out to dead-center.  Renteria advanced to third on the catch, and stayed there as Mike Matheny's lazy fly ball to right became out number two.

Part-time outfielder Orlando Palmeiro's base hit to right scored Renteria - then an infield single by Miguel Cairo, along with a throwing error by second baseman Todd Walker had runners on second and third for J.D. Drew, who got a pitch he could handle, and drove it way out to right field - for a three-run home run.

The Cards added three more runs in the seventh, on an Albert Pujols two-run home run and Edgar Renteria's two out RBI single, scoring Jim Edmonds - who reached on an error - with an unearned run.

The 7-2 St Louis lead quickly evaporated as Boston scored three in the seventh - including a Manny Ramirez two-run home run, which ended Williams' night - then a two-run eighth-inning blast by Jason Varitek off reliever Kiko Calero - which tied the game, 7-7.

St Louis answered back with a pair of runs of their own in the ninth, off reliever Brandon Lyon.  Back-to-back one-out doubles by Edmonds and Rolen scored the tie-breaker, then with two out, Eduardo Perez punched an RBI single to left.

Cal Eldred preserved the 9-7 win for St Louis with one scoreless inning for his eighth save of the season.

Although the Cardinals hung on for the win, this game typified the team's biggest weakness in 2003 - an unreliable bullpen.  That would change for the better in '04 - after one of the heroes in this St Louis win - J.D. Drew - would be part of a package to the Atlanta Braves that brought back some reliable arms for the bullpen - including a pitching prospect by the name of Adam Wainwright.

2005 - At Busch Stadium III:  The Cardinals had no trouble in dispatching an error-prone New York Yankees team, as St Louis starter Jason Marquis (8-3) had one of his better outings:  8 IP - 6 H - 1 R - 2 BB - 3 SO.  Final score:  St Louis 8 - New York 1.

Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang (3-2) lasted just four innings - allowing seven runs (only four were earned runs) on seven hits - featuring a pair of big name players who each made an error tonight - Cano and A-Rod - as well as one by pitcher Chien-Ming "the Merciless" Wang, himself.

The Cardinals immediately jumped on Wang in a two-run first-inning - on RBI singles by Albert Pujols and Larry Walker - then piled on five runs (only two were earned runs) on three hits and two costly errors - in the third-inning  to take a 7-0 lead - much to the delight of the 50,250 that packed the house tonight.

Pujols capped a three-hit-two-RBI night with a sixth-inning home run to end the St Louis scoring.

Derek Jeter's fifth-inning RBI double was all the Yankees could muster off Marquis tonight - as Randy Flores pitched a scoreless ninth to put the Bronx Bombers out of their misery.

This Day in Stan the Man Musial History - JUNE 9

1946 - At Sportsman's Park:  Musial collects 3 hits in 5 ABs - including a home run - in a 9-1 Cardinals' win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

1950 - At Sportsman's Park:  Stan the Man is 3 for 3 (now hitting .385), with 2 doubles and a triple - walks twice - scores 2 runs with 2 RBI in the Cardinals' 8-5 win over the Boston Braves.

1956 - At Busch Stadium I (formerly Sportsman's Park):  Musial's 4 hits in 5 ABs includes a home run, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored - as St Louis beats the Pittsburgh Pirates by a score of 8-3.

1957 - At the Polo Grounds:  In a doubleheader sweep of the New York Giants, Musial has 1 hit and a walk in 3 ABs in the first game - a 2-1 win - Then goes 2 for 5 (now hitting .358), including a home run, 3 RBI and 1 run scored - in Cards' 10-7 nightcap winner.

1962 - At Busch Stadium I:  The Man raises his batting average to .340 with a 2 for 4 day - including a double, 1 run scored and 2 RBI - in the Cardinals' 8-4 win over the San Francisco Giants.

This Day in St Louis Cardinals History - June 9, 2013 - 10th-Inning 7-Run Fun on ESPN

Sunday, June 9, 2013 - At Great American Ballpark:  In a nationally televised game on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball, the Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds were dead-even after nine innings - all tied at four runs apiece.  By the time the Cardinals completed their half of the tenth-inning, the Reds were simply dead.

Not many extra-inning games are decided by as many as seven runs (11-4 final score) - and not many pitchers making their major league debut enter a game with the bases loaded, only to have the first pitch they throw in that situation travel about 450 feet in the other direction.  That was all part of the fun for the Redbirds, as they tore into Reds pitching like Louie Anderson at an all-you-can-eat buffet.  Simply put, the Cardinals had quite a feast tonight - and the main course was Cincinnati pitching.

Lance Lynn started this game for St Louis (6 IP - 5 H - 4 R - 3 BB - 6 SO) - then four Cardinal relievers held the Reds scoreless over the final four innings - with Trevor Rosenthal's well-timed two perfect innings of work earning the rookie his first major league win.

For the Reds, starter Bronson Arroyo allowed just two runs in six innings of work, but the bullpen failed to preserve a 4-2 sixth-inning Cincinnati lead, which ultimately sent the game into one-inning's worth of ERA-inflating overtime - for the home team, that is.

Offensively, the big blow came off the bat of Matt Holliday - a tenth-inning grand slam - on the first pitch ever thrown in a big league game by some kid named Curtis Partch.  But that was just the icing on the Cardinals' cake.  St Louis had already sent eight men to the plate - scoring three runs - before Holliday's parting shot.

Allan Craig's lead-off walk started the festivities off Reds reliever, J.J. Hoover.  One out later, David Freese grounded a single to right - then Daniel Descalso began the run-scoring barrage with a double to plate Craig.   An intentional walk to Jon Jay loaded the bases for pinch hitter Pete Kozma - who struck out.

With two out, Matt Carpenter's two-run double (1 RBI previously) essentially put the game out of reach.  A walk to Carlos Beltran (HR, 2 RBI previously) ended Hoover's night - although he was still responsible for the three runners on base - who later scored on Holliday's ESPN-broadcast grand salami.

Bob Gibson - A Saber-metric Revelation You Probably Didn't Know

Practically everyone knows St Louis Cardinals' pitcher Bob Gibson had one of the most dominant seasons ever - in 1968 - featuring that legendary 1.12 ERA which made him a unanimous pick for the National League Cy Young Award.  He was not only the best pitcher in the game that season - he was also the best all-around player in the game that season - not only winning the league's Most Valuable Player Award, he also had the highest WAR in the game:  11.9.

The next highest WAR did not belong to AL CYA & MVP Award winner, Denny McClain - 7.3.  In fact, McClain didn't even have the highest WAR among AL pitchers.  Luis Tiant came in at 7.8.  Among position players, Carl Yastrzemski was tops in the AL:  10.5 - so yeah, he should have won back-to-back MVP Awards.  Brooks Robinson came in second among position players:  8.4.

If this makes no sense to you, or you don't adhere to any of this saber-metric mumbo-jumbo, you may not agree with the revelation I happened to discover, just the other day:

Gibson was not only the best all-around player in major league baseball in 1968 - he was also the best all-around player in '69 and '70, as well.

The fact that Gibson didn't win either the NL Cy Young Award, nor the league's Most Valuable Player Award in '69 means nothing.  Tom Seaver was a natural choice in '69 for the CYA - pitching for the team that made the postseason for the very first time, and of course, he had a wonderful record (25-7 - 2.21 ERA).

Likewise, Willie McCovey was a natural choice for the NL MVP Award in '69.  He led the league in home runs (45), RBI (126) and slugging percentage (.656), and his team - the San Francisco Giants - finished a close second to the Atlanta Braves in the newly-formed NL West division.

As we have seen over the years, voting for Most Valuable Player Awards is generally weighted heavily in favor of players putting together "big numbers" on teams that either reach the postseason, or teams that played well above nearly everyone's (so-called baseball experts) expectations.  Generally, position players tend to get more support than pitchers, for two reasons:  (1) Pitchers have their "own" award, so let them have that instead of this, and (2) pitchers generally only pitch once every five days, so there's no way they can help their team win more than guys who play every day.  Which of course, is total nonsense.

In 1969, McCovey had an MVP-caliber 8.1 WAR - Seaver had a CYA-caliber 7.2 WAR.  However, Gibson's was 11.3 - surprisingly, nearly as high as the 11.9 he posted the previous season - when he won both awards.

In 1970, when Gibson won his second NL CYA, he still had the highest WAR in major league baseball:  10.1 - although strictly as a pitcher it was 8.9.  The reason his overall WAR was higher is quite simple - Gibson had a great year as a hitter (.303/.347/.404) with two home runs and 19 RBI.  Also, defensive metrics come into play - getting a boost from the fact that he was a Gold Glove Award winning pitcher, year in and year out.

Those three years - 1968 - '69 - '70 - were Gibson's saber-metric peak, when he was the best all-around player in the game.  Now you know.

This Day in St Louis Cardinals History - June 8, 1982 - A 12-Inning Thriller North of the Border

Tuesday, June 8, 1982 - At Stade Olympique (Olympic Stadium):  Les Cardinals et Les Expos battled each other for 12-innings in tonight's game.  In the end, St Louis squeezed out a 5-4 win - using Whitey Herzog's favorite weapon to manufacture two of the five runs necessary to stave off those pesky Expos.

Bruce Sutter (4-3) - the sixth pitcher Herzog used in this game worked 1.1 innings of shaky relief for the win.

Dave LaPoint started for the Cardinals and was quickly touched for a run in the first, on an Al Oliver RBI single that scored the ever-dangerous lead-off man - Tim Raines.  On his next trip to the plate in the third-inning, Raines extended the Montreal lead to 2-0 with a lead-off home run.

Now, it was the Cardinals' turn to score a couple.  In the fourth-inning, Darrell Porter drew a bases loaded walk with nobody out, off Montreal starter, Steve Rogers.  However, the Redbirds were unable to capitalize on a chance for a big inning after Tommy Herr and Ozzie Smith were retired on infield popups, and pitcher LaPoint looked at a called third strike.  Yikes.

The did manage to push across the tying run in the seventh-inning when light-hitting Mike Ramsey executed a successful squeeze bunt to score Herr from third, as Rogers only had one play - to retire Ramsey at first.

Montreal missed out on a big opportunity to take the lead in the eighth-inning against reliever Steve Mura - who had already pitched a scoreless seventh, but ran into trouble after yielding consecutive singles to Terry Francona and Andre Dawson.

Jim Kaat then replaced Mura to face Oliver, who laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up to second and third.  With first base now open, Gary Carter was intentionally walked to load the bases.  Kaat then induced the next hitter - Warren Cromartie - to ground one back up the middle, which the multiple-Gold Glove-winning pitcher flagged down to force Francona at home.  Kaat's work successfully completed, Herzog then brought Jeff Keener in to face another dangerous hitter - Tim Wallach - who struck out to end the threat.

The game remained tied, 2-2, heading into the eleventh-inning, when Keith Hernandez got things started for St Louis with a lead-off single to center off Expos reliever Jeff Reardon - now in his second inning of work.  After George Hendrick flew out to center field, Dane Iorg lined a single to right, as Hernandez scooted over to third on the hit.  Lonnie Smith then lofted a sacrifice fly to right field to score Hernandez with the go-ahead run.

Alas, Montreal came right back with a run of their own, with Doug Bair now pitching for the Cardinals.  Wallach, who had failed to drive in a run in the eighth, came through this time, with a double that scored Carter to tie the game once again - 3-3.

In the 12th-inning, the Redbirds finally rallied for more than just a single run - and it was a good thing they did.  With veteran southpaw Woody Fryman (2-2) now pitching for the Expos, Ozzie Smith coaxed a walk, advanced to second on a Julio Gonzalez sacrifice bunt, then scored on Willie McGee's triple.  In the dugout, Herzog wondered if the Expos would be expecting another squeeze play, which is of course, exactly what he called.  Ken Oberkfell laid down a perfect bunt to bring McGee in from third, giving the Redbirds a two-run cushion heading into the bottom of the twelfth.

Bruce Sutter, who entered the game to record the last out in the eleventh, ran into trouble with one out in the twelfth, as Francona collected his third single of the game.  Dawson then forced Francona at second on an infield grounder, for the second out.  With Al Oliver batting, Sutter threw a 58 foot split-fingered wild-pitch, allowing Dawson to move up to second.  Oliver made things interesting with a base hit that scored his teammate, bringing Gary Carter to the plate, representing the potential winning run.

Tonight, Sutter won the battle with Carter, on an infield popup which Ozzie gloved for the final out of this low-scoring marathon.  It wasn't easy, as the Cardinals used six pitchers in finally securing the win.

When all was said and done, the Cardinals' offense consisted of a bases loaded walk, two squeeze play bunts, a sacrifice fly and an RBI triple.  Not exactly conventional means of scoring runs, but the '82 Cardinals were hardly a conventional team.

But it worked on this night - and many more nights throughout the summer and into the fall for Whitey Herzog's Runnin' Redbirds - well on their way to a ninth World Series championship in franchise history.

This Day in St Louis Cardinals History - June 7, 1970 - Gibson Catches a Break - Simmons Hits 1st Career HR

Sunday, June 7, 1970 - At Busch Stadium II:  It's safe to say Bob Gibson didn't catch many breaks in '68 when he won only 22 games with a ridiculous 1.12 ERA.  Two years later, he managed to win 23 games with an ERA of 3.12.  Go figure.

One of those 23 wins happened in this game against the not-so-talented San Diego Padres, who had Gibson on the ropes early - but let him get off the hook late - resulting in an ugly 10-7 win for the man who was still the best pitcher in the National League.

In this game, a young catcher by the name of Ted Simmons - who would hit just .243 in 82 games - had a big day today in helping his battery mate snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.  Or something like that.

The Padres quickly jumped out in front in this game, scoring three second-inning runs - two of which were unearned runs, thanks to an error by Joe Torre, who was trying to handle the hot corner today.  Later, in the dugout, Gibson and Torre exchanged pleasantries regarding such things as the weather, where they would be having dinner tonight, and how to field ground balls, etc.

Torre, trying to atone for his error, drove in a third-inning run with a single, as Gibson sneered in the Cardinals' dugout, "You needed to hit that one out!"

The Padres then jumped on Gibson for three hits and a pair of walks in the fourth-inning to score four earned runs, to take a commanding 7-1 lead.  In the dugout afterwards, Torre was overheard saying, "Don't blame me this time!"  Gibson replied, "You still owe me one!"

An irritated Gibson kept San Diego scoreless over the next two innings, when Torre led off the St Louis sixth with a ringing double down the left field line.  The next batter - a 20-year old Ted Simmons - trying to get on the good side of the surly Gibby - blasted his first major league home run to cut the deficit to 7-3.  With bravado, the excited kid from Michigan told his seasoned battery mate, "Don't worry man; we're gonna pull this one out!"  Torre and Lou Brock - lurking right behind Gibson - were doing their best to keep a straight face as Gibson sneered, "That would be oh-so-lovely!"

After Gibson worked a scoreless seventh against the suddenly quiet San Diego lineup, he was due to lead-off the bottom half.  Without hesitation, he worked his way towards the bat rack but was intercepted by manager Red Schoendienst, who told him, "Gibby, I'm gonna have Vic bat for you."

Ironically, Gibson was having one of his best years at the plate in '70 - on his way to hitting .303 with a couple of home runs and 19 RBI.  He was even used to pinch hit six times that season.  But the decision by Schoendienst is probably the reason Gibson would wind up winning - not losing - today's game.

Gibson - now a spectator - glared at pinch hitter Vic Davalillo - the diminutive Venezuelan who would lead the National League with 24 pinch hits in '70.  Davalillo just smiled and said, "Don't worry, man; I'm gonna get a hit for you!"  Brock chimed in, "Me too!"

As it turned out, Vic and Lou both had two hits in the seven-run seventh - as San Diego manager Preston Gomez used four different pitchers to try to stop the onslaught.  But the damage had been done - Jose Cardenal drove in one run, Torre two, Simmons yet another, Leron Lee drove in two more, and Davalillo's second hit drove in the seventh, and final run in the lucky seventh-inning for Bob Gibson - whose expression brightened considerably by the time it was over.

Torre and Brock couldn't help themselves - tormenting Gibson mercilessly between innings; and Gibson was enjoying every minute of it.  The 18,474 fans in attendance were definitely enjoying every minute of the game now, after that miraculous seven-run outburst.

Relievers Frank Linzy and Ted Abernathy (S-2) preserved the Gibson win - one of a league-leading 23 wins for the 34-year old Cardinal ace - who would win his second NL Cy Young Award that year; ironically, pitching for a team that finished 10 games under .500 that year.  Go figure.