Remembering the St. Louis Cardinals of Yesteryear
On July 27, 1953, the Baseball Hall of Fame celebrated Dizzy Dean’s remarkable career with an induction ceremony that formally recognized Dean as one of the game’s elite. “It’s the greatest honor I ever received,” Dean said. “I want to thank the good Lord for giving me a good right arm, a strong back, and…
Mark McGwire’s pursuit of Babe Ruth and Roger Maris took him past Johnny Mize before the 1998 calendar turned to August. On July 26, McGwire’s 44th home run of the season broke the franchise record set by Johnny Mize in 1940. The blast, which came in the Cardinals’ 104th game of the season, kept McGwire…
On July 24, 2009, the Cardinals finally acquired the slugger Tony La Russa had been seeking to provide protection for Albert Pujols in the middle of the St. Louis lineup. In exchange for top third base prospect Brett Wallace, minor-league pitcher Clayton Mortensen, and outfield prospect Shane Peterson, the Cardinals acquired Matt Holliday to bat…
On July 21, 2012, a single inning proved the difference between the Cardinals and Cubs. It just turned out to be one heck of an inning. The Cardinals broke a scoreless tie in the seventh inning with a 12-run, 10-hit outburst that led to a 12-0 win and launched the Redbirds into the record books.…
Terry Pendleton had to admit that as he took part in Cardinals’ batting practice prior to his first major league game, he was nervous. “It’s hit me that I’m in the big leagues, but in a way it hasn’t,” the 24-year-old said after making his debut just two years after the Cardinals drafted him in…
The same day the Cardinals lost one of the best pitchers in franchise history, another claimed his 3,000th strikeout victim. On July 17, 1974, Bob Gibson claimed the 3,000th strikeout of his career, retiring Cesar Geronimo on strikes in a 6-4 loss to the Reds. Early that morning, Dizzy Dean, the unquestioned ace of the…
On July 16, 1935, as he accepted the Sporting News 1934 National League Most Valuable Player trophy, Dizzy Dean took the opportunity to win over the fans once again following a brief controversy regarding an exhibition game in Illinois. It was, perhaps, surprising that Dean had to win over the fans at all after his…
On July 15, 1927, “Sunny” Jim Bottomley became just the second player in Cardinals history to hit for the cycle as he led St. Louis to a 9-7 comeback victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in the Baker Bowl. Bottomley’s 5-for-5 day helped the Cardinals rally from a 7-1 deficit after the Phillies jumped on starting…
The Cardinals needed every one of Johnny Mize’s four hits to beat the New York Giants 7-6 in the first game of a July 13, 1940, doubleheader at Sportsman’s Park III. Mize’s feat marked the sixth time in franchise history that a Cardinal hit for the cycle, joining Cliff Heathcote, Jim Bottomley, Chick Hafey, Pepper…
With 142 home runs in 162 games, the 1996 Cardinals weren’t exactly known for their power. But on July 12, the friendly confines of Wrigley Field couldn’t contain the St. Louis lineup as the Redbirds tied a 56-year-old team record with seven home runs in a 13-3 win over the Cubs. Ron Gant and Gary…