On February 24, 2011, the Cardinals officially announced that Adam Wainwright would require season-ending Tommy John surgery.

“Not to be melodramatic, but you’re losing an ace,” general manager John Mozeliak said. “It’s not something you can just replace overnight. Some different people are going to have to step up.”[1]

A 6-foot-7, 230-pound right-hander from Brunswick, Georgia, Wainwright had been the Cardinals’ best starter in each of the past two seasons, leading the National League with 39 victories over that span.

He was coming off the best season of his career in 2010, going 20-11 with a 2.42 ERA and 213 strikeouts over 230 1/3 innings. That summer, Wainwright made the first All-Star appearance of his career, and that fall he finished second to Roy Halladay in the National League Cy Young Award voting.

The 2010 season was just a shade better than his performance in 2009, when he led the National League with 19 wins, 34 starts, and 233 innings pitched. With a 2.63 ERA, Wainwright placed third in the Cy Young voting that year and won the Gold Glove Award.

Heading into spring training 2011, the Cardinals were looking for Wainwright to lead their starting rotation alongside 36-year-old Chris Carpenter. With left-hander Jaime Garcia as a third starter and Kyle Lohse and Jake Westbrook rounding out the rotation, St. Louis expected its pitching to be a bedrock for the 2011 season.

That foundation was dealt a serious blow when Wainwright felt his elbow twinge on the 33^rd pitch of a 35-pitch session. Though he didn’t immediately say anything, by the time he returned to his spring training home, he knew he was dealing with far more than early-season soreness.

“My elbow had stiffened up on me completely,” he said.[2]

Wainwright had missed his last start of the 2010 season with what was diagnosed as a forearm strain. At the time, the Cardinals’ medical team prescribed rest and rehabilitation.[3] Wainwright was placed on an offseason workout program designed to strengthen his shoulder and allow him to place less stress on his elbow.

“I eliminated the shoulder weakness, but the elbow still failed,” Wainwright said.[4]

On Wednesday, February 23, Cardinals medical supervisor Dr. George Paletta sent Wainwright’s MRI results to Dr. Lewis Yocum, an orthopedist in Orange County, California.[5] Yocum confirmed the Cardinals’ fears, and Paletta was scheduled to perform the surgery on Monday, February 28.[6]

“You’re talking about a guy who won 20 games,” Albert Pujols said. “That’s pretty hard to take.”[7]

“I don’t feel bad for us; I feel bad for Adam,” Carpenter said. “There’s no worse feeling than to be hurt. If you’re struggling or not performing well, you can always try harder by working on something. If you’re hurt, you can’t do anything.”[8]

Ahead of the procedure, Wainwright spoke with Carpenter, Kyle McClellan, and Jason Isringhausen, each of whom had undergone the surgery. Paletta performed both Carpenter and McClellan’s procedures.[9]

“I’m a little disappointed, but at the same time, I know I’m probably prolonging my career now by going ahead and doing this when I’m doing it,” Wainwright said. “There was no getting around it. Both doctors that I saw – Dr. Paletta and Dr. Yocum – gave me a 10% chance to heal without surgery, so it was something I had to do. Basically, the whole (ligament) was mangled.”[10]

To replace Wainwright’s injured ligament, doctors used a tendon from his left hamstring. As a result, Wainwright emerged from the surgery with scars on the back of his right elbow and beneath his left knee.[11] Initial estimates suggested the surgery would keep Wainwright out for 12-15 months, but Wainwright immediately set a goal of being back in time for the 2012 spring training.

“I’ve been told that everything went very well,” Wainwright said. “I feel great, to be honest with you. … I had a gut feeling that it was probably the time my elbow was gone. The only thing that was such a shame about it was that I was feeling so great. I felt like I was throwing the ball really well and had a great session up until the pitch I hurt it on. It just goes to show you that it was time for it to happen.”[12]

With Wainwright rehabbing with an eye on 2012, the Cardinals began to explore their options to fill his spot in the rotation. Mozeliak was asked about possibly pursuing 36-year-old free agent Kevin Millwood, a former 18-game winner with the Braves who was coming off a 4-16 season in Baltimore with a 5.10 ERA.

“Today I would say the answer is no,” Mozeliak said. “As days start to push toward opening day, we’ll explore things. There’s nothing that jumps out to us that we feel we need to chase at this point.”[13]

“We’re not going to look outside the organization. The answer is here,” manager Tony La Russa declared.[14]

The same day that Wainwright underwent his MRI, McClellan took his first batting practice of the spring.

“That’s because it’s the first day that he’s been thought of in this camp as a potential starting pitcher,” pitching coach Dave Duncan said.[15]

A 27-year-old who was drafted out of Hazelwood West High School just outside of St. Louis, McClellan was used to competing for a starting job during spring training. In 2009, he was prepared to start the season in the rotation if Carpenter was unavailable to return. In 2010, he and Garcia competed for the fifth spot. After Garcia claimed the job, McClellan threw 75 1/3 innings out of the Cardinals’ bullpen, posting a career-low 2.27 ERA.

“Games haven’t started yet, so it’s not a big transition,” McClellan said. “It’s early, and I’ve got plenty of time to adapt and go from there.”[16]

For better or worse, the Cardinals were accustomed to competing with an ace on the disabled list. In 2007, Carpenter required surgery after experiencing elbow discomfort during his opening-day start. The Cardinals won just 78 games and finished third in the National League Central.

The following season, Carpenter pitched just 15 1/3 innings, and while Lohse led the team with 15 wins and Wainwright went 11-3 in his first full season as a major-league starting pitcher, the Cardinals’ 86 wins were only good for fourth place.

“We gotta keep going,” Lohse said. “No one’s going to feel sorry for us if Adam is gone. We just have to go do our work. You just keep going on and do your thing.”[17]

“The only thing I can say is this doesn’t change my mentality,” Garcia said. “Anyone on this staff can be a No. 1 or No. 2 guy. I don’t think we have any No. 5 guys. All I have to do is go out every day and just try to keep learning and get better.”[18]

La Russa preferred to point to the 2002 season, when the Cardinals overcame a rash of early-season injuries and the June death of starting pitcher Darryl Kile to win the National League Central and advance to the NLCS.

“It’s much more unfortunate for Adam,” La Russa said. “You can’t help but be affected, but it’s much tougher on him. You make the adjustment, and one of the keys is how deep you are. If you’re not very deep, a hit like this could sink you. … We are looking at what we have, not what we’re missing. We have enough here to be believable contenders.”[19]

They certainly did, especially after making a season-altering trade that sent Colby Rasmus, Trever Miller, Brian Tallet, and P.J. Walters to Toronto for outfielder Corey Paterson and pitchers Edwin Jackson, Octavio Dotel, and Marc Rzepczynski. The acquisition of Jackson allowed the Cardinals to replace the fatiguing McClellan in the rotation, while Dotel and Rzepczynski bolstered the bullpen.

With Carpenter anchoring the starting rotation and the bullpen shouldering a heavy load, the Cardinals won their 11^th world championship in a seven-game World Series against the Rangers. By the time the Cardinals reached the postseason, Wainwright was beginning to throw once again, though he wasn’t ready to compete.

Though he didn’t appear in the postseason, Wainwright did get clarity regarding his Cardinals future that October. When Wainwright signed a four-year, $15 million extension ahead of the 2008 season, it included a two-year option for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. The option would pay him $9 million in 2012 and $12 million in 2013, but it only vested automatically if Wainwright was not on the disabled list with an arm injury at the end of the 2011 season.[20]

The day before David Freese cemented his place in St. Louis history in Game 6 of the World Series, the Cardinals confirmed that they had vested Wainwright’s option, guaranteeing that he would remain in St. Louis for at least two more seasons.

Wainwright admitted that it was bittersweet watching his teammates play in the World Series without him.

“Do I think I could have piggybacked with ‘Carp’ real well (during) this whole playoff thing? Absolutely. I live for that,” Wainwright said. “But these other guys have stepped up. I’d like to think we could have been better with me, but are we in a different situation right now? We’re playing in the World Series. How much better could it possibly be?”[21]

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[1] Joe Strauss, “Cards change course,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 25, 2011.

[2] Rick Hummel, “Wainwright eyes spring ’12,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 2, 2011.

[3] Joe Strauss, “Cards pessimistic,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 24, 2011.

[4] Rick Hummel, “Wainwright eyes spring ’12,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 2, 2011.

[5] Joe Strauss, “Cards pessimistic,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 24, 2011.

[6] Joe Strauss, “Cards change course,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 25, 2011.

[7] Joe Strauss, “Cards pessimistic,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 24, 2011.

[8] Joe Strauss, “Cards pessimistic,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 24, 2011.

[9] Rick Hummel, “Wainwright eyes spring ’12,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 2, 2011.

[10] Rick Hummel, “Wainwright eyes spring ’12,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 2, 2011.

[11] Derrick Goold, “Wainwright OK with deal,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 17, 2011.

[12] Rick Hummel, “Wainwright eyes spring ’12,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 2, 2011.

[13] Derrick Goold, “‘Opportunity for someone,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 24, 2011.

[14] Joe Strauss, “Cards pessimistic,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 24, 2011.

[15] Derrick Goold, “‘Opportunity for someone,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 24, 2011.

[16] Derrick Goold, “‘Opportunity for someone,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 24, 2011.

[17] Bryan Burwell, “Handling adversity,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 24, 2011.

[18] Bryan Burwell, “Handling adversity,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 24, 2011.

[19] Joe Strauss, “Cards change course,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 25, 2011.

[20] Derrick Goold, “Wainwright, Carpenter form core,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 21, 2008.

[21] Derrick Goold, “Co-ace will be back with Birds,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 27, 2011.

The post Cards announce Adam Wainwright will miss 2011 season: 2/24/2011 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

On March 20, 2008, the Cardinals made it official, signing Wainwright to a four-year, $15 million contract extension with a two-year team option that ultimately made the deal worth $36 million.

“Now I just have to go out there and honor that contract and hopefully make myself the most underpaid player in the game the next four years,” Wainwright said.[1]

The Cardinals acquired Wainwright more than four years earlier in a December 2003 trade with the Braves. After appearing in two games in 2005, Wainwright received his first extended major-league look in 2006 as a bullpen arm. He posted a 3.12 ERA in 61 regular-season relief appearances, then made his postseason debut in the National League Division Series against the Padres, where he threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings, earning one save.

He finished off three more games against the Mets in the NLCS, where his two saves famously included his bases-loaded strikeout of Carlos Beltran to end Game 7 and send the Cardinals to the World Series. In the World Series, Wainwright was again perfect through three appearances, earning one win and a save while striking out five of the nine Tigers he faced.

In 2007, the Cardinals moved Wainwright into the starting rotation, where he posted a team-high 14 wins and 202 innings pitched to go along with a 3.70 ERA. Wainwright’s 2.71 ERA after the all-star break ranked fourth in baseball.[2]

“He embodies everything we look for in a player,” Mozeliak said. “His talent. His personality. One of the things we try to do when we look at some of our young players in our organization is to try to have the ability to wrap them up long term, making sure that they understand we want them to be a part of our core.”[3]

Just a few weeks before the contract was finalized, the Cardinals had assigned Wainwright a $448,000 salary for the 2008 season. As a third-year player, Wainwright wasn’t eligible for arbitration, which allowed the club to set his salary. Wainwright was seeking $550,000.[4]

“Sometimes players and management don’t agree on the numbers and you get renewed,” Wainwright said. “It’s part of the game … part of the process. I don’t have any ill will toward ‘Mo’ or the organization for it. I just don’t necessarily agree with the number we’ve reached.”[5]

Wainwright’s new contract overrode his assigned salary. Complete with a $750,000 signing bonus, the deal called for Wainwright to earn $500,000 in 2008, $2.6 million in 2009, $4.65 million in 2010, and $6.5 million in 2011. A club option would pay Wainwright $9 million in 2012 and $12 million in 2013,[6] and he was scheduled to receive bonuses for pitching 200 innings and making 30 starts in any season beginning with 2009.[7]

“They don’t make that kind of commitment unless they want a player like Adam to be here,” said Wainwright’s agent, Steve Hammond. “The team’s concern is (health) during that time, and we felt like if he made the starts and innings pitched that would accomplish what we came here to do. … It wasn’t like us having to talk the Cardinals into, ‘This is what you have.’ They understood. He is a key part of the (team), one of the faces of the Cardinals.”[8]

The most challenging part of the contract to work out was the option, which automatically would vest if Wainwright pitched a total of 400 innings and 60 starts in 2010 and 2011 or finished in the top five in the Cy Young Award voting in either season. In addition to either of those feats, he had to be on the active roster and not on the disabled list at the end of the 2011 season.[9]

“The one thing we were looking at constructing this contract was some flexibility should we have an injury,” Mozeliak said. “There’s no doubt any time you sign a pitcher, you’re one pitch away, but in his case, where he is with his physical and how he looks, being in the shape he’s in, we’re pretty bullish on him.”[10]

“I think they’ll pick that option up,” Wainwright said. “For me, what’s the worst-case thing that could happen? After four years, I’ve made $15 million and they decide not to pick the option up and I go home. Worst thing that could happen, I have $15 million.”[11]

As the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported, “The deal also sends a clear signal that the team will construct its rotation upon two pillars: Cy Young Award-winner (Chris) Carpenter and his protégé, Wainwright.”[12] With the deal, Wainwright joined Carpenter and catcher Yadier Molina as the only Cardinals with contracts through 2012.[13] Just two months earlier, Molina had signed a four-year, $15.5 million contract.

“From the Cardinals’ standpoint, the beauty of their contract with Adam Wainwright is that it offers protection on both ends of the spectrum,” wrote columnist Bernie Miklasz. “… At most, it’s a six-year, $36 million deal. And when you consider that career mediocrities such as Carlos Silva are getting $12 million a year, the Wainwright terms are a tremendous bargain.[14]

The same day that the Cardinals announced Wainwright’s new contract, they also made an announcement regarding the young right-hander’s spot in the rotation.

“He’s starting opening day,” La Russa said. “He’s got his head on straight. I don’t think dollars and security is going to change his approach to things.”[15]

“I feel like I’m playing in the best place possible,” Wainwright said. “I love the city and my wife loves the city, and we’re going to be there for hopefully a long, long time and a long time after this contract also.”[16]

That certainly proved to be the case.

While the first opening-day start of Wainwright’s career was erased by a third-inning rainout with the Cardinals leading the Rockies 5-1, Wainwright went 11-3 with a 3.20 ERA in 2008. A finger injury suffered in June forced him to miss 2 ½ months and limited him to just 132 innings.

In 2009, however, he led the league with 34 starts and 233 innings pitched as he went 19-8 with a 2.63 ERA. Wainwright finished third in that year’s Cy Young Award voting, placing only behind the Giants’ Tim Lincecum and his teammate, Carpenter.

Wainwright was even better in 2010, reaching 20 wins for the first time in his career behind the strength of a 2.42 ERA over 230 1/3 innings. He was named an all-star that summer and placed second to Roy Halladay in the fall’s Cy Young voting.

After exceeding anything the Cardinals could have expected from the first three seasons of the contract, Wainwright’s 2011 season never got off the ground. Just a few days after reporting to spring training, he began to experience discomfort in his right elbow. A few days later, the Cardinals announced that he would miss the entire 2011 season with Tommy John surgery.

Though the injury meant that Wainwright’s option for the 2012 and 2013 season did not vest automatically, the Cardinals had no intention of allowing Wainwright to become a free agent and vested both option years. In 2012, Wainwright clearly hadn’t returned to his previous form, though he won 14 games and pitched 198 2/3 innings with a 3.94 ERA.

On March 28, 2013, Wainwright and the Cardinals agreed to a five-year, $97.5 million extension, the largest contract ever signed by a St. Louis pitcher. He followed that up with an outstanding 2013 season, leading the league with 19 wins and 241 2/3 innings. He placed second in the Cy Young voting.

 Through the 2021 season, Wainwright has pitched all 16 of his major-league seasons with the Cardinals, compiling a 184-105 record with a 3.35 career ERA.

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[1] Derrick Goold, “Wainwright, Carpenter form core,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 21, 2008.

[2] Derrick Goold, “New deal is set for Wainwright,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 20, 2008.

[3] Derrick Goold, “Wainwright, Carpenter form core,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 21, 2008.

[4] Derrick Goold, “New deal is set for Wainwright,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 20, 2008.

[5] Joe Strauss, “Despite shoulder problems, Johnson stays encouraged,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 5, 2008.

[6] Associated Press, “Cards, Wainwright sign deal,” Springfield News-Leader, March 21, 2008.

[7] Derrick Goold, “Wainwright, Carpenter form core,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 21, 2008.

[8] Derrick Goold, “Wainwright, Carpenter form core,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 21, 2008.

[9] Derrick Goold, “Wainwright, Carpenter form core,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 21, 2008.

[10] Derrick Goold, “Wainwright, Carpenter form core,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 21, 2008.

[11] Derrick Goold, “Jimenez’s stock rises with injury to Ryan,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 22, 2008.

[12] Derrick Goold, “Wainwright, Carpenter form core,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 21, 2008.

[13] Derrick Goold, “New deal is set for Wainwright,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 20, 2008.

[14] Bernie Miklasz, “Cards made a smart move by locking up Wainwright,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 22, 2008.

[15] Derrick Goold, “Wainwright, Carpenter form core,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 21, 2008.

[16] Associated Press, “Cards, Wainwright sign deal,” Springfield News-Leader, March 21, 2008.

The post Cardinals sign Adam Wainwright to his first contract extension in 2008 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

After receiving his unconditional release from Milwaukee and turning down a guaranteed contract from Los Angeles, Schoendienst accepted an offer from Cardinals general manager Bing Devine to try out for the St. Louis roster.

In accepting the offer, Schoendienst knew the Cardinals wouldn’t offer him the same salary he could have received from the Angels.[1] With Julian Javier stationed at second base, the Cardinals were looking at Schoendienst primarily as a pinch-hitter and utility fielder.

“I feel that Red can be of definite help to us,” Devine said. “If Red doesn’t come with us, there would be more pressure on one of our young prospects as a fill-in for second base.”[2]

After participating in the early weeks of camp, Schoendienst signed a contract on March 7, 1961, that was believed to be worth about $25,000.[3]

“I’m convinced, entirely,” Cardinals manager Solly Hemus said. “My one concern was Red’s health. No man could be ill and work the way he has the last two weeks. Why, he’s the youngest-looking, youngest-acting guy on the squad.”[4]

Schoendienst made his major-league debut 16 years earlier in 1945. With Stan Musial and others serving in World War II, Schoendienst made the move from shortstop to left field and led the league with 26 stolen bases during his rookie campaign. In 1946, Schoendienst took over the Cardinals’ second base job and kept it until 1956, when general manager Frank Lane traded him to the New York Giants.

During Schoendienst’s 11+ seasons in St. Louis, he appeared in nine All-Star Games and hit the game-winning home run in the 1950 showcase. He enjoyed arguably his best season in 1950, when he hit .342 with 15 homers and 79 RBIs to place fourth in the National League MVP race. He finished just two points behind Brooklyn’s Carl Furillo for the batting title.

In 1957, which he split between the Giants and Braves, Schoendienst led the league with 200 hits. He finished the year with a .302 batting average and finished third in the MVP vote behind Henry Aaron and Musial. Schoendienst and the Braves won the World Series that year, then won the National League pennant again in 1958 before falling to the Yankees in that year’s fall classic.

After batting .300 with three doubles and a triple in 20 World Series at-bats in 1958, Schoendienst was diagnosed with tuberculosis. After undergoing surgery, Schoendienst spent four months on bed rest and missed almost the entire 1959 season.

In 1960, Schoendienst slumped early and was benched. After the season, the Braves offered him a coaching job, but he declined it and instead asked for his release.

“He’s extremely grateful to Bing Devine for having taken a chance on him when, he feels, Milwaukee’s voluble Charley Dressen gave all of baseball the impression last year that he was washed up,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports editor Bob Broeg wrote. “The Ol’ Redhead is bitter at Dressen, for whom he refused to coach.”[5]

In a separate story, Broeg described the scene at Al Lang Field, the Cardinals’ spring training home, when Schoendienst was announced as the team’s second baseman for that day’s game, noting that “the grandstand gaffers who had sat silent throughout the batting order suddenly cheered as though William McKinley had been elected again.”[6]

“The old folks are saluting one of their own,” quipped Jim Toomey.[7]

Appearing primarily as a pinch hitter, Schoendienst hit .300 in 133 plate appearances in 1961, then batted .301 in 153 plate appearances in 1962.

Though Schoendienst’s days as an All-Star were over, he still had plenty to offer the Cardinals. When Johnny Keane resigned after winning the World Series in 1964, the Cardinals named Schoendienst the new manager, a position he held until 1976. Over that span, he won 1,010 games and lost 925 for a .522 winning percentage. He also served as an interim manager in 1980 and 1990, giving him a career record of 1,041-955.

After two seasons as a coach with the Athletics in 1977 and 1978, Schoendienst again returned to St. Louis, where he won his fifth World Series as a coach for the 1982 Cardinals.

In 1989, Schoendienst was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

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[1] Jack Herman, “Schoendienst Turns Down Angels’ Offer,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, January 15, 1961.

[2] “Schoendienst Turns Down Angels’ Offer,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 15, 1961.

[3] Bob Broeg, “Schoendienst, Beauchamp Stand Out in Cards’ Squad Game,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 7, 1961.

[4] Bob Broeg, “Schoendienst to Be Signed to Contract,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 6, 1961.

[5] Bob Broeg, “Their Boy, Red,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 8, 1961.

[6] Bob Broeg, “Their Boy, Red,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 8, 1961.

[7] Bob Broeg, “Their Boy, Red,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 8, 1961.

The post Why Red Schoendienst returned to St. Louis in 1961 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

Mark Mulder was rehabbing from shoulder surgery. Chris Carpenter was working his way back from elbow surgery. Joel Pineiro was questionable with shoulder stiffness and Matt Clement had yet to pitch since undergoing shoulder surgery of his own in September 2006.

With Adam Wainwright and Braden Looper the only healthy arms remaining from what they hoped would be their opening-day rotation, the Cardinals needed reinforcements. They got even more than they hoped for when they signed Kyle Lohse to a one-year, $4.25 million contract on March 13, 2008.

“I didn’t really think it was a possibility coming over here, but unfortunately, (because of) all the injuries, it ended up being a good fit,” Lohse said. “I always liked going to St. Louis. It’s a good situation for me, I think.”[1]

Lohse’s agent, Scott Boras, originally sought a five-year, $50 million contract for the free-agent pitcher, but the market didn’t develop. When Carlos Silva signed a four-year, $48 million contract with the Mariners, he became the only free-agent starter to receive a multi-year contract that offseason.[2]

“I tried to stay positive the whole time. It’s been a different situation,” Lohse said. “Everything turned out quite a bit different than I thought it would coming into it, but I think it’s all going to work out in the end.”[3]

While several teams, including the Orioles,[4] expressed interest, Lohse found himself pitching every fifth day at Cal State-Fullerton and California-Irvine while training camps began.

“There were some days it tested my patience,” he said. “I was anxious to get into camp somewhere. I knew I was going to end up somewhere. It wasn’t like I thought I’d sit at home all year.”[5]

In addition to his base salary, Lohse was eligible to earn an additional $400,000 if he reached 200 innings pitched. The contract included $100,000 incentive bonuses at 160, 170, 180, and 200 innings pitched, plus an additional $500,000 if the Cardinals traded him during the season. Though the Cardinals traditionally insisted upon a club option attached to any one-year deal, Boras refused to budge, and the Cardinals settled for a single year.[6]

“You look at the start of the season,” pitching coach Dave Duncan said. “There’s a need, and every game counts. I think we picked him up under the right circumstances.”[7]

The 29-year-old Lohse came to St. Louis with a career 63-74 record and a 4.82 ERA. He pitched the first six seasons of his major-league career with the Twins before he was traded at each of the two previous trade deadlines – first to Cincinnati and then to Philadelphia. The Cardinals had explored trading for Lohse in 2006, before the Twins sent him to the Reds.

“He’s got a really good arsenal of weapons,” manager Tony La Russa said. “He’s gotten our attention before.”[8]

Lohse was coming off a 2007 season in which he went 9-12 with a 4.62 ERA. While his results weren’t eye-popping, he had made 32 starts and pitched 192 2/3 innings, reaching at least six innings in 22 starts and at least seven in 10 others.[9]

“This is about stabilizing the rotation with a solid innings guy,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz wrote.[10]

Both Lohse and the Cardinals hoped he could be something more.

“Putting him in an environment where it’s a pitcher-friendly ballpark, working under Dunc, we think it makes a lot of sense for him to have success,” Mozeliak said.[11]

Lohse’s record “never reflected the type of ability he has,” Duncan said. “Maybe the time is right for him to reach a level of success that his physical ability should allow him to.”[12]

Meanwhile, Mozekiak admitted that when Mulder, Carpenter, and Clement got healthy, he likely would have more starters than he could use.

“It’s something if we could get to that point, I welcome that challenge,” Mozeliak said. “There is a chance that none of that comes to fruition. We think what we’ve done today is give ourselves protection should it not happen.”[13]

Too much starting pitching was never an issue for the 2008 Cardinals. Pineiro returned but was just 7-7 with a 5.15 ERA in 148 2/3 innings. Carpenter pitched just 15 1/3 innings, and Mulder threw just 1 2/3 innings as both pitchers struggled to recover from their respective surgeries. Clement couldn’t recover from his shoulder woes and never pitched in the majors again.

Lohse, however, emerged as an immediate bright spot, winning 12 of his first 14 decisions with a 3.35 ERA. Under Duncan’s guidance, Lohse replaced his four-seam fastball with a two-seam sinker. That pitch, combined with his mid-80s slider and the occasional curveball and changeup, helped Lohse to the best season of his career. His 15 wins led the team, and by reaching 200 innings pitched, he met all four performance incentives in his contract.

In September, the Cardinals signed him to a four-year, $41 million extension.

“There is no question he could have gotten more money and more years, but his goal was a degree of stability,” Boras said. “The big thing was being in one place.”[14]

Though Lohse had down years in 2009 and 2010, he bounced back in 2011, once again leading the team in wins. With a 14-8 record and 3.39 ERA, Lohse regained his innings-eating form and helped the Cardinals claim a wild-card berth, then a World Series championship.

Lohse was even better in 2012, going 16-3 with a 2.86 ERA in 211 innings. His .842 winning percentage led the league, and he placed seventh in the NL Cy Young Award voting.

In March 2013, Lohse signed a three-year, $33 million deal with the Brewers. His tenure in St. Louis ended with a 55-35 record, a 3.90 ERA, and the 2011 championship.

In three seasons with the Brewers, Lohse went 29-32 with a 4.11 ERA. He retired ahead of the 2018 season with a 147-143 career record and 4.40 ERA.

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[1] Joe Strauss, “Lohse arrives, boosts spirits with first workout,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 15, 2008.

[2] Joe Strauss, “Cards look to Lohse for help,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 14, 2008.

[3] Joe Strauss, “Lohse arrives, boosts spirits with first workout,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 15, 2008.

[4] Joe Strauss, “Lohse arrives, boosts spirits with first workout,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 15, 2008.

[5] Joe Strauss, “Lohse arrives, boosts spirits with first workout,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 15, 2008.

[6] Joe Strauss, “Cards look to Lohse for help,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 14, 2008.

[7] Joe Strauss, “Cards look to Lohse for help,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 14, 2008.

[8] Joe Strauss, “Cards look to Lohse for help,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 14, 2008.

[9] Bernie Miklasz, “Look for Lohse to give Cards lots of innings, unlike some,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 15, 2008.

[10] Bernie Miklasz, “Look for Lohse to give Cards lots of innings, unlike some,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 15, 2008.

[11] Joe Strauss, “Lohse arrives, boosts spirits with first workout,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 15, 2008.

[12] Joe Strauss, “Lohse arrives, boosts spirits with first workout,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 15, 2008.

[13] Joe Strauss, “Lohse arrives, boosts spirits with first workout,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 15, 2008.

[14] Joe Strauss, “Lohse agrees to $41 million deal,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 30, 2008.

The post Kyle Lohse signs with St. Louis: March 13, 2008 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

Less than 17 months later, Craig was playing for the Red Sox and searching for a batting stroke he never recovered after suffering a foot injury late in the 2013 season.

The California native played for the USA Junior National baseball team and was a four-year starter at the University of California, Berkeley, before the Cardinals drafted him as a shortstop in the eighth round (256^th overall) in 2006.

In his first full pro season, Craig hit .311 with 24 homers and 80 RBIs, including a .312 average in High-A Palm Beach before he received a brief promotion to Double-A Springfield. In 2008, he hit .304 with 22 homers and 85 RBIs to earn a promotion to Triple-A Memphis in 2009. There, he hit .322 with 26 homers and 83 RBIs.

That steady production earned Craig his first taste of major-league action in 2010. In 2011, his role expanded, and he appeared in 75 games, batting .315 with 11 homers and 40 RBIs.

Craig became a postseason hero for the Cardinals in the 2011 World Series against the Rangers, hitting three home runs while playing through a knee injury. After hitting a solo home run in Game 3, Craig hit another solo blast in the eighth inning of Game 6. The following night, he made a leaping catch to rob Nelson Cruz of a home run and added a homer of his own as the Cardinals captured the 11^th world championship in franchise history.

“I think he’s proven he’s the type of player that, when he’s in the lineup, can make an impact,” Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said.[1]

Craig missed the first month of the 2012 season following offseason surgery on his injured right knee, but became the Cardinals’ primary first baseman after Lance Berkman was injured. Though he didn’t make his season debut until May 1, Craig’s .307 batting average and .522 slugging percentage each ranked sixth in the National League, and he finished the year with 22 homers and 92 RBIs. His .400 batting average with runners in scoring position led the majors.[2]

Shortly after the season ended, Craig asked his agents at ACES, Sam and Seth Levinson, to approach the Cardinals regarding an extension.[3] On March 8, 2013, Craig and the Cardinals agreed to an extension that would pay Craig $1.75 million in 2013, $2.75 million in 2014, $5.5 million in 2015, $9 million in 2016, and $11 million in 2017. It also included a $13 million option for 2018 with a $1 million buyout.[4]

With the agreement, the Cardinals bought out all three of Craig’s arbitration years and one year of free agency. Without the extension, Craig would have been eligible for free agency after the 2016 season.

“I wanted security for my family and the team thought it was a good idea too, so it’s a tremendous opportunity and I’m incredibly humbled by it,” Craig said. “It’s something I can’t really fathom at this moment, but I’m just excited to be a part of this team going forward. I think that’s the main key to this thing. We have a really special thing going on here, and to just be a part of it for the next five years is incredibly special.”[5]

Said Mozeliak, “Look at his career path, and this certainly gives him some security that he hasn’t had up until this point. For us, it gives us some protection in the middle of the lineup for a long time.”[6]

With the contract, Craig joined Jaime Garcia and Adam Wainwright as the only players to receive a long-term extension from Mozeliak before they were arbitration-eligible. The deal also made Craig and catcher Yadier Molina the only players on the Cardinals roster with guaranteed contracts that extended through the 2017 season.[7]

“This is something that you’re always striving for – to get a commitment from the team,” Craig said. “It’s been a tough road to reach the big leagues and stick and get playing time and whatnot. I’m just glad it’s going to continue here. The future is bright.”[8]

Craig said he appreciated the stability the contract offered him, even as he recognized that if he continued his 2012 production, he could have earned more than the approximately $6 million annual average value the extension provided.

“Of course you think about it, but the future isn’t guaranteed,” Craig said. “I believe in my abilities and that I’ll be around for a long time, but there are some things that are out of your control. A couple of years ago, I slid and broke my kneecap on the wall, and that’s not something that happened because I’m injury-prone. I was playing hard. You never know what’s going to happen. I just think it’s not in my personality to push it and risk it all.”[9]

Craig’s decision proved wise. In 2013, he played in a career-high 134 games, batting .315 with 13 homers and 97 RBIs. That September, however, he suffered a Lisfranc injury to his foot that caused him to miss the last 23 games of the regular season as well as the NLDS and NLCS. When he returned for the World Series, he went 6-for-16 (.375) with a double.

Craig’s 2014 season never got off the ground. After batting .220 in March and April, he appeared to recover in May, batting .291 with 19 RBIs. In June, however, he hit .255 with a .311 slugging percentage, and his offense cratered in July, batting just .122 in 54 plate appearances. With highly touted prospect Oscar Taveras waiting to take over right field, the Cardinals traded Craig and relief pitcher Joe Kelly to the Red Sox for John Lackey.

“At some point, what was happening in the outfield was going to have to be dealt with,” Mozeliak said. “When you look at the depth we’ve been building at the outfield position, trying to create opportunity in the short term is important.”[10]

Craig was sitting with teammates and watching television in a room adjoining the Cardinals’ clubhouse when he learned of the trade on TV.[11] The deal was one of four the Red Sox made that day as they sought to rebuild a roster that had won the 2013 World Series but was now in last place in the American League East.

Unfortunately, Craig never regained his swing in Boston. He hit just .128 the rest of the season and was batting.135 in 2015 before he was demoted to Triple-A, where he hit .274 with four homers and 30 RBIs.

After making a brief return to the majors that September, Craig spent the rest of his career in the minors. The Red Sox released him on June 30, 2017, and the following winter, he signed with the Padres on a minor-league deal. Craig showed a glimpse of his previous form with Triple-A El Paso in 2018, batting .293 with 13 homers and 59 RBIs in 363 plate appearances, but the Padres released him the following March. That April, he accepted a job with the Padres as an advisor to baseball operations.

In six major-league seasons, Craig hit .291/.343/.460 with 57 homers and 291 RBIs.

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[1] “Cards, Craig agree on five-year contract,” Evansville Courier and Press, March 9, 2013.

[2] “Cards, Craig agree on five-year contract,” Evansville Courier and Press, March 9, 2013.

[3] Derrick Goold, “Cards sign Craig to 5-year deal,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 10, 2013.

[4] “Cards, Craig agree on five-year contract,” Evansville Courier and Press, March 9, 2013.

[5] “Cardinals give Craig multi-year deal,” Fox Sports Midwest, https://www.foxsports.com/midwest/story/cardinals-give-craig-multi-year-deal-030813.

[6] Derrick Goold, “Cards sign Craig to 5-year deal,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 10, 2013.

[7] Derrick Goold, “Cards sign Craig to 5-year deal,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 10, 2013.

[8] Derrick Goold, “Cards sign Craig to 5-year deal,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 10, 2013.

[9] Derrick Goold, “Cards sign Craig to 5-year deal,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 10, 2013.

[10] Joe Strauss, “Mozeliak moves to fix two problems,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 1, 2014.

[11] Derrick Goold, “Major Shakeup,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 1, 2014.

The post Allen Craig, Cardinals agree to five-year extension: March 8, 2013 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

On March 4, 1948, Musial ended a brief spring training holdout in which the two-time National League MVP sought a $5,000 raise from his $31,000 salary the previous season.

It wasn’t Musial’s first spring training holdout seeking better pay. In 1943, after Musial hit .315 with 10 homers and 72 RBIs in his first full major-league season, the 22-year-old Musial was offered a $5,500 contract. He returned the letter unsigned, and wrote owner Sam Breadon a letter asking for $10,000, noting that with Terry Moore and Enos Slaughter each serving in the military, he would have to play “even harder.”[1]

Breadon capitalized on what Musial soon realized was a mistake, writing back, “You will have no more to do this year than you did last year. I thought you were the kind of ball player that gave all you had in every game. Of course, we expect the same in 1943 if you sign a contract with us.”[2]

Musial lowered his request to $7,500 and ultimately signed a contract for $6,250.[3]

In 1947, Musial, who had just won the 1946 MVP Award in his first year back from military service, believed he was due for a significant raise. Instead, Breadon offered him a $21,000 contract. When Musial pointed out that this was only $2,500 more than his 1946 salary, Breadon told him it was actually a $7,500 raise because $5,000 of Musial’s pay the previous season was a gift rather than salary.[4]

“Mr. Breadon, I don’t care what you call it,” Musial said, “but I know two things—I had to sign a new contract, and I had to pay income tax on the money.”[5]

Musial ultimately signed for $31,000 for the 1947 season.[6] That year, he appeared in the All-Star Game for the fourth time in his career, but also battled appendicitis. Despite his painful condition, he hit .312 with 19 homers, 95 RBIs, and 113 runs scored. When Musial received his 1948 contract, he was offered the same $31,000 salary he had earned the year before.

“I don’t think I am unreasonable in requesting an increase,” Musial said. “I firmly believe my work last year, considering the handicaps, warranted it. … My doctors advised me to undergo an operation for the removal of the appendix. They warned me that failure to do so might cause me serious trouble. Yet I held off until the end of the season. I knew if I were operated upon, I would be lost to the team for the rest of the campaign.”[7]

Musial had an appendectomy after the season ended.[8]

In the March 3 issue of the St. Louis Star and Times, the normally reserved Musial expressed his frustration, particularly with owner and president Robert Hannegan.

“I can’t understand Mr. Hannegan or his methods,” Musial said. “I returned the unsigned contract two weeks ago with a note advising him how much I wanted. Since then, he’s spoken to me several times, but never has he invited me to meet him to discuss our problem. He hasn’t budged an inch. I am willing to talk things over with him, but the next move must be his. He has my address and can get me at home every day.”[9]

That evening, Musial met with manager Eddie Dyer, then spoke with Hannegan the following morning at the Vinoy Park Hotel.[10] The meeting with Hannegan lasted just 15 minutes, and both the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the St. Louis Globe-Democrat reported that Musial would accept the original $31,000 salary offer. The Star and Times reported that Musial agreed to his 1948 salary with the understanding that he would receive a raise in 1949 if he had a good season.[11]

After reaching the agreement, Musial and Hannegan each went to the ballpark to share the news with the press. However, just a few moments before they arrived, Dyer was struck in his right temple by a line drive off the bat of catcher Vernon Rapp. The Post-Dispatch and Star and Times each said he was knocked unconscious by the blow, though the Globe-Democrat said he never lost consciousness. Dyer lay where he fell for “some time” before he was assisted off the field and into the clubhouse. An ambulance took him to Mound Park Hospital, where x-rays showed no fracture.[12]

While Dyer was in the hospital, Musial participated in his first spring workout that afternoon. As the Globe-Democrat noted, he “quickly indicated he is in fine physical condition by lashing the ball each time he went to the plate during the batting practice.”[13]

It was just the beginning. Musial responded with arguably the best season of his career in 1948, batting .376/.450/.702 with 39 homers and 131 RBIs. He finished one home run shy of the triple crown, and he also led the league in runs scored (135), hits (230), doubles (46), and triples (18).

At the All-Star break, Musial was batting .403, and Hannegan rewarded him by increasing his salary to $36,000.[14] At season’s end, Musial was named the National League MVP for the third and final time in his Hall of Fame career.

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[1] James N. Giglio (2001), Musial: From Stash to Stan the Man, University of Missouri Press, Page 82.

[2] James N. Giglio (2001), Musial: From Stash to Stan the Man, University of Missouri Press, Page 82.

[3] James N. Giglio (2001), Musial: From Stash to Stan the Man, University of Missouri Press, Page 82.

[4] George Vecsey (2011), Stan Musial, ESPN, Amazon Kindle Edition, Location 2394.

[5] George Vecsey (2011), Stan Musial, ESPN, Amazon Kindle Edition, Location 2394.

[6] George Vecsey (2011), Stan Musial, ESPN, Amazon Kindle Edition, Location 2394.

[7] Joe Reichler, “Musial Wants $5,000 Raise From Cards,” St. Louis Star and Times, March 3, 1948.

[8] J. Roy Stockton, “Musial Signs Cardinal Contract at Conference With Hannegan,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 4, 1948.

[9] Joe Reichler, “Musial Wants $5,000 Raise From Cards,” St. Louis Star and Times, March 3, 1948.

[10] Martin J. Haley, “Dyer Felled by Line Drive; Musial Signs,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, March 5, 1948.

[11] “Brecheen In Cardinal Camp, Ready To End Holdout Siege,” St. Louis Star and Times, March 5, 1948.

[12] Martin J. Haley, “Dyer Felled by Line Drive; Musial Signs,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, March 5, 1948.

[13] Martin J. Haley, “Dyer Felled by Line Drive; Musial Signs,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, March 5, 1948.

[14] Brian Walton, “Stan the Man Had Salary Disputes, Too,” Cardinals Dugout, https://247sports.com/mlb/cardinals/Article/Stan-the-Man-Had-Salary-Disputes-Too-104785121/.

The post Stan Musial ends his spring training holdout: March 4, 1948 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

“I’m happy to be a Cardinal for 5-6 more years,” Molina said. “This is a great organization. I grew up here, I feel good here. It was my first choice to stay here.”[1]

“He’s at the peak of his career and we’re thrilled to have him,” Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt Jr. said. “He’s a premium player, plus he plays so much. We were both highly motivated to get this done.”[2]

The new contract paid Molina an average of $15 million per season from 2013 through 2017 and made Molina the second-highest-paid catcher in baseball, trailing only Joe Mauer and the eight-year, $184 million contract he signed in 2010.[3] Molina’s deal included a $1 million signing bonus, full no-trade protection, and no deferred money. It also had a $15 million mutual option for the 2018 season that would make the contract worth $88 million over six years.[4]

“You just want to play the game and not think about the contract or anything outside the lines,” Molina said. “You have to concentrate on the game. I’m glad we got it done now.”[5]

The announcement came one week after Molina’s longtime agent, Melvin Roman, arrived at Cardinals spring training and announced that he and Molina would not negotiate a contract extension during the season.[6] Roman’s declaration was similar to Pujols’ decision not to negotiate during the final year of his contract in 2011.

“It would have been a more difficult situation for both sides,” if Molina entered free agency following the 2012 season, Roman said. “Yadi’s goal was to stay. That’s why we tried to get it going at this time.”[7]

“Who knows what would have happened if (Molina) had gotten to the market,” DeWitt said. “Ultimately, we decided to take advantage of the opportunity we had to get something done before the season started. We’re glad it worked out.”[8]

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Molina initially sought a seven-year contract while the Cardinals were offering just three. The Cardinals also wanted to defer money in the contract, an offer that Molina’s side rejected.[9]

“I was still thinking it was a business,” Molina said. “My idea was to stay here. My commitment was to stay here with this organization because I know how great it is.”[10]

The Cardinals also knew how much Molina meant to their franchise. After making his major-league debut as a 21-year-old in 2004, Molina inherited the starting catcher duties from Mike Matheny in 2005. Since that time, Molina had led all catchers with a 39% success rate against would-be base stealers, and his 38 pickoffs over that span more than doubled his closest peer, Miguel Olivo, who had picked off 16 baserunners. [11]

Over that same time period, Cardinals pitchers had the fifth-best ERA in the majors.[12]

“It’s really hard to pigeonhole this in one area because he’s a unique player,” Mozeliak said. “Given how you value the position defensively, he’s the best in the game and he deserves to be compensated accordingly.”[13]

In the previous three seasons, Molina had appeared in more games (415) and caught more innings (3,464) than any other major-league catcher. He had earned the Gold Glove Award each of the past four seasons and won the Platinum Glove Award for the best defensive player in the game in 2011.[14]

“You see how he works with us, how he controls the running game, how he goes about it,” said Adam Wainwright. “You can’t overstate what having him means.”[15]

Molina “makes it easy for the pitcher; he makes it much easier for the defense,” said Jake Westbrook. “I’ve thrown to some very good catchers in my career but Yadi is without question the best. There’s tremendous value in what he gives a pitching staff and the team as a whole.”[16]

Matheny, who was named the Cardinals’ manager following the retirement of Tony La Russa, was asked for his opinion before the Cardinals pursued a long-term deal with Molina. He called it a “no-brainer” for the organization.[17]

“I’m happy for him,” Matheny said. “I’m happy for the organization. I’m happy for the fan base. I’m happy for me. I just told Derek (Lilliquist) he just became a better pitching coach and I just became a better manager.”[18]

Offensively, Molina was coming off his best offensive season for the Cardinals. In 2011, he reached new career highs in batting average (.305), home runs (14), extra-base hits (47), OPS (.814), and RBIs (65). It marked the second time in his career that he had hit over .300.

Since the start of the 2008 season, Molina had hit .292, the third-highest average among full-time catchers over that span. Molina’s 234 RBIs during that time frame tied him with Mauer among major-league catchers, and he ranked seventh in doubles.[19]

“He’s the best catcher in the game,” Carlos Beltran said. “When you have the best catcher in the game you have to sign him. It’s great for the organization to keep a guy like that.”[20]

St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz noted that signing Molina became even more important for the Cardinals in the wake of Pujols’ departure.

“The Molina signing was good for organizational morale,” he wrote. “Perhaps you think that doesn’t matter or shouldn’t matter. But it does. This franchise just went through a jolting experience, watching Albert Pujols defect to sign with Anaheim. Allowing Molina to walk would have raised questions about management’s commitment to paying core players, paying to maintain a successful nucleus. … It would have been a considerable blow to have Molina walk away a year after Pujols headed to Anaheim.”[21]

Molina’s contract proved to be a good investment for the Cardinals far beyond the morale boost it provided. Over the course of the five-year contract, Molina was named an all-star four times, won three Gold Gloves, and won a Silver Slugger. He was limited to 110 games in 2014 but appeared in at least 136 games in each of the other four years.

In April 2017, Molina and the Cardinals agreed to a three-year, $60 million contract that paid Molina $20 million per year from 2018 through 2020.

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[1] R.B. Fallstrom (Associated Press), “Cardinals, Molina reach $75M deal through 2017,” Southern Illinoisan, March 2, 2012.

[2] R.B. Fallstrom (Associated Press), “Cardinals, Molina reach $75M deal through 2017,” Southern Illinoisan, March 2, 2012.

[3] Joe Strauss, “‘A franchise-type player,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 2, 2012.

[4] Joe Strauss, “‘A franchise-type player,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 2, 2012.

[5] Joe Strauss, “‘A franchise-type player,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 2, 2012.

[6] Joe Strauss, “‘A franchise-type player,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 2, 2012.

[7] Joe Strauss, “‘A franchise-type player,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 2, 2012.

[8] Joe Strauss, “‘A franchise-type player,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 2, 2012.

[9] Joe Strauss, “‘A franchise-type player,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 2, 2012.

[10] Joe Strauss, “‘A franchise-type player,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 2, 2012.

[11] Joe Strauss, “‘A franchise-type player,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 2, 2012.

[12] Bernie Miklasz, “Is Yadi Worth $75 Million?” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 2, 2012.

[13] Joe Strauss, “‘A franchise-type player,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 2, 2012.

[14] Joe Strauss, “‘A franchise-type player,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 2, 2012.

[15] Joe Strauss, “‘A franchise-type player,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 2, 2012.

[16] Joe Strauss, “‘A franchise-type player,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 2, 2012.

[17] R.B. Fallstrom (Associated Press), “Cardinals, Molina reach $75M deal through 2017,” Southern Illinoisan, March 2, 2012.

[18] Joe Strauss, “‘A franchise-type player,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 2, 2012.

[19] Bernie Miklasz, “Is Yadi Worth $75 Million?” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 2, 2012.

[20] R.B. Fallstrom (Associated Press), “Cardinals, Molina reach $75M deal through 2017,” Southern Illinoisan, March 2, 2012.

[21] Bernie Miklasz, “Is Yadi Worth $75 Million?” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 2, 2012.

The post March 1, 2012: Cardinals and Yadier Molina agree to a five-year contract extension first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

“It’s finally over,” White Sox general manager Larry Himes said. “It was a long time coming.”[1]

Negotiations for the right-hander had begun back in November, but Cardinals general manager Dal Maxvill refused to include catcher Tom Pagnozzi in the trade.[2]

“I didn’t want to drag it out, but I didn’t want to make the deal with Pagnozzi in it,” Maxvill said. “Maybe I’m hard-headed, but that’s the way I wanted it.”[3]

In DeLeon, the Cardinals acquired a 6-foot-3 right-hander with flashes of brilliance, but also maddening inconsistency to that point in his career. Armed with a 90-mph fastball that he mixed with a curveball, the native of Rancho Viejo, Dominican Republic, had been drafted by the Pirates in the third round of the 1979 draft.

He made his major-league debut as a 22-year-old in 1983, going 7-3 with a 2.83 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 108 innings. DeLeon slumped in his sophomore season, going 7-13 with a 3.74 ERA over 192 1/3 innings, and in 1985, he led the league in losses with a 2-19 record and 4.70 ERA.

“When I came up in ’83, Pittsburgh had a good team, and I pitched great,” DeLeon said. “The next year, I figured that with the same team, it would be easy. It wasn’t as easy. You learn from your mistakes.”[4]

In July 1986, the Pirates traded him to the White Sox for rookie Bobby Bonilla. In his only full season in Chicago, DeLeon went 11-12 with a 4.02 ERA, walking 97 and striking out 153 in 206 innings. He spent most of the season as a starter, but spent time in the bullpen late in the season after he was in an auto accident.[5]

“All the people in the Cardinals organization have liked DeLeon for a number of years now,” Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog said. “I know they think he’s got potential. I think he might be ready to come into his own. He’s got some stats that are good and some that are bad. When you’re 2-19 like he was, it’s tough to have good stats.”[6]

DeLeon was set to earn $375,000 with a chance to make an additional $70,000 if he reached an innings-pitched milestone.[7] The Cardinals sent the White Sox $100,000 as part of the trade to offset the salary difference.

“There are not many pitchers who can throw 90 miles an hour consistently,” Maxvill said. “DeLeon won 11 games last year and we would like to think that in a bigger ballpark, with our defense, that he can improve on that number.”[8]

Herzog said he planned to insert DeLeon into the starting rotation alongside John Tudor, Joe Magrane, Danny Cox, and Greg Mathews.[9] Bob Forsch, an 11-game winner in 1987, was slated to go to the bullpen.[10]

“I think this has got a chance to be the best pitching staff I’ve ever had,” Herzog said. “I’ve said that before, but we always had injuries. Now I think that every day, we’ve got a chance to win.”[11]

The 28-year-old Horton had been a 1980 fourth-round pick out of the University of Virginia. Pitching primarily out of the bullpen throughout his Cardinals career, Horton had gone 24-12 in four seasons in St. Louis and was coming off an 8-3 campaign in 1987 in which he threw 125 innings for the National League champions.

Horton was scheduled to go to arbitration Feb. 15 to determine his salary for the 1988 season, but he and the White Sox expected to finalize a salary of $525,000 in advance of the hearing.[12]

“I think we had to do this,” Herzog said. “I’m really sorry to trade Horton because Rick’s been a very good pitcher for us any way we used him. I was sorry it was strung out for so long. I’m sure it was tough on Rick and his wife, Ann.”[13]

In Chicago, the White Sox planned to use Horton as part of their starting rotation.

“He was a key pitcher for the Cardinals with the way they used him,” Himes said. “Now he gets the opportunity to take the ball every five days for us. We wouldn’t have made this trade if we hadn’t gotten a pitcher in return.”[14]

In Johnson, the White Sox believed they had found their new center fielder and leadoff hitter. In St. Louis, Johnson was blocked by Willie McGee and Vince Coleman and wasn’t expected to make the Cardinals’ major league roster in 1988.[15]

“Lance has got the kind of defense we’re looking for in a big ballpark like ours,” said White Sox manager Jim Fregosi, who managed Johnson and Horton in the Cardinals’ farm system.[16]

Johnson was named the American Association MVP in 1987 after hitting .333 with 42 stolen bases at Triple-A Louisville. In a cup of coffee with the major league club, he hit .220 with seven RBIs and six stolen bases in 59 at-bats.

“He gives us something we’ve lacked for a long time – a true leadoff hitter,” Himes said. “He’s a good contact hitter (only 45 strikeouts in 477 at-bats at Louisville), and he can run. We haven’t had the whole machine together. Now with Johnson at the top, I think we’ll have a good lineup.”[17]

“I’m really excited,” Johnson said. “I just want to play, whether it’s in St. Louis or Chicago.”[18]

Johnson certainly got that opportunity in Chicago. In eight seasons with the White Sox, he hit .286/.325/.373 with 483 runs scored and 226 stolen bases. In 1995, his final season with the White Sox, he led the American League with 186 hits and hit .306 with 40 stolen bases.

With the Mets in 1996, he enjoyed the best season of his career, batting .333/.362/.425 with nine homers, 69 RBIs, and 50 stolen bases. His 227 hits and 21 triples each led the National League, and he was named to the lone All-Star Game of his career. His final big-league appearance came in 2000 with the Yankees, and he retired with 1,447 games played across 14 seasons. For his career, he hit .291 with 767 runs scored and 327 stolen bases.

Horton pitched less than one season with the White Sox, going 6-10 with a 4.86 ERA in 109 1/3 innings in 1988 before he was dealt to the Dodgers for Shawn Hillegas that August. He pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings for L.A. in that fall’s NLCS and received a World Series ring when the Dodgers topped the Athletics in the World Series.

Horton appeared in 23 games with the Dodgers in 1989 before they released him and he signed back with the Cardinals. He started eight of his 11 appearances for the Cardinals that year, going 0-3 with a 4.73 ERA, then pitched entirely out of the bullpen in 1990.

Horton pitched in the Indians’ minor-league system in 1991 before retiring. Over seven major league seasons, he went 32-27 with a 3.76 ERA.

DeLeon pitched well in his first two seasons in St. Louis. In 1988, he led the club with 13 wins, 225 1/3 innings pitched, and 208 strikeouts. In 1989, he again led the team in strikeouts and innings pitched, whiffing a league-high 201 batters in 244 2/3 innings. He finished the season with a 16-12 record and a 3.05 ERA.

After the 1989 season, DeLeon signed a three-year contract worth a little more than $6.6 million.[19] In the first year of his new deal, the 29-year-old led the league in losses for the second time in his career, as he went 7-19 with a 4.43 ERA. In 1991, he posted a 2.71 ERA in 162 2/3 innings, but was the only member of the Cardinals’ starting rotation to fail to reach double digits in wins, finishing the year 5-9.

DeLeon was 2-7 with a 4.57 ERA at the end of August 1992 when the Cardinals released him. Over four-plus seasons in St. Louis, he went 43-57 with a 3.59 ERA.

“Little things would crop up,” Cardinals pitching coach Joe Coleman said. “A walk here or there would be followed by a hit by somebody who maybe shouldn’t get a hit. If we didn’t score any runs, he got right back to being defeated mentally. I don’t think it was anything physical.”[20]

DeLeon spent the rest of his career primarily as a bullpen arm. He pitched briefly for the Phillies before they traded him back to the White Sox for Bobby Thigpen in 1993. In August 1995, the Sox traded him to the Expos for Jeff Shaw.

In 1997 and 1998, DeLeon pitched in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. Over 13 major-league seasons, he went 86-119 with a 3.76 ERA.

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[1] Ed Sherman, “Finally, Sox get Cards’ Johnson, Horton,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 10, 1988.

[2] Ed Sherman, “Finally, Sox get Cards’ Johnson, Horton,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 10, 1988.

[3] Rick Hummel, “DeLeon Trade ‘Good Gamble,’ Herzog Says,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 10, 1988.

[4] Rick Hummel, “DeLeon Trade ‘Good Gamble,’ Herzog Says,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 10, 1988.

[5] Rick Hummel, “DeLeon Trade ‘Good Gamble,’ Herzog Says,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 10, 1988.

[6] Rick Hummel, “DeLeon Trade ‘Good Gamble,’ Herzog Says,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 10, 1988.

[7] Rick Hummel, “DeLeon Trade ‘Good Gamble,’ Herzog Says,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 10, 1988.

[8] Rick Hummel, “DeLeon Trade ‘Good Gamble,’ Herzog Says,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 10, 1988.

[9] Rick Hummel, “DeLeon Trade ‘Good Gamble,’ Herzog Says,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 10, 1988.

[10] Rick Hummel, “DeLeon Trade ‘Good Gamble,’ Herzog Says,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 10, 1988.

[11] Rick Hummel, “DeLeon Trade ‘Good Gamble,’ Herzog Says,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 10, 1988.

[12] Ed Sherman, “Finally, Sox get Cards’ Johnson, Horton,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 10, 1988.

[13] Rick Hummel, “DeLeon Trade ‘Good Gamble,’ Herzog Says,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 10, 1988.

[14] Ed Sherman, “Finally, Sox get Cards’ Johnson, Horton,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 10, 1988.

[15] Rick Hummel, “DeLeon Trade ‘Good Gamble,’ Herzog Says,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 10, 1988.

[16] Ed Sherman, “Finally, Sox get Cards’ Johnson, Horton,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 10, 1988.

[17] Ed Sherman, “Finally, Sox get Cards’ Johnson, Horton,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 10, 1988.

[18] Ed Sherman, “Finally, Sox get Cards’ Johnson, Horton,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 10, 1988.

[19] Rick Hummel, “Waivers End Frustrating Saga For Jose DeLeon,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 1, 1992.

[20] Rick Hummel, “Waivers End Frustrating Saga For Jose DeLeon,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 1, 1992.

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On February 28, 1989, Hall of Fame president Ed Stack called Schoendienst to share the good news that the 10-time All-Star had been elected to the Hall of Fame by the veterans committee.

“All I ever wanted was to be on that lineup card every day and become a champion,” Schoendienst said at the induction ceremony that July. “My best memories are being a St. Louis Cardinal … the luckiest break for me was when I became Stan Musial’s roommate. I’m glad once again we can be roommates here in the Hall of Fame.”[1]

Schoendienst, who starred for the Cardinals for 15 years before managing the team for another 12 and remaining with the franchise as a coach, was inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside Johnny Bench, Carl Yastrzemski, former Cardinals and Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray, and writers Bob Hunter and Ray Kelly.

After retiring following the 1963 season, Schoendienst made his debut on the Hall of Fame ballot in 1969. He reached as high as 42.6% in 1980, but was not elected in his 15 years on the ballot.

“A lot of times you go quail hunting, and you can’t find those quail,” Schoendienst said. “You go duck hunting, and they’re not flying. If it doesn’t happen, what can you do? You don’t think it’s going to happen, but I wasn’t going to give up.”[2]

Enos Slaughter, who was elected to the Hall four years earlier in 1985, said, “I think it’s long overdue. Red was out there, every day, to win for the Cardinals. Red would have to rank with any second baseman, bar none, that I played with. He was a switch-hitter, a clutch hitter. He had it all. I don’t know how they could keep him out all those years.”[3]

Schoendienst’s road to the Hall of Fame was as unlikely as it was long. Born and raised in Germantown, Illinois, as a 16-year-old, he was struck in the left eye by a staple while a friend tried to drive it into a dry hedge post at a Civilian Conservation Corps camp.[4]

Schoendienst convinced doctors to save it, but the accident left him with 20/200 vision in that eye.[5]

“I didn’t even know he had a bad eye until right this very moment,” Marty Marion, Schoendienst’s onetime double-play partner, said in July 1989. “You sure couldn’t tell, could you?”[6]

Schoendienst didn’t show any ill effects when he and two friends hitchhiked on a milk truck to a Cardinals tryout (Joe Garagiola and Yogi Berra attended the same tryout).[7] Schoendienst thrived in the minors, batting .373 in Double-A Rochester before the Cardinals called him up in 1945. Though he was primarily a shortstop in the minors, Schoendienst played left field during his rookie season, filling the spot vacated by Musial, who was serving in the Navy.

As Schoendienst was making his first appearance with the Cardinals, Caray was making his debut as a Cardinals broadcaster.

“(Schoendienst) was playing left field, and he came running in for a wicked line drive that he caught right at his knees,” Caray recalled. “Then he nonchalantly returned the ball to the infield. That’s the way he was – a great player and a winner. No hollering. No fake stuff. Going into the Hall of Fame had to happen.”[8]

In 1946, with players like Musial back from the war, Schoendienst filled a variety of roles before finding his home at second base. He opened the year at third base as Whitey Kurowski held out, then moved to shortstop to fill in for the injured Marion. When Lou Klein jumped to the Mexican League, Schoendienst became the second baseman on a World Series champion Cardinals team.

“I was pretty fortunate coming up when I did,” he said. “You had Musial, you had Slaughter, you had Terry Moore, you had Marion, Kurowski, all your good pitchers. They had been through it, the pennant and the World Series in ’42 and those other years. It was kind of a break for me to come up with guys who had been through all that, and to play with Marty Marion, who was a great shortstop.”[9]

Schoendienst earned the first of 10 All-Star appearances in 1946, then ran off eight consecutive All-Star seasons from 1948 through 1955, including the 1950 contest in which he called his shot and hit the game-winning home run in the 14^th inning. In Schoendienst’s best season, 1953, he hit .342 with 15 homers and 79 RBIs, finishing two points behind Brooklyn’s Carl Furillo for the batting title.

In 1956, Cardinals general manager Frank “Trader” Lane dealt Schoendienst to the New York Giants.

“The rest of us got the word that Red had been traded just as we were boarding a train out of St. Louis for an eastern trip,” Musial wrote in the forward to Schoendienst’s autobiography. “It was the saddest day of my career. I slammed the door to my train berth shut and didn’t open it for a long time.”[10]

One year later, the Giants traded Schoendienst to the Milwaukee Braves, where he won the second World Series of his career in 1957.

“When he joined my ball team, I introduced myself right away,” Braves shortstop Johnny Logan said. “I told him, ‘You take care of second base, and I’ll take care of shortstop, and we’ll win it all.’ I had played with 15 or 20 second basemen and always worried about who was playing there. I didn’t worry with Red.”[11]

In 93 games with the Braves that season, Schoendienst hit .310 with 23 doubles, six homers, and 32 RBIs. In the five-game World Series against the Yankees, he hit .278 with a double and two RBIs.

“He was the sparkplug,” Logan said. “We had a good ball team, but the only thing we needed was a second baseman. Once we got Red, he gave us the confidence we didn’t have before.”[12]

Schoendienst’s batting average fell to .262 in 1958, but in the World Series rematch against the Yankees, he hit .300 with three doubles, a triple, and five runs scored. When the season was over, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis. The life-threatening ailment required surgery followed by four months of bed rest.

“When they decided to operate on him, they had to get him up to build up his strength,” his wife, Mary Schoendienst, said. “The first day they got him up after he was on the flat of his back for four months, I went down there, and the bat company had sent him some bats, and they were over in the corner. When the nurses got him out of bed once again, I thought he would come over and shake my hand or do something, but he went over to the corner and picked up a bat. From that moment on, I figured this guy was going to play ball again. He was going to play that ball, and to heck with me and the rest of the world.”[13]

After missing all but five games in 1959, Schoendienst went on to play three more seasons – one with the Braves and two back in St. Louis as a player-coach. He retired with 2,449 hits and a .289 career batting average across 19 major league seasons.

“Despite the bug in his chest that wore him down every season, Red hit over .300 seven times,” longtime St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports editor Bob Broeg wrote. “If he hadn’t been fighting a tubercular infection, take Dr. Broeg’s word for it, that lifetime .289 average would have been .310 to .315.”[14]

Defensively, Schoendienst led National League second basemen in fielding percentage seven times, including a .993 fielding percentage in 1956 that set a record. He retired with a .983 fielding percentage.

“Besides Jackie Robinson, for 10 or 15 years there, Red was the best second baseman in the league,” Musial said.[15]

“Red wasn’t a guy that made a lot of news,” Marion said. “He wasn’t flashy, not like a guy like Ozzie Smith, diving all over the place. Red was just always in the right place at the right time. He didn’t make many mistakes.”[16]

With his playing career over, Schoendienst immediately moved into the coaching ranks. He was on Johnny Keane’s coaching staff for the 1964 world champion Cardinals, then was named the new manager when Keane left to become the Yankees’ manager.

Schoendienst managed the club from 1965 through 1976, winning the World Series in 1967 and the National League pennant in 1968. Including his stints as interim manager in 1980 and 1990, Schoendienst went 1,044-955 as the Cardinals’ manager, good for a .522 winning percentage. Two years after his 12-year run as manager ended, he returned to St. Louis as a coach.

By the time the Veterans Committee named him to the Hall of Fame, the 66-year-old Schoendienst was in his 48^th season in professional baseball.

“I think he has lasted so long because of his love affair with baseball,” Warren Spahn said. “There’s not a heck of a lot Red hasn’t done in the game.”[17]

At his induction ceremony that July, Schoendienst compared his life to a baseball diamond. He referred to his childhood in Germantown, Illinois, as first base.

“I never thought that milk truck ride would eventually lead to Cooperstown and baseball’s highest honor,” he said.[18]

Second base, he said, was making the major leagues. Third base was meeting his wife, Mary.

“She asked for my autograph,” he said, “and two years later I signed her up.”[19]

For Schoendienst, the Hall of Fame represented the final stage of his baseball journey.

“Baseball has been my only job,” he said. “I still get a thrill putting on that uniform and to hear those wonderful words, ‘Play ball.’ Baseball has given me recognition throughout the world, and now it is rewarding me with this, its greatest honor, of being inducted into the Hall of Fame. I guess I’ve crossed home.”[20]

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[1] Mike Eisenbath, “Red Schoendienst Makes It To Home,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 24, 1989.

[2] Rick Hummel, “Fame Calls On Cardinals’ Schoendienst,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 1, 1989.

[3] Veterans Panel Picks Schoendienst For Hall,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 1, 1989.

[4] Red Schoendienst with Rob Rains (1998), “Red: A Baseball Life,” Sports Publishing, Champaign, Ill., 16.

[5] Red Schoendienst with Rob Rains (1998), “Red: A Baseball Life,” Sports Publishing, Champaign, Ill., 16.

[6] Mike Eisenbath, “Hall of Famer,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 23, 1989.

[7] Red Schoendienst with Rob Rains (1998), “Red: A Baseball Life,” Sports Publishing, Champaign, Ill., 20.

[8] Rick Hummel, “More Disturbances By Strawberry Are Likely,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 5, 1989.

[9] Mike Eisenbath, “Hall of Famer,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 23, 1989.

[10] Red Schoendienst with Rob Rains, “Red: A Baseball Life,” Sports Publishing, Champaign, Ill., 1998, Page VII.

[11] Mike Eisenbath, “Hall of Famer,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 23, 1989.

[12] Mike Eisenbath, “Hall of Famer,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 23, 1989.

[13] Rick Hummel, “Fame Calls On Cardinals’ Schoendienst,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 1, 1989.

[14] Bob Broeg, “‘Natural’ Made Trek From Cowfield to Cooperstown,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 2, 1989.

[15] Mike Eisenbath, “Hall of Famer,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 23, 1989.

[16] Mike Eisenbath, “Hall of Famer,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 23, 1989.

[17] Mike Eisenbath, “Hall of Famer,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 23, 1989.

[18] Mike Eisenbath, “Red Schoendienst Makes It To Home,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 24, 1989.

[19] Mike Eisenbath, “Red Schoendienst Makes It To Home,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 24, 1989.

[20] Mike Eisenbath, “Red Schoendienst Makes It To Home,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 24, 1989.

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“Has Rick Wise signed?” Devine asked, referring to the 26-year-old right-hander who had led the Phillies in wins each of the past three seasons. Quinn answered that no, he had not come to terms with Wise.

“Well, neither has Carlton,” replied Devine. “Would you be interested in Carlton?”

This time, Quinn answered in the affirmative. [1] By the end of the day, not only had the two teams agreed to a straight swap of pitchers, but each had agreed to a new contract with their new acquisition for the upcoming season.

Though matters moved quickly following Devine’s phone call, the roots of the trade were established two years earlier, when Carlton refused to accept the Cardinals’ salary offer and sat out the first 18 days of training camp in 1970. To resolve the impasse, the Cardinals took the unusual step of invoking the renewal clause in his previous contract, requiring him to return for the same salary he earned in 1969.

Carlton reported to spring training on March 10 but continued to push for a new contract. Things grew so heated that on March 12, Busch said, “I don’t care if he ever pitches a ball for us again.”[2]

Finally, Richard A. Meyer, Busch’s longtime senior manager and aide, stepped in to lead the negotiation of a two-year contract.[3]

“I guess, really, this thing was generated by our differences with Carlton two years ago,” Devine said. “Having gone through that experience, we could sense a similar situation developing.”[4]

Despite back-to-back All-Star seasons, Carlton went just 10-19 in 1970, leading the league in losses despite a 3.73 ERA. He bounced back in 1971 with his first 20-win season and a return to All-Star form.

After earning a reported $50,000 in 1971, Carlton sought a significant raise for the 1972 season. While some reports claimed that Carlton sought $75,000,[5] the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Carlton was asking for $65,000.[6] The Cardinals, however, were unwilling to go above $57,500, leaving the two sides at an impasse.[7] After Carlton sent the team a letter expressing his unwillingness to sign the contract the team had sent him, he had just one meeting with Devine. That meeting took place “three or four days” before the trade, Carlton said.[8]

“This particular idea struck me as a solution to a problem that could be long-lasting,” Devine said.[9]

In his 2004 autobiography, Devine said that the decision to trade Carlton wasn’t truly his to make: after delaying as long as he could, he received word that he had 48 hours to move Carlton. “Basically, Mr. Busch wanted him gone,” Devine wrote.[10]

“I dragged my feet as long as I could, because I didn’t want to do it. I don’t like to second-guess my deals, but after that one, I did wonder: What if I had made a stronger effort to change Mr. Busch’s mind? So I asked Dick (Richard A. Meyer) what would have happened if I hadn’t moved Carlton within those 48 hours. Dick laughed and said, “I’ll tell you what would have happened. You’d have been gone first … and Carlton would have been gone right after you.”[11]

As Carlton campaigned for more money in St. Louis, Wise had also asked for $65,000, and gaining no traction with his club.[12] Quinn, however, wanted to make it clear that he wasn’t making the trade simply because Wise hadn’t signed: the Phillies believed Carlton was the superior pitcher.

“We’re trading ballplayers because we think that Carlton is one of the better pitchers in the National League,” he said. “I talked to (manager) Frank Lucchesi and called (owner) Bob Carpenter and the rest of our fellows, and they thought if we could trade Wise for Carlton, that would be a good deal for the Phillies. And that’s why we made the trade.”[13]

Both pitchers were shocked. Devine called Carlton at the pitcher’s St. Louis home to inform him of the deal.[14]

“I really didn’t expect to be traded,” Carlton said. “I just don’t understand it. I came up through the organization, and I never thought about leaving. I just didn’t have anything to say about where I was going. All of a sudden, you’re traded – cold turkey.”[15]

Wise, meanwhile, was surprised when Quinn arrived at his Clearwater Beach apartment to inform him of the trade. At first, Wise assumed the Phillies’ general manager was there to continue negotiations.[16]

“I was completely surprised,” Wise said. “There were a couple of times a few years back when I half-expected to be traded, but not now.”[17]

A month earlier, Wise and his wife, Susan, had been at a banquet where Quinn spoke about Wise’s future with the team.

“He said, ‘We’d never trade Wise. This is the fellow we’re going to build around,’” Susan recalled.[18]

“I was surprised because I’d been reading all winter that I was among the Phillies’ untouchables,” Wise said, “but I’m delighted to come to a contending ball club and good organization.”[19]

Before the day was over, Carlton, who earned about $45,000 in 1971, had a new contract that would pay him $60,000 to pitch for the Phillies. Wise, who earned $32,500 the previous season, agreed to a $50,000 salary with the Cardinals.[20]

In Carlton, the Phillies obtained a 6-foot-4, 210-pound left-hander who had gone 77-62 in seven seasons with the Cardinals. Since moving into the St. Louis starting rotation, Carlton had reached double-digits in wins for five consecutive seasons, including his difficult 1970 campaign.

In 1969, he set the modern major league record by striking out 19 Mets in a single nine-inning game.

“You have to give up something to get something, but we wouldn’t have made the trade if we didn’t think it would give us the edge,” said Phillies manager Frank Luccesi, who called it “the best deal we’ve made in years.”[21]

The trade marked the first deal between the Cardinals and Phillies since October 7, 1969, when St. Louis attempted to trade Curt Flood to Philadelphia, and Flood subsequently refused to report to his new team.

“I just wish I’d had a say-so,” Carlton said. “Not that it’s a problem going to Philadelphia, but … well, with the reserve clause, you just don’t have any say-so. You go where they say, or you don’t play at all.”[22]

In seven seasons with the struggling Phillies, Wise had gone 75-76. In each of the previous three seasons, he had led Philadelphia in wins, including a career-high 17 in 1971. With a 2.88 ERA over 272 1/3 innings that season, the 25-year-old set career highs in games started (37), complete games (17), strikeouts (155), shutouts (four), and ERA (2.88). He also made the first all-star appearance of his career.

Early in the year, Wise had said, “To win on this club, you have to pitch a shutout and hit a homer.”[23] On June 23, he exceeded even that, throwing a no-hitter and hitting two home runs against the Reds to lead the Phillies to a 4-0 win.

“I think we got a good pitcher and gave up a good pitcher,” Devine said. “The only difference, to me, is that one is right-handed and one is left-handed.”[24]

“I don’t know how it feels to not be in the second division, but I’m looking forward to finding out,” Wise said. “I’m tired of being labeled a .500 pitcher when I’ve been pitching for a ball club that is well below .500. I’m really excited. I’ve never been with a ball club that could be in a World Series.”[25]

Phillies catcher Tim McCarver, who teamed with Carlton in St. Louis from Carlton’s rookie season in 1965 until 1969, when McCarver was traded to Philadelphia, considered it an even trade.

“I think it’s about as even a trade as can be made,” he said. “Rick might have a little more poise and mound savvy. Steve has an edge in raw ability and stuff. Both are excellent pitchers.”[26]

Though he didn’t reach the heights of his 1971 campaign, Wise continued to pitch well in his two seasons in St. Louis. In 1972, he went 16-16 with a 3.11 ERA over 269 innings. The following year, he earned his second career All-Star nod en route to a 16-12 season and a 3.37 ERA. After the season, the Cardinals traded him and Bernie Carbo to the Red Sox for Reggie Smith and Ken Tatum.

Wise made his final major league appearance in 1982, wrapping up a career that included 18 big league seasons. He retired with a 188-181 record and 3.69 ERA.

Meanwhile, Carlton went on to pitch the next 15 seasons for the Phillies, winning four Cy Young awards on his way to a Hall of Fame career. After removing the slider from his pitch arsenal in 1971 due to the strain it placed on his arm,[27] Carlton brought the pitch back with the Phillies and learned to master it.

Later, after his career had ended, he was asked in an interview why he had been put on this earth. “To teach the world to throw a slider,” Carlton answered with a grin.[28]

With Carlton at the top of the rotation, the Phillies won the National League East in 1976, 1977, and 1978, then won the World Series in 1980. Philadelphia made the playoffs again in the strike-shortened 1981 season, then captured the National League pennant again in 1983.

In 15 seasons with the Phillies, Carlton won 241 games and posted a 3.09 ERA over almost 3,700 innings. After making his final major league appearance in 1988, Carlton was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1994. He retired with a 329-244 career record, 3.22 ERA, and 10 all-star appearances. He posted a 38-14 record and 2.98 ERA for his career against the Cardinals.

Enjoy this post? Read more about the Steve Carlton trade in The Trades That Made The St. Louis Cardinals, available now on Amazon!

[1] Bruce Keidan, “Phils and Cards Solve Salary Problems – And Wise, Carlton Receive Increases,” Philadelphia Inquirer, February 26, 1972.

[2] Bob Broeg, “Busch: ‘I Don’t Care If Carlton Plays,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 12, 1970.

[3] Dick Kaegel, “Cards Deal Carlton To Phils For Wise,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 25, 1972.

[4] Dick Kaegel, “Cards Deal Carlton To Phils For Wise,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 25, 1972.

[5] Dick Kaegel, “Cards Deal Carlton To Phils For Wise,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 25, 1972.

[6] Bruce Keidan, “Phils and Cards Solve Salary Problems – And Wise, Carlton Receive Increases,” Philadelphia Inquirer, February 26, 1972.

[7] Dick Kaegel, “Cards Deal Carlton To Phils For Wise,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 25, 1972.

[8] “Trade Shocks Carlton,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 25, 1972.

[9] Dick Kaegel, “Cards Deal Carlton To Phils For Wise,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 25, 1972.

[10] Bing Devine with Tom Wheatley, The Memoirs of Bing Devine: Stealing Lou Brock and Other Winning Moves by a Master GM, Sports Publishing, New York, N.Y., Page 163.

[11] Bing Devine with Tom Wheatley, The Memoirs of Bing Devine: Stealing Lou Brock and Other Winning Moves by a Master GM, Sports Publishing, New York, N.Y., Page 165.

[12] Bruce Keidan, “Phils and Cards Solve Salary Problems – And Wise, Carlton Receive Increases,” Philadelphia Inquirer, February 26, 1972.

[13] Bruce Keidan, “Phils and Cards Solve Salary Problems – And Wise, Carlton Receive Increases,” Philadelphia Inquirer, February 26, 1972.

[14] “Trade Shocks Carlton,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 25, 1972.

[15] Bob Broeg, “For Rick Wise: ‘A New Feeling,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 26, 1972.

[16] Bruce Keidan, “Phils and Cards Solve Salary Problems – And Wise, Carlton Receive Increases,” Philadelphia Inquirer, February 26, 1972.

[17] Bruce Keidan, “Phils and Cards Solve Salary Problems – And Wise, Carlton Receive Increases,” Philadelphia Inquirer, February 26, 1972.

[18] Bruce Keidan, “Phils and Cards Solve Salary Problems – And Wise, Carlton Receive Increases,” Philadelphia Inquirer, February 26, 1972.

[19] Bob Broeg, “For Rick Wise: ‘A New Feeling,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 26, 1972.

[20] Bruce Keidan, “Phils and Cards Solve Salary Problems – And Wise, Carlton Receive Increases,” Philadelphia Inquirer, February 26, 1972.

[21] “Trade Shocks Carlton,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 25, 1972.

[22] Bruce Keidan, “Phils and Cards Solve Salary Problems – And Wise, Carlton Receive Increases,” Philadelphia Inquirer, February 26, 1972.

[23] “Trade Shocks Carlton,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 25, 1972.

[24] Dick Kaegel, “Cards Deal Carlton To Phils For Wise,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 25, 1972.

[25] Bob Broeg, “For Rick Wise: ‘A New Feeling,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 26, 1972.

[26] Bill Conlin, “No-Hit No-Run, No Longer Phil,” Philadelphia Daily News, February 26, 1972.

[27] Bill Conlin, “No-Hit No-Run, No Longer Phil,” Philadelphia Daily News, February 26, 1972.

[28] “Steve Carlton – Slider,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7xsdUOEnvg.

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