’90s, STLRedbirds.com, Page 4

April 23, 1990: Cardinals trade for the “Wonder Dog,” Rex Hudler

On the same day that third baseman Terry Pendleton pulled his hamstring attempting to stretch a single into a double, the Cardinals added much-needed infield depth, trading relief pitcher John Costello to the Montreal Expos for utility man Rex Hudler. Hudler’s acquisition immediately gave Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog more lineup flexibility. In two seasons in …

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March 31, 1998: Mark McGwire grand slam lifts Cardinals to season-opening win

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Mark McGwire had a grand time in his first opening day with the St. Louis Cardinals. Eight months earlier, McGwire arrived in St. Louis in a trade that sent Erick Ludwick, T.J. Mathews, and Blake Stein to the Oakland Athletics. In his final 51 games of the 1997 season, McGwire hit 24 home runs for …

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April 3, 1996: Todd Stottlemyre, Dennis Eckersley earn Cardinals firsts in win vs. Mets

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On April 3, 1996, the St. Louis Cardinals got their first glimpse of what their offseason additions had bought them. With a new ownership group following Anheuser-Busch’s sale of the team, the Cardinals had retooled following a disappointing 62-81 season in 1995. Joe Torre had been replaced by Tony La Russa; Andy Benes, Ron Gant, …

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April 23, 1999: Fernando Tatis hits two grand slams in the same inning

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Less than seven months after Mark McGwire hit 70 home runs to set a single-season home run record, Fernando Tatis set a home run mark that may never be broken. A third-year player from San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, Tatis hit two grand slams off Chan Ho Park in the third inning of a …

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January 9, 1996: Cardinals acquire Todd Stottlemyre in trade with Athletics

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It turned out that the Cardinals weren’t quite done with their Christmas shopping. Having already obtained Royce Clayton, Ron Gant, Andy Benes, Willie McGee, and Gary Gaetti ahead of the 1996 season, the Cardinals added yet another newcomer when they traded outfielder Allen Battle and pitchers Jay Witasick, Carl Dale, and Bret Wagner to the …

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December 23, 1995: Cardinals sign Ron Gant and Andy Benes

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When the ownership group led by Bill DeWitt Jr., Andrew Baur, and Frederick O. Hanser announced just before Christmas 1995 that they had purchased the St. Louis Cardinals for $150 million, they were under no illusions – the Redbirds weren’t very good. The team had just completed a 62-81 strike-shortened season in which Joe Torre …

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September 2, 1996: Ozzie Smith and Willie McGee spark Cardinals’ comeback

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For the first time since the Whitey Herzog days of the 1980s, the Cardinals were in the thick of a pennant race. So it was fitting that two stars of the 1980s, Ozzie Smith and Willie McGee, led the Cardinals to an extra-inning victory over the Astros on September 2, 1996. The Cardinals entered the …

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November 25, 1991: Cardinals trade Ken Hill for Andres Galarraga

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By the end of the 1991 season, the St. Louis Cardinals knew they once again would be in the market for a power-hitting first baseman. At 35 years old, Pedro Guerrero had just completed his third season on the Busch Stadium Astroturf, and the wear and tear had begun to impact his numbers. In his …

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June 25, 1999: Cardinals rookie Jose Jimenez out-duels Randy Johnson with no-hitter

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On June 25, 1999, Arizona Diamondbacks fans came to Bank One Ballpark looking forward to a match-up between their flame-throwing left-hander, Randy Johnson, and the Cardinals’ record-breaking slugger, Mark McGwire. They indeed got to see something special – they just weren’t expecting it to come from rookie right-hander Jose Jimenez. With the assistance of two …

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September 7, 1993: Mark Whiten homers four times

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In the hours before Mark Whiten made history with a four-homer, 12-RBI performance in the second game of a double-header against the Reds on September 7, 1993, he didn’t appear to be a man on the verge of the greatest performance of his major league career. The first game of the double-header was an ugly …

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