One inning after punching Bill Madlock in the face and sparking the bench-clearing brawl, Cardinals catcher Ted Simmons capped off his four-RBI day owith a walk-off single to give St. Louis a 6-5 win and a 1 ½-game lead in the National League East Division.

Simmons’ busy day was baseball’s equivalent of a Gordie Howe hat trick, if such a thing existed.

After splitting their first two games against the Cubs at Busch Stadium, the Cardinals entered the series finale with a ½-game lead over the Pirates in the NL East. Bob Gibson, now 38 and in his second-to-last season, took the mound for the Cardinals with a 10-12 record and a 3.82 ERA, while 26-year-old Steve Stone climbed the hill for the Cubs with an 8-5 record and 4.15 ERA.

Both pitchers allowed runs in the opening frame. Jose Cardenal drove in a run with an RBI single to left, and the Cubs loaded the bases before Gibson got Steve Swisher to ground out and end the inning.

In the bottom of the first, Stone retired the first two batters he faced before Reggie Smith doubled and Simmons homered over the right-field wall to give St. Louis a 2-1 lead. Two innings later, Smith tripled to right field to score Brock. Simmons followed with a sacrifice fly – and his third RBI of the game – to give the Cardinals a 4-1 lead.

The Cubs answered in the top of the sixth. With the bases loaded and one out, Rick Monday drove in two with a single to right field. A misplayed ground ball brought home the tying run and Madlock added a sacrifice fly to give the Cubs a 5-4 lead.

Chicago’s advantage was short-lived, as Joe Torre scored the tying run on a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the sixth.

After seven innings of work, Gibson left the game with no decision and Al Hrabosky took the mound. He retired the Cubs in order in the eighth, though it required exceptional plays by McBride, Brock, and second baseman Tom Sizemore.

“I was struggling out there,” Hrabosky said.[1]

In the bottom half of the inning, home-plate umpire Shag Crawford drew the Cardinals’ ire with a controversial call that helped to snuff a potential rally. Torre led off with a single and was replaced by pinch runner Larry Herndon. Batting next, McBride attempted to lay down a bunt, but Dave LaRoche’s inside fastball kept sailing in on the lefthanded-hitting McBride and hit him on the left hand, leaving him with a gash on his forefinger that required four stitches.[2]

When the ball bounced into fair territory, Cubs catcher Steve Swisher threw to second to start a double play. McBride immediately argued that he had been hit by the pitch. Crawford insisted that the ball had also hit McBride’s bat.

“The ball was a fairly batted, bunted ball,” Crawford said after the game. “I don’t care whether his finger is bloody or cut or whatever.”[3]

Both McBride and Torre – who let his feelings be known from the dugout – were ejected.

“I really don’t understand why he couldn’t change his decision with a split hand in front of him and blood running all over the place,” Brock said.[4]

Cardinals-Cubs brawl

As a result, tensions already were high when things got weird in the ninth. Hrabosky was well known for his pre-pitch routine, which often included stomping around the mound, turning his back to the hitter, and psyching himself up before taking the mound to pitch. According to the Chicago Tribune, the Cubs planned to counter Hrabosky by taking their own time once the “Mad Hungarian” got ready to pitch.[5]

When Hrabosky slammed the ball into his glove and stalked to the mound to face Madlock, the Cubs’ first hitter of the ninth inning, the rookie third baseman backed out of the box. When he returned, Hrabosky went through his routine again, and Madlock once again stepped out. Finally, Madlock turned away and went back to the on-deck circle to grab pine tar for his bat. At this point, Crawford was tired of the back-and-forth.

“I said, ‘Bill, get back here,’” Crawford related. “I thought maybe he didn’t hear me because of the crowd noise and so I went after him and said it again.”[6]

When Madlock again ignored Crawford’s instructions, the umpire returned to the plate and signaled for Hrabosky to begin pitching. According to rule 6.02(c): “If the batter refuses to take his position in the batter’s box during his time at bat, the umpire shall order to the pitcher to pitch, and shall call ‘Strike’ on each such pitch. The batter may take his proper position after any such pitch, and the regular ball and strike count shall continue, but if he does not take his proper position before three strikes are called, he shall be declared out.”

As Madlock rushed back to the plate, Crawford called Hrabosky’s first pitch a strike. By the time Hrabosky threw his second pitch, Cardenal and Cubs manager Jim Marshall had both arrived at the plate, and Hrabosky nearly hit Marshall. Feeling crowded, Simmons shoved Marshall out of the way, then turned to Madlock and asked, “What are you looking at?”[7]

Madlock responded with a profane two-word answer and was immediately punched in the jaw.

“I must have hit him pretty good,” Simmons said. “I cut my knuckles.”[8]

Both teams raced onto the field.

“I did a 9.2(-second) hundred from the bullpen,” Cardinals reliever Mike Garman said.[9]

Cubs first baseman Andre Thornton was the first to reach the scene, tackling Simmons and driving him to the ground.

“I had to get Simmons because he took a free shot at Billy,” Thornton said afterwards with the pinky finger on his left hand in a split.[10] It was unclear how he injured his finger, although players reported that after Thornton tackled Simmons, Cardinals pitcher Lynn McGlothen “blindsided him” before Chicago’s Jim Tyrone, in turn, punched McGlothen and sent him to the ground.[11]

Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst said he tried to pull McGlothen away from two Cubs.

“I couldn’t budge the big guy – he wore me out,” Schoendienst said.[12]

The fight lasted two or three minutes and no one was seriously injured. Sizemore’s leg was scratched and Chicago’s Ray Burris was spiked. Ken Reitz’s shoulder was dislocated, but he noted that it had popped out of place multiple times in his career.

“It goes away in a day,” he said.[13]

McBride, who was in the clubhouse having his finger treated following his eighth-inning incident, ran onto the field when he realized what was happening.

“I’m running out there and everybody starts asking me, ‘How’s your finger?’” McBride said. “I said, ‘Hey, this is supposed to be a fight!’”[14]

Players and coaches from both sides were quick to break up the fisticuffs, and Sizemore expressed his appreciation for Chicago’s Don Kessinger and Monday.

“They said, ‘You’ve got too much to lose – let’s break this up,’” Sizemore said. “That’s real class. They’re veterans and they know we have a chance to win a lot of money (in the pennant race).”[15]

Incredibly, Marshall was the only one to get the boot. When the Cubs’ manager realized no one was going to be ejected, he asked Crawford, “Don’t you care about the players?”

“No, I don’t care about the players – they don’t care about me!” answered Crawford.

“That’s when I started cussin’,” Marshall said.[16]

“Marshall didn’t like my statement, but I don’t think players should be thrown out for fighting,” said Crawford, who had been aboard a U.S. destroyer that was hit by a Japanese kamikaze plane in World War II.[17]

When the game resumed, Hrabosky felt refocused. He struck out Madlock, got Cardenal to fly out to Simmons, then struck out Dave LaRoche.

“It was the greatest thing that could have happened for me,” Hrabosky said of the brawl. “It was a personal challenge. It really psyched me up. It was just what the doctor ordered.”[18]

With runners on first and second and two outs, Simmons ended the game in the bottom of the ninth, punching the ball back up the middle to score Brock from second base and give the Cardinals a 6-5 win.

The victory delighted Pat Dean, Dizzy Dean’s widow. She was in the audience after Dizzy’s number 17 was retired in a pregame ceremony.

“They must have done this for Diz,” she said. “It looked like the old Gas House Gang.”[19]

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[1] Dick Kaegel, “Blows By Simmons Send Cubs Reeling,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 23, 1974.

[2] Dick Kaegel, “Blows By Simmons Send Cubs Reeling,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 23, 1974.

[3] Dick Kaegel, “Blows By Simmons Send Cubs Reeling,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 23, 1974.

[4] Dick Kaegel, “Blows By Simmons Send Cubs Reeling,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 23, 1974.

[5] Richard Dozer, “Cards give Cubs ‘gas’ in 6-5 victory,” Chicago Tribune, September 23, 1974.

[6] Dick Kaegel, “Blows By Simmons Send Cubs Reeling,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 23, 1974.

[7] Dick Kaegel, “Blows By Simmons Send Cubs Reeling,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 23, 1974.

[8] Dick Kaegel, “Blows By Simmons Send Cubs Reeling,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 23, 1974.

[9] Dick Kaegel, “Blows By Simmons Send Cubs Reeling,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 23, 1974.

[10] Richard Dozer, “Cards give Cubs ‘gas’ in 6-5 victory,” Chicago Tribune, September 23, 1974.

[11] Richard Dozer, “Cards give Cubs ‘gas’ in 6-5 victory,” Chicago Tribune, September 23, 1974.

[12] Dick Kaegel, “Birds Avoided Fight Injuries,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 23, 1974.

[13] Dick Kaegel, “Birds Avoided Fight Injuries,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 23, 1974.

[14] Dick Kaegel, “Birds Avoided Fight Injuries,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 23, 1974.

[15] Dick Kaegel, “Birds Avoided Fight Injuries,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 23, 1974.

[16] Dick Kaegel, “Blows By Simmons Send Cubs Reeling,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 23, 1974.

[17] Richard Dozer, “Cards give Cubs ‘gas’ in 6-5 victory,” Chicago Tribune, September 23, 1974.

[18] Dick Kaegel, “Blows By Simmons Send Cubs Reeling,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 23, 1974.

[19] Dick Kaegel, “Blows By Simmons Send Cubs Reeling,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 23, 1974.

The post The 1974 Cardinals-Cubs brawl sparked by Simmons, Hrabosky first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

The game was the longest night game in Major League Baseball history, exceeding a 24-inning, 1-0 Astros victory over the Mets in 1968. The game’s total time was only exceeded by a 1964 day game between the Mets and Giants went seven hours and 23 minutes, ending with an 8-6 San Francisco victory after 23 innings. In terms of innings, the contest ranked second only to a 26-inning battle between the Dodgers and Braves in 1920.[1]

It marked the longest game in Cardinals history; the previous record holder was an 8-7 win over the Cubs that lasted 20 innings in 1930.[2] In all, the Cardinals used a total of 26 players, breaking the National League record, and the Cardinals and Mets combined to use 50 players, setting a new MLB mark.[3]

“I’ve been out till 4 in the morning before, but never on a team bus going from the ballpark to the hotel,” Cardinals equipment manager Butch Yatkeman said.[4]

Both teams opened the evening with first-inning runs. Mets starter Jerry Koosmann issued one-out walks to Ted Sizemore and Reggie Smith before Joe Torre made him pay with an RBI single into left field. Koosman limited the damage, however, when Ted Simmons lined into an inning-ending double play.

The Mets answered in the bottom of the inning against Bob Forsch. After a one-out error and a wild pitch, Mets first baseman John Milner doubled into right field to tie the game 1-1.

Both pitchers exchanged zeroes until the bottom of the fifth, when Mets second baseman Felix Milan – who finished with four hits and a walk in 11 plate appearances – reached on an infield single. Left fielder Cleon Jones followed with a home run over the left field wall to give New York a 3-1 lead.

“It was a fastball where I didn’t want to put it – a big mistake,” Forsch said.[5]

Heading into the ninth inning, it looked as though that might be all the support Koosman needed for his 14^th win of the season. Koosman struck out Torre to open the frame, but Ted Simmons followed with an infield single. It was just the Cardinals’ fourth hit of the game.

After Koosman struck out McBride looking, he was one out away from the complete-game victory. Cardinals third baseman Ken Reitz, however, had other plans. After Koosman fooled him with a first-pitch changeup, Reitz hit a fastball over the left-field wall to tie the game, 3-3.

“I was guessing fastball,” Reitz said. “He made me look bad on the first pitch.”[6]

From there, the bullpens took over. Al Hrabosky threw three innings of relief for the Cardinals, and Harry Parker did the same for the Mets. Claude Osteen entered the game for St. Louis with one out in the 14^th inning and proceeded to throw 9 1/3 shutout innings, holding the Mets to just four hits while striking out five.

For the Mets, Bob Miller threw a scoreless 13^th inning before Bob Apodaca threw three scoreless frames. In the 17^th inning, Jerry Cram, a 26-year-old right-hander with fewer than 23 career major league innings under his belt, entered the game. He proceeded to shut the Cardinals out for eight innings, scattering seven hits while striking out four.

Cram’s final inning was the 24^th. Jack Heidemann led off the inning with a single to right. After Cram intentionally walked Reggie Smith with two outs, Torre singled to load the bases. Cram, however, ended the threat when he got Dick Billings to ground into an inning-ending force out.

It was almost 3 a.m. by the time the Cardinals came up in the top of the 25^th inning. McBride led off the inning with an infield single off Mets right-hander Hank Webb. With Reitz at the plate, McBride took a big lead off of first. Webb made a quick throw to first (the play was ruled a balk), but his throw sailed past Milner and the Mets’ first baseman had to run to retrieve it.

“I was leaning,” McBride said. “Leaning back on my heels, resting. When I turned second, I said to myself, ‘I’m going all the way.’”[7]

Milner threw home as McBride raced past third-base coach Vern Benson’s signal to halt at third. Milner’s throw beat McBride to the plate, but Mets catcher Ron Hodges dropped the ball and was charged with an error.

“It was a good throw by Milner, and Hodges probably would have got McBride if he hadn’t taken his eyes off the ball,” Benson said. “I didn’t see any sense in sending him home with nobody out.”[8]

“Bake was running so fast that he couldn’t see the sign,” Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst said. “When you’ve got speed like McBride’s, you make the other guys nervous. You just can’t beat that speed.”[9]

With a 4-3 lead finally in hand, Sonny Siebert returned to the mound for his second inning of relief. After 21-year-old rookie Brock Pemberton singled with two outs for his first major-league hit, Mets pitcher Tom Seaver joked that Pemberton couldn’t keep the memento because it was the last ball left.[10] He may not have been far off, as the game ended up using 15 dozen baseballs.[11]

With Pemberton representing the tying run, Siebert struck out Milner to end the game.

“It was a high fastball,” Siebert said. “It wasn’t a strike, I don’t think. … He was swinging for the fences and just swung through it.”[12]

By that point, all but a few of the 13,460 fans had left. Among the die-hards: baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn and his wife.[13]

Umpire Ed Sudol was behind the plate for all 25 innings. Incredibly, he also had been behind the plate for the 23-inning Mets-Giants game in 1964 and the 24-inning Astros-Mets game in 1968.[14]

“My legs feel like a couple of lead posts,” he said. “The players kept coming up and asking, ‘How are you standing?’ and I didn’t know what to say because I didn’t know how I was standing.”[15]

Sudol said he was hit by the ball six times in the game – once in the chest, once in a shoulder, and four times on his mask.[16]

“One time my mask was knocked off,” he said. “No wonder I had a headache. And I didn’t even go to the bathroom in the seven hours.”[17]

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[1] Hal Bock, “Mets: L-o-n-g hours for nothing,” Daily Item, September 12, 1974.

[2] Neal Russo, “Cardinals Shade Mets In 25 Innings,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 12, 1974.

[3] Neal Russo, “Cardinals Shade Mets In 25 Innings,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 12, 1974.

[4] Neal Russo, “Cardinals Shade Mets In 25 Innings,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 12, 1974.

[5] Neal Russo, “Cardinals Shade Mets In 25 Innings,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 12, 1974.

[6] Paul Ballot, “Night Has 1,000 Outs,” Newsday, September 12, 1974.

[7] Neal Russo, “Cardinals Shade Mets In 25 Innings,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 12, 1974.

[8] Neal Russo, “Cardinals Shade Mets In 25 Innings,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 12, 1974.

[9] Neal Russo, “Cardinals Shade Mets In 25 Innings,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 12, 1974.

[10] Jack Lang, “Baseball’s Longest Night — Mets bow in 25 innings and 7 hours, 4 minutes,” Long Island Press, September 12, 1974.

[11] Paul Ballot, “Night Has 1,000 Outs,” Newsday, September 12, 1974.

[12] Kevin Duffy and Rory Costello, “September 11, 1974: Cardinals prevail over Mets in 25 innings at Shea Stadium,” Society for American Baseball Research Games Project, https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/september-11-1974-cardinals-prevail-over-mets-in-25-innings-at-shea-stadium/.

[13] Paul Ballot, “Night Has 1,000 Outs,” Newsday, September 12, 1974.

[14] Neal Russo, “Cardinals Shade Mets In 25 Innings,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 12, 1974.

[15] Neal Russo, “Cardinals Shade Mets In 25 Innings,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 12, 1974.

[16] Neal Russo, “Sudol Hits Back At ‘Hit’ Mark,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 13, 1974.

[17] Neal Russo, “Sudol Hits Back At ‘Hit’ Mark,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 13, 1974.

The post Cardinals, Mets play 25-inning game: September 11, 1974 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

Growing up, McBride believed he was more likely to make his living playing basketball or football than playing baseball. In high school, he didn’t even play baseball, as his school didn’t have a team. Instead, he played football and basketball.^[1]

When McBride broke his left ankle playing basketball and required surgery, he was only given a 50% chance of running again.^[2] After he recovered, he ran track at Westminster College, playing only a handful of baseball games for the Fulton, Mo., college.^[3]

When the Cardinals selected him in the 1970 draft, he was the 37^th of their 41 selections, the 811^th player taken overall. By the time the Phoenix Suns offered him an NBA tryout, the Cardinals had already signed him for a bonus of about $2,500.[4]

Despite his limited experience on the diamond, McBride was an immediate success. In 17 games with the Cardinals’ rookie league affiliate, McBride hit .423. When he was promoted to Class A Modesto for 26 games, he hit .294 and stole nine bases.

As McBride climbed the ranks, he continued to hit over .300, batting .315 for Double-A Arkansas and .329 for Triple-A Tulsa in 1972.

“Maybe not right now, but a ball player of the future for the Cardinals certainly is Bake McBride, the flash from Fulton,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports editor Bob Broeg wrote prior to the 1973 season.^[5]

McBride hit .289 that season to earn a call-up to the majors. In 63 big-league at-bats, he hit .302.

With his rookie eligibility still intact, McBride claimed a starting job in 1974, playing alongside Lou Brock and Reggie Smith. The trio became the first Cardinals outfield since 1902 to each hit over .300, as McBride and Smith each batted .309 and Brock hit .306.^[6]

In addition to his offensive prowess, which included six homers and 56 RBIs, McBride committed just four errors in the field. His .990 fielding percentage ranked sixth among National League outfielders with more than 100 games.^[7]

 With 30 stolen bases, McBride became the first Cardinal not named Brock to steal that many since Frankie Frisch stole 48 in 1927. Brock, who stole 118 bases, and McBride combined for the most stolen bases by two teammates in one season, beating the record set by Maury Wills and Willie Davis of the Dodgers in 1962 when Wills stole 104 and Davis stole 32.

“I feel pretty happy, but I don’t feel as happy as I could because Lou Brock didn’t win the most valuable player award,” McBride said after he won the 1974 National League Rookie of the Year. “I owe most of the honor to Brock, just because I played with him. Every game he would tell me something different about how to play. He used to talk to me as he walked out to the outfield, and he talked to me every day about stealing bases.”^[8]

McBride received 16 of 24 votes for the Rookie of the Year Award. Houston’s Greg Gross, who was voted the top rookie in the Sporting News coaches’ poll after batting .314 with 36 RBIs and 12 stolen bases, received seven votes. Chicago’s Bill Madlock received one vote after batting .313 with nine homers, 54 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases.

“It was pretty tough, but at the end of the season I thought I had as good a chance as any,” McBride said.^[9]

McBride’s recognition made him the third player in Cardinals history to win rookie of the year, following Wally Moon and Bill Virdon, who won the award in 1954 and 1955, respectively.

McBride hit an even .300 with 26 stolen bases in 1975. The following year, he was limited to just 72 games due to injury, but hit .335 in 272 at-bats. Beset by injuries again in 1977, McBride was batting .262 through 43 games when the Cardinals traded him, along with Steve Waterbury, to the Phillies for Rick Bosetti, Dane Iorg, and Tom Underwood. McBride stole 27 bases the rest of the season to help the Phillies win the National League East.

McBride played five seasons in Philadelphia, batting .292 across 553 games. His best season with the Phillies came in 1980, when he batted .309 with nine homers, 87 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases.

Prior to the 1982 season, the Phillies traded McBride to the Indians for Sid Monge. McBride played two seasons in Cleveland, batting .311 in 97 games. An eye infection limited him to just 27 games in 1982, and in his final season in 1983, he was limited by two stints on the disabled list.

Over 11 seasons, McBride hit .299 with 63 homers with 430 RBIs and 183 stolen bases. Following his retirement, he coached in the Mets’ and Cardinals’ minor-league systems.

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[1] “Baseball,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 17, 1974.

[2] Neal Russo, “McBride Races Off With Rookie Prize,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 27, 1974.

[3] Neal Russo, “McBride Races Off With Rookie Prize,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 27, 1974.

[4] Neal Russo, “McBride Races Off With Rookie Prize,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 27, 1974.

[5] Bob Broeg, “Whoosh! That’s Bake McBride, New Fulton Flash,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 11, 1973.

[6] Neal Russo, “McBride Races Off With Rookie Prize,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 27, 1974.

[7] Neal Russo, “McBride Races Off With Rookie Prize,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 27, 1974.

[8] “McBride’s speed, bat earns him rookie honors,” Port Arthur News, November 27, 1974.

[9] “McBride Grabs NL’s Rookie Honors,” Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, November 27, 1974.

The post How Bake McBride won the 1974 Rookie of the Year Award first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

In 1974, injuries to both his hands may actually have helped Lou Brock break Maury Wills’ single-season stolen base record. Due to a right thumb injury, Brock had wrapped the digit in tape most of the season. On his left hand, a loose tendon would slide uncomfortably down off his middle knuckle during games.

As a result, Brock, who led the majors with 46 doubles in 1968 and seven double-digit home runs seasons to his credit, was primarily a singles hitter in 1974.

“I haven’t been able to rip the ball,” Brock said. “It’s almost like trying to learn to hit again.”[1]

All those singles led to more stolen-base opportunities for the 35-year-old outfielder. Brock ended August with 94 stolen bases, then stole four bags in a September 1 game against the Giants. He stole bases No. 100 and 101 in a September 6 contest against the Mets, then added two more in the series finale.

Heading into the Cardinals’ final game of the homestand against the Phillies on September 10, Brock was one stolen base shy of Wills’ record of 104.

Philadelphia was pitching Dick Ruthven, a 6-foot-3 right-hander they had made the first overall selection in the previous year’s January draft. The California product was 8-11 on the season with a 3.61 ERA and already had pitched against the Cardinals three times that season. In April, he allowed just one run over eight innings to earn his first win of the year, but in two later starts St. Louis had chased him from the game before the fourth inning.

The Cardinals answered with Alan Foster, a 27-year-old right-hander who was 7-9 with a 3.78 ERA entering the game. In the top of the first, Mike Schmidt greeted Foster with his major-league leading 35^th home run of the season.

In the Cardinals’ half of the first, Brock led off with a single into left field. With Ruthven on the mound and 26-year-old catcher Bob Boone behind the plate, Brock waited just one pitch before taking off for second. Boone’s throw hit Brock in the shoulder and deflected into left field, allowing Brock to advance to third.

Cardinals assistant general manager Jim Toomey called commissioner Bowie Kuhn from the press box to update him.

“Tell Lou he’s the most exciting player in baseball,” Kuhn replied.[2]

Reggie Smith doubled to score Brock and Ted Simmons added an RBI single to give St. Louis a short-lived 2-1 lead. Two innings later, Schmidt hit an RBI double to left to tie the game. In the fifth, Schmidt and Willie Montanez each drove in runs to give the Phillies a 6-2 lead.

Brock hit his second single of the day to lead off the seventh inning, giving him his first crack at the stolen-base record. Infielders Dave Cash and Schmidt visited Ruthven on the mound, who held the ball a long while before finally pitching to the Cardinals’ Ron Hunt. As Ruthven delivered the first pitch, Hunt called time and the play was ruled no pitch.

Ruthven then attempted a pickoff, but Brock returned easily to first base.

Finally, Ruthven threw home again and Hunt fouled the ball off. After another pickoff attempt, Boone came to the mound to confer with Ruthven. On Ruthven’s next pitch, Brock took off. Boone’s throw arrived late and in the dirt, and the single-season stolen base record belonged to Brock.

Smith and Simmons led a rush of teammates to congratulate Brock, accompanied by photographers seeking to capture the moment. Cool Papa Bell, who led the Negro Leagues in stolen bases seven times during his 21-year career, presented Brock with second base.

“They decided to give him this base so he could take it home,” Bell said. “If not, he’d steal it anyway.”[3]

A microphone was brought onto the field and the game was halted for 11 minutes despite protests from Boone, who complained to the home-plate umpire. In his remarks, Brock recognized his “partner in crime,” Ted Sizemore, who usually batted behind Brock but was out of the lineup with an ankle injury. Brock also thanked trainer Gene Gieselmann, teammates Smith and Bake McBride, and his many fans in the left-field stands – affectionately called the “Base Burglars 105 Club.”[4]

In the end, Brock concluded the celebration. “We’d like to get back on the field and catch up with these Philadelphia Phillies, who seem to be beating our brains out tonight,” he said.[5]

There would be no comeback this evening, however, as Boone and Ruthven each hit RBI singles off Sonny Siebert in the seventh and the Phillies went on to an 8-2 win.

In the ninth inning, Brock reached first on an error by Phillies shortstop Larry Bowa and attempted his third steal of the night. This time, Boone threw Brock out, though after the game he was still angry about the ninth-inning attempt.

“I thought it was brutal,” he said. “I lost a lot of respect for him because of that. They are fighting for the pennant and you damn well better make it if you’re going to steal in that situation. Maybe he’s got something in his contract.”[6]

Neither Ruthven nor Bowa were perturbed by the attempt, which Brock said he attempted to avoid the double play and because Ruthven was no longer holding him closely at first.[7]

“He’s unbelievable,” Bowa said. “Everybody in the ballpark knows he’s gonna run and he makes it anyway. I don’t think this record will be broken for a while.”[8]

In Los Angeles, Wills admitted that he was disappointed to see his record broken.

“I’m not going to say records are made to be broken; that would be wishy-washy,” he said. “I just feel that that was my record, I was very proud of it. It is very much a part of me, a part of my identification. I don’t think anyone looks forward to seeing his own record broken. I was hoping he wouldn’t, but once he got around 80, it became very obvious. I talked to him about three weeks ago and he thinks he might get 115. My hat is off to him.”[9]

Brock may have slightly underestimated himself, as he finished the season with 118 stolen bases. Three years later, on August 29, 1977, Brock stole his 892^nd and 893^rd bases to break Ty Cobb’s career stolen base record (more recent research has Cobb’s career total at 897).

Brock retired following the 1979 season with 938 career stolen bases to go along with 3,023 hits and a .293 career batting average. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985.

In 1982, Rickey Henderson broke Brock’s single-season stolen bases record with 130.

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[1] Dick Kaegel, “A Real Thief: Lou! Lou! Lou!” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 11, 1974.

[2] Dick Kaegel, “A Real Thief: Lou! Lou! Lou!” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 11, 1974.

[3] Dick Kaegel, “A Real Thief: Lou! Lou! Lou!” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 11, 1974.

[4] Dick Kaegel, “A Real Thief: Lou! Lou! Lou!” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 11, 1974.

[5] Dick Kaegel, “A Real Thief: Lou! Lou! Lou!” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 11, 1974.

[6] Rick Hummel, “Brock’s Last Attempt Rankles Phils’ Catcher,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 11, 1974.

[7] Rick Hummel, “Brock’s Last Attempt Rankles Phils’ Catcher,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 11, 1974.

[8] Rick Hummel, “Brock’s Last Attempt Rankles Phils’ Catcher,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 11, 1974.

[9] “Wills Tips Hat To Lou Brock,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 11, 1974.

The post September 10, 1974: Lou Brock breaks Maury Wills’ single-season stolen base record first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

“Mrs. Nixon and I join sports fans everywhere in mourning the loss of this legendary figure,” President Richard Nixon said.^[1]

Dean cemented his place in Cardinals lore in 1934, when he led the Gashouse Gang to the World Series championship. Dean won the National League Most Valuable Player Award after he led the league with 30 wins – including seven shutouts – and struck out a league-high 195 batters. Pitching in nine games over a 19-day stretch in the heat of the pennant race, Dean finished the season with 311 2/3 innings and a 2.66 ERA.

He led the league with 28 wins the following season, pitching 325 1/3 innings as he threw 29 complete games. His 190 strikeouts marked the fourth consecutive year that he led the National League in strikeouts.

Given his incredible workload – which included at least 286 innings in five consecutive seasons, plus a variety of exhibition performances throughout each season to supplement the Cardinals’ revenue – Dean’s arm troubles in the late ’30s come as no surprise. Just before the 1938 season, the Cardinals traded him to the Chicago Cubs, where he battled through injuries until 1941, when he pitched a single inning before retiring.

Dean returned for a single start in 1947 when, as a radio broadcaster for the St. Louis Browns, he told the audience that he could pitch better than the Browns’ hurlers. Backing up his words, Dean pitched four scoreless innings in a Sept. 28 game against the White Sox.

In 1953, Dean was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. That year, he began announcing the nationally televised Game of the Week alongside Buddy Blattner and Pee Wee Reese. Though Reese later denied that Dean ever said such a thing, legend holds that Dean once observed a young couple among the spectators.

“Look-a-there, Pee Wee,” he said over the air. “Those young folks are smooching after every pitch. He’s kissing her on the strikes, and she’s kissing him on the balls.”[2]

Dean’s colorful mangling of the English language, including using the term “slud” instead of “slid,” endeared him to audiences, including those who were too young to have seen him pitch in the ’30s. He continued to broadcast games for CBS through 1965 and Braves games from 1966 through 1968, giving him an opportunity to see Gibson’s emergence as the Cardinals’ next legendary pitcher. As Dean remarked, Gibson knew just the right pitch to throw “99 times out of 10.”[3]

Indeed, as Gibson took the mound in pursuit of his 3,000^th strikeout, he had long since earned his own recognition in the Hall of Fame. He entered the game with 2,999 strikeouts, one shy of becoming the first National League pitcher and just the second player in major league history to reach 3,000, joining Walter Johnson.

Earlier that day, Tony Perez had announced Geronimo as the favorite to be Gibson’s 3,000^th strikeout victim as he set odds for players in the lineup. Six years later, Geronimo also was at the plate for Nolan Ryan’s 3,000^th strikeout.

“Pete Rose is 20-to-1, Joe Morgan is 30-to-1,” he said. “Johnny Bench is 3-to-2, but only because he may bunt.”

“What if I say I’m not bunting?” Bench asked.

“Then you are 1-to-3,” Perez answered with a laugh. “Me, I’m even money if it gets to me. I (have) been helping Gibson for 10 years. Why not do it now? I mean, I always look for the fastball, right here. It never comes. Just that hard slider, hard slider.”[4]

The first time through the lineup, the Reds played spoiler to Gibson’s milestone. In the first inning, Morgan singled and stole second, scoring on a single by Bench. In the second, Dan Driessen reached on an error by Ted Simmons at first base and scored on a ground ball by Ken Griffey. Finally, with runners on first and second and two outs, Gibson struck out Geronimo on a fastball above the strike zone to end the inning.

As the Busch Stadium II crowd of 28,743 cheered Gibson’s 3,000^th career strikeout, he uncharacteristically tipped his cap to the fans.

“I wanted the fans to know that I appreciated that they appreciated my efforts,” he said the following day.[5]

Joe Torre hit a three-run homer, and Reggie Smith added a solo shot to give Gibson and the Cardinals a 4-2 lead. In the fourth inning, Lou Brock lost track of a Driessen fly ball, allowing it to drop for a double. Griffey smacked a double into right field to cut the St. Louis lead to 4-3.

Gibson maintained that lead until the sixth. With two outs, Dave Concepcion singled, Griffey walked, and pinch hitter Terry Crowley, who was batting just .160 on the season, singled into center to tie the game.

In the seventh, manager Red Schoendienst pulled Gibson for a pinch-hitter. Gibson finished the day with four strikeouts, giving him 3,003 for his career.

“I thought he was getting a little tired,” Schoendienst said. “He was also leading off the inning, and I thought we might get a run.”[6]

Both bullpens continued to put zeros on the scoreboard until the 12^th inning, when Cardinals reliever Rich Folkers walked Darrell Chaney and allowed a single to Concepcion. Schoendienst called on Orlando Pena to end the threat, but George Foster greeted him with a double to left field to score Chaney and Concepcion.

In the ninth, St. Louis second baseman Jerry DaVanon reached on an error, and pinch-hitter Ken Reitz singled. After Pedro Borbon uncorked a wild pitch, Reds manager Sparky Anderson called for him to intentionally walk Brock and pitch to infielder Mike Tyson.

The strategy worked. Tyson popped out to Morgan at second base to end the game.

“I wouldn’t have slept if we didn’t walk Lou Brock and he beat us,” Anderson said. “He’s beaten our club a lot in the last few years, at least three times with home runs. If Mike Tyson had beaten us, I would have slept.”[7]

“That’s the kind of game that makes you lose your hair and get ulcers,” Bench said. “Imagine, two out in the ninth, then an error and a hit. I thought, ‘Here we go again.’”[8]

Never inclined to discuss personal accomplishments following a loss, Gibson had already left by the time reporters reached the clubhouse after the game.

The 38-year-old Gibson finished the 1974 season with an 11-13 record and 3.83 ERA over 240 innings. He retired following the 1975 campaign with 251 career victories, a 2.91 ERA, and 3,117 strikeouts, concluding a career that included two World Series titles, two World Series MVP awards, two Cy Young awards, nine Gold Glove Awards, an ERA title, and nine All-Star Game appearances. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981.

Give the gift of Cardinals history! The Trades That Made The St. Louis Cardinals is available now on Amazon.

[1] “Dizzy Returns To South,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 18, 1974.

[2] John Heidenry (2007), The Gashouse Gang, PublicAffairs: Page 289.

[3] John Heidenry (2007), The Gashouse Gang, PublicAffairs: Page 292.

[4] Bob Hertzel, “Gibson Gets 3000^th Strikeout, Reds Get Hits,” Cincinnati Enquirer, July 18, 1974.

[5] Jack Herman, “Fans’ Applause Earns Tip of Gibson’s Cap,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, July 19, 1974.

[6] Associated Press, “Reds Spoil Gibson’s March Into History,” Mexico Ledger, July 18, 1974.

[7] Neal Russo, “Cincy Book A Sleeper,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 18, 1974.

[8] Neal Russo, “Gibby Is Still Gibby,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 18, 1974.

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After losing his debut appearance with just two runs allowed over 6 2/3 innings, Forsch returned five days later, on July 12, 1974, and threw nine shutout innings to lead the Cardinals to a 10-0 victory in the second game of a doubleheader against the Braves.

A Sacramento, California, native selected by the Cardinals in the 26^th round of the 1968 draft, Forsch began his career as a third baseman. In 1970, the Cardinals moved him to the pitcher’s mound, where he began working his way up from the low-A affiliate in Lewiston, Idaho. After going 8-5 with a 3.67 ERA with Triple-A Tulsa, Forsch was called up to replace the injured Sonny Siebert.

He certainly didn’t dissuade the Cardinals or their fans in his debut. Despite walking five batters, Forsch held the Reds to just four hits. However, Cesar Geronimo struck with an RBI double in the second inning and a solo home run in the seventh. A second-inning home run from Ted Simmons provided Forsch with his only run support in the 2-1 loss.

On July 12, Forsch took his second shot at his first major league win. He had perhaps the unenviable task of following Bob Gibson in the second game of a doubleheader. Gibson, who entered the game with 2,997 strikeouts, was poised to make history against the Braves, but with only two K’s in the game, he finished the day one shy of becoming just the second pitcher in history to reach the 3,000-strikeout milestone.

“I just sat there kind of in awe,” Forsch said. “He was so close to punching it out. I never dreamed two weeks ago I’d be sitting in the dugout watching history.”[1]

Following the Cardinals’ 7-3 loss to the Braves, it was Forsch’s turn to take the mound before the crowd of 51,267, at the time the seventh-largest crowd in Busch Stadium history.[2]

“It was scary when I first went out there, with all those people,” Forsch said. “I didn’t look up in the stands because there seemed to be so many people.”^[3]

Forsch’s fears didn’t last long. He retired the side in order in the first inning, then benefited from a nine-run Cardinals rally. In all, 13 Redbirds stepped to the plate as Reggie Smith drove in four runs with a sacrifice fly and a three-run triple. Bake McBride hit an RBI double, and Joe Torre and Mike Tyson each hit RBI singles as the Cardinals scored nine runs on four hits and two Braves errors.

From there, Forsch took control of the game. He retired the first 10 batters he faced before Craig Robinson singled to center field. In the fifth, he worked around a one-out error before retiring the next eight hitters he faced.

Forsch even got the first hit of his career, a single to left field, in the third inning. Afterward, he couldn’t wait to tell his wife, who had noted his struggles at the plate in his debut after playing two years in the American Association, where the designated hitter was used.

“When I called her in Tulsa after the game (against the Reds), she didn’t say a thing about my pitching,” Forsch said. “All she said was, ‘Boy, your hitting was terrible.’”[4]

After McBride hit an RBI single to right field to give the Cardinals a 10-0 lead, Forsch returned to the hill in the ninth inning looking to close out his first victory. Vic Correll led off the inning with a single, and with one out, Darrell Evans singled as well. With runners on first and second, however, Forsch got Dusty Baker to hit into a 6-4-3, game-ending double play.

With the shutout, Forsch lowered his ERA to 1.15 through his first 15 2/3 major league innings.

“Although Forsch is a mere 2,992 strikeouts behind Gibson, the kid already looks as if he’s ready to help the Cardinals the way Gibby has for so many years,” Neal Russo wrote for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.[5]

Forsch’s shutout took just 92 pitches, including 72 fastballs. Of the 31 Braves who stepped to the plate, only two worked the count to three balls.[6]

“I threw mostly fastballs after getting that lead,” Forsch said. “I didn’t want to relax and get behind the hitters.”[7]

Forsch was rocked in his next start, allowing seven earned runs in just 2/3 of an inning, but rebounded nicely with complete-game wins in each of his next two appearances. He finished the season with a 7-4 record and a 2.97 ERA in 100 innings pitched. It marked the start of a 16-year career that included 168 wins, including 163 with the Cardinals, and two no-hitters. Forsch was inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2015.

Give the gift of Cardinals history! The Trades That Made The St. Louis Cardinals is available now on Amazon.

[1] Paul LeBar, “Forsch Brings Redbirds Split,” Springfield Leader and Press, July 13, 1974.

[2] Neal Russo, “Big Days Ahead For Cards’ Forsch, Gibson,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 13, 1974.

[3] Neal Russo, “Big Days Ahead For Cards’ Forsch, Gibson,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 13, 1974.

[4] Neal Russo, “Redbirds’ Rookie Bare Eager To Prove Point,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 14, 1974.

[5] Neal Russo, “Big Days Ahead For Cards’ Forsch, Gibson,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 13, 1974.

[6] Neal Russo, “Big Days Ahead For Cards’ Forsch, Gibson,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 13, 1974.

[7] Neal Russo, “Big Days Ahead For Cards’ Forsch, Gibson,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 13, 1974.

The post Bob Forsch shuts out Braves for first career win: 7/12/1974 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.