In the deal, the Cardinals sent infielder Tommy Sandt to the Pirates in exchange for Stuper, a 1978 18^th-round draft pick who had grown up as a Pirates fan in Pennsylvania. Stuper had attended Butler Community College in Butler, Pennsylvania, then went 9-0 in his final season at Point Park State College.

“The rap on me in high school and later in college was that I labored too much and didn’t have a smooth enough delivery,” Stuper said.[1]

The Pirates assigned Stuper to the Charleston Pirates of the Class A Western Carolinas League for his first professional season. There, he went just 4-8 with a 5.33 ERA in 76 innings, walking 62 batters while striking out just 36.

On January 25, 1979, Stuper received a call from Murry Cook, the Pirates scout who had signed him to a $2,500 bonus. Cook told him he was headed to St. Louis.[2]

The Cardinals sent the 22-year-old right-hander to their Class A St. Petersburg affiliate, where he was used primarily as a reliever. In 93 innings, Stuper’s ERA dropped to 2.71. After throwing 39 more innings with St. Petersburg in 1980, Stuper was promoted to Double-A Arkansas, where he went 7-2 with a 2.86 ERA. After starting just one game in St. Petersburg, he made eight Double-A starts that season.

“When we got him, he was a strong, well-conditioned kid but was throwing down from the side and being used in relief,” Cardinals pitching coach Hub Kittle said. “Gradually we changed his mechanics, and when he came over the top, the ball began to jump.”[3]

That winter, Stuper threw 110 innings in the Mexican League. That extra work paid off in spring training, as he impressed the Cardinals’ coaching staff. Though he was sent down to Triple-A Springfield to continue his development, he was earmarked for a spot in the major-league rotation if someone went down with an injury.

Unfortunately, Stuper’s success didn’t carry over against Triple-A hitters. He went just 6-14 with a 4.92 ERA in 1981.

“When I got to spring training, I was in midseason form,” Stuper said in 1982, “but in the long run, pitching in the winter hurt me. My arm was very fatigued all season. One of my goals this season has been to prove that was the reason I had a bad year. You can say all you want that you had a tired arm, but nobody will believe it until you come back with a good season.”[4]

Despite his struggles in 1981, the Cardinals continued to believe in Stuper’s potential, particularly Kittle.

“I got down and started thinking, ‘Maybe I don’t have as much potential as the organization thinks,’ but the organization stayed behind me,” Stuper said. “Hub Kittle has been a big influence on me. Ever since I’ve been in Double-A ball he’s been telling me that I’ll make it to the big leagues.”[5]

Stuper also credited fellow pitcher Dave LaPoint and his wife, Kathy.

“God put some good people in front of me,” Stuper said. “There were times I thought about giving it up and getting a real job, but people like Dave and Kathy LaPoint would always seem to be there. They lived below me when we were pitching in Springfield, and they’d lie to me and tell me I’d pitched well when I hadn’t. I don’t know if I would’ve  made it without them.”[6]

Stuper did exactly that in 1982. Though he started the season back in Triple-A, Stuper was called up on May 25 and made his major-league debut on June 1, pitching eight innings in a no-decision against the Giants. Stuper went on to win four of his first five decisions, and after winning three consecutive starts in September, he entered the postseason with a 9-7 record and a 3.36 ERA.

Stuper made three starts that postseason. In Game 2 of the NLCS against the Braves, he allowed three runs over six innings. The Cardinals trailed 3-2 when he was lifted for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the sixth, but Ken Oberkfell won the game with an RBI single that scored David Green in the bottom of the ninth.

Stuper made two starts in that year’s Fall Classic against the Brewers. In Game 2, he only lasted into the fifth inning before an RBI single by Cecil Cooper gave Milwaukee a 4-2 lead. Once again, however, the Cardinals rallied to win as Doug Bair and Bruce Sutter combined for five innings of scoreless relief and Steve Braun drew a bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning to score the game-winning run in a 5-4 Cardinals victory.

Despite a pair of rain delays, Stuper didn’t need any relief help in Game 6. With the Cardinals trailing three games to two in the series, St. Louis needed a good outing from the rookie. They got exactly that in a complete-game effort in which he allowed one run on just four hits and two walks.

“I was throwing strikes and getting ahead of batters – that’s the name of the game – and in the third or fourth inning I started to get in the groove,” Stuper said.[7]

Stuper pitched the entire game despite a sixth-inning rain delay that lasted two hours and 13 minutes.

“For him to pitch nine innings was one of the most impressive performances I’ve ever seen under the circumstances,” said teammate and future Hall of Famer Jim Kaat.[8]

During one stretch between the third and eighth innings, Stuper retired 15 consecutive Brewers.

“You have to tip your cap to Stuper for a great clutch performance,” said Keith Hernandez. “Here’s a rookie, 25 years old, who undoubtedly has never faced nearly this much pressure in any previous game. Our backs were to the wall. This was it.

“John is a diamond in the rough who has a fastball and sometimes lacks command of other pitches. If he gets past the fourth inning, he usually pitches great. He had to get his rhythm, and he’d found it when we had the first rain delay.”[9]

The following day, the Cardinals won 6-3 to capture their first world championship since 1967.

In 1983, Stuper went 12-11 with a 3.68 ERA over 198 innings, but in spring training 1984 he suffered a shoulder injury and opened the season in Triple-A. When he returned to the majors, he started 10 games for the Cardinals, posting a 3-5 record and 5.28 ERA. Stuper was optioned to the minors on June 30 and was later lent to the Brewers’ farm club in Vancouver.

In September, the Cardinals announced that Stuper was headed to the Reds as the player to be named later in the Cardinals’ trade for outfielder Paul Householder. In 99 innings in 1985, Stuper went 8-5 for the Reds with a 4.55 ERA. After the season, he was traded to the Expos, though he never played for Montreal.

After his playing days ended, Stuper became the head coach at Butler County Community College, then returned to the Cardinals in 1991 as a minor-league pitching instructor. In 1993, he was named the manager at Yale University. He managed the Bulldogs for 30 years, retiring after 30 seasons as the winningest manager in program history, with 535 wins.

Sandt, the player the Cardinals dealt to acquire Stuper from the Pirates, also went into coaching. Sandt, whose only major-league appearances came with the A’s in 1975 and 1976, became a minor-league manager for the Pirates from 1982 through 1986. In 1987, he joined Jim Leyland’s staff with the major-league club and remained with Leyland for the next 13 years. Together, they won the 1997 World Series with the Marlins. In 2000, Sandt returned to Pittsburgh as a coach under managers Gene Lamont and Lloyd McClendon.

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[1] Neal Russo, “Cards Rookie Puts Phillies In A Stupor,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 23, 1982.

[2] Neal Russo, “Cards Rookie Puts Phillies In A Stupor,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 23, 1982.

[3] Kevin Horrigan, “Stupendous: Rookie Puts Cards In Game 7,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 20, 1982.

[4] Neal Russo, “‘Can’t Miss’ Stuper Arrives Year Late,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 30, 1982.

[5] Neal Russo, “‘Can’t Miss’ Stuper Arrives Year Late,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 30, 1982.

[6] Mike Smith, “Stuper Faces Game With Smile,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 19, 1982.

[7] Arnold Irish, “Stuper’s Effort Was Show-Stopper,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 20, 1982.

[8] Rick Hummel, “Cards On Brink Of World Title,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 20, 1982.

[9] Arnold Irish, “Stuper’s Effort Was Show-Stopper,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 20, 1982.

The post How John Stuper was traded to St. Louis and became a World Series hero first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

That season, the 40-year-old Kaline had reached the milestone in the final campaign of his career, the same year that Brock set a major league record with 118 stolen bases.

“I’d met Al on the banquet circuit that winter and congratulated him,” Brock said. “He told me, ‘I think you can do it too,’ and I looked it up. Pete Rose was doing a lot of talking – early – about getting to 3,000, averaging 195 hits a year, as I recall, and I looked up my own figures and saw where I’d had 191 for an average.”[1]

On August 13, 1979, Brock, now 40 years old himself, was just two hits shy of 3,000 entering that night’s game against his former team, the Cubs. Just one year earlier, Brock slumped early in the season and lost his starting job in left field. His batting average fell to a career-low .221 as he appeared in just 92 games.

In April, Brock announced that 1979 would be his final season, but instead of quietly fading away in the year that followed, Brock returned to form. After a teammate pointed out late in 1978 that he was hitting off his back foot,[2] Brock made an adjustment and not only regained his starting job in 1979 but even earned a trip to the all-star game. He was batting .321 and already had 10 hits in the Cardinals’ eight games that month.

“What he’s going through is a lesson to all of us,” rookie Cardinals pitcher John Fulgham said. “Not many guys can go through something the magnitude of this. Think of all the great athletes and what they did. Hank Aaron only went through it once. Willie Mays only went through it once, but Lou’s gone through it three times (counting his career and single-season stolen base records) and the guy hasn’t changed a bit. He’s something. I’m glad to be a part of this scene.”[3]

So were the 44,457 fans at Busch Stadium that night, including approximately 20,000 who purchased their tickets that day to see Brock pursue history.[4] The game was delayed 15 minutes to accommodate the late rush for tickets.[5]

“That’s an amazing thing about Lou, there’s no difference in him,” first baseman Keith Hernandez said. “Absolutely no difference. He’s so even-keel you’d never know what was at stake.”[6]

Brock got hit number 2,999 against Cubs starter Dennis Lamp in the first inning. Garry Templeton led off the bottom of the first with a single before Brock hit a line drive into left field. With runners on first and third, Hernandez grounded into a double play that scored Templeton and gave the Cardinals an early lead.

The score was still 1-0 when Brock led off the fourth. Lamp got ahead in the count 0-2, missed with a pitch off the plate, then came high and inside with a brushback pitch that knocked Brock to the dirt.

“It kind of jarred me back to reality,” Brock said of the pitch. “After that, it made me realize that I wasn’t concentrating as much as I had to.”[7]

On a 2-2 count, Brock lined Lamp’s pitch – a low curveball – back up the middle. It appeared destined for center field until the 6-foot-4 Lamp reached out with his pitching hand and deflected the ball, sending it toward third base for an infield single.

With his second hit of the day, Brock became just the 14^th player in major league history to reach 3,000.

“I waited 19 years for this moment,” he said. “It couldn’t have come at a better time because both hits were instrumental in a team victory. I’d hoped it would happen this way.”[8]

With the milestone, Brock joined Ty Cobb, Aaron, Stan Musial, Tris Speaker, Honus Wagner, Eddie Collins, Rose, Mays, Nap Lajoie, Paul Waner, Cap Anson, Kaline, and Roberto Clemente. As the injured Lamp was led away, Brock teammates and photographers surrounded Brock to celebrate the milestone. Musial, who also had collected his 3,000^th career hit against the Cubs in 1958, stepped onto the field alongside owner August A. Busch Jr. to congratulate Brock.

“You look at Lou’s career and you envy it. I do. I think most players do,” said Ted Simmons, a future Hall of Famer in his own right. “I’ve enjoyed every ballgame I’ve ever played with him. What he’s done has been remarkable. It’s sad to think of him retiring, but it’s nice to see him going out on the right end of the game. There are too many players who don’t.”[9] 

Despite the milestone, there was still a game to be played. Doug Capilla entered the game in place of Lamp and got Hernandez to ground the ball to Cubs first baseman Bill Buckner, who threw Brock out at second base. With Simmons at the plate, Hernandez advanced to second on an error, then scored when George Hendrick singled into center field.

Pete Vuckovich held the Cubs scoreless through the first six innings. Chicago got on the scoreboard with back-to-back doubles by Steve Dillard and Larry Biittner to lead off the seventh inning. After Ivan de Jesus singled, Vuckovich was replaced with Will McEnaney. Pinch hitter Mike Vail lined out to left field to score Bittner and tie the game 2-2.

The game remained deadlocked until the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Ken Reitz singled for the 1,000^th hit of his career and was replaced by pinch-runner Tom Herr. Cubs reliever Willie Hernandez hit the Cardinals’ next batter, Ken Oberkfell. With runners on first and second, Chicago called upon its stopper, Bruce Sutter, while Cardinals manager Ken Boyer called upon Dane Iorg to bat for relief pitcher Mark Littell, who had thrown scoreless eighth and ninth innings.

Iorg singled to load the bases, and with one out, Templeton lifted a fly ball into left field that scored Herr and sent the Busch Stadium crowd home happy.

Nonetheless, even a walk-off win wasn’t enough to turn the attention away from Brock’s 3,000^th hit and his legacy as one of baseball’s all-time great players – and great people.

“Nothing surprises me about Lou,” pitcher Bob Forsch said. “He plays with incredible intensity, but there have been a lot of great baseball players. The thing I’ll remember most about Lou is how helpful he’s always been. I know he made me feel welcome, and I’ve seen him do the same with other players.

“I’ll never forget seeing him take Jimmy Dwyer out into left field a couple of years ago. He was showing him how to play the bounce off the wet turf. This was another guy they were bringing up to take Lou’s position, and he was out there helping him. But I guess a lot of guys were supposed to take his job at one time or another. He’s still out there though, isn’t he?”[10]

Indeed, Brock appeared in 120 games that season on his way to comeback player of the year honors. With 123 hits on the year, he finished with a .304 batting average.

As promised, Brock retired after the season with 3,023 hits, 938 stolen bases, and a career .293 batting average. A six-time all-star, Brock was at his best in the postseason, batting .391 (34-for-92) with four homers, 13 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases in 21 World Series games. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1985.

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[1] Bob Broeg, “Brock Saw 3,000 As Symbolic Legacy,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 14, 1979.

[2] Rick Hummel, “Brock’s 3^rd Jewel Is Winner For Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 14, 1979.

[3] Rick Hummel, “Brock’s 3^rd Jewel Is Winner For Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 14, 1979.

[4] Tom Barnidge, “When The Moment Arrived, It Seemed Time Stood Still,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 14, 1979.

[5] Rick Hummel, “Brock’s 3^rd Jewel Is Winner For Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 14, 1979.

[6] Tom Barnidge, “When The Moment Arrived, It Seemed Time Stood Still,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 14, 1979.

[7] Rick Hummel, “Brock’s 3^rd Jewel Is Winner For Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 14, 1979.

[8] Bob Logan, “Brock 19-year wait ends in glory,” Chicago Tribune, August 14, 1979.

[9] Tom Barnidge, “When The Moment Arrived, It Seemed Time Stood Still,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 14, 1979.

[10] Tom Barnidge, “When The Moment Arrived, It Seemed Time Stood Still,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 14, 1979.

The post August 13, 1979: Lou Brock collects his 3,000th career hit in resurgent final season first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.