His misadventures began when he was given the wrong departure time for his flight. Then, after catching a later plane to Atlanta, he hopped into a cab and asked the driver to take him to the Marriott. Mistaking Herzog’s request, the driver took him to Marietta. After he finally arrived at the ballpark, Herzog cut himself shaving and required first-hand experience with trainer Gene Gieselmann’s ministrations.[1]

Despite the challenges, Herzog, who was introduced as the Cardinals’ new manager the day before at a sprawling estate that once belonged to Ulysses S. Grant, was convivial during pre-game batting practice.

“I feel great,” Herzog said. “Why? Because I haven’t lost a game in this uniform yet.”[2]

Thanks to a three-run, 10th-inning home run from center fielder George Hendrick, Herzog could still say the same at day’s end.

Herzog inherited the managerial post from Ken Boyer, whose Cardinals had won just five of their previous 26 games and at 18-34 held the worst record in baseball. The Cardinals’ struggles had come despite an offense that led the league with a .275 batting average. Entering that day’s game, Keith Hernandez (.343), Ken Reitz (.335), Ted Simmons (.297), Hendrick (.296), and Garry Templeton (.288) each ranked among the league’s batting leaders.

“I certainly like the averages on this team, but the main concern is the pitching,” Herzog said. “There is no guarantee that I can do any more with it than Kenny did, but we’ll try to get the injuries healed up and then see where we stand.”[3]

The Cardinals’ beleaguered pitching staff was anchored by right-handers Pete Vuckovich and Bob Forsch. 41-year-old left-hander Jim Kaat, whom the Cardinals had purchased from the New York Yankees on April 30, provided leadership and depth, but injuries and ineffectiveness had plagued the rest of the pitching staff.

John Fulgham, who had gone 10-6 with a 2.53 ERA in 1979, now had a 3.04 ERA but was just 2-3 on the year and lasted just three innings in his previous start against the Montreal Expos. Silvio Martinez, who won 15 games the previous season, had a 4.50 ERA when he went to the disabled list at the beginning of June with an elbow injury. A former player of Herzog’s in Kansas City, closer Mark Littell, was also on the disabled list with an elbow injury that would require season-ending surgery.

Altogether, the Cardinals had combined for a 4.28 ERA – the worst in the league – heading into Herzog’s debut.

In a 10-minute meeting prior to the game, Herzog laid out the ground rules for his new club. There would be no curfew on the road, and players would be permitted to drink in the hotel bar, reversing a rule Boyer had instituted just a few days prior. If players wanted to listen to music while traveling with the team, they had to use headphones, and there would be no music in the clubhouse after a loss. Most importantly, Herzog said, everyone was required to show up on time, and anyone who failed to hustle could expect a fine.[4]

“He was saying things that really made sense to people,” second baseman Tom Herr said.[5]

When Herzog approached home plate for the first time as Cardinals manager, he handed the umpires a lineup that had been selected by his brother Butzy (pronounced “bootsy”[6]) – a devoted, lifelong Cardinals fan who still lived in Herzog’s hometown of New Athens, Illinois.[7]

As they had much of the season, the Cardinals produced early, jumping out to a 5-0 lead. Templeton singled and stole second before Hendrick hit a two-out RBI single to put the Cardinals on the scoreboard. Templeton added an RBI single in the second inning, and Simmons hit a solo home run to right field in the third.

The Cardinals tacked on two more runs in the sixth as Simmons and Hendrick led off the inning with back-to-back doubles and Hendrick scored on a sacrifice fly by Bobby Bonds. However, just as Herzog got his first glimpse of the Cardinals’ offensive firepower, he also saw why the team was at the bottom of the National League.

Kaat cruised through five innings before Dale Murphy and Chris Chambliss hit consecutive doubles in the sixth inning to put Atlanta on the scoreboard. In the seventh, Kaat did himself no favors, walking Bruce Benedict to lead off the inning before Charlie Spikes doubled to left field. Benedict scored on a wild pitch, and with one out, Spikes scored on an error by Templeton at shortstop. After Chambliss hit an RBI single to make the score 5-4, Herzog made the first pitching change of his Cardinals career.

John Littlefield, a rookie right-hander whom Herzog mistakenly referred to as “Littlejohn” after the game,[8] got St. Louis out of the seventh. He retired the side in order in the eighth, but a ninth-inning RBI single by Glenn Hubbard tied the game, 5-5.

“I thought after that, we’d surely win the game,” Hubbard said. “Especially on a team that’s been losing so much. I didn’t think they’d come back, but they did.”[9]

With one out in the 10th, Hernandez drew a walk and Simmons singled to center, prompting Braves manager Bobby Cox to turn to veteran reliever Gene Garber to face Hendrick.

Hendrick was not fooled by Garber’s twisting, sidearm delivery or the pitch (the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Hendrick said it was a change-up, the Atlanta Constitution quoted Simmons as saying Hendrick called it “some kind of slider”) as he deposited his 12th home run of the season over the left-field wall.

Even then, the Braves refused to allow Herzog’s first Cardinals win to come easily. Herzog removed his third pitcher of the evening, Kim Seaman, after he allowed a leadoff single to start the 10th.

Before sending Seaman to the showers, Herzog looked at the infielders who had gathered around the mound. “Just like Kansas City,” he said. “Never a dull moment.” As Seaman’s teammates laughed, Herzog told the young reliever that despite the result, he’d thrown a good pitch.[10]

With that out of the way, George Frazier got a double-play ball and a strikeout to end the game.

“I don’t think we’re a last-place club and that’s no reflection on anyone, but we’ve dug ourselves a big hole, and we’ve got to put some streaks together,” Herzog said. “But it’s hard to put a streak together unless you get consistent pitching. We’re going to have to straighten the pitching out.”[11]

It didn’t take Herzog long to realize that even with their potent offense, the Cardinals needed a roster upheaval. After three consecutive home losses against the Cubs, team owner August A. Busch Jr. asked Herzog what the team’s trouble was. Herzog didn’t mince his words.

“Well, Chief, you’ve got a bunch of prima donnas, overpaid SOBs who ain’t ever going to win a goddamned thing. You’ve got a bunch of mean people, some sorry human beings. It’s the first time I’ve ever been scared to walk through my own clubhouse. We’ve got drug problems, we’ve got ego problems, and we ain’t ever going anywhere.”

Busch seemed disappointed but not entirely surprised. He asked Herzog if it was really as bad as the skipper made it sound.

“We ain’t going to win with this sorry bunch,” Herzog said. “We’ve got to do some housecleaning.”[12]

That August, Busch fired general manager John Claiborne and installed Herzog in his place. To focus on these new duties, Herzog temporarily handed the manager’s job to Red Schoendienst.

That winter, Herzog remade the Cardinals’ roster around pitching, speed, and defense. He began by signing free agent catcher Darrell Porter and dealing Terry Kennedy, Littlefield, Al Olmsted, Mike Phillips, Seaman, Steve Swisher, and John Urrea to the San Diego Padres for Rollie Fingers, Bob Shirley, Gene Tenace, and Bob Geren.

One day after the Padres trade, Herzog sent Leon Durham, Reitz, and Ty Waller to the Chicago Cubs for Bruce Sutter. He followed that exchange by trading Fingers, Simmons, and Vuckovich to the Milwaukee Brewers for David Green, Dave LaPoint, Sixto Lezcano, and Lary Sorensen. By Christmas, Herzog had also released the aging Bonds.

Though some of these moves certainly can be questioned, they firmly established the Cardinals as Herzog’s team and laid the groundwork for St. Louis’s 1982 World Series championship.

Much like his path to Fulton County Stadium for his Cardinals debut, Herzog may have taken a roundabout way of getting there, but eventually, he arrived exactly where he expected.

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

[1] Rick Hummel, “‘New Air In Atmosphere’ For Redbirds,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 10, 1980: A10.

[2] Ernest Reese, “Herzog Winner In Debut,” Atlanta Constitution, June 10, 1980: D1.

[3] Ken Picking, “Herzog Has Tough, Attractive Challenge” Atlanta Constitution, June 10, 1980: D1.

[4] Doug Feldmann, Whitey Herzog Builds a Winner: The St. Louis Cardinals, 1979-1982 (Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc.), 58.

[5] Hummel.

[6] Feldmann, 43.

[7] Feldmann, 57.

[8] Hummel.

[9] Reese.

[10] Hummel.

[11] Reese.

[12] Herzog, Whitey and Kevin Horrigan, White Rat: My Life in Baseball (New York, N.Y.: HarperCollins, 1988), 118.

The post Whitey Herzog manages his first Cardinals game: June 9, 1980 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

In addition to signing Kaat, the Cardinals also signed free agent righthander Pedro Borbon, who had been serving as a batting practice pitcher for the club since being released from the Giants in spring training.[1] To make roster space, the Cardinals designated lefthanded reliever Darold Knowles for assignment and optioned Jim Lentine to Springfield.

“We want somebody who can put the lid on,” manager Ken Boyer said.[2]

Though the Cardinals were less than three weeks into the season, their bullpen had already reached the breaking point. In 35 1/3 innings, they were 0-5 with one save and a 7.46 ERA. Since returning from a nine-game road trip, they twice allowed the Cubs to mount three-run, ninth-inning rallies. On each occasion, the Cubs’ own bullpen ace, Bruce Sutter, secured the save.

“If we had the relief pitching, we’d probably be in first place,” Cardinals general manager John Claiborne said.[3]

Boyer, who guided the club to 86 wins in his second season at the helm in 1979, was fully in support of the reinforcements.

“Kaat has always had good stuff, and he’s a great competitor,” Boyer said. “I didn’t see him pitch this spring – we didn’t play the Yankees – but our scouts said he was throwing well and hitting good location. We need somebody – Kaat, Borbon, or whoever – to do for us what Sutter’s been doing for the Cubs. Last year, we lost the lead in the eighth or ninth inning in something like 27 games, and this spring, it’s been the same way. It’s been demoralizing to the players and the fans to see it every day.”[4]

“One thing’s for sure: both Jim and Borbon will be given a chance to come in late,” Cardinals pitching coach Claude Osteen said. “It isn’t as if we haven’t tried everyone else down there. We’ve given everyone a chance to wear the crown.”[5]

Before the Cardinals purchased his contract, Kaat’s thoughts had turned more toward broadcasting baseball games than playing in them. He had pitched just five innings for the Yankees, allowing four earned runs, when New York designated him for assignment.

“I didn’t think this was it, the end of the line, but I kind of wanted it to be,” he said. “When (Yankees general manager) Cedric Tallis and John Claiborne of the Cardinals were trying to reach me, I was auditioning for a broadcasting job. Cutting a demonstration tape, really. There’s a lot of cable TV work around New York, and we want to stay in the east.”[6]

A starter for most of his career, Kaat brought a 264-221 career record to St. Louis. Through much of the 1960s, Kaat had been a workhorse for the Twins. In 1962, he was selected for his first career All-Star Game on his way to 18 wins and 269 innings pitched. That season also marked the first of 12 consecutive Gold Gloves.

In 1965, he started Game 7 of the World Series against Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers, allowing both runs in a 2-0 loss. In 1966, he led the league with 25 wins, 19 complete games, and 304 2/3 innings pitched, placing fifth in the AL MVP vote.

Kaat continued to post double-digit win totals into the 1970s, but after acrimonious contract negotiations, the Twins placed him on waivers, and he was picked up by the White Sox in August 1973.

Kaat’s two full seasons in Chicago ranked among his best, as he won 21 games with a 2.92 ERA in 1974 and won 20 more with a 3.11 ERA in 1975, placing fourth in the AL Cy Young Award vote. That December, Kaat was traded to the Phillies, where he pitched his final season of more than 200 innings.

In 1979, Kaat made 41 of his 43 appearances in relief. Claiborne said the Cardinals had explored trading for Kaat for about a week before finalizing the move.

“We’re starting to evaluate and make some changes, but it can’t be done overnight,” Cardinals general manager John Claiborne said. “Even though Kaat is 41 years old, Gaylor Perry won the Cy Young Award at 40. I’m not suggesting Kaat can win the Cy Young Award, but he can start and relieve in three areas – short, middle, and long.”[7]

At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, Kaat remained uncannily athletic. Just three years earlier, in 1977, he had won his most recent Gold Glove.

“I was with Jim in 1975 in Chicago when he won 20 games for the White Sox, and age doesn’t apply to Kaat,” Osteen said. “He’s probably as quick around the mound as anybody in baseball, and he always has been. What’s more, he has the body of a younger man – certainly not someone in his 40s.”[8]

Earlier that season with the Yankees, Kaat had become the sixth major leaguer to play in four different decades, joining Willie McCovey, Minnie Minoso, Mickey Vernon, Ted Williams, and Early Wynn.[9]

“I don’t stay young, I stay in shape,” Kaat said. “I’ve always treated baseball as a year-round job. With all the weight machines and exercise facilities available to them, there is no reason for baseball players to be out of shape.”[10]

Kaat arrived at Busch Stadium the same day the trade was finalized, just in time to retire the final five batters in an 8-2 win over the Cubs. This time, there was no ninth-inning rally.

“It was nice to get my feet wet the first time in uniform,” Kaat said.[11]

The Cardinals wound up using Kaat as a swingman that season. His 41 appearances included 14 starts, as he went 8-7 with a 3.82 ERA in 129 2/3 innings.

“I still think I’m best as a starter, but you can make yourself believe you’re a good reliever,” Kaat said.[12]

In the strike-shortened 1981 season, Kaat made 40 of his 41 appearances in relief. In 1982, at age 43, he threw 75 innings, starting just two of his 62 appearances. In the 1982 World Series, Kaat appeared in four games, allowing one earned run in 2 1/3 innings. It was the first – and only – world championship of his career.

“It’s a fact of life – it’s not that easy to be part of a championship team,” Kaat said. “Who would’ve known this would be the team? When I came to the Cardinals, I didn’t even know I’d make it through 1980.”[13]

In 1983, he had a 3.89 ERA through 34 2/3 innings when the Cardinals released him in July. He retired with a 283-237 career record and 3.45 ERA over a 25-year major-league career.

Kaat became the Reds’ pitching coach under Pete Rose in 1984 before beginning the broadcasting career he had planned when the Cardinals acquired him. From 1986 through 2009, he worked for CBS, NBC, ESPN, ABC, the MLB Network, and TBS, winning seven Emmy Awards for sports broadcasting.[14]

In 2022, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Golden Days Era Committee.

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

[1] Arnold Irish and Cal Fussman, “Cardinals Seek Relief: Sign Jim Kaat, Borbon,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 30, 1980.

[2] Arnold Irish, “Kaat Answers Boyer’s Plea, Puts Lid On Cubs,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 1, 1980.

[3] Arnold Irish and Cal Fussman, “Cardinals Seek Relief: Sign Jim Kaat, Borbon,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 30, 1980.

[4] Arnold Irish, “Kaat Answers Boyer’s Plea, Puts Lid On Cubs,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 1, 1980.

[5] Arnold Irish, “Kaat Answers Boyer’s Plea, Puts Lid On Cubs,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 1, 1980.

[6] Arnold Irish, “Kaat Answers Boyer’s Plea, Puts Lid On Cubs,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 1, 1980.

[7] Arnold Irish and Cal Fussman, “Cardinals Seek Relief: Sign Jim Kaat, Borbon,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 30, 1980.

[8] Arnold Irish, “Kaat Answers Boyer’s Plea, Puts Lid On Cubs,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 1, 1980.

[9] Michael Kahn, “Cardinals bullpen additions,” Belleville News-Democrat, May 1, 1980.

[10] Arnold Irish, “Kaat Answers Boyer’s Plea, Puts Lid On Cubs,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 1, 1980.

[11] Arnold Irish, “Kaat Answers Boyer’s Plea, Puts Lid On Cubs,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 1, 1980.

[12] Arnold Irish, “Kaat Answers Boyer’s Plea, Puts Lid On Cubs,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 1, 1980.

[13] Mike Smith, “Kaat Remembers That Old Gang,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 21, 1982.

[14] Patrick Lethert, “Jim Kaat,” Society for American Baseball Research, https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/jim-kaat/.

The post How Jim Kaat shored up the Cardinals’ bullpen first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

Sutter had a contract with the Cubs for the 1980 season, but the agreement included a clause that allowed him to renegotiate that year’s salary.^[1] With the contract negotiations hovering in the background, trade rumors began to swirl around Sutter.

They began with reports in December 1979 that a Phillies scout had approached Kennedy with an offer that included pitchers Larry Christenson and Tug McGraw and outfielder Greg Luzinski for Sutter. The Chicago Tribune hinted that Kennedy responded by asking the Phillies to add Mike Schmidt to the deal,^[2] and Kennedy later clarified that the Phillies had not offered a package of players but instead offered Luzinski in a one-for-one trade for Sutter.

“We certainly aren’t going to make that deal,” Kennedy said.^[3]

With spring training looming in February 1980, the Cubs and Sutter went to arbitration to determine his salary for the season. Going into the hearing, Sutter asked for $700,000 while the Cubs countered with an offer of $350,000.^[4] The arbitrator, Thomas G. Christenson, could only select one figure or the other. In the end, he sided with Sutter.

“I didn’t want to go to arbitration,” Sutter said. “I was willing to call it off at the last minute, and when I went in and asked for $700,000, I never dreamed I would get it.”^[5]

By the end of March, the Cubs had reportedly received a wide variety of offers for Sutter’s services. According to those reports, the Dodgers had offered third baseman Ron Cey, outfielder/infielder Derrel Thomas, and catcher Joe Ferguson, though Kennedy disputed this report and insisted that Dodgers vice president Al Campanis had called simply to ask for the opportunity to bid on Sutter if a deal became imminent.

The Astros reportedly offered pitcher Joaquin Andujar and outfielder/first baseman Cesar Cedeno, and the Cardinals were believed to have offered Kennedy’s son, catching prospect Terry Kennedy; infielder Ken Oberkfell; and relief pitcher Mark Littell. Kennedy was particularly annoyed by the report regarding the Cardinals’ offer and denied that such an offer had ever been made.^[6]

Ultimately, the Cubs held onto Sutter for the 1980 season, though the shutdown closer, who saved a league-high 28 games with a 2.64 ERA, represented a luxury on a 98-loss Cubs team.

“There’s no doubt Sutter is on the market this fall,” said Expos manager Dick Williams. “Everybody has heard that, everybody knows that. The Cubs are looking for the best offer and, believe me, when it comes to that, there are a lot of teams that are going to have their names up on the wall in the Cub offices.

“From what I hear, the deal isn’t going to involve just Sutter. It will be him and others for several players; it will be a tremendous package. This is one guy who can take a strong team to a pennant. He has one heck of a great pitch. There isn’t anything like it in baseball today. The one thing I’m not sure of, though, is the salary. I wonder if the team that gets him will have to pay him 700 grand or more.”^[7]

In November, Cubs general manager Bob Kennedy said he had heard from several teams inquiring about Sutter’s availability, but a few had been frightened off by Sutter’s salary expectations.

“We need young talent, especially a second baseman and a third baseman, and if we can get young players like that, we’ll trade one of our name guys,” Kennedy said.^[8]

Brewers general manager Harry Dalton, who felt his team was just a few pieces away after finishing third in the American League East in 1980, believed Sutter was destined to become a St. Louis Cardinal.

“We’ve made a good offer to the Cubs,” he said, “but every time we talk to them, it’s like Kennedy’s eyes kind of glaze over and he isn’t hearing what we’re saying. I think it’s just a question of time before they put together the pieces of a Sutter deal with the Cardinals.”^[9]

In St. Louis, Whitey Herzog had just taken over general manager duties and was working quickly to rebuild a roster that had gone 74-88 to finish one spot ahead of the Cubs in the National League East. To transform the Cardinals’ fortunes, he was seeking an elite closer and had two in mind – Sutter and the San Diego Padres’ Rollie Fingers.

Herzog’s desire for Sutter was so well-known that Kennedy was driving into the office on Dec. 3 when a news flash came on the radio to say that a deal between the Cardinals and Cubs was nearly complete. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch was reporting that the Cardinals were sending Leon “Bull” Durham, an infielder (either Ken Reitz or  Oberkfell), and a minor leaguer to the Cubs in exchange for Sutter. When Kennedy got to Wrigley Field, he called Herzog to chastise the Cardinals’ general manager about tampering.

“I didn’t mention Sutter’s name,” Herzog told Kennedy. “I just said we wanted a top relief pitcher and that I hoped to have him by Friday.”^[10]

In Herzog’s autobiography, White Rat: A Life in Baseball, he wrote that Kennedy had been seeking three of the Cardinals’ top prospects: Durham, second baseman Tom Herr, and outfielder Ty Waller. Ultimately, Bob Kennedy and Herzog compromised, with Durham, Reitz, and Waller headed to Chicago in exchange for Sutter.^[11]

The deal would hit a snag, however, when Reitz, who had a no-trade clause, refused to sign off.

“I thought about it and I ain’t going to Chicago,” Reitz said.^[12]

Herzog spoke to Reitz’s agent, Larue Harcourt, regarding the deal and Harcourt recommended to Reitz that he accept the trade. Additionally, the Cardinals gave Bob Kennedy, who had been the Cardinals’ farm director when Reitz was in their minor-league system, permission to speak to Reitz.

“He wants me to be a regular and I’d hit in the heart of their lineup,” Reitz said of his conversations with Kennedy. “It’s a hard decision for me because he’s done a lot for me.”^[13]

As the Cardinals and Cubs worked to convince Reitz to accept the trade, the Brewers continued to lurk in the background. According to reports, they had offered third baseman Jim Gantner and left-handed pitcher Mike Caldwell, but the Cubs wanted second baseman Paul Molitor included in any deal.^[14]

When Kennedy arrived in Dallas for the winter meetings, he told reporters he was optimistic that Reitz would change his mind regarding the trade.

“Don’t count us out on getting Reitz,” he said. “I think it was a matter of his pride being hurt by the fact the Cardinals wanted to trade him, but he didn’t sound anywhere near that negative Saturday.”^[15]

Herzog wasn’t about to allow Reitz’s indecision to delay his rebuild. On December 7, he signed Darrell Porter, his former catcher with the Kansas City Royals, as a free agent. The following day, he traded Terry Kennedy, John Littlefield, Al Olmsted, Mike Phillips, Kim Seaman, Steve Swisher, and John Urrea to the Padres for Fingers, Bob Shirley, Gene Tenace, and a player to be named later (Bob Geren).

On December 9, the Cubs and Cardinals finally completed the Sutter deal when Reitz agreed to a $150,000 payment to approve the trade, with $75,000 coming from each team.^[16] At the time the trade was completed, Sutter was out hunting and staying in a cabin with no telephone. Reached at the family home, Sutter’s wife Jayme had just one question for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter who called for a comment regarding the trade: “Are they going to keep Rollie Fingers too?”^[17]

Herzog admitted that he was unlikely to keep both future Hall of Famers in his bullpen. When asked which he would keep, his answer was simple.

“In my eight years of managing, I’ve never had a reliever like Sutter,” he said.^[18]

In Chicago, the loss of Sutter was softened by the acquisition of Durham, who hit eight homers and drove in 42 RBIs in 330 plate appearances in St. Louis in 1980. Durham would go on to play eight seasons in Chicago, eclipsing 20 home runs five times and making two all-star appearances.

“The Cardinals have a chance to win the pennant with Bruce, but we have to rebuild and he couldn’t win the pennant for us,” Kennedy said.^[19]

Nonetheless, the Cubs’ optimism regarding Durham’s future couldn’t match St. Louis’s excitement for Sutter. A few days after the trade was completed, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch declared that, “St. Louis has the Arch, the zoo, and the Muny Opera, assets of incalculable worth, but now it’s got something really valuable. It’s got Bruce Sutter’s game-saving arm.”^[20]

“I didn’t come here for recognition,” Sutter said. “I didn’t come here to be the highest-paid player. I came here to help the team and to win.”^[21]

In another interview, he said, “The ballclub I’m going to is going to be a winner and that matters more than anything. All the other stuff, you can have. I’ll get just as many saves in St. Louis as I did in Chicago. Only difference is they’ll mean more.”^[22]

With his time in Chicago at an end, Sutter had mixed feelings about the experience. On the one hand, he had spent the past eight years with the organization, transforming himself from a low-level fastball/curveball pitcher with dim prospects for a major league future into the game’s top relief pitcher. Along the way, he’d met Fred Martin, who had made the single greatest impact on his career of any coach he would ever work with, and spent four seasons working with pitching coach Mike Roarke, who would prove more effective than anyone in assisting Sutter with his mechanics.

On the other hand, Sutter found himself questioning Chicago’s commitment to excellence.

“It was getting depressing,” he said. “I never felt like they wanted to win. The salary negotiations and some of the things they did … I never got the real sense that they were trying to win … and I’m an optimist. There were a lot of problems, a lot of griping, a lot of excuses last year. Guys would never admit to making mistakes. They always would blame someone else.”^[23]

While Sutter credited the Cubs for making a good trade, he was left with a bad taste in his mouth regarding how the team handled the news after the deal was finalized.

“Bob Kennedy didn’t talk to me until a week after I got traded,” he said. “He had my phone number. I missed a whole day of hunting waiting for him to call, and then the first thing that came out (in the media) was he said they wanted to get rid of my salary. That made me mad. They gave me a little slap in the face as a going-away present and I didn’t appreciate that. That’s all Mr. Wrigley needs is another $100,000. What are they going to do, put $100 bills out there at second base and in center field?”^[24]

On December 12, Herzog traded Fingers, Ted Simmons, and Pete Vuckovich to the Brewers for David Green, Dave LaPoint, Sixto Lezcano, and Lary Sorensen. With Fingers in Milwaukee, Herzog sent a clear signal that Sutter was his closer.

Now all that remained was to complete the step that had created such animosity between Sutter and the Cubs – his contract. However, whereas the Cubs were hesitant to sign Sutter to a long-term deal, Herzog and the Cardinals were eager to lock the big right-hander down.

In January 1981, Sutter and the Cardinals agreed to a four-year, $3.5 million contract. Per the agreement, Sutter would earn $975,000 the first two years and $1.55 million each of the last two years. In addition, Sutter would receive a $125,000 bonus for winning the Rolaids Fireman of the Year Award, an $82,000 bonus for placing second, or a $41,000 bonus for placing third.^[25]

“I never thought I’d make that kind of money,” Sutter said. “When you’re growing up, the money wasn’t the same as it is now. The money is just unbelievable.”^[26]

For Herzog, the cost was worth having the man he considered to be the best reliever in baseball residing in his bullpen.

“This signing gives our bullpen the kind of quality and stability we need,” he said. “We know what kind of job Bruce can do.”^[27]

Sutter went on to save 127 games for the Cardinals, leading the league in three of his four seasons with the birds on the bat. While he helped St. Louis win the World Series in 1982, his best season may have been his final season with the Cardinals in 1984, when he saved 45 games with a 1.54 ERA. He placed third in the Cy Young and sixth in the National League MVP voting that season.

After the 1984 season, Sutter signed a six-year contract with the Braves that paid him $4.5 million and placed another $4.8 million into a deferred payment account that would pay him $1.3 million per year for 30 years after the contract expired. Sutter pitched two seasons in Atlanta, saving 26 games to give him an even 300 for his career before a torn rotator cuff ended his career.

In 2006, Sutter was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. That September, his number 42 was retired by the Cardinals.

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[1] Dozer, Richard. “Cubs sign Krukow; Foote Next?” Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 1980.

[2] Dozer, Richard. “Cubs reject Luzinski, 2 Phillie pitchers for Sutter,” Chicago Tribune, 7 Dec. 1979.

[3] Edes, Gordon. “Cost of Sutter.” Chicago Tribune, 11 Dec. 1979.

[4] Nidetz, Steve. “Sutter victory worth $700,000.” Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 1980.

[5] Nightingale, Dave. “Sutter relieved to escape pressure of Cub ‘stupidity.’” Chicago Tribune, 27 July 1980.

[6] Dozer, Richard. “Cubs hear a clamor for Sutter.” Chicago Tribune, 28 March 1980.

[7] Nightingale, Dave. “Sutter and his pitch probably will split,” Chicago Tribune, 10 Oct. 1980.

[8] Nightingale, Dave. “Cub stars on block: Kennedy,” Chicago Tribune, 13 Nov. 1980.

[9] Nightingale, Dave. “Cub stars on block: Kennedy,” Chicago Tribune, 13 Nov. 1980.

[10] Jones, Dave. “A Sutter suitor,” Chicago Tribune, 4 Dec. 1980.

[11] Herzog, Whitey & Horrigan, Kevin (1987). White Rat: A Life in Baseball. New York, N.Y.; Harper & Row Publishers, Inc., 127-128.

[12] “Cardinals’ Reitz refuses to go to Cubs in Sutter deal,” Chicago Tribune, 6 Dec. 1980.

[13] “Cardinals’ Reitz refuses to go to Cubs in Sutter deal,” Chicago Tribune, 6 Dec. 1980.

[14] “Cardinals’ Reitz refuses to go to Cubs in Sutter deal,” Chicago Tribune, 6 Dec. 1980.

[15] Nightingale, Dave. “Kennedy still pursuing Sutter deal with Cards,” Chicago Tribune, 7 Dec. 1980.

[16] Nightingale, Dave. “Getting Durham in Sutter deal has Kennedy gloating,” Chicago Tribune, 10 Dec. 1980.

[17] Hummel, Rick. “Reitz Harbors No Resentment,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 10 Dec. 1980.

[18] Nightingale, Dave. “Getting Durham in Sutter deal has Kennedy gloating,” Chicago Tribune, 10 Dec. 1980.

[19] Nightingale, Dave. “Getting Durham in Sutter deal has Kennedy gloating,” Chicago Tribune, 10 Dec. 1980.

[20] Barnidge, Tom. “‘I Came Here To Win’ – Sutter,” St. Louis Post Dispatch, 14 Jan. 1981.

[21] Barnidge, Tom. “‘I Came Here To Win’ – Sutter,” St. Louis Post Dispatch, 14 Jan. 1981.

[22] Verdi, Bob. “Penny-pinching Cubs make Sutter sad,” Chicago Tribune, 16 Dec. 1980.

[23] Hummel, Rick. “Bruce Sutter,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 18 March 1981.

[24] Hummel, Rick. “Bruce Sutter,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 18 March 1981.

[25] Hummel, Rick. “Sutter Near $1 Million A Year,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 27 Jan. 1981.

[26] Hummel, Rick. “Sutter Near $1 Million A Year,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 27 Jan. 1981.

[27] Hummel, Rick. “Sutter Near $1 Million A Year,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 27 Jan. 1981.

The post How Bruce Sutter was traded to the Cardinals first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

“I expect you to be one of the five best catchers in the league this year,” Herzog replied. “Then next year, I expect you to be one of the two best, and the third year, I expect you to be the best catcher in baseball.”^[1]

Porter may well have done exactly that. In his first season in Kansas City, he hit .275 with 16 homers and 60 RBIs. He followed that season by hitting .265 with 18 homers and 78 RBIs, earning the second all-star appearance of his career and placing 10^th in the MVP voting. In 1979, he enjoyed the best season of his career, batting .291 with 20 homers and 112 RBIs. His 121 walks that season led the league, helping him post a .421 on-base percentage.

Porter credited Herzog for helping him become one of the game’s best backstops.

“Whenever I would get discouraged and start feeling like I just didn’t belong in the major leagues, Whitey was always there to lift my spirits,” Porter said. “He would tell me, ‘You’re my catcher. You’ll come back and you’ll be all right tomorrow,’ and just the way he said it made me believe in myself.”^[2]

Just as Porter was reaching new heights in his career, it all came crashing down. After the 1979 season, he received a phone call from a friend to tell him that the Royals had just fired Herzog. Porter slammed the phone down in frustration.

“I’ll play out my option in 1980 and go wherever Whitey is managing,” he told himself.^[3]

The following spring, Porter admitted to abusing drugs and alcohol and checked into rehab. He missed the beginning of the 1980 season, but returned in time to play in 118 games, though his numbers were the worst of his Kansas City tenure: a .249 batting average, seven home runs, and 51 RBIs.

Despite his reaction to the news of Herzog’s firing, Porter wanted to remain in Kansas City. Mike McKenzie of the Kansas City Times reported that to stay with the Royals, Porter probably would have had to accept roughly one-third the money that Herzog and the Cardinals were offering.

“The Royals likely would have talked in the $1.2 million range for a three-year term,” he wrote.^[4]

On December 7, 1980, the Cardinals announced that they had reached an agreement with Porter. It was reported that the five-year deal would make Porter the highest-paid catcher in baseball, supplanting the Cardinals’ current catcher, Ted Simmons, who made approximately $630,000 a year.^[5]

Despite their friendship, Herzog had pushed Porter and his agent, Frank Knisley, more quickly than Porter would have liked. The catcher was on a honeymoon cruise in the Caribbean when Herzog offered $3.5 million for five years.[6] There was a catch, however: if Herzog didn’t get an answer before the winter meetings, the contract wouldn’t still be there when Porter returned.

“I wasn’t going to leave my offer out there while they shopped,” Herzog said. “I knew Darrell was out to sea, but I’ve been on those cruises so I knew he could be reached too. We came to terms Friday, and I wanted an answer before the meetings or I’d pull out, take our offer off the board.”^[7]

Knisley reached Porter via trans-Atlantic telephone, sharing the good news first, then informing Porter of the deadline. As Porter recounted the conversation in his book, Snap Me Perfect:

Whitey, aware that the Royals were pussyfooting, was trying to force a deal. As much as I loved the guy and could picture myself working under him again, I was angry over the strategy and the fact that they thought none of this could possibly wait until I returned from my honeymoon.

“Frank,” I said, “there is no way I am going to make that decision this minute. Furthermore, I won’t make any decision at all until you call the Royals and give them the opportunity to make a counteroffer. If they can come close, then I’d like to stay in Kansas City. Money isn’t the only consideration.”[8]

Knisley reached out to the Royals, but their offer fell $1.5 million short.[9] Though Porter wouldn’t sign his contract until the following week, he was headed to the Cardinals.

It soon became clear that Porter was merely the first domino to fall in Herzog’s plan to remake the Cardinals. With Porter in the fold, Herzog announced his plans to move Ted Simmons to first base and move Gold Glove first baseman Keith Hernandez to left field.

“I would think I’ll be playing a lot of first base and it’ll be just fine for me, but I don’t know if it will be just fine for Keith,” Simmons told Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “You’re taking a Gold Glove and putting him somewhere where he might not win another one. I don’t think that makes our club that much better defensively and I would think it would have a reverse effect. Keith is a much better first baseman than he is a left fielder. You take your Gold Glove and put him in the outfield … you’ve done something that, I’m sure, you really would rather not have to do.”^[10]

Ken Reitz, who was considering whether to accept a trade that would send him to the Cubs for Bruce Sutter, also criticized the move.

“The Porter deal stinks,” he said. “I’m changing my attitude. I’ve begun to think of other clubs.”^[11]

Herzog, however, argued that Porter represented such an upgrade at catcher that it made up for the downgrade at first base.

“Don’t you think our defense will be better off with Porter behind the plate?” Herzog said. “When I got fired from Kansas City, he was the best catcher in baseball.”[12]

Meanwhile, Herzog continued to wheel and deal. On December 8, he traded catching prospect Terry Kennedy along with John Littlefield, Al Olmsted, Mike Phillips, Kim Seaman, Steve Swisher, and John Urrea to the Padres for Rollie Fingers, Bob Shirley, and Gene Tenace (Bob Geren would be sent to St. Louis two days later to complete the trade).

On December 9, Reitz agreed to go to Chicago in the trade that brought Sutter to St. Louis in exchange for Reitz, outfielder Leon Durham, and a player to be named later.

As Herzog made his moves, Simmons reconsidered his move to first base. On the same day the Cardinals acquired one future Hall of Famer in Sutter, another player bound for Cooperstown, Simmons, requested that he be traded.

“In truth, Simmons, though he didn’t say so, has been hurt by Herzog’s decision after 11 years of productive service,” Hummel wrote. “His understanding of playing first base was that he would play it once in a while, as derived from a conversation with Herzog at the end of last season. Upon considering the Porter situation, he has decided that he does not want to play it every day.”^[13]

On December 12, Herzog traded Fingers, Simmons, and Pete Vuckovich to the Brewers for outfielders David Green and Sixto Lezcano and pitchers Dave LaPoint and Lary Sorensen.

The trade was not popular in St. Louis, where Simmons was affectionately known as “Simba” and had been the Cardinals’ best player throughout much of the 1970s.

“He wanted the trade,” Herzog said. “I hope the fans don’t think that because of Darrell Porter, we don’t have Ted Simmons.”^[14]

Herzog’s pleas fell on deaf ears.

“From day one, a few of the Cardinals fans (it seemed like the whole stadium) took an instant dislike to me,” Porter wrote in 1984. “As we got into the season, I began to look forward to the road trips – I actually got less abuse from opposing fans than I did from the hometown crowd. And my playing was much better on the road.”[15]

A torn rotator cuff limited Porter to just 61 games that season. When he returned in 1982, Porter hit .231 with 12 homers and 48 RBIs. Along the way, Herzog realized that Porter was no longer the player he had coached in Kansas City.

In 1999, Herzog recounted an instance in which Porter’s competitive fire seemed to be gone.

“One day he struck out four times on 14 pitches and never took the bat off his shoulder,” he wrote. “Guys are going to get the collar once in a while, but man, there are limits. ‘Darrell,’ I said, ‘what the hell are you thinking? Are you prepared? What are you waitin’ for?’ He gave me kind of a dreamy smile, shrugged, and said, ‘Oh well, the Lord will take care of it.’ I said, ‘Darrell, maybe the Lord knows all, but He ain’t gonna get you any base hits. Swing the bat!’”[16]

Porter did exactly that in the 1982 playoffs. After going 5-for-9 with three doubles to win NLCS MVP honors, he went 8-for-28 (.286) with two doubles, a home run, and five RBIs to win World Series MVP honors as well.

Porter played five seasons in St. Louis, batting .237/.347/.402 over that span with 54 home runs and 249 RBIs. Following the 1985 season, Porter signed with the Rangers, where he played the final two seasons of his career.

Enjoy this post? Find similar stories listed by decade or by player.

[1] Associated Press, “Porter Agrees To Sign 5-Year Pact With Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 7, 1980.

[2] Associated Press, “Porter Agrees To Sign 5-Year Pact With Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 7, 1980.

[3] Doug Tucker, “Porter decides to make good on his 1979 vow, after all,” Kansas City Star, December 8, 1980.

[4] Mike McKenzie, “Herzog’s style, money and influence made Porter a Cardinal,” Kansas City Times, December 8, 1980.

[5] Associated Press, “Porter Agrees To Sign 5-Year Pact With Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 7, 1980.

[6] Darrell Porter with William Deerfield (1984), Snap Me Perfect! The Darrell Porter Story, Thomas Nelson Publishers, New York, N.Y., Page 233.

[7] Mike McKenzie, “Herzog’s style, money and influence made Porter a Cardinal,” Kansas City Times, December 8, 1980.

[8] Darrell Porter with William Deerfield (1984), Snap Me Perfect! The Darrell Porter Story, Thomas Nelson Publishers, New York, N.Y., Page 233.

[9] Darrell Porter with William Deerfield (1984), Snap Me Perfect! The Darrell Porter Story, Thomas Nelson Publishers, New York, N.Y., Page 233.

[10] Rick Hummel, “Simmons Calls Move To First Base ‘Just Fine,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 8, 1980.

[11] Doug Tucker, “Porter decides to make good on his 1979 vow, after all,” Kansas City Star, December 8, 1980.

[12] Rick Hummel, “Simmons Calls Move To First Base ‘Just Fine,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 8, 1980.

[13] Rick Hummel, “Agent Will Ask Birds To Deal Slighted Simmons,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 9, 1980.

[14] Ed Wilks, “Herzog Defends Deal That Dispatched Simmons,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 14, 1980.

[15] Darrell Porter with William Deerfield (1984), Snap Me Perfect! The Darrell Porter Story, Thomas Nelson Publishers, New York, N.Y., Page 236-237.

[16] Whitey Herzog and Jonathan Pitts (1999), You’re Missin’ a Great Game: From Casey to Ozzie, the Magic of Baseball and How to Get It Back, New York; Berkley Books, Page 172.

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