Mize was selected by the Veterans Committee alongside Negro Leagues founder Rube Foster. He and Foster were inducted alongside Bob Gibson, who received 84% of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) vote in his first year on the ballot.

It was an unexpected honor for Mize, who had never eclipsed the 43.6% of the vote he received in 1971 in his ninth year on the ballot. Though he knew the Veterans Committee was voting that day, Mize decided not to wait by the phone awaiting a call that may never come. Instead, with a new second-floor porch being constructed on his home in Demorest, Georgia, he decided to assist with the project.

“After always being the next man in line, I told Marge I was either going fishing or golfing on the 11^th,” Mize said. “But with the carpenters here, I decided to help until the noon news came on. I figured I might as well see if they said anything. When it got to be 12:30, I told Marge, ‘Well, that’s it.’”[1]

Incredibly, the call from the Hall of Fame didn’t come because the Hall had the wrong number for Mize. Instead, he was reached by a reporter, who shared the news with him shortly after the Hall’s announcement.

“I knew they were voting again today, but I had already given up hope because no one had called,” Mize said. “It comes as kind of shock, especially since I’ve seen so many guys go in who were behind me when I first became eligible years ago. I’m happy it finally came. Most of all because throughout this long wait, I never knew so many people cared.”[2]

In fact, so many people cared that Mize had to halt construction for the day rather than try to speak to his many callers over the din of their labor.[3]

“I’m just a little disappointed they didn’t see to vote me in earlier,” Mize admitted. “My mother is 87 years old and in the hospital after having both her legs removed after five operations. She always had looked forward to me getting in the Hall. Last year would have been fine, but now she just barely recognizes me and doesn’t realize what’s going on any more than the man in the moon.”[4]

Mize began his path to the Hall of Fame with the Cardinals after Branch Rickey’s brother Frank discovered Mize and placed the 17-year-old with the Cardinals’ farm team in Greensboro, North Carolina.[5] Mize soon became one of the top sluggers in the Redbirds’ system, but in 1934 he suffered a serious leg injury that hampered his movement.

Ironically, the injury helped to keep him in the St. Louis system.

That December, under new ownership that was looking to make a splash, the Reds purchased Mize for $55,000, surpassing the $50,000 the Yankees had paid the San Francisco Seals that November for another highly touted prospect named Joe DiMaggio. However, the high-paying deal came with a caveat – if Mize’s injury hampered him in any way, the Reds could return Mize and get their money back.

Ultimately, the Reds selected that option. Spurs had developed on Miz’s pelvic bone, and that spring it became clear that Mize was playing through an injury. Uncertain whether Mize would ever be able to play on an everyday basis, the Reds voided the deal and sent him back on April 15.

That proved fortunate for the Cardinals.

Mize played in 65 games for the Cardinals’ minor-league club in Rochester that season, batting .318 with 12 homers, before the pain became too much and he required surgery. When Mize came back, he not only was assigned to the Cardinals, but he beat out incumbent Ripper Collins for the first base job. The rookie Mize hit .329 with 19 homers and 93 RBIs and led all of baseball with 21 intentional walks.

“There is not a ballplayer in the major leagues playing better baseball than Johnny Mize,” Cardinals manager Frankie Frisch said.[6]

In each of his six seasons with the Cardinals, Mize hit at least .314 with an on-base percentage above .400. In 1939, he won the National League batting crown with a .349 average. He also led the league with 28 homers, a .626 slugging percentage, a 1.070 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage), and 353 total bases. That year, he finished second in the NL MVP voting behind Cincinnati’s Bucky Walters.

“He was a great hitter right when he came up,” said Terry Moore, who roomed with Mize in their Cardinals days. “He never swung at a bad pitch. It was a pleasure to watch him hit.”[7]

In 1940, Mize may have been even more impressive. His 43 home runs led all of baseball and set a Cardinals single-season franchise record, one that would hold up until Mark McGwire finally broke the record on his way to 70 homers in 1998. Mize led the NL in slugging percentage (.636), OPS (1.039), and total bases (368), and led all of baseball in intentional walks (24). Once again, Mize finished second in the MVP voting to a Red, this time finishing behind Frank McCormick.

After the season, Mize held out for an increase on his $16,000 salary.

“Why, they even suggested I take a cut,” he said, before noting that the Cardinals later offered him the same salary from the previous year. “My home runs were more than any St. Louis player ever hit,” he argued. “I led the National League in runs batted in with 137, in total bases with 368, and I batted .314 for the season. If that isn’t enough to get a raise, I don’t know what is. Of course, my batting average was the lowest in the five years I have been with the Cardinals, or the five years I spent in the minors, but I think the other records are enough to warrant a little more money.”[8]

Finally, after missing the first 2 ½ weeks of spring training, Mize and the Cardinals agreed to terms, giving the slugger a $1,000 raise over the previous year.[9] Though Mize went on to hit .317 with 16 homers, 100 RBIs, and a league-high 39 doubles, an arm injury forced him to miss the final 10 games of the season. The Sporting News reported that Cardinals manager Billy Southworth was disappointed that Mize spent the final games watching from the grandstand or the press box instead of sitting on the bench.[10]

That December, the Cardinals traded Mize to the New York Giants for Bill Lohrman, Johnny McCarthy, and Ken O’Dea.

“When you hold out a couple of times against the Cardinals you know you’re finished with the organization,” Mize said. “I sensed the change in attitude toward me during the season, and when the schedule was over I cleared out all my belongings in the clubhouse. That’s the first time I ever did that, but I was pretty certain I wouldn’t be with the club in ’42.”[11]

Despite missing three seasons in the prime of his career serving in World War II, Mize proved to be more than worth the cost for the Giants. In 1942, he led the National League with 110 RBIs and a .521 slugging percentage on his way to a fifth-place finish in the MVP voting.

After returning from the war, he led all of baseball in 1946 with 51 homers, 138 RBIs, and 137 runs scored in 1947, finishing third in the MVP race. The following year, at age 35, he led baseball again with 40 homers.

“I’ve always wondered how many more (championships) we would have won if we hadn’t dealt two power hitters in that period, Mize and Walker Cooper,” said Cardinals outfielder Stan Musial, who led the Redbirds to World Series titles in 1942, 1944, and 1946.[12]

In 1949, the Yankees purchased Mize’s contract from the cross-town Giants for $40,000. Used primarily as a part-time player for much of his Yankees career, Mize hit drove home the winning run in Game 3 of the 1949 World Series, then hit 25 homers in just 305 plate appearances in 1950.

When he retired after the 1953 season, Mize’s 359 career home runs ranked sixth all-time. He also had a .312 career batting average, .397 on-base percentage, 2,011 hits, and 1,337 RBIs over 15 major-league seasons. Altogether, Mize had won five World Series titles, been selected for 10 all-star games, won a batting title, and finished in the top five of the MVP voting four times, including two runner-up finishes.

“I was mostly impressed with that sweet swing and the fact that he was a power hitter who rarely struck out,” Musial said. “He had the greatest batting eyes I’ve ever seen.”[13]

“He was proud of hitting all those home runs, and when he was voted into the Hall of Fame, I guess that had to be the day he was most proud,” Moore said.[14]

At his induction speech, Mize referenced his long wait to arrive in Cooperstown.

“I’ve been asked if being elected by the Veterans Committee means going in the back door,” Mize said. “To that I say look who’s on it – ex-players, managers, and executives, most of whom are in the Hall of Fame. Who else would you want to pick you? They were my peers.”[15]

He also noted that years earlier, several sportswriters had told him he was sure to be voted into the Hall.

“So I made a prepared speech,” he said, “but somewhere along the way it got lost.”[16]

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[1] Ken Picking, “It’s Mize’s Moment,” Atlanta Constitution, March 12, 1981.

[2] Bill Madden, “Mize gains Hall of Fame with Negro loop founder,” New York Daily News, March 11, 1981.

[3] Ken Picking, “It’s Mize’s Moment,” Atlanta Constitution, March 12, 1981.

[4] Ken Picking, “It’s Mize’s Moment,” Atlanta Constitution, March 12, 1981.

[5] “Mize, Through Exercise, Will Try To Prove Cards Got a Break When $55,000 Deal For Him Fell Through,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 8, 1935.

[6] Ralph McGill, “An Atlanta Doctor Sent Mize To the Majors!” Atlanta Constitution, May 17, 1936.

[7] Mike Eisenbath, “Mize Is Recalled By Former Mates As A Great Hitter,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 3, 1993.

[8] Associated Press, “Mize’s Slugging Entitles Him to Raise, He Says,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, February 2, 1941.

[9] Sid C. Keener, “Mize Signs Contract And Works Out With Cardinals,” St. Louis Star and Times, March 17, 1941.

[10] “Mize-To-Giants Deal Surprises Breadon,” The Sporting News, December 18, 1941.

[11] Donald H. Drees, “Mize Not Surprised At Deal Sending Him to Giants,” St. Louis Star and Times, December 12, 1941.

[12] Bob Broeg, “M&M’s Bats Didn’t Melt In Their Hands,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 12, 1981.

[13] Bob Broeg, “M&M’s Bats Didn’t Melt In Their Hands,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 12, 1981.

[14] Mike Eisenbath, “Mize Is Recalled By Former Mates As A Great Hitter,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 3, 1993.

[15] Bill Madden, “Hall of Famers win the cheers of bitter crowd,” New York Daily News, August 3, 1981.

[16] Bill Madden, “Hall of Famers win the cheers of bitter crowd,” New York Daily News, August 3, 1981.

The post Why Johnny Mize was shocked to be elected to the Hall of Fame first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

But a heated confrontation with Cardinals fans on August 26, 1981, led to a franchise-altering trade that offseason that sent Templeton back to his home state of California and brought future Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith to St. Louis.

Since debuting with the Cardinals as a 20-year-old in 1976, Templeton had flashed unparalleled potential and athleticism. In his first full major-league season in 1977, the switch-hitting Templeton hit .322 and led the majors with 18 triples to go along with eight homers, 79 RBIs, and 28 stolen bases. That summer, he was named to the National League all-star team.

Templeton led the National League in triples again in 1978 before a historic 1979 season in which he became the first player in major-league history to collect 100 hits apiece batting left-handed and right-handed. That year, he opted not to participate in the all-star game after Larry Bowa was named the National League starter instead of him. At that point, public sentiment began to turn on the Cardinals’ star shortstop.

In 1980, Templeton hit .319 with four homers, 43 RBIs, and 31 stolen bases to earn the first Silver Slugger Award of his career. The 1981 season, however, was a trial for the 25-year-old. When the players went on strike in June, Templeton was batting just .265. Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog had removed him from the leadoff spot, a move that prompted Templeton to request a trade. At other times, Templeton complained about his salary and indicated that he was too injured or tired to play.[1]

Matters came to a head in the finale of a three-game series against the Giants. After the game was briefly delayed by rain, Joaquin Andujar opened the contest with a scoreless first inning. Templeton, returned to his leadoff position, stepped to the plate to face Giants pitcher Gary Lavelle.

Lavelle made short work of Templeton, striking him out on a curveball in the dirt. After a few steps down the first-base line, Templeton began walking back to the dugout as Giants catcher Milt May easily threw him out at first. When the fans began to boo, Templeton responded with a raised middle finger.[2]

“That’s when he should have been taken out of the game,” Giants second baseman Joe Morgan said. “That’s where the mistake was made. It was Templeton’s fault for making the gesture, but it was also Herzog’s fault for letting him go further.”[3]

The boos continued as Templeton ran onto the field for the top of the second inning, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that some fans were “making obscene gestures toward Templeton.”[4] In the bottom of the third, after Andujar struck out, Templeton and the fans resumed their heated interaction. In a 2018 interview with Nick Waddell for the Society for American Baseball Research, Templeton described the confrontation:

“I was turning to go to the dugout when three guys came down behind the on-deck circle and called me names, like the n-word. So I grabbed my crotch and told them what they could do.”[5]

In Brad Balukjian’s 2020 book, The Wax Pack: On the Open Road in Search of Baseball’s Afterlife, Templeton offered a similar description during an interview in his home:

“I was in the on-deck circle and three white boys came down and started me all kinds of racial names, and that’s when I grabbed my crotch. I told them … ‘Suck my d—.’ And Whitey was right there on the top rail listening to them. He couldn’t have been no more from there to the door from them,” he says, gesturing forcefully, his voice rising with frustration.

“So he knew what was being said,” I say.

“He knew what was being said,” he repeats, slowing his cadence by a third to emphasize each word.

“Do you remember what they were calling you?”

“Yeah, but I ain’t gonna repeat it,” he says firmly.

“That bad?”

“Yeah.” He takes a beat and exhales, his shoulders lowering by half an inch. When he speaks again, his voice has lost its ferocity, replaced by a steady calm.

“There were some players that heard it too, but they weren’t players that had my back, so they ain’t never gonna say nuthin. But there are guys that saw everything that happened, ya know?”[6]

Home plate umpire Bruce Froemming, who already had warned Templeton, ejected him from the game.

“In the first inning, I noticed what I thought to be the tail end of a gesture to the fans,” Froemming said. “I didn’t want to embarrass him. At the end of the second inning, he told me that the fans were on him, and he didn’t think it was right. I told him either knock it off or I was going to throw him out. This was as bad as I’ve seen.”[7]

Herzog famously pulled Templeton down the dugout steps to get him off the field, an image captured by Post-Dispatch photographer Scott Dine.

“Get out of here. I don’t want you on the road,” Herzog yelled, referring to the Cardinals’ upcoming road trip to San Diego. “I don’t want you around my players. I don’t want to see you. You make $690,000 and you go out and make an ass out of yourself. I don’t need that and my boys don’t need that.”[8]

In the Giants dugout, San Francisco manager Frank Robinson was dismayed by the scene.

“I’ve never seen it happen and I hope I never do again,” Robinson said. “There’s no place for it.”[9]

After Templeton left, the Cardinals scored once in the fourth and rallied for eight runs in the fifth to claim the 9-4 victory. Templeton’s replacement at shortstop, Mike Ramsey, went 1-for-4 with an RBI single, a run scored, and a stolen base. No matter what he did the rest of the day, Cardinals fans cheered Ramsey’s every move.[10]

After the game ended, Herzog announced that Templeton had been fined $5,000 and was indefinitely suspended. Before Templeton could return to the team, Herzog said, he would have to apologize to the fans and his teammates.[11]

“There’s no ballplayer big enough to show up the fans and make the gestures he was making,” Herzog said. “When he grows up to be a man and publicly apologizes to our fans and to his teammates, he can come back and play. It’s up to him.”[12]

Templeton left the stadium shortly after he was ejected and was unavailable for comment after the game.[13] Most of his Cardinals teammates had little to say about the incident, but backup catcher/first baseman Gene Tenace was clearly upset.

“I don’t think Templeton has the guts to apologize to the rest of us,” Tenace said. “He’s a loser. We’re better off without him. I don’t think he’ll even be playing two or three years from now. If Templeton does come back and he gives 100%, I’ll never say anything to him, but the first time he messes up, I’ll be all over him. He’ll have to deal with me, and it won’t be pleasant for him. I can’t speak for the other 23 guys on the team, but I know the consensus is that they are all busting their guts and he’s been a disruptive influence. Sure, we can win this thing without him. Mike Ramsey can do a great job in his place. He gives 100% and has been playing extremely well.”[14]

Tenace added, “We have the talent to win it all. We’ve got plenty of offense, and we can win without Templeton. The consensus on the club is that the players could care less if Templeton comes back. In a way, I’m glad it happened. It was like sitting on a time bomb. Now we can start playing baseball again.”[15]

Cardinals outfielder Sixto Lezcano expressed hope that Templeton and Herzog might come to an understanding.

“That was not good, what went on out there,” he said. “They should get together and talk things out.”[16]

Herzog, though clearly frustrated, didn’t immediately rule out Templeton returning to the club, as long as he met the team’s conditions. When asked whether he would trade Templeton, Herzog said, “I don’t have to trade him. I’d like for him to come back and play to the best of his ability. In all my years in baseball, I’ve never seen a player with so much talent – who can run well, switch-hit, and play great in the field. I don’t think I’ve ever managed a ballplayer that’s got as much overall ability as he has.”[17]

Nonetheless, public sentiment in St. Louis had clearly turned against Templeton. Longtime Post-Dispatch sports editor Bob Broeg moved past the question of whether Templeton had a future in St. Louis and questioned whether he had a future in the sport.

“Potentially the greatest player ever to wear a Cardinals uniform,” Broeg wrote, “Templeton has become a bitter memory here and, if he can’t find peace of mind and consistency of effort elsewhere, he might wind up a victim of the worst self-destruction possible.”[18]

The following day, Templeton met with Cardinals team physician Dr. Stan London, who recommended that Templeton work with a psychiatrist.

“What’s important is that I didn’t want him to do it because I suggested it,” London said. “I wanted him to do it because he wanted to.”[19]

“I think he has got some real deep emotional problems,” Herzog said of Templeton. “I think he’s very emotionally distressed.”[20]

In Balukjian’s interview with Templeton, however, Templeton again offered a different version of events:

“I didn’t see no psychiatrist,” he says. “They just had to show something for me not going cross-country to play baseball.”

I push back: “Garry, they must have evaluated you. Someone must have come in and talked to you.”

“I didn’t talk to no one,” he says, defiant.

“So what they said in the papers, it was all made up?”

He takes a moment to consider this, thinking back, realizing he doesn’t want to be inaccurate.

“I talked to the Cardinals doctor,” he says thoughtfully. “I don’t remember talking to any doctors in that damn hospital.” Pause. “Maybe I did talk to a doctor, because they did bring me some medicine in a cup. I flushed it down the toilet. I didn’t need it!”[21]

On August 31, the Cardinals placed Templeton on the disabled list retroactive to August 28. As a result, his suspension was limited to one day and cost him $4,000 in addition to his $5,000 fine.[22]

On September 14, an off day for the club before a double-header with the Expos the following day, the Cardinals hosted a news conference at Busch Stadium.

“I want to apologize for the incident of August 26,” Templeton said. “I know I did a big injustice to the fans. I just want to say I’m sorry. Second, I want to apologize to Mr. Busch (August A. Busch, Jr., Cardinals president), to the Cardinal organization, and to fans across the country. I apologize to anyone who might have been offended.” He then added, “The fans have to realize I have some problems.”[23]

At that news conference, Templeton said he would continue to see a psychiatrist and receive medication.

“To some degree, I have to because you can’t heal depression in one week, two weeks, or a year,” he said.[24]

When asked whether the use of illegal drugs had impacted his behavior, Templeton said, “That’s a medical matter and I’m not qualified to talk on medical matters.”[25]

However, he did say that seeing the way teammate Darrell Porter had overcome his drug and alcohol issues was an inspiration.

“I think that’s one of the reasons I sought the help I needed,” Templeton said. “I wasn’t the first and I won’t be the last.”[26]

The following day, Templeton faced an even tougher challenge: apologizing to his teammates.

“I can’t go into details on exactly what he said, but he was man enough to admit it, that he had made a mistake,” Tenace said. “I’ve had to swallow my pride a lot. He paid for it and it’s going to take some time for him to get his feet on the ground. It wasn’t easy for him, but he did it and you’ve got to give him credit.”[27]

“I don’t think you’re much of a person if you can’t forgive someone,” Cardinals utilityman Dane Iorg said. “Who he really hurt was his own self. He didn’t hurt anybody else, though he might have embarrassed some people. But you have to accept anybody’s apology. When it first happened, there was a lack of understanding of the consequences involved. I think some people said things they now are ashamed of. He brought condemnation on himself for his actions. I think we’ve got to accept his apology and help him as much as we can.”[28]

Second baseman Tom Herr kept his description of the meeting simple. “I didn’t expect an apology and I don’t need one,” he said. “What he said was very appropriate. He said he wanted to come back and play hard and that’s all I wanted to hear.”[29]

Inserted into the lineup for the first time since the incident, Templeton went 4-for-5 with an RBI single, a stolen base, and two runs scored in a 3-2 Cardinals win. Templeton played well the rest of the year to finish with a .288 batting average. Nonetheless, his future with the club had long since been sealed.

That offseason, the Cardinals traded him to San Diego for Smith, whose contract negotiations with the Padres had turned bitter. Templeton played 10 seasons in San Diego, where knee and ankle injuries zapped some of the electricity from his game. Nonetheless, he remained an effective shortstop, winning his second Silver Slugger in 1984 and earning an all-star appearance in 1985. After the 1991 season, he retired with a .271 career batting average to go with 70 homers, 728 RBIs, and 242 stolen bases.

Following his playing career, Templeton managed four seasons in the Angels’ minor-league system, then managed independent league baseball from 2003 through 2011.

Smith, of course, went on to enjoy a Hall of Fame career in St. Louis, where he helped lead the Cardinals to the 1982 World Series championship and National League pennants in 1985 and 1987. He won 11 of his 13 career Gold Gloves and made 14 of his 15 all-star game appearances while wearing the birds on the bat.

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[1] Neal Russo, “Templeton Apology Demanded,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 27, 1981.

[2] Neal Russo, “Templeton Apology Demanded,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 27, 1981.

[3] Terrence Moore, “Outburst overshadows Giants’ loss,” San Francisco Chronicle, August 27, 1981.

[4] Kevin Horrigan, “Obscene Gestures Further Fans’ Disgust,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 27, 1981.

[5] Nick Waddell, “Garry Templeton,” Society for American Baseball Research, https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/garry-templeton/.

[6] Brad Balukjian, The Wax Pack: On the Open Road in Search of Baseball’s Afterlife, University of Nebraska Press: Lincoln, Page 51.

[7] Neal Russo, “Templeton Apology Demanded,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 27, 1981.

[8] Neal Russo, “Templeton Apology Demanded,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 27, 1981.

[9] Neal Russo, “Templeton Apology Demanded,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 27, 1981.

[10] Neal Russo, “Templeton Apology Demanded,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 27, 1981.

[11] Neal Russo, “Templeton Apology Demanded,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 27, 1981.

[12] Neal Russo, “Templeton Apology Demanded,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 27, 1981.

[13] Neal Russo, “Templeton Apology Demanded,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 27, 1981.

[14] Neal Russo, “Templeton Apology Demanded,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 27, 1981.

[15] Neal Russo, “Templeton Apology Demanded,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 27, 1981.

[16] Neal Russo, “Templeton Apology Demanded,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 27, 1981.

[17] Neal Russo, “Templeton Apology Demanded,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 27, 1981.

[18] Bob Broeg, “Templeton Proved Right – We Hadn’t Seen Anything Yet,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 28, 1981.

[19] Rick Hummel, “Psychiatrist To Evaluate Tempy,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 28, 1981.

[20] Rick Hummel, “Psychiatrist To Evaluate Tempy,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 28, 1981.

[21] Brad Balukjian, The Wax Pack: On the Open Road in Search of Baseball’s Afterlife, University of Nebraska Press: Lincoln, Page 52.

[22] Rick Hummel, “Psychiatrist To Evaluate Tempy,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 28, 1981.

[23] Neal Russo, “Templeton Apologizes, Rejoins Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 15, 1981.

[24] Neal Russo, “Templeton Apologizes, Rejoins Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 15, 1981.

[25] Neal Russo, “Templeton Apologizes, Rejoins Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 15, 1981.

[26] Neal Russo, “Templeton Apologizes, Rejoins Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 15, 1981.

[27] Rick Hummel, “Apology Well Received By Teammates,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 16, 1981.

[28] Rick Hummel, “Apology Well Received By Teammates,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 16, 1981.

[29] Rick Hummel, “Apology Well Received By Teammates,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 16, 1981.

The post Garry Templeton flips off the fans: August 26, 1981 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch even ran a story noting that all six players were strong candidates to receive the 75% of the vote necessary for induction, noting that no more than four players had been elected in a single year since 1936, when Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth, and Honus Wagner were inducted. The last time four players had been inducted into the Hall was in 1955.[1]

Ultimately, however, just one member of the ballot earned induction that year: Gibson. With 337 of 401 votes, Gibson received 82% of the vote and became just the 11^th player in history to be recognized as a first-year candidate, joining Al Kaline, Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Bob Feller, Jackie Robinson, Sandy Koufax, Ernie Banks, Willie Mays, Warren Spahn, and Mickey Mantle.[2]

“That’s pretty fast company,” Gibson said.[3]

There had been concern that members of the media might punish Gibson for insisting on speaking to them only on his terms. As St. Louis Post-Dispatch sportswriter Neal Russo described it, “Gibson drew the wrath of some media personnel because of what they considered at times a somewhat surly, uncooperative attitude. And he offended some fans by often declining to sign autographs. However, the writers and broadcasters who were patient with Gibson, especially following a tough defeat, found him an excellent interview.”[4]

Drysdale came the closest of the remaining candidates with 243 votes. Hodges received 241, Killebrew had 239, Wilhelm received 238, and Marichal had 233. Like Gibson, Marichal and Killebrew each were eligible for the first time.

“When I came into the majors, (Marichal) was the best pitcher around,” Gibson said. “He had a variety of pitches and a lot of control, and in that class of pitchers – Koufax, Drysdale, that group – I thought he was the best.”[5]

Gibson grew up fatherless in Omaha, Nebraska, and quickly learned to overcome adversity. As he recounted in his biography, Stranger to the Game, as a baby, he was bitten on the ear by a rat. He also suffered from rickets and asthma, and a bout of childhood pneumonia was so severe that his older brother Josh promised him a baseball glove if he survived.

Josh played a key role in his development as an athlete, coaching Gibson’s youth team and teaching him to compete to the best of his abilities. A gifted athlete, Gibson became the first black player on Creighton University’s baseball and basketball teams.

“I remember when I first started playing baseball and basketball at Creighton University,” he said. “I was 17. I went to a game, and we were halfway to Tulsa on the bus, and the coach told me I had to stay behind at a hotel on the other side of the city. I started crying because I was hurt. I told him that I wouldn’t have come if I had known that, and he said that he knew. That’s why he didn’t tell me.”[6]

Gibson enjoyed a season with the Harlem Globetrotters before the Cardinals convinced him to play baseball full-time. At the time, Gibson viewed himself as more of an everyday player than a pitcher.

“When I was signed in 1957, I was a good outfielder and a pretty good hitter,” Gibson said. “The Cardinals didn’t have much of a pitching staff, so no matter who you were, they asked you to be a pitcher. I figured there were only three spots in the outfield and 10 pitchers, so I said yes.”[7]

Even after he signed with the Cardinals, Gibson didn’t have an easy road. As a black player, he faced racism and abuse. In the early days of his career, black players were not allowed to stay with their white teammates at team hotels or at their spring training accommodations. The Cardinals did not Bill White, Curt Flood, and others integrated Cardinals spring training” href=”https://www.stlredbirds.com/2020/11/08/how-bill-white-curt-flood-and-others-integrated-cardinals-spring-training/”>integrate their spring training accommodations until 1961.

When Gibson arrived for his first Cardinals spring training in St. Petersburg, Florida, he went to the team hotel and introduced himself.

“I walked in and said, ‘I’m Bob Gibson with the St. Louis Cardinals. Do you have a place for me?’ They had a place … right through the back door, into a cab, and over to the other side of town,” Gibson said. “Things like that teach you toughness. You had to fight that as well as guys like Mays and Mantle on the field.”[8]

Knowing that nothing would be given to him, Gibson dedicated himself to his craft and famously refused to exchange pleasantries with opponents. Though his career started slowly under Cardinals manager Solly Hemus, the arrival of Johnny Keane midway through the 1961 season proved a turning point for Gibson. The following year, Gibson made his first All-Star appearance and led the league with five shutouts.

In a career that included 251 wins, a 2.91 career ERA, nine All-Star selections, and two Cy Young Awards, Gibson’s best season came in 1968, when he set a major-league record with a 1.12 ERA. After losing three of his first eight decisions, he rattled off 15 straight wins, including 10 shutouts. In a stretch that ran from June 2 through July 30, he allowed just two runs over 96 2/3 innings, and he was never removed in the middle of an inning that season.

“I can’t remember having a bad start that season,” he said. “I did everything right. Everything I threw was knee-high and on the corner. It was a once-in-a-lifetime year. I cherish that season.”[9]

If possible, Gibson was even more dominant in Game 1 of the 1968 World Series against the Tigers, a game in which he struck out 17 batters.

“Watching him pitch in 1968 was like watching Rembrandt paint a picture, especially in the first game of the World Series that year,” teammate Mike Shannon said. “I talked to a lot of the Tigers after the Series, and they said they had never seen a pitcher more overpowering than Gibson was that day.”[10]

Gibson won two World Series MVP trophies in his career and was 7-2 in nine World Series starts.

“Gibby was the man you could almost always turn to when your team got into a rut or a slump,” said Red Schoendienst. “He was always ready to be handed the ball.”[11]

In 1971, Gibson no-hit the Pirates in a contest that he called his “greatest game.” In addition to the no-hitter, he also threw two one-hitters, eight two-hitters, and 24 three-hitters. Three years later, Gibson Dizzy Dean passes away” href=”https://www.stlredbirds.com/2021/06/19/july-17-1974-bob-gibson-throws-3000th-strikeout-the-same-day-dizzy-dean-passes-away/”>recorded the 3,000^th strikeout of his career on the same day that another Cardinals Hall of Famer, Dizzy Dean, passed away. He retired after the 1975 season with a National League record 3,117 strikeouts.

“There were two reasons that I retired,” Gibson said. “My legs were killing me. I had broken two ankles and had ligament damage in my knee, and I had personal problems. I found myself one day on the mound with the bases loaded. I don’t even know who the batter was, but I was in trouble, and I was thinking about my ex-wife. I decided then that it was time to quit.”[12]

With the news of Gibson’s election to the Hall of Fame, accolades from former teammates and opponents poured in from across the baseball world.

“He’s the greatest pitcher I ever saw or caught,” said Ted Simmons. “He certainly must be one of the greatest pitchers who ever lived.”[13]

Slugger Lee May, who played 18 major-league seasons with the Reds, Astros, Orioles, and Royals, said, “When Bob Gibson pitched against us, I didn’t want to play.”[14]

Vada Pinson, also an 18-year major-league veteran, played 11 seasons with the Reds before he joined the Cardinals in 1969.

“When I first came up, he was the meanest man alive,” Pinson said. “I didn’t like him, but I really didn’t know him. When I joined the Cardinals, I really learned to appreciate the man by playing behind him. He’s a man of men – all business on the field. He’s in a class by himself. If hard work pays off, he’s the perfect example.”[15]

Rusty Staub, who was back with the Mets in 1981 as part of a 23-year major-league career, said, “In all my years in the big leagues, for consistency of performance, competitiveness and desire, and plain, old guts, Gibson was my idea of what it takes to be a true champion. I wish I could have played on the same team with him.”[16]

On August 2, 1981, Gibson was inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside another former Cardinal, Johnny Mize, and the late Rube Foster. In his remarks, he recognized his brother Josh, who was not in attendance, as well as Keane. He also recognized Schoendienst and drew laughs when he said that he had lost 174 games, “and Red was probably responsible for more of them than I was.”[17]

Afterwards, Gibson apologized for forgetting to thank Cardinals chairman August A. Busch, Jr., and former general manager Bing Devine in his remarks.

“I already sent Mr. Busch a note,” Gibson said. “Not only was it a pleasure to play for him, but he also stood strongly in my corner when I had personal problems and gave me oral encouragement and an offer of his help. I’m just sorry that, in speaking without notes and in some emotion, I forgot to mention him and also Bing. I felt sick about it the minute Jack Buck mentioned it to me after the induction.”[18]

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[1] “Bob Gibson Awaits Fame Hall Vote,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 11, 1981.

[2] “Gibby In ‘Fast Company’ As First-Vote Selection,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 16, 1981.

[3] “Gibby In ‘Fast Company’ As First-Vote Selection,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 16, 1981.

[4] Neal Russo, “Gibson Solos Into Hall of Fame,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 15, 1981.

[5] Neal Russo, “Gibson Solos Into Hall of Fame,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 15, 1981.

[6] “Gibby In ‘Fast Company’ As First-Vote Selection,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 16, 1981.

[7] “Gibby In ‘Fast Company’ As First-Vote Selection,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 16, 1981.

[8] Associated Press “Bob Gibson elected to baseball Hall of Fame,” Statesman Journal, January 16, 1981.

[9] Associated Press “Bob Gibson elected to baseball Hall of Fame,” Statesman Journal, January 16, 1981.

[10] Neal Russo, “Bob Gibson,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 18, 1981.

[11] Neal Russo, “Bob Gibson,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 18, 1981.

[12] Neal Russo, “Gibson Solos Into Hall of Fame,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 15, 1981.

[13] Neal Russo, “Bob Gibson,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 18, 1981.

[14] Neal Russo, “Bob Gibson,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 18, 1981.

[15] Neal Russo, “Bob Gibson,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 18, 1981.

[16] Neal Russo, “Bob Gibson,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 18, 1981.

[17] Bob Broeg, “Fans Boo Kuhn, Cheer For Gibson,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 3, 1981.

[18] Bob Broeg, “Gibson Apologizes For Overlooking Busch,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 3, 1981.

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Herzog was already on the search for pitching when Astros general manager Al Rosen called and offered Andujar in exchange for center fielder Tony Scott. Intrigued by the opportunity to pick up the two-time all-star, Herzog wanted more information. He called Astros manager Bill Virdon to find out why Andujar was available in the first place.

Virdon, whose pitching staff already included Nolan Ryan, Vern Ruhle, J.R. Richard, and Joe Niekro, explained that he simply didn’t have the patience for Andujar’s antics. The breaking point had come when Andujar pitched on a Thursday before the Astros were rained out Friday and Saturday. Come Sunday, Andujar was in Virdon’s office, declaring himself ready to pitch in that day’s game.

“The other four guys ain’t even been out to the mound yet and he thinks it’s his turn!” Virdon told Herzog. “Whitey, I’m telling you. This guy is out of his mind.”[1]

Cardinals pitching coach Hub Kittle, however, had coached Andujar in the Dominican winter league for five seasons and was confident he could keep Andujar in line.

“He’s not wild with me,” Kittle said. “I know how to handle him.”[2]

Tony Scott

With Kittle’s confidence and the Cardinals’ desperate need for pitching counteracting Virdon’s warning, Herzog agreed to the deal. Andujar and Scott were both in the final years of their contracts, and Herzog might not have agreed to the trade if Scott and his agent had responded to the team’s recent contract offer.

“He had to know that with the trading deadline approaching, we’ve got to hear from him,” Herzog said. “We laid an offer – it was a pretty good one, too – but we never heard back. If Tony liked it here so much, why didn’t they get back with us?”[3]

It didn’t help that Scott was batting just .227 in 45 games. In five seasons with the Cardinals, Scott hit .255 with 12 homers, 168 RBIs, and 87 stolen bases in 137 attempts. He played four seasons in Houston before he was released during the 1984 season. Scott caught on with Montreal for 45 games before ending his 11-year major league career.

Joaquin Andujar and the Astros

The day the trade was announced, Herzog admitted he was uncertain whether he could re-sign Andujar.[4]

In 1977, Andujar’s second season in the league, he went 11-8 with a 3.69 ERA and earned an all-star game appearance. He started just 13 games for Houston the following year, then went 12-12 in 1979 with a 3.43 ERA and another all-star game.

In 1980, he made just 14 starts, going 3-8 on the year, and the Astros had used him for just 23 2/3 innings so far in 1981.

“I guess he was very unhappy playing with the Astros,” said Cardinals infielder Julio Gonzalez, who had played alongside Andujar in Houston. “He just wanted to get a starting job.”[5]

Andujar told the Houston media that while he appreciated the opportunity to pitch more in St. Louis, he was disappointed to leave the Astros.

“It will be better for me in St. Louis,” he said. “At least I’ll get a chance to pitch, but I don’t feel very good about having to leave a lot of good friends. I guess I expected it, but when they tell you, it hits you in the heart awfully hard.”[6]

Virdon told Andujar about the trade in the seventh inning of the Astros’ 6-2 win over the Mets. With two innings left in the game, he told Andujar it would be OK to head to the showers and start packing his belongings. Instead, Andujar stayed until the game was over.

“I said, ‘No, I want to stay here and be an Astro as long as I can,’” Andujar said. “This is like leaving your family.”[7]

Andujar and the Cardinals

The Cardinals soon became family for Andujar as well. He appeared in 11 games for the Cardinals during the strike-shortened season – starting eight – and went 6-1 with a 3.74 ERA. That December, the Cardinals signed him to a three-year contract.

“I decided to sign with the Cardinals again because I like Whitey Herzog and the people of St. Louis,” Andujar said. “All I want to do is pitch and help the Cardinals win the pennant.”[8]

He did exactly that in 1982, going 15-10 with a 2.47 ERA over 265 2/3 innings. In the World Series against the Brewers, he won both his starts, allowing just two earned runs over 13 1/3 innings.

Andujar and Whitey

Though Mike Roarke replaced Kittle as pitching coach after the 1983 season, Herzog found his own ways to manage Andujar’s temper. Andujar was known to get angry whenever he was taken out of a game, but Herzog found that a few words of encouragement along with confirmation of Andujar’s next start would take the sting away when he came to retrieve his ace.

“I’d go to the hill, put my hand right on his shoulder, and say, ‘Hey, Goombah, great job. Gimme the ball, and I’ll see you Tuesday,’” Herzog recalled. “‘OK, Whitey,’ he’d say with a big smile. ‘See you Tuesday!’ and he’d stride off to the showers like a proud son. It wasn’t logical. Joaquin already knew he was pitching Tuesday. He knew he’d pitched great. But he liked to hear me tell him when he was pitching again. He liked to hear me tell him how good he was.”[9]

Herzog used a similar strategy in the clubhouse.

“He’d steam through the clubhouse: ‘I’m pissed, Whitey, I’m pissed!’ Sonofagun was always worked up about something,” Herzog wrote in 1999. “I almost never knew why he was pissed and mostly had no desire to find out. I’d say, ‘Pissed, huh, Goombah? Come by my office at five o’clock and we’ll talk about it.’ ‘OK, Whitey,’ he’d say, and he’d stomp off mumbling something to himself …

“Well, five o’clock would roll around and I’d see him on his way out the door. I’d buttonhole him: ‘Hey, Goombah, wanna talk?’ He’d look at me like he barely knew who I was, think for a second, then remember. ‘Oh, no thanks, Skip,’ he’d say. “I’m not mad anymore!’ and happy as a lark, he’d go home … If I just showed him I noticed, let him blow off steam, and waited for him to cool down, we made a hell of a pair.”[10]

Traded to Oakland

In 1985, Andujar again pitched the Cardinals into the World Series, but struggled against the Royals, taking the loss in Game 3. With Game 7 out of hand, he appeared in a mop-up relief role and was ejected for arguing balls and strikes and charging home plate umpire Don Denkinger, who infamously missed a crucial call late in Game 6. The embarrassing episode led to the Cardinals trading Andujar to the Athletics for Tim Conroy and Mike Heath that winter.

Despite the ignominious end of Andujar’s Cardinals career, the trade certainly proved positive for St. Louis. Over five seasons, Andujar went 68-53 with a 3.33 ERA. He twice placed fourth in the Cy Young Award voting (1984 and 1985), and proved a valuable innings eater – from 1982 through 1985, he averaged more than 255 innings per season.

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[1] 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 156.

[2] Rick Hummel, “Hard Work Ahead For Andujar,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 8, 1981.

[3] Rick Hummel, “Hard Work Ahead For Andujar,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 8, 1981.

[4] Rick Hummel, “Hard Work Ahead For Andujar,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 8, 1981.

[5] Rick Hummel, “Hard Work Ahead For Andujar,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 8, 1981.

[6] Rick Hummel, “Hard Work Ahead For Andujar,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 8, 1981.

[7] “Andujar dislikes trade,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram,” June 8, 1981.

[8] “Cardinals Sign Andujar To A Three-Year Contract,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 30, 1981.

[9] 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 158.

[10] 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 157-158.

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The Cardinals already had outfielders George Hendrick, David Green, Dane Iorg, and Sixto Lezcano on the roster, and had just obtained a little-known minor league outfielder named Willie McGee the month prior.

Despite their need for pitching, the Cardinals gave up 40% of their starting rotation in the deal, sending Silvio Martinez and Lary Sorensen to the Cleveland Indians. In exchange, the Indians sent strong-armed catcher Bo Diaz to the Phillies (who already had four catchers on the roster) for a player to be named later. In December, the Phillies sent right-handed pitcher Scott Munninghoff to the Indians to complete the deal.

Smith, a 1974 first-round draft pick, had cups of coffee in the big leagues in 1978 and 1979 before placing third in the Rookie of the Year voting in 1980 behind the Dodgers’ Steve Howe and the Expos’ Bill Gullickson. That season, the player affectionately known as “Skates” for his occasional difficulty keeping his footing in the outfield hit .339 with three homers, 20 RBIs and a Phillies rookie-record 33 stolen bases. In 298 at-bats, he provided a spark that helped the Phillies capture the 1980 world championship.

In 1981, he batted .324 with 21 stolen bases in just 176 at-bats, wresting the center field job away from Garry Maddox in the final month of the season. He finished the season on a 23-game hitting streak.

Smith “spends more time on the carpet than a Reagan budget aide, but talents like him don’t wander into your organization every day,” Conlin wrote in reporting the trade. “He’s a flat-out gamer who comes to play, a throwback, if you will, a kid who breaks up the double play with the reckless abandon of Enos Slaughter. His offense will not be replaced by Garry Maddox, the former incumbent in center, or Bob Dernier, a fleet rookie with Smith’s base-stealing ability who has yet to prove he can hit major league pitching.”[2]

Philadelphia fans were irate at general manager Paul Owens’ decision to trade Smith to obtain Diaz, who despite an all-star appearance while batting .313 for the Indians in 1981, had never exceeded 207 at-bats in a season. Over the next 3 1/2 seasons, he would bat .256 with 36 home runs and 174 RBIs before being traded to the Reds as part of a five-player deal.

Nonetheless, Conlin wrote, trading Smith for Diaz “provoked a firestorm of fan outrage that lit the Phillies’ switchboard like the White House Christmas tree and turned a WCAU-AM sports talk show into a clinic on vitriol.”[3]

“If you are among the million or so fans who figure the Phillies paid through the nose to solve what they considered a desperate catching problem, welcome to the club,” Conlin wrote.[4]

For his part, Smith wasn’t surprised by the trade. Ever since Phillies manager Dallas Green left for an executive role with the Cardinals, he had known he was a likely trade candidate.

“I didn’t think I ever figured into their plans,” he said. “I never felt like I was a starter and I knew I wouldn’t be.”[5]

Once Smith saw that the Phillies would need to make a trade to acquire a catcher, he said the entire organization knew someone would be out the door.

“Even the ushers and guards at the ballpark thought they wouldn’t be there next year,” Smith said, “but it surprised me to be traded to the Cardinals. I didn’t think they needed outfielders.”[6]

Indeed, while Smith played exactly the style of baseball Herzog wanted to bring to St. Louis and Herzog told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Smith “was the number one guy on the priority list,”[7] the Philadelphia Daily News reported that Herzog initially turned down a trade offer that would have sent Smith to St. Louis. Instead, Herzog wanted shortstop Larry Bowa to replace Garry Templeton,[8] whom the Cardinals planned to trade following an incident in which he made an obscene gesture at fans during a game.

Owens, however, needed the Cardinals in the deal to supply the pitching the Indians wanted in exchange for Diaz. He even explored adding a fourth team to the trade, but that fell through.[9] In the end, Herzog simply couldn’t turn down a player of Smith’s speed and potential for the relatively cheap price of Sorensen and Martinez.

Both Owens and Herzog indicated that the deal marked just the beginning of their offseason deals. In the months to come, Owens sold catcher Bob Boone to the California Angels, traded Dan Larson, Keith Moreland, and Dickie Noles to the Cubs for Mike Krukow, dealt Bowa and Ryne Sandberg to the Cubs for Ivan de Jesus, sent Bake McBride to the Indians for Sid Monge, and traded minor leaguer Steve Dunnegan to the Astros for Dave Roberts.

Herzog too promised further moves. Three weeks after acquiring Smith, Herzog traded Templeton and Lezcano to the Padres for future Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith, pitcher Steve Mura, and a player to be named later. On December 29, Herzog re-signed Joaquin Andujar, whom he had acquired in a trade with the Astros that summer.

Meanwhile, Lonnie Smith predicted that if given the opportunity, he could bat .300 and steal 50 or 60 bases.[10] He may have underestimated himself. In 1982, he hit .307 with 120 runs scored and 68 stolen bases, earning an all-star nod and placing second to Dale Murphy in the National League MVP voting.

In three-plus seasons with the Cardinals, Smith batted .293 with a .371 on-base percentage, 295 runs scored, and 173 stolen bases. In 1985, the Cardinals traded him to Kansas City for John Morris. They would wind up seeing him again in that season’s World Series, which Smith and the Royals won in seven games.

Sorensen spent two seasons in Cleveland, going 22-26 with a 4.86 ERA. Martinez failed to make the Indians’ starting rotation in 1982 and was sent to Triple-A Charleston. He made four appearances there, posting a 6.06 ERA over 16 1/3 innings before leaving the game at age 26.

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[1] Bill Conlin, “Phils Deal Catches Flak,” Philadelphia Daily News, November 20, 1981: Page 120.

[2] Bill Conlin, “Phils Deal Catches Flak,” Philadelphia Daily News, November 20, 1981: Page 120.

[3] Bill Conlin, “Phils Deal Catches Flak,” Philadelphia Daily News, November 20, 1981: Page 120.

[4] Bill Conlin, “Phils Deal Catches Flak,” Philadelphia Daily News, November 20, 1981: Page 120.

[5] Rick Hummel, “Lonnie Smith Deal Tip of Birds’ Iceberg,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 20, 1981: Page C1.

[6] Rick Hummel, “Lonnie Smith Deal Tip of Birds’ Iceberg,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 20, 1981: Page C1.

[7] Rick Hummel, “Lonnie Smith Deal Tip of Birds’ Iceberg,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 20, 1981: Page C3.

[8] Bill Conlin, “Phils Deal Catches Flak,” Philadelphia Daily News, November 20, 1981: Page 118.

[9] Bill Conlin, “Phils Deal Catches Flak,” Philadelphia Daily News, November 20, 1981: Page 118.

[10] Rick Hummel, “Lonnie Smith Deal Tip of Birds’ Iceberg,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 20, 1981: Page C3.

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