Coming off the best offensive season of his career, Ozzie Smith came out swinging once again as the 1988 season was about to open, this time with controversial statements that made waves across the National League. In advance of the April 1988 publication of his new autobiography Wizard, which Smith wrote with St. Louis sportswriter […]
How a 1988 Ozzie Smith GQ interview created a firestorm Read More »
In 1988, Cardinals lefthander Joe Magrane put together one of the most unusual seasons in MLB history, winning the National League ERA title with a miniscule 2.18 ERA while somehow managing to win just five of his 24 starts. The dichotomy between Magrane’s mound dominance and his relatively small win total still stands as the
How Joe Magrane won the 1988 ERA title with just five wins Read More »
Nine months after the Cardinals ended the Giants’ 1987 world championship hopes in a hard-fought, seven-game NLCS, the two teams came to blows in a midsummer brawl involving Will Clark, Ozzie Smith, and Jose Oquendo. Neither team enjoyed the same success in 1988 that they had before. Entering the final game of their four-game series
July 24, 1988: Ozzie Smith and Jose Oquendo fight Giants slugger Will Clark Read More »
With the holidays in the rearview mirror and spring training just a few weeks away, Jack Clark finally lost patience. On January 6, 1988, the Cardinals’ leading home-run hitter during their National League pennant-winning seasons in 1985 and 1987 signed a two-year, $3 million contract with the Yankees. Since the Cardinals acquired Clark from the
Jack Clark signs with the Yankees: January 6, 1988 Read More »
When the idea of signing Bob Horner to replace Jack Clark was first broached, Whitey Herzog didn’t pull any punches. “I don’t like Horner,” the Cardinals manager said. “Of his lifetime homers, about 70% were hit in Atlanta. He never could hit in St. Louis. He can’t hit and he can’t field, and he wants
Why the Cardinals signed Bob Horner despite Herzog’s initial concerns Read More »
From the moment he arrived in St. Louis, the Cardinals saw Milt Thompson as a Whitey Herzog type of player. On December 16, 1988, the Cardinals traded outfielder Curt Ford and catcher Steve Lake to the Phillies for Thompson. A former second-round pick of the Braves in 1979, Thompson was expected to serve as a
Why the Cardinals traded for Milt Thompson in 1988 Read More »
On August 16, 1988, the Cardinals’ quest for Jack Clark’s replacement led them to trade John Tudor, the left-handed pitcher who won 21 games in 1985, to the Dodgers for four-time all-star first baseman Pedro Guerrero. Clark had anchored the Cardinals’ lineups from 1985 through 1987, but in January 1988, he signed a two-year contract
August 16, 1988: Cards trade John Tudor for Pedro Guerrero Read More »
Tom Herr knew that the Cardinals needed to shake things up after winning just four of their first 15 games in 1988. Still, he was just as shocked as Cardinals fans when he entered the clubhouse following a 4-0 loss to the Mets and was informed that he had been traded to Minnesota for power-hitting
How Tom Brunansky was traded to St. Louis for Tom Herr Read More »