In advance of the April 1988 publication of his new autobiography Wizard, which Smith wrote with St. Louis sportswriter Rob Rains, the Cardinals shortstop sat down with Washington Post writer Thomas Boswell for a three-hour, cover-story interview for GQ Magazine. In the ensuing article, Boswell either quoted or paraphrased Smith criticizing a wide range of baseball colleagues, including former teammate Jack Clark, manager Whitey Herzog, umpires, the New York Mets (particularly third baseman Howard Johnson), and the San Francisco Giants (particularly catcher Bob Brenly).

“I feel that it was an injustice,” Smith said. “It came out totally opposite of the way I thought it was going to come out.”[1]

Ozzie vs. Jack Clark

The previous September, Clark tore a ligament in his ankle while attempting to avoid a tag at first base. Originally believed to be relatively minor, Clark’s injury kept him out of the playoffs, and without their top slugger, the Cardinals fell to the Twins in a seven-game World Series.

“A lot of players soured on Jack Clark when he didn’t try to come back … (he) should have taken a shot … everybody would have at least known that he had tried,” Smith was quoted as saying in Boswell’s GQ article.[2]

It was a similar statement to what was published the following month in Wizard: “I think Jack should have taken a shot to try to kill the pain in his ankle so he could play – at least to find out if he could play. It was a way he could have shown the club how hard he was trying to play, since he was in the middle of negotiating a new contract. If he had taken the shot and still hadn’t been able to play, everybody would have at least known he had tried.”[3]

The truth, however, was that painkillers would not have allowed Clark to play through a torn ligament.

“I don’t know what got into him to say those things. He must have done one too many backflips,” Clark fired back. “Both Dr. (James) Andrews and our team physician, Dr. (Stan) London, told me a shot wouldn’t do any good. It wasn’t that kind of an injury. There was a tear in there that they said would take four to five months to heal – which it did. They told me to stay off it.”[4]

In fact, Clark – who signed with the Yankees during the offseason – was still recovering when the 1988 season began, forcing him to miss New York’s first nine games. He was, however, feeling well enough to take aim at his former teammate.

“Ozzie’s obviously bitter about something,” Clark said. “He thinks he should be both the manager and the team doctor now. I think maybe it’s because he was paid $2 million a year when he was a .230 hitter, and now that he’s finally earning his money, he can speak out like that. I know this, I was going into free agency and I had a chance to win the MVP. Don’t you think I wanted to play?”[5]

In a 1991 Sports Illustrated article, Clark later suggested that Smith made those comments to gain favor with Cardinals ownership in advance of his own upcoming contract negotiations.[6]

“If you ask me, he should apologize,” Clark said. “Not to me. I don’t care. I’m starting a new life over here with the Yankees and I’ve never been happier. But he owes an apology to Whitey and (Cubs outfielder Andre) Dawson.”[7]

Why would he owe those gentlemen apologies? We’re getting there …

Ozzie vs. Whitey Herzog

In the GQ article, Smith criticized Herzog’s comments to the media during the World Series.

In the magazine article, Smith said, “I felt that the team needed a vote of confidence. For the manager to say, ‘You guys are as good or better than they are.’ But Whitey kept saying, ‘I don’t know why we’re here,’ like he expected us to lose. I kept waiting for him to say something positive, but he never did. Maybe he figured we knew how he felt, and he was just trying to lull the other team to sleep. But some guys didn’t understand that. We needed a boost.”[8]

Herzog subsequently explained his postseason comments that painted the Cardinals as clear underdogs as they played without Clark and third baseman Terry Pendleton, who was also out with an injury.

“You lose Jack Clark. Do you think we should beat the Giants?” Herzog said. “We lost Clark and Terry Pendleton. Do you think we should beat anybody in a seven-game series? What I meant was that we overachieved to get there. What I was saying was a compliment to what we accomplished without those guys.”[9]

Nonetheless, Herzog said he wasn’t bothered by Smith’s comments.

“Ozzie is a hell of a good ballplayer, a hell of a guy, and a good friend,” he said.[10]

Instead, Herzog was more concerned about the comments attributed to Smith regarding major league umpires.

Ozzie vs. the Umpires

In discussing baseball’s umpires, Boswell quoted Smith saying, “Their judgement is bad, their eyesight is bad, their level of consistency is terrible. … Since my contract, my strike zone has all of a sudden become a lot larger. I have to think a lot of umpires are trying to call me out just so they can show me they’re the boss.”[11]

While Herzog brushed aside the quotes regarding his World Series performance, he immediately arranged for a telephone conversation between Smith and National League President A. Bartlett Giamatti to clear the air.[12] With a new season about to begin, Herzog wanted to halt a feud between his star shortstop and the league’s umpires before it began.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, umpires Frank Pulli, Gerry Crawford, and Eric Gregg expressed surprise at Smith’s remarks. “I’ve always gotten along well with Ozzie,” Crawford said.[13]

Smith, meanwhile, said that Boswell had misconstrued his point by indicating the umpires were “prejudiced” against him.

“I’d never say something like that,” Smith said. “I said that in any business, there are people who are incompetent at what they do, not only in baseball. You find players who are incompetent, umpires who are incompetent. I don’t know where the prejudice comes from.”[14]

In Wizard, Smith struck a similar tone and seemed to be saying that any “prejudice” on the umpires’ part was due to his recent, high-paying salary.

“Unfortunately, since I signed the contract, my strike zone seems to have suddenly become a lot larger,” he wrote. “I like to think I have a pretty good eye at the plate, but it sure seems like all of the close pitches now go the pitcher’s way. I want to think that it hasn’t been malicious, but it has happened so often that it suggests a lot of umpires resent my contract.”[15]

Ozzie vs. Andre Dawson

Boswell’s GQ article also hinted that Smith believed he should have won the previous year’s NL MVP award over Cubs outfielder Andre Dawson.

Dawson won the MVP trophy with 11 of 24 first-place votes after batting .287 with 49 homers and 137 RBIs. Smith, meanwhile, received nine first-place votes after batting .303 with 75 RBIs, 104 runs scored, and 43 stolen bases.

Smith discussed the MVP results in Wizard, writing, “There is a gray area in MVP voting, in that nobody has ever established whether the award should be for the most “valuable” player – which is what it says – or the most “outstanding” player. Dawson was definitely the most outstanding player in the league. But his club finished in last place. Where would the Cubs have finished without him? How valuable could his performance have been? To me, the MVP should be a player who had an integral role in his club’s winning.”[16]

Ozzie vs. the New York Mets

Smith’s comments regarding the MVP race were nothing compared to what he had to say about the Mets. In Boswell’s article, he wrote that Smith believed Mets third baseman Howard Johnson should have an asterisk beside his stat line due to suspicions that Johnson corked his bat.[17] Johnson hit 36 homers and drove in 99 runs in 1987.

“Someone ought to drill that disrespectful jerk, and that’s all I want to say,” said Keith Hernandez, Smith’s former teammate in St. Louis.[18]

“I’m surprised he said it, but I’d rather not comment,” Dwight Gooden said.[19]

“I’m not going to say anything about it,” Howard Johnson said. “I don’t think it would be too wise to say anything about it.”[20]

Ozzie vs. Bob Brenly and the San Francisco Giants

In both the GQ article and his autobiography, Smith noted that as much as he disliked the Mets, the Giants were even worse.

Boswell paraphrased Smith’s feelings, writing that “the New York Mets are disrespectful jerks but the San Francisco Giants are worse. They’re scared loudmouths.”[21] In his own book, Smith used similar phrasing, calling them “loudmouth overachievers.”[22]

Smith particularly called out Giants outfielder Jeffrey Leonard, calling him “one of the main loudmouths,” and was especially irked when catcher Bob Brenly said that Smith misplayed a ball during the NLCS because he was “styling.”

“Bob Brenly, who in my opinion is mediocre at best … once made four errors in the same game playing third base, and he’s telling me about playing defense,” Smith wrote in Wizard. “I don’t tell him how to catch or say anything about all his passed balls. If you walked down the street and asked 20 people if they know who Bob Brenly is, I guarantee 19 of them wouldn’t know him.”[23]

That summer, Smith and Brenly’s war of words turned physical when Giants first baseman Will Clark slid hard into Cardinals second baseman Jose Oquendo to break up a double play. In the ensuing brawl, Brenly appeared to get a few shots in on Smith, bloodying his lip.

“I don’t know if somebody stepped on him or what,” Brenly said. “Maybe his lip got caught rolling over on my hand.”[24]

Ozzie vs. Thomas Boswell

In response to the GQ article (his book wasn’t due out until April), Smith called a press conference before the Cardinals’ March 29 game against the Pirates.

“Anybody who knows Ozzie Smith knows that it’s completely out of character,” Smith said. “What you have here is a situation where Ozzie Smith is saying one thing, and Tom Boswell is saying another. That puts Ozzie Smith in a very vulnerable position. You pick it up, and you read it, and you’re not going to be able to read between some of the lines.”[25]

Boswell, meanwhile, stood by his work, noting that his editor was in the room during the three-hour interview.

“It’s a good thing Ozzie has good hang time because he doesn’t have a leg to stand on,” Boswell said. “In 19 years, this is the first time I’ve ever had the senior editor of the publication sit in on the whole interview.

“Everything that’s in the story is in the book at least three times over,” Boswell continued. “Every paraphrase of mine is a weakened, watered-down version of what’s in the book. What he said was not as strong in the interview as he was in the book. And if he changes the book, we still have the manuscript he showed us.”[26]

Interestingly, while the GQ interview created a brief stir, the St. Louis media seemed disappointed by Smith’s autobiography once it was published. Post-Dispatch reporter Rick Hummel wrote that Wizard “isn’t as controversial as the recent Gentlemen’s Quarterly article would suggest.”[27]

Sports editor Kevin Horrigan, who was collaborating with Herzog on his own autobiography, White Rat: A Life in Baseball, wrote that, “If Ozzie Smith’s book was a shortstop, it would be Don Buddin. He gives us the standard career recap, never telling us much about himself. But that’s nothing new. In his seven years in St. Louis, Ozzie has never really opened up. He is a careful, cautious, precise man who happens to be the greatest shortstop who ever lived.”[28]

Of course, given all the controversies Smith initiated in his GQ interview, maybe caution was a better path for the star shortstop.

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[1] Rick Hummel, “Ozzie Criticizes GQ Article,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 30, 1988.

[2] Bryan Burwell, “Ozzie: Clark, Whitey costs us Series,” New York Daily News, March 30, 1988.

[3] Ozzie Smith and Rob Rains (1988), Wizard, Contemporary Books, Pages 163-164.

[4] Bill Madden, “Clark: He’s flipped too many times,” New York Daily News, March 30, 1988.

[5] Bill Madden, “Clark: He’s flipped too many times,” New York Daily News, March 30, 1988.

[6] Rick Reilly, “This is the life that Jack built,” Sports Illustrated, July 22, 1991.

[7] Bill Madden, “Clark: He’s flipped too many times,” New York Daily News, March 30, 1988.

[8] Bryan Burwell, “Ozzie: Clark, Whitey costs us Series,” New York Daily News, March 30, 1988.

[9] Rick Hummel, “Ozzie Criticizes GQ Article,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 30, 1988.

[10] Rick Hummel, “Ozzie Criticizes GQ Article,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 30, 1988.

[11] Tom Wheatley, “Ozzie Charged With Error For Not Accepting Blame,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 2, 1988.

[12] Rick Hummel, “Ozzie Criticizes GQ Article,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 30, 1988.

[13] Rick Hummel, “Ozzie Criticizes GQ Article,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 30, 1988.

[14] Rick Hummel, “Ozzie Criticizes GQ Article,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 30, 1988.

[15] Ozzie Smith and Rob Rains (1988), Wizard, Contemporary Books, Page 113.

[16] Ozzie Smith and Rob Rains (1988), Wizard, Contemporary Books, Page 168.

[17] Bryan Burwell, “Ozzie: Clark, Whitey costs us Series,” New York Daily News, March 30, 1988.

[18] Bryan Burwell, “Ozzie: Clark, Whitey costs us Series,” New York Daily News, March 30, 1988.

[19] Bryan Burwell, “Ozzie: Clark, Whitey costs us Series,” New York Daily News, March 30, 1988.

[20] Bryan Burwell, “Ozzie: Clark, Whitey costs us Series,” New York Daily News, March 30, 1988.

[21] Rick Hummel, “Ozzie Criticizes GQ Article,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 30, 1988.

[22] Ozzie Smith and Rob Rains (1988), Wizard, Contemporary Books, Page 171.

[23] Rick Hummel, “Ozzie Says ’89 Could Be Last Year,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 3, 1988.

[24] Edvins Beitiks, “Fighting-trim Giants ready for Dodgers,” San Francisco Examiner, July 25, 1988.

[25] Rick Hummel, “Ozzie Criticizes GQ Article,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 30, 1988.

[26] Tom Wheatley, “Ozzie Charged With Error For Not Accepting Blame,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 2, 1988.

[27] Rick Hummel, “Ozzie Says ’89 Could Be Last Year,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 3, 1988.

[28] Kevin Horrigan, “Latest Book On Ozzie Smith: Good Field, No Write,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 20, 1988.

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The dichotomy between Magrane’s mound dominance and his relatively small win total still stands as the record for the fewest wins by an ERA champion in a non-strike-shortened season.

A former first-round draft pick out of the University of Arizona, Magrane raced through the Cardinals’ minor leagues, making his major-league debut as a 22-year-old in 1987. That season, he went 9-7 with a 3.54 ERA in 170 1/3 innings, finishing behind only Padres catcher Benito Santiago and Pirates pitcher Mike Dunne in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting.

Though Magrane sought to build upon that success early in 1988, he encountered early frustrations, receiving no decision in his first three starts before he was sidelined with a strained rib cage that kept him out until June. In his second start back, he earned his first win of the season, a 7-3 victory over the Pirates in which he allowed two earned runs over eight innings. It was the worst performance he would have in a win all season.

In July, Magrane made five starts, compiling a 1.75 ERA over 36 innings. In all five starts, he went at least seven innings while allowing two or fewer earned runs; nonetheless, he went 0-2 that month, dropping his season record to 1-4.

After dropping his first two starts of August, including a loss to the Phillies in which he allowed two runs (one earned) over eight innings, Magrane finally claimed his second win of the season on August 12. Wearing a T-shirt under his uniform that read, “Throw Strikes. Babe Ruth’s Dead,”[1] Magrane was dominant, throwing a complete-game one-hitter and striking out six in a 4-0 win over the Cubs.

“I thought it was going to take an effort like that to get over the hump,” he said.[2]

It proved to be Magrane’s only win that month. Incredibly, he went 1-4 in August despite posting a 2.03 ERA in 44 1/3 innings. As he entered the final month of the season, he had a 2.32 ERA over 18 starts, yet had just a 2-8 record to show for it.

With Magrane’s innings total beginning to pile up, it was becoming more and more likely that he would become eligible for the NL’s ERA crown. When asked by reporters, Magrane expressed mixed feelings about celebrating his ERA in an era when pitchers’ won-loss record was significant in measuring their success.

“I would rather have 15 victories and a 5-something ERA,” he said. “There’s really no barometer for a pitcher except wins. I’m not focusing on the ERA thing.”[3]

In another interview, he said, “I can’t lie, (it) would be nice. In the scheme of things, it doesn’t mean anything. Winning ballgames is what’s going to keep me here. I heard (Rick) Sutcliffe allude to it earlier this year. He said that there was no better feeling than to be out there in the ninth inning and get out with a win. That is your job.”[4]

Ultimately, pitching all nine innings was how Magrane earned his final three wins of the season. On September 2, he shut out the Astros over nine innings, allowing just three hits and two walks.

“That guy should be a 20-game winner,” Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog said after the game.[5]

Five days later, Magrane threw a complete-game shutout against the Phillies, scattering seven hits and three walks while striking out seven. It was his first home win of the season and the first time all year that he had won back-to-back games.

“The run support hasn’t been outstanding this year, but that certainly has made me a much better starting pitcher,” Magrane said. “I’m thinking more about things that can hurt me in a close game.”[6]

Magrane struggled in his next start against the Expos, then received no decision in his next two, including an eight-inning, one-run performance against the Mets. In his final start of the season, Magrane threw another complete game, this time holding the Pirates to one run on eight hits.

“I’m pleased because when I wasn’t hurt, I went out there and kept us in the game for seven, eight, nine innings,” he said. “That’s the earmark of a good starting pitcher. I know I’m going to be involved in a lot of low-scoring games as long as I’m a Cardinal, so I have to do the little things that can help me – like quickening my move to home plate.”[7]

The win improved Magrane’s record to 5-9 and lowered his ERA to 2.18. That placed him .05 below David Cone of the Mets and .07 below John Tudor, who had been traded to the Dodgers a few weeks earlier. Both Cone and Tudor still had regular-season starts upcoming. If Cone threw five scoreless innings against the Cardinals, he once again would pass Magrane.

“Right now, I don’t think my chances of keeping it are very good,” Magrane said.[8]

Herzog said he would use Magrane in the Cardinals’ regular-season finale against the Mets if the Cardinals southpaw fell behind in the ERA race, but Magrane said he didn’t want to pitch again solely to try and win the ERA title.

“I would prefer that things like that be accomplished on things done during the season, and not ducking in for one or two innings,” he said. “I’d say that more than likely this was my last start.”[9]

It proved to be a non-issue. Though Cone shut out the Cardinals through the first five innings of his start on September 30, the Cardinals scratched across two runs in the sixth inning and Cone finished the season with a 2.22 ERA, .04 behind Magrane.

The Dodgers’ Orel Hershiser finished the year with a 2.26 ERA, Tudor was fourth with a 2.32 ERA, and the Reds’ Jose Rijo posted a 2.39 ERA to rank fifth among National League hurlers. While the win over the Cardinals marked Cone’s 20^th of the season, Hershiser finished with 23, Rijo won 13 games, and even Tudor – who spent most of the season with the same Cardinals offense as Magrane – won 10.

“I would like to have gotten a lot more offensive support this year, but it could be a different case next year,” Magrane said. “I could have 15 wins and a 5.00 ERA and I’d be more than pleased with that.”[10]

Three of Magrane’s five wins that season came via shutout. In his other two wins, he allowed one and two runs.

“I’m more than satisfied with this,” Magrane said before adding, “I’m more than relieved that the season is over.”[11]

Magrane did get better run support in 1989, as he went 18-9 with a 2.91 ERA. He finished tied for fourth in that year’s NL Cy Young Award voting.

After such a promising start, however, arm injuries derailed Magrane’s career. He went just 10-17 with a 3.59 ERA in 1990, then missed all of the 1991 and most of the 1992 season with injuries. He never regained his previous form, posting a 4.97 ERA in 1993 before the Cardinals released him.

In six seasons for the Cardinals, he went just 51-54 despite posting a 3.34 ERA. Following his retirement in 1996, Magrane became a broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Rays and the MLB Network.

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[1] Rick Hummel, “Magrane One-hits Cubs,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 13, 1988.

[2] Rick Hummel, “Magrane One-hits Cubs,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 13, 1988.

[3] John Sonderegger, “Magrane Keeps Throwing 0’s,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 9, 1988.

[4] Rick Hummel, “Magrane Makes Do With Two,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 4, 1988.

[5] Rick Hummel, “Magrane Makes Do With Two,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 4, 1988.

[6] John Sonderegger, “Magrane Keeps Throwing 0’s,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 9, 1988.

[7] Rick Hummel, “Magrane Takes Lead In Race For ERA Title,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 30, 1988.

[8] Rick Hummel, “Magrane Takes Lead In Race For ERA Title,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 30, 1988.

[9] Rick Hummel, “Magrane Takes Lead In Race For ERA Title,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 30, 1988.

[10] Rick Hummel, “Magrane Takes Lead In Race For ERA Title,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 30, 1988.

[11] Rick Hummel, “Magrane Takes Lead In Race For ERA Title,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 30, 1988.

The post How Joe Magrane won the 1988 ERA title with just five wins first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

Neither team enjoyed the same success in 1988 that they had before. Entering the final game of their four-game series on July 24, the Giants were 49-46, seven games behind the NL West-leading Dodgers. The Cardinals, meanwhile, were just 43-53, 15 games behind the NL East-leading Mets and just two games ahead of the last-place Phillies.

Though the Giants were on the outskirts of the NL West race, veteran pitcher Rick Reuschel was enjoying another strong season, and he entered the game at Busch Stadium with a 12-5 record and 3.13 ERA. The Cardinals countered with Jose DeLeon, who entered the game with a 6-7 record and 4.10 ERA.

The Giants opened the scoring in the second inning when Candy Maldonado tripled, then scored on a groundout. Two innings later, Maldonado singled and scored on a sacrifice fly to give the Giants a 2-0 lead.

Clark put the game away in the fifth with his 22^nd home run of the season, a two-out, three-run blast to right field that gave San Francisco a 5-0 lead.

“DeLeon made a terrible pitch,” Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog said. “He’s got to know the guy is hitting.”[1]

Clark was at the center of the action again in the eighth inning when the fisticuffs began. With one out, Clark singled to center field. When Maldonado grounded to the shortstop, Smith fielded the ball cleanly and threw it to Oquendo for the force-out at second. Clark slid hard through the bag, sending himself and Oquendo well past the bag and breaking up the potential double play.

Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch described the scene that followed:

Oquendo kicked Clark and then cuffed Clark’s helmet with his hand.

Clark, his attention having been obtained, jumped to his feet and grabbed Oquendo. Smith, coming to the rescue, landed a punch from behind and then missed a roundhouse punch. Smith got in two more blows as Oquendo and Clark continued grappling, with Clark gaining the upper hand.

Maldonado, flying in from the right side, apparently gave Smith a shot that split Smith’s lip. Tom Pagnozzi, who came from the Cardinals’ bullpen, wrestled Maldonado to the ground.[2]

“When I slid, I hit the bag and I bounced off to the side and I was laying against Oquendo’s leg,” Clark said. “He kneed me and said, ‘What are you doing, man?’ or something like that. There’s really no answer to that. I was trying to break up two. When I was getting up, that’s when he hit me in the head. I couldn’t understand what that was all about, then I just went off. I pushed him and from there, it all happened real quick.”[3]

Ironically, the first player to arrive and support Clark, Maldonado, had been in his own fight with Clark in the clubhouse a week earlier.[4]

“You don’t like to fight, but in a situation like that – they’re holding Will Clark down, swinging at Will Clark – you don’t wait,” Maldonado said. “You go.”[5]

Giants manager Roger Craig certainly noticed Maldonado’s effort.

“Tell you one thing,” he said. “That’s the fastest I’ve seen Maldonado from first to second.”[6]

Giants catcher Bob Brenly was one of the next Giants to arrive, getting a couple of shots in at Smith and appearing to bloody his lip. Earlier in the year, Smith had called Brenly and the Giants “scared loudmouths” in an interview with GQ magazine.

“I don’t know if somebody stepped on him or what,” Brenly said. “Maybe his lip got caught rolling over on my hand.”[7]

Oquendo and Clark were ejected for their roles in the fight. Second base umpire Dutch Rennert said he did not eject Smith because he didn’t see the Cardinals shortstop land any punches.

“I saw Clark swing at (Oquendo) and both were ejected for fighting,” he explained. “I didn’t see Ozzie get hit in that mess, to tell you the truth. He got three punches in? I just saw one punch by Clark. I didn’t know Ozzie hit him. If I had seen Ozzie sucker-punch him, I would have thrown him out.”[8]

Though Smith didn’t leave the game that evening, he did sit out the following day’s game against the Pirates after complaining of soreness.[9]

When the umpires finally settled matters and resumed play, it didn’t take long for sparks to fly once more when Cardinals reliever Scott Terry’s second pitch to Mike Aldrete came in high and tight. Umpire Randy Marsh immediately ejected Terry and both benches again emptied. Smith and Giants catcher Bob Brenly exchanged heated words, but this time no punches were thrown.

“I know nobody told (Terry) to throw at him,” Herzog said. “I don’t think it was behind him or a dangerous pitch.”[10]

Police remained on the field for the remainder of the game.[11]

Ultimately, the Cardinals landed more blows against Clark than they did against Reuschel, who earned the complete-game shutout in the 5-0 Giants win.

After the game, Oquendo said, “I was just trying to get out of the way and I didn’t think that was a right slide. He slid late. I was ticked off.”[12]

Herzog placed the blame on the umpires. Two nights earlier, he complained when Clark slid past the bag to break up a double-play in that game.

“The rule states that you can slide on the first-base side of the bag and your momentum can carry you on that side of the bag,” Herzog said. “They didn’t call it, so (Clark) did it again. I told them if they had called it the other night, this stuff wouldn’t have happened.”[13]

“(Clark) didn’t slide out of the baseline,” Rennert responded when Herzog’s comments were repeated to him. “He slid over the bag. Straight and directly. A hard slide. Baseball can be a hard game. He’s got a gripe, but … that’s all you’ve got to do – slide directly over the bag.”[14]

For his part, the old-school Clark said he was simply playing hard-nosed baseball.

“In the old days, they went out there and played aggressive,” he said. “That’s the only way I was born and raised to play baseball. So that’s what I do. Evidently, they took it in the wrong fashion. If I have the opportunity to do it again, I’m going to go in there the same way.”[15]

Twelve years later, the Cardinals would come to appreciate Clark’s hard-charging style of play, obtaining him in a trade for minor-league third baseman Jose Leon. Clark played the final 2 ½ months of his career in St. Louis, playing first base in place of Mark McGwire, who was battling patellar tendinitis in his right knee.

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[1] Rick Hummel, “Giants Belt Cards 5-0,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 25, 1988.

[2] Rick Hummel, “Giants Belt Cards 5-0,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 25, 1988.

[3] Dave Luecking, “Clark Says He’ll Slide Same Way,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 25, 1988.

[4] Edvins Beitiks, “Fighting-trim Giants ready for Dodgers,” San Francisco Examiner, July 25, 1988.

[5] Edvins Beitiks, “Fighting-trim Giants ready for Dodgers,” San Francisco Examiner, July 25, 1988.

[6] Edvins Beitiks, “Fighting-trim Giants ready for Dodgers,” San Francisco Examiner, July 25, 1988.

[7] Edvins Beitiks, “Fighting-trim Giants ready for Dodgers,” San Francisco Examiner, July 25, 1988.

[8] Rick Hummel, “Giants Belt Cards 5-0,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 25, 1988.

[9] Dave Luecking, “‘Fracas’ Leaves Smith Sore,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 26, 1988.

[10] Rick Hummel, “Giants Belt Cards 5-0,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 25, 1988.

[11] Rick Hummel, “Giants Belt Cards 5-0,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 25, 1988.

[12] Rick Hummel, “Giants Belt Cards 5-0,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 25, 1988.

[13] Rick Hummel, “Giants Belt Cards 5-0,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 25, 1988.

[14] Rick Hummel, “Giants Belt Cards 5-0,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 25, 1988.

[15] Dave Luecking, “Clark Says He’ll Slide Same Way,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 25, 1988.

The post July 24, 1988: Ozzie Smith and Jose Oquendo fight Giants slugger Will Clark first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

Since the Cardinals acquired Clark from the Giants on February 1, 1985, he had been the primary source of power in a lineup that was built around speed. In his first season in St. Louis, he hit .281 with a team-leading 22 home runs (Andy Van Slyke was second on the team with 13). In that season’s NLCS against the Dodgers, Clark hit .381 and his three-run homer in the ninth inning of Game 6 clinched the series. In the World Series against the Royals, he added another four RBIs.

A torn ligament in his thumb limited Clark to just 65 games the following year (his nine homers ranked second on the team behind Van Slyke’s 13), but in 1987, Clark again paced the Cardinals’ offense. In what proved to be his final season in St. Louis, he hit .286 with a league-leading .459 on-base percentage (buoyed by a league-high 136 walks) and .597 slugging percentage.

With 35 homers and 106 RBIs, Clark placed third in the National League MVP vote and won the Silver Slugger Award at first base despite suffering an ankle injury on September 7 that limited him to only a few pinch-hit at-bats the remainder of the season.

“We’d have never won the 1985 and 1987 pennants without him,” Herzog wrote in 1999. “He was one of the scariest fastball hitters I ever saw. Some of his shots to the opposite field didn’t just scatter the fans, they left the seats in splinters. There wasn’t a pitcher in baseball that didn’t fear Jack Clark.”[1]

Herzog wrote that he didn’t have to see the batting cages to know when Clark was taking batting practice.

“He was the only guy I had who didn’t sound like he was hittin’ underwater,” he wrote.[2]

After the Cardinals lost to the Twins in the 1987 World Series, however, the Cardinals seemed in little rush to sign the four-time all-star. In December, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that both sides believed they could reach a two-year deal that would pay Clark approximately $2 million per year.

The Cardinals, however, wanted a lower base salary with incentives for the number of games played, with the contract reaching full value at 145 games. Clark and his agents, Bill Landman and Tom Reich, weren’t opposed to the concept, but wanted the contract to max out at 125 or 130 games.[3]

“Dal and I have to be a little creative,” said Landman, referring to Cardinals general manager Dal Maxvill. “On one hand, the Cardinals have to protect themselves a little bit if Jack can’t play a full season. On the other, you have to acknowledge his contribution to the team and his value.”[4]

Clark also wanted a $250,000 loan that was part of his last contract with the Giants, in addition to the $2 million salary. The Cardinals wanted it to be included as part of the $2 million deal.

“It’s not really a loan anymore,” Maxvill said. “It’s just more money that he wants the way he’s dealing with it. Instead of him wanting $2 million, he wants $2,250,000.”[5]

Clark had an option of filing for salary arbitration before the December 19 deadline, but opted to remain a free agent. [6]

“The last thing I heard was that we were pretty much at an impasse,” Clark said. “I think I should be concerned. I don’t understand what’s so difficult. I’m not frustrated, but I’m discouraged enough that I don’t even care to get involved. This should be an exciting time. It seems like such an easy thing. I guess it isn’t.”[7]

On December 7, after months of negotiating solely with the Cardinals, Reich announced he would begin actively pursuing opportunities with other teams.

“There’s no animosities, no hard feelings for the Cardinals,” Reich said. “We respect the Cardinals. We’re not closing any doors, but we’re going to absolutely attempt to negotiate with other teams. We’re just not getting anywhere.”[8]

With no progress toward a deal since November, Reich said, he and Clark had no intention of coming back to the Cardinals to see if they would match or top it.[9] Despite Clark’s growing frustration, Maxvill still thought that an agreement was just a matter of time.

“I can’t imagine why Jack wouldn’t sign and stay here, with the numbers we’re talking about,” Maxvill said. “If he squirms out a few dollars more somewhere else, is he going to uproot himself? I can’t imagine him wanting to do that. This is a great place to play. I don’t know if clubs out there, based on his past health, would go into the $2 million category where we are.”[10]

Maxvill noted that he had left several messages with Landman but that none had been returned.[11] According to Major League Baseball rules in place at the time, the Cardinals had until midnight on Friday, January 8, to re-sign Clark or they would lose their rights to talk to him until May 1.[12]

“I’m sure they’re going to wait until Friday to use that as a pressure tactic … but A-B (Anheuser-Busch) doesn’t move because of applying pressure,” Maxvill said.[13]

Clark and his agents didn’t wait until Friday, and it wasn’t a pressure tactic. On Wednesday, January 6, the Yankees held a press conference announcing that they had signed Clark to a two-year contract. The deal paid a guaranteed $3 million, with the chance to reach $4 million if Clark played 145 games per season.

Clark admitted that the contract called for less money than what the Cardinals had offered.

“In St. Louis, we’ve been negotiating for what amounts to about three years, and nothing was really happening,” he said. “I felt we were getting to a point we didn’t want, so I asked Tom to step in and find me a job.”[14]

Negotiations with the Yankees moved much more swiftly than they had with the Cardinals.

“This is one of the quickest negotiations I’ve ever been involved in, or will be involved in, as a general manager,” Piniella said. “I spoke with Jack Clark’s agent Monday, we spoke yesterday, and signed today.”[15]

Clark said the Cardinals made two last-minute offers – one for $1.75 million guaranteed per year and a $250,000 signing bonus, and another for $1.6 million per year with a chance to make $1.9 million if he played 140 games, plus the $250,000 signing bonus. Ironically, the Cardinals wound up paying the $250,000 that had been so contentious anyway due to a clause in Clark’s contract that required the Cardinals to pay him that amount if they did not re-sign him.[16]

“There’s no question that if the proposal had been made a week, two weeks, six weeks earlier, they would have had a deal, but by that time we had given our word,” Reich said.[17]

Clark was also upset about a comment he claimed Maxvill made in which he allegedly said, “If you won’t play here, just go to Cleveland.” Maxvill said he had mentioned Cleveland in a conversation with Landman, but not in that context.[18]

“We had been negotiating three long years, and nothing was really happening,” Clark said. “The fact is, I took a lot of stuff there that made me look bad. They kept beating me down about my injuries, and they said stuff about me not being a good first baseman after I agreed to play there to help the team.”[19]

In New York, Clark joined a Yankees lineup that also included Don Mattingly, Dave Winfield, and Rickey Henderson. With Mattingly at first base and Winfield and Henderson in the corner outfield spots, Clark was slotted as the Yankees’ designated hitter.[20]

“He’s a hitter,” Piniella said. “That’s what we got him for. We just want him to hit. Plus, he comes from a winning organization. I’ve stressed that in all our dealings, we get people who know how to win here. This is a signing the magnitude of Reggie Jackson.”[21]

In St. Louis, perhaps no one was more disappointed than Herzog, who noted that the process reminded him of the 1984 offseason, when the Cardinals lost their star closer, Bruce Sutter.

“All I ever heard was, ‘We’ll sign him, we’ll sign him,’” Herzog said. “I heard that about Sutter too.”[22]

While the Cardinals continued to thrive in Sutter’s absence thanks to relievers like Jeff Lahti and Todd Worrell, the Cardinals didn’t have another first baseman waiting to fill Clark’s shoes. Herzog said he might use left-handed-hitting Mike Laga and right-handed-hitting Jim Lindeman at first base, and that David Green also was an option.[23]

“In all honesty, without Jack Clark for 162 games, we’ll be lucky to play .500,” Herzog said. “I’m not saying we can’t get a surprise, but where’s that surprise going to be? We just lost our only threat we’ve got. You’ve seen us play.”[24]

Clark’s former teammates were also disappointed.

“Wow! That’s not good,” said Bob Forsch, who was also a free agent and in the midst of his own contract negotiations with the Cardinals. “I mean, it’s good for Jack Clark. I’m happy for him and his family, but it’s not going to help our ballclub. I really thought he’d end up here. Boy, that’s a shame. Boy, that’s going to hurt, losing 120 runs batted in. The Cardinals are going to have to scuffle to find another first baseman.”[25]

“I just had a feeling after the last week or so that he was gone,” Willie McGee said. “They dragged it on so long. I know that’s it. I know Jack.”[26]

Maxvill said he wasn’t surprised either. After all, Clark and his representatives hadn’t responded to his phone calls in three days.[27]

“I guess (people) will probably be upset with me because I didn’t get the job done, but I don’t know what else you can do when you offer someone more money, and they still leave,” Maxvill said. “We’re all upset. Obviously, he wanted to play in New York. Obviously, he likes the city better. He likes the media better. He likes their fans.”[28]

Rather than taking blame for the way things worked out, Maxvill said Clark was simply impatient with the process.

“He felt Bill Landman and I were dragging our feet, although Bill and I didn’t feel that way. I don’t feel anything more could have been done. Jack felt that Bill and I were not making progress, even though we both felt that we were, and he decided to call another agent in.”[29]

Reich was quick to point out that he wasn’t blaming for Clark leaving St. Louis either, noting that Clark had given ground considerably in negotiations, including accepting two years instead of the three he originally sought.

“I’m the same guy that told Jack when he was traded by San Francisco to St. Louis that it was a great opportunity, and that’s what I reiterated to him after the season was over,” Reich said. “They do business tough in St. Louis. They run it like a hard business, and they’re entitled to do that. They have the right to play hardball, but you also know that carries a risk. Deals can get away sometimes. This one did. Jack just got fed up with it. Jack simply had enough of their style. He didn’t like being depreciated.”[30]

Eight days after Clark signed with the Yankees, the Cardinals signed Bob Horner to a one-year deal. Horner played just 65 games before what proved to be a career-ending shoulder injury ended his season. Desperate for a first baseman, the Cardinals traded John Tudor to the Dodgers for Pedro Guerrero in August.

Clark spent one season in New York, batting .242 with 27 homers and 93 RBIs. As the season progressed, however, he found himself disillusioned with the Yankees’ lifestyle and wished to return to the West Coast. Harvey Araton of the New York Daily News noted that shortly after Clark signed with the Yankees, their new designated hitter already seemed wistful about his days in St. Louis.

“At 5:30, Clark walked in and stood at the podium with Piniella,” Araton wrote. “He said he was excited to be a Yankee, but he didn’t look very excited. Truth is, he looked subdued. He made sure to say how sorry he was to be leaving all his friends – Ozzie (Smith) and (Terry) Pendleton and Danny Cox – behind in St. Louis.”[31]

In October 1988, the Yankees traded Clark and Pat Clements to the Padres for Stan Jefferson, Jimmy Jones, and Lance McCullers. Clark played two seasons in San Diego, then signed with the Red Sox as a free agent. He retired after the 1992 season, ending an 18-year major-league career that included 340 homers and 1,180 RBIs.

Enjoy this post? Please consider purchasing a copy of my book, The Trades That Made The St. Louis Cardinals, now available on Amazon!

[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 75.

[2] 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 121.

[3] Rick Hummel, “Clark, Cardinals On Hold As Deadline Approaches,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 4, 1988.

[4] Rick Hummel, “Negotiations With Clark Hit Snag,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 6, 1987.

[5] Rick Hummel, “Clark, Cardinals On Hold As Deadline Approaches,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 4, 1988.

[6] Rick Hummel, “Negotiations With Clark Hit Snag,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 6, 1987.

[7] Rick Hummel, “Negotiations With Clark Hit Snag,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 6, 1987.

[8] Rick Hummel, “Clark To Consider Other Teams,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 8, 1987.

[9] Rick Hummel, “Clark To Consider Other Teams,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 8, 1987.

[10] Rick Hummel, “Clark, Cardinals On Hold As Deadline Approaches,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 4, 1988.

[11] Rick Hummel, “Clark, Cardinals On Hold As Deadline Approaches,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 4, 1988.

[12] Rick Hummel, “Clark, Cardinals On Hold As Deadline Approaches,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 4, 1988.

[13] Rick Hummel, “Clark, Cardinals On Hold As Deadline Approaches,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 4, 1988.

[14] Rick Hummel, “Impatience Motivated Clark,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 7, 1988.

[15] Bill Madden, “Boss’ great hi-Jack,” New York Daily News, January 7, 1988.

[16] Rick Hummel, “Clark Agent: Bid By Cards Too Late,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 8, 1988.

[17] Rick Hummel, “Clark Agent: Bid By Cards Too Late,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 8, 1988.

[18] Rick Hummel, “Impatience Motivated Clark,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 7, 1988.

[19] Bill Madden, “Boss’ great hi-Jack,” New York Daily News, January 7, 1988.

[20] Bill Madden, “Boss’ great hi-Jack,” New York Daily News, January 7, 1988.

[21] Bill Madden, “Boss’ great hi-Jack,” New York Daily News, January 7, 1988.

[22] Rick Hummel, “Herzog: ‘We’ll Be Lucky To Play .500,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 7, 1988.

[23] Rick Hummel, “Herzog: ‘We’ll Be Lucky To Play .500,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 7, 1988.

[24] Rick Hummel, “Herzog: ‘We’ll Be Lucky To Play .500,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 7, 1988.

[25] Tom Wheatley, “Losing Clark Will Hurt, Ex-Teammates Say,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 7, 1988.

[26] Tom Wheatley, “Losing Clark Will Hurt, Ex-Teammates Say,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 7, 1988.

[27] Rick Hummel, “Herzog: ‘We’ll Be Lucky To Play .500,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 7, 1988.

[28] Rick Hummel, “Herzog: ‘We’ll Be Lucky To Play .500,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 7, 1988.

[29] Rick Hummel, “Herzog: ‘We’ll Be Lucky To Play .500,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 7, 1988.

[30] Rick Hummel, “Clark Agent: Bid By Cards Too Late,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 8, 1988.

[31] Harvey Araton, “Mets: Thank you, George,” New York Daily News, January 7, 1988.

The post Jack Clark signs with the Yankees: January 6, 1988 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

“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 $1.4 million for three years.”[1]

“I just don’t think (Horner is) the answer,” Herzog continued. “I don’t know what he’d hit in our ballpark. He’s a fly ball hitter. He never did hit much on the road. You play him 81 games in our ballpark and then in other ballparks and he’s got nothing left. He never plays when he’s hurt. I just don’t know.”[2]

In nine seasons with the Braves, Horner had hit 215 home runs. Of those, 142 (66%) came at the launching pad at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. He had homered once every 12.6 at-bats in Atlanta compared to just once every 24.6 at-bats on the road.[3]

The 1978 National League Rookie of the Year winner as a 20-year-old, Horner went directly to the big leagues out of Arizona State University and hit 23 home runs in 89 games. In 1980, he hit a career-high 35 homers, and in 1982, he appeared in the All-Star Game on his way to 32 homers and 97 RBIs.

Though he was productive when on the field, Horner was plagued by injuries. He suffered a season-ending right wrist fracture that cost him the final 43 games of the 1983 season, and in 1984, he played just 32 games before he broke his left wrist, once again ending his season.

Following the 1986 season, Horner and agent Bucky Woy asked for $2 million per season. They turned down a three-year, $4.5 million offer from the Braves and, after that offer was pulled off the table, declined a three-year, $3.9 million deal on the final day that free agents could re-sign with their teams without missing a month of the season.[4]

When no one else offered him a contract, Horner signed a $2 million deal with the Yakult Swallows of the Japanese League, where he hit 31 homers in 93 games (17 years later, Horner received more than $7 million from the players’ collusion lawsuit against the owners[5]).

Despite his success in Japan, Horner wanted to return home. After Clark signed with the Yankees on January 6, 1988, Cardinals general manager Dal Maxvill reached out to Woy, who told him that Horner was interested. However, Woy suggested that the Cardinals’ offer should match the $1.75 million they offered Clark.[6]

“Horner’s a better first baseman than Clark,” Woy said. “With the rabbits they’ve got there in St. Louis, he could drive in 130, 140, 150 runs. He’s a better contact hitter than Clark. I’m not knocking Clark, but Horner has a pure stroke.”[7]

Woy then told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “If Whitey likes him, I think we can cut a deal.”[8]

That was when Herzog listed his concerns with a potential Horner signing.

“I expressed to Bucky Woy that our interest is not high, to say the least,” Maxvill said. “Whitey doesn’t have a great deal of interest in him. He mentioned a lot of points, but he was most concerned with the money.”[9]

Instead, the Cardinals made a brief pivot to Twins third baseman Gary Gaetti, but he told the Cardinals that he wasn’t interested in moving to first base.[10]

Meanwhile, Horner, who was born in Junction City, Kansas, wasn’t ready to give up. He called Maxvill and Herzog to express his interest in playing for the Cardinals.

“I didn’t want to let this thing die,” Horner said. “I didn’t want to let it slip under my fingers.”[11]

Horner’s perseverance – along with his willingness to come down from his initial asking price and the Cardinals’ lack of viable alternatives – ultimately proved the difference.

“A week ago, I wasn’t so sure we would be able to put it together, but that changed when Bob called me and informed me of his desire to play for the Cardinals,” Maxvill said.[12]

On January 14, 1988, eight days after Clark signed with the Yankees, Horner became the first player the Cardinals had signed from another team since Darrell Porter more than seven years earlier. Horner had come down considerably from his initial demands, accepting a one-year, $950,000 contract with $150,000 bonuses to be paid for reaching 125, 130, and 140 games played. He would earn an additional $140,000 for being named to the all-star team or earning regular-season or playoff MVP honors.[13]

“A long time ago, my dad had a chance to try out with a Cardinals farm team, but it was set aside when he had to go back to the farm,” Horner said. “He’s always had a dream of me playing for the Cardinals. When the family hears about this, they’re going to go crazy.”[14]

Horner had chosen the Cardinals over a $900,000 offer from the Braves and $650,000 with incentives from the Rangers.[15]

“I didn’t think Dal and Whitey liked him that much,” Braves general manager Bobby Cox said. “I’m very shocked. I don’t understand it, but good for Bob. If that’s what he wants to do, fine. We’ll go on.”[16]

“Sayonara,” said Braves president Stan Kasten. “That’s fine for Bob. I’m glad he finally found a place where he can be happy.”[17]

Horner’s former teammate, Dale Murphy, was less caustic than Kasten in wishing Horner good luck in St. Louis.

“It’ll be a little different, but it’s good that a player of Bob’s talent will be back in the National League,” Dale Murphy said. “I was hoping Bob would come back with us, but he’s going to a good organization and a good city. I’m sure he’s excited.”[18]

Horner also turned down a three-year, $10 million contract from the Yakult Swallows.

“I’ve been in this business 23 years and I never thought I’d turn down $10 million,” Woy said. “Horner really wanted to get back.”[19]

“It’s been a dream of mine to play for the Cardinals,” Horner said. “This is an absolute perfect fit for me. It just makes all the sense in the world for me right now. I turned down a lot of money from Japan, but I’m glad for this opportunity.”[20]

Herzog said he planned to bat Horner cleanup, with either Tom Herr or Terry Pendleton ahead of him in the lineup.

“Right after I talked to (the Post-Dispatch), I said to myself that I’ve only seen him play in two ballparks,” Herzog said. “I’ve always known him as a lot better player in Atlanta than he was in St. Louis, but when I found out he wanted to get back and play and show me that he’s a lot better hitter than I thought he was, I thought we’d make a hell of a deal. I’m kind of looking forward to having a guy who wants to play and a guy who wants to hit in St. Louis. And we had to do something.”[21]

“One of Whitey’s concerns was the length of the contract,” Maxvill said. “When that changed, our interest increased a considerable amount.”[22]

Nonetheless, even after the Cardinals signed Horner, Herzog continued to express concerns about how Horner’s offensive skills would translate in St. Louis.

“I know he can put a charge into a ball, but sometimes when you play in a certain ballpark, people pitch you different,” Herzog said. “At Atlanta, we tried to jam him inside. If we put a fastball out over the plate, he’d hit homers to left center and right center. In our park, when we got to 2-0 and 3-1 in the count, we’d pitch him away. He’s got a good home-run swing, but will he be able to hit the ball out of the park in right-center and left-center field?”[23]

Meanwhile, Horner looked at the 1988 season as an opportunity to prove Herzog and others around the league wrong.

“If I go out there and have the kind of year I’m capable of having, I can see getting a three- or four-year deal,” Horner said. “Sometimes you’ve got to bite the bullet and stand up for yourself. I want to prove to all those teams that didn’t offer me a contract last year that they made a big mistake.”[24]

Cardinals reliever Ken Dayley had played alongside Horner in Atlanta from 1982 until he was traded to St. Louis in 1984.

“He can play, there’s no doubt,” Dayley said. “When he gets hot, he can carry a ballclub. I know Danny Cox will be happy to see him on the ballclub.”[25]

In May 1985, Horner hit two homers off Cox in a single game, blasting one shot off the Anheuser-Busch eagle on the left-field scoreboard.

“That cost me a couple of grand, getting that thing fixed,” Cox said.[26]

Unfortunately, Horner’s two home runs at Busch Stadium that day proved to be just one shy of his total wearing the birds on the bat. Horner appeared in just 60 games for St. Louis in 1988, batting .257/.348/.354 with three homers and 33 RBIs before a shoulder injury ended his season. He was second on the team in RBIs at the time of the injury.

In August, the Cardinals traded John Tudor to the Dodgers for Pedro Guerrero. With Guerrero installed at first base, the Cardinals did not offer Horner a new contract. Horner was invited to Orioles camp for spring training in 1989, but his injured shoulder – a chronic condition he had been playing through almost his entire career –  forced him, at age 31, to retire before the season began.

“I felt in my heart it was over,” Horner said. “It’s this pressure, this weight you’re carrying around on your shoulders, and I had carried it around for so long. The shots and pills and x-rays and operations and six months of therapy … it was too much.”[27]

Horner finished his career with 218 home runs and 685 RBIs over 10 major-league seasons. He took more than 500 at-bats just once in those 10 seasons.

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[1] Rick Hummel, “Herzog: Thumbs Down On Bob Horner,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 8, 1988.

[2] Rick Hummel, “Herzog: Thumbs Down On Bob Horner,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 8, 1988.

[3] Rick Hummel, “Cards Sign Horner For Year,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 15, 1988.

[4] Rick Hummel, “Cards Sign Horner For Year,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 15, 1988.

[5] I.J. Rosenberg, “Whatever happened to: Bob Horner,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 19, 2016.

[6] Rick Hummel, “Herzog: Thumbs Down On Bob Horner,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 8, 1988.

[7] Rick Hummel, “Herzog: Thumbs Down On Bob Horner,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 8, 1988.

[8] Rick Hummel, “Herzog: Thumbs Down On Bob Horner,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 8, 1988.

[9] Gerry Fraley, “Cards: Horner not worth asking price,” Atlanta Constitution, January 9, 1988.

[10] Rick Hummel, “Herzog: Thumbs Down On Bob Horner,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 8, 1988.

[11] Rick Hummel, “Cards Sign Horner For Year,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 15, 1988.

[12] Rick Hummel, “Cards Sign Horner For Year,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 15, 1988.

[13] Rick Hummel, “Cards Sign Horner For Year,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 15, 1988.

[14] Rick Hummel, “Cards Sign Horner For Year,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 15, 1988.

[15] Rick Hummel, “Cards Sign Horner For Year,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 15, 1988.

[16] Gerry Fraley, “Horner back in majors with Cardinals,” Atlanta Constitution, January 15, 1988.

[17] Gerry Fraley, “Horner back in majors with Cardinals,” Atlanta Constitution, January 15, 1988.

[18] Gerry Fraley, “Braves adjusted to lineup without Horner,” Atlanta Constitution, January 15, 1988.

[19] Rick Hummel, “Cards Sign Horner For Year,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 15, 1988.

[20] Rick Hummel, “Cards Sign Horner For Year,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 15, 1988.

[21] Rick Hummel, “Herzog Changes Tune To Cautious Optimism,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 15, 1988.

[22] Rick Hummel, “Cards Sign Horner For Year,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 15, 1988.

[23] Rick Hummel, “Herzog Changes Tune To Cautious Optimism,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 15, 1988.

[24] Rick Hummel, “Cards Sign Horner For Year,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 15, 1988.

[25] Rick Hummel, “Herzog Changes Tune To Cautious Optimism,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 15, 1988.

[26] Rick Hummel, “Herzog Changes Tune To Cautious Optimism,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 15, 1988.

[27] “Early Retirement,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 16, 1989.

The post Why the Cardinals signed Bob Horner despite Herzog’s initial concerns first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

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 backup for outfielders Vince Coleman, Willie McGee, and Tom Brunansky.

“He definitely adds a lot to the club,” said Cardinals general manager Dal Maxvill, who was the Braves’ first base coach during Thompson’s rookie season in Atlanta in 1984. “Defensively, he’s a solid center-field type guy and we haven’t had anybody like that for a while, whether it be a Ford, a (Jim) Lindeman, or a (John) Morris, who could come in and play center field on a regular basis if Willie were to injure himself or for some reason couldn’t play. He’s got some pretty good pinch-hitting numbers too. He’s a definite plus.”^[1]

Thompson had a .342 average (25 for 73) as a pinch-hitter.^[2] He also had 105 stolen bases in 134 career attempts, good for a 78% success rate.

“He’s run up some pretty good numbers,” Maxvill said. “I particularly like his stolen-bases-to-getting-caught numbers. It looks like he knows when to run and when not to.”^[3]

Upon breaking into the majors with the Braves in 1984, Thompson received limited playing time, appearing in just 98 games over two years despite a .302 batting average over that span. Following the 1985 season, the Braves traded Thompson and Steve Bedrosian to Philadelphia for Ozzie Virgil and Pete Smith.

As the St. Louis Post-Dispatch described it, “When Thompson was acquired, he was heralded as the second coming of former Phillies star center fielder Garry Maddox. … It didn’t help matters that Virgil had been popular in Philadelphia and that Smith had been a first-round draft pick.”^[4]

Thompson got off to a slow start, drew boos from the Philadelphia faithful, and was demoted to Triple-A for two months in 1986.

“He put a lot of pressure on himself because he had heard about the fans up there,” Thompson’s wife, Annette said.^[5]

“I finally got my opportunity (but) I put too much pressure on myself and I messed up,” Thompson said. “But I got my act together.”^[6]

Despite his rough welcome to Philadelphia, Thompson got his career back on track. In 1987, his nine triples and 46 stolen bases each ranked sixth in the National League, and his .302 batting average over 527 at-bats ranked ninth in the league.

In 1988, Thompson batted .288 with a team-leading .354 on-base percentage despite injuring his right knee when he ran into Wrigley Field’s brick wall chasing a fly ball. He played two more months before he underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair torn cartilage on Sept. 12.^[7]

“He’s a good kid, plays hard, and hustles all the way,” Maxvill said. “He’s definitely a Whitey Herzog kind of player.”^[8]

Thompson agreed.

“It’s a positive move for me,” he said. “I know the type of game Whitey likes to play, and I like that style of ball. I play with what I call aggressive hustle; I’m not afraid to take the extra base.”^[9]

The Phillies, however, felt that they had better options for their everyday lineup. In November 1988, they signed former Cardinals second baseman Tom Herr and made plans to move Juan Samuel to center field.

“I’m happy, in a way,” Thompson said. “I knew that with Sammy going to the outfield I wasn’t going to get any playing time at all because he’s an everyday player. I don’t know how it’s going to work over there (in St. Louis) because they have Vince Coleman in left, Willie McGee in center, and Tom Brunansky in right. From what I hear, though, I’ll get to play and there have been some rumors that McGee could be traded. The way I look at it, it’s a two-for-one deal so hopefully it will all work out.”^[10]

Phillies general manager Lee Thomas, the Cardinals’ former director of player development, outlined two reasons for the trade.

“First, I think Milt felt like he had to play fairly regularly, and although I can’t speak for the Cardinals, I think he’ll play more there than he would have here,” Thomas said. “He’s a line-drive hitter who will fit in well at Busch Stadium. Second, Curt Ford can pull the ball and if Milt has a weakness, that was probably it, even though he’s a very fine player.”^[11]

The 28-year-old Ford had just completed his third full season in St. Louis. A 1981 fourth-round draft pick out of Jackson State University, Ford hit .285/.325/.408 with three homers, 26 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases in 228 at-bats in 1987.

In 1988, however, Ford suffered an early-season wrist injury that limited his effectiveness on the field. In 128 at-bats, he hit just .195/.239/.266.

“We look at Milt as more capable of being an everyday player than Curt could have been,” Maxvill said.^[12]

The Phillies and manager Nick Leyva appreciated Ford’s ability to play all three outfield spots as well as the infield. Thomas also indicated that they considered Ford a power threat, though he had just six career home runs in St. Louis.

“He’s the type of guy who can play second base, third, first, and the outfield, and he’s the kind of guy who, if you send him up to bat with two on when you’re behind by three in the bottom of the ninth, is a threat to hit one out,” Thomas said. “He can get around on a Todd Worrell-type fastball and there aren’t too many guys who can do that.”^[13]

Lake gave the Phillies the right-handed hitting catcher they had been seeking since Lance Parrish signed with the Angels. Lake had just completed his third season in St. Louis, and the highlight of that tenure came early in the 1987 season, when he hit .300 for six weeks while filling in for the injured Tony Pena.

“Steve did a great job for us as a backup guy,” Maxvill said. “We probably never would have won (the National League pennant) in ’87 if it hadn’t been for the way he stepped in when Tony Pena got hurt.”^[14]

On July 7, in the second game of a double-header that had been delayed by rain, Lake hit a two-run, ninth-inning homer to send the game into extra innings. By the time Jack Clark hit a 10^th-inning RBI single to win the game, it was 3 a.m.

Lake hit .251/.289/.346 that season and even received the start in Game 7 of the World Series while Pena served as the designated hitter. Lake took advantage of the opportunity, hitting a second-inning RBI single that briefly gave the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.

In 1988, however, Lake took just 54 at-bats as he was slotted into a third-string role behind Pena and Tom Pagnozzi.

“I’m excited,” Lake said after the trade. “The Cardinals are a great organization, but it had gotten kind of frustrating. I could play in the seventh game of the World Series one year, but couldn’t play a Sunday afternoon game in New York the next season. I was getting kind of antsy to get in a situation where I could platoon or at least play a little more regularly. I think I had proven I could be a backup catcher in the majors; now it’s time to see if I can do more.”^[15]

The Phillies planned to platoon the right-handed hitting Lake with Darren Daulton.

“I look at it this way: Darren Daulton will get a chance to play against right-handers and Steve Lake against left-handers unless somebody beats him out,” Thomas said. “He’s not going to play 120 or 130 games, but he handles pitchers well and he has a chance to throw runners out.”^[16]

That chance was all Lake could ask for.

“I knew at the end of the year that the Cardinals wouldn’t be keeping three catchers, and I also heard that Philadelphia was looking for catching after they traded Lance Parrish, so I was just hoping,” Lake said. “Every day for two months I’d pick up the paper and hope.”^[17]

Lake spent four seasons in Philadelphia, though he never appeared in more than 58 games in a season. In 1993, he returned to the Cubs, where he played the final season of his career. He retired with 476 games played in a career that spanned 11 major-league seasons.

Ford played two seasons in Philadelphia. He hit just .218 in 142 at-bats in 1989, and was just 2-for-18 in 1990. After the 1990 season, Ford continued his career in Triple-A and independent baseball. He retired after playing the 1997 season in the Texas-Louisiana League.

Thompson spent four seasons in St. Louis. In 1989, he hit .290/.340/.393 with four homers, 68 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases in 545 at-bats, playing well enough to garner three points in the NL MVP voting.

Thompson’s batting average dropped to .218 in 1990, though he rebounded by hitting a career-high .307 in 1991. In 326 at-bats, he hit six homers, drove in 34 runs, and stole 16 bases. In Thompson’s final season in St. Louis in 1992, he hit .293/.350/.404 and stole 18 bases, though he took just 208 at-bats.

After the 1992 campaign, Thompson signed a free-agent contract to return to Philadelphia. He retired following the 1996 season with a .274 career batting average. In 13 major-league seasons, Thompson appeared in 1,359 games and compiled 18.6 wins above replacement, per Baseball-Reference.com.

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[1] Jeff Gordon and Kevin Horrigan, “Cards Acquire Milt Thompson,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 17, 1988.

[2] Jeff Gordon and Kevin Horrigan, “Cards Acquire Milt Thompson,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 17, 1988.

[3] Jeff Gordon and Kevin Horrigan, “Cards Acquire Milt Thompson,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 17, 1988.

[4] Vahe Gregorian, “Newcomer Thompson Likes Herzog’s Style Of Ball,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 20, 1988.

[5] Vahe Gregorian, “Newcomer Thompson Likes Herzog’s Style Of Ball,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 20, 1988.

[6] Vahe Gregorian, “Newcomer Thompson Likes Herzog’s Style Of Ball,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 20, 1988.

[7] Vahe Gregorian, “Newcomer Thompson Likes Herzog’s Style Of Ball,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 20, 1988.

[8] Jeff Gordon and Kevin Horrigan, “Cards Acquire Milt Thompson,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 17, 1988.

[9] Vahe Gregorian, “Newcomer Thompson Likes Herzog’s Style Of Ball,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 20, 1988.

[10] Paul Hagen, “Phillies Dealt Two Cards for Thompson,” Philadelphia Daily News, December 17, 1988.

[11] Paul Hagen, “Phillies Dealt Two Cards for Thompson,” Philadelphia Daily News, December 17, 1988.

[12] Jeff Gordon and Kevin Horrigan, “Cards Acquire Milt Thompson,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 17, 1988.

[13] Paul Hagen, “Phillies Dealt Two Cards for Thompson,” Philadelphia Daily News, December 17, 1988.

[14] Jeff Gordon and Kevin Horrigan, “Cards Acquire Milt Thompson,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 17, 1988.

[15] Paul Hagen, “Phillies Dealt Two Cards for Thompson,” Philadelphia Daily News, December 17, 1988.

[16] Paul Hagen, “Phillies Dealt Two Cards for Thompson,” Philadelphia Daily News, December 17, 1988.

[17] Paul Hagen, “Phillies Dealt Two Cards for Thompson,” Philadelphia Daily News, December 17, 1988.

The post Why the Cardinals traded for Milt Thompson in 1988 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

Clark had anchored the Cardinals’ lineups from 1985 through 1987, but in January 1988, he signed a two-year contract with the New York Yankees for a guaranteed $3 million. In response, the Cardinals signed Bob Horner, the former Braves slugger who hit 215 home runs in nine major league seasons before spending the 1987 season with the Yakult Swallows in the Japanese League.

It didn’t take long for the Cardinals to realize that Horner wasn’t the answer. Signed to a one-year, $950,000 contract, shoulder surgery limited Horner to just 60 games in what proved to be his final major-league season. Concerned that the free-agent market may not offer an affordable alternative, the Cardinals made their move for the veteran Guerrero, who had hit .309 with 171 homers and 585 RBIs in 11 years in Los Angeles. At age 32, however, the Dodgers believed the 1981 World Series MVP’s best years were behind him.

Earlier that season, Guerrero was sidelined with a pinched nerve in his neck, and Dodgers team physician Dr. Frank Jobe told Guerrero that the condition couldn’t be improved or made worse, so he would have to learn to play through the pain. Perhaps more important was the tendinitis in both Guerrero’s knees, which required ice treatments after every game. He also battled a lingering injury to his left wrist. ^[1]

“Not that Guerrero was a cancer on the team. That’s pretty harsh terminology. But at this stage of his career, let’s just say Pedro was at least an inflamed appendix,” wrote Scott Ostler in the Los Angeles Times. “On defense, Guerrero was OK unless someone hit or threw the ball to him.”[2]

The Cardinals, meanwhile, were focused on Guerrero’s bat and the damage he could do in the middle of their lineup. Despite his injuries, in his last full season with the Dodgers in 1987, Guerrero hit .338 with 27 homers, 89 RBIs, and nine stolen bases, earning MVP votes and an all-star appearance. At the time of the trade, he was batting .298 with five homers and 35 RBIs in 215 at-bats.

“He’s got power in any yard, and not only does he hit for power, but he hits for average,” Cardinals pitcher Danny Cox said. “He’s capable of hitting the ball in the gap and driving in some runs. A single here and a single there isn’t going to score many runs, but a single here and a ball in the gap will. If you make a mistake, he’s going to make you pay for it. He’s clutch.”[3]

“He’s a dead lowball hitter,” said left-hander Greg Mathews, noting that Guerrero once hit a monstrous home run against him in Los Angeles. “He could fill the power deficit that we have. I think he can hit just as many homers as Jack (Clark) did.”[4]

Whitey Herzog, however, emphasized that he wasn’t looking for Guerrero to fill Clark’s shoes.

“I don’t think he’ll hit 35 home runs like Jack and I don’t expect him to, but I think he’ll hit 20 to 25 homers,” Herzog said.

Maxvill agreed with Herzog’s prediction while comparing Guerrero to Andre Dawson, Dale Murphy, and George Bell.

“All those guys seem to hit 25 to 30 home runs and drive in 100 runs,” he said. “In Guerrero’s case, I look at him for 20 to 25 home runs and, depending if the rabbits get on in front of him, he’s a threat to drive in 90 runs.”[5]

Before the trade could be completed, the Cardinals and Guerrero agreed to a three-year, $6 million contract. The term was one year longer than the Cardinals were willing to offer Clark, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that it was unlikely Guerrero would have accepted two years.[6]

“Times have changed in the last four or five months,” Cardinals general manager Dal Maxvill said. “Several clubs have signed guys to three-year contracts. Several teams have signed guys to contracts of this magnitude. It’s a different set of circumstances.”[7]

That set of circumstances may well have been the simple realization that they needed a middle-of-the-order bat.

“Pedro’s needed here. We need Pedro,” Herzog said. “I said, ‘Pedro, I’m the happiest guy in the world.’ He said, ‘Whitey, I want to play for you.’ I thought it was Joaquin (Andujar) on the phone.”[8]

To get that middle-of-the-order bat, however, the Cardinals had to give up a pitcher who had proven key to their National League championships in 1985 and 1987. Obtained in the December 1984 trade that sent George Hendrick to the Pirates, Tudor enjoyed the best season of his career in 1985.

After winning just one of his first eight decisions, Tudor’s former high school catcher mentioned that Tudor’s mechanics had developed a hitch that wasn’t there during his high school days. Tudor made an adjustment and won 20 of his final 21 decisions on his way to a 21-8 record. He finished second to Dwight Gooden in that year’s Cy Young Award voting and his 10 shutouts led the majors. In the postseason, he won two of his three World Series starts against the Royals, though he suffered the loss in a forgettable Game 7 performance.

“With the possible exception of Brian Sutter of the Blues, I’ve never seen an athlete who wanted to win more than John Tudor does,” wrote Post-Dispatch columnist Kevin Horrigan. “He was magnificent, a surgeon in double-knit rompers, even when pitching in pain.”[9]

In 1986, Tudor went 13-7 with a 2.92 ERA. The following year, Mets catcher Barry Lyons broke Tudor’s leg when he spilled into the Cardinals’ dugout while attempting to catch a foul ball. In just 96 innings, Tudor went 10-2 with a 3.84 ERA. In the postseason, he won Game 1 of the NLCS against the Giants and Game 3 of the World Series against the Twins, though he suffered the loss in Game 6 of the World Series.

At the time of the trade, Tudor was 6-5 and his 2.29 ERA was the lowest in the National League.

“He’s been a great pitcher and a great competitor for the Cardinals,” said St. Louis hitting coach Johnny Lewis. “I’m happy that he’s going to a club that can win. You look at our stats, and we’re definitely in dire need of a hitter. Tudor went out there and pitched a heck of a lot better than his record.”[10]

Magrane said Tudor was the only person he went to when he wanted to discuss opposing hitters.

“I learned a lot from him about how to approach a hitter’s weaknesses,” Magrane said. “If you solicited information, he was happy to provide it. Every time he threw, it was a constant reaffirmation about what a quality pitcher was. His stuff was not superlative, but day in and day out, through almost every start, he was constantly in control.”[11]

The Dodgers prized that consistency as they looked to hold off the Giants and Astros in the National League West.

“We need this to compete with teams in the league,” said Dodgers infielder Dave Anderson, noting that Fernando Valenzuela’s injury had left the Dodgers without a left-hander in the rotation.[12]

The Dodgers did more than just compete with the rest of the league. With Tudor going 4-3 with a 2.41 ERA in nine starts, the Dodgers won the NL West with a 94-67-1 record. He allowed four earned runs in five innings during the Dodgers’ Game 4 win over the Mets in the NLCS, then threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings before leaving with an elbow injury in Game 3 of the World Series.

Though Tudor earned the only World Series championship ring of his career that season, the elbow injury limited him to just 14 1/3 innings for the Dodgers in 1989. After the season, he re-signed with St. Louis and enjoyed a resurgent final season, going 12-4 with a 2.40 ERA in 146 1/3 innings.

Tudor retired after the 1990 campaign with 117 career wins and a 3.12 ERA over 12 seasons.

Though Guerrero missed out on the Dodgers’ 1988 World Series run, in 1989 he enjoyed his fifth and final all-star season, batting .311 with 17 homers, 117 RBIs, and a league-leading 42 doubles. He finished third in the NL MVP voting behind the Giants’ Kevin Mitchell and Will Clark.

Guerrero remained productive in 1990, batting .281 with 13 homers and 80 RBIs, but his power declined in 1991 as he slugged just .361 while hitting eight homers and driving in 70 runs. In 1992, injuries limited Guerrero to just 43 games. He hit .219 with one home run and 16 RBIs in his final major league season, then spent the next three years in the Mexican League, independent baseball, and a brief stay with the Angels’ Double-A.

Over 15 major league seasons, Guerrero finished with a .300 career batting average, 215 homers, and 898 RBIs.   

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[1] Jeff Gordon, “Guerrero Medical Report: Long History of Injuries,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 17, 1988.

[2] Scott Ostler, “It’s Hard Not to Get Excited About Trade,” Los Angeles Times, August 17, 1988.

[3] Tom Wheatley,” “Cardinals Welcome Guerrero,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 17, 1988.

[4] Tom Wheatley,” “Cardinals Welcome Guerrero,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 17, 1988.

[5] Rick Hummel, “Fear Sparked Guerrero Deal,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 17, 1988.

[6] Rick Hummel, “Fear Sparked Guerrero Deal,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 17, 1988.

[7] Rick Hummel, “Fear Sparked Guerrero Deal,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 17, 1988.

[8] Rick Hummel, “Fear Sparked Guerrero Deal,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 17, 1988.

[9] Kevin Horrigan, “Sullen Tudor One Of Best Ever For Birds,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 17, 1988.

[10] Tom Wheatley, “Cards Roll Out Welcome Mat For Guerrero,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 17, 1988.

[11] Tom Wheatley, “Cards Roll Out Welcome Mat For Guerrero,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 17, 1988.

[12] Sam McManis, “Dodgers Give Up Guerrero to Get Insurance,” Los Angeles Times, August 17, 1988.

The post August 16, 1988: Cards trade John Tudor for Pedro Guerrero first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

“I could see the writing on the wall,” he said, “but I didn’t think it would happen this soon.”[1]

The 32-year-old second baseman had been with the Cardinals since August 22, 1974, when he signed as an amateur free agent. In 1979, Herr earned his first taste of major league action, making 12 plate appearances in 14 games as a second baseman and pinch-hitter. His first game came the same night that Lou Brock earned the 3,000^th hit of his career.

In 1980, Herr appeared in 76 games. Desperate to get the prospect into the lineup, interim manager Red Schoendienst, who was overseeing the major league club while Whitey Herzog analyzed the Cardinals’ farm system, used Herr in 14 games at shortstop to get a better look at the rookie.

“I called (Herzog) one night and said I’d like to play this kid, Tommy Herr, at shortstop if it was all right with Whitey,” Schoendienst wrote in his 1998 autobiography. “I told Whitey I knew he was not a shortstop and was a second baseman, but this way I could get him some playing time and see what he could do. Whitey was all in favor of the idea. I told Tommy the next day about my plan. I told him, ‘I know you’re not a shortstop, but this will give you some playing time.’ He said that was OK with him and he went out and played hard and did a good job. The next year, he was our second baseman and one piece of the puzzle was in place.”[2]

Herr was the starting second baseman for the Cardinals’ 1982 world championship team and the National League champion 1985 and 1987 teams. The 1985 season was Herr’s best, as he hit .302 with career highs in homers (8), RBIs (110), and stolen bases (31). That season, he made the only All-Star Game of his career and placed fifth in the National League MVP voting.

“The most amazing hitter I had in those years might have been Tommy Herr,” Herzog wrote in 1999. “I can’t think of a better example of how having a plan, a sense of the situation you’re in, can help you succeed.

“If there was one guy I managed that I would want hitting for me in the stretch drive, in August and September, it’d be hard to pick between George Brett and Tommy. He didn’t have much power, but he’d rope it to all fields, torch the lines, bleed it up the middle, even hit one out of the ballpark when you needed it. I don’t know how he did that, but if he’d hit you 10 homers a year, eight counted for something.”[3]

One of those homers came almost exactly one year prior to the trade. On April 18, 1987, Herr hit a 10^th-inning grand slam off the Mets’ Jesse Orosco to secure a 12-8 victory. The win happened to come on Seat Cushion Night at Busch Stadium, and joyous Cardinals fans celebrated by tossing hundreds of seat cushions onto the field. In fact, fans threw so many that stadium personnel were still removing cushions from the field when players showed up for the next day’s game.[4]

The 1988 season marked the final year of Herr’s contract.

“I came into this year knowing it was a pivotal year for me, and the organization had to make a decision on me,” Herr said. “I prefer to look at it from a positive standpoint. There’s a ballclub out there that wants me – a real enthusiastic club, a fun-loving club.

“I certainly loved my time here as a Cardinal. I’m a winner, and the organization provided me a chance to play on a winner. It’s really hard to say goodbye. I wanted to play my whole career here and that dream is out the window.”[5]

Even as the Cardinals struggled in the opening weeks of the 1988 season, Herr hit .260 with a .393 on-base percentage. Nonetheless, with Jack Clark in New York on a rich free agent contract, the Cardinals needed a power hitter for the middle of the lineup.

Enter the 27-year-old Brunansky.

The 6-foot-4 right fielder from Covina, California, made his only All-Star appearance in 1985, when he clubbed 27 homers and drove in 90 RBIs. In 1987, he helped the Twins capture the world championship, hitting 32 homers and driving in 85 runs. In the American League Championship Series against Detroit, he hit .412 with two homers and nine RBIs. Against the Cardinals in the World Series, he went just 2-for-25 with two RBIs and a stolen base.

The Twins, like the Cardinals, were off to a slow start in 1988. With their 11-6 loss to the Indians that night, they had fallen to 4-10 on the season.

“I’ve been going through this situation for the last couple of years,” Brunansky said. “It had to happen. The team hasn’t been playing well. Just by the way things were going, you felt they had to make a change. It’s part of the business. There’s not much you can say.”[6]

Twins manager Tom Kelly had plenty to say about Brunansky.

“He played his heart out,” Kelly said. “He was part of a championship team. You get close to players, and it’s tough to tell a guy he’s been traded to another team. It’s not easy to do.”[7]

The day he made the trade, Cardinals general manager Dal Maxvill said the Cardinals hoped Brunansky could provide 20 homers per year in the more spacious Busch Stadium confines.[8] It proved to be an uncannily accurate prediction.

Through the remainder of the 1988 season, Brunansky hit 22 homers, more than twice as many as any other player on the roster (Tony Pena ranked second on the team with 10). Brunansky also drove in 79 RBIs and stole 16 bases. The following year, Brunansky again led the team in home runs, hitting exactly 20 to go along with 85 RBIs.

Despite Brunansky’s power production, the Cardinals won just 76 games in 1988 and 86 in 1989, when they finished third in the National League East. Brunansky played just 19 games in 1990 before the Cardinals sent him to the Red Sox for closer Lee Smith. In 320 games with the Cardinals, he hit .238/.327/.411 with 43 home runs and 166 RBIs.

He finished his 14-year major-league career with 271 home runs and 919 RBIs.

Herr played the remainder of the 1988 season in Minnesota. It proved a difficult season, as he strained his left quadriceps and required two trips to the disabled list. In 86 games, he hit .263 with two homers, 24 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases.

“The shock of the trade bothered me more than anything. … It really hit me out of the blue,” Herr said. “I can remember getting on the plane to fly to Minneapolis and crying like a baby. It was hard to go through. Looking back on it, I didn’t handle it very well. I kept looking back instead of forward. I was looking at it more that the Cardinals didn’t want me than that the Twins wanted me. If I had put a more positive spin on it, I would have reacted better.”[9]

Knowing that Herr had no intention of re-signing with them, the Twins sent Herr, Eric Bullock, and Tom Nieto to the Phillies in a rare October trade for Shane Rawley and $125,000. Following the deal, Herr signed a free-agent deal with the Phillies.

In 1990, the Phillies sent him to the Mets at the trade deadline for Nikco Riesgo and Rocky Elli. After the Mets released him in August 1991, he signed with the Giants and played the remainder of the season in San Francisco.

He finished his 13-year major league career with a .271 batting average, 1,450 hits, and 188 stolen bases.

In 2005 and 2006, Herr managed his hometown Lancaster (Pa.) Barnstormers in the Atlantic League, leading the team to the 2006 league championship. In 2007, 2009, and 2010, he managed the Washington Nationals’ Class A affiliate in Hagerstown, Maryland.[10]

In 2020, fans elected Herr to the Cardinals Hall of Fame.

“I always feel the love whenever I go back out there (to St. Louis),” Herr said. “This just puts an exclamation mark on that. It’s overwhelming, really.”[11]

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

[1] Rick Hummel, “Herr’s Head Spinning After Trade,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 23, 1988.

[2] Red Schoendienst with Rob Rains (1998), “Red: A Baseball Life,” Sports Publishing, Champaign, Ill., 177.

[3] 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,” Berkley Books, New York, 130.

[4] Rick Hummel, “What a wild ride the Cards took in ’87,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 13, 2007: Page B5.

[5] Rick Hummel, “Herr’s Head Spinning After Trade,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 23, 1988.

[6] Steve Aschburner, “Twins find goodbyes difficult,” Minneapolis Star-Tribune, April 23, 1988.

[7] Steve Aschburner, “Twins find goodbyes difficult,” Minneapolis Star-Tribune, April 23, 1988.

[8] Rick Hummel, “Herr’s Head Spinning After Trade,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 23, 1988.

[9] Rob Rains and Alvin A. Reid (2002), “Whitey’s Boys: A Celebration of the ’82 Cards World Championship,” Triumph Books, Chicago, 45.

[10] Rick Hummel, “Herr’s Grand Slam Sent Cushions Flying,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 22, 2020.

[11] Rick Hummel, “New Hall Class,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 23, 2020.

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