A second-round draft pick out of UCLA in 1986, Zeile entered the 1990 season ranked as baseball’s No. 7 prospect by Baseball America. In 1989, he showcased his potential by hitting .289 with 19 home runs and 85 RBIs for Triple-A Louisville. That performance earned him a brief stint in the majors, where he hit .256 with one home run and eight RBIs in 93 at-bats.

Heading into 1990, the Cardinals had high hopes for Zeile and the team, believing they could contend for the NL East crown. Instead, St. Louis stumbled out of the gate and sank to the bottom of the standings. In June, with the team sitting at 33-47, manager Whitey Herzog abruptly resigned.

As a rookie on a struggling team, Zeile faced typical ups and downs. During the first half of the season, he hit .227 with eight homers and 30 RBIs – respectable numbers for a catcher, but below the lofty expectations of Cardinals fans. Compounding the frustration, Zeile’s defense behind the plate was inconsistent, further magnifying the team’s struggles.

With veteran catcher Tom Pagnozzi playing well, interim manager Red Schoendienst began resting Zeile more frequently. Rumors suggested that Zeile might be destined for third base, where Terry Pendleton was playing out the final year of his contract.

On August 1, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Dan O’Neill highlighted the criticism Zeile was facing, writing that “open season” had been declared on the rookie.

“Load up and take your best shot – the fans are, broadcasters are, even teammates,” O’Neill wrote. “Rip him up one side about not blocking the plate, then rip him down the other side about leaving runners on base. Talk about playing him at third base. Talk about playing him in the outfield. Talk about not playing him at all.

“Talk about a bunch of nonsense. Last season around this time, St. Louisans were clamoring for the Cardinals to bring up Zeile … the savior … the franchise … the future. Now, many of the same are disillusioned because the rosy, best-case scenario they envisioned hasn’t materialized. Now, after Zeile has played in fewer than 100 games, they’re ready to give up on him.”[1]

On the same day that O’Neill’s column was published, the Cardinals announced that Joe Torre would take over as manager. Torre, who had transitioned from catcher to third base during his own playing career with the Cardinals, was open to exploring a similar move for Zeile.

“I’ve heard he can play there, and if that’s the case, I’m going to take a look at him there,” Torre said. “If he has the ability to be the offensive player that I’ve heard, it will further his career. It did for me.”[2]

The possibility created a stir in St. Louis and left Zeile unsure of his future. After all, nobody with the team had said anything to him about changing positions.

“He was concerned because everybody was asking him if (third base) was going to be his full-time job,” Torre said. “I tried to explain to him there’s no plan for playing him full time at third base. I told him, ‘Maybe down the road, you might want that, but not now.’”[3]

Zeile echoed the sentiment.

“I think the whole thing about me playing third base got blown out of proportion,” Zeile said. “I’m not here to be a third baseman.”[4]

Still, the idea gained traction, especially as Pagnozzi continued to excel behind the plate. In 69 games in 1990, Pagnozzi hit .277 and played stellar defense, generating 2.1 wins above replacement (WAR) despite limited playing time.

To prepare Zeile for the potential position switch, Torre enlisted George Kissell, the legendary Cardinals instructor who helped Torre make his own transition years earlier.

“I’m just looking at what the flexibility is for me to do certain things,” Torre said. “In certain situations, instead of a day off, he’ll play third base. That’s like a day off from catching, believe me. I convinced him that’s the way we want to go, and he seems more relaxed about it.”[5]

While Zeile was willing to learn the position, he made it clear he considered himself a catcher.

“It just doesn’t seem rational or make a whole lot of sense to play me at third except for on a part-time basis or on a day off from catching once in a while,” he said. “I think I have the potential to be a very good catcher. I’m a better catcher than I am a third baseman. You don’t have a lot of opportunity to get a decent catcher in this league. So I went in and asked (Torre) why they would even talk about doing that.”[6]

Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz offered an explanation, noting that the Cardinals lacked an obvious successor to Pendleton at third base for 1991. Additionally, he suggested that Zeile’s offensive production might improve if he moved to a position with fewer demands.[7]

In August, Zeile began splitting time between catcher and first base, appearing in nine of his final 10 games that month at first. On September 5, he made his debut at third base in a 6-2 loss to the Expos, and Torre announced that Zeile would finish the season there.

“What are my options?” Zeile said. “I’m a rookie, and they’re going to do what they think is best for the team. There’s not a lot I can do about it.”[8]

Torre was true to his word, starting Zeile at third base in each of his final 24 games of the season. With Zeile at third, Pendleton was moved to a bench role.

“I called Terry in and explained what we’re going to do,” Torre said. “He wasn’t happy about it, but he’s a trouper.”[9]

Pendleton echoed the frustration. “It’s been one of those unfortunate years,” he said.[10]

Meanwhile, Zeile continued to believe his best path forward lay at catcher.

“If they have (given up) and they don’t feel I can handle it as a catcher, I wouldn’t mind catching somewhere else,” he said. “But I don’t want to, by any means. I’m happy as heck here. And I’m not saying that if I did play third, I wouldn’t be happy. There are worse positions to be in than starting third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals. By far.”

In his first 10 games at the hot corner, Zeile made three errors.

“I don’t feel uncomfortable at all,” he said. “They’ve been avoiding me. I thought they’d be laying down more bunts.”[11]

Zeile finished the season with a .244 batting average and 57 RBIs. His 25 doubles and 15 homers were the most by a Cardinals rookie since Ken Boyer totaled 27 doubles and 18 homers in 1955. Zeile finished sixth in the NL Rookie of the Year Award voting.

“I had all those expectations this year, and early in the year when I struggled, I got bashed pretty hard by the press and the fans,” Zeile said. “The way they built me up, there was almost no way they could not be disappointed in me the way I started. I finally got to the point where I could handle catching and my offense. I thought next year was going to be great. I’d be coming into a totally relaxed atmosphere. I would have all this stuff behind me in the first year. Then, all of a sudden, I’m thrust into a new spot. I think that’s what threw me at first.”[12]

Ahead of the 1991 season, the Cardinals made the move permanent, moving Zeile to third base and handing the catching duties to Pagnozzi. Pagnozzi won the first of three Gold Glove awards that season.

Zeile played third base throughout the remainder of his 16-year MLB career. Before he retired at the end of the 2004 season, Zeile made two final starts at catcher for the Mets, his first appearances at the position in more than 14 seasons.

After the Cardinals traded him to the Cubs in 1995, Zeile went on to play for the Phillies, Orioles, Dodgers, Marlins, Rangers, Mets, Rockies, Yankees, and Expos. After 2,158 career games, he retired with 253 homers, 1,110 RBIs, and a .265 career batting average.

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[1] Dan O’Neill, “Zeile Bashers Take Note: Give Him A Break,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 1, 1990.

[2] Dan O’Neill, “Zeile Has Help For A Possible Move To Third,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 2, 1990.

[3] Dan O’Neill, “Torre Assures Zeile That He’s No. 1 Catcher,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 8, 1990.

[4] Dan O’Neill, “Torre Assures Zeile That He’s No. 1 Catcher,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 8, 1990.

[5] Dan O’Neill, “Torre Assures Zeile That He’s No. 1 Catcher,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 8, 1990.

[6] Bernie Miklasz, “Zeile At Home Behind Plate, Not At Third,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 10, 1990.

[7] Bernie Miklasz, “Zeile At Home Behind Plate, Not At Third,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 10, 1990.

[8] Rick Hummel, “Zeile’s Position: Confusion,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 18, 1990.

[9] Jeff Gordon, “Cardinals Hope Zeile Will Catch On At Third,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 6, 1990.

[10] Jeff Gordon, “Cardinals Hope Zeile Will Catch On At Third,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 6, 1990.

[11] Rick Hummel, “Zeile’s Position: Confusion,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 18, 1990.

[12] Rick Hummel, “Zeile’s Position: Confusion,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 18, 1990.

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On August 29, 1990, the St. Louis Cardinals traded the former National League MVP and four-time All-Star to the A’s for rookie outfielder Felix Jose and two prospects: third baseman Stan Royer and pitcher Daryl Green.

“I’m kind of speechless right now,” McGee told KMOX. “A lot of different things are going through my head. The good times and the bad times … It’s a beautiful nine years of my life. It had to happen sooner or later. I don’t think I was in a situation where I was going to be back next year.”[1]

Though McGee remained a beloved figure in St. Louis, the emergence of rookie center fielder Ray Lankford and the need to remake the roster after a disappointing season led the club to trade McGee, who was reportedly seeking a three-year, $9 million contract.[2]

McGee had been a key figure in the Cardinals’ success throughout the 1980s, beginning in 1982, when McGee finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year balloting and helped the Cardinals win the World Series with a two-homer performance in Game 3.

After earning an All-Star appearance and a Gold Glove Award in 1983, McGee enjoyed the best season of his career in 1985, winning the first batting title of his career with a .353 average. He also led the league with 216 hits and 18 triples, finishing the year with 10 homers and 82 RBIs on his way to the National League MVP. McGee was also recognized with Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards that season.

After McGee drove in a career-high 105 runs in 1987, helping the Cardinals win their third pennant in six years, St. Louis signed him to a three-year deal covering 1988, 1989, and 1990. After batting .292 with 41 stolen bases in the first year of the contract, McGee struggled through a difficult 1989 campaign. Rib, wrist, and hamstring injuries limited him to just 58 games, and he finished the year with a .236 batting average.

Entering the final year of his contract, McGee reported to spring training and proclaimed himself healthy for the first time in a year.

“I’m back to being the old Willie McGee,” he said. “I feel like I can run all day.”[3]

While McGee got off to a hot start, however, his teammates struggled, and the Cardinals never got on track. In June, Whitey Herzog resigned, and general manager Dal Maxvill saw that his club needed a refresh.

“I’m gone. I’m out of here,” McGee said on August 1. “They’ve already told me that, basically. That’s the way I feel. I have no other feelings inside. If I was (coming back), I would be signed by now. I’m not. So I’m gone.”[4]

After the trade was completed, Maxvill didn’t debate McGee’s assertion. “I wish he would have done what he’s doing now for all three years of his contract,” Maxvill said.[5]

The Cardinals’ plans drew into greater focus on August 21, when they called up Lankford and inserted him into the starting lineup at center field. To make room for the team’s top prospect, McGee was moved to right field.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Dan O’Neill described the scene: “(Lankford) will start in center field. He stands at his locker, beaming with excitement, bursting with nervous energy. Directly across the room is a stark contrast. A veteran sits alone at his locker, head hanging. After nine years as the Cardinals’ center fielder, McGee will be in right field.”[6]

As Lankford inherited the Cardinals’ center field job, the American League West-leading Athletics found themselves in need of a center fielder when Dave Henderson suffered a knee injury that required surgery. A’s general manager Sandy Alderson and Maxvill spoke for several days before finalizing the deal.

“With the injury to Henderson, we really looked at the short-term rather than the long-term potential for us,” Alderson said. “When Dave Henderson went down, we didn’t respond well on the field, and we didn’t respond well psychologically. It really hurt our guys. Dave Henderson is a very popular, warmly regarded player. It came on top of a lot of earlier injuries. This wasn’t a matter of gearing up for two or three weeks. This was different. This was a guy who might be out the rest of the year. … One other fact was that we were looking for left-handed balance and decided we couldn’t wait any longer.”[7]

Maxvill said that on the day they finalized the deal, he and Alderson exchanged at least 10 phone calls between 6 and 10 p.m.

“They weren’t really anxious to give us Jose,” he explained.[8]

McGee learned of the deal late that night, after a 9-1 win over the Reds. Due to bad weather, the Cardinals’ team plane was delayed, and they remained in the clubhouse for more than three hours. After learning of the deal from Maxvill, Cardinals manager Joe Torre called McGee away from his teammates. In a tunnel at Riverfront Stadium, Torre told McGee that he had been traded.[9]

“He was a little stunned when we told him,” Torre said. “He was saying, ‘Oh God,’ then he would say, ‘This is a break.’ He was bouncing back and forth.”[10]

McGee then joined his now-former teammates on the team flight back to St. Louis.

“He had to spend two more hours in last place last night on the airplane,” Cardinals pitcher John Tudor joked.[11]

After the flight, McGee sat in the airport with Ozzie Smith, Vince Coleman, and Terry Pendleton until 6:30 a.m.[12]

“To be honest, I’m real sad to see him go, but I’m happy he’s there, with all he’s had to put up with,” Pendleton said. “Willie’s a winner, not that we all aren’t, but I didn’t like to see them shifting him around to right field.”[13]

“Willie’s a winner, and I’m glad he’s going to a winner,” Tudor said. “As long as he doesn’t put too much pressure on himself and does what he’s capable of doing, everything will work out all right. Everybody here will say they’re sorry to see him go, but those are selfish reasons – because he’s a great guy and a hell of a ballplayer. I’m going to miss him in the outfield chasing those balls down.”[14]

Fellow pitcher Danny Cox shared Tudor’s sentiment. “All those people who called KMOX wanting to run Willie out of town will say, ‘Damn, we didn’t mean it,’” Cox said.[15]

With a .335 batting average across 542 plate appearances, McGee was leaving the National League in contention for the batting title, trailing only Philadelphia’s Lenny Dykstra. To be eligible, he needed 502 plate appearances.

“I play to make a living, I play to win, and I play to be the best I can be,” McGee said. “Above all, I try to be the best person I can be. I had nothing to prove to anybody. I worked as hard as I could this winter. I gave myself every opportunity to succeed. If I didn’t succeed this time, I knew it wasn’t going to be because I didn’t work.”[16]

The trade to Oakland was a homecoming for McGee, who had grown up there and just built a home in Hercules, California, less than a half-hour drive from Oakland Coliseum.

“Hopefully I’ll get into the swing of things,” he said. “It might make me a better player. I’m happy because I’m going home. It really couldn’t be a better situation.”[17]

McGee was going from a last-place team to an American League powerhouse. Earlier that day, the A’s had traded for Harold Baines from the Rangers. With McGee and Baines, the A’s could include eight former all-stars in the lineup, which already included Mark McGwire, Willie Randolph, Carney Lansford, Rickey Henderson, Jose Canseco, and Terry Steinbach.

“It’s like Nixon and Watergate,” one American League official said. “You didn’t need the burglary. You’re going to win anyway.”[18]

“We finally rectified the imbalance in our offense,” Alderson said. “We feel we can better approach the last 30 games. What these two moves show is that we’re dedicated and focused on 1990. Our aim is to win the American League West.”[19]

“You want no regrets,” A’s manager Tony La Russa said. “Personnel-wise, now we have no regrets. The worst thing I can imagine is spending this winter thinking that if we had made a deal, or two deals, we would have won it. You play five months to get into this position. If you see a way to get better in the end, you take it.”[20]

In their bid for the American League West crown, the Athletics sent the Cardinals some intriguing talent. Jose, a rookie outfielder, was batting .264 with eight homers, 39 RBIs, and eight stolen bases in 341 at-bats for the A’s.

“(He is) a big, muscular, powerful switch-hitter,” Alderson said. “Outstanding arm. Excellent speed. And he has power really from both sides.”[21]

However, the 25-year-old Jose remained a raw talent. “At this point, he’s not a fully developed, experienced player you could put in center field on a daily basis,” Alderson said.[22]

“I think it’s a good thing for me in the future,” Jose said of the trade. “It was going to be real tough for me to play here next year. I’m going to be a little sorry because I’ve been here for a long time. After a few days it will go away.”[23]

Royer, a third baseman, was the A’s first-round draft choice in 1988. According to Baseball America, he was the club’s top power-hitting prospect,[24] and with Pendleton in the final year of his contract, Royer represented a potential solution.

“I saw him hit two balls out of sight in Knoxville,” one Toronto scout said. “He’s got great power.”[25]

Maxvill said that Green, a right-handed pitcher who was a first-round draft pick by the Angels in 1986, reminded him of Ken Hill when the Cardinals acquired him from the Tigers.

“Throws hard, good arm, but doesn’t know where it’s going,” Maxvill said.[26]

Ultimately, the consensus seemed to be that the Cardinals had done well in acquiring three young players for one month of McGee.

“With everything that was written in the paper that (McGee) was going to walk, we made out very well,” Torre said.[27]

“The departure of Willie McGee was inevitable,” O’Neill wrote. “Emotional attachment might tell you otherwise, but Wednesday’s late-night deal that sent McGee to Oakland was good for the Cardinals and good for McGee.[28]

Miklasz agreed, writing, “Lankford is the future. He may struggle this season, and probably the next. But that’s part of the growing process. The Cardinals need to turn Lankford loose, let him flail away at big-league pitching. Sure, the Cardinals could probably use McGee for another year. But McGee isn’t going to sign a one-year deal. And Lankford can’t be held back. Stunting his progress at this stage is counterproductive.”[29]

McGee appeared in 29 regular-season games for the Athletics, batting .274 with 15 RBIs and three stolen bases. At season’s end, McGee’s .335 National League batting average made him the first player in MLB history to win the NL batting crown while finishing the season in the American League. When reporters entered the clubhouse in Oakland after the A’s regular-season finale, they found that McGee had already left.

“I forgot to congratulate him,” La Russa said. “I’m sure he’s proud of it.”[30]

The A’s won the American League West and swept the Red Sox in the ALCS before they, in turn, were swept by the Reds in the World Series. McGee went just 2-for-9 in the ALCS and 2-for-10 in the World Series.

That offseason, McGee signed a four-year, $13 million contract with the Giants to replace Brett Butler as the team’s center fielder. Over those four years, McGee hit .301 with 14 homers, 148 RBIs, and 43 stolen bases. In the final year of that contract, he was limited to just 45 games by a torn Achilles tendon. Even when he returned with the Red Sox in 1995, he was limited to a reserve role and played just 67 games.

That, however, set the stage for McGee to return to St. Louis as a valuable fourth outfielder. McGee spent the final five seasons of his career with St. Louis, retiring after the 1999 season. In total, McGee played 1,661 of his 2,201 career games with the Cardinals, including 13 of his 18 big-league seasons.

Jose hit .305 with eight homers, 77 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases in 1991, earning an All-Star nod. In 1992, he hit .295 with 14 homers, 75 RBIs, and 28 stolen bases. Ahead of the 1993 season, the Cardinals traded him and Craig Wilson to the Royals for Ed Gerald and Gregg Jefferies.

Royer spent four seasons with the Cardinals, never exceeding more than 39 games in a season. In 1994, the Red Sox selected him off waivers.

At age 23, Green pitched one season in the Cardinals’ High-A affiliate in St. Petersburg, going 5-10 with a 4.63 ERA. It marked the final season of his pro career.

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[1] Dave Newhouse, “Baines, McGee join A’s,” Oakland Tribune, August 30, 1990.

[2] Rick Hummel, “Cards Trade McGee To Oakland A’s,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 30, 1990.

[3] Jeff Gordon, “In Good And Bad Times, McGee Always Persistent,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 31, 1990.

[4] Rick Hummel, “McGee’s Future: ‘I’m Out Of Here,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 2, 1990.

[5] Jeff Gordon, “In Good And Bad Times, McGee Always Persistent,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 31, 1990.

[6] Dan O’Neill, “Trade Was OK For Both Willie And Cardinals,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 31, 1990.

[7] Rick Hummel, “Jose Gets Good Rating On Power, Arm, Speed,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 31, 1990.

[8] Rick Hummel, “Jose Gets Good Rating On Power, Arm, Speed,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 31, 1990.

[9] Rick Hummel, “McGee Has Mixed Feelings,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 31, 1990.

[10] Rick Hummel, “McGee Has Mixed Feelings,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 31, 1990.

[11] Rick Hummel, “Cardinals Happy For McGee,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 31, 1990.

[12] Rick Hummel, “Cardinals Happy For McGee,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 31, 1990.

[13] Rick Hummel, “Cardinals Happy For McGee,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 31, 1990.

[14] Rick Hummel, “Cardinals Happy For McGee,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 31, 1990.

[15] Rick Hummel, “Cardinals Happy For McGee,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 31, 1990.

[16] Rick Hummel, “McGee Has Mixed Feelings,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 31, 1990.

[17] Rick Hummel, “McGee Has Mixed Feelings,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 31, 1990.

[18] Kit Stier, “A’s defend expensive ‘insurance,’” Oakland Tribune, August 31, 1990.

[19] Dave Newhouse, “Baines, McGee join A’s,” Oakland Tribune, August 30, 1990.

[20] Rick Hummel, “Cardinals Happy For McGee,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 31, 1990.

[21] Rick Hummel, “Jose Gets Good Rating On Power, Arm, Speed,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 31, 1990.

[22] Rick Hummel, “Jose Gets Good Rating On Power, Arm, Speed,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 31, 1990.

[23] Kit Stier, “A’s defend expensive ‘insurance,’” Oakland Tribune, August 31, 1990.

[24] Dan O’Neill, “Trade Was OK For Both Willie And Cardinals,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 31, 1990.

[25] Rick Hummel, “Jose Gets Good Rating On Power, Arm, Speed,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 31, 1990.

[26] Rick Hummel, “Jose Gets Good Rating On Power, Arm, Speed,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 31, 1990.

[27] Rick Hummel, “Jose Gets Good Rating On Power, Arm, Speed,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 31, 1990.

[28] Dan O’Neill, “Trade Was OK For Both Willie And Cardinals,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 31, 1990.

[29] Bernie Miklasz, “For Long Haul: Sign Coleman, Forget McGee,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 22, 1990.

[30] Associated Press, “McGee, Brett Win Titles,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 4, 1990.

The post The Willie McGee Trade: August 29, 1990 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

Herzog’s resignation came with 2 ½ years remaining on his contract. In a professional baseball career that dated back to his age-17 season with the Yankees’ Class D affiliate in McAlester, Oklahoma, it marked the first time Herzog had ever quit a job in baseball.[1]

“I still enjoy managing, but I just don’t feel like I’ve done the job,” Herzog said. “I feel like I’ve underachieved. I can’t get the guys to play.”[2]

The previous month had marked 10 years since Herzog was named Cardinals manager. Shortly after being named manager in 1980, he was also named the club’s general manager and initiated a flurry of moves, including trades for players such as Bruce Sutter, Joaquin Andujar, Willie McGee, Lonnie Smith, and Ozzie Smith. Taking advantage of Busch Stadium’s vast dimensions and AstroTurf surface, the Cardinals were rebuilt around pitching, speed, and defense.

Termed “Whiteyball,” the Cardinals’ style of play proved highly successful as St. Louis won the 1982 World Series, then captured the National League pennant again in 1985 and 1987. After the Cardinals won 95 games in 1987, however, they fell to fifth place with 76 wins in 1988. Though the Redbirds bounced back with 86 wins in 1989, their start to the 1999 season was as bad as any Herzog had experienced, with the possible exception of the 1973 Rangers.

“I guess you could say I joined the club where I left it – in last place,” Herzog said. “In between, we had some good times.”[3]

He added, “It isn’t that I can’t stand losing if I think the club is playing up to its capabilities,” he said. “I’m just bewildered. I can’t believe this team is playing as badly as this team is playing. It’s really been bad. I just felt I wasn’t getting it done.”[4]

Three weeks prior to his resignation, Herzog told general manager Dal Maxvill and team CEO Fred Kuhlmann he was considering resigning. Both tried to talk him out of it.[5]

On July 4, however, after a 9-2 loss to the Giants in the final game of a three-game sweep in San Francisco, Herzog called his wife Mary Lou and told her he was done. He then managed one more game, a 4-1 win over the Padres, before announcing his decision in a July 6 press conference.[6]

“It’s too bad we had to reach this point,” Kuhlmann said. “Whitey unquestionably is a great manager. We’re reluctant to accept his resignation. I can’t pass up this opportunity without expressing our heartfelt thanks of the St. Louis Cardinals and their great fans for the 10 years of wonderful baseball he gave to us in St. Louis. If there is one bright spot in St. Louis, it is that Whitey is going to stay on as vice president. We’re happy to continue to have the expertise of this man, one of the most knowledgeable men in the country.”[7]

Once the press conference was complete, Herzog hopped on an Anheuser-Busch plane and returned to St. Louis without stopping by the clubhouse to bid farewell to his players.[8] St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz wasn’t surprised.

“This was no longer his team,” Miklasz wrote. “They had stopped playing for him long ago, when they started playing for themselves. Unless Herzog could come up with heart transplants for 25, any future endeavors on his part were futile.” He continued: “Whitey didn’t resign; he evacuated, leaving behind a team so ripped apart and split open that the players didn’t try to conceal the wounds.”[9]

Catcher Tom Pagnozzi also hinted at clubhouse drama in acknowledging Herzog’s departure.

“We didn’t deserve for him to talk to us,” Pagnozzi said. “We embarrassed him. We all but spit on him with the way we played. He didn’t have to say anything to us. We know why he’s leaving. We drove him out of here, and the thing that makes me so mad about this is that there are still too many people around here who have a laid-back attitude about what happened.”[10]

While Pagnozzi didn’t single anyone out, Miklasz pointed the finger at arguably the Cardinals’ most popular player: Ozzie Smith.

“Many of the Cardinals blame him for creating the conditions that ultimately led to the shocking event that eclipsed this bright, postcard day in a California paradise,” Miklasz wrote. He then quoted an anonymous player who said, “To me, this has been a power struggle, and Ozzie is going to walk around here like he’s won.”[11]

Miklasz continued:

Any attempt by Herzog to motivate his team was blocked, indirectly, by the mood that Smith established in the clubhouse. One incident remains fresh: Milt Thompson, in a clubhouse prank, shoving a shaving-cream pie in Ozzie’s face earlier this season. Instead of laughing it off, Smith sternly lectured Thompson.

“You take two guys like Milt Thompson and Willie McGee,” a player said. “They’re great guys. They love life. But they always have their heads down. They look to Ozzie. If he’s in a good mood, they’re in a good mood.”[12]

Of course, the Cardinals’ struggles couldn’t be attributed entirely to Smith’s clubhouse leadership. Just a few weeks earlier, third baseman Terry Pendleton said in an interview with Cardinals broadcaster Ken Wilson that Herzog’s criticisms were having a negative effect on the team.

“Every night it was the same thing,” one Cardinal said following Herzog’s resignation. “Whitey, sitting in his office, ripping apart the players. For a while, those tactics work. But you can’t do that to people, day in and day out, and expect them to enjoy the game and enjoy playing for you.

“Look at what Whitey did to Vince Coleman last year. He got on Vince Coleman unmercifully. I’ve never seen him ride a player like that. It could have destroyed Vince, but Vince was strong. Whitey is outspoken, but he never used to be so personal about it. He used to be able to motivate this team. You’d come to the stadium believing you could do it. But that was a long time ago, and the manager is accountable. If we stopped caring, it was because he stopped caring too.”[13]

It’s possible that Herzog’s frustration with his players was mirrored by disgust at Anheuser-Busch’s fading commitment to the Cardinals since the passing of Gussie Busch. Despite their success under Herzog’s leadership, the brewery assigned the team’s decision-making to a committee comprised largely of Anheuser-Busch executives. As a result, Herzog frequently was stymied in his attempt to either upgrade the plug or keep talented players already on the roster.

Jack Clark, who signed as a free agent with the Yankees after the 1987 season, said he had no doubt he would have remained if Herzog had the authority to re-sign him.

“Maybe it’s been a buildup over the years,” Clark said. “Maybe he’s been frustrated by some of the decisions he’s wanted to make about players like myself and has been unable to make. Maybe he just got tired of that.”[14]

Miklasz agreed.

“Instead of making snap personnel decisions and answering to no one except Gussie Busch, Herzog in his latter years had to lobby a committee – including some non-baseball people – to put his ideas into action,” he wrote. “The Cardinals led baseball in procrastination, a direct conflict with Herzog’s fast-forward, do-it-now nature.”[15]

Given the team’s lethargic decision-making process, Herzog could see that the Cardinals were headed toward a challenging offseason. Ten players were eligible for free agency at the end of the season.

“We’ve got so many people … just playing for themselves,” Cardinals broadcaster and former player Mike Shannon said. “They’re just playing for their free agency, and Whitey Herzog is not going to be responsible for having a club that’s not a team.”[16]

Despite all the warning signs, the Cardinals and all of baseball were shocked by Herzog’s decision.

“This caught us all like an unsuspecting punch in the stomach,” said pitcher Joe Magrane, who had gone 18-9 in 1989 but was just 4-11 with a 4.12 ERA when Herzog resigned. “I have a lot of blame to absorb. Hell, I’m 4-11. It’s just disappointing. If there ever was a guy who was going to die with the birds on his chest, it was going to be him.”[17]

“I’m shocked,” first baseman Pedro Guerrero said. “We should take the blame, not him. I feel bad that I let him and a lot of people down. I’m embarrassed by the way we played. I know that I haven’t done the job that I did last year at this point.”[18]

Braves general manager and manager Bobby Cox said he needed to see it in print before he believed that Herzog’s tenure in St. Louis was over. Expos general manager Dave Dombrowski said the news was “going to hit the baseball world like a bomb.”[19]

In 11 seasons as Cardinals manager, Herzog compiled an 822-728 record for a .530 winning percentage. Over 18 seasons as a major league manager with the Rangers, Angels, Royals, and Cardinals, the White Rat had a 1,281-1,125 career record.

“I look back at Whitey Herzog as the guy who revived baseball in St. Louis,” said Lee Thomas, the Cardinals’ director of player development from 1981-1988. “To appreciate that, you have to look at how bad things were before he came in. He made a new life in St. Louis, to the tune of 3 million (fans) a year. Whitey probably had more to do with that than anybody.”[20]

Giants manager Roger Craig said, “I always respected Whitey as a manager and thought he was great for baseball. During the course of the game, as far as strategy is concerned, he’s one of the best I’ve ever gone up against. He’s excellent at knowing the personnel of both his team and the team he’s managing against.”[21]

Almost as soon as Herzog resigned, speculation arose regarding where he would manage next. There were rumors that Herzog might land in San Diego, where his friend Jack McKeon served as general manager and manager but had expressed an eagerness to shed one of those responsibilities.

“I really admired Whitey as a manager,” said former Cardinal Garry Templeton, now a veteran with the Padres after being traded to San Diego for Smith ahead of the 1982 season. “I enjoyed playing for him, even though we had a little run-in back in ’81. You hate to see good managers leave the game. Whitey brought a lot of interesting things to the league. He won a lot of pennants for the Cardinals.”[22]

Despite the scuttlebutt, Herzog never managed again. Instead, he served as general manager of the Angels in 1993 and 1994, but struggled to turn the team around amidst a limited budget and front-office power struggles.[23] After the 1996 season, Herzog turned down an offer to manage the Red Sox, and in 2001 he declined an offer to serve as Boston’s bench coach alongside manager Joe Kerrigan.[24] In 2010, Herzog was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Following Herzog’s resignation, the Cardinals named Red Schoendienst the interim manager. He led the team to a 13-11 record before Joe Torre was named manager on August 1.

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

[1] Rick Hummel, “Whitey Quits,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 7, 1990.

[2] Rick Hummel, “Whitey Quits,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 7, 1990.

[3] Jeff Gordon, “Rat’s Pack: Cards Fun Began When Whitey Arrived In ’80,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 7, 1990.

[4] Rick Hummel, “Whitey Quits,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 7, 1990.

[5] Rick Hummel, “Whitey Quits,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 7, 1990.

[6] Rick Hummel, “Whitey Quits,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 7, 1990.

[7] Rick Hummel, “Whitey Quits,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 7, 1990.

[8] Rick Hummel, “Whitey Quits,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 7, 1990.

[9] Bernie Miklasz, “Cards Clubhouse Divided: Faces Of Hatred Are Unmasked,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 7, 1990.

[10] Bernie Miklasz, “Cards Clubhouse Divided: Faces Of Hatred Are Unmasked,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 7, 1990.

[11] Bernie Miklasz, “Cards Clubhouse Divided: Faces Of Hatred Are Unmasked,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 7, 1990.

[12] Bernie Miklasz, “Cards Clubhouse Divided: Faces Of Hatred Are Unmasked,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 7, 1990.

[13] Bernie Miklasz, “Cards Clubhouse Divided: Faces Of Hatred Are Unmasked,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 7, 1990.

[14] Dan O’Neill, “Clark Says Discontent Was Building,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 7, 1990.

[15] Bernie Miklasz, “Cards Clubhouse Divided: Faces Of Hatred Are Unmasked,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 7, 1990.

[16] Rick Hummel, “Bad Call: Players Say They’re To Blame,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 7, 1990.

[17] Rick Hummel, “Bad Call: Players Say They’re To Blame,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 7, 1990.

[18] Rick Hummel, “Bad Call: Players Say They’re To Blame,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 7, 1990.

[19] Vahe Gregorian, “Resignation ‘Hits Like a Bomb,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 7, 1990.

[20] Vahe Gregorian, “Resignation ‘Hits Like a Bomb,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 7, 1990.

[21] Vahe Gregorian, “Resignation ‘Hits Like a Bomb,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 7, 1990.

[22] Dan O’Neill, “Clark Says Discontent Was Building,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 7, 1990.

[23] Bob Nightengale, “Angels GM Herzog Out in Surprise Resignation,” Los Angeles Times, January 12, 1994.

[24] “Herzog turns down Boston’s bench coach offer,” ESPN.com, https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/2001/1215/1296375.html.

The post Why Whitey Herzog resigned as Cardinals manager first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

“During the selection process, I interviewed a number of very good candidates,” Cardinals general manager Dal Maxvill said, “but I kept coming back to Joe Torre. We couldn’t find anyone better anywhere on earth.”[1]

Herzog’s 10 years in St. Louis included the 1982 World Series championship and National League pennants in 1985 and 1987. After the Cardinals got off to a 33-47 start in 1990, however, Herzog resigned on July 6.

Torre, who played for the Cardinals from 1969 until 1974 and won the 1971 National League MVP, already was familiar with replacing a Cardinals legend. After all, he arrived in St. Louis in the trade that sent 1967 MVP Orlando Cepeda to the Braves. Over six seasons wearing the birds on the bat, Torre hit .308 with 98 homers and 558 RBIs, including 24 homers and 137 RBIs in his MVP campaign.

“To come back here and put on the Cardinal uniform again, I can’t tell you what it means to me,” Torre said. “I have goosebumps because St. Louis has always been a second home to me and now I have to say it’s my first home.”[2]

Following the 1974 season, the Cardinals traded Torre to the Mets, where he played the final three seasons of his career, including a 1977 season in which he served as player/manager. Torre managed the Mets for five years, compiling a 286-420 record before going to Atlanta, where he led the Braves to the 1982 NL West championship in his first season with the team. The Braves won 88 games and placed second the following year. After the Braves went 80-82 and placed third in 1984, Torre was dismissed.

“He got a lot out of the players he had,” Cardinals reliever Tom Niedenfuer said. “Pascual Perez had some big years. Gene Garber, who people won’t think of as a premier-type closer, had 30-some saves. (Bob) Horner was there, and he never really produced after (Torre) left.”[3]

Before coming to St. Louis, Torre had spent six seasons in the Angels’ broadcast booth.

“I’m not coming in here to replace Whitey,” he said. “It’s impossible to replace him. I can’t go in and try to copy him or think about the things he did; I’d come out on the losing end. It’s like me going out and trying to hit Nolan Ryan and thinking about how many games he’s won. I can’t do that. I just have to go out and do the best job I can do.”[4]

Torre inherited a roster that sat 14 games out of first place and included eight players who were set to become free agents: Willie McGee, Terry Pendleton, Vince Coleman, Ken Dayley, John Tudor, Denny Walling, Dave Collins, and Danny Cox.

“I’m gone. I’m out of here,” said McGee, the former National League MVP who would be traded to the Oakland Athletics for Felix Jose, Stan Royer, and minor leaguer Daryl Green later that month. “They’ve already told me that, basically. That’s the way I feel. I have no other feelings inside. If I wasn’t (gone), I would be signed by now. I’m not. So I’m gone.”[5]

Torre recognized that the team’s lack of success and lack of direction meant he was in for a challenge in his first few months as manager.

“What I plan to do is talk to every single player on the team on a one-to-one basis and try to explain to them what I’m going to try to accomplish over the next few months,” Torre said. “The one thing I’ve always tried to be is as honest as you can possibly be in this job with the players. I can’t guarantee anybody that they’re going to be here; that’s not my job. The one thing is, hopefully I’ll see enough of them, and a lot of them, to be able to make an honest determination on what we’d like to see on the field next year.”[6]

The new skipper said he didn’t plan to immediately make major changes to a team that had gone 13-11 under interim manager Red Schoendienst.

“I’m not talking about Joe Torre coming in and changing everything they do here,” Torre said. “I like the way they do things in the Cardinals organization. I’ve always been a guy who likes to move, likes to make things happen. I think you have to play according to what kind of ballpark you’re playing in, and in this ballpark, speed and contact are important. But you have to be flexible enough to win in other ballparks.”[7]

Rather than turning the season around, Torre’s chief job in the Cardinals’ final 58 games of the season was to get to know his players and make plans for the future of the club.

“The only thing I expect out of my players is effort on the field,” Torre said. “If they’re 0-for-4 and they’ve given me their best effort and haven’t cheated me in any way, or their teammates, then they’ve earned their money. If a guy gets two hits and doesn’t hustle, he’s not earning his money. That’s how I judge a player, not on how much money he gets.”[8]

Pitcher Joe Magrane said, “Our job is not to break down the manager’s job, but common sense would tell you that his job is to break down who he thinks he can play with and who he thinks he can win with.”[9]

If nothing else, Torre entered the job knowing he had a friend in Maxvill, a former teammate of Torre’s during his playing days in St. Louis. During both his previous managerial stints with the Mets and Braves, Torre hired Maxvill to be his third-base coach.

“He’s the best candidate around,” Maxvill said in announcing Torre’s hire. “I can’t think of anybody better, or I would have hired him.”[10]

Torre was always the frontrunner in a candidate pool that included Don Baylor, Hal Lanier, Pat Corrales, Gene Tenace, Gaylen Pitts, and Mike Jorgensen. Baylor, who wouldn’t get his chance to manage a major league team until the expansion Rockies made him their manager in 1993, was the only other candidate who confirmed that he participated in a second interview.

Cardinals president and chief executive officer Fred Kuhlmann said, “I can’t say he would have been it (if Torre didn’t take the job), but he certainly would have had our consideration. He’s a rising star. He’s got to have a future.

“The big factor in choosing Joe over Don is that Joe has managerial experience. I think it would be important that Don try to get to that at some point, and I don’t mean at the major league level. It would be good if he had at least minor-league experience.”[11]

Maxvill said he measured each candidate based on 12 criteria and not only interviewed the candidates but also spoke with others who knew them to get their perspectives.[12]

“Believe me, it’s been a tough 3 1/2, four weeks here,” Maxvill said. “I’ve been getting on and off airplanes a lot, which is a tremendous amount of fun, but it had to be done. … We owe it to the fans to do a thorough job, and I hope they believe me when I say that we believe we’ve done the best job possible and have explored every avenue to find the proper guy – and we believe definitely Joe Torre’s the man.”[13]

Not everyone, however, was convinced that the hire wasn’t a foregone conclusion.

“I don’t know why they didn’t do it on July 7,” Herzog joked, referring to the day after his resignation. “He was going to be the guy.”[14]

“Despite the earnest denials issued Wednesday, it’s obvious that Maxvill didn’t need to summon a pack of bloodhounds to help him conduct this ‘search,’” wrote St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz. “He had to turn the pages of a little black book until he found Torre’s phone number. Then he had to dial correctly. That was the extent of this exploration. The decision to name Torre was probably made before Whitey Herzog’s uniform could be laundered and pressed the day he resigned.”[15]

While Torre’s Cardinals went just 24-34 during the rest of the 1990 season, they won 84 games and placed second in the NL East in 1991. The Cardinals enjoyed winning seasons in each of the next two years, culminating in an 87-win season in 1993.

During the strike-shortened 1994 season, however, the Cardinals fell to 53-61, and the Cardinals were just 20-27 in 1995 when Torre was fired. In six seasons as the Cardinals’ manager, he compiled a 351-354 record. At the time of his dismissal, only the Dodgers’ Tommy Lasorda, the Pirates’ Jim Leyland, and the Braves’ Bobby Cox had been in their positions longer among National League managers.[16]

Despite his tenure, Torre had seen the writing on the wall. The 1995 season was the final year of his contract, and the previous season the Cardinals sought permission to speak with Leyland about managing the team, a request the Pirates denied. The Cardinals also inquired about Oakland’s Tony La Russa, who had re-signed with the Athletics but had an opt-out if the club was sold.[17]

Though Torre never reached the playoffs in St. Louis, the Yankees named the native New Yorker their manager in 1996. Torre led the Yankees to the World Series championship that season, and after winning 96 games and finishing second in the AL East in 1997, he led the Yankees to the World Series championship in each of the next three seasons. He won two more pennants in 2001 and 2003, and in 12 years in New York he finished with six American League pennants and four World Series titles.

In a 29-year managerial career that also included three seasons with the Dodgers from 2008-2010, Torre compiled 2,326 wins. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2016.

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

[1] Joe Ostermeier, “Cards pick Torre to manager – St. Louis 2^nd home, Torre says,” Belleville News-Democrat, August 2, 1990.

[2] Joe Ostermeier, “Cards pick Torre to manager – St. Louis 2^nd home, Torre says,” Belleville News-Democrat, August 2, 1990.

[3] Rick Hummel, “Players Put Under Microscope,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 2, 1990.

[4] Dan O’Neill, “Torre To Study His Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 2, 1990.

[5] Rick Hummel, “McGee Looks To Future: ‘I’m Out Of Here,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 2, 1990.

[6] Dan O’Neill, “Torre To Study His Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 2, 1990.

[7] Dan O’Neill, “Torre To Study His Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 2, 1990.

[8] Joe Ostermeier, “Cards pick Torre to manager – St. Louis 2^nd home, Torre says,” Belleville News-Democrat, August 2, 1990.

[9] Rick Hummel, “Players Put Under Microscope,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 2, 1990.

[10] Vahe Gregorian, “‘Cardinals Identity’ Tips Scales In Torre’s Favor,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 2, 1990.

[11] Rick Hummel, “‘Rising Star’ Baylor Got Second Interview,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 2, 1990.

[12] Vahe Gregorian, “‘Cardinals Identity’ Tips Scales In Torre’s Favor,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 2, 1990.

[13] Vahe Gregorian, “‘Cardinals Identity’ Tips Scales In Torre’s Favor,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 2, 1990.

[14] Rick Hummel, “Herzog Says Free Agents Should Be Cards’ Top Priority,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 2, 1990.

[15] Bernie Miklasz, “Cards’ Maxvill Plays It Safe By Hiring Torre,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 2, 1990.

[16] Jeff Gordon, “Sports Shake-Up Shocks Faithful,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 18, 1995.

[17] Rick Hummel, “Cards Swing 2-Edged Sword: Cut Loose Torre After 351-354 Mark In Five Seasons,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 17, 1995.

The post Cardinals name Joe Torre manager: August 1, 1990 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

Batting sixth in his major league debut, Lankford doubled, stole a base, and scored a run in a 7-2 loss to the Braves on August 21, 1990.

Lankford’s big-league opportunity came after first baseman Pedro Guerrero was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained lower back. Though the Cardinals already had Willie McGee, Vince Coleman, and Milt Thompson on the big-league roster, manager Joe Torre didn’t want the team’s top outfield prospect withering on the bench. Instead, he inserted Lankford in center field, moved the three-time Gold Glove Award winner McGee to right, and made Thompson the fourth outfielder.

“I want to give Lankford an opportunity to do well, and center is where he has played,” Torre said. “You want him to be comfortable.”[1]

Before he stepped onto the field for his first game, Lankford met with Torre, director of player development Ted Simmons, and field supervisor for player development George Kissell.

“When the manager talks to you and tells you what he expects, that takes some of the pressure off,” Lankford said. “They said basically to go out and have fun. That helps a lot right there.”[2]

After his meeting in the manager’s office, Cardinals hitting coach Steve Braun visited Lankford’s new locker.

“The good news is you’re in the big leagues,” Braun said. “The bad news is we’re in last place.”[3]

Thompson told Lankford it was good to see him, then asked, “What took you so long to get here?”[4]

Lankford’s debut came against future Hall of Famer John Smoltz, who had earned his first All-Star appearance the previous year. Smoltz struggled early in the season, winning just one of his first five decisions, and entered the game against the Cardinals with a 9-9 record and a 3.98 ERA.

 The Cardinals had every reason to see what Lankford could do. At 57-65, the Cardinals were 15 ½ games behind the first-place Pirates and on their way to a last-place finish in the National League East. Whitey Herzog had resigned 80 games into the season, and after Red Schoendienst served 24 games as interim manager, the team had named Torre its new manager.

Torre was already making his mark on the team. In addition to inserting Lankford into the lineup, Torre moved Todd Zeile to first base in place of Guerrero and made Tom Pagnozzi the starting catcher.

“I never ask anybody to agree with what I do, just understand that it was my decision to make,” Torre said. “It’s my decision as manager to try to find things out.”[5]

By the time Lankford took his first at-bat, the Cardinals already trailed 3-0. David Justice hit a first-inning RBI single off Joe Magrane, and the Braves added two more runs in the second on an RBI single by Mark Lemke and an RBI groundout by Smoltz.

Terry Pendleton flied out to center to lead off the Cardinals’ half of the second, but Lankford followed with his first major league hit, a line-drive single into center field. After Rex Hudler flied out, Lankford picked up his first stolen base, swiping second off Braves catcher Greg Olson. Pagnozzi flied out to center for the final out of the inning.

Home runs by Ron Gant and Andres Thomas helped the Braves extend their lead to 6-0 before Lankford played a key role in the Cardinals’ lone rally in the eighth inning. Following a Zeile double, Lankford hit a two-out double of his own down the right-field line to score the first Cardinal run. Hudler followed with a single up the middle that scored Lankford to cut the Cardinals’ deficit to 6-2.

Zeile and Lankford’s doubles proved the Cardinals’ only extra-base hits of the day. Lemke drove home a run in the top of the ninth to make it 7-2, and Braves reliever Kent Mercker worked around a Craig Wilson single to seal the game in the ninth.

Smoltz improved to 10-9 with the win, holding the Cardinals to two runs despite 10 hits in eight innings.

“For me, this is probably the toughest team to pitch against because they can score runs without getting hits,” Smoltz said.[6]

Joe Magrane took the loss for the Cardinals, allowing four earned runs over seven innings.

Lankford joined Ozzie Smith, Hudler, and Pagnozzi with two apiece.

“Lankford is the future,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz wrote. “He may struggle this season, and probably the next. But that’s part of the growing process. The Cardinals need to turn Lankford loose, let him flail away at big-league pitching.”[7]

In 39 games, Lankford hit .286/.353/.452 with three homers, 12 RBIs, and eight stolen bases. In his first full season in 1991, he led the majors with 15 triples to go along with nine homers, 69 RBIs, and 44 stolen bases. He finished third in the NL Rookie of the Year voting behind Houston’s Jeff Bagwell and Pittsburgh’s Orlando Merced.

Lankford’s blend of power and speed was a trademark throughout his career. He hit at least 20 homers and stole 20 bases in five different seasons. When he retired following the 2004 season, Lankford ranked third in franchise history in home runs, fourth in walks, fifth in stolen bases, and eighth in RBIs and runs scored.

A key player for the Cardinals throughout the 1990s, Lankford played 13 seasons in St. Louis. In 2001, the Cardinals traded him to San Diego for Woody Williams, but Lankford returned in 2004. He finished with a .272/.364/.477 career batting line to go with 238 homers, 874 RBIs, and 258 stolen bases.

Lankford was inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2018.

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

[1] Dan O’Neill, “Thompson Knows He’s ‘Odd Man Out,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 22, 1990.

[2] Dan O’Neill, “No ‘War’ Here,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 22, 1990.

[3] Dan O’Neill, “No ‘War’ Here,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 22, 1990.

[4] Dan O’Neill, “No ‘War’ Here,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 22, 1990.

[5] Rick Hummel, “Torre Plays With Cardinals’ Lineup,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 22, 1990.

[6] Joe Strauss, “Braves turn tables on Cardinals 7-2,” Atlanta Constitution, August 22, 1990.

[7] Bernie Miklasz, “For Long Haul: Sign Coleman, Forget McGee,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 22, 1990.

The post Ray Lankford makes his MLB debut: 8/21/1990 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

Cardinals general manager Dal Maxvill declined the trade proposal in early April, hopeful that his club could re-sign Brunansky and keep in him an outfield that included Vince Coleman, Willie McGee, and Milt Thompson, and had highly regarded prospect Ray Lankford waiting in Triple-A.

The issue, however, was Brunansky’s desire for a limited no-trade clause similar to the one included in his current deal, which he had signed with the Twins. The Cardinals had a team policy against no-trade clauses.

On April 5, Bernie Miklasz wrote in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Brunansky could be traded for Smith.

“Who’s the most likely guy to leave here?” Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog asked. “Bruno. He wants a smaller park to hit in, he knows the Cowboy (California Angels owner Gene Autry) wants him. He’s from California. He knows he can get $2.5 million a year from the Cowboy.”[1]

Herzog made clear that if Brunansky was traded, it wasn’t because his manager didn’t appreciate him.

“I like Bruno. He’s a dream to manage,” Herzog said. “You can’t find a better son of a gun. I’d like to keep him, but I’m just talking facts here.”[2]

At the time, Brunansky said he hadn’t heard anything from his agent regarding a deal, nor had the Red Sox reached out to him.

“I’m sure before they’d go for a trade like that, the Red Sox would at least want to talk to me,” he said. “They know I’m in my final year, and I’m sure they’d like to lock me up in a new contract instead of seeing me walk away.”[3]

By early May, with negotiations between Brunansky and the Cardinals at an impasse, Maxvill called Red Sox general manager Lou Gorman. It didn’t take long to finalize the exchange of pending free agents. On May 4, 1990, they made the deal official.

“We tried to work around this somehow, but it just couldn’t be done,” Maxvill said.^[4]

Brunansky said he had met with both Maxvill and Herzog and encouraged them to make a trade that would help the team.

“The no-trade was the whole thing,” Brunansky said. “We never got to the point of talking any money. For me to stay here, I would need some kind of security. I wasn’t going to sign here for three years, buy a house and everything, and keep hearing trade rumors.”[5]

Brunansky had come to St. Louis in an April 1988 trade with the Twins for Tom Herr. He hit 22 homers and drove in 79 runs for the Cardinals that season to lead the team in both categories. In 1989, Brunansky led the club with 20 homers, and his 85 RBIs ranked second on the team to Pedro Guerrero.

Through the first 19 games of the 1990 season, however, he was batting just .158 with more walks (12) than hits (9) and was splitting time with Thompson in right field.

“I know it was hard on Bruno and me both,” Thompson said of the Cardinals’ crowded outfield situation. “You find yourself pressuring a lot when you get the opportunity. The key now is to go out there and relax and just play ball.”[6]

Just as the Twins had found it difficult to part with the well-liked Brunansky two years earlier, the Cardinals were disappointed to see the popular outfielder leaving.

“From my perspective, I don’t know Lee Smith, and certainly he’s been a great pitcher and he’s going to help us,” Cardinals pitcher Ricky Horton said. “There’s no doubt about that, but from a personal standpoint, we’re losing a great guy. Bruno is just a great guy to have around the clubhouse. He’s a big leaguer, and I’m going to miss him.”[7]

The Red Sox, of course, were excited to add Brunansky’s bat to their lineup. They chose the Cardinals’ trade offer over a package from the Braves that included pitcher Tommy Greene and third baseman Jim Presley.[8]

“A power hitter was our secondary need, but a big need,” said Red Sox president John Harrington. “We would have preferred a starting pitcher, but Tom Brunansky is no second fiddle by any means.”[9]

In trading the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Brunansky, the Cardinals added another big man in Smith, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound closer who emerged in the Cubs’ bullpen after they traded Bruce Sutter to the Cardinals in 1980. In eight seasons, Smith saved 180 games for the Cubs, including a league-leading 29 in 1983.

After the 1987 season, the Cubs traded Smith to the Red Sox for Al Nipper and Calvin Schiraldi. In two-plus seasons in Boston, Smith saved 58 games. During the previous offseason, however, the Red Sox signed Jeff Reardon, making the big right-hander expendable. Like Brunansky, Smith was due to become a free agent after the season.

“This makes us pretty strong,” Herzog said, noting that three members of the Cardinals’ bullpen – Smith, Scott Terry, and Tom Niedenfuer – had experience closing.[10]

For his part, Smith was glad to come to a situation where – despite the experience of Terry and Niedenfuer – he was the clear-cut closer.

“I’m really pleased,” Smith said. “Something had to be done here. With the two closers we had, it wasn’t fair to either one of us. Over the winter, they were talking about how they could use both of us. Jeff would pitch one day and I’d pitch the next, but it seemed like every time I pitched this season, Jeff pitched the same day. I said going into spring training that I didn’t think it would work.”[11]

It certainly worked in St. Louis. Smith saved 27 games for the Cardinals in 1990, posting a 2.10 ERA in 68 2/3 innings.

The 1991 season was arguably the best of Smith’s 18-year career, as he led the league with 47 saves. In addition to making his third All-Star Game appearance, he placed second in the Cy Young Award voting behind Tom Glavine and placed eighth in the MVP vote.

In 1992, Smith saved 43 games with a 3.12 ERA. Once again, he was named an All-Star and finished fourth in the Cy Young voting. In 1993, Smith saved 43 games with a 4.50 ERA before the Cardinals traded him to the Yankees on August 31 for Rich Batchelor.

In four seasons, Smith saved 160 games for the Cardinals with a 2.90 ERA. He retired in 1997 with 478 saves. Beginning in 2003, Smith spent 15 years on the Hall of Fame ballot, reaching a high of 50.6% of the vote in 2012 but never reaching the 75% threshold required for induction. In 2018, all 16 members of the Today’s Game Committee voted Smith into the Hall of Fame alongside Harold Baines.

Meanwhile, Brunansky turned his 1990 season around with Boston, batting .267 with 15 homers and 71 RBIs for the Red Sox. After the season, he re-signed with Boston and played the next two seasons there before signing with Milwaukee in 1993. In 1994, the Brewers traded Brunansky back to the Red Sox for Dave Valle.

He retired after the 1994 season with 271 homers and 919 RBIs in a 14-year major-league career.

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

[1] Bernie Miklasz, “‘Bruno’ Could Go If Pen Needs Help,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 5, 1990.

[2] Bernie Miklasz, “‘Bruno’ Could Go If Pen Needs Help,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 5, 1990.

[3] Bernie Miklasz, “‘Bruno’ Could Go If Pen Needs Help,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 5, 1990.

[4] Rick Hummel, “Cards Acquire Lee Smith,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 5, 1990.

[5] Rick Hummel, “Cards Acquire Lee Smith,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 5, 1990.

[6] Dan O’Neill, “Cards Sad Brunansky Had To Go,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 5, 1990.

[7] Dan O’Neill, “Cards Sad Brunansky Had To Go,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 5, 1990.

[8] Nick Cafardo, “Sox trade Smith for Brunansky,” Boston Globe, May 5, 1990.

[9] Nick Cafardo, “Sox trade Smith for Brunansky,” Boston Globe, May 5, 1990.

[10] Rick Hummel, “Cards Acquire Lee Smith,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 5, 1990.

[11] Rick Hummel, “Cards Acquire Lee Smith,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 5, 1990.

The post Cardinals trade Tom Brunansky for Lee Smith: May 4, 1990 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

The acquisition of Hudler immediately gave Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog significantly more flexibility. In two seasons in Montreal, Hudler played second base, shortstop, and all three outfield positions. In 395 plate appearances with the Expos, Hudler hit .262 with 10 homers, 27 RBIs, and 44 stolen bases.

The trade “lets me do things I couldn’t do because I had only one utility infielder,” Herzog said.[1]

Meanwhile, Hudler had taken just three at-bats for the Expos in the first month of the season.

“This is a class move on their part to send me to a place where I’ll play,” he said. “I think it’s because (manager Buck Rodgers and vice-president of player personnel Dave Dombrowski) know how far I’ve come.”[2]

A graduate of Bullard High School in Fresno, California, Hudler had been a baseball and football star. Notre Dame and Michigan State both recruited him as a wide receiver (Kirk Gibson, who played both football and baseball for Michigan State, showed him around during his campus tour in East Lansing). Hudler signed his collegiate letter of intent with Notre Dame, but signed with the Yankees after they made him their 1978 first-round pick.[3]

Despite being selected 18^th overall, Hudler took a long road to the majors. In 1983, after the Yankees sent Hudler back to Class A, he wrote a letter to George Steinbrenner saying that he had been overlooked in the Yankees’ farm system. The next day, he was promoted to Triple-A.[4] In 40 games, he hit .305 with the Columbus Clippers, then followed that up by hitting .292 in 114 games in 1984.

That season, he made his major-league debut for the Yankees, appearing in nine games. In 1985, he appeared in 20 games, appearing at first base, second base, shortstop, and as a pinch hitter.

In the winter, the Yankees traded him to the Baltimore Orioles as part of a package for Gary Roenicke. He appeared in 14 games in one season with the Orioles, primarily as a defensive replacement and pinch runner. He received just one at-bat, though he did steal his first major-league base.

After appearing in 31 games with the Orioles’ Triple-A affiliate in Rochester, Illinois, in 1987, Hudler signed with the Expos as a free agent. There, his career blossomed. He appeared in 77 games in 1988, batting .273 with four homers, 14 RBIs, and 29 stolen bases in 1988. In 1989, he appeared in 92 games for the Expos, batting .245 with six homers, 13 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases.

Hudler’s wife Jennifer made appearances singing the Canadian national anthem at Olympic Stadium.

“The team will probably miss her more than me,” Hudler said.[5]

Hudler already knew a few of the Cardinals. He had been teammates with Willie McGee as a Yankees farmhand, and he and Pendleton both hailed from Fresno. Pitcher Bryn Smith was a former teammate in Montreal. However, Hudler admitted he was a bit leery about reuniting with Joe Magrane. In 1989, Magrane allowed one of Hudler’s six homers, then hit Hudler with a pitch when he tried to bunt.[6]

“I took it as respect because he knows I own him and I know he hates me,” Hudler said. “Is he a nice guy? The only words I ever said to him were swear words.”[7]

When Hudler greeted Magrane in the clubhouse, Magrane said, “We’re teammates but we don’t have to be damn friends.” It was only then that Magrane and Tom Pagnozzi let an astonished Hudler know he was being pranked.[8]

“You’ll like his style. He’ll fit right in here,” Smith said. “He plays hard. He might be a little over-aggressive, but he’ll go through a brick wall for you.”[9]

“Intense?” Magrane said. “He makes Pete Rose look like a pastry chef.”[10]

Nicknamed “the Wonder Dog” by ESPN’s Chris Berman,[11] Hudler admitted that he was still learning to play within himself and not try to do too much.

“The guys who don’t know me think I’m a bad guy because I like to play hard,” he said. “I don’t play to make friends. I have a lot of enemies.”[12]

Meanwhile, Costello was disappointed by the trade. A 24^th-round Cardinals draft choice in 1983 out of Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania, Costello made his major-league debut in 1988, going 5-2 with a 1.81 ERA in 49 2/3 innings. In 1989, he had gone 5-4 with a 3.32 ERA in 62 1/3 innings.

At the time of the trade, Costello and his wife had just purchased a home in the area and had a 4-month-old daughter.[13]

“If ever there was a clause that I could veto a trade, I’d veto this one,” Costello said, “but there isn’t a clause. I don’t want to go. It’s tough to leave here. This was the perfect place for me. I’m still going to live here in the offseason.”

A groin pull had forced Costello to miss the first week of the season, and he had a 6.34 ERA in 4 1/3 innings.

“We didn’t trade for him on the basis of his numbers this year,” Rodgers said. “He’s a solid bullpen guy we’ve liked for a number of years. Our doctors have spoken to their doctors about the groin pull and everyone seems to agree it’s nothing serious – although we may have to break him in slowly.”[14]

Indeed, the Expos placed Costello on the disabled list on April 30.[15] He appeared in just four games for Montreal that season. That November, the Expos shipped him to San Diego for minor league relief pitcher Brian Harrison.

Costello threw 35 innings for the Padres in 1991, going 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA, but San Diego released him after the season. He played for Seattle’s Triple-A affiliate in Calgary in 1992, but did not appear in the majors again.

Hudler became a fan favorite in St. Louis. He appeared in 89 games in 1990, batting a career-high .281 with seven homers, 22 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases. In 1991, he appeared in a career-high 101 games, though he hit just .227. In 1992, his final year in St. Louis, he appeared in 61 games, batting .265 in 98 at-bats.

Hudler spent the 1993 season in Japan, helping the Yakult Swallows win the Japan Series championship. After the season, he signed a free-agent deal with the Giants but was released before the season started. Six days later, he signed with the Angels and played three seasons there before playing his final two years with the Phillies. He signed with the Indians midway through the 1998 season but didn’t play in the majors.

He finished his 13-year major-league career with a .261 batting average, 56 homers, and 107 stolen bases.

Since retiring, Hudler has served as a broadcaster for Angels and Royals games. He also serves as a motivational speaker for corporations, charities, and community groups, and he and his wife founded Team Up for Down Syndrome, an organization that supports the Down syndrome community and those with special needs.[16]

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

[1] Dan O’Neill, “Cards Trade Costello To Montreal For Hudler,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 24, 1990.

[2] Jeff Blair, “Expos trade Hudler for reliever Costello,” Montreal Gazette, April 24, 1990.

[3] Scott Ostler, “The Wonder Dog,” Sky Magazine, April 1997.

[4] Scott Ostler, “The Wonder Dog,” Sky Magazine, April 1997.

[5] Jeff Blair, “Expos trade Hudler for reliver Costello,” Montreal Gazette, April 24, 1990.

[6] Rick Hummel, “‘First Choice,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 25, 1990.

[7] Rick Hummel, “‘First Choice,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 25, 1990.

[8] Rick Hummel, “‘First Choice,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 25, 1990.

[9] Rick Hummel, “‘First Choice,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 25, 1990.

[10] Rick Hummel, “‘First Choice,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 25, 1990.

[11] Scott Ostler, “The Wonder Dog,” Sky Magazine, April 1997.

[12] Rick Hummel, “‘First Choice,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 25, 1990.

[13] Jeff Blair, “Expos trade Hudler for reliever Costello,” Montreal Gazette, April 24, 1990.

[14] Jeff Blair, “Expos trade Hudler for reliever Costello,” Montreal Gazette, April 24, 1990.

[15] “Costello placed on disabled list,” Montreal Gazette, May 1, 1990.

[16] https://www.rexhudler.com/career.

The post “Wonder Dog” Rex Hudler traded to St. Louis: April 23, 1990 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.