At the time the signing was announced, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that DeShields would earn more than $1.5 million in 1997 and the option for 1998 would earn him almost $2 million.[1] Later, the paper reported that DeShields’ deal was for $1 million with a $3 million option.[2]

Regardless of the exact figures, the second baseman proved to be a valuable addition to the Cardinals’ lineup.

Jocketty had explored the possibility of trading for Pirates infielder Jeff King, who hit 30 homers and drove in 111 runs in 1996, but found that Pittsburgh wanted too much young talent. The Cardinals also explored adding Ryne Sandberg, but the 37-year-old wanted a two-year contract. Instead, St. Louis signed DeShields despite his struggles the two previous seasons with the Dodgers.[3]

The Cardinals did not pursue Luis Alicea, who started 104 games at second base the previous season.[4]

“We felt we needed a leadoff hitter,” Jocketty said. “We feel DeShields solves this problem. Obviously, he hasn’t played well the last couple of years, but he didn’t like the situation in L.A. He didn’t like (Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda). This will be a much better environment for him. … (Tony La Russa) is very good at working with players like this and getting the most out of them.”[5]

A baseball and basketball star at his Delaware high school, DeShields received a scholarship to play basketball at Villanova. Opting instead to sign with the Expos after he was selected 12^th overall in 1987, DeShields made his major-league debut against the Cardinals in 1990 and collected four hits in his first game en route to a second-place finish in the Rookie of the Year balloting.

In four seasons with the Expos, DeShields hit .277/.367/.373 with 309 runs scored and 187 stolen bases. After the 1993 season, the Expos traded DeShields to the Dodgers for Pedro Martinez. The Dodgers and their fans came to rue that decision.

While Martinez launched a Hall of Fame career in Montreal, DeShields struggled in three seasons with the Dodgers, batting .241/.326/.327. In 1996, he hit just .224 and struck out 124 times, seventh-most in the National League. He hit just .184 after the all-star break and was pulled from the Dodgers’ starting lineup in their final two playoff games.

“Getting out of L.A. is going to have a big impact on him,” said catcher Tom Pagnozzi. “I think he’s got to be excited about being out of there. He’s a perfect fit for the Cardinals.”[6]

DeShields said his struggles weren’t related to friction in Los Angeles, but instead were caused by nagging injuries – particularly a sore hip that limited his mobility.

“I probably shouldn’t have even been playing a lot of days, but I played,” he said. “I’m just that kind of guy. It might not have been smart of me, going out there and continuing to try and play through it, but that’s the only way I knew to go about it. I took a lot of heat, but I know I’m not a .230 hitter. I know I’m no .250 hitter. So it’s up to me to go out there and silence all this stuff.”[7]

Despite his offensive struggles, DeShields had multiple suitors, including the Yankees, Padres, Cubs, and Reds.[8] On November 14, the Los Angeles Times reported that DeShields would sign with the Reds the next day. To make space for him, the paper reported, the Reds planned to trade second baseman Bret Boone.[9]

However, that report was refuted by DeShields’ agent. Less than a week later, the Cardinals announced that DeShields had chosen to sign with the club.

“There’s a good group of guys on the team and it’s a good situation. I have a lot of respect for guys like Pagnozzi, Ray (Lankford), and Brian (Jordan),” DeShields said.[10]

“I think he can be at the top of the lineup,” La Russa said. “He’s exciting. You look at his stolen bases, and he wasn’t all that healthy all the time. I really believe that if he plays like he can, he could be somebody who could score a ton of runs. For a good part of his career, he’s been regarded as a multi-threat to win a game – with his glove, his legs, his bat. In Montreal, he did it beyond a couple of months or a year. That proves to me he can do it. He’s entering the prime years of his career, and he can be right in the middle of the success we can have the next few years. The problems that have developed we can identify and work on while at the same time looking at the pluses he brings.”[11]

DeShields predicted that if he returned to the batting averages he posted in Montreal, he could be an impact bat for the Cardinals.

“If I hit .270, I’ll score 120 runs and steal 70 bases,” DeShields said. “I’ve never felt I needed a spark.”[12]

DeShields may not have posted 120 runs or 70 stolen bases in either of his two seasons in St. Louis, but the Cardinals certainly couldn’t complain after he hit a career-high .295 with a .357 on-base percentage and slugged .448, another career high. His 14 triples led all of baseball, and he added 11 homers, 58 RBIs, 92 runs scored, and 55 stolen bases. According to Baseball-Reference.com, he ranked third on the Cardinals in wins above replacement, trailing only Lankford and Andy Benes.

In 1998, DeShields hit .290/.371/.429 with 74 runs scored, seven homers, 44 RBIs, and 26 stolen bases. Though the Cardinals sought to bring him back for the 1999 season, he signed a three-year, $12.5 million contract with the Orioles that December.

Enjoy this post? Get Cardinals history delivered straight to your inbox!

[1] Rick Hummel, “Cards Sign DeShields As New 2^nd Baseman,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 21, 1996.

[2] Mike Eisenbath, “DeShields signs 3-year deal with Orioles,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 5, 1998.

[3] Rick Hummel, “Cards Sign DeShields As New 2^nd Baseman,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 21, 1996.

[4] Rick Hummel, “Cards Sign DeShields As New 2^nd Baseman,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 21, 1996.

[5] Rick Hummel, “Cards Sign DeShields As New 2^nd Baseman,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 21, 1996.

[6] Rick Hummel, “Cards Sign DeShields As New 2^nd Baseman,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 21, 1996.

[7] Bernie Miklasz, “DeShields Is A Historical Significance,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 22, 1996.

[8] Rick Hummel, “Cards Sign DeShields As New 2^nd Baseman,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 21, 1996.

[9] “DeShields Will Move From Dodgers to Reds,” Los Angeles Times, November 14, 1996.

[10] Rick Hummel, “Cards Sign DeShields As New 2^nd Baseman,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 21, 1996.

[11] Rick Hummel, “Cards Sign DeShields As New 2^nd Baseman,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 21, 1996.

[12] Rick Hummel, “Orioles Players Throwing Quite A Pitch At Pagnozzi,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 24, 1996.

The post Why Delino DeShields signed with the Cardinals in 1996 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

That connection was why Eckersley requested a trade to St. Louis after nine seasons in Oakland. As a 10-year veteran who had spent more than five seasons with the same team, Eckersley had the right to veto any trade.

“To be an effective closer, you have to have a manager who knows how to use you,” he said. “I’ve been with Tony for nine years, and it’s pretty obvious.”[1]

Eckersley was a successful starting pitcher early in his career. After breaking into the majors as a 20-year-old with the Indians, Eckersley reeled off at least a dozen wins in each of his first six seasons. He was named to his first All-Star Game as a 22-year-old in 1977 and placed fourth in the American League Cy Young Award voting when he won 20 games in his first season with the Red Sox.

Ahead of the 1984 season, Eckersley was traded, along with Mike Brumley, to the Cubs for Bill Buckner. Over the next two seasons, he won 21 games combined with a 3.06 ERA. In 1986, however, his ERA ballooned to 4.57 as he went just 6-11. As the 1987 season began, the Cubs traded him to the Athletics, where La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan transitioned him to a new role: closer.

In 1988, Eckersley led the league with 45 saves, helping the A’s reach the World Series with a 2.35 ERA. After the season, he placed second in the Cy Young voting and fifth in the MVP voting. In 1989, he saved another 33 games and recorded the final three outs of Oakland’s World Series sweep over the Giants.

Eckersley’s accomplishments continued into the next decade. In 1990, his 48 saves outnumbered the 45 baserunners he allowed, and in 1992, he won both the AL MVP and Cy Young awards.

In nine seasons with the A’s, Eckersley compiled 320 of his 323 career saves and posted a 2.74 ERA.

“What happened with Eckersley wouldn’t have happened with anyone else,” said Goose Gossage, who pitched for La Russa for two seasons. “Tony resurrected his career.”[2]

“Sure, he put me in the bullpen and made me a star, but there’s more to it than that,” Eckersley said. “I respect everything about him. Like his Animal Rescue Foundation. You don’t have to agree with him, but he stands up for what he believes. He’s like an older brother who has been around the world.”[3]

Along the way, Eckersley had opportunities to leave Oakland for more lucrative contract offers. Instead, he chose to stay in Oakland with La Russa.[4]

“A person with a normal salary might think I’m crazy, but what’s the difference between $8 million or $9 million for two years?” Eckersley asked. “So it’s a couple hundred thousand a year, but I know who’s been buttering my bread, and it’s Tony.”[5]

The 41-year-old Eckersley was coming off three consecutive seasons with an ERA over 4.00, including a 4.83 ERA in 50 1/3 innings in 1995.

“I had a bad month,” Eckersley said. “When you have a bad month in relief, it can tear you up. When you’re 40 years old, people are going to say what they want to say, and that’s fine. That’s all part of it.”[6]

“Eck has got plenty left physically,” La Russa said. “Mentally and emotionally, he’s still at the top of his game. He still gets as fired up and as nervous as he did. He wants to succeed so badly, and that’s why he’s so consistent.”[7]

The Cardinals and A’s had worked on the deal for months, as the Cardinals wanted Oakland to pay part of Eckersley’s salary. In the end, the A’s agreed to pay $700,000 of Eckersley’s 1996 salary. The Cardinals would pay $500,000, and Eckersley agreed to defer the remaining $1 million until 1997.[8]

With the trade complete, La Russa said the Cardinals were not only filling their need for a closer after Tom Henke had all but officially retired, but they also obtained a role model for T.J. Mathews and John Frascatore to emulate. Mathews and Frascatore, both 26, were each considered potential future closers.

“Now a lot will depend on their attitude – how much they want to learn,” La Russa said. “If you’re sincere, Eck will talk to you, but Eck doesn’t like bull. Whether you’re a starter, middle reliever, or closer, our pitchers have been better for years just because they watch him.”[9]

In Oakland, the trade was just one more sign that times were changing after the team placed last in the American League West in 1995.

“From a team standpoint, it’s a sad day,” said Todd Van Poppel, one of the candidates to replace Eckersley as Oakland’s closer. “To me, Dennis Eckersley made the Oakland A’s. You’ll never see another A’s reliever do what he did. On the other hand, he’s going to a competitive team with a lot of his friends. For him it’s probably a good move, but for the Oakland A’s it’s another hole we have to fill – a hole we haven’t had to fill for eight, nine years.”[10]

With the trade, the A’s projected 1996 payroll was $20.5 million, far below the $35 million figure the team spent in 1995.[11]

“If the circumstances had been different, I would have liked to finish (my career) in Oakland,” Eckersley said. “I will always be an A, but I don’t know if there will always be an Oakland A’s.”[12]

In Montgomery, the A’s received a 6-foot-4 right-hander who had tied the Texas League record with 36 saves in 1995.[13]

“This is more to accommodate Dennis than to acquire Steve,” Alderson admitted. “This is what Dennis wanted. Given where we are, it was best for us too.”[14]

Montgomery pitched in 12 games for the A’s over two seasons, posting a 9.45 ERA in 20 innings. In 1998, he enjoyed the best season of his career with the Phillies, posting a 3.34 ERA and saving three games in 64 2/3 innings. After the season, he was traded to the Padres, where he threw just 5 2/3 innings in 2000, ending his major-league career.

Eckersley pitched two seasons in St. Louis, saving 30 games in 1996 and 36 in 1997. He appeared in 120 games across the two years, posting a 3.58 ERA in 113 innings. He played his final major-league season with the Red Sox in 1998 and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2004.

Enjoy this story? Then you’ll love The Trades That Made The St. Louis Cardinals, available now on Amazon!

[1] Rick Hummel, “Cards Get Eckersley To Teach And Pitch,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 14, 1996.

[2] Jerome Holtzman, “Mutual Admiration Society,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 5, 1996.

[3] Jerome Holtzman, “Mutual Admiration Society,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 5, 1996.

[4] Jerome Holtzman, “Mutual Admiration Society,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 5, 1996.

[5] Jerome Holtzman, “Mutual Admiration Society,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 5, 1996.

[6] Rick Hummel, “Cards Get Eckersley To Teach And Pitch,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 14, 1996.

[7] Rick Hummel, “Cards Get Eckersley To Teach And Pitch,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 14, 1996.

[8] Rick Hummel, “Deal For Eckersley Is Near,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 13, 1996.

[9] Rick Hummel, “Cards Get Eckersley To Teach And Pitch,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 14, 1996.

[10] Edvins Beitiks, “Eckersley: Nothing but A’s,” San Francisco Examiner, February 14, 1996.

[11] “Eckersley is traded to Cards,” San Francisco Examiner, February 13, 1996.

[12] Edvins Beitiks, “Eckersley: Nothing but A’s,” San Francisco Examiner, February 14, 1996.

[13] Edvins Beitiks, “Eckersley: Nothing but A’s,” San Francisco Examiner, February 14, 1996.

[14] Edvins Beitiks, “Eckersley: Nothing but A’s,” San Francisco Examiner, February 14, 1996.

The post How the Cardinals traded for Dennis Eckersley first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

Ron Gant and Gary Gaetti each hit two home runs and Ray Lankford, Brian Jordan, and John Mabry each added blasts as four of the six pitchers the Cubs used were taken deep. The power surge equaled the team record set on May 7, 1940, when Eddie Lake and Johnny Mize each hit two runs apiece to pace an 18-2 rout of the Dodgers and marked the first time the Cubs had allowed seven home runs in a game since the Dodgers did it to them in 1976.

“Seemed like no matter what I threw, they were hitting,” said Cubs starting pitcher Steve Trachsel, who allowed four of the Cardinals’ seven home runs. “They hit them high, they hit them low, they hit breaking pitches, fastballs, everything.”[1]

The Cardinals didn’t need the long ball to get the scoring started in the second inning. After Trachsel retired the side in order in the first, Jordan reached on an error. Mabry followed with a single to right and an error by Sammy Sosa allowed Jordan to score. An RBI single by Mike Gallego, newly returned from the disabled list, gave the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.

The home run barrage started in the third inning as Mabry hit a two-run homer and Gaetti followed with a solo shot over the left-field wall.

Cardinals starting pitcher Andy Benes allowed an unearned run in the third on an RBI double by Mark Grace, but St. Louis broke the game open in the fifth. Lankford and Gant hit back-to-back home runs to open the inning and chase Trachsel from the game.

“I know how good that young man is,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said of Trachsel. “I wouldn’t have bet a dime we’d hit one, much less seven, but the boys took care of our No. 1 strategy – get so far ahead that I can’t mess it up.”[2]

With Rodney Myers taking over on the mound for the Cubs, Jordan doubled and Gaetti hit a two-run blast – his second homer of the day – to make it 9-1.

In the sixth, Cubs reliever Tanyon Sturtze walked Lankford and Gant before allowing a three-run blast to Jordan. An eighth-inning home run by Gant gave the Cardinals a 13-1 lead before a Dave Magadan home run and an RBI double by Doug Glanville made it 13-3.

Mabry led the Cardinals with four hits on the day while Jordan and Gaetti each had three.

“He’s just a hungry hitter,” La Russa said of Mabry. “He doesn’t throw any at-bats away, whether he’s 3-for-4 or 0-for-4.”[3]

Benes, who had won just one of his first eight decisions since signing a free-agent contract with the Cardinals during the offseason, improved to 7-8 with the win. Over eight innings, he allowed two earned runs on nine hits and a walk.

“He’s getting a lot of payback for pitching well early in the season,” La Russa said. “He was pitching better than his record.”[4]

Dennis Eckersley pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning, striking out the final two batters he faced.

It was a forgettable outing for Trachsel, who allowed four of the Cardinals’ seven homers. He allowed six earned runs over four innings and fell to 7-6 on the season.

“One guy hits a homer with a one-armed swing, another guy hits a split-fingered pitch I had down in the zone,” Trachsel said. “I didn’t have good location on a lot of my pitches, but they were hitting balls they shouldn’t have been hitting and when that happens I tip my cap to them.”[5]

“When the wind is blowing out, even pop-ups can go out,” Mabry said. “Trachsel had good stuff, but he was just on the wrong side of the wind.”[6]

Incredibly, the Cardinals’ home run outburst represented almost 5% of their home runs for the season. Their 142 homers for the season ranked 23^rd in the majors, 115 behind the Orioles and 35 below the league average. Gant led the Cardinals with 30 homers, followed by 23 from Gaetti and 21 from Lankford.

Despite their lack of home run production, the Cardinals went 88-74 to win the National League Central. They swept the Padres in a three-game National League Division Series before falling to the Braves in a seven-game National League Championship Series.

Enjoy this post? Get Cardinals history delivered straight to your inbox!

[1] Associated Press, “Cards homer-happy against Cubs,” Decatur Herald and Review, July 13, 1996.

[2] Rick Hummel, “Cards Test Big-Bang Theory,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 13, 1996.

[3] Rick Hummel, “Cards Test Big-Bang Theory,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 13, 1996.

[4] Rick Hummel, “Cards Test Big-Bang Theory,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 13, 1996.

[5] Mike Kiley, “Cubs’ long day result of long ball,” Chicago Tribune, July 13, 1996.

[6] Associated Press, “Cards homer-happy against Cubs,” Decatur Herald and Review, July 13, 1996.

The post July 12, 1996: Gant, Gaetti pace Cardinals’ seven home runs in win over the Cubs first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

“It’s a hard thing to do,” Smith said, “but my heart has been telling me, and my mom has been telling me for the last couple of years, to take some of the strain out of my life. I feel the time is here now. It’s right, and it’s pretty much on my terms.”[1]

Cardinals president Mark Lamping announced that Smith’s number 1 would be retired on Sept. 28, and that following his retirement, Smith would stay with the team on a personal services contract that would pay him $200,000 per year.

“He’s an example to players today, and he will be to players who follow him,” Lamping said. “Ozzie will go down as one of the greatest Cardinals of all time.”[2]

A fourth-round draft pick by San Diego in 1977, Smith’s defense made him an almost instant big leaguer. In 1978, he played 159 games for the Padres, stealing 40 bases and placing second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. In 1980, he won his first Gold Glove, and the following year, he made his first All-Star Game appearance.

Throughout Smith’s career with the Padres, however, he and the club disagreed on his salary. After Smith’s agent posted an ad in the paper advertising Smith’s availability for part-time employment to supplement his income, Joan Kroc, the wife of the Padres’ owner, responded by offering Smith hourly work as a gardener.

That untenable situation ended when the Padres traded Smith to the Cardinals for Garry Templeton. With Smith’s glove work anchoring the infield, the Cardinals won the World Series in 1982 and captured National League championships in 1985 and 1987.

“As long as he’s not going to read the paper and see this, I’ll tell you: Growing up as a kid, he was always my favorite player,” pitcher Andy Benes said. “It’s been in the back of my mind that I’d love to go and play with him for a little while. That’s part of the reason I came here.”[3]

Smith said he seriously considered retiring after the 1995 season, when a shoulder injury limited him to 44 games. Ultimately, however, he wanted to leave the game on his own terms.

“Sometimes I came up a little short, but every day I’ve walked away from a baseball field, I’ve been able to look in the mirror and say I did the very best I could,” Smith said. “I don’t think I’ve ever cheated anybody.”[4]

Uncertain of what their 41-year-old shortstop would be capable of following surgery, the Cardinals traded for 26-year-old Royce Clayton. Manager Tony La Russa announced that there would be an open competition for the starting job in spring training, and when the regular season arrived, he declared Clayton the winner. Smith disagreed, establishing friction between the two men that would last long after Smith’s career ended.

“Everyone is entitled to do things his own way, and I’m sure that Ozzie had good reasons why he wanted the remainder of the ’96 season to be a kind of farewell tour for himself,” La Russa wrote in 2012.[5]

Willie McGee, however, noted that a farewell tour was exactly what Smith deserved.

“It’s a good move, considering the type of person he is and what he’s done for the game,” McGee said. “He can get his just due. It would have been a sin if he had not announced it until the last minute and couldn’t be recognized in every city for what he has done.”[6]

Though Smith may not have been La Russa’s favorite player, he remained an icon among fans and teammates.

“He’s like a big brother to me,” said Brian Jordan, noting that when you think of St. Louis, you think of Ozzie. “He’s taught me a lot on and off the field. I look up to him. I almost want to be like him. He’s a Hall of Famer, as a player and as a person. It’s been an honor to play with him.”[7]

Backup outfielder Mark Sweeney echoed Jordan’s sentiments.

“I feel very lucky to even have had the chance to meet him and be around him, but he’s more of a friend than a teammate,” Sweeney said. “He’s an incredible person. He lends most of his time to other people. He’s special not for his talent, because his talent speaks for itself. He’s special as a person.”[8]

Opponents and former teammates alike shared their appreciation.

“I’ll be proud to tell my grandkids that I played next to him,” said Todd Zeile. “Even at the tail end of his career, he did things that were amazing at shortstop. It was the little things that were most amazing.”[9]

Luis Alicea, who played alongside Smith for six seasons, said, “The best way I can describe Ozzie is that he’s a guy with a lot of God-given talent, but he’s been able to keep those tools very, very sharp with a great work ethic.”[10]

Expos manager Felipe Alou put it in even simpler terms: “I never saw anybody better,” he said.[11]

In 2002, Smith was inducted into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. He retired with 2,460 career hits and 580 stolen bases.

“It’s been a storybook career,” Smith said. “I never dreamed when I came in that I would be able to achieve some of the things I’ve achieved. Hopefully, I’ve left my mark.”[12]

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

[1] Rick Hummel, “Ozzie calls it quits,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 20, 1996.

[2] Rick Hummel, “Ozzie calls it quits,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 20, 1996.

[3] Mike Eisenbath, “Praise Thrown Smith’s Way By Admiring Mates,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 20, 1996.

[4] Rick Hummel, “Ozzie calls it quits,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 20, 1996.

[5] Tony La Russa, One Last Strike: Fifty Years in Baseball, Ten and a Half Games Back, and One Final Championship Season, William Morrow, Kindle Android version retrieved from Amazon.com, Page 284.

[6] Mike Eisenbath, “Praise Thrown Smith’s Way By Admiring Mates,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 20, 1996.

[7] Mike Eisenbath, “Praise Thrown Smith’s Way By Admiring Mates,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 20, 1996.

[8] Mike Eisenbath, “Praise Thrown Smith’s Way By Admiring Mates,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 20, 1996.

[9] Mike Eisenbath, “Praise Thrown Smith’s Way By Admiring Mates,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 20, 1996.

[10] Mike Eisenbath, “Praise Thrown Smith’s Way By Admiring Mates,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 20, 1996.

[11] “The legend of Oz,” Montreal Gazette, June 21, 1996.

[12] Rick Hummel, “Ozzie calls it quits,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 20, 1996.

The post Ozzie Smith announces he will retire: June 19, 1996 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

In his rookie campaign in 1995, Mabry tied for fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting after batting .307 with five homers and 41 RBIs. That performance included 12 hits in 23 at-bats at Coors Field, but also included just one triple in 418 plate appearances.

On this day, however, he collected the second triple and the seventh home run of his career on his way to hitting for the cycle. Unfortunately, his historic accomplishment came the same night that the Rockies rallied for a five-run ninth inning to beat the Cardinals, 9-8.

“This is a really strange feeling,” Mabry said. “You’ve got to win the game. That’s all I know.”[1]

Mabry’s day began with a single up the middle against Colorado’s Marvin Freeman, a 6-foot-7 veteran right-hander who placed fourth in the Cy Young Award voting in 1994 but was now in the final season of his major-league career.

After Gary Gaetti hit a solo home run to lead off the fourth, Mabry followed with a ground-ball double down the right-field line but was stranded at third base.

Mabry was part of a four-run Cardinals rally in the fifth. After Brian Jordan drew a one-out walk, Ray Lankford homered to left field. Gaetti drew a walk before Mabry tripled over the head of Rockies center fielder Larry Walker, scoring Gaetti. Tom Pagnozzi scored Mabry with an RBI single that gave St. Louis a 5-1 lead.

Walker and Jeff Reed each homered in the sixth to cut the Cardinals’ lead to 5-3, but Mabry answered in the seventh with a two-run homer off left-handed reliever Mike Munoz to become the 212^th player in major league history to hit the cycle. It also made him the 15^th Cardinal to accomplish the feat and the first since Lankford did it in 1991.[2]

After the game, he said he was unaware of the potential cycle until his teammates congratulated him.

“I thought they were just congratulating me for the home run,” he said.[3]

Lankford said, “If it had been brought to his attention, it probably would have messed him up, but he was able to go up there relaxed in the seventh and he was just trying to make contact. Fortunately, he hit it out of the ballpark.”[4]

When Mabry came to the plate with Lankford on third base in the top of the ninth, Rockies pitcher John Habyan intentionally walked him. Lankford later scored on a wild pitch, giving the Cardinals an 8-4 lead.

The Rockies, however, erased that deficit in the bottom of the ninth, as Ellis Burks hit a two-run homer and John Vander Wal hit a walk-off, three-run homer off Dennis Eckersley to win the game, 9-8.

“I didn’t have anything tonight,” Eckersley said. “I couldn’t make a pitch, and you’ve got no time to find it. It was unbelievable.”[5]

One day later, Eckersley returned to St. Louis to have an MRI exam on his right elbow.[6]

“How can we not be in here celebrating John Mabry’s cycle?” asked Tony La Russa. “But nobody feels worse than Eckersley.”[7]

The loss dropped the Cardinals to a 17-25 record and the bottom of the National League East Division. Two days later, however, the Cardinals began a five-game win streak that marked the beginning of their resurrection. Led by Jordan, Lankford, and Ron Gant, the Cardinals battled back. An eight-game win streak between August 30 and September 7 catapulted the club into the NL East lead, and by season’s end, the Cardinals led the division by six games with an 88-74 record.

Mabry hit .297 in 1996 with a career-high 13 homers and 74 RBIs. He played with the Cardinals through the 1998 season, then signed with Seattle. In 2001, he briefly returned to St. Louis, appearing in five games before the Cardinals traded him to the Marlins. In 2004, Mabry again signed with the Cardinals and played two more seasons in St. Louis. His 14-year career included eight years in St. Louis. He hit .281 with 53 homers and 272 RBIs while wearing the birds on the bat.

After his playing career ended, Mabry spent one season as an analyst on Cardinals’ pre- and post-game shows for Fox Sports Midwest. In 2012, Mabry was named the Cardinals’ assistant hitting coach under Mark McGwire, then was promoted to hitting coach after McGwire took the same position with the Dodgers. Mabry served as the Cardinals’ hitting coach until July 2018.

Since then, he has coached for the Royals, Marlins, Orioles, and Angels.

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

[1] Rick Hummel, “Mabry Goes For A Ride On The Cycle,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 19, 1996.

[2] “Eck, Cards lose again to Rockies,” Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, May 19, 1996.

[3] Rick Hummel, “Mabry Goes For A Ride On The Cycle,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 19, 1996.

[4] Rick Hummel, “Mabry Goes For A Ride On The Cycle,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 19, 1996.

[5] Rick Hummel, “Stunned Cardinals Are Victims In Another Rockies’ Horror Show,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 19, 1996.

[6] Rick Hummel, “Turns Out, Eckersley’s Sore Because Of Elbow, Not Ump,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 20, 1996.

[7] Rick Hummel, “Stunned Cardinals Are Victims In Another Rockies’ Horror Show,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 19, 1996.

The post John Mabry hits for the cycle: May 18, 1996 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

With a new ownership group following Anheuser-Busch’s sale of the team, the Cardinals had retooled following a disappointing 62-81 season in 1995. Joe Torre had been replaced by Tony La Russa, Andy Benes and Ron Gant signed with the Cardinals as free agents, and Walt Jocketty made trades to obtain Royce Clayton, Todd Stottlemyre, and Dennis Eckersley.

In the second game of the season, the Cardinals’ saw their new additions pay off as Stottlemyre earned his first win as a Cardinal, Eckersley captured his first save, and La Russa earned his first win as Cardinals manager.

After seven seasons with the Blue Jays, Stottlemyre was coming off a 14-7 campaign with the Athletics, where he posted a 4.55 ERA and ranked second in the American League with 205 strikeouts. Recognizing that Stottlemyre was due for a raise in arbitration after earning $1.8 million in 1995, the Athletics dealt him to the Cardinals for outfielder Allen Battle and pitchers Jay Witasick, Carl Dale, and Bret Wagner.

Facing off against Jason Isringhausen and the Mets, Stottlemyre looked sharp in his Cardinals debut. He retired the first 10 batters he faced and struck out the side in the third inning.

Gant gave the Cardinals a 2-0 lead with a third-inning home run to left field. Ray Lankford led off the inning with a single, then distracted Isringhausen by breaking for second base.

“When I saw him take off, I flinched,” Isringhausen said. “Once you take your eyes off the plate, you’re in trouble. I see Gant has hit a few home runs. He’ll probably hit a few more.”[1]

In the sixth, Lankford led off the inning with a triple into the right-field corner and Gant scored him on a sacrifice fly to center.

Bernard Gilkey, who had been traded to the Mets during the offseason following the Cardinals’ signing of Gant, tied the game in the bottom half of the sixth with a three-run homer to left-center to make it a 3-3 ballgame. It was Gilkey’s second home run in as many days and his fifth RBI.

In the top of the seventh, the Cardinals mustered a two-out rally to re-take the lead. Stottlemyre started the rally with a single.

“I never hit a ball out of the infield all spring,” said Stottlemyre, who was playing in his first National League game. “I was just as surprised as anybody else when the ball hit the outfield grass.”[2]

Jose Vizcaino misplayed a ground ball off the bat of Willie McGee to keep the inning alive, and Clayton followed with an RBI single that scored Stottlemyre.

“After I scored, I was gassed,” Stottlemyre said.[3]

With two outs in the eighth, catcher Danny Schaeffer added an RBI single off Jerry Dipoto to give the Cardinals a 5-3 lead.

“That’s what we talk about, staying ahead of hitters,” Mets manager Dallas Green said. “You want to bury guys, especially a guy like Schaeffer. We had a chance to stay in the game right there, but we didn’t get it done.”[4]

From there, it was up to Stottlemyre and Eckersley to hold the lead. With four outs remaining in the game, La Russa called upon Eckersley to close out the game. Butch Huskey greeted the 41-year-old by blasting a fastball that appeared headed for the outfield seats, but Lankford leaped to rob him of the home run.

“After my heart started back up, I think I was more excited than (Lankford) was,” Gant said. “It’s awesome to get a front-row seat on a play like that.”[5]

Gilkey said he knew Lankford would make the play, even as Eckersley, expecting an easy out, began to walk toward the dugout.

“I’ve been playing with Ray a long time and I know the ability he has in center field,” Gilkey said. “I was just hoping the ball was a little higher. I’ve seen this so many times, but this was the only time I was a little disappointed he made the catch.”[6]

The home run would have been Huskey’s first after he hit nine for the Mets during spring training.

“I thought it had a chance to go,” he said. “It would have if (Lankford) wouldn’t have stuck his glove up.

“I went in (the clubhouse) and lifted some weights so he won’t have a chance next time.”[7]

Eckersley worked around two singles in the ninth to earn his first save as a Cardinal. He struck out Edgardo Alfonzo to close the game.

“No matter how much experience you have, you’re a little uptight when you come into the game,” Eckersley said. “I felt very uncomfortable, like I’d never been in a game before.”[8]

Stottlemyre’s day ended with his first win as a Cardinal after allowing three runs in 7 2/3 innings. Lankford, Gant, and Stottlemyre each finished with two hits.

Isringhausen, who grew up in Brighton, Illinois, took the loss. He had gone 9-2 as a rookie in 1995 and was making his first appearance of the season.

“I had more butterflies because I was pitching against the Cardinals for the first time,” he said.[9]

With their new-look roster, the Cardinals won 88 games to win the National League Central in 1996, sweeping the Padres in the Division Series to advance to the NLCS.

Enjoy this post? Sign up for our email list and get Cardinals history delivered straight to your inbox!

[contact-form]

[1] Rick Hummel, “Stottlemyre And Gant Look Like A Million,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 4, 1996: Page D1.

[2] Rick Hummel, “Stottlemyre And Gant Look Like A Million,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 4, 1996: Page D5.

[3] Rick Hummel, “Stottlemyre And Gant Look Like A Million,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 4, 1996: Page D5.

[4] Thomas Hill, “Mets, Huskey fall short,” New York Daily News, April 4, 1996: Page 98.

[5] Rick Hummel, “Stottlemyre And Gant Look Like A Million,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 4, 1996: Page D1.

[6] Rick Hummel, “Gilkey Greets Ex-Team With 5 RBIs in 2 Games,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 4, 1996: Page D5.

[7] Thomas Hill, “Mets, Huskey fall short,” New York Daily News, April 4, 1996: Page 98.

[8] Rick Hummel, “Stottlemyre And Gant Look Like A Million,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 4, 1996: Page D5.

[9] Rick Hummel, “Gilkey Greets Ex-Team With 5 RBIs in 2 Games,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 4, 1996: Page D5

The post Todd Stottlemyre, Dennis Eckersley earn Cardinals firsts in win vs. Mets: April 3, 1996 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

After seven years with the Blue Jays, Stottlemyre signed with the Oakland Athletics the previous April. Under Tony La Russa and Dave Duncan, the 30-year-old Stottlemyre went 14-7 with a 4.55 ERA, ranking second in the American League in strikeouts with 205.

“With Tony coming over to St. Louis and Duncan and the rest of the staff, I was hoping to come there,” Stottlemyre said. “I felt that last year I took another step toward being able to pitch to my capability.

“I feel I’ve got a lot of room for improvement, but I feel I got a lot closer last year. I felt I was more in control of myself throughout more ballgames. There are still lapses here and there, but I’ve been able to get control of my curveball and changeup and offspeed pitches instead of just being a fastball, slideball (slider) pitcher.”[1]

Despite his success in Oakland, Stottlemyre was due for arbitration after earning $1.8 million the previous season. With a pay raise looming, the Athletics chose to trade him for prospects.

“I knew it was in the works,” said Athletics manager Art Howe, who had taken the place of La Russa in Oakland. “Obviously, he’s a quality pitcher, and I would’ve loved to have had him, but that’s out of our control.”[2]

In exchange, the Athletics obtained Battle, a 27-year-old, former 10^th-round pick in the 1991 draft, and three pitching prospects who had yet to appear in the majors. In 1994, Battle hit .313 with six homers, 69 RBIs, and 23 stolen bases for the Cardinals’ Triple-A club in Louisville. The following year, he split time between Louisville and St. Louis, batting .271 with three stolen bases and just five extra-base hits in 118 at-bats with the big-league club.

“He plays center field, runs real good, and has some pop in his bat, but didn’t get much of a chance to play,” Howe said. “He could be the sleeper in this deal.”[3]

Witasick, a 6-foot-4, 22-year-old right-hander, was the Cardinals’ second-round pick out of the University of Maryland in 1993. He had opened the 1995 season with the Cardinals’ high Class A affiliate in St. Petersburg, where he went 7-7 with a 2.74 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 105 innings. He was then promoted to Double-A Arkansas, where he went 2-4 with a 6.88 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 34 innings.

Wagner, 22, was the Cardinals’ 1994 first-round draft choice out of Wake Forest University. Like Witasick, the left-hander split his 1995 season between high Class A affiliate St. Petersburg and Double-A Arkansas. In 93 1/3 innings in St. Petersburg, Wagner went 5-4 with a 2.12 ERA and 59 strikeouts. In Arkansas, he went 1-2 with a 3.19 ERA and 31 strikeouts over 36 2/3 innings.

Dale, 23, was the Cardinals’ second pick in the 1994 draft. A right-hander out of Winthrop University, Dale had spent the 1995 season at the Cardinals’ Class A affiliate in Peoria, where he went 9-9 with a 2.94 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 143 2/3 innings.

“When you go shopping in the high-rent district, you know it’s going to be expensive,” said Cardinals director of player development Mike Jorgensen, noting that all three pitchers were considered major-league prospects. “We’re still pitching-rich. People are always talking about our pitchers.”[4]

They were beginning to talk about the Cardinals’ major-league rotation as well, where Stottlemyre was joining a rotation that already included Andy Benes, Alan Benes, Danny Jackson, Donovan Osborne, and Mike Morgan. The Cardinals expected him to fill the No. 2 slot in the rotation behind fellow newcomer Andy Benes.

“It’s a good problem to have too much pitching,” Stottlemyre said.[5]

The son of Yankees pitching legend Mel Stottlemyre and the brother of Mel Stottlemyre Jr., who pitched eight seasons with the Astros and Royals, Stottlemyre had originally been drafted by the Yankees in the fifth round of the 1983 draft. He didn’t sign and instead continued his playing career at Yakima Valley Community College. The Cardinals drafted him in the secondary phase of the 1985 draft, but he was dealing with arm troubles and did not sign. Finally, the Blue Jays took him third overall in the June 1985 draft.

In seven seasons with the Blue Jays, he went 69-70 with a 4.39 ERA and was part of the Blue Jays’ world championship teams in 1992 and 1993. His 1995 season with Oakland was his best since he went 15-8 for the Blue Jays in 1991.

“He won 14 games and struck out a lot of people last year, but that’s still not a true measurement of what kind of season he had,” Duncan said. “He could have won five or six more if he had been on a better team. I’m excited because we know Todd, his makeup, his competitive intensity. We feel his best years are ahead of him.”[6]

One of the first phone calls Stottlemyre received after the trade was from his father Mel, who had pitched against the Cardinals in the 1964 World Series. Mel Stottlemyre matched up against Bob Gibson in both his starts, a Game 2 Yankees win and a Game 7 Cardinals win.

“He spoke of the tradition of this club and its history of winning pennants and World Series and … the way this city backs its baseball team,” Todd Stottlemyre said.[7]

Though he was coming to St. Louis with two World Series rings already in tow, Stottlemyre said he wanted an opportunity to play a leadership role on a championship team.

“In 1992, I came out of the bullpen, and the next year I made only one start, and that game was 15-14,” he said. “I want to be able to make a real contribution to the club and to the city.”

Stottlemyre wouldn’t reach the World Series in his three seasons with the Cardinals, but he did enjoy three strong seasons in St. Louis and helped the Cardinals reach the NLCS in 1996. That year, Stottlemyre went 14-11 with a 3.87 ERA over 223 1/3 innings, walking 93 and striking out 194.

In the postseason, he won Game 1 of the NLDS against the Padres, allowing one earned run over 6 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out seven in earning the first postseason win of his career.

Facing Greg Maddux and the Braves in Game 2 of the NLCS, Stottlemyre allowed three runs in six innings to earn the win. In Game 5, however, he lasted just one inning, allowing seven runs in a 14-0 loss.

Stottlemyre went 12-9 with a 3.88 ERA in 1997 and was 9-9 with a 3.51 ERA in 1998 when the Cardinals traded him and Royce Clayton to the Texas Rangers for Darren Oliver, Fernando Tatis, and a player to be named later. A little more than a week after the trade, the Rangers sent Mark Little to the Cardinals to complete the deal.

Across three seasons, Stottlemyre’s Cardinals career included a 35-29 record and 3.77 ERA.

Battle played one major league season with Oakland, batting .192 with 10 stolen bases in 151 plate appearances. He played in the White Sox, Expos, and Cubs organizations and played one season in the Mexican League before retiring after the 1999 season.

Dale made four major-league appearances with the Brewers in 1999. Wagner never appeared in the majors.

Though Howe predicted that Battle could be the hidden gem in the deal, it was Witasick who put together a 12-year major league career, primarily as a reliever. Witasick pitched two three-year stints in Oakland in a career that included four seasons in San Diego, two seasons in Kansas City, and stops in Tampa Bay, Colorado, San Francisco, and the New York Yankees. He finished his career with a 32-41 record and 4.64 ERA.

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

[1] Rick Hummel, “Stottlemyre Joins Cards’ Arm Force,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 10, 1996: Page D6.

[2] “A’s trade Stottlemyre to Cardinals,” San Francisco Examiner, January 9, 1996: Page D5.

[3] “A’s trade Stottlemyre to Cardinals,” San Francisco Examiner, January 9, 1996: Page D5.

[4] Rick Hummel, “Stottlemyre Joins Cards’ Arm Force,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 10, 1996: Page D1.

[5] Rick Hummel, “Stottlemyre Joins Cards’ Arm Force,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 10, 1996: Page D1.

[6] Rick Hummel, “Stottlemyre Joins Cards’ Arm Force,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 10, 1996: Page D6.

[7] Rick Hummel, “Batting Practice Is On Agenda For Lankford,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 2, 1996: Page D5.

The post How the Cardinals acquired Todd Stottlemyre from Oakland first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

The team had just completed a 62-81 strike-shortened season in which Joe Torre was fired after 47 games and Mike Jorgensen managed the club the remainder of the season.

“We want to win now,” new Cardinals chairman Frederick O. Hanswer said. “The fans deserve to see some more World Series and some championships.”[1]

Of course, the new owners recognized that a lot of work remained before the Cardinals would be ready to compete for such prizes.

“I’d have to say that last year’s Cardinals team was the worst I’d ever seen,” Baur said.[2]

“I second that,” agreed Hanser. “We went to fewer games than we had in a long time.”[3]

The new owners didn’t wait long to attempt to rectify the situation. On December 23, 1995, the same day that many Cardinals fans were reading about the new ownership group in the local paper, the Cardinals signed both Gant and Benes.

Gant, who signed a five-year deal worth an estimated $25 million,[4] was coming off an all-star season with the Reds in which he hit 29 homers, drove in 88 runs, and stole 23 bases with a .276 batting average, .386 on-base percentage, and .554 slugging percentage.

Gant had played his first seven seasons with the Braves, totaling 147 homers, 480 RBIs, and 157 stolen bases. After he broke his left leg in a dirt bike accident that forced him to miss the 1994 season, the Braves released Gant and he played his 1995 campaign with the Reds.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Gant said of his contract with the Cardinals. “I’ve put up a lot of good numbers in the major leagues. I’ve always heard good things about playing St. Louis and the new ownership is ready to do something. They’re ready to win.”

Reds general manager Jim Bowden had talked to Gant’s agents after Gant declined arbitration, but said that with the team’s salary commitments and their unwillingness to increase payroll, bringing the National League Comeback Player of the Year back to Cincinnati would be impossible.

“Obviously it’s a shame, but there’s no economic way we could have kept Ron Gant,” Bowden said. “Even if we were to move a couple of starting pitchers, it wouldn’t have freed up enough money to sign Ron. It would have taken a miracle.”[5]

Reds manager Ray Knight said, “That’s 25-plus home runs per year that will be hard to make up.”[6]

Before signing Gant, the Cardinals pursued Astros second baseman Craig Biggio, who returned to the Astros on a four-year, $22.6 million contract. Gant said his talks with the Cardinals only became serious after Biggio was taken off the board.[7]

The Padres and White Sox had also been in the hunt for Gant’s services. The Padres initially offered Gant a three-year, $15 million contract, then upped the proposal to four years and approximately $20 million.[8] Instead, after talking to the Cardinals’ new manager, Tony La Russa, and former Cardinal Terry Pendleton, Gant opted for St. Louis’s offer.[9]

“St. Louis and Walt Jocketty were more aggressive than other ballclubs were toward me,” Gant said.[10]

Padres general manager Kevin Towers said that five years was a longer contract than he was comfortable with.

“A lot of things could happen to a guy in that time,” he said. “To me, locking up a guy that long is too long.”[11]

Just as the Cardinals were looking to slot Gant into the cleanup spot in the order, they looked to Benes to serve as the new ace of the staff. Benes, whose brother Alan had pitched his first three major-league games for the Cardinals in 1995, signed a two-year contract worth $8.1 million with a $3.4 million club option for the 1998 season.[12]

“St. Louis is the place I wanted to play,” Benes said. “I have a lot of admiration for the Cardinals. I grew up watching the Cardinals play and having my brother there makes it really special. I couldn’t be more happy.”[13]

Benes grew up in Lake Forest, Illinois, and Evansville, Indiana, and pitched for the University of Evansville before the Padres made him the No. 1 choice in the 1988 draft.

“I was excited when the Cardinals began to show interest, but when it was getting closer and closer, I began to think something was going to happen to not get this done,” Benes said. “My brothers are excited and my parents are very proud. To play for a team that has someone with the respect of a Dave Duncan and Tony La Russa … any pitcher would be excited. I think by the Cardinals getting La Russa to be manager shows a commitment to getting things turned around. This team will be very good and have the opportunity to go to the playoffs every year.”[14]

In seven seasons with the Padres, Benes went 69-75 with a 3.57 ERA and an all-star appearance in 1993. At the previous trade deadline, the Padres dealt Benes to Seattle, where he went 7-2 with a 5.86 ERA to help the Mariners reach the ALCS.

Benes admitted that he may have worn out his welcome in San Diego, where he wasn’t afraid to criticize the team.

“I took it personally when they traded guys,” Benes said. “I kind of tried to carry too much of the burden, and then I was the player rep.

“This has renewed my enthusiasm and love for the game that I had kind of lost. I’d be lying to you if I didn’t say that St. Louis was my first choice. When the Cardinals drafted Alan, I was a bit envious.”[15]

The new signings were just the latest moves for a Cardinals team that had already traded for shortstop Royce Clayton and pitcher Rick Honeycutt and signed third baseman Gary Gaetti.

“I think the St. Louis fans should be excited about the type of team we’re going to put out there,” Gant said. “I think we’ve got just as good a chance to win as any team I’ve played for.”[16]

Gant pointed to the presence of both Benes brothers, Clayton, Ozzie Smith, and Ray Lankford as key factors in his decision to come to St. Louis.

“I see the possibility of this team making a total 180 right away and that played probably the biggest role in my decision,” he said.[17]

Gant’s prediction proved accurate. Behind 18 wins from Andy Benes and 30 home runs from Gant, the Cardinals won the National League Central Division in 1996 with an 88-74 record.

Benes finished the regular season 18-10 with a 3.83 ERA over 230 1/3 innings. Gant hit .246/.359/.504 and drove in 82 runs. Facing the Padres in Game 2 of the NLDS, Benes struck out nine batters in seven innings. He received a no-decision as the Cardinals won, 5-4. In the NLCS against the Braves, he appeared in three games, including two starts. He posted a 5.28 ERA across 15 1/3 innings and did not receive a decision.

Gant played an equally important role in the postseason, batting .400 in the NLDS against the Padres with one home run and four RBIs. Against the Braves, he hit .240 with two homers and four RBIs.

Benes had another strong season in 1997, lowering his ERA to 3.10 and finishing the year with a 10-7 record. Gant, however, took a step back that season, hitting .229/.310/.388 with 17 homers and 62 RBIs. The Cardinals fell to fourth place in the division.

That offseason, Benes signed with the Mariners, though he would return to St. Louis in 2000 and pitched the final three years of his career with the Cardinals.

Gant got his power stroke back in 1998, batting .240/.331/.493 with 26 homers and 67 RBIs. After the season, the Cardinals traded him, alongside Jeff Brantley and Cliff Politte, to the Phillies for Garrett Stephenson and Ricky Bottalico.

Enjoy this post? Find similar stories listed by decade or by player, or purchase my book, The Trades That Made The St. Louis Cardinals, available now at Amazon!

[1] Rick Hummel, “New Cards Owners Ready to Play,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 24, 1995: Page A1.

[2] Rick Hummel, “New Cards Owners Ready to Play,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 24, 1995: Page A1.

[3] Rick Hummel, “New Cards Owners Ready to Play,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 24, 1995: Page A1.

[4] Rick Hummel, “Cardinals Sign Gant And Benes,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 24, 1995: Page F1.

[5] Tom Groeschen, “Gant gets $25M,” Cincinnati Enquirer, December 24, 1995: Page C1.

[6] Tom Groeschen, “Gant gets $25M,” Cincinnati Enquirer, December 24, 1995: Page C1.

[7] Rick Hummel, “Cardinals Sign Gant And Benes,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 24, 1995: Page F7.

[8] John Schlegel, “Frustrated Padres lose Gant to the Cardinals,” North County (Calif.) Times, December 24, 1995: Page C7.

[9] Rick Hummel, “Cardinals Sign Gant And Benes,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 24, 1995: Page F7.

[10] Rick Hummel, “Cardinals Sign Gant And Benes,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 24, 1995: Page F7.

[11] John Schlegel, “Frustrated Padres lose Gant to the Cardinals,” North County (Calif.) Times, December 24, 1995: Page C7.

[12] Rick Hummel, “Cardinals Sign Gant And Benes,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 24, 1995: Page F1.

[13] Rick Hummel, “Cardinals Sign Gant And Benes,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 24, 1995: Page F7.

[14] Rick Hummel, “Cardinals Sign Gant And Benes,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 24, 1995: Page F7.

[15] Rick Hummel, “Cardinals Sign Gant And Benes,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 24, 1995: Page F7.

[16] Rick Hummel, “Cardinals Sign Gant And Benes,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 24, 1995: Page F1.

[17] Rick Hummel, “Cardinals Sign Gant And Benes,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 24, 1995: Page F7.

The post Ron Gant, Andy Benes signings spark new era for Cardinals first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

The Cardinals entered the day with a 72-65 record, trailing the National League Central Division leaders, the Astros, by 1 ½ games and leading the third-place Cubs by three games. St. Louis had been streaky during the first half of a 12-game home stand, dropping three straight to the Marlins before sweeping the Rockies in three games.

Heading into the contest, the biggest news wasn’t in relation to the game itself, but two attendees in the stands – Republican Party presidential candidate Bob Dole and his running mate, Jack Kemp.

Left-hander Donovan Osborne, a 1990 first-round draft pick who entered the game with an 11-8 record and a 3.14 ERA, was starting the game for the Cardinals. Osborne’s 11 wins matched the career high he had set as a rookie in 1992, when he placed fifth in the Rookie of the Year voting. The Astros were countering with Darryl Kile, who entered with a 10-8 record and 4.17 ERA.

Neither pitcher would last deep into the game.

The Astros jumped on Osborne from the start. Brian Hunter led off the game with a line-drive single to left and Jeff Bagwell pulled a double into left field to drive him home. With two outs, third baseman Sean Berry doubled down the left-field line to score Bagwell and James Mouton hit an RBI single to right to make the score 3-0.

Smith and McGee would get the Cardinals on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the inning. Smith led off with a double to left field and Ray Lankford laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Smith to third. McGee, starting in place of the injured Ron Gant, followed with an RBI single to left that scored Smith and cut the Astros’ lead to 3-1.

After Osborne retired the side in order in the top of the second, the Cardinals rallied to tie the game. Gary Gaetti and Luis Alicea each singled before Osborne hit an RBI double and Smith brought home a run on an RBI groundout.

However, Osborne would run into trouble again in the fourth inning. Berry led off the inning with a solo home run to left field, and after Mouton reached on an infield single and stole third base, Ricky Gutierrez brought him home with a single to left. Two batters later, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa brought in Mark Petkovsek, who walked Hunter to load the bases.

After Petkovsek struck out Craig Biggio for the second out of the inning, Bagwell hit a two-run single to left to give the Astros a 7-3 lead.

“You knock Donovan out and you’re up 7-3 in the fourth, you feel things are going your way,” Bagwell said. “It seemed like we’d get a nice, easy win but it didn’t work out that way.”[1]

The 41-year-old Smith once again answered in the bottom half of the inning, this time with a two-run home run to right field that made the score 7-5.

Rich Batchelor held the Astros scoreless in the fifth and sixth innings. With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Smith walked and Lankford, who had been batting just .198 against left-handers,[2] singled into left. McGee then followed with a single of his own, scoring Smith and pulling the Cardinals back within a run.

La Russa turned to T.J. Mathews, who struck out three while holding the Astros scoreless in the seventh and eighth innings.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Cardinals tied the score once again on an RBI double by Lankford. Dennis Eckersley worked around a leadoff single by Hunter for a scoreless ninth inning, and after Tony Fossas got the first two outs in the 10^th, La Russa called on Alan Benes to record the final out. The last time Benes had come out of the bullpen, he was pitching at Creighton University.

“It’s just a great feeling being able to be part of a big win like that,” Benes said. “I was told that if we happened to get into a situation where we played a couple of extra innings or we used a lot of pitchers, it was possible I would have to get in there. I had a couple of days before my next start.”[3]

With Doug Brocail on the mound for the Astros in the bottom half of the inning, Alicea led off the inning with a single. Danny Schaeffer tried to bunt Alicea to second base, but Bagwell pounced on the bunt and threw out the lead runner. La Russa then called upon Miguel Mejia to pinch run. With Smith at the plate, Mejia stole second to get into scoring position with one out. Smith came through with a single into left, but Mouton threw Mejia out at the plate to keep the Astros’ hopes alive.

“He took a hellaciously wide turn (around third base),” La Russa said of Mejia. “I guarantee you that tomorrow afternoon about 4 o’clock, he’ll be working on his turns. He was probably closer to the guys in the third-base dugout than he was to the third-base coach. Mouton made a great play and a great throw, but on a ground-ball single a guy who runs like the wind should score.”[4]

Smith advanced to second on the play, so the Cardinals still had a runner in scoring position.

“When we were losing early, Willie and Ozzie kept telling us to keep fighting and keep competing,” right fielder Brian Jordan said. “They said it would boil down to the last inning. … When I saw Ozzie get to second base, I had a feeling someone was going to be a hero.”[5]

That someone would be McGee. With two outs in the inning, Brocail intentionally walked Lankford to face the 37-year-old veteran even though he already had three hits on the day. That proved to be a mistake.

As McGee stepped to the plate, Lankford saw McGee scratch his head. Then he scratched his head again. Lankford smiled.

“Any time Willie scratches his head, he’s locked in,” Lankford explained. “When I saw him scratch his head a second time, I knew he was going to come through.”[6]

McGee lined a single into left that scored Smith and gave the Cardinals the 8-7 victory. It was McGee’s fourth single and third RBI of the day. For Smith, it was the fourth time he had scored that day; including the three times McGee drove him home.

“It was outstanding competition,” La Russa said. “We’ve played this club five times with first place at stake. There hasn’t been a bad game yet.”[7]

At the end of the game, Smith was batting .294 with a .368 on-base percentage (OBP) for the season. McGee was batting .302 with a .342 OBP.

“I’m going out, hopefully the way I came in,” Smith said. “I’ve always tried to respect this game. I’ve given my all each and every day.

“Given the opportunity, I could probably still play another two or three years – given the opportunity. All I can ask for is the opportunity. Willie and I are doing what we know we can do and have been asked to do.”[8]

With the win, the Cardinals pulled within half a game of the Astros. They went on to sweep the three-game series as part of an eight-game win streak that catapulted the team into first place.

September proved a month to forget for the Astros, as a nine-game losing streak that ran September 13-24 allowed the Cardinals to open a lead that reached as many as seven games in the final days of the season.

After capturing the National League Central Division crown, the Cardinals swept the National League West champion Padres before falling to the Braves in a seven-game National League Championship Series.

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

[1] Rick Hummel, “Another Benes Plays Both Ends,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 3, 1996: Page C5.

[2] Rick Hummel, “Another Benes Plays Both Ends,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 3, 1996: Page C5.

[3] Rick Hummel, “Another Benes Plays Both Ends,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 3, 1996: Page C5.

[4] Rick Hummel, “Another Benes Plays Both Ends,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 3, 1996: Page C5.

[5] Mike Eisenbath, “McGee Can Run (& Hit) But He Can’t Hide,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 3, 1996: Page C5.

[6] Mike Eisenbath, “McGee Can Run (& Hit) But He Can’t Hide,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 3, 1996: Page C5.

[7] Rick Hummel, “Golden Oldies,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 3, 1996: Page C1.

[8] Rick Hummel, “Golden Oldies,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 3, 1996: Page C1.

The post September 2, 1996: Ozzie Smith and Willie McGee spark Cardinals’ comeback first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.