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“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, but after the Cardinals got off to a 33-47 record in 1990, 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]

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Torre inherited a roster that not only sat 14 games out of first place with a 46-58 record, but also 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 ballclub.

“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 upon 12 criteria and not only interviewed the candidates but spoke to others who knew the candidates 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 represented the final year of his contract, and the previous season the Cardinals sought permission to speak to Leyland about managing the Cardinals, a request the Pirates denied. The Cardinals also had 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.

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

[2] Joe Ostermeier, “Cards pick Torre to manage – 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 manage – 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.

“It feels good to get it out of the way, but I’m not in the game to set records,” Smith said. “I want to pitch in the World Series, and I’d be happy with 20 saves if it helped us get there.”[1]

Acquired three years earlier in a trade with the Red Sox, Smith rapidly piled up saves while wearing the birds on the bat. Though Smith no longer had the same zip on his fastball that he had early in his career, his slider and forkball kept hitters off balance.

After arriving in St. Louis in May 1990, he saved 27 games the remainder of the year, posting three wins and a 2.10 ERA in 53 games.

The following two years, he enjoyed arguably the two greatest seasons in his Hall of Fame career, leading the National League with a career-high 47 saves in 1991. With a 2.34 ERA, Smith placed second to Atlanta’s Tom Glavine in the Cy Young Award voting. In the MVP vote (won by former Cardinal Terry Pendleton), he placed eighth, three spots ahead of Glavine.

In 1992, Smith again led the league in saves, this time posting 43 along with a 3.12 ERA. He placed fourth in the Cy Young voting and earned his second consecutive all-star appearance.

Smith credited Cardinals manager Joe Torre for his success in St. Louis.

“I really owe a lot to Joe,” he said. “I only have to pitch an inning at a time here, and that’s been the key. I often worked two innings at a time with the Cubs and Red Sox, and that took a lot out of me. I still have confidence that I can get hitters out with my fastball, but I’m not that much into the macho thing that I have to blow guys away. I’m more of a pitcher than I was in Chicago.”[2]

Smith entered the 1993 season with 355 career saves, two behind Cincinnati’s Jeff Reardon. The 37-year-old Reardon, whose acquisition by the Red Sox in 1990 suddenly made Smith expendable in Boston, had made two scoreless appearances for the Reds that season but had yet to earn his first save.

Smith, who had suffered a blown save against Reardon’s Reds just three days earlier, wasn’t about to let his next opportunity pass him by.

The Cardinals opened the game by building a 5-0 lead against Dodgers starter Kevin Gross. With two outs in the first, Mark Whiten and Tom Pagnozzi each hit RBI singles and Bernard Gilkey drove in a pair of runs with a single to right field. An inning later, Gregg Jefferies added an RBI single to right.

The Dodgers, however, took the lead by scoring seven unanswered runs, including five off of Cardinals starter Rheal Cormier. Tim Wallach hit a two-run double and Mike Piazza, Eric Karros, Brett Butler, and Eric Davis each added RBI singles as the Dodgers chipped away at the St. Louis lead to take a 7-5 lead heading into the seventh inning.

In the top of the seventh, Zeile singled and Gilkey drew a walk before pinch-hitter Gerald Perry proved to be better late than never – literally. Perry had thought that the game, the Dodgers’ home opener, was a night game. He was enjoying room service and a TV movie when Cardinals equipment manager Buddy Bates called to ask where he was. Perry made it to the stadium about 45 minutes before the game.[3]

Facing Dodgers reliever Pedro Martinez, however, he was right on time. On the fourth pitch of the at-bat, the left-handed-swinging Perry pulled the ball just inside the right-field foul pole for a three-run home run that gave the Cardinals an 8-7 lead.

“I told the guys that when you show up late and you get a chance to play, you’d better do something,” Perry said. “I was very embarrassed walking in here. I’ve never looked at guys real great when they came into the clubhouse late.”[4]

Darryl Strawberry nearly robbed Perry of the home run, but a fan with a glove made the catch instead. An inning later, the fan was escorted away by stadium personnel.[5]

“I would have had it,” Strawberry said. “I had it all the way. He just took it away.”[6]

In the top of the ninth, Pagnozzi added a solo home run to right field off Ricky Trlicek to give Smith a 9-7 lead to hold. Despite the two-run advantage, the final three outs weren’t uneventful. After Smith retired Jody Reed to lead off the inning, Davis reached on Zeile’s second error of the day at third base.

Smith got Darryl Strawberry to fly out to left field for the second out, but Karros drew a walk and both runners advanced on stolen bases. With the tying run in scoring position, Wallach flied out to shallow right field, ending the game and placing Smith atop the career saves leaderboard.

“Three hundred and 58 saves,” Pagnozzi marveled. “I don’t think I have 358 hits.”[7]

The save also gave Smith 300 career saves in the National League, tying the record set by former Cardinals closer Bruce Sutter.

“He may have been lost in the shuffle over the years,” Cardinals manager Joe Torre said, noting that other closers such as Sutter, Dennis Eckersley, and Reardon had attracted national attention while Smith simply piled up saves. “Really, nobody paid attention to Big Lee. They wrote him off a long time ago. Last year, people got on him because he lost a couple of saves early, but he never made an excuse. This year, he’s thrown the ball better than he has the last two years.”[8]

Smith earned the save in each of his next seven appearances, placing him ahead of Reardon for good. He ranked among the National League leaders with 43 saves when the Cardinals traded him to the Yankees for Rich Batchelor on August 31.

Smith signed a free-agent deal with the Orioles that offseason. In his lone season in Baltimore, he led baseball in saves and placed fifth in the Cy Young voting.

After pitching for the Angels, Reds, and Expos over the final three years of his career, Smith retired with 478 saves, a record that was not broken until Trevor Hoffman passed him in 2006. Smith was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019.

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[1] Ross Newhan, “With Help From Dodgers, Smith Is Baseball’s Save Leader,” Los Angeles Times, April 14, 1993.

[2] Ross Newhan, “With Help From Dodgers, Smith Is Baseball’s Save Leader,” Los Angeles Times, April 14, 1993.

[3] Rick Hummel, “After Perry HR, Cards Save It For Lee Smith,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 14, 1993.

[4] Rick Hummel, “After Perry HR, Cards Save It For Lee Smith,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 14, 1993.

[5] Rick Hummel, “After Perry HR, Cards Save It For Lee Smith,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 14, 1993.

[6] Rick Hummel, “After Perry HR, Cards Save It For Lee Smith,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 14, 1993.

[7] Rick Hummel, “L. Smith Survives Shaky 9^th,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 14, 1993.

[8] Rick Hummel, “L. Smith Survives Shaky 9^th,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 14, 1993.

The post Lee Smith becomes baseball’s career saves leader: April 13, 1993 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

As a result, the Cardinals and Indians came together on a trade that was spurred by tragedy. On March 22, 1993, Indians pitchers Steve Olin and Tim Crews were killed and Bob Ojeda was seriously injured in a boating accident in Clermont, Florida. Suddenly thin of pitching, the Indians agreed on March 31 to trade Whiten to St. Louis for 24-year-old right-handed pitcher Mark Clark and 21-year-old minor-league infielder Juan Andujar.

“If not for the events of last week, we wouldn’t have made the trade,” Indians general manager John Hart said. “We didn’t want to trade one of our outfielders, but we’re so thin that if we get a hangnail, we’re in trouble.”[1]

The 26-year-old Whiten was coming off a season in which he hit .254 with nine homers, 43 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases for the Indians. A switch hitter, he hit .244 with six homers in 381 left-handed at-bats and .283 with three homers in 127 at-bats hitting right-handed.

“I think he has a little more power for the left side and is probably a better contact hitter from the right side,” Torre said. “I do know he’s an outstanding defensive player. That’s important. This club has to win with defense.”[2]

The Indians, however, were looking for greater run production from the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Whiten. In 1992, he was just 4-for-45 with two outs and runners in scoring position – an .089 mark that was the worst in the American League. For his career, he was 10-for-98 (.102).

“He’s blessed with more ability and has more physical tools than a lot of guys, but he didn’t play as a youngster and he hasn’t developed his offensive skills,” Hart said. “I don’t want to say he’s not coachable, but he wasn’t able to take the coaching and translate it into a game. He was receptive to change, but he was not able to translate it into a game.

“Would we like to be more patient with Mark? Of course, but we didn’t have that luxury. We also didn’t see any progress in him offensively.”[3]

Whiten grew up primarily playing football and didn’t join his baseball team at Pensacola (Fla.) High School until his senior season. Despite his inexperience, he was gifted enough to earn a scholarship to nearby Pensacola Junior College.

“I didn’t care about playing baseball; I was just interested in the scholarship strictly because of the school,” Whiten said.[4]

Whiten played well enough with Pensacola Junior College that the Blue Jays drafted him in the fifth round in 1986. In the minors, he was more of a base-stealing threat than a power hitter, swiping 49 bases with Myrtle Beach in the Sally League in 1987. In 569 minor-league games, he stole 119 bases.

The Blue Jays called him up for 33 games in 1990. He hit .273 with two homers, seven RBIs, and two stolen bases in 88 at-bats. In 1991, he appeared in 46 games, batting .222 with two homers and 19 RBIs before he was dealt to Cleveland as part of a package that sent Tom Candiotti and Turner Ward to Toronto.

Whiten got 281 plate appearances with the Indians in 1991, batting .256 with seven homers and 26 RBIs.

“I’m still learning,” Whiten said. “I haven’t played that much baseball. It takes time. Hopefully, that potential will come out in St. Louis.”[5]

Where Whiten was living up to his potential was right field. In 1992, he tied for second among American League outfielders with 14 assists.[6]

“You’re talking about a guy who is still young and has a lot of raw ability,” Torre said. “He hasn’t played a lot of baseball. He’s still learning. You take a chance on a guy like that. He’s been traded two times now. Sometimes that has a way of shaking you up and bringing something out in you.”[7]

Whiten was indeed shaken up by the trade.

“It was a shock for me,” he said. “You get to know the guys, and you’ve played with them for a while. It’s tough to go somewhere else, but in a way, I knew something was going to happen. I just started to get the feeling that something was not right. I don’t know how to explain it, but you know how you just get a bad feeling about something.”[8]

Whiten’s instincts were accurate. Sheldon Ocker of the Akron Beacon Journal wrote of Whiten’s tenure in Cleveland: “For a player with the ultimate in athletic gifts, Whiten did not come close to measuring up to his potential, especially in the area of run production. Moreover, late in the season, he showed little interest in playing and loafed after balls in the outfield. Consequently, he came to spring training as one of three candidates to start in right field, even though he was the incumbent.”[9]

Said Hart, “Whiten still has a chance to be a big-time player, but he wasn’t making the progress we wanted him to make.”[10]

When Whiten arrived at Cardinals camp, Torre spoke to him and, drawing upon his own experience as a player (he was traded to the Cardinals in 1969 and to the Mets in 1974), told the media that Whiten just needed to adapt to the shock of being traded.[11]

“I don’t know anything about the organization,” Whiten said. “I know a lot of the guys have told me it’s a good place to play and that Joe is going to be straight up with you. I like that; anyone would like to play for someone like that.”[12]

Bernard Gilkey, who knew Whiten from his days in the minor leagues, was confident that Whiten would enjoy St. Louis.

“He’s going to like it here,” Gilkey said. “How can you not? If you like baseball, you’re going to like St. Louis. There’s no better place to play.”[13]

Initially, it looked as though Whiten’s arrival might move Gilkey to the bench in 1993, with Brian Jordan moving from right field to left. Ultimately, however, it was Gilkey who took the bulk of the playing time in left field, batting .305 with 16 homers, 70 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases in 137 games. Jordan appeared in 67 games and made the most of his opportunities, batting .309 with 10 homers and 44 RBIs.

“The trade definitely improves our bench, no matter who is starting,” Torre said at the time of the deal. “That’s an ingredient we felt we had to have.”[14]

In Cleveland, the Indians saw potential in Clark, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound right-hander. A former ninth-round Cardinals draft pick in 1988 out of Lincoln Land Community College, Clark made his major-league debut in 1991. The following season, he went 4-4 with a 2.80 ERA at Triple-A Louisville before he was called up to the majors. In 20 starts for the 1992 Cardinals, Clark went 3-10 with a 4.45 ERA.

“Mark is not a polished pitcher, but he throws strikes,” said Hart, who said that Clark would take Ojeda’s place in the starting rotation. “He’s a developing guy with good stuff, and he’s very durable. … We canvassed all the clubs, and Clark was at the top of our list of pitchers we could acquire.”[15]

Technically, that was true, though the Indians approached the Astros about trading Whiten for Darryl Kile or Jeff Juden. The Astros, however, weren’t interested.[16]

“There was a gaping hole in our pitching,” Hart said. “You could drive a semi-truck through it. So it was important to acquire a young guy who could grow into giving us 200 innings a year.”[17]

Andujar, 21, joined the Cardinals organization as a 17-year-old and was coming off his first season in High-A St. Petersburg, where he hit .270 with 14 stolen bases in 391 plate appearances. He played 12 games in Double-A in 1994 but never advanced further.

Clark pitched three seasons in Cleveland. In 1993, he made three starts before being moved to the bullpen. In June, he returned to the rotation, where he finished the season with a 7-5 record and 4.28 ERA.

He enjoyed his best season with the Indians in 1994, going 11-3 with a 3.82 ERA. After going 9-7 with a 5.27 ERA in 1995, Clark was traded to the Mets for Reid Cornelius and Ryan Thompson.

Clark pitched in 10 major league seasons before retiring in 2000, posting a 74-71 career record with the Cardinals, Indians, Mets, Cubs, and Rangers.

In St. Louis, Whiten tapped into the potential that intrigued both the Indians and Cardinals. On September 7, 1993, he made history with a four-homer, 12-RBI performance in the second game of a doubleheader against the Reds. By the time the game was over, even Cincinnati fans were cheering for Whiten, roaring in approval when he gave a curtain call from the visiting dugout.

Whiten finished the season with 25 homers and 99 RBIs. In 1994, a pulled rib cage limited him to 92 games in which he hit .293 with 14 homers and 53 RBIs. Ahead of the 1995 season, the Cardinals traded him and Rheal Cormier to the Red Sox for third baseman Scott Cooper and relief pitcher Cory Bailey.

Whiten went on to play for the Phillies, Braves, Mariners, and Yankees before returning to the Indians. He never matched the success of his 1993 season, coming the closest in 1996, when he hit 22 homers and drove in 71 runs for the Phillies, Braves, and Mariners. That season marked the only year after he left St. Louis in which he reached triple digits in games played.

Whiten retired with a career .259 batting average, 105 home runs, and 423 RBIs over 11 major-league seasons.

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[1] Dan O’Neill, “Cards Get Whiten From Cleveland,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 1, 1993.

[2] Dan O’Neill, “Cards Get Whiten From Cleveland,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 1, 1993.

[3] Rick Hummel, “Indians Impatient To See Whiten’s Offense Improve,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 4, 1993.

[4] Dan O’Neill, “Whiten Could Be A Diamond, But He’s Still In The Rough,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 4, 1993.

[5] Dan O’Neill, “Whiten Could Be A Diamond, But He’s Still In The Rough,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 4, 1993.

[6] Dan O’Neill, “Cards Get Whiten From Cleveland,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 1, 1993.

[7] Dan O’Neill, “Whiten Could Be A Diamond, But He’s Still In The Rough,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 4, 1993.

[8] Dan O’Neill, “Whiten Could Be A Diamond, But He’s Still In The Rough,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 4, 1993.

[9] Sheldon Ocker, “Pitching needs compel Indians to cut from ‘core,’” Akron Beacon Journal, April 1, 1993.

[10] Sheldon Ocker, “Pitching needs compel Indians to cut from ‘core,’” Akron Beacon Journal, April 1, 1993.

[11] Dan O’Neill, “Whiten Could Be A Diamond, But He’s Still In The Rough,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 4, 1993.

[12] Dan O’Neill, “Whiten Could Be A Diamond, But He’s Still In The Rough,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 4, 1993.

[13] Dan O’Neill, “Whiten Could Be A Diamond, But He’s Still In The Rough,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 4, 1993.

[14] Dan O’Neill, “Cards Get Whiten From Cleveland,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 1, 1993.

[15] Sheldon Ocker, “Pitching needs compel Indians to cut from ‘core,’” Akron Beacon Journal, April 1, 1993.

[16] Sheldon Ocker, “Pitching needs compel Indians to cut from ‘core,’” Akron Beacon Journal, April 1, 1993.

[17] Sheldon Ocker, “Indians Notebook,” Akron Beacon Journal, April 2, 1993.

The post Mark Whiten traded to the Cardinals: March 31, 1993 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

The 29-year-old Torre’s departure from the Braves was no surprise. Since placing second to Billy Williams in the National League Rookie of the Year voting in 1961, Torre had been a mainstay in the Braves’ lineup, earning All-Star appearances from 1963 through 1967. In 1963, he hit .321 with 20 homers and 109 RBIs to place fifth in the MVP vote. In 1965, he won the only Gold Glove Award of his career, and in 1966, he hit a career-high 36 home runs.

After four consecutive seasons hitting .291 or higher, however, Torre’s numbers began to tail off in 1967. That June, he was hitting .315 when he twisted his ankle while chasing Philadelphia’s Clay Dalrymple in a rundown, suffering torn ligaments and missing four weeks of action.[1] He finished the season batting .277 with 20 homers and 68 RBIs.

In 1968, Torre suffered a broken finger in April, then was hit in the face by a pitch from Cubs pitcher Chuck Hartenstein that broke his left cheek and his nose, keeping him out of action for approximately six weeks.[2] He finished the season with a .271 batting average, 10 homers, and 55 RBIs in 115 games, his lowest total since 1962.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports editor Bob Broeg wrote, “In Torre, the Cardinals were getting a player whose personal problems, financial and otherwise, caused the Braves concern over a period of time. But an improved domestic situation reportedly has cleared up this difficulty.”[3]

To Torre, it was clear that his recent spate of injuries had impacted his numbers.

“I’m the last one to make excuses, but these are the facts,” he said.[4]

Heading into 1969, Torre sought a salary of $77,000. The Braves countered with an offer of $60,000.[5] The relationship between Torre and Braves vice president Paul Richards, already strained by Torre’s role as the Braves’ union representative during the threat of a players’ strike, grew even more fractured as Torre held out of spring training. Richards told the media that the catcher “could hold out until Thanksgiving” as far as he was concerned. In response, Torre asked that the Braves not only meet his salary demands, but also that he receive an apology from Richards.[6]

Atlanta Journal-Constitution sports editor Jesse Outlar wrote that when a recent meeting between Richards and Torre left the two sides at an impasse, Torre left his calling card on Richards’ desk. Richards, however, informed the catcher that he wouldn’t need the card, as he had no intention of calling Torre with an upgraded offer.[7]

“I’m sure that my problems with Paul Richards stemmed largely from my activities as player representative of the Braves,” Torre said. “Living in New York, I was more active than other representatives, and Richards could have resented that because he seemed considerably more outspoken than any other major league official toward the players’ efforts to improve themselves. It hurt to be criticized publicly by Richards, as the Braves’ general manager, but it wouldn’t have hurt nearly so much if he had criticized me behind closed doors.”[8]

With Torre’s days in Atlanta numbered, his hometown Mets seemed like the ideal destination. Though the two sides spent considerable time discussing a trade that would have sent Torre to New York, they were unable to reach an agreement. In one proposal, the Mets offered Nolan Ryan, who had not yet cracked the New York rotation; third-string catcher J.C. Martin; reserve infielder Bob Heise; and first baseman/outfielder Ed Kranepool for Torre and Bob Aspromonte. The Braves had no interest in the proposal.[9]

The Braves offered to trade Torre for Mets catcher Jerry Grote, but the Mets refused. The Braves also expressed interest in third baseman Amos Otis, but he was among several players the Mets considered untouchable.[10]

“The Mets have too many untouchables,” Richards said. “They have so many players they can’t trade that I can’t understand why they don’t win the pennant. I’ll never know how they finished ninth last year.”[11]

Unable to reach an agreement with the Mets (who would win the National League pennant and a World Series championship in 1969), Richards turned to Cardinals general manager Bing Devine. Three months earlier, at the winter meetings in San Francisco, Devine offered Cepeda for Torre and Felipe Alou. Devine also offered to trade Cepeda and Curt Flood for Torre and Alou, but Richards declined that offer as well.[12] Finally, the two sides agreed to exchange Torre and Cepeda in a one-for-one deal.

Though Torre initially hoped the deal with the Mets would bring him back home, he and his family were delighted to go to St. Louis, where the Cardinals had won the World Series in 1967 and the National League pennant in 1968. When Braves president Bill Bartholomay called to share the news, Torre’s 3 ½-year-old stepdaughter Lauren ran through their Long Island home shouting, “We’re Redbirds!”[13]

When Torre called his mother in Brooklyn to tell her about the trade, she replied, “Now go to church and thank God.”[14]

“Mom recognized what going with a championship ball club like the Cardinals meant,” Torre said. “Maybe this is one of the pleasant benefits of having a sister who is a nun.”[15]

He added, “I’m very happy. Sure, I expressed a desire to be traded to the Mets, if I had to leave the Braves, because New York is home. But that’s because I had no idea that I could wind up on a championship ballclub. Besides, I’m afraid I’d have been hit for far too many passes by friends and family if I were playing in New York.”[16]

Torre’s relationship with Devine got off to a smooth start. Devine told Torre he would primarily play first base but would also back up Tim McCarver behind the plate. Torre agreed to terms for the 1969 season and made plans to report to Cardinals spring training. Torre told Broeg that it took about 30 seconds for him to negotiate a slight increase from the $65,000 he had been paid in Atlanta.[17]

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Mr. Devine after talking to him,” Torre said. “Before he asked me anything about money, he told me I’d play every day with them – mostly at first base but filling in behind the plate sometimes. He kind of built me up and made me feel good before we ever talked salary. I’m just coming out of the fog, but I’m very happy. You certainly can’t have any complaints when you get traded to a club like the Cardinals. I think I’ll be able to make some money with them.”[18]

In Cepeda, the Cardinals were giving up the unanimous 1967 National League MVP selection. Cepeda had come to St. Louis less than three years earlier in a May 1966 trade that sent Ray Sadecki to the Giants. Upon his arrival, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound first baseman made an immediate impact, batting .303 with 17 homers and 58 RBIs in his first season.

In 1967, Cepeda hit .325 with 25 homers and 111 RBIs to lead the Cardinals to the World Series championship. Cepeda’s power was so important to the Cardinals’ offense that when Cepeda was late to join the team bus before one game, Bob Gibson made it clear that they would wait for the big first baseman.

“We’re waiting for Cepeda,” Gibson said, standing up to address his teammates. “The pitchers aren’t leaving without him.”[19]

In the World Series against the Red Sox, however, Cepeda hit just .103 (3-for-29). The following year, his postseason struggles followed him into the regular season, as his average dipped to .248 with 16 homers and 73 RBIs. Coincidentally, he enjoyed his best success against the Braves, batting .365 with four homers and 18 RBIs against his future teammates.

He had heard the rumors regarding a possible trade, but didn’t know whether there was anything to them.

“I guess there was, though, huh?” he said with a laugh.[20]

Cepeda’s three-year tenure in St. Louis ended with a .290 batting average, 58 homers, and 242 RBIs.

“I hate to go because everybody has been so good to me – the manager, the coaches, the players, and the whole city of St. Louis – but now I will have to start all over again,” Cepeda said. “That’s life. I’m not overly optimistic, but I like to look at the bright side of things, and I’m looking for better things ahead. I will be trying, always trying. That is all I can promise. I will try to make the trade good from my point of view, though, for sure. I am joining a good ball club … one that can win the pennant.”[21]

In Atlanta, the 31-year-old Cepeda joined a Braves lineup led by Henry Aaron and Rico Carty.

“We are very happy to have Cepeda as our first baseman,” Richards said. “Cepeda gives us another big home run threat that we needed to force the opposition to pitch to Hank Aaron.”[22]

“There was a game last year where Walt Alston put Aaron on when he was the winning run,” Braves manager Luman Harris said. “I don’t think we’ll see any more of that … not with Cepeda following Hank in the order.”[23]

In his first season in Atlanta, Cepeda hit .257 with 22 homers and 88 RBIs, helping the Braves capture the National League West championship with 93 wins. He returned to familiar form in 1970, batting .305 with 34 homers and 111 RBIs, though the Braves fell to fifth place in the NL West.

In 1971, a knee injury limited Cepeda to part-time duty, and he finished the year with a .276 average, 14 homers, and 44 RBIs. After Cepeda had surgery, he was traded to the Athletics in July 1972 for former Tigers ace Denny McClain. After playing just three games with the A’s, Cepeda hit .289 with 20 homers and 86 RBIs for the Red Sox in 1973 before closing out his career with the Royals at age 36.

Cepeda’s 17-year major-league career included a .297 career batting average, 379 home runs, and 1,365 RBIs.

In his debut season in St. Louis, Torre hit .289 with 18 homers and 101 RBIs. In 1970, the Cardinals began using him at third base. Appearing in 161 games, Torre hit .325 with 21 homers and 100 RBIs.

In 1971, Torre led the National League with a .363 batting average, 230 hits, and 137 RBIs on his way to the National League MVP Award. For the next three seasons, he remained a consistent offensive player, hitting in the .280s each season while averaging approximately 12 home runs and 73 RBIs. Following the 1974 season, the Mets finally acquired Torre, trading Sadecki and Tommy Moore to St. Louis to acquire the nine-time All-Star.

Torre played the final seasons of his career in New York. In 1977, the Mets named him their player-manager, though Torre quickly retired as a player to focus on his managerial duties. He managed the Mets through the 1981 season and returned to Atlanta to serve as the Braves’ manager from 1982 to 1984.

In 1990, Torre was named the Cardinals’ manager. Over six seasons, he led the team to a 351-354 record.

In 1996, he took over the Yankees. Over 12 seasons in the Bronx, he won six American League pennants and four World Series championships and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as a manager in 2014.

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[1] Bob Broeg, “Cardinals’ Torre Is a Thinking Man’s Ballplayer,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 20, 1969.

[2] Bob Broeg, “Cardinals’ Torre Is a Thinking Man’s Ballplayer,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 20, 1969.

[3] Bob Broeg, “Memory of Richards May Fire Up Torre,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 19, 1969.

[4] Bob Broeg, “Cardinals’ Torre Is a Thinking Man’s Ballplayer,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 20, 1969.

[5] Wayne Minshew, “Torre Traded for Cepeda,” Atlanta Constitution, March 18, 1969.

[6] Bob Broeg, “Cepeda Dealt; Torre to Play First, Catch,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 18, 1969.

[7] Jesse Outlar, “The Torre Story,” Atlanta Constitution, March 19, 1969.

[8] Bob Broeg, “Cardinals’ Torre Is a Thinking Man’s Ballplayer,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 20, 1969.

[9] Jesse Outlar, “The ‘Untouchables,’” Atlanta Constitution, March 18, 1969.

[10] Jesse Outlar, “The ‘Untouchables,’” Atlanta Constitution, March 18, 1969.

[11] Jesse Outlar, “The ‘Untouchables,’” Atlanta Constitution, March 18, 1969.

[12] Jesse Outlar, “The Torre Story,” Atlanta Constitution, March 19, 1969.

[13] Bob Broeg, “Cardinals’ Torre Is a Thinking Man’s Ballplayer,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 20, 1969.

[14] Bob Broeg, “Cardinals’ Torre Is a Thinking Man’s Ballplayer,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 20, 1969.

[15] Bob Broeg, “Cardinals’ Torre Is a Thinking Man’s Ballplayer,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 20, 1969.

[16] Bob Broeg, “Cardinals’ Torre Is a Thinking Man’s Ballplayer,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 20, 1969.

[17] Bob Broeg, “Cardinals’ Torre Is a Thinking Man’s Ballplayer,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 20, 1969.

[18] Bob Broeg, “Cepeda Dealt; Torre to Play First, Catch,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 18, 1969.

[19] Bob Gibson, Pitch by Pitch: My View of One Unforgettable Game, Kindle Android Version, Page 53.

[20] Bob Broeg, “Cepeda Dealt; Torre to Play First, Catch,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 18, 1969.

[21] Bob Broeg, “Cepeda Dealt; Torre to Play First, Catch,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 18, 1969.

[22] Wayne Minshew, “Torre Traded for Cepeda,” Atlanta Constitution, March 18, 1969.

[23] Wayne Minshew, “Cepeda Trade Delights Lum,” Atlanta Constitution, March 19, 1969.

The post Why the Cardinals traded Orlando Cepeda for Joe Torre first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

On December 12, 1994, Henke signed a one-year, $2-million contract to serve as the Cardinals’ closer in 1995. The 13-year major-league veteran had been born in Kansas City and lived on a farm outside of Jefferson City.^[1]

“I’ll be honest with you, if it hadn’t been with St. Louis, I probably would have retired,” Henke said.[2]

“I was always a Cardinals fan growing up,” he continued. “It’s going to be a lot of fun and a privilege to play here. I tried to get over here in 1992 when I was a free agent but they had Lee Smith at the time. I know a lot of people around back home were wanting me to come here this time and it worked out. From a family standpoint, it’s wonderful.”[3]

Henke told the Belleville News-Democrat that several teams were vying for his services.

“It had to be the right situation,” he said. “I wanted to play in Texas, St. Louis, Kansas City, or maybe Cleveland, and St. Louis and Cleveland were the most interested.”^[4]

Drafted by the Rangers in the fourth round of the 1980 June draft, Henke pitched in 41 games for the Rangers between 1982 and 1984, but he was erratic, walking 32 batters in 60 innings, including 20 in 28 1/3 innings in 1984.

In January 1985, the Blue Jays selected him as a free agent compensation pick. After winning the International League Most Valuable Player Award with a 0.88 ERA and 18 saves in 51 1/3 innings, Henke was called up to Toronto for the stretch run. In 40 innings, he posted a 2.03 ERA and 42 saves in 40 innings.

From 1986 through 1993, Henke saved at least 20 games each season. In 1987, he led the league with 34 saves and made the first all-star appearance of his career. He saved 34 games in 1992, then saved three games in the ALCS and two more in the World Series to help the Blue Jays win the world championship.

After returning to the Rangers in 1993, Henke enjoyed another strong year, saving a career-high 40 games with a 2.91 ERA. In 1994, however, a stint on the disabled list limited him to just 15 saves in 21 opportunities. His ERA climbed to 3.79 and he clashed with Rangers manager Kevin Kennedy regarding his use.

“Last (season) wasn’t a lot of fun for me,” Henke said. “I had some conflicts with the manager. It was a case where, all of a sudden, he was using me in situations for three or four innings, and that’s something I hadn’t experienced in a long time.”^[5]

The man nicknamed “Terminator” came to the Cardinals ranked seventh on the all-time major-league list with 275.

“He’s going to be our closer, the guy who pitches the ninth inning,” Cardinals manager Joe Torre said. “He’s a guy who has done it, he’s used to doing it, and he’s been successful doing it. The difference of pitching that ninth inning is one of the big things in baseball. Not everyone can do it. You saw what happened with Mike Perez. Even when he was being successful, he was a little hesitant.”[6]

Perez opened the 1994 season as the Cardinals’ closer, but struggled in the role and ended the season with an 8.71 ERA. Rene Arocha claimed the job and saved 11 games, but required elbow surgery following the season.

Signing Henke “gives us more flexibility with Arocha,” Torre said. “Now he could work into our starting rotation or be a setup guy.”^[7]

Henke was part of new general manager Walt Jocketty’s plan to improve a pitching staff that posted a 5.14 ERA in 1994. On the same day the Cardinals signed Henke, they also signed left-handed pitcher Danny Jackson to a three-year contract.

“It’s a major change in direction for this organization and I think it should be an indication to all of the fans that we’re doing whatever is needed – and whatever is possible – to try and put a winning and competitive team on the field for next year,” Jocketty said. “I’m excited about it.”^[8]

So was Torre.

“Last year we had a ballclub that showed you how tough things can be if you can’t rely on pitchers getting you six or seven innings and having somebody close the door,” Torre said. “When Walt came aboard, he said he was going to address the pitching and he certainly has done that.”^[9]

Although Jackson went just 2-12 with a 5.90 ERA and the Cardinals went just 62-81 during the strike-shortened 1995 season, Henke was all the Cardinals could have hoped for. In 54 1/3 innings, he posted a 1.82 ERA and saved 36 games in 38 opportunities. Along the way, he represented the Cardinals in the all-star game and placed 22^nd in the National League Most Valuable Player voting. On August 18, 1995, he earned the 300^th save of his career

After the season, he was named the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year. The St. Louis Chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America presented him with its J.G. Taylor Spink Award as the St. Louis Baseball Man of the Year.

That December, Henke declined the Cardinals’ offer of salary arbitration and indicated that he didn’t plan to return in time for the start of the season.

“I’m not officially retiring yet,” Henke said. “The chances of me coming back are pretty slim, but I would like to leave this open. I’m going to wait to see how I feel this spring, but I told the Cardinals to go ahead and play without me. If I do play, it will be with the Cardinals, but right now I don’t think I want to play.”[10]

Henke did not return in the spring, opting instead to spend time with his family. He retired with 311 saves and a 2.67 career ERA. In 789 2/3 innings, he struck out 861 batters for an average of 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings.

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[1] Dan O’Neill, “On Second Try, Henke Makes A Deal With Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 13, 1994.

[2] Dan O’Neill, “On Second Try, Henke Makes A Deal With Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 13, 1994.

[3] Dan O’Neill, “On Second Try, Henke Makes A Deal With Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 13, 1994.

[4] Simon Gonzalez, “Rangers lose Henke to Cards,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, December 13, 1994.

[5] Dan O’Neill, “On Second Try, Henke Makes A Deal With Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 13, 1994.

[6] Dan O’Neill, “On Second Try, Henke Makes A Deal With Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 13, 1994.

[7] Dan O’Neill, “On Second Try, Henke Makes A Deal With Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 13, 1994.

[8] Joe Ostermeier, “Cards move to beef up pitching,” Belleville News-Democrat, December 13, 1994.

[9] Joe Ostermeier, “Cards move to beef up pitching,” Belleville News-Democrat, December 13, 1994.

[10] Rick Hummel, “Still Unofficial, But Chances Slim Henke Will Pitch,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 20, 1995.

The post December 12, 1994: Tom Henke signs with the Cardinals first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

On July 17, 1974, Bob Gibson claimed the 3,000^th strikeout of his career, retiring Cesar Geronimo on strikes in a 6-4 loss to the Reds. Early that morning, Dizzy Dean, the unquestioned ace of the 1934 Cardinals’ world championship team had passed away with his wife Patricia; his brother, Paul Dean; and Paul’s two children at his side in Reno, Nevada. Dean had checked into St. Mary’s Hospital with chest pains a few days earlier, on July 14, then suffered a heart attack early the next day.

“Mrs. Nixon and I join sports fans everywhere in mourning the loss of this legendary figure,” President Richard Nixon said.^[1]

Dean cemented his place in baseball lore in 1934 when he led the Gashouse Gang to the World Series championship. Dean won the National League Most Valuable Player Award after he led the league with 30 wins – including seven shutouts – and struck out a league-high 195 batters. Pitching in nine games over a 19-day stretch in the heat of the pennant race, Dean finished the season with 311 2/3 innings and a 2.66 ERA.

He led the league with 28 wins the following season, pitching 325 1/3 innings as he threw 29 complete games. His 190 strikeouts marked the fourth consecutive year that he led the National League in strikeouts.

Given his incredible workload – which included at least 286 innings in five consecutive seasons, plus a variety of exhibition performances throughout each season to supplement the Cardinals’ revenue – Dean’s arm trouble in the late ’30s comes as no surprise. Just before the 1938 season, the Cardinals traded him to the Chicago Cubs, where he battled through injuries until 1941, when he pitched a single inning before retiring.

Dean returned for a lone start in 1947 when, as a radio broadcaster for the St. Louis Browns, he told the audience that he could pitch better than the hurlers the Browns were sending to the mound. Backing up his words, Dean pitched four scoreless innings in a Sept. 28 game against the White Sox.

In 1953, Dean was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, and that year he began announcing the nationally televised Game of the Week alongside Buddy Blattner and Pee Wee Reese. Though Reese later denied that Dean ever said such a thing, legend holds that Dean once observed a young couple among the spectators.

“Look-a-there, Pee Wee,” he said over the air. “Those young folks are smooching after every pitch. He’s kissing her on the strikes and she’s kissing him on the balls.”[2]

Dean’s colorful mangling of the English language, including using the term “slud” instead of “slid,” endeared him to audiences, including many who were too young to have seen him pitch in the ’30s. He continued to broadcast games for CBS through 1965 and Braves games from 1966 through 1968, giving him an opportunity to see Gibson’s emergence as the Cardinals’ next legendary pitcher. As Dean remarked, Gibson knew just the right pitch to throw “99 times out of 10.”[3]

Indeed, as Gibson took the mound in pursuit of his 3,000^th strikeout, he had long since earned his own place in the Hall of Fame. He entered the game with 2,999 strikeouts, one shy of becoming the first National League pitcher and just the second player in major league history to reach 3,000, joining Walter Johnson.

Earlier that day, Tony Perez had announced Geronimo as the favorite to be Gibson’s 3,000^th strikeout victim as he set odds for players in the lineup. Six years later, Geronimo also was at the plate for Nolan Ryan’s 3,000^th strikeout.

“Pete Rose is 20-to-1, Joe Morgan is 30-to-1,” he said. “Johnny Bench is 3-to-2, but only because he may bunt.”

“What if I say I’m not bunting?” Bench asked.

“Then you are 1-to-3,” Perez answered with a laugh. “Me, I’m even money if it gets to me. I (have) been helping Gibson for 10 years. Why not do it now? I mean, I always look for the fastball, right here. It never comes. Just that hard slider, hard slider.”[4]

The first time through the lineup, the Reds played spoiler to Gibson’s milestone. In the first inning, Morgan singled and stole second, scoring on a single by Bench. In the second, Dan Driessen reached on an error by Ted Simmons at first base and scored on a ground ball by Ken Griffey. With runners on first and second and two outs, Gibson struck out Geronimo on a fastball above the strike zone to end the inning.

As the Busch Stadium II crowd of 28,743 cheered, the ultra-competitive Gibson uncharacteristically tipped his cap to the fans.

“I wanted the fans to know that I appreciated that they appreciated my efforts,” he said the following day.[5]

Joe Torre hit a three-run homer and Reggie Smith added a solo shot to give Gibson and the Cardinals a 4-2 lead, but in the fourth inning, Lou Brock lost track of a Driessen fly ball, allowing it to drop for a double. Griffey smacked a double into right field to cut the St. Louis lead to 4-3.

Gibson maintained that lead until the sixth. With two outs, Dave Concepcion singled, Griffey walked, and pinch hitter Terry Crowley, who was batting just .160 on the season, singled into center to tie the game.

In the seventh, manager Red Schoendienst pulled Gibson for a pinch hitter. Gibson finished the day with four strikeouts, giving him 3,003 for his career.

“I thought he was getting a little tired,” Schoendienst said. “He was also leading off the inning and I thought we might get a run.”[6]

Both bullpens continued to put zeros on the scoreboard until the 12^th inning, when Cardinals reliever Rich Folkers walked Darrel Chaney and allowed a single to Concepcion. Schoendienst called on Orlando Pena to end the threat, but George Foster greeted him with a double to left field to score Chaney and Concepcion.

In the ninth, St. Louis second baseman Jerry DaVanon reached on an error and pinch hitter Ken Reitz singled. After Pedro Borbon uncorked a wild pitch, Reds manager Sparky Anderson called for him to intentionally walk Brock and pitch to infielder Mike Tyson.

The strategy worked. Tyson popped out to Morgan at second base to end the game.

“I wouldn’t have slept if we didn’t walk Lou Brock and he beat us,” Anderson said. “He’s beaten our club a lot in the last few years, at least three times with home runs. If Mike Tyson had beaten us, I would have slept.”[7]

“That’s the kind of game that makes you lose your hair and get ulcers,” Bench said. “Imagine, two out in the ninth, then an error and a hit. I thought, ‘Here we go again.’”[8]

Never inclined to discuss personal accomplishments following a loss, Gibson had already left by the time reporters reached the clubhouse after the game.

The 38-year-old Gibson finished the 1974 season with an 11-13 record and 3.83 ERA over 240 innings. He retired following the 1975 campaign with 251 career victories, a 2.91 ERA, and 3,117 strikeouts, concluding a career that included two World Series titles, two World Series MVP awards, two Cy Young awards, one National League MVP Award, nine Gold Glove Awards, an ERA title, and nine all-star game appearances. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981.

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[1] “Dizzy Returns To South,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 18, 1974.

[2] John Heidenry (2007), The Gashouse Gang, PublicAffairs: Page 289.

[3] John Heidenry (2007), The Gashouse Gang, PublicAffairs: Page 292.

[4] Bob Hertzel, “Gibson Gets 3000^th Strikeout, Reds Get Hits,” Cincinnati Enquirer, July 18, 1974.

[5] Jack Herman, “Fans’ Applause Earns Tip of Gibson’s Cap,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, July 19, 1974.

[6] Associated Press, “Reds Spoil Gibson’s March Into History,” Mexico Ledger, July 18, 1974.

[7] Neal Russo, “Cincy Book A Sleeper,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 18, 1974.

[8] Neal Russo, “Gibby Is Still Gibby,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 18, 1974.

The post July 17, 1974: Bob Gibson gets his 3,000th strikeout the same day Dizzy Dean passes away first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

After hitting an eighth-inning triple to move within a single of the cycle, Torre asked Schoendienst to remove him from the game. Sensing that Torre – slated to bat fifth in the ninth inning – still had an opportunity at history, Schoendienst kept his first baseman in the lineup.

“I told him he might get another shot,” Schoendienst said. “I told him to stay in there.”[1]

It proved to be the right decision.

“You have to give Red an assist,” Torre said. “I’m glad he ignored me this time.”[2]

Torre’s cycle paced a 22-hit offensive attack in the Cardinals’ 15-4 victory over the defending National League champion Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium.

The first Pittsburgh pitcher to fall victim to the St. Louis bats was 30-year-old left-hander Jim Rooker, who was making his first start of the season after thriving in a relief role. Rooker would go on to win 10 games that season, the first of five consecutive campaigns with double-digit win totals. This game, however, would not count toward the win column.

The first four Cardinals batters each pounded hits as Lou Brock and Ted Sizemore singled, Torre hit an RBI double off the wall, and Ted Simmons followed with a two-run double to give St. Louis a 3-0 lead.

Willie Stargell hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first off Cardinals starting pitcher Reggie Cleveland to cut the lead to 3-1, but the Cardinals broke the game open in the third as Torre and Simmons each hit solo home runs. After Ken Reitz singled and Bill Stein doubled, the Pirates inserted another left-hander, Luke Walker.

Walker didn’t fare any better. Jose Cruz and Mike Tyson greeted Walker with consecutive RBI singles. Another run scored on a Pirates error and Tyson scored on a wild pitch before the inning ended with the Cardinals ahead 9-1.

With a double and a home run under his belt, Torre opened the fourth inning with a triple off Pittsburgh right-hander Bob Johnson. Batting next, Simmons drove Torre home with a sacrifice fly to right field.

“I didn’t think I’d ever hit for the cycle because I’m not a triples hitter,” Torre said.[3]

Brock added an RBI single in the seventh before Torre came up again in the eighth. Facing Steve Blass, Torre walked on five pitches and it looked as though he may fall short in his bid for the cycle.

However, after Blass retired the first two batters he faced in the ninth, he walked Cleveland and Bernie Carbo to bring Torre to the plate. On a 3-1 pitch, Torre rose to the occasion with a single up the middle to score Carbo and complete the cycle. He clapped his hands in celebration on his way to first base.[4]

“I was pressing like crazy for the single,” he said.[5]

Simmons followed with an RBI double and Reitz added a two-run single to make the final score 15-4.

In addition to Torre’s four hits, three RBIs, and four runs scored, Reitz finished the day with four hits and two RBIs. Simmons went 3-for-4 with two doubles and five RBIs, and Brock and Cruz each had three hits. Every player in the starting lineup had a hit, and the Cardinals finished with nine extra-base hits – six doubles, Torre’s triple, and two home runs.

“The trick tonight was figuring out who hit the game-winning RBI,” said Tim McCarver, who sat while Simmons handled the catching duties. “That’d take a mathematician, wouldn’t it?”[6]

With the loss, the last-place Pirates fell to 31-39 on the season.

“If it has been unfair before now to refer to Pirate pitching as a travesty, the ban is henceforth lifted,” Jeff Samuels wrote in The Pittsburgh Press.[7]

“Do I have any ideas how to straighten things out?” Pirates manager Bill Virdon asked in response to a reporter’s question. “I don’t know what the hell they would be. What do you do with pitching like this? You just keep running ’em out there.”[8]

Cleveland pitched all nine innings for the Cardinals, allowing four earned runs on seven hits and two walks. He struck out five.

Torre was named to his ninth and final all-star game that summer and finished the year with a .287 batting average, 13 homers, and 69 RBIs. Following the 1974 season, the Brooklyn native was traded to the Mets for Tommy Moore and Ray Sadecki and played his final three seasons in New York. Torre retired with a career .297 batting average, totaling 252 home runs, 996 runs scored, and 1,185 RBIs.

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[1] Jeff Samuels, “Bucs Lambasted, 15-4,” The Pittsburgh Press, June 28, 1973.

[2] Neal Russo, “Torre’s Cycle Powers Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 28, 1973.

[3] Neal Russo, “Torre’s Cycle Powers Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 28, 1973.

[4] Jeff Samuels, “Bucs Lambasted, 15-4,” The Pittsburgh Press, June 28, 1973.

[5] Neal Russo, “Torre’s Cycle Powers Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 28, 1973.

[6] Charley Feeney, “Cards Stagger Limp Bucs, 15-4,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 28, 1973.

[7] Jeff Samuels, “Bucs Lambasted, 15-4,” The Pittsburgh Press, June 28, 1973.

[8] Jeff Samuels, “Bucs Lambasted, 15-4,” The Pittsburgh Press, June 28, 1973.

The post Joe Torre hits for the cycle with an assist from Red Schoendienst: June 27, 1973 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

At 35 years old, Pedro Guerrero had just completed his third season on the Busch Stadium Astroturf, and the wear and tear had begun to impact his numbers. In his first season with the Cardinals, Guerrero earned an all-star game berth with a .311/.391/.477 batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage and his 42 doubles led the National League. In 1990, the native of San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, saw his numbers dip but remain respectable, as he hit .281/.334/.426 with 13 homers and 80 RBIs. However, in 1991 he hit just 21 extra-base hits in 115 games.

At season’s end, Cardinals general manager Dal Maxvill made it clear that he didn’t intend to bring Guerrero back.

“Pete understands the whole situation,” he said. “He was beat up virtually all year and there’s his age, defensively, trying to play first base on artificial turf.”[1]

 California Angels first baseman Wally Joyner was an option, though he ultimately signed a four-year, $18 million deal with the Kansas City Royals. Outfielder Danny Tartabull also was on the market, but he signed with the New York Yankees for more than $5 million per season. On Nov. 20, Maxvill announced that the Cardinals had no intentions of pursuing Joyner, Tartabull, or fellow free agent Bobby Bonilla.

“After tons of meetings we have decided that we are not going to bid on any major free agents,” Maxvill said. “This doesn’t mean we are out of the free-agent market completely, forever. Just these three top dogs who are going to command $4 to $6 million a year for five years.”[2]

Five days later, on Nov. 25, the Cardinals announced that they had traded 25-year-old right-handed pitcher Ken Hill to the Montreal Expos for Andres Galarraga.

Between 1988 and 1990, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound first baseman from Caracas, Venezuela, averaged 24 home runs and 87 RBIs. In 1988, he earned his first all-star appearance and Silver Slugger Award, and in 1989 and 1990, he was recognized with a Gold Glove.

In 1991, however, Galarraga struggled. After arthroscopic knee surgery, Galarraga batted just .219 with nine homers and 33 RBIs in 400 plate appearances. A midseason groin pull limited his at-bats and his effectiveness. Suddenly the big first baseman’s tendancy to strike out (he led the league in strikeouts in 1988, 1989, and 1990) weren’t offset by his power stats. Even more importantly, his $2.65 million salary was now expendable for the cash-strapped Expos.

 “If Galarraga has a normal year, we don’t get him for Ken Hill,” Maxvill said.[3]

Rex Hudler, who played alongside Galarraga in Montreal, loved the move.

“Ozzie Smith should be doing a triple backflip right now,” he said, “and Todd Zeile should be too. He is going to make a big difference at first base. I’m sorry Kenny Hill won’t be here, but it’s a great pickup for the club. Galarraga’s liable to go off next year. He needs a change of scenery. You bring in the walls, which he doesn’t even need, and bring him to this town and he’ll have a great year.”[4]

Cardinals pitcher Bob Tewskbury also noted the Gold Glove awards Galarraga had earned in 1989 and 1990.

“Defensively, he helps us immediately,” Tewksbury said. “He’s as good as anybody with the glove. With his bat, it might be a gamble, but a change can make a big difference.”[5]

St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz immediately questioned the move, wondering why the Cardinals gave up a pitcher with Hill’s potential to replace one declining first baseman for another.

“We all have been impatient with Hill’s progress, but he’s young and capable of rolling up a sequence of monster seasons,” Miklasz wrote. “This is the danger: Hill is still on the way up; Galarraga has been on the way down.”[6]

Miklasz also wondered why Galarraga’s numbers were declining at age 30 when he should be in the prime of his career. “The theories,” posited Miklasz: “He got fat. He swings at too many pitches, especially sliders away. He can’t catch up with a fastball on his fists. A procession of meddling Montreal batting instructors destroyed his swing and confidence. He is a sensitive, emotional person who couldn’t cope with the criticism in gloomy Montreal – the place where careers go to die.”[7]

Galarraga admitted that he had been frustrated by the criticisms he received from both the Expos and their fans.

“I’m angry that the fans in Montreal booed me so much and forgot what I’d done before,” he said. “Didn’t they know I was hurt? And then management talking about my weight all year the way they did … putting pressure on me when they knew I was the weight I always was.”[8]

Expos third baseman Tim Wallach said that the Olympic Stadium boos also played a part in Galarraga’s performance.

“He took it very hard,” Wallach said. “I still think he’s got a lot of good years ahead of him. I think just being able to get out of Montreal is going to be the best thing for him. He’s a sensitive guy, and you could tell he was hurting a lot.”[9]

Cardinals manager Joe Torre said it was clear in watching Galarraga play the previous season that he was attempting to guess which pitch was coming. Torre said he went through a similar yearlong slump after he won the National League MVP Award in 1971.

“I don’t think any more things could have gone wrong for him and the Expos than they did last year,” he said. “If he plays to his capabilities, he could be every bit the offensive player Bonilla is. This is an excellent ballpark for him and, with the fences being moved in, it will help him.”[10]

Hill was not the Expos’ first choice. Dan Duquette, making his first trade as Montreal’s general manager, initially asked for left-handed pitcher Rheal Cormier, a French-speaking native of New Brunswick, Canada, whom the Expos felt their fans would embrace as one of their own. Montreal Gazette columnist Pat Hickey noted that based on each players’ stats, the Cardinals’ insistence on trading Hill instead of Cormier worked to the Expos’ favor.[11]

“I’m not happy. I’m not unhappy,” Hill said. “I’m shocked, but I know it’s business.”[12]

Hill gave the Expos a hard thrower who recently had developed a forkball and begun to improve his sometimes erratic control. In 1989, Hill had walked 99 and struck out 112 in 196 2/3 innings. The following year, he walked 33 and struck out 58, and in 1991 he struck out 121 while walking 67.

“It also gives us some capital to play with,” said Duquette, noting that Hill made just $180,000 in 1991. “We’re more flexible now and can go after a run producer or bullpen closer, either in the free-agent market or from another club.”[13]

One possibility Duquette suggested was Guerrero. “He’s the type of player who could help our ballclub,” he said.[14]

Nonetheless, Expos ace Dennis Martinez was unimpressed by the trade.

“Is that all they got?” he asked. “I bet he will bounce back in St. Louis. Hopefully they will let him go his own way. The Expos wouldn’t let him do that. They just kept talking about his strikeouts.”[15]

Ironically, despite Maxvill’s indication that Guerrero would be playing elsewhere, he ended up joining Galarraga on the Cardinals’ roster in 1992. St. Louis offered Guerrero salary arbitration, knowing that if he declined the offer the Cardinals would receive two draft picks as compensation. Instead Guerrero, who had been seeking a multiyear contract, accepted their one-year offer to play left field.

“We have all spring to see what we’re going to look like defensively. We’ve got to get better offensively,” Torre said. “You’ve really got to throw out the stuff after he got hurt last year. Right before he broke his leg, he looked like he was coming around.”[16]

Neither Guerrero nor Galarraga would have the bounce-back season the Cardinals hoped for in 1992. Injuries once again plagued Guerrero, who started just 38 games due to neck, shoulder, and ankle injuries. Despite their initial plans to play him primarily in left field, he made just 10 starts there, with 28 coming at first base. He hit just .219/.270/.295 with one home run and 16 RBIs.

It was his final season in the big leagues. In 1993, Guerrero split his season between the Sioux Falls Canaries of the Northern League and the Carros de Jalisco of the Mexican League. He played for the Canaries again in 1994, then played for the California Angels’ Double-A affiliate in Midland, Texas, in 1995 before retiring.

Galarraga had a strong spring training performance in 1992, but broke his wrist in the second game of the season. He ended up playing in 95 games for St. Louis and posted similar numbers as he had in 1991. In 325 at-bats with the Cardinals, he hit .243 with 10 homers and 39 RBIs. During the season, Maxvill explored restructuring Galarraga’s contract to feature a low base salary with incentives for the 1993 campaign, but Galarraga preferred seeing what might be offered on the open market.[17] After the season ended, the Cardinals chose not to pick up the $3 million option year on his contract and Galarraga became a free agent.

That offseason, he signed with the expansion Colorado Rockies. At Coors Field, Galarraga immediately unleashed his potential, batting .370 with 22 homers and 98 RBIs in his hitter-friendly home ballpark. In five of the following six seasons, he finished in the top 10 of the National League MVP voting.

 While Galarraga didn’t pan out for the Cardinals, Hill went 41-21 with a 3.04 ERA in three seasons with Montreal. In 1994, Hill went 16-5 with a 3.32 ERA (ironically, the highest ERA of his three seasons with the Expos) and placed second in the National League Cy Young Award voting behind only Greg Maddux.

The following year, Hill returned to the Cardinals but went just 6-7 with a 5.06 ERA before he was traded to the Cleveland Indians for prospects David Bell, Rick Heiserman, and Pepe McNeal.

Hill retired in 2001 after a 14-year career that included stops in Texas, Anaheim, Tampa Bay, and Chicago (White Sox).

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[1] Rick Hummel, “Quick Shop: Cards Covet Few Free Agents,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 12, 1991: C1.

[2] Rick Hummel, “Top Free Agents Aren’t In The Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 21, 1991: D1.

[3] Rick Hummel, “Cards Acquire Galarraga,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 26, 1991: C1.

[4] Dan O’Neill, “Acquisition Of Galarraga Is A Hit With Cardinals,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 26, 1991: C4.

[5] Dan O’Neill, “Acquisition Of Galarraga Is A Hit With Cardinals,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 26, 1991: C4.

[6] Bernie Miklasz, “A Live Arm For Dead Bat?” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 26, 1991: C1.

[7] Bernie Miklasz, “A Live Arm For Dead Bat?” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 26, 1991: C1.

[8] Jeff Blair, “‘Scapegoat’ Cat off to Cards,” Montreal Gazette, November 26, 1991: C7.

[9] Rick Hummel, “Cards Acquire Galarraga,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 26, 1991: C4.

[10] Rick Hummel, “Cards Acquire Galarraga,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 26, 1991: C4.

[11] Pat Hickey, “Figures say Expos come out winners,” Montreal Gazette, November 26, 1991: C1.

[12] Rick Hummel, “Hill Surprised, Unhappy By Expos Trade,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 26, 1991: C4.

[13] Jeff Blair, “‘Scapegoat’ Cat off to Cards,” Montreal Gazette, November 26, 1991: C1.

[14] Rick Hummel, “Cards Acquire Galarraga,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 26, 1991: C4.

[15] Jeff Blair, “‘Scapegoat’ Cat off to Cards,” Montreal Gazette, November 26, 1991: C7.

[16] Rick Hummel, “‘Left Fielder’ Guerrero Accepts Cards’ Offer,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 20, 1991: D1.

[17] Rick Hummel, “Van Slyke, Bonds Quiet At The Plate,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 7, 1992: D4.

The post How Andres Galarraga was traded to St. Louis for Ken Hill first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

At Creighton University, Gibson once pitched a no-hitter into the sixth inning before the manager moved him to center field for the remainder of the game.[2] He recalled coming within one out of a no-hitter while pitching for the Cardinals’ Triple-A affiliate in Rochester in 1958, and had thrown one-hitters against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1965 and the San Diego Padres in 1970.

But by 1971, his third decade in the majors, Gibson had yet to throw a complete-game no-hitter. He and third baseman Joe Torre even joked about it half an hour before the start of the game, though the newspaper accounts of the conversation differed slightly.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Gibson jokingly told third baseman Joe Torre, “I think I’ll throw a no-hitter.”

“Naw,” Torre replied. “You throw too many pitches.”[3]

The wire services reported that when Gibson told Torre, “I might pitch a no-hitter,” he reconsidered and said, “Nah, I don’t want to do it. It takes too many pitches.”[4]

Catcher Ted Simmons, however, was ready to believe.

“Just two nights ago, when we were eating, I said Gibson would pitch a no-hitter Saturday,” he said. “Go ask Chris Zachary if I’m not right. He was there too.”

Zachary confirmed Simmons’ tale with a nod.[5]

Meanwhile, there was no doubt that Pirates slugger Willie Stargell, who accounted for three of Gibson’s 10 strikeouts, including the final out of the ninth inning, was a believer.

“All those people who said that Gibson was washed up should have had to bat against him tonight,” he said.[6]

The Cardinals made sure that Gibson had a comfortable cushion before he even threw a pitch. After Matty Alou walked and Jose Cruz singled, Torre and Simmons hit back-to-back RBI singles. Right fielder Joe Hague followed with a three-run home run to center field that made it 5-0.

In the second inning, Gibson struck out May but the ball got past Simmons for a wild pitch, allowing May to reach first. Gibson then struck out Bob Robertson for his third strikeout of the inning, then got Bill Mazeroski to hit a foul pop fly into Alou’s glove at first base.

“Don’t ask me how fast he was,” Mazeroski said, “because I didn’t see a fastball all night. He gave me sliders, good sliders on the outside of the plate. I broke two bats the first two times up.”[7]

Gibson walked Jackie Hernandez to lead off the third before retiring the side in order, and issued a one-out walk to Stargell in the fourth. He then retired the next 10 batters, including May on a deep fly ball that forced Cruz to make a running, one-handed grab at the warning track.

“When I hit it, I thought it was going out,” May said. “I’ve only got one left-field homer in this park, and I thought the ball I hit tonight was harder than that one.”[8]

Gibson said, “It was a high fly ball, and I knew if it came down Cruz would catch it. If it didn’t come down, it was going out of the park. Somehow I always felt it was going to come down, though.”[9]

That play didn’t worry Gibson as much as a high chopper in the eighth inning off the bat of Dave Cash. Torre was playing in at third to defend against the bunt and Torre had to leap to keep the ball from bouncing into the outfield.

“That was the only play that really scared me,” Gibson said.[10]

Meanwhile, the Cardinals’ lineup continued to build its lead. In the fifth inning, Ted Kubiak hit a bases-loaded double that scored Torre and Simmons. Gibson hit a sacrifice fly into right field that made the score 8-0.

In the top of the eighth, Cardinals shortstop Dal Maxvill drew a bases-loaded walk and Gibson hit a two-run single to make the score 11-0.

At that point, the only drama lay in whether Gibson could complete his bid for a no-hitter.

In the ninth, Gibson got Vic Davalillo to hit a ground ball to Maxvill at shortstop and Al Oliver to ground out to Kubiak at second base.

“Gibson threw the ball by me all four times at bat,” Oliver said. “He’s the first guy who has ever overpowered me. I just couldn’t get the bat around.”[11]

With two outs and Stargell at the plate, Gibson went to his slider for his 124^th pitch of the game. Home plate umpire Harry Wendelstedt called it a strike for Gibson’s 10^th strikeout of the day.

“I was looking for a fastball and then that slider cut over the plate at the last instant,” Stargell said.[12]

“That last pitch to Stargell exploded,” Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst said.[13]

It was Gibson’s 201^st win and the 48^th shutout of his career. Though the Pirates had four baserunners, none advanced past first base.

With the win, Gibson improved to 11-10 on the season and lowered his ERA to 3.22. It had been a challenging, injury-prone season for the veteran right-hander, including a three-week stint on the disabled list in June due to a torn thigh muscle.[14]

“This thrilled me, it really did,” Gibson said. “After it was over, I felt like we’d won the seventh game of the World Series.”[15]

It was an equal thrill for Simmons, who went 4-for-6 with a double and three runs scored, improving his batting average for the season to .314.

“That was the greatest thrill of my life, catching a no-hitter,” Simmons said. “Man, he was throwing fire.”[16]

Torre went 4-for-6 and drove in his 95^th RBI, increasing his batting average to .360. Ted Sizemore, Hague, and Kubiak each added two hits. Despite a banner day for the offense, they were happy to hand the spotlight to Gibson.

“You keep looking up at that big scoreboard and see they don’t have any hits,” said Gibson, who admitted he was aware of the no-hit bid throughout the game.

“In the last two innings, I was bearing down extra hard. I was trying not to make bad pitches. Even when I was getting behind in the count, I was being careful not to groove the ball. I was throwing sliders and curves with the count 3 and 2.”[17]

After the reporters had asked all their postgame interviews, the 35-year-old Gibson offered high praise for his performance.

“This was the greatest game I’ve ever pitched anywhere,” he said.[18]

[1] Neal Russo, “Gibson Fires First No-Hitter,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 15, 1971: B1.

[2] Neal Russo, “Gibson Fires First No-Hitter,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 15, 1971: B1.

[3] Neal Russo, “Gibson Fires First No-Hitter,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 15, 1971: B6.

[4] Wire Services, “Bob Gibson No-Hits Bucs in ‘Best Game,’ Philadelphia Inquirer, August 15, 1971: Section 3, Page 1.

[5] Neal Russo, “Gibson Fires First No-Hitter,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 15, 1971: B6.

[6] Neal Russo, “Gibson Fires First No-Hitter,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 15, 1971: B1.

[7] Wire Services, “Bob Gibson No-Hits Bucs in ‘Best Game,’ Philadelphia Inquirer, August 15, 1971: Section 3, Page 1.

[8] “Bucs Scared Gibson In 8^th,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 15, 1971: B1.

[9] “Bucs Scared Gibson In 8^th,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 15, 1971: B1.

[10] “Bucs Scared Gibson In 8^th,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 15, 1971: B1.

[11] Neal Russo, “Gibson’s Reward: A Party,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 16, 1971: C3.

[12] Neal Russo, “Gibson Fires First No-Hitter,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 15, 1971: B6.

[13] Neal Russo, “Gibson Fires First No-Hitter,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 15, 1971: B1.

[14] “Bucs Scared Gibson In 8^th,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 15, 1971: B6.

[15] “Bucs Scared Gibson In 8^th,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 15, 1971: B1.

[16] Neal Russo, “Gibson Fires First No-Hitter,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 15, 1971: B1.

[17] Neal Russo, “Gibson Fires First No-Hitter,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 15, 1971: B1.

[18] Neal Russo, “Gibson Fires First No-Hitter,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 15, 1971: B6.

The post Bob Gibson throws his only career no-hitter: August 14, 1971 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.