After the first three batters of the ninth inning reached, putting the go-ahead run on third base, Al Hrabosky knew he needed to tap into something primal to escape the jam against the defending World Series champion Cincinnati Reds. “I talk to the gypsy war gods,” he explained afterward. “I work myself into a controlled […]
Al Hrabosky and the gypsy war gods stifle Reds: May 9, 1977 Read More »
Technically, Lou Brock’s pursuit of 3,000 career hits began September 10, 1962, when he singled in his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs. However, the Cardinals legend didn’t give serious thought to the milestone until speaking to Detroit Tigers outfielder Al Kaline in 1974. That season, the 40-year-old Kaline had reached the milestone in
August 13, 1979: Lou Brock collects his 3,000th career hit in resurgent final season Read More »
This is Part 3 of a three-part series about Keith Hernandez, which includes Part 1: Road to the MVP and Part 2: Champions in ’82, Traded in ’83. As Keith Hernandez helped to turn around a Mets franchise that had been mired in the bottom of the National League East standings, Whitey Herzog and Hernandez
Keith Hernandez Part 3: Post-Cardinals Career and Legacy Read More »
This is Part 2 of a three-part series chronicling Keith Hernandez’s career, which includes Part 1: Road to the MVP and Part 3: Post-Cardinals Career and Legacy. After Keith Hernandez‘s MVP season, the Cardinals rewarded him with a five-year, $3.8 million contract. The contract made Hernandez’s salary more than 10 times larger than the
Keith Hernandez Part 2: Champions in ’82, Traded in ’83 Read More »
This is Part 1 of a three-part series chronicling Keith Hernandez’s career, which includes Part 2: Champions in ’82, Traded in ’83 and Part 3: Post-Cardinals Career and Legacy. Even before Keith Hernandez was born, the St. Louis Cardinals figured prominently in his life. Hernandez’s father, John, had been a left-handed hitting first baseman in
Keith Hernandez Part 1: Road to the MVP Read More »
Without the efforts of Bob Kennedy and Lou Brock, Keith Hernandez may never have won the 1979 National League MVP Award – at least, not with the Cardinals. Hernandez was a 17-year-old out of Capuchino High School in San Bruno, California, when the Cardinals drafted him in the 42nd round of the 1971 draft. Due
How Keith Hernandez reached his potential – with help Read More »
For decades afterward, Cardinals fans would simply remember the game as “Seat Cushion Night.” The Cardinals and Mets game on April 18, 1987, appeared on the schedule to be an ordinary April ballgame. It was just the 10th game of the season for both teams, and while the St. Louis and New York ballclubs were
Seat Cushion Night: Tom Herr’s grand slam lifts Cardinals over the Mets Read More »