“I think it serves Texas’ needs for this year because they’re getting Royce and Todd, who can help them try to win the West Division,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. “It really helps us too. I think we’ll be good for the next couple of months and in the future.”[1]

The 51-57 Cardinals were 13 ½ games out of first place in the National League Central at the time of the trade. With four players slated to become free agents after the season – Stottlemyre, Clayton, Brian Jordan, and Delino DeShields – the Cardinals had been at the center of trade rumors, particularly around Stottlemyre and Jordan.

Meanwhile, Jocketty was seeking to improve the Cardinals’ pitching and obtain a third baseman to replace 39-year-old Gary Gaetti.

“Those are the real glaring needs,” he said.[2]

Ahead of the trade deadline, Rangers general manager Doug Melvin was in Denver to watch Todd Stottlemyre pitch against the Rockies.[3]

“There have probably been six clubs that have shown interest” in Stottlemyre, Jocketty said. “Just about every club that’s in the race – with different degrees of interest.”[4]

The trade was part of a busy day for the Rangers, who also sent two prospects to the Marlins for former Cardinal Todd Zeile.

“I think it’s going to help our ballclub and there’s no doubt what we did today is an effort to win our division and go beyond,” Melvin said.[5]

In Stottlemyre, the Rangers welcomed a veteran right-hander who had won 35 games since signing with St. Louis ahead of the 1996 season. Jocketty and Stottlemyre had been negotiating a possible long-term deal, but Stottlemyre was reportedly seeking four years while the Cardinals would not go past their three-year, $21 million offer.[6]

“We think very highly of Todd, and we’d love to have him back, and we may have him back, but this allowed us to get a few pieces to help our situation,” Jocketty said.[7]

Both the Cardinals and Stottlemyre expressed a willingness to continue negotiations after the season ended.

“This has been a great experience,” Stottlemyre said. “When I was traded (from Oakland), they told me it was a great baseball town. They were wrong. It was the best. The fans are real special. The times they gave me standing ovations when I was walking off the mound? Awesome.”[8]

The Rangers turned to Stottlemyre after their negotiations to acquire Roger Clemens from the Blue Jays failed to gain traction. Sources said the Jays wanted left fielder Rusty Greer, Oliver, and a premier prospect.[9]

“He’s a real competitor,” Melvin said of Stottlemyre. “I told him he was probably pitching against Boston next weekend and he said, ‘Good.’”[10]

“I go from a club that was 13 ½ games out to a club that’s in the pennant race,” Stottlemyre said. “From that standpoint, it’s pretty exciting. For the next two months, going out and pitching with that kind of pressure, it’s what every player wants.”[11]

Clayton was all too familiar with pressure, having come to St. Louis in a December 1995 trade that made him the heir apparent to Ozzie Smith. In Clayton’s first season in St. Louis, Clayton and Smith split time at the position, creating a tense situation that was only resolved when Smith announced his retirement effective at the end of the season.

After hitting .277 with six homers, 35 RBIs, and 33 stolen bases in his debut season in St. Louis, Clayton earned All-Star recognition in 1997, batting .266 with nine homers, 61 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases. His 1998 campaign, however, was disappointing, and at the time of the trade he was batting just .234.

“I didn’t think anything was going to happen,” Clayton said. “I thought things had pretty much subsided when you don’t hear your name, but there’s no doubt in my mind that I’m going to help this team.”[12]

Clayton was taking the place of Kevin Elster, whom the Rangers released upon completing the trade. Elster had helped Texas win the AL West in 1996, but when he returned ahead of the 1998 season, the Rangers found that the 33-year-old had lost a step.

“Of all the priorities we had, improving at shortstop was No. 1,” Rangers manager Johnny Oates said. “Shortstop is such an important position defensively. A good one makes your pitching better, makes your outfielders better by cutting down on their throws. I talked to Tony La Russa at length this afternoon, and he’s very high on (Clayton). He said we’ll like him, that the ball jumps off his bat, that he has good range and a good arm, and that he likes to play and play hard. Those were all the things we were looking for.”[13]

“I’m just happy to be part of an organization that is trying to better itself,” Clayton said. “This team showed they will do what it takes to help the ballclub – not to say that they needed help, because I personally felt like Texas had a great team to start with.”[14]

St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz considered the Cardinals’ trade of Clayton to be addition by subtraction.

“Clayton represented everything wrong with this disappointing team: moodiness and stubbornness,” Miklasz wrote. “He pouted when he didn’t bat leadoff. He never embraced the suggestions to hit smarter with two strikes. Clayton never tried to hit the ball the opposite way, no matter how many lectures he heard from batting instructor Dave Parker. So before firing Clayton, the Cardinals exchanged him for Tatis, who could be their third baseman for many summers. Jocketty made it clear to Rangers GM Doug Melvin that he wouldn’t trade Stottlemyre for Oliver unless the deal was expanded to include the swap of Clayton for Tatis. Because of his tough posture, Jocketty got Tatis as a bonus.”[15]

A native of the Dominican Republic, the 23-year-old Tatis made his debut the previous year, batting .256 with eight homers and 29 RBIs in 241 plate appearances. At the time of the trade, he was batting .270 with three homers and 32 RBIs through 95 games.

“We don’t like giving him up because we really think he’ll be an All-Star third baseman,” Melvin said.[16]

“The guy we liked is Tatis,” Jocketty said. “We needed to find a third baseman, and he was the best guy available.”[17]

Oliver, 27, had been in the Rangers organization since they drafted him in the third round in 1988. In his previous two seasons with the Rangers, he won 27 games and threw 375 innings. At the time of the trade, however, he was struggling through a down year and was just 6-7 with a 6.53 ERA.

“We’ve had good reports on Oliver,” Jocketty said. “He’s a solid third or fourth starter and probably better than that. He gives us a little depth in our rotation. A couple of clubs have called about him, but we’re going to hold onto him.”[18]

“He’s very deceptive,” said Mark McGwire, who had played against Oliver in the American League. “He’s got a very smooth delivery. Great demeanor on the mound. You wouldn’t know if he had given up five runs or that he had a no-hitter going.”[19]

Oliver’s contract ran through the 1999 season, making him a rotation piece the Cardinals could count on in the upcoming season.

The Rangers, however, were clearly focused on that fall.

“We’re the front-runners now,” Texas second baseman Mark McLemore said.[20]

Indeed, the Rangers went on to pass Anaheim in the AL West race, going 37-23 in August and September to win the division with an 88-74 record, three games ahead of the Angels. Stottlemyre went 5-4 with a 4.33 ERA in 10 starts while Clayton hit .285 with five homers and 24 RBIs in 186 at-bats.

In the playoffs, the Rangers’ surge came to an abrupt halt, as the Yankees swept them in a three-game AL Division Series. Stottlemyre took the loss in Game 1 despite holding New York to two runs over eight innings (David Wells and Mariano Rivera combined for a shutout in the Yankees’ 2-0 win).

Clayton went 2-for-9 in the series with four strikeouts.

That December, Clayton signed a four-year, $18 million contract to return to the Rangers. He played two seasons of that contract before he was traded to the White Sox. Clayton spent two years in Chicago before playing for the Brewers, Rockies, Diamondbacks, Nationals, Reds, Blue Jays, and Red Sox over the next five seasons.

After the 1998 season, Stottlemyre signed a four-year, $32 million deal with the Diamondbacks. Unfortunately, Stottlemyre’s time in Arizona was plagued by injury. He threw 101 1/3 innings in 1999, followed by 95 1/3 innings in 2000. In 2001, he missed the entire season with shoulder and elbow injuries, and his attempt at a comeback at age 37 lasted just 20 1/3 innings. He retired after the 2002 season with a 138-121 record and a 4.28 career ERA.

Tatis hit .287 with eight homers and 26 RBIs down the stretch for the Cardinals in 1998. In April 1999, Tatis set a record that is unlikely ever to be broken, as he hit two grand slams in one inning against Dodgers pitcher Chan Ho Park.

Tatis posted career highs that season as he batted .298 with 34 homers, 107 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases. The following year, his numbers dipped as he batted .253 with 18 homers and 64 RBIs. That December, the Cardinals traded Tatis and pitcher Britt Reames to the Expos for Dustin Hermanson and Steve Kline.

Oliver went 4-4 with a 4.26 ERA for the Cardinals during the remainder of the 1998 season. He made 30 starts for St. Louis in 1999, going 9-9 – again posting a 4.26 ERA – before signing with the Rangers ahead of the 2000 season. In 2004, Oliver was converted to a relief pitcher, a move that allowed him to continue pitching as a left-handed specialist through his age-42 season.

Oliver was in his third stint with the Rangers in 2011 when the Cardinals met them in the World Series; he earned the win in Game 5 after throwing a scoreless eighth inning.

After being named as the fifth player in the trade, Little joined the Cardinals and appeared in seven games, posting a single in 12 at-bats. He did not return to the majors again until 2001, when he hit .341 in 85 at-bats with the Rockies. Little played parts of four big-league seasons with the Cardinals, Rockies, Mets, Diamondbacks, and Indians.

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

[1] “Cards trade Stottlemyre, Clayton,” Belleville News-Democrat, August 1, 1998.

[2] Rick Hummel, “Jocketty is confident he’ll swing a deal,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 28, 1998.

[3] Rick Hummel, “Jocketty is confident he’ll swing a deal,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 28, 1998.

[4] Rick Hummel, “Jocketty is confident he’ll swing a deal,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 28, 1998.

[5] Johnny Paul, “Real Deals For Rangers, Astros,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, August 1, 1998.

[6] Bernie Miklasz, “Cards GM salvaged some future options in trade with Texas,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 2, 1998.

[7] Rick Hummel, “Cards trade Stottlemyre, Clayton to Texas for pitcher, third baseman,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 1, 1998.

[8] Rick Hummel, “Cards trade Stottlemyre, Clayton to Texas for pitcher, third baseman,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 1, 1998.

[9] Johnny Paul, “Real Deals For Rangers, Astros,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, August 1, 1998.

[10] “Cards trade Stottlemyre, Clayton,” Belleville News-Democrat, August 1, 1998.

[11] J. Douglas Foster, “New acquisitions elated to join Rangers for a drive to playoffs,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, August 2, 1998.

[12] Rick Hummel, “Cards trade Stottlemyre, Clayton to Texas for pitcher, third baseman,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 1, 1998.

[13] Jim Reeves, “Rolls Royce is driving key in this deal,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, August 1, 1998.

[14] J. Douglas Foster, “New acquisitions elated to join Rangers for a drive to playoffs,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, August 2, 1998.

[15] Bernie Miklasz, “Cards GM salvaged some future options in trade with Texas,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 2, 1998.

[16] Bernie Miklasz, “Cards GM salvaged some future options in trade with Texas,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 2, 1998.

[17] Rick Hummel, “Cards trade Stottlemyre, Clayton to Texas for pitcher, third baseman,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 1, 1998.

[18] Rick Hummel, “Cards trade Stottlemyre, Clayton to Texas for pitcher, third baseman,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 1, 1998.

[19] Rick Hummel, “Cards trade Stottlemyre, Clayton to Texas for pitcher, third baseman,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 1, 1998.

[20] Jim Reeves, “Rolls Royce is driving key in this deal,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, August 1, 1998.

The post Cardinals trade Todd Stottlemyre, Royce Clayton: 7/31/1998 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

On December 14, the Cardinals traded pitchers Braden Looper and Armando Almanza and shortstop prospect Pablo Ozuna to the Marlins for Renteria. Just 13 months earlier, Renteria’s 11^th-inning RBI single off Charles Nagy won Game 7 of the World Series.  

“We have the No. 1 guy we really wanted,” Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said.[1]

Renteria inherited a shortstop position that previously had been filled by Royce Clayton. In December 1995, the Cardinals traded Doug Creek, Rich DeLucia, and Allen Watson to the Giants for Clayton and a player to be named later. With the 41-year-old Ozzie Smith still on the roster for his final season in 1996, Clayton received the bulk of the playing time at shortstop, batting .277/.321/.371 with six homers, 35 RBIs, and 33 stolen bases.

In 1997, Clayton enjoyed the only all-star season of his career, batting .266/.306/.398 with nine homers, 61 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases. The following year, however, Clayton’s numbers dipped, as he hit just .234/.313/.327 in 90 games before the Cardinals traded him to the Rangers alongside Todd Stottlemyre for Darren Oliver, Fernando Tatis, and a player to be named later (Mark Little).

“Clayton represented everything wrong with this disappointing team: moodiness and stubbornness,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz wrote. “He pouted when he didn’t bat leadoff. He never embraced the suggestions to hit smarter with two strikes. Clayton never tried to hit the ball the opposite way, no matter how many lectures he heard from batting instructor Dave Parker.”[2]

With Clayton gone, Luis Ordaz received the bulk of the playing time at shortstop and hit .203/.261/.235 for the year. Clearly, the Cardinals needed to find a replacement.

Discussions with the Marlins began months before the trade was finalized. Marlins general manager Dave Dombrowski wanted both Looper and Ozuna included.

“To Dave’s credit, he held out till the end till he got us to cave,” Jocketty joked after the trade was announced.[3]

In November, Reds shortstop Barry Larkin, the 1995 National League MVP and a nine-time all-star, called a Dayton Daily News reporter ahead of the winter meetings and criticized the Reds’ trade of second baseman Bret Boone to Atlanta and the team’s seeming disinterest in competing for a pennant.[4] Soon afterward, Larkin’s agent, Eric Goldschmidt, gave the Reds a list of teams to whom Larkin would accept a trade: the Dodgers, Cardinals, Padres, Rangers, and Cubs.[5]

One deal rumored to be in the works would have sent Larkin and Reggie Sanders to the Dodgers for Raul Mondesi and Mark Grudzielanek.[6]

“Barry’s No. 1 objective is to stay in Cincinnati if the team has a chance to compete in 1999,” Goldschmidt said. “Depending on what their budget is and other moves Jim is allowed to make, then Barry would like to stay. If the team is basically in a rebuilding stage leading up to the new stadium, then Barry has asked to be traded.”[7]

However, Reds general manager Jim Bowden indicated he would need to be blown away by a trade offer for the team’s franchise shortstop and that the chances of Larkin opening the 1999 season as a Red were “99.9 percent.” [8]

“To move him just to move him would make absolutely no sense for Cincinnati,” Bowden said. “If we were able to move him to a club where he wanted to be and that club was willing to give equal value back or more, certainly we would have to consider that, but that has never happened in the last year and a half.”[9]

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Rick Hummel noted that in any event, the Cardinals probably preferred to obtain the 23-year-old Renteria (Baseball-Reference.com now lists his age at the time as 22) at a salary slightly above $2 million rather than trade for the 34-year-old Larkin and his $5.3 million salary.[10]

The Marlins were in the midst of dismantling their 1997 World Series winner, and with the trade of Renteria just four players from that World Series 25-man roster remained: Cliff Floyd, Livan Hernandez, Craig Counsell, and Antonio Alfonseca.[11]

Renteria broke into the majors in 1996 and found immediate success, batting .309/.358/.399 while placing second in the National League Rookie of the Year balloting. In 1997, he hit .277/.327/.340 with four homers, 52 RBIs, and 32 stolen bases, then went 9-for-31 (.290) with two doubles and three RBIs in the World Series.

By the time the 1998 season began, however, many of Renteria’s teammates were gone, including Moises Alou, Devon White, Jeff Conine, and Al Leiter. As the season progressed, Bobby Bonilla, Charles Johnson, and Gary Sheffield were traded to the Dodgers, and Mike Piazza, who arrived in the same trade, was dealt in turn to the Mets.

As the Marlins limped to a 54-win season, Renteria continued to play well, batting .282/.347/.342 with 41 stolen bases. Nonetheless, he was frustrated by the Marlins’ decision to break up a winning team.

“This year I feel like nothing,” he said. “It was hard to play this year knowing we had no team to compete. I feel bad growing up in the organization. We win the World Series and the next year they broke the team up.”[12]

“When you’re on the Marlins team, you never know what’s going on,” Renteria continued. “This year, I said they’d never trade Charles Johnson. When they did, I said, ‘I’m next.’ That happens in baseball. I have no control over that. I want to play for the Cardinals. I want to show the fans I can play hard for a team that can win.”[13]

Dombrowski agreed that Renteria would likely play even better in the Cardinals’ winning environment.

“He had such highs with what we did in 1997 that it was tough for him last year,” Dombrowski said.[14]

The Marlins were willing to trade Renteria because they had another shortstop prospect on the verge of the majors in Alex Gonzalez. The 22-year-old Gonzalez hit .277 with 10 homers and 51 RBIs in 1998 for Triple-A Charlotte, and the Palm Beach Post reported that, “Many in baseball believe Gonzalez has the potential to be at least as good if not better than Renteria in the future. He’s already a slick fielder with a big-league-ready glove, and even though he needs to develop as a hitter, he has encouraging power, and the Marlins feel his offensive development isn’t far away.”[15]

As additional insurance, the Marlins drafted Benji Gil in the Rule V draft on December 14.

When Cardinals manager Tony La Russa called the Columbian-born Renteria to welcome him to the team, La Russa spoke in Spanish. Renteria answered in English. “I know Tony can speak good Spanish,” Renteria said, “but I try to speak good English. I know English a little bit.”[16]

La Russa planned to bat Renteria leadoff with rookie J.D. Drew batting second and Mark McGwire batting third.

“I know Renteria is a classic No. 2 hitter,” La Russa said. “The way he puts the ball in play and hits the ball to the right side … with whoever’s on first (base), it’s first and third or first and home.”[17]

However, by batting Renteria in the leadoff spot, that allowed Drew plenty of protection from McGwire and cleanup hitter Ray Lankford. La Russa then envisioned Eric Davis batting fifth and Tatis hitting sixth, followed by Eli Marrero, the pitcher’s spot, and the second baseman.

“I think I’ve got a good chance to steal many more bases with Big Mac behind me,” Renteria said. “Big Mac can do a lot of things. I respect him a lot for what he did for baseball last year.”[18]

To get Renteria, the Cardinals gave up a talented shortstop prospect and drew from their pitching depth.

Looper was the team’s first-round draft choice out of Wichita State University. The 6-foot-4 right-handed reliever had spent the 1998 season with the Cardinals’ Triple-A affiliate in Memphis, where he posted a 3.10 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 40 2/3 innings.

Jocketty said that while the Cardinals valued Looper’s upside, they felt they had depth at the position with Juan Acevedo and Ricky Bottalico.

“We felt it was a strength that we could deal from,” Jocketty said. “Looper’s got a chance to be a dominating closer someday. On the other hand, we think Acevedo does too.”[19]

Almanza, a left-handed reliever, was a 21^st-round draft pick in 1993 out of New Mexico Junior College. He split the 1998 season between Double-A Arkansas and Triple-A Memphis, posting a 3.16 ERA and 91 strikeouts over 68 1/3 innings.

The 23-year-old Ozuna, a cousin of future Cardinal Marcell Ozuna, led the Cardinals organization with a .357 batting average and 122 runs scored in 1998 for Class A Peoria. He also stole 62 bases in 133 games.

“(Ozuna) was the toughest one to give up,” Jocketty said.[20]

“We would like to have all of our top kids end up in St. Louis with us, but when you can get a value like Renteria, I don’t have a problem with that,” said Mike Jorgensen, Cardinals director of player development. “Ozuna played low Class A ball last year. He has tools, but it’s so difficult to project young shortstops. We were able to get Renteria, who’s already established, and because Renteria is young, we have some flexibility. We can start moving some of the other (shortstop) prospects to other positions.”[21]

The trade certainly worked out for the Cardinals. Renteria played six seasons in St. Louis, batting .290/.347/.420. In 2000, he hit .278 with 16 homers, 76 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases to earn an all-star nod and win his first Silver Slugger Award. He won the Silver Slugger again in 2002 and 2003, posting the best season of his Cardinals career in ’03 when he hit .330/.394/.480 with 13 homers, 100 RBIs, and 34 stolen bases.

In 2004, he earned another all-star bid and helped the Cardinals capture the National League pennant. Following the season, he signed a free-agent contract with the Red Sox.

Looper went on to play 12 years in the majors. After five seasons with the Marlins, he played two years with the Mets before signing a free-agent deal with the Cardinals. He pitched in St. Louis from 2006 through 2008. After Looper went 9-3 with a 3.56 ERA in 2006 and helped the Cardinals win their 10^th World Series championship, the Cardinals converted him to a starting pitcher. Looper retired following the 2009 season with a 72-65 career record and 103 career saves.

Almanza played seven major-league seasons, compiling a 14-13 record and 4.82 ERA over 214 2/3 innings. After five seasons with the Marlins, he appeared with the Braves and Diamondbacks. The Cardinals signed him in August 2005 but released him the following month.

Ozuna carved out a career as a utility player, appearing in 309 major-league games over seven seasons. In November 2002, the Marlins traded Ozuna to the Rockies, where he appeared in 17 games in 2003. In 2005 he returned to the majors with the White Sox. He appeared in 208 games with the White Sox over four seasons before ending his major-league career with the Dodgers in 2008.

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

[1] Rick Hummel, “Cardinals acquire shortstop Renteria,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 15, 1998.

[2] Bernie Miklasz, “Cards GM salvaged some future options in trade with Texas,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 2, 1998.

[3] Rick Hummel, “Cardinals acquire shortstop Renteria,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 15, 1998.

[4] Chris Haft, “Larkin trade 99.9% unlikely,” Cincinnati Enquirer, December 12, 1998.

[5] John Erardi, “Bowden: Larkin talks ‘casual’” Cincinnati Enquirer, November 14, 1998.

[6] John Erardi, “Bowden: Larkin talks ‘casual’” Cincinnati Enquirer, November 14, 1998.

[7] John Erardi, “Bowden: Larkin talks ‘casual’” Cincinnati Enquirer, November 14, 1998.

[8] Chris Haft, “Larkin trade 99.9% unlikely,” Cincinnati Enquirer, December 12, 1998.

[9] Chris Haft, “Larkin trade 99.9% unlikely,” Cincinnati Enquirer, December 12, 1998.

[10] Rick Hummel, “Dodgers sign Brown for $105 million,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 13, 1998.

[11] Dan Graziano, “Series hero Renteria traded to Cardinals,” Palm Beach Post, December 15, 1998.

[12] Rick Hummel, “Pitchers are likely to hit 8^th again,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 16, 1998.

[13] Rick Hummel, “Pitchers are likely to hit 8^th again,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 16, 1998.

[14] Rick Hummel, “Cardinals acquire shortstop Renteria,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 15, 1998.

[15] Dan Graziano, “Series hero Renteria traded to Cardinals,” Palm Beach Post, December 15, 1998.

[16] Rick Hummel, “Pitchers are likely to hit 8^th again,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 16, 1998.

[17] Rick Hummel, “Pitchers are likely to hit 8^th again,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 16, 1998.

[18] Rick Hummel, “Pitchers are likely to hit 8^th again,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 16, 1998.

[19] Rick Hummel, “Pitchers are likely to hit 8^th again,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 16, 1998.

[20] Rick Hummel, “Pitchers are likely to hit 8^th again,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 16, 1998.

[21] Bernie Miklasz, “Cardinals must grow talent on the farm, hunt for bargains,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 16, 1998.

The post How Edgar Renteria was traded to the Cardinals 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.

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