“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.

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[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.

Eight months earlier, McGwire arrived in St. Louis in a trade that sent Erick Ludwick, T.J. Mathews, and Blake Stein to the Oakland Athletics. In his final 51 games of the 1997 season, McGwire hit 24 home runs for the Cardinals and endeared himself to the St. Louis faithful when he signed a new contract with the club.

As the team entered the 1998 season, all eyes in St. Louis were on McGwire, even before he began his historic home run chase.

The game opened with Todd Stottlemyre on the mound for the Cardinals. Entering his third season in St. Louis since being acquired from the Athletics, Stottlemyre was coming off a 1997 season in which he went 12-9 with a 3.88 ERA over 181 innings. With Andy Benes now pitching for the Diamondbacks, the Cardinals were looking for Stottlemyre to take the mantle as the staff ace in 1998.

“Going into the game, I was trying to stay away from all the nervousness and other things that go into opening day,” he said. “It’s fun, but then again, it’s hard to say it’s fun. Your gut is going all different directions. … Today was actually like being nervous-ready.”[1]

The right-hander from Yakima, Washington, certainly looked ready. He retired the first 11 batters he faced before Mike Piazza singled to center field for the Dodgers’ first baserunner.

With one out in the fifth, the Dodgers mustered their first threat when Paul Konerko singled and Todd Hollandsworth drew a walk. With runners on first and second, Stottlemyre struck out Trent Hubbard looking, then retired Ramon Martinez on a hard-hit ground ball that McGwire fielded cleanly at first base.

“When it was hit, I said, ‘Oh no,’” Stottlemyre said. “That play saved two runs.”[2]

As Stottlemyre cruised through the early innings, Martinez worked his way in and out of trouble. Royce Clayton led off the first inning with a single but was caught trying to steal second. The following inning, Ray Lankford led off with a double but was stranded at third when Gary Gaetti struck out looking to end the inning. McGwire led off the fourth inning with a double down the left-field line before Martinez got two fly balls and a groundout to once again emerge unscathed.

He would not be so fortunate in the fifth.

Gaetti doubled into the right-field gap to lead off the inning, then advanced to third on a single by Tom Lampkin. Martinez struck out Stottlemyre and Clayton, and the Cardinals appeared poised to allow another opportunity through their grasp. Then Delino DeShields drew a six-pitch walk to load the bases for McGwire.

“Walking DeShields was the key right there,” Dodgers manager Bill Russell said. “We got into a position where we had to pitch to (McGwire) with the bases loaded because we had no place to put him.”[3]

As Cardinals fans voiced growing anticipation for McGwire to come to the plate, Russell and the Dodgers infield converged on the mound.

“Billy told Ramon to go after him, that we had confidence in him,” Dodgers second baseman Eric Young said. “We knew that Ramon was in a tough spot, but he was pitching well, and he’s our ace.”[4]

St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz described the scene:

The fans were on their feet – stomping, yapping, screaming, pleading for McGwire to give them a precious memory to take home as a souvenir on opening day. People were going nuts before anything actually happened. The anticipation spread through the crowd like a legal drug.[5]

“You hear it, but you have to stay within your own world, your own mind,” McGwire said. “You can’t get out of it. You have to bear down.”[6]

The first home run of his historic 1998 season came on a 1-0 changeup and traveled 364 feet before landing in the left-field stands. Miklasz wrote, “This baseball stayed up in the clouds for so long, you could have raced to the concession stands for a box of Cracker Jack, sprinted to the bathroom, called home to check on postgame plans, and returned to your seat in time to see the official landing.”[7]

It was the 10^th grand slam of McGwire’s career and the first opening-day grand slam ever hit by a Cardinals player.[8]

“It sort of surprised me the way it carried,” McGwire said. “I knew I hit it high enough. It was just a matter of far enough. But then I saw the fans move.”[9]

With the Cardinal faithful cheering him on, McGwire gave Gaetti a high-five that the veteran third baseman said almost broke his hand.

“I put my hand up,” Gaetti said. “Big mistake. He crushed me.”[10]

After the game, Lampkin wore an ice bag on his back where McGwire had slapped him in celebration.[11]

“I felt like I got hit by a cannon,” Lampkin said.[12]

As the 47,972 fans at Busch Stadium provided a standing ovation, Lankford paused outside the batter’s box, allowing McGwire to hop out of the dugout and give the fans a curtain call.

“It’s an awesome feeling,” McGwire said. “Everybody I’ve talked to in the National League says there’s no place better in America that you’d want to play. I got it first-hand for two months (last year). Now I get it for three years.”[13]

After dodging threats through the first four innings, Martinez was pulled from the game with two outs in the fifth. He was charged with four earned runs on seven hits and two walks.

“Everything changed right there,” Martinez said of McGwire’s grand slam. “I threw him a good pitch, a changeup that was a bit high, and at first, I didn’t think it was going to go out. But it kept carrying and carrying.”[14]

McGwire’s grand slam provided all the offensive support Stottlemyre needed. Over seven innings, he allowed just three hits and walked two. After he walked pinch-hitter Wilton Guerrero to lead off the eighth, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa called on left-hander Lance Painter to retire Mike Devereaux. John Frascatore then entered the game to finish the eighth inning.

Stottlemyre “definitely was our No. 1 star today,” La Russa said.[15]

In the bottom half of the eighth, Ron Gant singled and stole second base before Gaetti drove him home with an RBI single. Gaetti scored on a ground ball by Willie McGee to extend the Cardinals’ lead to 6-0.

Braden Looper struck out the side in his major-league debut to cap off the season-opening win.

McGwire’s grand slam marked just the beginning of his strong start to the season. Two days later, he hit a three-run, 12^th-inning home run to beat the Dodgers. He then homered in the next two games as well, making him the first player to open the season with home runs in their first four games since Willie Mays did it for the San Francisco Giants in 1971.

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[1] Mike Eisenbath, “Stottlemyre aces opening day test,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 1, 1990: Page D1.

[2] Rick Hummel, “McGwire, Cards get first one,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 1, 1998: Page D7.

[3] Jason Reid, “McGwire’s blast breaks it open and L.A. gets only three hits in 6-0 loss to Cardinals,” Los Angeles Times, April 1, 1998: Page C7.

[4] Jason Reid, “McGwire’s blast breaks it open and L.A. gets only three hits in 6-0 loss to Cardinals,” Los Angeles Times, April 1, 1998: Page C7.

[5] Bernie Miklasz, “Surely, this is how baseball felt in the days of Babe Ruth,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 1, 1998: Page D1.

[6] Bernie Miklasz, “Surely, this is how baseball felt in the days of Babe Ruth,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 1, 1998: Page D1.

[7] Bernie Miklasz, “Surely, this is how baseball felt in the days of Babe Ruth,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 1, 1998: Page D1.

[8] Rick Hummel, “McGwire, Cards get first one,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 1, 1998: Page D1.

[9] Rick Hummel, “McGwire, Cards get first one,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 1, 1998: Page D7.

[10] Bernie Miklasz, “Surely, this is how baseball felt in the days of Babe Ruth,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 1, 1998: Page D1.

[11] Rick Hummel, “McGwire, Cards get first one,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 1, 1998: Page D7.

[12] Bernie Miklasz, “Surely, this is how baseball felt in the days of Babe Ruth,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 1, 1998: Page D1.

[13] Rick Hummel, “McGwire, Cards get first one,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 1, 1998: Page D1.

[14] Jason Reid, “McGwire’s blast breaks it open and L.A. gets only three hits in 6-0 loss to Cardinals,” Los Angeles Times, April 1, 1998: Page C1.

[15] Mike Eisenbath, “Stottlemyre aces opening day test,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 1, 1990: Page D1.

The post Mark McGwire grand slam lifts Cardinals to season-opening win: March 31, 1998 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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