As he started preparing for the 1997 season, Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty was looking for a second baseman who could hit for power or inherit the top spot in the St. Louis lineup. On November 20, 1996, he opted for the latter, signing Delino DeShields to a one-year contract with a team option for …
November 20, 1996: Cardinals sign Delino DeShields Read More »
Eighteen years after Tony La Russa ended his playing career with the St. Louis Cardinals’ Double-A affiliate, he was named the 48th manager in franchise history. On October 23, 1995, general manager Walt Jocketty signed La Russa to a two-year contract to manage the Cardinals, ending a 10-year run with the Oakland Athletics in which …
October 23, 1995: Cardinals name Tony La Russa manager Read More »
After three years of trade rumors, Angels general manager Bill Stoneman emphatically announced that he had no intention of trading Jim Edmonds. Four days later, on March 23, 2000, Edmonds became a St. Louis Cardinal in a deal that sent pitcher Kent Bottenfield and second base prospect Adam Kennedy to the Angels. “When we heard …
March 23, 2000: Cardinals trade Kent Bottenfield and Adam Kennedy for Jim Edmonds Read More »
After winning 22 games and placing third in the National League Cy Young Award voting in 2001, Cardinals right-hander Matt Morris was arguably at the height of his negotiating power. At a time when many players would have called their agent to begin laying the groundwork for a new contract that would take full advantage …
January 4, 2002: Matt Morris, Cardinals agree to a three-year deal Read More »
When David Eckstein signed with the Cardinals on December 23, 2004, he couldn’t help but think of his last visit to St. Louis almost 2 ½ years earlier. The second-year major-league shortstop was leading off for the Angels on June 18, 2002, the same day the Cardinals were hosting a pregame memorial service in honor …
December 23, 2004: David Eckstein signs with the Cardinals Read More »
Just a couple weeks shy of his 37th birthday, baseball had taken Tom Henke from Texas to Toronto and back again. Now the 6-foot-5 right-hander was ready to return to his roots. 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 …
December 12, 1994: Tom Henke signs deal to play his final season in St. Louis Read More »
In December 1998, the Cardinals’ winding quest for a shortstop led them to Miami. On December 14, the Cardinals traded pitchers Braden Looper and Armando Almanza and shortstop prospect Pablo Ozuna to the Marlins for Edgar Renteria. Just 13 months earlier, Renteria’s 11th-inning RBI single off Charles Nagy won Game 7 of the World Series. …
December 14, 1998: Cardinals fill their shortstop need with trade for Edgar Renteria Read More »
When the Cardinals drafted J.D. Drew in 1998, they thought they were getting a franchise cornerstone. More than five years later, they obtained a new foundational piece when they traded Drew to the Braves in a five-player deal. The Cardinals sent Drew and catcher/outfielder Eli Marrero to Atlanta in exchange for starting pitcher Jason Marquis, …
One week after the 2004 trade deadline, the Cardinals added future Hall of Famer Larry Walker to a lineup that already included Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen, and Jim Edmonds. The Cardinals received Walker and cash considerations in exchange for minor league pitcher Jason Burch and two players to be named later. In August, the Cardinals …
August 6, 2004: Cardinals trade for Larry Walker as they make World Series push Read More »
On July 31, 1997, the Cardinals made the deadline deal of deadline deals, acquiring first baseman Mark McGwire from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for pitchers Eric Ludwick, T.J. Mathews, and Blake Stein. Heading into the final day before the trade deadline, Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that there was …
