As Whitey Herzog looked ahead to the 1985 season, he knew he had plenty of outfield talent in the pipeline, but he desperately needed pitching. The Pirates, meanwhile, had plenty of pitching but needed to add punch to their offense. On December 12, 1984, the Cardinals traded outfielder George Hendrick and utility man Steve Barnard […]
Why the Cardinals traded George Hendrick for John Tudor Read More »
In October 1982, Bruce Sutter closed the door on the Cardinals’ first world championship since 1967. His path to that moment began almost three years earlier, shortly after he was named the 1979 National League Cy Young Award winner. Sutter had a contract with the Cubs for the 1980 season, but the agreement included a
December 9, 1980: Cubs trade Bruce Sutter to the Cardinals Read More »
The first time Darrell Porter met Whitey Herzog, he asked the Royals manager what was expected of him. Porter had just arrived in Kansas City in a trade from the Brewers, while Herzog was coming off his second season with the Royals, a 90-win campaign that resulted in an American League West championship. “I expect
Whitey Herzog begins 1980 roster rebuild with Darrell Porter Read More »
No one seemed to think very much of Bing Devine’s first trade as general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals. After Devine traded relief pitcher Willard Schmidt and minor-league pitchers Ted Wieand and Marty Kutyna to the Reds for outfielders Curt Flood and Joe Taylor, legendary St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports editor Bob Broeg described the
How Curt Flood became a Cardinal Read More »
Just how incredible was Stan Musial’s 1948 season? The 27-year-old from Donora, Pennsylvania, led the league in batting average (.376), hits (230), doubles (46), triples (18), RBIs (131), on-base percentage (.450), slugging percentage (.702), OPS (1.152), and total bases (429). With 39 home runs, Musial was one homer shy of tying the Pirates’ Ralph Kiner
How Stan Musial dominated and won his third MVP in 1948 Read More »
It didn’t take Ryan Theriot long to ruffle feathers with his former Cubs teammates after the Cardinals traded for him ahead of the 2011 season. On November 30, 2010, the Cardinals dealt right-handed relief pitcher Blake Hawksworth to obtain Theriot from the Dodgers. The 30-year-old Theriot was due for arbitration in 2011, so at the
How Ryan Theriot angered the Cubs when he was traded to St. Louis Read More »
Just weeks before the Cardinals were set to open the 1985 season, Whitey Herzog predicted that his club’s top prospect, Vince Coleman, had the talent to one day win the Rookie of the Year Award. He had no idea that day would come just 8 ½ months later. “You talk about a man with a
November 27, 1985: Vince Coleman is named Rookie of the Year Read More »
Bake McBride may have been the most unlikely Rookie of the Year in baseball history. Growing up, McBride believed he was more likely to make his living playing basketball or football than playing baseball. In high school, he didn’t even play baseball, as his school didn’t have a team. Instead, he played football and basketball.[1]
November 26, 1974: Bake McBride is named Rookie of the Year Read More »
On July 18, 1985, the course of Todd Worrell’s career changed forever. Cardinals director of player development Lee Thomas was in the stands watching Worrell pitch for Triple-A Louisville against the Iowa Cubs. The 6-foot-5 right-hander was “something of a mystery to baseball men,” as the Cardinals’ 1985 media guide put it. In his second
How Todd Worrell won the 1986 Rookie of the Year Award Read More »
Ken Boyer had just returned from a quail-hunting trip in Hermann, Mo., when the phone rang. It was a reporter, calling to tell Boyer that he had just been named the 1964 National League MVP. “I guess 14 must be my lucky number,” Boyer said. “That’s my uniform number and that’s how many birds we
November 23, 1964: Ken Boyer is named National League MVP Read More »