It’s hard enough to break a modern-day Major League Baseball record when you’re healthy. In 1974, injuries to both his hands may actually have helped Lou Brock break Maury Wills’ single-season stolen base record. Due to a right thumb injury, Brock had wrapped the digit in tape most of the season. On his left hand, […]
September 10, 1974: Lou Brock breaks Maury Wills’ single-season stolen base record Read More »
One day after Mark McGwire hit his 61st home run of the season on his father’s 61st birthday, his shortest home run of the season launched him into the record books. On September 8, 1998, McGwire hit his 62nd home run of the season, breaking Roger Maris’s 1961 record with a 341-foot homer off Cubs
McGwire breaks Maris’s home run record: September 8, 1998 Read More »
The 1982 St. Louis Cardinals established exactly what baseball observers meant by the term “Whiteyball,” and no player on the roster was more likely to steal a base – or five – than Lonnie Smith. On September 4, 1982, Smith did exactly that, tying a modern-day National League record with five stolen bases in a
Lonnie Smith ties NL record with five stolen bases: 9/4/1982 Read More »
With four weeks remaining and a sizeable gap between the Cardinals and a playoff berth, Tony La Russa wanted to line up his pitching rotation for the home stretch of the regular season. To make it happen, he called upon Brandon Dickson, a rookie right-hander who had spent almost the entire season in Memphis, to
Lou Brock was never one to slow down, so it’s no surprise that he tied and passed Ty Cobb‘s career stolen base total on the same day. Decades later, research found that Cobb’s career stolen base total was inaccurate, and added four stolen bases to his 1907 season and one to his 1921 campaign.[1] As
Lou Brock passes Ty Cobb in career stolen bases: August 29, 1977 Read More »
On August 22, 1982, Glenn Brummer became arguably the most unlikely game-winning hero in Cardinals history. An Illinois native, Brummer had played his college baseball at Lake Land College in Mattoon, Illinois, and signed with the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 1974. After working his way through the Cardinals’ farm system, Brummer made
August 22, 1982: Glenn Brummer steals home and becomes an unlikely Cardinals hero Read More »
With a seven-game lead in the National League Central and six weeks remaining in the 2009 season, the Cardinals couldn’t pass the opportunity to add a future Hall of Famer to their rotation. “It was too inviting not to take a chance on,” Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said.[1] On August 19, 2009, the Cardinals
August 19, 2009: Cardinals sign John Smoltz in their push for postseason glory Read More »
It didn’t take long for Ray Lankford to demonstrate the blend of speed and power that made him a cornerstone of the Cardinals’ lineup throughout the 1990s. Batting sixth in his major league debut, Lankford doubled, stole a base, and scored a run in a 7-2 loss to the Braves on August 21, 1990. Lankford’s
August 21, 1990: Ray Lankford provides spark in his big-league debut Read More »
On August 16, 1988, the Cardinals’ quest for Jack Clark’s replacement led them to trade John Tudor, the left-handed pitcher who won 21 games in 1985, to the Dodgers for four-time all-star first baseman Pedro Guerrero. Clark had anchored the Cardinals’ lineups from 1985 through 1987, but in January 1988, he signed a two-year contract
August 16, 1988: Cards trade John Tudor for Pedro Guerrero 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 »