When Enos Slaughter was informed that he had been traded to the Yankees on April 11, 1954, the Cardinals’ captain broke down and wept. Slaughter was just two weeks away from his 38th birthday and the Cardinals were two days away from opening their season against the Cubs when they finalized the deal that sent […]
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On March 22, 1934, less than seven months before they won the World Series, the Cardinals sent female Olympian Babe Didrikson to the mound to face the Boston Red Sox. Two years earlier, Didrikson had qualified for five Olympic events, but rules at the time allowed female athletes to compete in just three events. At
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Cardinals manager Tony La Russa had so much respect for reserve infielder Joe McEwing that when the Cardinals traded him to the Mets for Jesse Orosco on March 18, 2000, the Cardinals manager grabbed a pair of McEwing’s Cardinals-red cleats to keep in his office and “remind me of what a professional ballplayer is supposed
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On March 11, 1981, “the Big Cat” Johnny Mize, who held the Cardinals’ single-season home run record for more than 40 years and would go on to hold it for 17 more, was finally elected to the Hall of Fame. Mize was selected by the Veterans Committee alongside Negro Leagues founder Rube Foster. He and
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The moments after Scott Rolen learned that he had been elected to the Hall of Fame were like a scene from the movie Field of Dreams. “Everybody cried,” Rolen said. “We’re an emotional family. When we get happy or whatever, that’s how it comes out. My son, it caught him a little off guard and
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Almost 25 years after his playing career ended, Orlando Cepeda wept with joy when he learned that on March 2, 1999, that he finally had been elected the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. “It’s hard to explain the feeling … I’ve been ready for this for 17 years,” Cepeda said. “When they told
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For 34 of the past 35 years, the birds on the bat had adorned the Cardinals’ jerseys. On February 26, 1956, Cardinals general manager Frank Lane announced that the iconic logo would be missing from their uniforms during the upcoming season. “We hope the new uniforms will match the new, bold look and attitude of
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On February 18, 1955, the Cardinals signed promising third base prospect Ken Boyer to his first big-league contract with an eye toward making him their starting third baseman that season. The Cardinals already had cleared room for Boyer by trading all-star third baseman Ray Jablonski and pitcher Gerry Staley to Cincinnati for relief pitcher Frank
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On February 3, 1989, former Cardinals first baseman Bill White was named National League president, becoming the first black man to lead a major professional sports league in America and the first player to become NL president in more than 70 years. White’s hire came two years after Dodgers general manager Al Campanis was fired
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On February 25, 1985, the Cardinals made a surprise choice for their next general manager, hiring former shortstop Dal Maxvill away from the Atlanta Braves, where he had been serving as third-base coach. Maxvill was hired to replace Joe McDonald, who served three years in the role but resigned at the request of the Cardinals’
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