Busch Stadium II had one heck of an opening night. Even before Lou Brock singled to drive home the game-winning run in a 4-3, 12-inning victory over the Braves, the stadium alone was enough to delight the St. Louis crowd. “This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,” declared Mrs. Claudia Hanebrink of […]
The Cardinals’ first game at Busch Stadium II: May 12, 1966 Read More »
The biggest moment of Ken Boyer’s career came with his brother Clete just a few feet away, playing third base for the Yankees on the game’s biggest stage. Down two games to one in the 1964 World Series, with the Yankees ahead 3-0 in Game 4, Boyer pulled a grand slam just inside the left-field
October 11, 1964: Ken Boyer grand slam wins Game 4 of the World Series Read More »
Tim McCarver was just an 18-year-old out of Memphis, Tennessee, when the New York Yankees came calling. To recruit the catching prospect, the Yankees called upon no less an authority than Bill Dickey, the Hall of Fame catcher who won 11 World Series titles over a 17-year career. Dickey gave McCarver a brand-new mitt and
How Tim McCarver won Game 5 of the 1964 World Series Read More »
The St. Louis Cardinals’ iconic birds on the bat wasn’t created by a marketing firm. It didn’t undergo focus testing, and it wasn’t developed by a team of graphic designers. Instead, the concept was created by a young woman in Ferguson, Missouri, as she prepared for a meeting of the local Men’s Fellowship organization to
How the Cardinals’ ‘birds on the bat’ logo was born in Ferguson, Mo. Read More »
On the day they set a record more than 15 years in the making, Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina were determined not to come up short. On September 14, 2022, Wainwright and Molina, both age 40, broke a major-league record even older than they were. With their 325th start together, they topped the 324 games
If Albert Pujols’ 700th home run couldn’t come at Busch Stadium, Dodger Stadium made for a nice consolation prize. On September 23, 2022, Pujols hit the 699th and 700th home runs of his career in front of a crowd of 50,000 fans who cheered him as though he was still wearing Dodger blue. While Pujols
How Albert Pujols hit his 700th home run Read More »
With 10 days remaining before the Cardinals’ 2022 season opener, Adam Wainwright was in the clubhouse taking a pregame nap when suddenly he was jolted awake by a “giant man on top of me giving me the biggest hug ever.”[1] Albert Pujols was back with the Cardinals. On March 28, 2022, after 10 seasons on
How Albert Pujols returned to the Cardinals Read More »
Headed into the 1985 season, the St. Louis Cardinals were an enigma. After trading Keith Hernandez to the New York Mets in 1984 and allowing Bruce Sutter to leave for Atlanta via free agency, Cardinals fans feared that star shortstop Ozzie Smith, entering the last year of his contract, would be the next Redbird out
How Ozzie Smith signed a new contract, then homered in the Cardinals’ 1985 home opener Read More »
Enjoy this post? Find similar stories listed by decade or by player. [1] Albert Chen, “Well-stocked Cardinals ready to make another run,” Sports Illustrated, March 27, 2013, https://www.si.com/mlb/2013/03/27/st-louis-cardinals-season-preview. [2] Jason Parks and Staff, “Prospects Will Break Your Heart: Top 101 Prospects,” Baseball Prospectus, January 27, 2014, https://www.baseballprospectus.com/prospects/article/22670/prospects-will-break-your-heart-top-101-prospects/. [3] Jennifer Langosch, “Taveras ranks third among top 100 prospects,” MLB.com, January
May 31, 2014: Oscar Taveras homers in his major-league debut Read More »
On the day of Whitey Herzog’s first game as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, he found himself, somewhat baffled, in Marietta, Georgia, trying to get to the team hotel in nearby Atlanta. His misadventures began when he was given the wrong departure time for his flight. Then, after catching a later plane to Atlanta,
June 9, 1980: Whitey Herzog manages his first game for the Cardinals Read More »