Did Stan Musial call his shot in the 1955 All-Star Game? Hank Aaron certainly thought so. On July 12, 1955, almost exactly five years after his longtime teammate, Red Schoendienst, hit the game-winning home run in the 1950 All-Star Game, Musial smacked the first pitch in the bottom of the 12th inning over the right-field […]
How Stan Musial won the 1955 All-Star Game Read More »
Tommy Lasorda may have been a Hall of Fame manager, but as a pitcher, the native of Norristown, Pennsylvania, appeared in just 26 big-league games. With a career 6.48 ERA, Lasorda never earned a win, and may have Cardinals outfielder Wally Moon to thank for it after Moon sent him to the hospital on May
How Wally Moon sent Tommy Lasorda to the hospital Read More »
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
Why the Cardinals traded Enos Slaughter Read More »
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
Why the Cardinals removed the birds on the bat from their 1956 uniforms Read More »
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
Why the Cardinals cleared third base for rookie Ken Boyer Read More »
A decade after he briefly held out of spring training in a bid for a $5,000 raise, Stan Musial became the first $100,000 player in National League history. On January 29, 1958, the Cardinals called a morning press conference at Anheuser-Busch Brewery to announce that Musial, who had been playing for $80,000 per season since
How Busch Jr. made Stan Musial the NL’s first $100,000 player Read More »
With ownership groups from Milwaukee and Houston seeking to move the Cardinals out of St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch announced on February 20, 1953, that it had purchased the team from Fred Saigh for $3.75 million. “During its 100 years of existence, Anheuser-Busch has shared in all St. Louis civic activity,” Anheuser-Busch chairman August A. Busch Jr.
How Anheuser-Busch kept the Cardinals from leaving St. Louis in 1953 Read More »
It took a lot to make Stan Musial visibly angry. But when the legendary Cardinals outfielder learned just before boarding the team’s train to Pittsburgh that the Cardinals had traded Red Schoendienst, his roommate for more than a decade, Musial made his displeasure clear. “The rest of us got the word that Red had been traded
Why Red Schoendienst was traded to the Giants in 1956 Read More »
On June 30, 1954, Joe Cunningham kicked off his 12-year major-league career with a single, homer, and five RBIs in an 11-3 St. Louis Cardinals victory over the Cincinnati Redlegs. Cunningham had been with the Cardinals’ International League affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings, on June 29 when manager Harry Walker informed the 22-year-old that he
Joe Cunningham drives in five in his debut: June 30, 1954 Read More »
Even future Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm couldn’t keep Stan Musial in the ballpark on May 2, 1954. In an afternoon doubleheader at Sportsman’s Park, Musial became the first player in major-league history to hit five home runs in a single day, smacking three home runs over the right-field wall in Game 1 before adding
May 2, 1954: Stan Musial hits record five home runs in doubleheader vs. Giants Read More »