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 […]
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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
Ken Boyer is named National League MVP: November 23, 1964 Read More »
Less than 25 months after David Freese hit his game-winning home run to end Game 6 of the 2011 World Series, the Cardinals traded their hometown hero and the architect of the greatest postseason moment in franchise history. On November 22, 2013, the Cardinals traded Freese and relief pitcher Fernando Salas to the Angels for
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In the midst of his remarkable 1985 season, Willie McGee was invited to a Kiwanis luncheon where he was going to be honored for his humility. When the Cardinals outfielder arrived, there was a line at the door, so instead of stepping in front of those awaiting tickets, he joined the line. When he got
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Just 22 days after outfielder Oscar Taveras passed away in an alcohol-related car accident in his native Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, the Cardinals traded away two young pitchers to obtain Jason Heyward – the player they hoped would take Taveras’s place as their right fielder of the future. On November 17, 2014, the Cardinals traded
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Just 15 days after Tony La Russa announced his retirement, the St. Louis Cardinals named Mike Matheny the 49th manager in franchise history. The hire represented a stark shift for the Cardinals less than a month after they won their 11th World Series championship. La Russa had retired with 2,728 career wins, just 35 behind
Cardinals name Mike Matheny manager: November 14, 2011 Read More »
In Bob Gibson’s autobiography, Stranger to the Game, he summarized his historic 1968 season simply: “In the summer of 1968, I mastered my craft,” he wrote.[1] That mastery was rewarded with both the National League Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards. On November 13, 1968, Gibson became the 14th Cardinal in franchise history to
Bob Gibson is named 1968 National League MVP Read More »
At spring training, Tony La Russa found that he had no choice – he had to put Albert Pujols in the lineup. By the end of the season, voters saw the same – and unanimously named him the 2001 National League Rookie of the Year. Pujols received all 32 votes (two voters from each National
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In 1967, Orlando Cepeda was more than the heart of the World Series champion “El Birdos.” On November 7, he was named the first unanimous National League MVP since Carl Hubbell received all six first-place votes in 1936. “The Most Valuable Player Award, that’s the best compliment any ballplayer can desire,” Cepeda said.[1] The recognition
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On November 4, 1963, the Cardinals acquired Roger Craig from the Mets in exchange for outfielder George Altman and rookie pitcher Bill Wakefield. Less than a year later, Craig pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings to win Game 4 of the 1964 World Series and help St. Louis claim its seventh world championship. Craig’s pitching career
How trading for Roger Craig helped the Cardinals win the World Series Read More »