Despite his prior success at Coors Field, John Mabry was an unlikely candidate to hit for the cycle heading into the Cardinals’ May 19, 1996, game against the Rockies. In his rookie campaign in 1995, Mabry tied for fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting after batting .307 with five homers and 41 RBIs. […]
May 18, 1996: John Mabry hits for the cycle Read More »
For more than a month, the Cardinals and Red Sox had discussed a trade that would send St. Louis’s top home run hitter, Tom Brunansky, to the Boston for closer Lee Smith. Cardinals general manager Dal Maxvill declined the trade proposal in early April, hopeful that his club could re-sign Brunansky and keep in him
May 4, 1990: Cardinals trade Tom Brunansky to Boston for Lee Smith Read More »
As the son of a professional drag racer, Lane Thomas knows the value of a fast start. So perhaps it was no surprise that he homered in his first major-league at-bat. Lane’s father, Mike, was a professional drag racer in the National Hot Rod Association, and Lane spent his early summers traveling around the country,
April 19, 2019: Lane Thomas hits two-run blast in his first major-league at-bat Read More »
Tom Herr knew that the Cardinals needed to shake things up after winning just four of their first 15 games in 1988. Still, he was just as shocked as Cardinals fans when he entered the clubhouse following a 4-0 loss to the Mets and was informed that he had been traded to Minnesota for power-hitting
How Tom Brunansky was traded to St. Louis for Tom Herr Read More »
On the same day that third baseman Terry Pendleton pulled his hamstring attempting to stretch a single into a double, the Cardinals added much-needed infield depth, trading relief pitcher John Costello to the Montreal Expos for utility man Rex Hudler. Hudler’s acquisition immediately gave Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog more lineup flexibility. In two seasons in
April 23, 1990: Cardinals trade for the “Wonder Dog,” Rex Hudler Read More »
On the day that Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter celebrated his 30th birthday, it was Mark Grudzielanek who stole the show. In the Cardinals’ 6-3 victory over the Brewers on April 27, 2005, Grudzielanek joined Lou Brock and Ray Lankford as the only Cardinals to hit for the cycle at Busch Stadium. The veteran of 11
April 27, 2005: Mark Grudzielanek hits for the cycle Read More »
Albert Pujols chose an ideal moment for his first career home run. The 2001 Cardinals had just lost their first three games, allowing 32 runs during a winless season-opening series against the Rockies. The series hadn’t gone any better for Pujols, who went just 1-for-9 in Colorado, including 0-for-5 in the second game of the
Albert Pujols hits his first career home run in breakout game Read More »
This is Part 3 of a three-part series about Keith Hernandez, which includes Part 1: Road to the MVP and Part 2: Champions in ’82, Traded in ’83. As Keith Hernandez helped to turn around a Mets franchise that had been mired in the bottom of the National League East standings, Whitey Herzog and Hernandez
Keith Hernandez Part 3: Post-Cardinals Career and Legacy Read More »
This is Part 2 of a three-part series chronicling Keith Hernandez’s career, which includes Part 1: Road to the MVP and Part 3: Post-Cardinals Career and Legacy. After Keith Hernandez‘s MVP season, the Cardinals rewarded him with a five-year, $3.8 million contract. The contract made Hernandez’s salary more than 10 times larger than the
Keith Hernandez Part 2: Champions in ’82, Traded in ’83 Read More »
This is Part 1 of a three-part series chronicling Keith Hernandez’s career, which includes Part 2: Champions in ’82, Traded in ’83 and Part 3: Post-Cardinals Career and Legacy. Even before Keith Hernandez was born, the St. Louis Cardinals figured prominently in his life. Hernandez’s father, John, had been a left-handed hitting first baseman in
Keith Hernandez Part 1: Road to the MVP Read More »