Whether as a player or as a coach, Maxie Baughan was good at sizing up situations and calling the shots. An outside linebacker who played in the NFL primarily from 1960 to 1970 with the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams, Baughan was the captain of the defense and chose the alignment for each play during a game. Described by the New York Times as “one of the most … [Read more...] about Maxie Baughan excelled as quarterback of NFL defenses
On the run: Curt Simmons set torrid pace with Cardinals
For a while, in the early part of September 1963, Cardinals pitcher Curt Simmons couldn’t do anything wrong at the ballpark. From Sept. 1 to Sept. 13, Simmons won four starts in a row for the 1963 Cardinals and pitched three consecutive shutouts in that stretch. His hot streak extended beyond the pitching mound. Simmons drove in runs and, in perhaps the most … [Read more...] about On the run: Curt Simmons set torrid pace with Cardinals
Cardinals hoped for a playoff melody with Eddie Fisher
Eddie Fisher made sweet music with a pitch that could dance. That’s why the Cardinals wanted his help in their bid for a division title. Fifty years ago, on Aug. 29, 1973, the Cardinals purchased the contract of Fisher, 37, from the White Sox. The right-handed knuckleball specialist was in his 15th and final season in the majors. On the day Fisher was acquired, the Cardinals … [Read more...] about Cardinals hoped for a playoff melody with Eddie Fisher
G.I.s brought touch of the majors to pro ball in Japan
A couple of American pitchers finishing out their military service in the Korean War became baseball pioneers of sorts in Japan. Leo Kiely and Phil Paine were the first to play in the major leagues in the U.S. and in professional baseball in Japan. Kiely, a left-hander with the 1951 Boston Red Sox, and Paine, a right-hander with the 1951 Boston Braves, played for teams in the … [Read more...] about G.I.s brought touch of the majors to pro ball in Japan
A prominent home run for Willie Mays vs. Cardinals
Willie Mays was the first right-handed batter to hit 400 home runs in the National League. The milestone homer came against a familiar foe, Curt Simmons of the Cardinals, and was witnessed by another 400-homer hitter, Stan Musial. On Aug. 27, 1963, at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, Mays capped a two-month hot streak with his 400th career home run for the … [Read more...] about A prominent home run for Willie Mays vs. Cardinals