Before his fastball faded and spray hitters such as Ozzie Smith could pull it with power, the Cardinals saw the vintage Vida Blue, the one who, as Sports Illustrated noted, threw heat that “explodes in all directions.” Blue was 28 when he came to the National League in a trade from the Athletics to the Giants in 1978. Though he would continue to pitch in the majors until 1986, … [Read more...] about Cardinals got tangled up with true Vida Blue
How Cardinals won in 9th without a ball leaving infield
Stan Musial won a game for the Cardinals with a walkoff pop-out. It happened 60 years ago, on May 31, 1963, against the Giants at St. Louis. In the ninth inning, with the score tied at 5-5, reliever Don Larsen, the former Yankee who pitched a World Series perfect game, walked Cardinals leadoff batter Curt Flood. Bill White tried to move Flood to second with a sacrifice … [Read more...] about How Cardinals won in 9th without a ball leaving infield
Why Dennis Ribant took his slap shots to the big leagues
Dennis Ribant hoped to be the second person _ and first American _ to play in both the National Hockey League and in baseball’s major leagues. He made a good run at it, playing in the farm systems of baseball’s Milwaukee Braves and hockey’s Detroit Red Wings. Encouraged by the Braves to focus on baseball, Ribant reluctantly gave up hockey and pitched in the majors … [Read more...] about Why Dennis Ribant took his slap shots to the big leagues
How potential became a burden for Jackie Brandt
Jackie Brandt was an outfielder who earned a National League Gold Glove Award and was named to the American League all-star team, but people wanted more from him. He was supposed to be the next Mickey Mantle, but he wasn’t. He was supposed to be a sure bet to receive the National League Rookie of the Year Award with the Cardinals, but he didn’t. He … [Read more...] about How potential became a burden for Jackie Brandt
How Cardinals got into a no-win situation
Not even a dugout full of four-leaf clovers would have been enough to help Patsy Donovan turn the 1903 Cardinals into winners. What Donovan needed more than the luck of the Irish was a dugout full of run producers and premium pitchers. As player-manager of the 1903 Cardinals, Donovan (pictured here) did all he could. He was a crafty hitter and a smart manager _ … [Read more...] about How Cardinals got into a no-win situation