If the Reds had heeded the advice of Johnny Bench, Yadier Molina would have been their catcher. A few days before the June 2000 baseball draft, the Reds brought Molina, 17, from his home in Puerto Rico to work out with other potential picks at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium. Among those observing the workouts for the club were two of the game’s most accomplished former … [Read more...] about Why Yadier Molina thought he was headed to Reds
Cardinals hoped for hefty homer total from Steve Bilko
Emerging from the coal country of northeastern Pennsylvania, Steve Bilko was something of a mythical baseball figure, a teen slugger as strong and dense as the anthracite mined in the region. From the moment the Cardinals signed him, in 1945, Bilko intrigued with his power. He was big _ 6-foot-1 and, as the St. Louis Star-Times noted, “230 pounds of man” _ with thick legs and … [Read more...] about Cardinals hoped for hefty homer total from Steve Bilko
Pen pal: How Gary Sutherland bid farewell to Cardinals
A short stint with the Cardinals was the end of the line in the playing career of Gary Sutherland. Afterward, he dropped them a line in gratitude. A utilityman whose best position was second base, Sutherland played 13 seasons in the majors with the Phillies (1966-68), Expos (1969-71), Astros (1972-73), Tigers (1974-76) and Padres (1977) before finishing with the 1978 … [Read more...] about Pen pal: How Gary Sutherland bid farewell to Cardinals
How Satchel Paige helped Browns become kings for a day
For the 1953 St. Louis Browns, a downtrodden group accustomed to having the odds stacked against them, the numbers 14 and 18 added up to one in a million as they arrived in New York to play the Yankees. Fourteen was the number of consecutive losses the Browns had suffered. Eighteen was how many the Yankees had won in a row. Recalling the team’s mindset entering the … [Read more...] about How Satchel Paige helped Browns become kings for a day
Rickey Henderson, Willie McGee flipped ignition switch
Imagine having the American League batting champion and the National League batting champion from the same season at the top of the order. The 1990 Oakland Athletics came close to having that happen. Manager Tony La Russa put Rickey Henderson in the leadoff spot and Willie McGee in the No. 2 position during the last weeks of the 1990 season and then into the playoffs and … [Read more...] about Rickey Henderson, Willie McGee flipped ignition switch