In sports, music, and entertainment, legends come along every so often that need only a first name. The Babe, Pele, Madonna (or Lady Gaga’s mom as many of my friends commented during the Super Bowl), Usher, Prince, P Diddy/Daddy/Dandy or whatever the latest name is. If we are talking about basketball and I say “MJ”, you immediately know who I am referring to. If we are talking music, and I say “MJ” you know immediately who I mean.

In sports, those one-name figures cast a shadow so large that it takes a long time before it feels right to watch anyone else play “their” position on “their” team. I was flipping through the channels just the other day, and stopped on the Chicago Bulls game for just a few minutes. Derrick Rose is one of the NBA’s best players, no question about it. For me, it still just does not feel right watching a Bulls superstar not named Michael, even though he has not worn a Bulls jersey since 1996.

In Cardinal Nation, there is a larger-than-life player that also walked away from the game in 1996. He also needs only one name to be remembered; of course I am talking about Ozzie. Ozzie (Smith) was Rookie of the Year in 1978, won an astounding 13-straight Gold Gloves from 1980-1992, played in 15 All-Star Games, was runner-up MVP in 1987 despite not hitting one home run, and was eventually voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. In what I consider the most telling stat, Ozzie led the team in WAR (wins above replacement) each season from 1983-1995 (check out Derek Goold’s piece for a great read on this). No other Cardinal has led the team in WAR that many consecutive seasons.

*Quick sidenote: Just as a means of showing the effect of inflation and free-agency on the game, Ozzie made $31.5M during his 15 seasons with the Cardinals.

More than incredible stats, he was the face of the Whiteyball era, and provided 15 years of excellent shortstop play that has not been matched since. He was the back-flip to start the game. He was the guy that kept you glued to the TV not knowing just what he might do next. It still does not feel quite right to me watching anyone else play shortstop for the Cardinals. It takes time to fill the shoes of the legend…actually that is not correct…it takes time to be OK with them not being filled. Ozzie’s shadow still looms large.

This article will look briefly at Ozzie’s career, the shortstops since Ozzie, and what we can reasonably expect from the shortstop position this season with Rafael Furcal as the starter.

During Ozzie’s 15 years with the Cardinals, he had 1944 hits, 644 RBIs, 433 SBs, and a .272 BA. He was the perfect offensive spark during the Whiteyball era of manufacuring runs. Let’s take 1995 and 1996 (age 40 and 41 seasons) out of the equation for a minute and look at average production between 1982-1994.

During those years Ozzie averaged the following line per season:

Ozzie Smith 1982-1994

AB        R       2B    3B   HR    RBI    SB   BB   Avg

521      72     25    4      2        49      32    64   .273

While these are good offensive numbers, he would not be a Hall-of-Famer simply based on this offensive production alone.

Average WAR 1982-94: 4.42      Total WAR 1982-94: 57.5

WAR by Season

1982: 4.0   1983: 3.0   1984: 4.4   1985: 5.7   1986: 5.3   1987: 7.1   1988: 5.5   1989: 6.3   1990: 2.8   1991: 4.7   1992: 4.3

1993: 2.5   1994: 1.9

WAR factors in defensive play (runs saved above replacement level), and Ozzie’s D was a huge factor in his outstanding WAR levels during his Cardinal years. Only once since he retired has a Cardinal shortstop (Edgar Renteria 2003) had a season WAR higher than Ozzie’s average WAR as a Cardinal. No Cardinal shortstop has topped his season total of 7.1 in 1987. That is impressive.

Here are the season averages for shortstops post-Ozzie. If they were the primary starter all year, only their stats will be measured. If multiple players started a significant number of games, their numbers will be combined for the year(s) being measured. All stat lines are an average per season of the year(s) measured.

Royce Clayton 1997

AB        R       2B    3B   HR    RBI    SB   BB   Avg

576     75      39    5      9         61     30   33   .266

WAR: 2.6

Royce Clayton, Luis Ordaz, David Howard 1998

AB        R       2B    3B   HR    RBI    SB   BB   Avg

546      83      25    2      6        49     21    64   .214

WAR: -1.5

Edgar Renteria 1999-2004

AB        R       2B    3B   HR    RBI    SB   BB   Avg

560      83      35    2     12      75      25   51   .290

Average WAR 1999-2004: 3.0      Total WAR 1999-2004: 18

WAR by Season

1999: 1.4   2000: 2.2   2001: 1.2   2002: 4.2   2003: 6.5   2004: 2.5

David Eckstein 2005-2006

AB        R       2B    3B   HR    RBI    SB   BB   Avg

565      79      22    4     5         42     9      43    .293

Average WAR 2005-2006: 3.2      Total WAR 2005-2006: 6.4

WAR by Season

2005: 4.2   2006: 2.2

David Eckstein, Brendan Ryan 2007

AB        R       2B    3B   HR    RBI    SB   BB   Avg

614      88      32     0     7        43      17   39   .302

WAR: 3.2

Cesar Izturis, Brendan Ryan 2008

AB        R       2B    3B   HR    RBI    SB   BB   Avg

611       80     19     3      1        34      31   45    .264

WAR: 1.8

Brendan Ryan, Julio Lugo, Tyler Greene 2009

AB        R       2B    3B   HR    RBI    SB   BB   Avg

646       88     33     11    7       57     23   45    .277

WAR: 3.9

Brendan Ryan, Tyler Greene 2010

AB        R       2B    3B   HR    RBI    SB   BB   Avg

543     64     24     3      3         46     22   46    .223

WAR: 1.4

Ryan Theriot, Nick Punto, Daniel Descalso, Rafael Furcal 2011

2011 saw each of these four guys start at shortstop at some point. Everyone but Descalso saw significant playing time at another infield position so short of going through 162 box scores, there is no easy way to split out production from shortstop position for 162 games. For the sake of this article, we will look at the WAR totals for each of the four players that manned the position at some point

Theriot 2011 WAR: 0.00    NIck Punto 2011 WAR: 1.5   Descalso 2011 WAR: 1.2   Furcal 2011 WAR: 1.4

The numbers above show the Cardinals have not received anywhere near the production at shortstop they had during the Ozzie years. Save a couple of Renteria’s seasons and one of Eckstein’s, the Cardinals shortstops have produced at average to below-average levels.

Cardinal fans hope that changes in 2012. Reversing that trend falls on the shoulders of Rafael Furcal. He will have the opportunity to be the everyday shortstop this season, and gives the Cardinals a prototypical leader hitter they have not had in a number of years.

While Furcal will certainly not be Ozzie this year (age 34 season), he does provide hope for good, consistent play that is long overdue at shortstop. If he can stay healthy and approach career norms, he could give the Cardinals better production at the position than they have since 2003. Going back to Furcal’s rookie season of 2000, he has posted the following WAR totals in seasons where he has been healthy:

2000: 3.6   2002: 2.1   2003: 4.9   2004: 2.6   2005: 5.9   2006: 3.0   2007:  1.3   2009: 2.4   2010:  3.8  

A return to 2010 production would exceed the average of the Renteria, Eckstein, and Clayton years. A return to 2005 production, while very unlikely at age 34, would be the best season for a Cardinal shortstop since 2003 and 1989 before that.

Ozzie’s shadow still looms large over the Cardinal shortstop position. He was a once-in-a-generation shortstop. We may never see another like him wear the birds on the bat. But there is hope at shortstop for the 2012 season. There is also a kid by the name of Ryan Jackson that will be at Memphis this year. He is pretty darn good, and will have his chance to be the shortstop of the future. Ozzie’s shoes can never be filled. Furcal and Jackson, however, could be a significant upgrade over what the Cardinals have seen for the last 15 seasons.

Lance Berkman, the first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2012 has some business questions in front of him. Behind him is a party like no other in 2011.

The mullet haircut has its own mantra: business in the front, party in the back. Mullets have been sported for decades, starting in the South, and spreading into mainstream culture in the 80s. From Dennis Eckersley to John Kruk, players wore their mullets loud and proud, letting the hair flow out of the back of their hat. What keeps the mullet cut relevant in current Cardinals talk? Lance Berkman. The mullet almost speaks to his personality too well.

For years, Lance has been a grinder in the league, averaging 130 games played for the past twelve seasons. His hard work ethic combined with his comical and outgoing personality make him one of the most likeable teammates in the Cardinals clubhouse. His .301 batting average this past season was his best since 2008, his 31 homers was his best since 2006, and he won the GIBBY award for Comeback Player of the Year.

After Berkman’s downslide in 2010, Berkman seemed to be heading toward retirement. He was 34, his numbers were sliding every year, and he was thought of as a toss up in the free agent market. When the Cardinals picked up Berkman, he looked at the opportunity as a turning point in his career, and he began to work his way back into the form we saw in his prime in Houston. He had some help hitting behind great hitters like Albert Pujols and Matt Holiday, which diverted attention from Berkman and gave him more chances for better pitches and more hits. He looked a lot more comfortable hitting this past season, and it helped to have a deeper, more balanced lineup than when he was in Houston.

The question that we all have asked this winter is can Lance Berkman succeed without Albert Pujols in front of him? Well, the answer is yes. After watching the World Series, I saw some signs that Lance was not just a flash in the pan last season. He still has three guys surrounding him named Matt Holliday, David Freese, and Allen Craig in the meat of that order, in addition to guys like Rafael Furcal and Carlos Beltran. The offensive attack will not be as loaded with power as it was in the past, however. The lineup as of right now is more balanced, and looks like it will produce the runs it will need for the pitching staff to compete in games.

Whether we look for a fade cut, a Mohawk, or a mullet, we all see the personality that compliments the hair of each player. For Lance, it is a mix of fun and work, and it fits him just fine. One day I hope to see someone fit the mullet’s mantra just as well as Lance Berkman does.

In Part 2 of this series on opening day pitchers, we will take a look at the hurlers that took the first baseball of the new season immediately following the retirement of Bob Gibson. As with the previous article, several interesting things can be seen when looking back, not all of them expected.

Free agency really started taking it’s toll on the Cardinals pitching staff, following the rise of John Denny. Failure to developed a genuine staff ace, and hold onto him for any appreciable amount of time, created somewhat of a revolving door of opening day starters. The two best pitchers during this era, Joaquin Andujar and John Tudor, only account for three games. One name that did keep popping up year after year was the trusty old warhorse, Bob Forsch. He would be involved in opening day festivities as late as 1988, but before then, there were a few memorable performances.

Lynn McGlothen (1975) 1-0

When the Cardinals acquired the former Red Sox prospect during the 1973 winter meetings, they thought they had found their next Bob Gibson, and at just the right time. With Gibby’s legs giving him more trouble, the end of his career was fast approaching, and perhaps a few years mentoring the young McGlothen might turn the right-hander into another star. When he jumped out to a 12-4 record at the 1974 All Star break, maybe the wait was over. The youngster would get an invitation to the mid-season classic, the only one he would received in his 11 year career. He would also lead the Cardinals starters in wins, shutouts and strikeouts, trailing only Bob Gibson in innings pitched. A little bit more of this and McGlothen would be the ace of the pitching staff.

Sadly, there wasn’t much more like that first half of 1974.

McGlothen would take the mound on opening day in 1976, to begin the post-Bob Gibson era, and he was brilliant. His opponent was Ray Burris of the Chicago Cubs. Burris was a tall right hander whose career mimicked that of McGlothen – sometimes could be dominating but for the most part, frustratingly average.

In this first game of the 1976 season, McGlothen was as dominant as any time in his career. Unfortunately, some of the Cardinals defense hadn’t made it’s way to St. Louis from spring training, and routine errors threatened to unravel McGlothen throughout the game, but the big right-hander never flinched. He would throw a complete game shutout, and earn the win in his only opening day start.

Following the season, McGlothen would be traded to the San Francisco Giants for former Cardinal, Ken Reitz. Reitz should never have left St. Louis, and it was good to have “The Zamboni” back at the hot corner. Things would not work out so well for McGlothen as he would developed arm troubles the following season and see just limited action for the Giants. The 2-9 record he posted would be the only black mark on an otherwise fine career.

Following one season in the Bay Area, plus a few games into 1978, he would be sent to the Chicago Cubs and begin a second career as a reliever. He became quite effective, but a shortage of Cubs starters in 1979 opened the door for McGlothen and he moved back into the rotation and turned in two fine seasons, much like the ones he had in St. Louis.

Sadly, the Lynn McGlothen story would have a tragic ending. Two years after calling it quits from baseball, the former Cardinals pitcher would die in a mobile home fire, along with the woman who had tried to rescue him. McGlothen was only 34 years old.

John Denny (1977, 1979) 2-0

As Lynn McGlothen was ending his Cardinals career, a quirky young right-hander named John Denny was just beginning his. And an interesting one it would be.

Looking back at Denny’s career, we probably missed the fact that he was the right handed John Tudor, without the icy exterior. He was a control pitcher that didn’t strike out a lot of batters. As a consequence, some of his pitching stats don’t indicate how good he really was – a control pitcher with a K/BB ratio of 1 and a wildly oscillating ERA ? Pitch to contact and getting the hitters to get the small part of the bat on the baseball was Denny’s game, and when he was on, there was nobody better. But, if he started putting the ball over the heart of the plate, that 84 mile-per-hour fastball wasn’t fooling anybody and he could be hit hard. And I mean HARD.

Denny would get the opening day starts in 1977 and 1979, plus the home opener in 1978. He would pitch brilliantly in two, and just good enough to win the other, compiling a 3-0 record.

In the 1977 opener, he would face an old friend, Jerry Reuss of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Reuss had quietly been establishing himself as a top of the rotation pitcher in Pittsburgh, and this was an opportunity to show the Cardinals what the had given away a few years earlier. Unfortunately for Reuss, he would be undone in the first inning as the Cardinals sent 8 men to the plate, scoring four of them. Typical of a Reuss loss, nothing would be hit hard, only one ball would making it out of the infield. But relentless speed at the top of the batting order (Lou Brock, Garry Templeton, Bake McBride) forced error after error, and the game was soon out of reach.

Denny would be on cruise control until two outs in the sixth inning. Al Hrabosky would come in to relieve Denny and turn in 2 1/3 innings of solid relief. John Sutton would be touched up for a couple of runs in ninth in one of his few (31) major league appearances. The Cardinals would win the game 12-6.

On the strength of his only 20 win season, Bob Forsch would get the opening start in 1978. As a consolation prize, Denny would get the home opener, also against the Pirates. This time he would face Jim Rooker, who didn’t even make it out of the first inning. Unlike Reuss in the previous opener, the Cardinals hit Rooker hard and often. The final blow was a three run homer from eighth place hitter Mike Tyson. The 6-0 lead that blast gave the Cardinals was enough as Denny went the distance and the Cards won big, 11-2.

Denny saved his best for last as he took the ball on opening day for the last time as a Cardinal on April 6, 1979. He was facing a former Cardinal, and one of the best in the game – Steve Carlton. It was a pitchers duel through the first three innings with each hurler giving up a solo home run. That’s when Carlton ran into trouble. He would surrender three runs in the fourth and another one in the sixth. The final blow in the game would come in the seventh inning, when Carlton would load the bases. Reliever Doug Bird got George Hendrick to pop up to the shortstop (infield fly rule), but he could not get past Tony Scott. Scott tripled to clear the bases and the Cardinals increased their lead to 7-1. Scott would score the final run of the game on a double by Ken Reitz. The final score was 8-1 as Denny again went the distance.

Following the 1979 season, Denny would be traded to the Cleveland Indians. Although he had pitched well, leading the league in ERA in 1976 and posting another sub-3 in 1978, he never won more than 14 games and was around a .500 pitcher for his five seasons in St. Louis. His fortunes might have been much different if he had managed to hang on until Whitey Herzog arrived.

After a few frustrating seasons in Cleveland, Denny would return to the National League late in 1982, this time with the Philadelphia Phillies. He would lead the league in wins in 1983 with 19 and post a career low ERA of 2.37. That would be good enough to earn him the Cy Young Award for 1983.

As good as he pitched in 1983, he was even a bit better in 1984, but injuries limited his number of starts, so his mediocre 7-7 record doesn’t accurately reflect the quality of his work. He would become a workhorse in 1984, but that pinpoint control was starting to diminish, and as a result he would post a rather lackluster record.

Denny would finish his career with the Cincinnati Reds, in 1985.

Bob Forsch (1978, 1981-1983) 2-2

After an unbelievable 20-7 record in 1977, there was no question who would take the ball on opening day in 1978. He would face the Philadelphia Phillies, and that meant Lefty. And again, Lefty was not sharp. To get some idea of how this game would go, look no farther than Steve Carlton’s fourth inning.

Ken Reitz, not a power hitter by any measure, leads off with a solo home run. Tony Scott grounds out for the first out of the inning. Carlton stikes out Mike Tyson, but the slider was one of those 59ft varieties and got past former Cardinal backstop, Tim McCarver, allowing Tyson to reach base. A sacrifice bunt by Forsch and single off the bat of Lou Brock scored Tyson, who should never have been on base.

Carlton would not make it out of the fifth inning.

On the other side of the diamond, Forsch was cruising until tiring in the 8th. Pete Vukovich would take over and and finish things, retiring former Cardinal Ted Sizemore for the last out in the game. Forsch would earn the win with Carlton taking the loss.

Forsch would get the opening day start in 1981, again facing the Philadelphia Phillies. This time it would be against a tough right-hander, Dick Ruthven.

Forsch worked himself into a corner early in this game. The first two men would reach base. With one out, Mike Schmidt stepped up to the plate and did what you expected him to do – hit a three run homer. That, and a later solo shot by Bob Boone would be all the Phillies needed as Ruthven would cruise to a complete game win, defeating Forsch and the Cardinals 5-2.

Perhaps we should also give Bob Forsch credit for another opening day start when he took the mound on August 10, after the 60 day lockout. It was more of a spring training type game as none of the pitchers were conditioned to go for very long in the game. As he had done in the opener, he drew the Philadelphia Phillies with Larry Christenson getting the start. In five innings of work, Forsch was as sharp as we’d ever seen him be. He would allow just one hit, a two out double by Mike Schmidt in the first.

Christenson would take a hard luck loss in this one as he would give up three runs in his five innings. Sparky Lyle would give up a pair of runs in relief, but the high point in the game came in the top of the ninth inning. Sexto Lezcano and Gene Tenace would hit back to back home runs of Mike Proly, putting the game out of reach. Forsch would earn the win and Bruce Sutter would earn a save in 1 2/3 innings of relief.

Pete Vuckovich (1980) 1-0

Pete Vuckovich was certainly one of those pitchers that got away, and we knew it the moment that it happened. He was an unfortunate victim of the Whitey Herzog clubhouse cleansing in 1981. Although the particular deal he was in did not work out well for the Cardinals, it set things in motion that put two teams into the 1982 World Series, with Herzog and the Redbirds standing as winners when the last pitch was thrown.

Simply put, Vuckovich was a horse. From the moment he arrived from Toronto in 1977, everything about the big right hander was done to the extreme. He logged a huge number of innings and could be as intimidating as anybody in the game. He also led the Cardinals staff in wins in 1979 with 15 (tying the fragile but exciting Silvio Martinez). That earned him the opening day start in 1980, and he did not disappoint.

How about a complete game 3 hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates and future Hall of Famer, Burt Blyleven? That’s what the scruffy Vuckovich did on April 10, 1980. The difference in the game was a leadoff walk Blyleven gave to Bobby Bonds to start the second inning. George Hendrick would rip a double and Bonds easily scored for the only run in the game. Vuckovich would go the distance in the 1-0 shutout, striking out 9 Pirates on the day.

Sadly, 1980 would be the last time we would see Vuckovich in the Cardinals uniform, but not his last time at Busch Stadium. After being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers following the 1980 season, Vuckovich would have two brilliant seasons, leading the league in wins in 1981 with 14 and posting an 18-6 record in 1982. Just as Joaquin Andujar had taken over the Cardinals staff, Vuckovich transformed the Brewers rotation into a powerhouse and took them to two post-season births, going all the way to the World Series in 1982. For his efforts, he would win the Cy Young Award in 1982.

His success would not last long however. Some time in the pennant stretch of 1982, he injured his rotator cuff. Displaying a level of toughness normally reserved for the hockey rink, the big right-hander pitched through the extreme discomfort. Ultimately it would cost him not only the 1983 and 1984 seasons on injured reserve, but his career as he would never pitch as effectively again.

Dave LaPoint (1984) 1 no decision

Thanks to some curious scheduling with the Cardinals opening on a West Coast road trip, lefty Dave LaPoint would take the mound for both the season and home openers, almost two weeks apart.

In the season opener at Los Angeles, LaPoint would face another crafty left-hander, Fernando Valenzuela. Neither pitcher was sharp, and both would be gone by the end of the third inning. Danny Cox would take over and pitch 4 shutout innings, allowing just two hits. He kept the Dodgers at bay long enough for the Cardinals bats to take revenge on Valenzuela and reliever, Pat Zachary. Cox was on cruise control until being lifted for a pinch hitter in the seventh inning. Fortunately for Cox and the Cardinals, they managed to extend their lead in the inning to 9-3. With Neil Allen coming in to pitch the bottom of the inning, they would need nearly every one of those runs.

Allen would not get a single out in the inning, and when he left the game the Dodgers had pulled to within two runs. Bruce Sutter would be called on to get a long save. Early on, it didn’t look good as Sutter was wild. He hit one batter and walked the next, putting the tying runs on base. If you are feeling a Jason Isringhausen moment while reading this, you are not alone. Sutter righted himself after the walk and got an infield ground out and double play to end the rally. He would only face six more batters in two innings of work for an excepti0nally long save, preserving the win for Danny Cox.

Things would go much better for LaPoint in the home opener against John Candeleria and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Although “The Candy Man” put on a clinic, striking out 11 Cardinals in seven innings of work, a three run homer off the bat of Ozzie Smith was the difference in the game as the Cardinals won 4-1. Bruce Sutter pitched two solid innings of relief for his second save of the season.

Joaquin Andujar (1985) 1 no decision

A few weeks ago, we took a look at the Cardinals career of Joaquin Andujar in a two part series. One of the most surprising facts about his time in St. Louis is that he only got one opening day start. That would happen in 1985 against the team that would chase them all the way to finish line, the New York Mets. And in nearly 50 years of watching Cardinals baseball, this was one of the most disappointing games I can remember.

The game would feature two of the best right handers, the veteran Andujar against the young phenom, Dwight Gooden. They, along with John Tudor, would fight for the NL Cy Young Award with Andujar and Tudor splitting some of the vote, leaving Gooden as the winner. And it is hard to blame the voters as Gooden’s 1985 ranks right along some of the best since Gibson’s 1968.

In this 1985 opener, neither pitcher brought their A game. Andujar didn’t even bring his B game, it seemed, as the Mets jumped out to a quick 2-0, and then 5-2 lead. Late in the game the Cardinals started getting to Gooden and when manager Davey Johnson went to his bullpen, the Cardinals tied the game – on a bases loaded walk to Jack Clark. That is until Gary Carter came up to the plate to face Cardinals pitcher Neil Allen in the bottom of the 10th inning. Carter sent all the Mets fans home happy as he took Allen deep for a walk-off home run.

What a terrible way to start the season. And we would see more of that out of Allen until he was shipped off to the Yankees in early summer. Almost immediately after the deal, the fortunes of the Cardinals improved, and they sprinted their way to the World Series. None of that seemed possible after watching this agonizing opening day loss to the Mets.

Bob Forsch would get the home opener a week later against the Montreal Expos. Earlier that day, the Cardinals announced a long term contract extension for Ozzie Smith, and the buzz associated with that good news make Busch Stadium electric by game time. And the Wizard did not disappoint, going 2-3 with a home run. In fact, the entire lower part of the batting order did damage as Forsch cruised to an easy complete game 6-1 win. Perhaps a bit of sting was taken away from the horrific opening day loss to the Mets. At least for a day.

John Tudor (1986-1987) 2-0

With the “in the dead of night” deal that sent Joaquin Andujar to the Oakland Athletics following the end of the 1985 season in Kansas City, there was little doubt who would get the next few opening day starts, John Tudor. There may have been better pitchers in St. Louis, but have been none that displayed the degree of cool that Tudor did on the mound. It didn’t matter if he was facing an 8th place hitter that was afraid of his own shadow, or the heart of the New York Mets lineup with a 1 run lead, Tudor was just one cool customer.

He would get two opening day starts, both against the Chicago Cubs. He would win both, but the 1986 opener was one for the ages.

Tudor would face Rick Sutcliffe in this first game in 1986. The big right-hander did everything he could do to win the game for his team. If his team had tried as hard, perhaps they would have emerged victorious instead of the Cardinals.

The turning point in the game happened in the top of the 4th inning. With both hurlers putting up quick zeroes, Sutcliffe hit a bit of a bump facing the heart of the Cardinals order. Tommy Herr would lead off the inning with a walk. Somewhere, Harry Caray was telling a fan that lead-off walks always come back to haunt the pitcher, and this one certainly would. Jack Clark followed with a screaming single to center field that Bob Dernier could not play cleanly. On the miscue, Herr would take third and Clark would take second. That would turn out to be significant as Andy van Slyke followed that with a single, scoring both runners.

Those were the only two hits Sutcliffe would give up in the game, and he was behind 2-0. The Cubs would get one of those runs back, but that’s all Tudor would allow as he goes the distance in a brilliant 2-1 win.

For Sutcliffe, it was a heartbreaking loss. 8 innings, 2 hits and 7 strikeouts. But one of the 4 walks on the day was the difference in the game.

Tudor and Sutcliffe would hook up again in the 1987 opener, in Chicago. Tudor was shaky early, giving the Cubs three quick runs. Things would turn around in the Cardinals third inning when Sutcliffe would fall apart, giving up 5 runs before turning things over to the bullpen. Taking over for Sutcliffe was a young right hander making only his seventh appearance in the major leagues. He would not figure in the outcome of this one, but Greg Maddux would haunt the National League for the next couple of decades. Another youngster that would see action later in his game was a lefty named Jamie Moyer.

Tudor would toughen and not allow another run. Newcomer, Bill Dawley would take over in the sixth inning and throw 4 scoreless innings, allowing just a single hit. For the second time in two years, Tudor would get the opening day win and Sutcliffe would suffer the loss. Bill Dawley would get the save, one of only two he would earn on the season.

Greg Mathews would get the home opener in 1987 against the Montreal Expos. It was a cold and wet night, and that was just the beginning of the troubles for the young Cardinals lefty. After striking out the first two batters, the wheels would fall off. A single, three consecutive walks and then a bases clearing double gave the Expos a 4-0 lead. Another walk and single to start the second inning would send Mathews to the showers early. The Cardinals were never in the game and the big home town crowd would go home disappointed. There would be lots of disappointment early in the season, but somehow this plucky group managed to find ways to win, until the seventh game of the World Series.

Joe Magrane (1988-1990) 0-1 2 no decisions

Thanks to a microscopic and league leading ERA of 2.18 in 1987, Joe Magrane would get the next few opening day starts for the Redbirds.

His first start in 1988 would be against Mario Soto and the Cincinnati Reds. Magrane would struggle through 6 innings, but what we remember of that game was his bat. In his second plate appearance of the season, he would hit a three run homer to put the Cardinals out in front, 4-1. Unfortunately, he would give all of those runs back before leaving the game in the seventh inning. As shaky as Magrane was, the bullpen was incredible. Scott Terry, Ken Dayley, Todd Worrell, Steve Peters and Bob Forsch managed to get the game into the 12th inning without allowing a single run. Of course, on the other side of the diamond, the Reds relievers were just as good.

A leadoff walk in the 12th inning given to the Reds by Bob Forsch would be the difference in the game. That runner would come around to score when Larry McWilliams gave up a walk off single to Kal Daniels. Forsch would take the hard luck loss, and former Cardinals reliever, Pat Perry would earn the win.

Danny Cox would get the home opener in 1987 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. It would be a back and forth game, with the Pirates winning 4-3.

In 1989, Magrane would get both the season and home openers, both against the Mets. He would get shelled in both of them, losing both. Don’t feel bad for Magrane though as he would only lose seven more games all season, to go with 18 wins. The 24 year old had put together a rather impressive season. Unfortunately, elbow trouble was about to derail him, but that’s a story for another day.

Joe Magrane would get one more opening day start. That would be on April 9, 1990 against current Springfield Cardinals pitching coach, Dennis Martinez. Magrane was sharp, allowing just one run before leaving the game in the sixth inning. Martinez had been shaky, but limited the damage to just three runs.

When the bullpens got involved, things turned ugly. Ken Hill would allow three runs before getting the final out in the sixth inning. Frank DiPino followed suit in the seventh, allowing a run of his own. Fortunately, Cris (no-H) Carpenter, Howard Hilton and Ken Dayley righted the ship and managed to get the game into the 11th inning. That’s when another lead-off walk, this time to the Cardinals Milt Thompson, would prove to be the game winner when Uncle Milty came home on a Willie McGee walk-off single two batters later.

Bryn Smith (1991) 1 no decision

The Joe Torre era would start in earnest in 1991 with a game against the Chicago Cubs. The new Cardinals manager gave the opening day start to Bryn Smith, who had been a horse for the Montreal Expos over the last 8 season, winning as many as 18 games in 1985.

Smith pitched a gem of a game allowing just a single run in seven innings of work. On the other side of the diamond, Danny Jackson was the unfortunate victim of the the last remnants of Whitey Ball as the still speedy Cardinals legged out infield hits and beat throws on fielders choices, inning after inning.

The turning point in the game would come in the top of the 8th. The score was tied at one when Jose Oquendo stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded. He would hit a weak grounder and beat the throw to first base, allowing Felix Jose to score the game winning run. Craig Wilson would follow with a well placed dribbler between the pitcher and first baseman that would score another run. Rex Hudler would ground out, scoring Tom Pagnozzi for final run of the inning, and the game. The Cubs pitchers had just beaten up by a bunch of moths, or so it must have seemed. Former Cub, Lee Smith, earned the first of his NL leading 47 saves in the game, just to add a bit of insult.

Bob Tewksbury would pitch seven strong innings in the home opener against the Philadelphia Phillies. Terry Mulholland would pitch well for the Phils, but not well enough as Tewks picks up the win. Lee Smith would earn his fifth save on the young season in relief.

Jose DeLeon (1992) 1 no decision

Jose DeLeon would get the opening day call to start the 1992 season. His opponent would be David Cone and the New York Mets. Both starters were effective with DeLeon allowing just one run in 7 innings and Cone, 2 runs in 8 innings. The story of the game was relief pitching. The Mets had some and the Cardinals didn’t. In a rare blow-up, Lee Smith allowed the tying run to score in the top of the ninth inning, and lost it when Bobby Bonilla hit a 2 run homer in the 10th. On the other side, the Mets bullpen was sharp, putting up two innings of zeroes.

Bob Tewksbury (1993-1994) 1-1

Of all the pitchers to come through the Cardinals system in the last 50 years, Bob Tewksbury might have been the best actual pitcher. To be able to stand on the mound knowing your fastball topped out at 81 miles per hour (with a tail wind) and face hitters like Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, Ryne Sandberg and Freg McGriff, and have the courage to throw the ball anywhere near the plate took a special cunning, and lack of fear. He had nothing intimidating, couldn’t throw inside and his out pitch was something you were likely to see in a co-ed softball game. In six years in St. Louis, he put up a 67-46 record with an ERA of 3.48. And this is in the beginning of the steroids era.

Tewksbury would take a hard luck loss in the season opener in 1993 against the San Francisco Giants. The most unsettling thing about this game was seeing Willie McGee hitting lead-off for the pumpkins – it just did not look right at all.

A Matt Williams RBI double in the 4th and a Barry Bonds sacrifice fly in the seventh were the only runs allowed by Tewksbury, but that would be enough as John Burkett went six strong innings, allowing just a single run. The Giants bullpen was brilliant, allowing just a single hit in three innings of combined relief.

Tewks would fare a bit better in the 1994 opener against the Cincinnati Reds. He would struggle in six innings of work, but Reds starter Jose Rijo was knocked around rather rudely by Cardinals bats. Rijo did not have an easy inning during the game and he would surrender 6 runs before turning the game over to his bullpen. Tewksbury would earn the win and Mike Perez would pitch a 1-2-3 ninth for the save.

Ken Hill (1995) 1 no decision

This would be the second time for Ken Hill to wear the Birds on the Bat. The first time was as a prospect, acquired from Detroit in 1986, while pitching in his first professional season. He came up through the Cardinals system but stalled a bit at Arkansas (AA). After being promoted to Louisville (AAA), he was quickly called up to the majors when injuries with the big club created an opening. He pitched well enough to stay, at least for the remainder of the year. He would lead the league in walks and losses, but not all of that was his fault as evidenced by a 3.80 ERA that was good for a rookie. Not great, but not too bad either. A shaky defense behind him turned him into a tentative pitcher that didn’t aggressively go after hitters.

He started out the 1990 season with the Cardinals, but after being hit hard in his first three relief appearances, he would be sent back to Louisville where he would light up the American Association to a tune of a 6-1 record with an ERA well under 2 runs per game. That prompted another callup in late July. Hill would start off well, but fade again in September, ending with a 5-6 record with the big club. One more season with the Cardinals in 1990 that mirrored his rookie campaign, except that this time he did get a little bit of run support, and then it was off to Montreal.

That’s when the real Ken Hill showed National League teams what he could do. In three seasons in Montreal, he would post a 41-21 record with an ERA just over 3. Some injuries limited his starts in 1994, but he still managed to win 16 games in that season, to go with only 5 losses.

That prompted an off-season trade with the Cardinals to bring Hill back for another look, and we got exactly what we had in the late 1980s. The tall right hander would not last the entire season before being traded to Cleveland before the non-waiver trade deadline, where he would help the Indians make the playoffs. Hill would pitch brilliantly in the ALDS and ALCS, earning one win in each. He didn’t fare as well against the Braves in the World Series, but his stock had risen significantly.

That would pay off with a free agency deal with the Texas Rangers, where he would find his old form. He would help pitch the Rangers into the playoffs, winning 16 games for the third time in his career. After that, he would be a pennant run pickup by the California Angels where he would have a couple of good seasons before injuries ended his career.

All that success, and we missed every bit of it in St. Louis.

Ken Hill did get the opening day call for the Cardinals in 1995. With a rotation of Mark Petkovsek, Allen Watson, Donovan Osborne and both Danny Jackson and Mike Morgan at the end of their careers, you know it is going to be a long season. And you now understand why it was Hill that got the opening day call.

He would face a young hard throwing right hander from the Philadelphia Phillies named Curt Shilling. Shilling was still a few years away from putting it all together, and a decade from the famed bloody sock heroics in post-season. It would be a fair fight between two struggling right-handers, and neither would be around to get a decision.

Hill would get hit hard in the third inning when the Phillies sent 9 men to the plate, scoring 5 times. The Redbirds would get three of those runs back in their half of the third as they sent 8 men to the plate against Schilling.

A Brian Jordan two run homer off Toby Borland in the sixth pulled the Cardinals to within a run at 6-5. It would stay that way until the Cardinals came to bat in the bottom of the ninth. Former Reds closer, Norm Charlton could not manage to find the strike zone as he tried to close the game out. Bernard Gilkey would start things off with a seeing-eye single through the left side of the infield. Two walks would load the bases for Scott Cooper, and he delivered with a sharp single though a pulled-in infield, scoring Gilkey with the tying run and Ozzie Smith with the game winner. Rene Arocha would pick up the win with one sharp inning of relief.

Next time, we will look at the opening day starters in the Tony La Russa era.

Bob Netherton covers Cardinals history for i70baseball.com and writes at On the Outside Corner. You may follow Bob on Twitter here or on Facebook here.

As Chris Carpenter prepares to take the mound to start the 2011 season, I thought it would be interesting to take a look back at some of the pitchers who took the mound in opening day. The Bob Gibson era (1959-1975) seemed to be as good a place as any to start. It may surprise you to learn that Gibby didn’t get the opening day call until 1965. In fact, early in the Solly Hemus era (1959-61), the future Hall of Fame pitcher would be moved between the bullpen, the rotation and the minor leagues, in spite of consistently demonstrating his enormous talent. It wasn’t until the arrival of Johnny Keane that Gibson got a chance to show what he was capable of – and National League hitters were never the same.

If Gibson wasn’t the opening day starter, who was and how did they do?

Larry Jackson (1959, 1960, 1962) 1-1 with 1 no decision

Larry Jackson was one of the best pitchers of his era but had the misfortune of playing his career on non-contending teams – sort of an anti-Jason Marquis. The first part of his career (1955-1962) was with the St. Louis Cardinals, who were rarely over .500. Unlike the his team, Jackson was consistently over .500, going 116-87 in those 8 seasons. He would earn 3 All Star Game invitations as a Cardinal plus one more with the Cubs in 1963. His 24-11 record with the Cubs in 1964 would earn him second place in the Cy Young voting. Unfortunately for Jackson, the award was only given to one pitcher, not one per league as it is done today. Jackson was clearly the best pitcher in the National League in 1964. Not only could Jackson pitch, but he could also field his position, earning him the reputation of being the best defensive pitcher of his generation. He would consistently lead the league in fielding percentage and at one time held the major league record for most consecutive chances without an error. By any measure, Larry Jackson was a bona fide ace.

Jackson would pitch well enough to win all three opening day starts, but would end up 1-1 with one no-decision. A blown save by Jim Brosnan in 1959 would cost him a win against the Giants. Some shaky Cardinals defense and a lack of hitting would hand Jackson a tough loss against the Giants in 1960. In his last opening day start for the Cardinals in 1962, the schedule makers gave Jackson the advantage as he would earn an easy win against the expansion New York Mets.

You may be asking why Jackson didn’t get the opening day start in 1961 ? During spring training, he was hit by a piece of Duke Snyder’s shattered bat and suffered a badly broken jaw. He would miss the remainder of spring training as well as the first two weeks of the regular season. Because his jaws were wired shut, the liquid diet did not give him adequate nutrition and he lost a lot of weight. As a result he struggled early in the season. By July 1, all of that was in the past and he would have a terrific second half, posting an 11-3 record with an ERA just over 3 runs per game.

As for home openers during Jackon’s era,Vinegar Bend Mizell and Lindy McDaniel would combine for a nice 5-2 win over the Cubs in 1960.

Before moving on, let’s close the book on Larry Jackson.

After a blowout season in 1964, Jackson ran into a bit of trouble in 1965, losing 21 games. He didn’t pitch poorly, in fact quite the opposite. It was more a reflection of the Cubs than anything Jackson had done. Early in the 1966 season he would be traded to the Phillies in their version of the Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio deal, with the Cubs receiving a young right hander named Ferguson Jenkins. After getting off to a slow start for the Cubs in 1966, Jenkins would go on to win 20 or more games for six consecutive seasons (67-72). He would start nearly 40 games a season, and average over 300 innings pitched during that stretch. He would win the Cy Young award in 1971 with his league leading 24 victories, and get a second place in 1967 and third place in 1970 and 1972. Yes, the Cubs got the better of that trade, perhaps to make up for the Lou Brock deal in June 1964.

While nowhere near as dazzling, Jackson had a fine end to his career in Philadelphia. Jackson was selected by the Montreal Expos in the 1969 expansion draft and rather than pitch for another losing team, he retired after the 1968 season.

Ernie Broglio (1961, 1963, 1964) 1-1 with 1 no decision

Ernie Broglio would get the next few opening day starts – 1961, 1963 and 1964. Like Jackson, the fan favorite would go 1-1 with one no decision.

The 1961 opening day in Milwaukee against the Braves was a great game. If featured two of the best pitchers at the time, Broglio (who had gone 21-9 in 1960) and Warren Spahn (who was one of the greatest left handed pitchers ever, and had gone 21-10 in 1960). Few runs were scored, as expected, and Broglio left after 7 innings with the Cardinals down 1-0. A late run by the Cardinals tied the game and a home run off Spahn in the 10th inning gave reliever Lindy McDaniel the victory.

In 1963, Broglio would open the season in New York against the Mets. He would throw a complete game 2 hit shutout, striking out 8. Young Ray Washburn would follow that up with a 4 hit complete game shutout. And to complete the most amazing start to a season, veteran left hander Curt Simmons would throw a complete game shutout in the home opener against the Phillies. Three games, three shutouts. What a start to the 1963 season. If not for a certain left handed pitcher in Los Angeles, the Cardinals might have won the pennant in 1963.

Broglio would have the misfortune of hooking up against that same lefty, Sandy Koufax, in the last of his opening day starts for the Cardinals. The year would be 1964, and Broglio was about to be traded to the Cubs for a young unknown left fielder. The trade would be one of the most lopsided in baseball history – certainly one of the most unpopular. Broglio would develop arm trouble and his career would soon be over. We all know how the Lou Brock story ends – a trip to Cooperstown, NY.

In the 1964 opener, Broglio would be let down by his team’s defense and Ron Taylor could not keep the game close. Koufax was, well….. Koufax and he threw a nice complete game shutout. The Cardinals had their chances but could never break through against the lefty. Not many teams did.

Curt Simmons (1966) No decision

During the Ernie Broglio era, Curt Simmons would get the start in the home openers in 1961, 1963 and a rather late one in 1964. As he did so frequently in a Cardinals uniform, Simmons would pitch well and go 2-0 with one no-decision.

Curt Simmons would get the opening day start in 1966, the last of his Cardinals career. He would face the Phillies and their left handed ace, Chris Short. Short is at the high point in his career, winning 17 in 1964 and 18 more in 1965. He would go on to win 20 for the only time in his career in 1966. On this day, he was as good as any pitcher the Cardinals had faced. He would go 9 2/3 innings before being relieved by former Cardinal, Roger Craig. Simmons pitched well for the Cardinals, but the story was the bullpen. Nelson Briles, Joe Hoerner and Al Jackson had pitched 4 innings of shutout baseball. Dennis Aust, a short right hander would finish up the game with 2 strong innings. Unfortunately he would pitch three. In the twelfth inning, former Cardinal Bill White and future Cardinal Richie Allen would get to Aust and give him the only decision in his short career, an opening day loss.

Bob Gibson (1965, 1967-1975) 2-2 with 6 no decisions

The Gibson era would truly begin with a historic season opener in 1965 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. New manager Red Schoendienst was handed one of the finest rotations in Cardinals history, and at the top of it was Bob Gibson. Gibson would respond with the first of his five 20 win seasons (to go with two more 19 win seasons and an 18 win one). Facing Gibson was former Cardinal ace, Larry Jackson. Jackson wouldn’t make it out of the first inning as the Cardinals jumped out to a quick lead. Cubs errors (5 on the day) and the inability to find the strike zone doomed Jackson. Unfortunately Gibson was not all that much more effective and left after 3 1/3 innings. The bullpen did not fare any better as Ron Taylor, Tracy Stallard and Barney Schultz got roughed up by Cubs bats, although Stallard was the best of the three, going 4 1/3 innings and allowing only a single hit. It was that hit plus a walk that led to a Ron Santo three run homer in the bottom of the ninth off Barney Schultz which tied the game at 9.

What happens next makes this game historic. In the bottom of the tenth inning, a young left hander named Steve Carlton makes his major league debut. He faces one batter, and walks him. To make things even more historic, the game would end after 10 innings as a 10-10 tie. Yes, a tie in the Major Leagues. In 1965, there were no lights at Wrigley field and there was a late afternoon curfew that came into play.

The game would be made up on July 11 and the Cardinals would lose both games of the double header 6-0. Wrigley Field wasn’t being friendly to the Cards lefties on this day.

Gibson would return as the opening day starter in 1967 and throw a complete game shutout against the Giants, striking out 13 along the way. Not to be outdone, he would combine with Ray Washburn to throw a brilliant 3 hitter against the Braves in 1968. Washburn would collect the victory in relief. With a healthy Ray Washburn, the Cardinals run on their second consecutive National League pennant was all but assured. The only question would be who they would face in the fall classic.

Gibson would again take the mound in the 1969 opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates, but would be long gone by the time a decision was recorded. As they had been for several years, Bob Gibson and Joe Hoerner were brilliant. Gibson went 9 innings, striking out 10. Hoerner went another 4 innings without allowing a hit, facing the minimum number of hitters (12). Mel Nelson would take the mound in the 14th inning give up 4 runs in 2/3 of an inning. This was Nelson’s second time with the Cardinals and this would be his only decision in his final year in the majors.

In 1970, Gibson would open the season in Montreal and combine with Chuck Taylor for a nice 7-2 win. George Culver, obtained from Cincinnati for long time fan favorite Ray Washburn, got the home opener against the Mets and pitched a good game for the win.

The 1971 opening day game was one for the ages. It featured two of the best right handers in the game – Bob Gibson and Chicago’s Fergie Jenkins. The battle in Chicago did not disappoint anybody, although Cardinal fans didn’t like the outcome. Both men brought their “A” game, as they always did when facing each other. Jenkins went 10 innings, allowing only a single run on a home run by Joe Torre. Gibson went the distance as well, 9 1/3 innings. A one out home run by Billy Williams in the bottom of the 10th inning was the difference in the game as the Cubs won 2-1.

The home opener in 1971 was a sentimental one as the St. Louis native, lefty Jerry Reuss took the mound against the Giants. He lasted all of three innings and would take the loss. Reuss would never live up to his potential for the team he grew up watching. After a clash with Cardinals owner Gussie Busch over facial hair, Reuss would be sent to Houston following the season. He would go on to have a nice long career for Pittsburgh and Los Angeles, helping both teams get into post-season with regularity. He would end his 22 year career with an amazing 220 victories, which proves that if you are a lefty and can throw strikes, you can have a long career in the major leagues.

In 1972, Gibson would open the season at home against the Montreal Expos. Montreal would get off to a quick lead on a two run homer by future Cardinal Mike Jorgensen. Gibson would settle down and leave after 6 innings, down 2-0. The Cardinals would later tie the game at 2. In his second inning of relief, Al Santorini would give up a leadoff single to future Cardinal, Ron Hunt. Jose Cruz misplayed Hunt’s single, allowing him to advance to second. An infield ground out and a sacrifice fly and the Expos led 3-2, a lead they would make hold up. One hit and Santorini takes a hard luck loss.

Bob Gibson takes a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the 8th inning in the 1973 opener at Pittsburgh. With one out, the Pirates loaded the bases against Gibson and Red Schoendienst went to his bullpen, calling on Diego Segui. Segui would be lit up like a Christmas Tree and would take the loss as the Pirates scored 5 runs, three being charged to Gibson.

Bob Gibson would face former Cardinal Jerry Reuss in the home opener in 1974. It was a typical Reuss pitched game. The Cardinals always seemed to have runners in scoring position, and managed to plate 4 of them in his 7 innings. Gibson went 8, and while he looked much better than Reuss, the score was tied at 4. The Cardinals would light up former Cardinal relief specialist, Dave Guisti and Al Hrabosky would earn the first of his 8 victories, although it was not a spotless outing for the Mad Hungarian. Al Hrabosky put together two amazing seasons in 1974 and 1975, going a combined 21-4, all in relief. Many of those appearances were multiple innings. Nobody was any better than Hungo and he received quite a few Cy Young votes for his 13-3 1.66 ERA 1975 season.

In his last season in the majors, Bob Gibson took the ball on opening day against the Montreal Expos. This was a historic game as two of the best pitchers of their era were making their last opening day starts. Facing Gibson was former Baltimore Orioles ace, Dave McNally. Both hurlers would finish the season with 3 victories, McNally getting one of them in this game. A huge crowd turned out to cheer on these two legends, and both starters turned in a good game. Had Red gone to his bullpen after 7 innings like he should have, Gibson might have one more victory. Cardinal fans will still remember those 12 strikeouts, as if it was Gibson’s farewell gift to all those in attendance.

In the post-Gibson era, Lynn McGlothen would get the first opening day start in 1976. It was hoped that McGlothen would follow in Gibson’s footsteps, but alas that was not to be. John Denny and Bob Forsch would get the next opening day starts as the Cardinals searched for an ace to anchor the top of the rotation. That would eventually happen as Joaquin Andujar and John Tudor formed one of the best 1-2 starters in the 1980s.

Bob Netherton covers Cardinals history for i70baseball.com and writes at On the Outside Corner. You may follow Bob on Twitter here or on Facebook here.

During the offseason we have been taking a look at the past, giving readers a timeline of St. Louis baseball throughout history. Last time we learned about Cardinal teams that could never quite put it all together. Unfortunately, the trend would continue…

What do you say to an aging superstar who has obviously seen better days but is not convinced that it is time to hang up the spikes? If you are the Cardinals, and your aging superstar is Bob Gibson, the answer is this: not one word. 1974 had been brutal to him, and his statistics were across the board the worst he had seen since 1960, when Solly Hemus was making his life miserable by jerking him from the rotation to the bullpen and refusing to put his talent to good use. But after his marriage broke up, Gibson had nothing to lose, and shuffled back out on the mound in 1975. He needed one more year of baseball. He could not walk away.

Life was miserable for Gibby in ’75. He had lost control and velocity. Walks, hits and ERA soared, strikeouts tanked, and the once great pitcher had become a mere mortal. At the All-Star break the big righty was shipped to the bullpen. In early September he came in to a game and gave up a grand slam to journeyman Pete LaCock. Gibson was mortified. Manager Red Schoendienst came out to get the ball, and Gibson walked off the mound with his head down. He never pitched another ball in the majors. It was a sad end to a truly Hall of Fame worthy career.

The team as a whole felt unremarkable, finishing at 82-80, ten and a half games back of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Catcher Ted Simmons was the catalyst of the lineup, leading the team in almost every statistical category, as well as calling 157 games behind the plate, all at age 25. The pitching staff had a couple of names that jumped off the page – Bob Forsch and Al Hrabosky. The pair of 25 year olds were the leaders of the staff. Forsch went 15-10 with a 2.86 ERA over 240 innings. “The Mad Hungarian” was something else – turning in a career year by posting a 13-3 record, 22 saves, a 1.66 ERA and a 1.079 WHIP, which earned him a third place finish in the NL Cy Young Award voting.

The Cardinals in 1976 were young. Only four players on the roster were older than 30, and only two (37 year old Lou Brock and 33 year old Don Kessinger) had any significant playing time. So how did the kids do? Not very well. They were not strong hitters, scored very few runs, were dead last in the league in home runs, and that was just the hitters! Their pitchers were eleventh out of twelve in strikeouts, tenth in wins and walks, and just seemed to fall flat everywhere. Nothing was remarkable about this team, and a 72-90 finish, good enough for fifth in the six team NL East, just validates that thought.

Owner Gussie Busch was, once again, getting very impatient. It had been 8 full seasons since his team last saw a pennant flag rise above Busch Stadium, and that was just unacceptable to the beer baron. He decided that Schoendienst was just too soft on his players, and booted him out for Vern Rapp, a man that Gussie saw as someone who would be tough and get the boys to grind out the wins.

Rapp had been a career minor league catcher, playing for parts of sixteen seasons from coast to coast, never sticking with one team for long, and even being a player manager for a little one year. He had eleven seasons of managing in the minors (with a relative measure of success) before getting the call to St. Louis. He brought a no-nonsense, extremely conservative and yet stern look to a team that was not looking for someone to treat them like Marines. He installed a strict curfew, forced the players to cut off all facial hair, and held team meetings just to yell at various players who needed to lose a few pounds or cut their hair.

Players wanted to mutiny. Keith Hernandez’s star was on the rise in baseball, but he felt like his team was fighting against not only the rest of the National League, but the front office and managing staff of their own team as well! Despite it all, the team as a whole rebounded from their abysmal 1976 campaign, and went 83-79, to push them back up to third in the East. The team still did not have any real firepower, landing in the cellar in home runs (for the hitters) and strikeouts (for the pitchers). Ted Simmons , Keith Hernandez, and Garry Templeton were all hitting, but there were not enough pieces in place to make a strong enough dent in the standings.

Things got worse. Rapp was out of control, suspending his closer in Hrabrosky because Al refused to cut his hair and Fu Manchu and calling fan darling Simmons “a loser.” Gussie realized that this was not going to work out, and sent Rapp packing a mere seventeen games into the 1978 season. In to replace him was the amiable Kenny Boyer. While Rapp was harsh and cruel, Boyer fit a lot more into the Schoendienst model of nurturer and letting the boys play. Unfortunately, the record shows that Boyer fared no better than Rapp in the standings. It is hard to find positives about a team that finished 69-93, but here goes nothing…

Keith Hernandez won his first Gold Glove. Starters John Denny and Pete Vuckovich both pitched well, despite less than stellar W-L records of 14-11 and 12-12, respectively. Possibly the most important thing that happened was that Boyer installed Hernandez as the everyday first baseman, rain or shine, slump or hot streak. This played an important role in 1979.

Hernandez was feeling down at the beginning of the season, hitting an anemic .232 for the month of April. Boyer went to his still young (25) player and told him that no matter what, he would be the third place hitter for the season. The solidarity of that statement spurred him on to have his best year in the majors, hitting .344/.417/.513. He was in the top five in every major offensive statistical category, and led the league in batting average, runs, and doubles. Boyer had helped install a confidence that pushed a young player from a .232 first month of the season to an MVP award.

Despite bringing in very few new faces in 1979, the team as a whole fared better. Whether it was getting all of the players a year older, wiser or better or they just all happened to have better seasons that year is unknown, but one thing that is seen easily is that the bats are what carried them back up to third place in the East with a record of 86-76. Cardinal hitters were first in the National League in hits, doubles, triples and batting average over the course of the season. They took few walks, but they slapped the ball around and ran with it. Hernandez was the star, but guys like Templeton, Simmons, and “Silent George” Hendrick all had strong seasons at the plate as well. Even 40 year old Lou Brock, in his last year in baseball, put together a .304/.342/.398 batting line before hanging them up.

Maybe, once the kids all started growing up and really becoming ballplayers, things would turn around and push the team back to the top…

Angela Weinhold covers the Cardinals for i70baseball.com and writes at Cardinal Diamond Diaries. You may follow her on Twitter here or follow Cardinal Diamond Diaries here.

During the offseason we have been taking a look at the past, giving readers a timeline of St. Louis baseball throughout history. Last time we learned about the Cardinals steady climb back to the top of the National League thanks to players like the strong arm of Bob Gibson; the swift feet of Lou Brock; and the big bats of Ken Boyer, Curt Flood, and Bill White. They put it all together and won the World Series in 1964. Would the good times roll for a while?

People often talk about “going out on top,” but rarely do people walk away from a championship team so they escape getting fired. That is exactly what Cardinals’ manager Johnny Keane did at the end of 1964. Gussie Busch had been keeping him wringing his hands constantly over the past few months, so Keane decided that win or lose, he was leaving the Cardinals after the ’64 Series. When he won, what was surprising is that he went on to the Yankees – the same team that the Cardinals had just finished beating not days before!

When Keane left, Busch was dismayed. He had finally realized that Keane was good, and losing him stung the franchise. He made two brilliant moves, installing Stan Musial as the vice president of the team and turning to an old friend to run the team in Red Schoendienst. Red came in and ran things for the next twelve years, plus a few more random appearances as interim manager later on. This makes him the second longest tenured manager in Cardinal history, after current manager Tony LaRussa.

1965 was a black eye for the team that had finally risen back to the top the previous year. Injuries abounded, resentment at general manager Bob Howsam ran rampant, and things just never clicked. Lou Brock had his shoulder broken from a pitch by Sandy Koufax after bunting for a hit, swiping a base and scoring in his previous at bat. Bill White got hurt. Runs batted in for the sluggers fell across the board. Players were irritated at how Howsam was trying to cut salaries the year after winning the Series.

Throw all those issues out on to the field and it is no surprise that the team free-falled in the standings, tumbling all the way down to seventh and turning in a measly 80-81 record. If fans were upset at the team’s play in ’65, they were about turn their resentment from the play on the field to the moves of the front office. In a series of offseason salary dump moves, Howsam sent not only back-up catcher Bob Uecker and aging shortstop Dick Groat away in trades, but also dumped All-Stars and fan-favorites Bill White and Ken Boyer.

To make matters worse, Howsam made the mistake of not speaking kindly about the players being traded away. To White he was especially cruel, stating that he was very obviously old and probably older than his listed age. This cut the highly respected veteran deep, to the point where he acted very out of character and called the GM a liar publicly. The fans were outraged, and rightfully so.

There was a move made in 1966 that had nothing to do with payroll, players, or the product on the field. It did have to do with the field though, as the team moved out of steamy, creaky, and leaky Sportsman’s park into the nice new Busch Memorial Stadium. It was quite a switch for the players and fans. People were farther from the field and felt more disconnected, and players loved the amenities but kind of missed the intimacy with the fans. It was a stadium, while Sportsman’s Park actually felt like a ballpark.

Too bad the team had no way to really put the cavernous new field to good use. The trades of Boyer and White had left the team with no real powerhouses, and it was one low-scoring game loss after another all season long. The pitching was not really the problem. Seven different pitchers put up ERA’s of better than 3.75 with 70+ innings pitched. Nelson Briles went a rather forlorn 4-15, but had a 3.21 ERA over 154 innings. Ray Washburn and Larry Jaster both tossed out 11 wins, but the only big winner on the team was Bob Gibson at 21-12. Gibby had 21 starts where he allowed two runs or less, and needed every single one of them, or the team’s 83-79 record would have been much worse.

Time for some bright spots, and although these were few and far between in 1966, they were there. Howsam did know that he had swapped out his power, but he had a glut of pitchers. He made a move in May, sending pitcher Ray Sadecki to San Francisco Giants in exchange for recovering slugger Orlando Cepeda. “Cha-Cha” had been battling bad knees throughout most of ’65, but the Cardinals took a gamble, and it paid off in a big way. The other main bright spot was the emergence of Steve Carlton for nine starts towards the end of the season. The twenty-one year old lefty logged 52 innings and showed the beginning of what would become a Hall of Fame career.

Gussie was incensed by the fall his briefly mighty club had taken. He kicked Howsam out the door and decided to insert Musial into the GM’s position. People were unsure he had the qualities of a general manager, but the legend showed his moxie early but trading for Roger Maris in December of 1966. Maris was obviously on the decline, and the Yankees had been treating him like crap for years, lying to him about x-rays revealing he had broken his hand so they could keep him on the field, and trading him away when he fully intended to retire.

Maris brought experience, a still strong arm, and a relative amount of speed to a team that had now assembled a rather memorable outfield in Cardinals’ history. Maris was the last piece of the puzzle, joining Flood and Brock. The team had a spark according to pitcher Nelson Briles, attacking teams on the field like junkyard dogs and staying loose in the clubhouse with jokes, singing, and holding clubhouse meetings every night to award that day’s ‘hero of the game.’

Leading the clubhouse charge was fun-loving “Cha-Cha” Cepeda, nicknaming the team ‘El Birdos’ and hitting a monstrous .325/.399/.524, including a team-leading 25 HR and 111 RBI. Curt Flood also had a career year, hitting .338/.378/.414. The real stories of the season had to include the pitching staff. Ray Washburn was lost for a month after taking a line drive off of his pitching hand and severely breaking a finger. Before Washburn even made it back, Bob Gibson took an even worse smash, as his leg was broken by a screaming line drive off the bat of Roberto Clemente. Gibson was so tough he got up and pitched to another batter before crumpling to the ground and being carried from the field!

Losing the two veterans of a pitching staff is never good, but the youngsters took over. Despite an average age of 24.2 years old, the combination of Carlton, Briles, Larry Jaster, Dick Hughes, and Jim Cosman would turn a good team into a great one. All had ERA’s right around 2.50 to 3.10. Briles especially had to work his tail off, since he was the one filling in for Gibby. Briles, Carlton, and Hughes were a combined 19-6 while waiting for the big righty to mend. By the time their ace returned in September, the team was ten games up on the Mets for the lead in the National League. Maybe they did not need him after all.

Jokes, people. Jokes.

The team finished with a resounding 101 wins in 1967, and good ol’ Cha-Cha won the NL MVP unanimously, the first time this had ever happened in the history of the National League. El Birdos danced their way into the Fall Classic, where the “Impossible Dream” Boston Red Sox were waiting with big bats.

Gibson won the first game, giving up one run and scattering six hits, while striking out ten. The Sox struck back in the second, winning 5-0 but starter Jim Lonborg knocked down or plunked three or four Cardinals in the process. When Dick Hughes did not respond, the players turned to game three starter Nelson Briles to send a message. Briles was shaking like a leaf, but he delivered the message, plunking superstar slugger Carl Yastrzemski in the first inning. This enraged Boston fans, who sent Briles hundreds of telegrams and messages warning him not to come back to Boston and threatening his life.

Of course, Bob Gibson probably did not help matters when he blanked the Sox in game four and gave the Cards a 3-1 Series lead.

Boston was not going down without a fight, and tied the Series at three games apiece, despite a solid start by Carlton in game five and the Cardinals managing to scrape out four runs in game six. It all came down to the deciding seventh, and who better to have on the mound than Bob Gibson. The tall righty came in and bore down, pitching a two run complete game, and even contributing to his cause but hitting a home run in the fifth. Gibson was the Series MVP, and the Cardinals were back on top.

An old friend came back in 1968. Gussie Busch finally admitted he had made a mistake, and rehired Bing Devine to be the general manager of the team, after Stan Musial admitted that he did not want the job anymore.

The ’68 team could not score runs to save their lives. The pitchers pleaded with them – score some runs. Multiple runs would be nice. One run… just one! Something! No one on the team had 80 RBI, the leader in HR was Cepeda with 16, and only one player even made it to a .300 BA (Flood), with the next closest checking in at .279 (Brock).

The Cardinals simply could not have survived without their pitchers. Four of their five starters had an ERA under 3.00. They combined to throw 63 complete games and 27 shutouts. The real story here is Gibson. He turned into a freak of nature, compiling the following totals: 28 complete games, 13 shutouts, 304.2 innings pitched, a 22-9 record, a 0.853 WHIP, and a 1.12 ERA. That is not a typo. He really was that good. He was the runaway winner of both the Cy Young and the MVP award.

The strong arms of Gibson and company led the Cardinals to a 97-65 and second consecutive NL crown. They marched on to face the Detroit Tigers in the World Series, and the country was buzzing about the matchup of Gibson and 31 game winner Denny McLain. McLain did not stand a chance in game one, as Gibson not only went the distance, but struck out a Series record 17 Tigers in the process. Gibson had another incredible Series, pitching 27 innings, giving up a mere 2 runs, and yet still finding himself on the losing end of a 1-0 deciding game seven. Frustrating to be sure, but Gibson knew that storyline well. The Cardinals jumped out to a 3-1 Series lead, and looked to be dominating, but the bats just up and died. Detroit won the next three in a row and took the title home. The Cardinals went home with their tails between their legs.

Gussie Busch was not making friends with the players, especially after his team brought home consecutive pennants. They wanted to be paid, and when Busch called a press conference to basically demoralize the players, all the air went out of the room. The team was proud of themselves and their skills on the field, but when their owner called them selfish and questioned their integrity and how he could not believe they had the nerve to hold out, the players were struck dumb. They no longer believed they worked for the best organization in baseball. They knew the truth: they were livestock. They could be replaced. They better watch their backs.

Changes were coming in baseball as a whole. After a ‘year of the pitcher,’ where batting averages and ERA’s hit all-time lows, the mound was lowered to give hitters a better chance. Pitchers everywhere suffered, and many lost their edge. The Cardinals never had an edge. Veterans came out in the papers, saying they were frustrated that the front office had ordered manager Red Schoendienst to play younger players and sit the veterans. The front office shot back that they were just afraid of losing their jobs. You complained, you got traded. That was the way it was.

Curt Flood was the most vocal, and sure enough, he was traded, but those of you that know baseball history already know of the now infamous situation. He refused the trade, declared himself a free agent, and eventually history was changed in baseball. Flood became a pioneer, but the rest of his team was left floundering. The club struggled to a 87-75 record, and started in on what has almost become a lost time in Cardinals’ history.

Special thanks this week go to i70 historian Bob Netherton, who loaned me information from all over the place. Find more on these topics by heading here, here, here, or here.

Angela Weinhold covers the Cardinals for i70baseball.com and writes at Cardinal Diamond Diaries. You may follow her on Twitter here or follow Cardinal Diamond Diaries here.

In July of 1967, the Cardinals’ pennant hopes were seemingly dashed when a line drive off the bat of Roberto Clemente smacked off Bob Gibson’s leg, breaking a small bone just below the kneecap. Gibby would be out of action for over two months, and the Cardinals had to rely on a young and unproven Nelson Briles to fill the void in the rotation. To the casual observer, the situation seemed hopeless; coming into the 1967 season, Briles had a career record of 7 wins and 18 losses; not exactly Gibson-esque type numbers, to say the least. While Cardinal Nation braced for the worst, all Briles did was go 14-5 with a sparkling 2.42 ERA, while subbing for the seemingly irreplaceable Gibson; and the Redbirds were on their way to a World Championship.

After all was said and done, the injury to the Cards’ pitching ace was clearly a blessing in disguise, not only allowing Briles to come into his own in the starting rotation, but allowing Gibson to rest that right arm of his, and come back stronger than ever; just in time for the World Series showdown with the Boston Red Sox. Gibson took care of three wins, while his young understudy, Nellie Briles, notched the other one; naturally.

Of course, the following season, a very fresh Bob Gibson tore through the National League’s opposing lineups effortlessly, on his way to 22 wins and an incredible 1.12 ERA. Thanks in large part to his dominance on the mound, the baseball hierarchy promptly decided to lower the mound a few inches the very next season, in an attempt to revitalize offensive production, to keep the fans happy; and most importantly, keep them coming to the games and drinking that beer and eating those hot dogs.

Interestingly enough, the Cardinals got lucky again; this time in 1982; when their young “phenom”, David Green, pulled a hamstring trying to leg out an infield hit during an early May encounter with the Braves at Busch Stadium. While the crowd groaned, the wheels had been set in motion to bring up rookie Willie McGee to fill in for the injured Green.

McGee, of course, did much more than “fill in” for the now expendable former “phenom”; by the start of the ’85 season, David Green had been dealt to San Francisco, along with a few other expendable players, for a guy known as “Jack the Ripper”; aka Jack Clark. Clark fit in nicely with his new team, leading the Cards to two World Series appearances in the three seasons he was with the team.

Ironically, it was an ankle injury Clark sustained in September of 1987, that hastened his departure from the team, following a dismal World Series defeat to the Homer Hanky Twins, where Clark was out of action (along with Terry Pendleton), and feared not quite healed for the following season. Exit “Jack the Ripper; enter “Bob the Blob” Horner; a guy way past his prime, and unable to hit with any power whatsoever. The Cardinals would begin a sustained stretch of dismal performance that would not end until 1996.

Backing up to 1985, the Cards began the season poorly, losing their first four games, and looking like a team heading nowhere; especially since their star centerfielder, Mr McGee, was himself banged up and forced to go on the disabled list for a while. That prompted the front office to bring up a young speedster named Vince Coleman, to “temporarily” fill the void created by the loss of McGee.

Vincent “Van Go” quickly became the catalyst to an offense geared towards scratching out runs; his 110 stolen bases paced the Redbirds’ offensive attack through the regular season, as the Cards finally slipped past the New York Mets to claim the division title.

The Cardinals’ postseason prospects suddenly seemed in jeopardy, however, as Coleman was somehow run over by a speeding tarp, clocked at one mile per hour; sending the game’s fastest player out of commission after three games of the NLDS against the Dodgers. The Cards survived Coleman’s loss in that series, but it may have spelled the difference as St Louis fell to Kansas City in heartbreaking fashion, in the World Series; in seven gut wrenching games.

During the Cardinals’ improbable championship season of 2006, the team was able to piece things together while injuries sidelined key players; most notably, Scott Rolen; which in turn, allowed Scott Speizio to heroically fill in at third base, and become a folk-hero in the process. As the oft-injured Rolen sulked, the team thrived without him, while manager Tony LaRussa decided Rolen was himself quite expendable, and sent him packing for Toronto – the equivalent of baseball “solitary confinement”; few expected Rolen to be the type of dominant player he was in his heyday with the Redbirds, and for a few seasons, he remained in oblivion; until this year.

Now, Scott Rolen is patrolling third base for the dreaded Cincinnati Reds, and has had a rare injury-free season; his offensive production has been stellar, to go along with his gold-glove type defensive play at third base. Clearly, when Scott Rolen is healthy, he is still a very fine ballplayer, and has found a “home” with the revitalized Reds; much to the dismay of TLR.

By contrast, the Cardinals’ third baseman, David Freese, who was a productive .296 hitter for the team through the end of June, has been lost for the season with a leg injury. Unlike other years, when the Cards were able to find replacements for fallen stars, this season has been a frustrating “merry go round” of largely unproductive third sackers; while the team consistently struggles to manufacture any sort of offensive threat beyond Pujols and Holliday. Losing Freese may have been downplayed at the time, but the team’s steady decline into a distant second place position can at least partly be attributed to losing Freese’s bat in the lineup.

The second part of the recipe for disaster has been the loss of Brad Penny; a solid starting pitcher who could even hit a bit. All those innings Penny was counted on to work for the Cards has been filled by journeymen pitchers who have trouble getting anybody out; especially in the late innings with the game on the line. Unfortunately for the Redbirds, the team had no “Nelson Briles” waiting in the wings to pick up the slack for the rotation; the trickle down effect has created a bullpen that has been a major disappointment since blowing that huge lead (8 runs?) in Colorado, in early July. To prove that was no fluke, they’ve accomplished similar results over this lackluster second half of play; allowing the Reds to take command of the race, while the Cards eat their dust. It’s a revolting development, to say the least.

Barring a total miracle finish, the Cardinals will face a bitterly disappointing off-season, while they try to regroup for next season. In the meatime, the front office must put together a multi-multi-million dollar contract to placate their greatest player since Stan Musial; Albert “Winnie the” Pujols. If they fail to placate Albert the Great, and he moves on to another team, this franchise will be in a total shambles. Imagine where the team would be this year without him; imagine that same scenario for the next decade or so.

Assuming Pujols stays right where he belongs, the task of rebuilding the team to its position among the National League’s elite, will be less daunting; assuming they can just stay healthy.

That is of course, a very big assumption; being “lucky” in any given year is a major requirement, even for teams that seem to have the clear advantage “on paper”; sound familiar?