ST. LOUIS, Mo. (January 8, 2013) – The St. Louis Cardinals have released their much anticipated 2013 promotional schedule, consisting of at least 34 giveaways and highlighted by a series of bobbleheads and jerseys, including a replica of the brand new 2013 “St. Louis” home alternate jersey.

From Stan Musial to Allen Craig, the 2013 promotional schedule celebrates Cardinal greats of the past and present. Highlights include the Stan Musial harmonica (April 12^th), a 28”Allen Craig bat presented by Rawlings (April 27^th) and a pair of Cardinals High Sports Socks (May 19^th) – a uniform classic re-popularized last season during “High Socks Sundays” by players like Jon Jay, Daniel Descalso and Jason Motte. The Edward Jones Hall of Fame Weekend features commemorative items highlighting St. Louis’s most popular hall of famers including the Ozzie Smith Gold Glove Bobblehead presented by Ameren Missouri (July 19^th), a wearable adult replica 1940’s Red Schoendienst Jersey sponsored by Delta Air Lines (July 20^th), as well as a one-of-a-kind Replica Musial Bronze Statue – just like the one displayed outside of the Busch Stadium Team Store – courtesy of Edward Jones (July 21^st). Fans will even receive Fredbird-themed giveaway items at his first-ever Birthday Bash Weekend in August, including a Team Canvas Print presented by Coke Zero (August 23^rd), Fredbird Kids Cap sponsored by Ice Mountain (August 24^th) and Build-A-Bear Workshop Fredbird stuffed bear (August 25^th).

Tickets for many of the 2013 promotional item game dates are already available by purchasing one of several specially tailored ticket packs themed around the promotional items. Highlighted ticket packs include the Bobblehead Pack, featuring all four of the 2013 bobblehead collection and the Jersey Pack containing all six of the replica jersey giveaways this season. All Cardinals Ticket Packs are on sale now at the team’s website, cardinals.com/packs.

 

 

 

Again this season, all Friday night home games are Budweiser Bash Fridays (formerly Busch Bash) with past and present Cardinals players, music, games and prizes in the Ford Plaza starting two hours prior to the game. All Sunday games are Prairie Farms Ice Cream Sundays where fans can enjoy fun, games and North Star frozen treats in the Ford Plaza starting two hours prior to the game. Also returning for 2013 is the fan-favorite, Ice Mountain Autograph Night series. On five dates throughout the season, fans, ages 20 and under, can get current player autographs before the game, and all fans can get autographs from former players.

Below is a complete listing of the season’s fun-filled events and promotions, with additional details and photographs being posted at the team’s website, cardinals.com/promotions as they become available.

 

2013 Promotional Schedule

 

MAGNET SCHEDULE (BUSCH BEER)

Monday, April 8 vs. Cincinnati, 3:15
Fans, ages 21 and older
Whether home or on the road, keep track of your Cardinals games with a convenient 2013 schedule magnet, compliments of Busch Beer.

 

STAN MUSIAL HARMONICA

Friday, April 12 vs. Milwaukee, 7:15
Fans, ages 16 and older
Take this one-of-a-kind collectible home and try to master “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” just like Stan the Man.

 

ADULT REPLICA ALTERNATE JERSEY (LUMIERE CASINO)

Saturday, April 13 vs. Milwaukee, 3:15
25,000 Fans, ages 21 and older
The players aren’t the only ones who get to wear the new Cardinals jersey this summer. Thanks to Lumiere Casino, fans at this game can take home a replica alternate jersey.

 

MOLINA REPLICA GOLD AND PLATINUM GLOVE AWARD (RAWLINGS)

Sunday, April 14 vs. Milwaukee, 1:15
25,000 Fans, ages 16 and older
Rawlings is sending fans home with a replica of Yadier Molina’s gold and platinum glove award. This item is sure to stand out in your Cardinals collection!

 

2006 REPLICA WORLD SERIES RING (SCOTTS)

Friday, April 26 vs. Pittsburgh, 7:15
All fans entering with a ticket
Relive the excitement of the 2006 World Series! Fans at this game will collect their very own wearable 2006 World Championship replica ring, courtesy of Scotts.

 

RAWLINGS ALLEN CRAIG BAT (RAWLINGS)

Saturday, April 27 vs. Pittsburgh, 3:15
Kids, ages 15 and younger entering with a ticket
Hit like the pros and Cardinals slugger, Allen Craig, with a 28” Rawlings bat.

 

CARLOS BELTRAN BOBBLEHEAD (FIRST NATIONAL BANK)

Sunday, April 28 vs. Pittsburgh, 1:15
25,000 Fans entering with a ticket
Calling all bobblehead collectors! Carlos Beltran is ready to join your collection. Thanks to First National Bank, fans of all ages can take this right fielder’s bobblehead home.

 

“LADIES WEEKEND”

Friday, May 10, Saturday, May 11 and Sunday, May 12 (Mother’s Day)
The first homestand in May is a weekend fit for the female fans. Pre-game entertainment, activities and giveaway items are sure to please the ladies of Cardinal Nation.

 

REPLICA WOMENS MIKE MATHENY JERSEY (AT&T)

Saturday, May 11 vs. Colorado, 1:15
25,000 Fans, ages 16 and older
AT&T will provide 25,000 fans, ages 16 and older, with a women’s Mike Matheny jersey at this Saturday game of Ladies’ Weekend.

 

LADIES FLOPPY SUN HAT (DIET COKE AND SCHNUCKS)

Sunday, May 12 vs. Colorado, 1:15
25,000 Fans, ages 16 and older
Diet Coke and Schnucks are excited to give fans this one-of-a kind Cardinals sun hat. It’s a sure fire way to stay shaded when you’re enjoying a game at Busch Stadium.

 

ADULT CAP (U.S. CELLULAR)

Friday, May 17th vs. Milwaukee, 7:15
25,000 Fans, ages 16 and older
Show off your Cardinals spirit in style with this trendy baseball cap, courtesy of U.S. Cellular, the Official Wireless Provider of the Cardinals.

 

PENNANT (COCA COLA/PASTA HOUSE)

Saturday, May 18 vs. Milwaukee, 6:15
Kids, ages 15 and younger entering with a ticket
Coca Cola and Pasta House are proud to provide kids, ages 15 and younger, with a Cardinals pennant and coupon, valid at The Pasta House.

 

HIGH SPORTS SOCKS

Sunday, May 19 vs. Milwaukee, 1:15
Kids, ages 15 and younger entering with a ticket
“High Socks Sunday” is popular with Cardinals players and has become a fan favorite over the past seasons. Kids, ages 15 and younger, will receive their very own pair of high sports socks at this Sunday game.

 

DRAWSTRING BAG (MLB NETWORK)

Thursday, May 30 vs. Kansas City, 7:15
25,000 Fans, ages 16 and older
MLB Network wants you to gear up for the season with a drawstring bag to bring to and from each Cardinals game while always keeping up with your baseball news on MLB Network.

 

“RITZ KICKOFF TO SUMMER WEEKEND”

Friday, May 31, Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2 vs. San Francisco
Kids, ages 15 and younger entering with a ticket
A weekend full of fun for kids and families, presented by Ritz! Friday, Saturday and Sunday, all kids will receive a free ticket to a future home game.

 

FIREWORKS NIGHT

Friday, May 31 vs. San Francisco, 7:15
The Cardinals are proud to present Fireworks Night at Busch Stadium. Bring the entire family to watch the Cards take on the reigning World Champion San Francisco Giants in an NLCS rematch. Stay in your seat after the game to watch a dazzling fireworks display with the St. Louis Arch as the backdrop.

 

KIDS REPLICA MOLINA BATTING PRACTICE JERSEY (POWERADE/SHOP ‘N SAVE)

Saturday, June 1 vs. San Francisco, 6:15
Kids, ages 15 and younger entering with a ticket
Gear up for Cardinals games and support Cardinals catcher, Yadier Molina with a replica batting practice jersey, just like the one he wears, courtesy of Powerade and Shop ‘n Save.

 

SIX FLAGS DAY

Sunday, June 2 vs. San Francisco, 1:15
Kids, 48” and under
What a great way to start summer! Kids, 48” inches and under, receive a free ticket to Six Flags valid Monday – Friday through Sunday July 5^th.

 

FAMILY ATTRACTIONS CARD DAY

Sunday, June 2 vs. San Francisco, 1:15
Kids, 48” and under
The Family Attractions card offers thousands in savings at local area attractions, restaurants and lodging – perfect for families looking for lots of summer fun and activities.

 

1926 CHAMPIONSHIP BEER STEIN (BUDWEISER)

Friday June 21 vs. Texas, 7:15
25,000 Fans, ages 21 and older
Budweiser is bringing fans, ages 21 and older, the third stein in the Championship series, highlighting the Cardinals very first World Series win in 1926.

 

PURINA POOCHES IN THE BALLPARK

Saturday, June 22 vs. Texas, 6:15
Fans, only with a special ticket, will be allowed to bring their dog to a designated section of the ballpark. Stay tuned for information regarding a pre-game full of activities to get your tail wagging.

 

PET FOOD BOWL MAT (PURINA)

Saturday, June 22 vs. Texas, 6:15
25,000 Fans, ages 16 and older
Don’t forget your furry friends! 25,000 fans, ages 16 and older, will receive a Cardinals food bowl mat to keep your pet’s feeding area nice and tidy.

 

REPLICA 2011 WORLD SERIES GAME 7 TICKET

Sunday June 23 vs. Texas, 1:15
25,000 Fans entering with a ticket
25,000 fans will receive this one-of-a-kind replica ticket from Game 7 of the 2011 World Series.

 

MIKE SHANNON BOBBLEHEAD with VOICE CHIP

Friday, July 5 vs. Miami, 7:15
25,000 Fans, ages 16 and older
“Get Up Baby!” It’s time to add Mike Shannon to your bobblehead collection. Take home the voice of Cardinals baseball with this unique voice-chipped bobblehead.

 

ADULT HOLLIDAY REPLICA JERSEY (TICKETS.COM)

Saturday, July 6 vs. Miami, 1:15
25,000 Fans, ages 16 and older
Make sure you get your ticket for this game against Miami. Tickets.com and the St. Louis Cardinals are giving fans, 16 and older, a Matt Holliday replica jersey.

 

PORCH FLAG (AT&T)

Sunday, July 7 vs. Miami, 1:15
25,000 Fans, ages 16 and older and Rawlings
Show off your Cardinals spirit from the comfort of your own home. Sponsored by AT&T, this Cardinals flag is the perfect addition to any fan’s front porch.

 

“HALL OF FAME WEEKEND” presented by EDWARD JONES

Friday, July 19, Saturday, July 20 and Sunday July 21 vs. San Diego
Commemorative items all weekend long, highlighting some of St. Louis’ most popular Hall of Famers.

OZZIE SMITH GOLD GLOVE BOBBLEHEAD (AMEREN MISSOURI)

Friday, July 19 vs. San Diego, 7:15
25,000 Fans, ages 16 and older
Pick up a ticket to this game to receive a bobblehead honoring Hall of Famer, Ozzie Smith, and his 13 Gold Glove awards. This bobblehead, presented by Ameren Missouri, is one you don’t want to miss!

 

ADULT REPLICA 1940’S RED SCHOENDIENST JERSEY (DELTA AIR LINES)

Saturday, July 20 vs. San Diego, 6:15
25,000 Fans, ages 16 and older
A replica 1940’s Red Schoendienst jersey is just what any longtime Cardinals fan needs in their jersey collection. Thanks to Delta Air Lines, it’s just what they’ll get at this game against the Padres.

 

MUSIAL REPLICA BRONZE STATUE (EDWARD JONES)

Sunday, July 21 vs. San Diego, 1:15
25,000 Fans, ages 16 and older
Continue your collection of the Cardinals bronze statue series with this one-of-a-kind replica of Hall of Famer Stan Musial, just like the one displayed on the corner of 8th and Clark.

 

“FREDBIRD’S BIRTHDAY BASH WEEKEND”

Friday, August 23, Saturday, August 24 and Sunday, August 25 vs. Atlanta
Come celebrate Fredbird’s Birthday all weekend long with activities for the kids and special promotional items featuring Fredbird.

 

TEAM CANVAS PRINT (COKE ZERO)

Friday, August 23 vs. Atlanta, 7:15
25,000 Fans entering with a ticket
Add this canvas print of the team photo to your Cardinals cave! 25,000 fans will receive this item, courtesy of Coke Zero.

 

FREDBIRD KIDS CAP (ICE MOUNTAIN)

Saturday, August 24 vs. Atlanta, 6:15
Kids, ages 15 and younger entering with a ticket
The kids of Cardinal Nation will love sporting their beloved mascot right on their head. Ice Mountain and the St. Louis Cardinals will give 12,000 kids, ages 15 and younger, the unique cap at this Saturday game.

 

BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP FREDBIRD

Sunday, August 25 vs. Atlanta, 1:15
12,000 kids, ages 15 and younger entering with a ticket
The Build-A-Bear Workshop works overtime to make sure that 12,000 of our young Cardinals fans take home their very own stuffed Fredbird bear.

 

ADULT REPLICA 1980’S WILLIE McGEE JERSEY

Saturday, September 7 vs. Pittsburgh, 6:15
25,000 Fans, ages 16 and older
This 1980’s Willie McGee replica jersey is sure to spice up your Cardinals closet. The throwback look never goes out of style at Busch Stadium.

 

CARDINALS PENNANT (COCA COLA /PASTA HOUSE)

Sunday, September 8 vs. Pittsburgh, 1:15
Kids, ages 15 and younger entering with a ticket
Kids, ages 15 and younger, will receive a collectible Cardinals pennant, compliments of Coca Cola and Pasta House.

 

MIKE MATHENY BOBBLEHEAD (COCA COLA/DIERBERGS)

Friday, September 13 vs. Seattle, 7:15
25,000 Fans entering with a ticket
Coca Cola and Dierbergs proudly present the Mike Matheny catcher bobblehead. 25,000 fans will receive this collectible honoring Matheny’s playing days from behind the plate for the St. Louis Cardinals.

 

PHOTO DAY (CREVE COEUR CAMERA)

Saturday, September 14 vs. Seattle, 6:15
Prior to the game, fans will be allowed on the field to get up-close and personal photos of their favorite players, coaches and Fredbird. Field access is on a first-come, first-served basis. Weather permitting.

 

SIX FLAGS DAY

Sunday, September 15 vs. Seattle, 1:15
Kids, ages 15 and younger entering with a ticket
As summer is winding down, kids, 48” inches and under, have one last chance to receive a free ticket to Six Flags valid any Sunday through October 27^th.

 

FAN APPRECIATION WEEKEND

Friday, September 27^th, Saturday, September 28^th and Sunday, September 29 vs. Chicago

 

2014 SCHEDULE (SHELTER INSURANCE)

Sunday, September 29 vs. Chicago, 1:15
All Fans
Cardinals fans can start planning ahead to the summer of 2014. During the last regular season game of 2013, Shelter Insurance will give every fan a schedule for the Cardinals 2014 season.

 

COMPLIMENTARY 2014 TICKET VOUCHER

Sunday, September 29 vs. Chicago, 1:15
All Fans
All fans will receive a free ticket to a 2014 Cardinals regular season game.

 

BUDWEISER BASH FRIDAYS

All Fridays, starting two hours prior to every home game, enjoy music, fun, prizes and past and present Cardinals players in the Ford Plaza, sponsored by Budweiser.

 

Prairie Farms ICE CREAM SUNDAYS

All Sundays, starting two hours prior to every home game, enjoy free North Star ice cream (while supplies last) in the Ford Plaza.

 

Prairie Farms RUN THE BASES

On the following days, kids 15 and under will be allowed to run the bases after the Cardinals game (weather permitting):

Saturday, April 27 vs. Pittsburgh, 3:15

Sunday, May 19 vs. Milwaukee, 1:15

Sunday, June 2 vs. San Francisco, 1:15

Sunday, July 7 vs. Miami, 1:15

Sunday, August 25 vs. Atlanta, 1:15

Sunday, September 15 vs. Seattle, 1:15

 

Ice Mountain AUTOGRAPH NIGHTS

Fans, ages 20 and under, can get current player autographs before the game from 6 to 6:30 p.m. Then from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. all fans can get autographs from former players, on the following dates:

Wednesday, May 15 vs. New York, 7:15

Wednesday, June 5 vs. Arizona, 7:15

Wednesday, July 10 vs. Houston, 7:15

Wednesday, August 7 vs. LA Dodgers, 7:15

Wednesday, August 28 vs. Cincinnati, 7:15

Great Clips CHARITY HAIRCUTS

All fans will be able to get a haircut, with all proceeds going to Cardinals Care, on the following dates:

Thursday, April 10 vs. Cincinnati, 12:45

Thursday, May 1 vs. Cincinnati, 12:45

Tuesday, May 16 vs. New York, 12:45

Thursday, August 15 vs. Pittsburgh, 12:45

Thursday, September 25 vs. Washington, 12:45

You may have seen Sunday’s St Louis Cardinals victory over the Houston Astros, and Tyler Greene’s 2-HR day.  Was it historic?  You betcha.

Greene became the first Cardinal second baseman since 1918* to start a game and hit 2 home runs, drive in 4, score 3 times, and steal a base.  Considering the great players who have manned second base throughout the years – Rogers Hornsby, Red Schoendienst, Ted Sizemore – that is amazing.

It gets better.  Only three other Cardinals have ever had a final box score line like that.

1. Jim Edmonds pulled it off during a Fourth of July destruction of the Cincinnati Reds.  Fireworks during and after the game that day.  I think the fans went home happy.
2. Stan Musial watched Wally Moon turn the trick in a June 1956 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Moon’s line that day was virtually identical to Greene’s, except Moon had one more PA (he walked).  Musial also homered.  Personally I like it when I can connect Musial to anything going on with the team today.
3. Twenty years before that, Don Gutteridge was the first Cardinal with the line.  Gutteridge actually scored 4 runs and knocked in 5 during the first game of a double header that day.  For what it’s worth, he doubled and struck out 3 times in the nightcap.

I half expected all three men would hit high in the order, and indeed Edmonds hit third and Moon fifth.  But Gutteridge hit seventh during his game, and Greene eighth Sunday; more proof that on any given day you can see anything at a baseball game from any given spot in the order.

One more factoid of interest.  There have only been four other second baseman with a day like Tyler Greene’s:  Joe Morgan, Ryne Sandberg, Juan Samuel, and Orlando Hudson.  That’s not bad company, is it?

*Baseball Reference’s play index only goes back to 1918, so although we could argue ‘first ever’ it is prudent to put the date, just in case. Search was done for games where the starting second basemen had two or more HR, 4 or more RBI, scored 3 or more runs, and stole 1 or more bases.

Mike Metzger is a freelance writer based in San Diego.  He blogs about the Padres.  You can follow him on Twitter @metzgermg.

The St. Louis Cardinals opened Spring Training camp Saturday with a markedly different cast compared to the past 16 seasons.

Former manager Tony La Russa wasn’t in Jupiter, Fla., this weekend to lead a new group of Cardinals through their calisthenics and everything that comes with the first few weeks of Spring Training. Instead, La Russa retired days after winning the World Series, and he will now help out his buddy Jim Leyland and the Detroit Tigers.

As La Russa moves on to do whatever he wants during his retirement, Cardinals camp will start to look a lot more like it did in the decades before La Russa showed up in 1996.

Most notably, Whitey Herzog and Ozzie Smith will be at camp to help out the current group of Cardinals. That should be a welcome sight to Cardinals fans.

Even though La Russa won baseball games for the Cardinals (1,408 to be exact), he didn’t always have a good relationship with important members of Cardinals history. Smith played his final season in 1996 for La Russa, but the two developed a frosty relationship as La Russa tried to install Royce Clayton as the new shortstop to replace Smith.

Smith hasn’t been at a Cardinals Spring Training camp since.

This isn’t to say La Russa discarded the history and tradition of the St. Louis Cardinals. He was well aware of how important the history of the franchise is to the community and even pushed to bring the Budweiser Clydesdales back to Busch Stadium to circle the field as they did back when Gussie Busch owned the team.

La Russa also kept former second baseman and manager Red Schoendienst on staff as an assistant both in Spring Training and during the season. And, La Russa chafed at the idea of passing Schoendienst on the all-time win list for Cardinals managers, even though he eventually surpassed Schoendienst’s mark by nearly 400 wins.

Still, La Russa always had his own way of doing things, and his methods often did not include advice from other Cardinals heroes. But, this year Herzog, Smith, Schoendienst, Lou Brock and Bob Gibson are all expected to be central figures in Cardinals Spring Training camp under new manager Mike Matheny.

In addition, former centerfielder Jim Edmonds will return to the team as an instructor for Spring Training and former closer Ryan Franklin will be an assistant to general manger John Mozeliak.

Edmonds’ return to the team as an instructor surely wouldn’t have happened if La Russa was still the manager. Although Edmonds and La Russa had a great run together during the 2000s, their relationship soured once the Cardinals traded Edmonds to the San Diego Padres following the 2007 season and he eventually ended up with the hated Chicago Cubs.

This season was going to be the beginning of a new era in Cardinals history regardless of how Matheny set up camp, but it is nice to see some of the Cardinals legends wear the red jersey with the birds on the bat logo across their chest.

So as the doors to 2012 Spring Training open, hopefully this year’s team adds to the impressive history set forth by many of the people who will lend a helping hand for the next six weeks.

ST. LOUIS (December 19, 2011)– Cardinals Care, the charitable foundation of the reigning World Champion St. Louis Cardinals, today announced the start of the online process for fans to purchase autograph tickets for the 16^th Annual Winter Warm-Up.

Starting at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 21^st, fans can purchase autograph tickets at the team’s website (cardinals.com/winterwarmup). Fans may also purchase admission passes for the three-day Winter Warm-Up at the team’s website, in the official Cardinals Team Store at Busch Stadium, by phone at 314-345-9000 and at Cardinals Clubhouse stores around St. Louis.

Player autograph sessions are one of the most popular attractions of the Warm-Up. While some players’ autographs are free with the admission pass, others require an autograph ticket available through a specific additional donation. Every dollar donated for autograph tickets and all proceeds from the Winter Warm-Up benefit Cardinals Care, the team’s community foundation that cares for kids.

This highly anticipated annual event will take place Saturday, January 14^th through Monday, January 16^th (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day) at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch. The event hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday.

This year fans will get the chance to meet members of the 2011 World Series Championship team, starting with pitcher Chris Carpenter on January 14^th from 9 to 11 a.m., slugger Lance Berkman on January 15^th from 3 to 5 p.m., and World Series MVP David Freese on January 16^th from 12 to 2 p.m.

Fans can also greet the newest addition to the Cardinals coaching staff, manager Mike Matheny, as well as other former Cardinals greats and National Baseball Hall of Famers Lou Brock, Red Schoendienst, and Whitey Herzog.

“The Warm-Up is the perfect opportunity for fans to meet their favorite players and help kids in the St. Louis community,” said Michael Hall, Executive Director of Cardinals Care and Vice President of Community Relations. “We hope fans will join us in welcoming our new manager and celebrating our recent World Championship.” Hall urges fans to check the Cardinals website (cardinals.com/winterwarmup) frequently for details, including player autograph dates, times and, if required, additional donation amounts.

Since its inception in 1997, Cardinals Care has maintained a direct focus on “Caring for Kids” by distributing funds to area non-profit youth organizations and establishing Redbird Rookies, their flagship program that supports youth on and off the baseball field. Most of the organizations who are recipients of Cardinals Care charitable grants are based in Missouri, Illinois and Iowa. Grant funds are intended to support purchases such as school supplies and uniforms, computers, software, instruments, books and games for educational programs, as well as basic needs such as winter clothing for needy children.

The Winter Warm-Up and annual 6K Run are Cardinals Care’s two largest fundraising events each year. In 2011 Cardinals Care raised over $700,000 at the Warm-Up and nearly $160,000 at the second annual 6K Run for Kids. Cardinals Care also raises funds through memorabilia auctions online and throughout Busch Stadium during the season. Cardinals Care has now partnered with Papa John’s Pizza for a special promotion where proceeds of pizza purchases in January will be donated to their cause.

You can read all about the Warm-Up and get the full list of players that will be present by downloading this PDF file.

This story begins on May 1, 1954. A little over two weeks into the season, the National League was bunched up, with nobody making a strong early run. The New York Giants were in St. Louis for an early season double header. They were not prepared for what the Cardinals would unleash on them. Or, more specifically, a Cardinal.

May 1, 1954

The Cardinals would get out to a quick lead in the first game, helped by a Stan Musial solo home run in the third inning. The Giants would roar back, taking a 5-4 lead of their own on back to back home runs to start the fifth inning. The lead would not last long when Stan Musial answered with his second home run of the game – this time a 2 run shot. Later that inning, one of the best nicknames in baseball, Peanuts Lowrey, would pinch hit for Cardinals starter, Gerry Staley.

Al Brazle would take over for Staley, but would also be unable to hold the lead. With the game tied at six, the outcome of the first game would be determined when Stan Musial steps up to the plate in the 8th inning with 2 on and nobody out. Musial hits a three run homer, to give the Cardinals a 9-6 lead. The Cardinals would tack on another run, but it was Musial’s blasts that made this game so special.

Stan would go a perfect 4-4 with a walk, three home runs and 6 RBIs.

Oh wait, there is still another game to be played.

That one would not be so kind to the Cardinals. Joe Presko and two relievers gave up 8 runs in the top of the 4th inning, and the Giants would win the game easily. The 9 Giants runs are not the story here, it is the 7 runs the Cardinals would put up.

Trailing 8-3 in the fifth inning, Red Schoendienst would lead off the inning with a triple. Stan Musial would follow that with a 2 run homer, his fourth on the day. His RBI total is now 8. He is not done. Leading off the seventh inning, Musial would hit his second home run of the day off Hoyt Wilhelm, establishing a new major league record of five home runs on the day.

Sitting somewhere in Sportsman’s Park that day was an 8 year old with a dream to play in the major leagues. That little slugger was Nate Colbert. Little did he, or anybody else in attendance know, 18 years later, Colbert would match one of those records and shatter the other.

Off to Houston via Rule 5

That youngster watching Stan Musial put his name in the record book grew up to be a big strong first baseman/outfielder. He would be drafted by his hometown team, the Cardinals, in 1964 where he would start his professional career playing in the Rookie League in Sarasota, alongside future MLBers Gaylen Pitts and Sal Campisi. Colbert would spend 1965 in Cedar Rapids where he would hit a respectable .274 with 7 doubles, 2 triples and 9 home runs.

Following Colbert’s solid season in A-ball, his career would take an unexpected turn when he was selected by the Houston Astros in the Rule 5 draft. The Rule 5 draft was first introduced in 1959 and was intended to replace parts of the “bonus baby” rules that came into play when a team signed a prospect to a large initial contract.

The Rule 5 draft takes place in December, and it allows teams to select a player from another team’s farm system that is not protected by being on the 40 man roster. The drafting team must pay the original team a fee, now at $50,000. There is a catch, and it comes from the “bonus baby” legacy: the drafting team must keep the player on the major league active roster for the entire following season. After that, the new team controls the player’s contract and can option them back to the minors. If the drafting team does not keep the player on the active 25 man roster, the player must be offered back to the original team for half of the Rule 5 fee.

As it so often happens, that just took place in St. Louis.

Last December, the Washington Nationals drafted right handed pitcher, Brian Broderick (11-2, 2.77 ERA, 2 complete games, 1 shutout) from Springfield(AA). After a few appearances out of their bullpen in 2011, the Nationals decided not to keep Broderick on their active roster. Since they could not option him to AAA, they had to offer him back to the Cardinals, and the team gladly paid the $25,000 to get him back.

The situation was much different in 1965 when Houston drafted Nate Colbert. Teams carried fewer pitchers, and as a result, they could hold on to an infrequently used bench player longer than teams do today. Add in that Houston was still in building mode after entering the National League in 1962 as an expansion team and you have all of the ingredients to a successful Rule 5 pickup.

The 20 year old Nate Colbert would join the Houston Astros for the 1966 season. As expected, he was used infrequently – mostly as a pinch runner. Following the 1966 season, he would be optioned to AA to play with the Amarillo Sonics, where he would light up the Texas League with a .289 batting average, 28 home runs, 67 RBIs and 26 stolen bases. That prompted a late season promotion to Oklahoma City (AAA) where he would spend most of 1968.

Drafted Again ?

After a short injury call-up in July 1968, and a longer look in September, the Houston Astros lost their Rule 5 draftee when the San Diego Padres selected Colbert in the 1969 Expansion Draft.

It was in San Diego that Colbert would experience his best years in major leagues. In those 6 years, he would hit .253 with 163 home runs and 481 RBIs. A bunch of those would come on August 1, 1972.

August 1, 1972

The 6th place Padres would face the 4th place Atlanta Braves for a double header to start the month of August. Although the Braves had managed to stay close to .500, neither team had any hopes of catching the Cincinnati Reds on their first of five NL West titles over the next 8 seasons. That didn’t mean that they couldn’t still play some meaningful baseball.

The first game of this doubleheader was a curious one. Clay Kirby of the Padres would pitch a gem, where Ron Schueler of the Braves didn’t even make it out of the third inning. The scoring would be one sided, and the runs would come in bunches. And always when Nate Colbert came up to bat.

With one out in the top of the first, back to back walks to Dave Roberts and Larry Stahl led to the first of Colbert’s blasts. This one was a three run homer, and it gave the Padres all the runs they would need to win this game. But Colbert was far from done.

Roberts and Stahl would get on base again to start the third inning. This time it was some small ball from the bat of Nate Colbert, as the slugging first baseman hits a single, scoring Roberts. That’s four RBIs.

Colbert would hit a solo home run off Mike McQueen in the seventh inning, giving him 2 on the day to go along with five RBIs.

All in all, a good day for Colbert. Then came Game Two.

Like the first one, game two was a total slugfest, and also pretty one-sided. A late inning rally by the Braves makes this game look a lot closer than it was. It was all Padres, and pretty much all Nate Colbert.

With the Padres leading 2-0, Colbert would come up to bat in the second inning with the bases loaded. Pat Jarvis, from Carlyle Illinois, would make a mistake to the the Padres cleanup hitter, and cleanup is exactly what Colbert did. A grand slam homer, his third on the day, and RBIs six, seven, eight and nine. That blast broke the game open for San Diego, but more importantly, those RBIs tied Stan Musial from 18 years ago.

After a ground out in the fifth inning, Colbert came up to bat with one man on in the seventh. He would hit his fourth home run on the day, extending his single day RBI total to 11.

With two men out in the ninth inning, Nate Colbert comes up to the plate with Larry Stahl on first base again. He takes Cecil Upshaw for another 2 run homer, his fifth on the day. That would tie Stan Musial’s record from 1954. It would also give him 13 RBIs in the doubleheader, establishing a major league record that still stands today.

There are still two more St. Louis tie-ins to this Nate Colbert story, but it will require looking ahead 21 years, to September 7, 1993.

September 7, 1993

The Cardinals would visit Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati for a late season showdown between two teams that were well out of contention. The small crowd that witnessed this Tuesday night doubleheader saw one of the most entertaining games of the season, if not the decade.

The first game was a wild one, with a capital W. The Cardinals would use 21 players and the Reds would counter with 20 of their own. 41 of the 50 eligible players would see action in this game, and surprisingly, it would finish in regulation. The Reds would win the game, 14-13, thanks to a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth on a Reggie Sanders triple that center fielder Mark Whitten misplayed. Perhaps driven by that poor defensive play, Mark Whitten would go on to have a legendary second game, but before we look at that one, there is one plate appearance in game one that needs some attention.

That at-bat would take place in the top of the 8th inning. Trailing 9-6, the Cardinals had roared back against Reds reliever, Scott Service. Rob Dibble had come into the game and gave up the tying run on a single by Gregg Jefferies. He would then walk the bases loaded, before turning the game over to Scott Ruskin. The first batter he would face is Mark Whitten. Ruskin walks Whitten, forcing in the go-ahead run. Even though Whitten would be hit-less in the game, that RBI would soon be very significant. Not to the outcome of the game, but to writer of the major league record books.

While Whitten went 0-4 in the first game, he would demolish the Reds in the second. Cincinnati starter, Larry Luebbers, would be Whitten’s first victim, and it would come in the first inning. With bases loaded and two out, Whitten hits a grand slam to give the Cardinals a 4-0 lead. As with Nate Colbert in 1972, that would be enough runs to win the game, but Whitten was only getting started.

In the third inning, Luebbers would do what no other Reds pitcher could do in game two, retire the Cardinals slugger. He would get Whitten to pop out to third base.

Mark Whitten would face Cincinnati reliever, Mark Anderson in both the sixth and seventh innings. Both times, Todd Zeile and Gerald Perry would be on base. And both times, Whitten would hit a home run. That would give Whitten three homers on the day, and 11 RBIs. With any luck, he would have one more chance to tie, or perhaps even break the single day record for RBIs.

That chance came in the ninth inning. With Gerald Perry on base, Whitten hit a Rob Dibble pitch deep into the dark Cincinnati sky. It cleared the outfield wall by inches, but by doing so, it game Whitten 13 RBIs on the day, tying the major league record, set by St. Louisan, Nate Colbert, back in 1972. The four home runs in a single game also tied a major league record, held by many players.

No Thanks to Gilkey

There is one more St. Louis aspect to this game, and it requires a second look at the seventh inning of Game Two to find it. It turns out that some exceptional hustle on the part of Bernard Gilkey, also a native of St. Louis, cost Mark Whitten the single day RBI record.

With two outs in the seventh, Bernard Gilkey starts the Cardinals rally with a single. Todd Zeile follows that with a single, but Zeile pulls the ball into left field so Gilkey could not advance to third base. It is the Gerald Perry infield single that alters baseball history. The play was very close at first base, and the Reds were not paying attention to Gilkey who they thought had only advanced to third on the play. When he rounded third base, he never stopped running, and scored when the Reds hesitated. Gilkey’s hustle was the right play, but it also cost Whitten a 14th RBI when moments later, he hit a second home run of Mark Anderson.

Nate Colbert and Stan Musial’s record of five home runs in a double header still stand today. Colbert and Mark Whitten’s 13 runs batted in for a double header also stands as a major league record. Whitten’s 12 RBIs in a single game also ties him for the major league record, shared with yet another Cardinal: Jim Bottomley on September 16, 1924.

The San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates were supposed to battle for the National League Pennant in 1967. At least that was the plan before the season began.

The Cincinnati Reds had a lot to say about that early in the season. They got off to a quick start, leading by as many as 4 1/2 in early June. Eventually their pitching depth would come into play and they would fade during the dog days of summer. The Reds would end up winning 87 games, but would finish 19 behind the Cardinals when all was said and done.

The first meeting between the Reds and Cardinals would be a short two game series in early May. The Reds would come into St. Louis, hoping to make a statement, as well as increasing their lead in the National League standings. The scheduling would be fortunate for the Reds as manager, Dave Bristol, would be able to use his two best pitchers: Jim Maloney (1-0) and Milt Pappas (2-1). Red Schoendienst and the Cardinals would counter with their top two starters: Bob Gibson (3-1) and Ray Washburn (0-2). You could always count on Bob Gibson to give you a good game, but it was a healthy Ray Washburn that gave Cardinals fans the most to cheer about in the early part of 1967.

May 2 – St. Louis 5, Cincinnati 0

In the first game, Bob Gibson was exceptional. The big right hander was never in trouble. Gibson would only give up two hits in this game: a leadoff double to future Cardinal Vada Pinson in the fourth and a single to Leo Cardinas in the fifth. While dismantling the Reds lineup, Gibson would fan 12 and walk 2. From the very first pitch of the game, Gibson overmatched the first place Reds, making a statement of his own.

On the other side of the diamond, the Cardinals would put pressure on Jim Maloney all night long. A single by Tim McCarver in the second inning, advancing on a ground out by Mike Shannon would set up the first Cardinal run. McCarver would steal third base and later score on a Jim Maloney wild pitch.

The Cardinals would add three more runs in the fifth inning when Mike Shannon would hit a bases loaded double, scoring all three baserunners. Roger Maris would single in Bob Gibson for the final Cardinals run in the sixth, giving the home team a 5-0 lead.

All in all, a nifty 2 hit complete game shutout for Gibson’s fourth win of the season.

But that’s not the story. That would come 22 hours later.

May 3 – St. Louis 2, Cincinnati 0

When the Cardinals took the field the next night, we expected a rejuvenated Reds lineup to try to earn a split in the short series. What we got was one of the best pitched games of the year by Ray Washburn. Finally healthy after dealing with arm troubles, the newly retooled Washburn kept the Reds off balance all night long. Where Gibson was striking out Reds hitters, Washburn was getting weak ground balls to the infield. When your infield consists of Mike Shannon, Dal Maxvill, Julian Javier and Orlando Cepeda, that is a recipe for success. Like Gibson in the previous game, Washburn would surrender only two hits: a two out single by Pete Rose in the fourth and a two out single by Chico Ruiz in the fifth.

Other than a shaky first inning, Milt Pappas was nearly as good as Washburn. The top of the Cards order would manage a small rally in the fourth inning. Just as he had done in the previous game, Mike Shannon would deliver the big blow, a bases loaded single to drive in two runs – the only runs that would be scored in the game.

As the game wore on, Washburn seemed to get stronger and stronger. Forget any hits; in the the last three innings, the Reds would get only a single base runner (on a walk). When they did hit the ball, only two made it out of the infield, both harmless fly outs to Curt Flood. It was also one of the quickest games I’ve ever heard, lasting only an hour and forty minutes.

More important, this game was something Cardinals fans had been waiting to see since 1962, a healthy and dominating Ray Washburn. We would see a lot of this over the next two seasons.

Message delivered

The high flying Reds game into Busch Stadium, hoping to extend their lead. Over two games and just under four hours of baseball, all they managed were four hits. They left St. Louis with their tails tucked between their legs, as they would several more times that unforgettable summer.

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 the “Runnin’ Redbirds” and how Whitey was leading the boys to the top. Things were changing though, starting with the last days of Gussie Busch.

Whitey Herzog had lost his edge in the Cardinals’ clubhouse. 1990 was a mess for the team, and Herzog wanted none of it. There were ten players entering their final years of their contract, and Whitey wanted to lock them up or trade them and get some value back. However, the roundtable of brewery people that he had to go through were unwilling to help him do the work he needed to put the team on the right path again.

The players were not policing themselves, bringing in entire posses of people and allowing them to go wild in the clubhouse. When Herzog tried to talk to the team and regain control, some players ignored him. The players were playing for themselves, not caring what happened to the team. At 33-47 halfway through the season, the Cards were in San Diego, and Herzog looked up and down the bench, noticing players joking around and laughing, not caring that their season was circling the drain. He quit. No one really understood why, but eventually it became clear that between the drama with the brewery and the players that seemed to be throwing in the towel, this was not the kind of atmosphere Whitey thrived in.

The team was a mess. Pitcher Joe Magrane said that it was to the point where if the team bus had broken down, 25 cabs would have shown up and gone in 25 different directions. Red Schoendienst took over the team for a short period, until general manager Dal Maxvill hired Joe Torre to take over. The former Cards’ third baseman and MVP winner had been managing since he retired, working with the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves before taking the helm for the Cardinals. He spent the rest of the season observing and planning, trying to figure out what to do to pull this team back together. They finished an abysmal 70-92, sixth in the NL East.

Joe Torre picked up the pieces over the offseason, but many of the pieces that made up the runnin’ Redbirds were gone. Willie McGee was traded to the A’s, Vince Coleman, Terry Pendleton, Danny Cox, and John Tudor were all granted free agency. The team was left with perennial All-Star and Gold Glove shortstop Ozzie Smith and the Secret Weapon Jose Oquendo. Closer Lee Smith set a team record by picking up 47 saves, but after that, it was a shell of the team that had looked so proud and mighty in the days of Gussie and Whitey.

Torre did pull out the wins, however, and the team finished second in the NL East at 84-78. Five pitchers finished with ten or more wins – Bryn Smith (12), Bob Tewksbury, Ken Hill, Omar Olivares (11 each), and Cris Carpenter (no typo – 10). Of those five, none of them finished with an ERA under 3.25 and no pitched 200 innings. On paper, this team was unimpressive. In reality, the next few years would be even moreso.

1992 had a familiar vibe to it. The team finished 83-79, a whole one game worse than the year before, and dropped to third in the six team NL East. Donovan Osborne had a solid rookie campaign, finishing at 11-9 with a 3.77 ERA and 179 innings pitched. This earned him fifth place in the Rookie of the Year voting. Fellow starter Tewksbury had a career year, finishing at 16-5 with a 2.16 ERA and 233 innings pitched. This propelled him to finish third in the Cy voting, the only time he landed in the top five in his career.

Over the offseason the Cardinals had traded pitcher Ken Hill for Andres Galarraga, hoping the Big Cat could replace an aging Pedro Guerrero at first. Instead Galarraga had a disappointing year, then moved on to the thin air of Denver, where he had a career resurgence with the Rockies. At least the team was finding a little firepower in the form of centerfielder Ray Lankford, who finished third in the 1991 Rookie of the Year voting and slugged a team high 20 home runs.

1993 was more of the same. The team was doing okay, but nothing was really notable. The team finished 87-75, again in third. Joe Magrane returned to the rotation after Tommy John surgery had wiped out most of the previous two seasons, but he was not the same pitcher who won 18 games at age 24, and found himself released in mid-August. Tewksbury again led the rather unimpressive staff with a 17-10 record, but his 3.83 ERA and 1.301 WHIP (not team bests, but very close) tells the story of why this team did not win more ballgames.

Then again, the lineup was not so helpful either. Despite finishing fourth in the league in batting average and second in on base percentage as a team, the telling marks of finishing dead last in home runs and eighth in slugging shows little to no pop. The one notable game could be found on September 7 in Cincinnati, where outfielder Mark Whiten hit four massive home runs and drove in twelve runs in a single game, tying two Major League records in the process.

The real story in 1994 for the Cardinals was not the season itself, especially since they finished a meager 53-61. The news was in all of baseball, where a players’ strike halted the season on August 12, eventually wiping out the rest of the schedule and the World Series. The owners tried to impose a salary cap to make up for their mistakes over the past few years, but the players were having none of it, feeling they were pushed into striking.

During the strike the team went through changes of their own. Dal Maxvill was out as general manager, and Walt Jocketty was in, after spending many years with Oakland and Colorado as assistant GM. He knew that the team was on a slow boat to China, and knew that changes had to be made. After the strike ended, baseball was in shambles. Fans were slow to return to the ballpark, not trusting either side of the argument in the strike and deciding instead to just wash their hands of the matter. After a 20-27 start to the season, Jocketty helped show Joe Torre the door, replacing him for the rest of the year with farm director Mike Jorgensen.

The team itself was just sad. No starter had more than seven wins. SEVEN. Single digits. Best starter ERA? 3.81. Also quite sad. The offensive side of the ball was actually worse, sitting dead last in batting average, on base, slugging, hits, runs, and total bases. Outfielder Brian Jordan finally got in a full season and turned out a solid performance, turning out a .296/.339/.488 line. Second base was a mess, with four different players getting 30+ starts there. The Cardinals finished an abysmal 62-81, fourth in the five team NL Central.

At the end of the season, the brewery put the team up for sale. The Anheuser-Busch era in St. Louis was coming to an end, and there were more changes to come.

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.

Wayne Granger was a tall skinny hard throwing right hander that the Cardinals found while scouting pitchers in Canada in 1965. When they originally assigned him to Class A Raleigh, the experience he had gained in Canada became apparent and he was promoted to Tulsa (AA) before the season ended.

Granger’s first big career break would happen in 1966, while pitching for the Cardinals new AA affiliate, the Arkansas Travelers. Both Granger and Chuck Taylor were moved from the rotation to the bullpen as a new generation of pitchers being developed strictly as relievers. Both excelled in their new rolls, turning in ERAs well under 2 runs per game. The elder Taylor would be promoted to Tulsa midway though the season. Granger would take his place in 1967, pitching alongside top prospect Mike Torrez, Jim Cosman and veteran Tracy Stallard. Expectations were high entering spring training in 1968.

Pitching was a tale of two cities for the Redbirds during the spring of 1968. Bob Gibson and Larry Jaster were nearly unhittable, while Nelson Briles and Ray Washburn struggled. With injuries to Dick Hughes and Ron Willis, all it would take is an impressive performance for Granger to make the big club. And he did just that, bit apparently it just wasn’t enough. Even though he did not allow a single run in his last 13 innings, Granger would join Jim Cosman as the last two pitchers cut from the roster. Manager Red Schoendienst gambled that all Dick Hughes needed was a bit of rest – a gamble that Red would lose. The tenth pitching spot went to a tall lefty named Hal Gilson, who had been equally as impressive as Granger.

Soon after being told of his assignment back to Tulsa, Bobby Tolan offered the disappointed youngster some advice. He told Granger not to get discouraged because he would be back with the Cardinals soon. It didn’t take very long for Tolan’s prediction to come true.

Major League Debut

As it became apparent that Dick Hughes was not recovering, Granger was recalled and made his major league debut on June 5, 1968 against the Houston Astros. Staked to a precarious 3-1 lead, Granger was brought into the game after starter Larry Jaster walked the leadoff batter in the bottom of the ninth inning. Granger’s fastball and wicked sinker overmatched the Astros hitters. The first man he would face was notorious Cardinals killer Bob Aspromonte. Granger would record his first career strikeout. Pinch hitter Lee Thomas popped out harmlessly to Orlando Cepeda at first base. The final Houston batter, former Cardinal Julio Gotay would strike out. Granger would only face three batters on the way to recording his first career save – the first of many.

He would finish the season with the Cardinals, turning a very respectable rookie campaign. In 34 appearances, the lanky right-hander would compile a 4-2 record with an ERA of 2.25. Granger was about as dependable as anybody in the Cardinals bullpen, only blowing 2 saves in 4 months of relief. When it came time for the World Series, Granger pitched 2 scoreless inning in Game Six.

An impressive debut, to say the least.

The Trade That Killed the Cardinals

Two unrelated events would lead to the loss of Wayne Granger, and with him the hopes of another trip to the World Series.

The first was the retirement of Roger Maris, right after the Cardinals lost the 1968 World Series to the Detroit Tigers. Wear and tear from injuries suffered in New York had finally taken their toll on the veteran outfielder, and Maris did not want to continue playing. That set in motion a hurried search for a replacement outfielder. Rather than hand the job to Bobby Tolan, which in retrospect would have been the smartest thing to do, the Cardinals opted to find a veteran player in the hopes of duplicating the magic Maris had brought in 1967.

Several days later, they found their new right fielder in Vada Pinson from the Cincinnati Reds. Pinson had been a star outfielder, playing largely in the shadow of Hall of Famer, Frank Robinson. Since Robinson’s departure to the American League, National League teams started appreciating Pinson’s talent. A deal was put together where the Cardinals would send Bobby Tolan to the Reds for Pinson. That’s when the second event delivered the death blow to the Cardinals.

In a few days, four expansion teams (San Diego, Montreal, Seattle, Kansas City) would hold a draft of major and minor league players to fill out their rosters. Teams could only protect a limited number of players, and each spot on that list was valuable. Reds General Manager, Bob Howsam, had originally drafted both Tolan and Granger, and wanted both players in the deal. Realizing that the Cardinals were going to lose Granger, or an equivalent pitcher at the AAA level, they made the deal, sending both players to Cincinnati. The extra spot on the protected list allowed the Cardinals to keep both Mike Torrez and Jerry Reuss, but they did lose newly acquired hurler Dave Guisti plus the veteran, Larry Jaster.

In a sense, they also lost Pinson. Although he got off to a great start, a broken leg that he’d been playing on started taking it’s toll, and his production fell off sharply in May. It would result in a trade sending Pinson away after the season was over, starting somewhat of a revolving door in right field as the Cardinals sank into mediocrity throughout the decade of the 1970′s.

Fireman of the Year

To say that Granger had a couple of good years in Cincinnati is a gross understatement. In an era where the role of the closer was still developing, Granger helped define it by appearing in a record 90 appearances, throwing 144 2/3 inning and earning 27 saves to go with a 9-6 record. His ERA over those 144 2/3 inning was a measly 2.80. That would be good enough to earn the tall right-hander the NL Fireman of the Year award for 1969.

September 8, 1969

The best performance of his career, perhaps one of the best ever for a reliever, came on September 8, 1969, at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. The Reds were playing the San Francisco Giants, who they trailed by just 1 1/2 games entering the first game of this double header. We know that the Atlanta Braves went on a tear and outlasted the Reds and Giants, winning the first ever NL West division title. But on this night in September, the race was between the Reds and Giants.

In the first game, veterans Juan Marichal and Jim Maloney battled each other for eight hard innings. With the Reds leading 5-3 in the top of the ninth, Maloney ran into trouble. An error, walk and a single brought the Giants to within a run, and the tying run was in scoring position. In comes Granger, and he makes quick work of the Giants. He got Ken Henderson to hit a harmless fly out and then coaxed a game ending double play off the bat of Ron Hunt. Granger would earn his twentieth save for his efforts.

Now just a 1/2 game out of first place, the Reds jumped out to a 4-1 lead over the Giants in the nightcap. In the seventh inning, Gerry Arrigo, Clay Carroll (who would eventually replace Granger as the Reds closer) and Dennis Ribant failed to hold the lead. Former Cardinal hero, Al Jackson would get the final out in the inning, but not before the Giants had tied the game at 4 runs apiece.

Even though he had pitched in the first game, Reds Manager Dave Bristol would bring Granger in the game to pitch the eighth inning. Granger would keep the Giants scoreless for the next eight innings, allowing just three hits while striking out five in the process. This was the equivalent of pitching a complete game shutout. Perhaps it was fitting that Bobby Tolan would drive in the winning run in the bottom of the 15th inning with a walk-off single, scoring former Cardinal, Ted Savage.

On the day, Granger would earn a win and a save, and the Reds moved into first place by half a game.

Fireman of the Year, again

As impressive as Granger’s 1969 season was, 1970 was even better. In 67 appearances, Granger would lead the National League with a then record 35 saves. He would also post a 6-5 record with an ERA of 2.66 over 84 2/3 innings. For his efforts, he was awarded his second consecutive Fireman of the Year award.

Granger’s 35 saves were a huge part of the Big Red Machine’s plowing their way into the World Series. While he had been dominating with the Cardinals in the 1968 Series, Granger struggled in the 1970 Fall Classic. In Game Three, he would give up a grand slam to the opposing pitcher, Dave McNally. Not only did that break the game open, it was the turning point of the World Series as Baltimore would go on to win in just five games.

For the 1971 season, Granger and Clay Carroll would share closer duties. Granger and his sinker still logged a huge number of innings, 100 in 70 appearances, but his ERA would start inching up, finishing the season at 3.33. He would turn in a similar season with the Minnesota Twins in 1972, before making his second appearance in St. Louis in 1973.

After a short time in St. Louis, Granger would play for the Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees , Houston Astros and finally Montreal Expos before retiring following the 1976 season. For his 9 year career, Granger would end up with a 35-35 record with a very respectable 3.14 ERA. He would also finish his career with a total of 108 saves, a huge number for the era.

After starting his career with the Cardinals, Wayne Granger became one of the league’s best relievers. If not for a confluence of unfortunate events, he might have stayed in the Gateway City just a bit longer, and maybe the Cardinals would have returned to post-season at least one more time before a guy named Whitey Herzog rebuilt the team into a perennial winner.

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.

Jim Cosman was a 6ft 5in flame thrower that was signed by the Cardinals in 1963. In his first professional season he struggled, and almost washed out of the Cardinals system. But George Kissell saw something that he liked in the youngster and convinced him to work on the fastball, which at times could be un-hittable. Cosman took Kissell’s advice and his turnaround in 1964 was nothing short of miraculous. From a disappointing 1-9 record in Brunswick, Cosman led the Rock Hill Cardinals (A) in wins, innings pitched, strikeouts and WHIP. To put this in perspective, one of Cosman’s teammates was a tall left-hander named Steve Carlton, and he bested the Hall of Famer in every category except ERA – but Cosman’s 1.19 vs Lefty’s 1.03 was nearly a wash. In 121 innings, Cosman struck out 143 batters. Un-hittable, indeed.

His career would take an interesting turn in 1965 when he was moved to the bullpen for the Tulsa Oilers (AA). Projecting somewhat of a logjam in starters, it was thought that Cosman’s best chance of making it to the major leagues would be as a reliever. The move worked out well for the young right hander at first. He would have a mixed year, staying in Tulsa as they became the AAA affiliate in 1966. His control was beginning to become a bit of a problem as he worked on secondary pitches, but the heater was still a winner. A 10-2 record, mostly in relief would be good enough to earn Cosman a September callup, but a crowded bullpen of A+ arms didn’t guarantee an appearance.

After 3 weeks of watching his teammates get into games, he finally got a chance to get into a game. Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst decided to give Cosman a start on the last game of the 1966 season – with all of about 30 minutes warning.

October 2, 1966 – Holy Cow

Cosman’s opponent in this game would be the last place Chicago Cubs. Coming into the game, the Cubs had already lost 102 times and were 36 games out of first place. The Cardinals had already won the first two games of the series. Dick Hughes defeated Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins in the opener, throwing a 3 hit shutout. Bob Gibson earned his 21st win of the season in the middle game, defeating a very young and impressive left-hander named Ken Holtzman. With the possibility of a Cubs sweep, the final game of a very disappointing 1966 season took on new significance.

For the 1966 finale, the Cubs would send former 22 game winner, Dick Ellsworth to the mound. Ellsworth was a tall lefty and took the ball every five days for the Cubs, eating up a lot of innings. While he never regained the form of his brilliant 1963 season, he pitched far better than his 8-21 record would have indicated. This would not be a cake walk for the Cardinals youngster making his major league debut.

Both Cosman and Ellsworth got off to a great start. Both hurlers would retire the side in order in the first inning. Ron Santo would lead off the second inning with a sharp single to center. That was all the damage as Cosman would retire next three batters without a ball leaving the infield.

The bottom of the Cardinals order would get to Ellsworth in the the bottom of the third as Dal Maxvill would single. Lou Brock would also get a hit, but the Cardinals failed to score. For now.

Meanwhile, Cosman was cruising. The only runner other than the Santo second inning single was a 2 out walk in the top of the 4th inning, also to Ron Santo.

The second time through the Cardinals batting order proved to be more challenging for Ellsworth. Ted Savage, replacing Curt Flood, would lead off with a walk. Phil Gagliano would follow that up with a grounder up the middle for a single. Savage would then steal third base and score on a Mike Shannon line drive single to left. It was starting to feel like a big inning, but a power failure would hit the Cardinals, as it did frequently in the ’66 season. Tim McCarver would ground into a force play at second. With the Cubs playing back, Gagliano scores easily on the play. Ed Spiezio, father of future Cardinal Scott Spiezio, would end the inning with a nice around the horn double play, 5-6-3. Nobody started a prettier double play than Ron Santo. The Cardinals had a 2-0 lead, but with a rookie on the mound – would it hold up ?

Cosman did what all pitcher are taught to do, retire the side quickly after getting a lead. He would set down the Cubs batters in order in the top of the fifth, and again in the sixth. And again in the seventh, helped by double play that erased a leadoff walk to Billy Williams. Ron Santo hit into the double play – the only Cubs hitter to get a hit off the young right hander so far.

After getting two quick outs in the eighth, a pitch would get away from Cosman and he would hit the 8th place hitter, Adolfo Phillips. A harmless groundout to first would end the inning. For the fifth time in eight innings, Cosman as retired the side without a ball leaving the infield. Two fly outs and the Ron Santo single were the only balls played by an outfielder.

When Cosman took the mound in the top of the ninth, he was still protecting a slim 2-0 lead. He’d also allowed only one hit. Don Kessinger hits the fourth ball to an outfielder, which is caught by Lou Brock in foul territory. Glenn Beckert rips a line drive to center field for the second Cubs hit on the day. With the game on the line, Cosman faces a serious home run threat in future Hall of Famer, Billy Williams. Cosman gets Williams to hit into a game ending double play to preserve the shutout.

What a start to his major league career. A 2 hit shutout to complete the season ending sweep of the rival Cubs.

Spring Training 1967

With such an impressive debut to end the 1966 season, expectations were high when Cosman arrived for spring training in 1967. He was such a likeable and enthusiastic young ballplayer, the local St. Petersburg newspaper asked him to contribute a diary of his experiences, to run twice a week. Thanks to the Google newspaper archives, here they are.

March 14
March 16
March 23
March 28
April 4

Cosman pitched well enough in spring training to earn a spot on the expanded roster, but would likely be one of the last cut when rosters were reduced to 25 players in mid-May. New General Manager Stan Musial had been shopping Nelson Briles and Hal Woodeshick all spring, and if he found a taker then Cosman may be able to stay with the big club. Fortunately for the Cardinals, no deal was reached and both Briles and Woodeshick stayed with the Cardinals, but that doomed the youngster’s fate. After a few relief appearances where his control was still a bit shaky, Cosman was sent back to Tulsa to work on his mechanics.

June 26 – Saving the Season

On June 21, Ray Washburn was pitch an absolute gem against Don Drysdale and the Los Angeles Dodgers. For the first time in several season, Washburn was healthy and was back to being the quality hurler he’d shown early in his career. He was throwing a 3 hitter until the bottom of the seventh inning. With one out, Dodgers catcher, Johnny Roseboro, lines a ball up the middle for the 4th Dodger hit. Instinctively, Washburn reaches out with his bare hand to try to make the play. The ball ricochet’s off Washburn’s hand all the way to the outfield. The Cardinals hurler was down with a badly broken finger that would require surgery to repair. Washburn was going to be gone for a month, or more.

Jim Cosman was immediately recalled from Tulsa and put into the rotation, replacing the injured Washburn. He would get his first start on June 26 when he faced the San Francisco Giants in front of a huge crown at Busch Stadium. His opponent would be the crafty (among other things) Gaylord Perry. With the season on the line, that was a lot of pressure for the young Cardinals hurler.

To try to help Cosman simplify his mechanics, pitching coach Billy Muffett convinced the right hander to go with a no-windup approach. It had worked with several other Cardinals pitchers, and Muffett believed that this would help Cosman stay more upright and not throw across his body.

The Cardinals would get to Perry early in the game. In the second inning, the bottom of the Cardinals batting order managed to push two runners across the plate, the second one coming on Jim Cosman’s first major league hit. It would turn out to be the game winner.

Cosman would give one of those runs back in the top of the 4th, but that’s all the Giants could manage to score. There weren’t many Giants hits, but Cosman was in trouble all night. 7 walks kept the pressure up, inning after inning. With one out in the 9th inning, Red had seen enough and didn’t want the youngster to take a hard luck loss. He went to his bullpen, and the 20,000 fans in attendance gave Cosman a long and loud standing ovation. What they had just witnessed was a turning point in the 1967 season.

Nelson Briles would retire the last two batters, preserving the win for the young right hander. That would be his second major league victory, and sadly the last in his career.

Wildness would return in his next start, but it was take an ugly turn for the worse. After giving up three walks in three innings against the New York Mets, Cosman would hit the first two batters to lead off the 4th inning. After the second hit batsman, Red immediately came out and took the youngster out of the game. Walks are one thing, but when you threw as hard as Cosman did, hitting batters was very dangerous.

Cosman’s next start would come against the Cincinnati Reds on July 5. He would pitch 8 strong innings with the only blemish being a solo home run off the bat of Vada Pinson. Nelson Briles, who saved the earlier game, would take the loss in extra innings. As well as Cosman pitched, a no-decision was disappointing.

His control woes would continue, both with walks and hit batsman. When Ray Washburn came back from the disabled list, it appeared as if Cosman would be sent back to Tulsa. As all of this was happening, the Cardinals pitching staff would take another blow when Bob Gibson would go down with a broken leg on July 15. Cosman initially stayed with the big club, but as roster moves were considered, Cosman’s time in the majors would come to an end. The Cardinals would move Nelson Briles into the rotation, replacing the injured Bob Gibson. Cosman would move to the bullpen, but would be replaced soon by Jack Lamabe who was just acquired from the Mets. Cosman would sent to the Mets as the conditional player-to-be-named later and would finish the season in their minor league system. The youngster would be returned to the Cardinals in September. The Mets finally selected Al Jackson to complete the Lamabe trade, following the 1967 World Series.

Even though Jim Cosman would never throw another pitch for the Cardinals, the importance of his game on June 26 cannot be understated. The Cardinals front office recognized that, and when the World Series bonuses were passed out, Cosman was given a full share. You can read about that in this great March 1, 1968 article from the St. Petersburg Times.

A Disappointment

Over the off-season, Cosman worked hard on his control. He came into spring training, and had shown some improvement. Unfortunately for the 25 year old, the Cardinals rotation and bullpen were filled and there was even less room for him in 1968 than the year before. He would be one of the last players cut from the ’68 roster and would start falling behind pitching prospects like Mike Torrez, Al Santorini and Jerry Reuss on the depth chart. He would struggle in 1968, splitting time between Tulsa (AAA) and Arkansas (AA).

Cosman would bounce around the minor leagues for a few seasons, making one more Major League appearance with the Cubs in 1970.

After baseball, he became a very successful executive in the Waste Management industry. He moved up the ranks at Browning Ferris Industries (BFI) and then went on to run Republic as their CEO before retiring in 2000.

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.