July 31, 1965: Brock Knocks In The Game Winner In The 9th

On July 31, 1965, Lou Brock put the Dodgers away with a walk off two rbi single in the bottom of the ninth at Sportsman's Park. 1965 was Brock's second year in St. Louis and he was quickly becoming a star. He hit .288 on the year with 16 homers and 107 runs scored, he also stole 63 bags which was the most for a Cardinal since Tommy McCarthy stole 83 in 1890. Brock shattered McCarthy's mark with 118 stolen bases in 1974.

Here's the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN196507310.shtml

July 30, 1933: Dizzy Fans 17

On July 30, 1933, in the first game of a doubleheader at Sportsman's Park, Dizzy Dean struckout 17 batters in an 8-2 win over the Cubs. The 17 K's set a new Major League record, it wasn't the only record broken that day catcher Jimmie Wilson's 18 putouts also set a new major league mark. Dean was on extended rest and he came back firing on all cylinders, he his blew his fastball by batter after batter and his curveball was equally effective. While both records have since been broken it was one helluva day for the boys down at Sportsman's Park. They also won the second contest by the score of 6-5.

Here's the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN193307301.shtml

July 30, 1924: Sherdel Starts Off With a Triple Play

On July 30, 1924, it took one pitch for Bill Sherdel to clean up a mess in the second inning of a game at the Baker Bowl in Philadelphia. The Cardinals lefty was called into the game with the team down 4-1, no outs, and runners on first and second. The Phillies skipper Art Fletcher sent pinch hitter Johnny Mokan to the dish hoping to add to their lead but it didn't quite work out the way he had in mind. Mokan attempted to bunt on the first pitch he saw and popped it into the air, first baseman Jim Bottomley caught the pop up and gunned it over to shortstop Jimmy Cooney who doubled up the runner at second before he threw it over to Rogers Hornsby who was covering first to complete a rally killing triple play. The spectacular play was just the beginning of a great day for Sherdel, he pitched the rest of the game and was key in helping the Cardinals to a 9-8 victory. The game was a seesaw battle, the Cardinals put runs on the board then the Phillies would answer right back. The Redbirds took their first lead of the day with a 3 run eighth and it was a lead that they would not let go. Not only did he start his day off with a one pitch triple play, Sherdel went 1 for 3 at the plate with 2 ribbies and a run scored. Sherdel pitched for 14 seasons in St. Louis, his 153 wins are the most wins for a lefty in the history of the organization.

Here's the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI192407300.shtml

July 29, 1933: Pepper Martin Wins It In The 10th

On July 29, 1933, Pepper Martin led the Cardinals to a 9-6 victory over the Cubs at Sportsman's Park with a 3 run walk off home run in the tenth inning. The Cards held a lead from the second inning until the ninth when the Cubs knotted it all up at 6 which set up the dramatic walk off finish by Martin. Pepper finished the day with 5 ribbies and none were more important than those final three that put the Redbirds in the win column.


Here's the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN193307290.shtml

July 28, 2002: The Wizard of Oz Finds His Way To Cooperstown

On July 28, 2002, Osborne Earl Smith found his way into baseball immortality as he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. In December of 1981, the Cardinals made a trade with the San Diego Padres that would lead to legendary status for Ozzie in the Gateway City, he had already established himself a as  Gold Glover in San Diego and would continue to flash the leather over the next 15 seasons with the Redbirds. His backflips mesmerized fans old and young as he became a part of the fabric of the Cardinals organization. While Ozzie was known for the glove more than the bat, he was no slouch at the plate. He hit at least .270 nine times and was a threat on the basepaths as well, he stole 20 or more bases 17 times. Perhaps the most memorable moment for Ozzie came in October of '85 when he hit the memorable home run to beat the Dodgers. I get to relive that call by Jack Buck every time I get a phone call, sometimes I miss the call because I enjoy it so much. "Smith corks one into right, down the line. It may go!!! Go Crazy Folks!!! Go Crazy!!! It's a home run and the Cardinals have won the game by the score of 3-2 on a home run by The Wizard!!!" It was the first left handed home run of Smith's career and it will live forever in the hearts of Cardinals fans. Smith not only helped the Cardinals win the World Championship in 1982 he helped lead the club back to the Fall Classic in '85 and '87, he became a pillar in the community and has remained a great part of the city of St. Louis. During his induction speech Ozzie held a copy of the book The Wizard of Oz, he compared his journey in baseball to Dorothy's trip down the Yellow Brick road. Ozzie would say he had a mind to think and dream, which was something that the Scarecrow cherished, a heart to believe, which the Tin Man wanted, and the courage to persevere, which was something the Lion lacked. The 15 time All Star and 13 time Gold Glover is and always will be one of the greatest shortstop to ever wear the birds on the bat and today I tip my cap to The Wizard of Oz.

You can read Ozzie's induction speech here: http://baseballhall.org/node/11291

July 27, 1983: The Cardinals Rob The Basepaths

On July 27, 1983, no base was safe at Busch Stadium, as the Cardinals went on a bag stealing spree in a 7-6 win over the Giants. The team stole 9 bags on their way to the hard fought victory, Lonnie Smith led the charge with 3 steals. Ken Obkerfell and Willie McGee each swiped two. Bill Lyons and David Green each stole a base to cap off the base robbery. The game was battle throughout, the Cardinals had a 3-0 lead until the Giants put 5 runs on the board in the top of the sixth. The Birds took the lead back with 3 runs in the bottom half of the inning then San Fran came back with a run in the top of the seventh.With the score 6-6 in the bottom of the eighth David Green started the winning Redbird rally as he legged out an infield hit to leadoff the inning. Green stole second then moved over to third on a sac fly by George Kendrick. Tommy Herr knocked Green in with a sacrifice fly that proved to be the game winner as Bruce Sutter knocked the Giants down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth. It was a wild day at the ole ballpark. When interviewed after the game Whitey Herzog said  "Its amazing. That calls for a cold one." I'm sure a few frosty ones were crackin in the Cardinal clubhouse after that great win at Buschhhhhhhhh.

Here's the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN198307270.shtml

July 26, 1939: Sunkel Two Hits The Giants In St. Louis

On July 26, 1939, Tom Sunkel pitched a two hit gem as the Cardinals smoked the New York Giants 10-0 at Sportsman's Park. Sunkel carried a no hitter into the eighth before Tom Hafey broke it up with a one out single, Billy Jurges added another hit in the ninth before Sunkel put them away. It was the first time in Sunkel's career he went the distance in a game and it proved to be his only shutout in a Cardinals uniform. Sunkel's only full season in St. Louis came in that '39 season, he posted a 4-4 record and in the grand scheme he was one of those guys that just passed on through. He pitched a few years with the Giants and a year with Brooklyn before his days in the big leagues came to an end. Although his career record was just 9-15, it was truly remarkable that he even made it to the big leagues. When he was four years old he was shot in the left eye by a toy gun that left him blind in that eye. He overcame the handicap and found himself pitching for the Cardinals in August of 1937, while his career was short lived and by no means Cooperstown worthy the fact he reached that level was truly remarkable.

Here's the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN193907260.shtml

July 25, 1969: Gibby Gets It Done

On July 25, 1969, the Cardinals took down the Giants 2-1 in thirteen innings at Busch Stadium. The game had instant classic written all over it with two future hall of famers squaring off in what was sure to be a great pitching duel. The Cards sent Bob Gibson to the mound while the Giants countered with Gaylord Perry, both pitchers gave up a run in the first then locked into a true battle that would lead to extra frames. Perry struck out 9 men before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the top of the thirteenth. Gibby picked up his 11th K of the day when he struck that pinch hitter out, then finished off that half of inning with a quick flyball out. While the Giants skipper Clyde King chose to pinch hit for his ace, Red Schoendienst chose to let his ace hit for himself and it paid off. Gibson led the top of the thirteenth off with a single, then found himself on second after a Frank Linzy wild pitch. Phil Gagliano singled moving Gibby over to third then Curt Flood picked up the game winning rbi with a single that brought Gibson trotting across the plate. It was one of those days that the Cardinals hurler got the job done in more ways than one.

Here's the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN196907250.shtml

July 24, 1949: Stan The Man Hits For The Cycle In Brooklyn

On July 24, 1949, just one day after the Cardinals pulled off a dramatic ninth inning rally, Stan The Man Musial hit for the cycle in a 14-1 rout of the Dodgers in Brooklyn. Musial started his day with a first inning triple off of Don Newcombe, then followed it up with a single off of Carl Erskine in the third. Musial took Erskine deep in the fifth then completed the cycle with a double against him in the seventh. Erskine chose to walk The Man in the ninth as the Cardinals cruised to an easy victory over Dem Bums in Brooklyn. Stan earned the nickname "The Man" from those Dodgers fans in Brooklyn, in 22 games at Ebbets Field in '48 and '49 Musial carried a .531 average on 43 hits, 11 of those hits were doubles, 5 were triples, and 8 of them were home runs. It was said the fans in Brooklyn would see him walking to the plate they would say "Uh oh, here comes the man again. Here comes The Man."

Here's the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BRO/BRO194907240.shtml

The artwork was done by Bob Peak, you can find several autographed copies of it on ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html? _trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0&_nkw=Stan+Musial+Bob+Peak&_sacat=0&_from=R40

July 23, 1949: The Cards Refuse To Lose In Brooklyn

On July 23, 1949, the Cardinals found themselves one strike away from defeat twice before scoring two runs on their way to beating the Dodgers 5-4 in Brooklyn. With 2 outs in the top of the ninth and Stan The Man on third, Lou Klein worked the count full before reaching first base on a walk. Marty Marion followed that up by breaking out of an 0 for 22 slump with a game tying single that advanced Klein to third. One batter later Joe Garagiola put the Redbirds on top with another single that scored Klein. Ted Wilks shut the door in the bottom of the ninth to secure the Redbird W as the Cardinals refused to lose in Brooklyn.

Here's the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BRO/BRO194907230.shtml

July 22, 1913: Sallee Steals Home

On July 22, 1913, Slim Sallee stole home and pitched a complete game in a 3-1 win over the Dodgers in Brooklyn. To this day no other Cardinal pitcher has stolen home plate. Sallee was a bright spot for the Cardinals in the 1913 season, he won 19 games for the club that would only record 51 wins on the year.

Slim Sallee was a pretty interesting guy. Several times during his career he would go missing for days at a time. One of those times they found out he was serving as a deckhand on a boat that traveled between St. Louis and Memphis. Read more about him here: http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/f5ef8e5d

July 21,1985: Braun's Two Run Shot In The tenth Wins It For The Birds

On July 21, 1985, Steve Braun's pinch hit home run off of Tom Neidenfuer in the top of the tenth led the Cardinals to a 4-2 victory over the Dodgers in Los Angeles. The Cards put two runs on the board in the first. Then the Dodgers came back with a run of their own in the second, from there zeros were posted across the scoreboard until the eigth when Steve Sax knotted things up with an rbi single. With the score tied 2-2 and headed into extras both teams were looking for a hero but only one team would have one and that would be the Cardinals. The tenth inning started with a double by Terry Pendleton, then a flyout by Darrell Porter before Braun was called into pinch ht for Jeff Lahti, Lahti had bailed the Birds out of a bases loaded jam in the ninth that put the Cardinals in a position to win. The 37 year old Braun came to the plate with Pendelton just hoping for a single out of the pinch hitter who was just 3 for 21 off the bench that season, his wish was granted and then some, as Braun parked it over the right field wall to give the Cardinals the lead. The Dodgers didn't lay down in the bottom of the tenth Ricky Horton leaded the bases before Bob Forsch picked up the final out of the contest. When interviewed after the game Braun said "It was a good time to hit one." he went onto say "We're in first place, if we're going to stay there we're going to have to use all 25 guys." Braun was nothing more than a bench guy while he was with the Cardinals but his words ring true, every man that sits on a major league bench is there for a reason. It was Braun's only home run of that '85 season, it was a huge one, it snapped a 3 game losing streak and sparked a 6 game winning streak as the Cardinals finished off July strong and would go onto win the National League East by 3 games, then knocked the Dodgers off again on their way to another World Series.

Here's the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN198507210.shtml

July 20, 1934: Tex Carleton Mows Down The Braves In Boston

On July 20, 1934, the Cardinals sailed to a 5-1 win over the Braves in Boston behind a brilliant pitching performance by Tex Carleton. The Cardinals hurler mowed down the first 20 men he faced before giving up a long ball to Wally Berger in the 7th. The shot broke up his no no, but it hardly rattled him as he sat down the next 7 men to pick up the one hit winner. The Cardinals offense was sparked by Ripper Collins, he went 2 for 4 with three ribbies in the contest. Carleton won 16 games for the Cardinals during the 1934 Championship season.

Here's the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BSN/BSN193407200.shtml

July 19, 1958: Boyer's Tenth Inning Shot Wins It For The Cardinals

On July 19, 1958, Ken Boyer put the Cardinals in the win column after he led the tenth inning off with a home run that led to a 1-0 Redbird victory in Cincinnati.  The game was a true pitching duel, the Cardinals sent Larry Jackson to the mound while the Reds countered with Alex Kellner. Kellner was making his first start for the Reds, he was picked up off the scrap heap in late June after being put on waivers by the Kansas City A's. While it was impressive, his starting debut was spoiled when he served up the pitch to Boyer to lead off the tenth, as the ball sailed over left field wall I can just picture the Reds fans getting up and heading to their cars as they knew Boyer had just driven a nail in the coffin. Larry Jackson finished off a good days work in the bottom of the tenth, he gave up a leadoff single then made quick work of the Redlegs to lockdown the Cardinals. W. Boyer led the Cardinals with 23 home runs in 1958, that one in Cincy was a great one as it put a stop to a 7 game skid.

 

Here's the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN195807190.shtml 

I have a friend that is writing a book dedicated to the life of Ken Boyer, check out his Facebook page: 

https://www.facebook.com/kenboyer14 

July 18, 1964: The Cardinals Put The Mets Away With an 11 Run Eighth

On July 18, 1964, the wheels fell off the bus for the New York Mets in the bottom of the eighth at Busch Stadium, they came into the frame up 6-4, then four errors and three consecutive home runs led to 11 runs for the Cardinals as they cruised to a 15-7 win over the lowly Mets. Ken Boyer, Bill White, and Tim McCarver provided the power in the inning with the back-to-back-to-back home runs, Boyer's long ball was a grand salami.

Here;s the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN196407180.shtml

July 17, 1924: Jesse Haines No Hits The Braves In St. Louis

On July 17, 1924, in a 5-0 win over the Boston Braves at Sportsman's Park, Jesse Haines fired just the second no hitter in the history of the Cardinals organization. Ted Breitenstein was the first to achieve the feat in 1891, one year before the team joined the National League, and before they were even called the Cardinals so Haines has the distinction of being the first Cardinal to toss a no no. A crowd of more than 13,000 watched Haines set down batter after batter, he walked 3 men and he struck out 5 as he frustrated the club from Boston. In the ninth inning Haines retired Gus Felix with a fly out to right fielder Jack Smith, then set Bill Cunningham down with a pop up to the shortstop Jimmy Cooney, before joining the no no club when Casey Stengel grounded out to Rogers Hornsby at second. After making one appearance for the Reds in 1918, Haines found a place in Cardinal Nation in 1920, he spent the next 18 years in St. Louis as he forged a Hall of Fame career. The guy that everyone called Pop won 210 games as a Cardinal, he is second on the all time list for wins by a Cardinals pitcher behind Bob Gibson's 251. He won 20 or more games, three times and was a member of  the 1926, 1931, and 1934 World Championship teams. The knuckleballer found his way into Cooperstown in 1970, 8 years before he passed away.

Here's the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN192407170.shtml

July 16, 1963: Shantz Dominates In Relief

On July 16, 1963, Bobby Shantz struck out 8 of the 11 batters he faced in relief as the Cardinals took down the Reds 5-4 in 10 innings at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. The lefty was called into the game in the bottom of the seventh after starter Lew Burdette gave up two runs to knot the game up at four all. The reliever absolutely dominated the Reds hitters as he struck out the first four men he saw. As the pitching dominance by Shantz continued, the Cardinals offense was held at bay until Bill White led the tenth off with a double, then was moved to third on a Charlie James single. After a flyout by Ken Boyer, Tim McCarver squeezed White in with a bunt single to give the Redbirds the lead. Shantz came in the bottom of the tenth and struck Pete Rose out to start the inning, after giving up a single he struck Vada Pinson out then finished the game off with a ground ball out by Frank Robinson to secure the Redbird W.

Here's the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN196307160.shtml

You can read the story from the Associated Press here: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EJlPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=L1IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4821%2C3666020

July 15, 1967: The Cardinals Lose Their Ace

On July 15, 1967, a Roberto Clemente line drive broke Bob Gibson's leg in the fourth inning of a 6-4 loss to the Pirates at Busch. Somehow Gibby stayed in the game and pitched to three more batters before falling to the ground, when you hear Gibson called a true warrior it's no bullshit. Gibson was 10-6 at the time of the injury that would keep him sidelined until September 7th. He came back strong and finished the season with a 13-7 record, then pitched 3 complete games in the World Series which earned him MVP honors in the Fall Classic as he led the club to their 7th World Championship. Nelson Briles took over Gibson's spot in the rotation following the injury. Before Gibson was hurt Briles was just a long man that didn't have a true role in the pen, his career record was just 12-23 and it's safe to say that expectations were moderately optimistic at best. Briles not only filled the spot in the rotation, he won his last 9 regular season decisions then extended his winning streak to 10 as he pitched the team to victory in the third game of the World Series. While hopes of a pennant might have been dashed on that day in mid July, the team got the job done until their ace returned. Gibson picked up 3 more wins and only took one loss as the team finished 10 1/2 games ahead of the San Francisco Giants to take the National League Flag. While Briles was a kid who couldn't find his role at the beginning of the '67 season, he became a mainstay in the rotation over the next few years. He won his first four starts in '68 which led to 275 days between losses for the young hurler. The injury to Gibson had no lingering effects, in '68 the future Hall of Famer won 22 games, pitched 28 complete games and had 13 shutouts on his way to breaking a major league record with an earned run average of 1.12, it has not been matched by any pitcher with at least 300 innings pitched in a season. Bob Gibson was simply a badass.

July 14, 1964: Skinner comes through in a pinch

On July 14, 1964, the Cardinals found themselves trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-2 after 7 innings before the team rallied with two runs in the eighth, then four more in the bottom of the ninth giving the team an 8-7 comeback victory. With the team down by one with two on and two out in the bottom of the ninth Johnny Keane sent Bob Skinner to the dish to pinch hit for Julian Javier, it turned out to be a great call by the Cardinals skipper as Skinner came through with a two rbi single that capped off the 4 run ninth and secured the fifth victory in a row for the Cards. Skinner spent the last 3 years of his career with the Cardinals, primarily a pinch hitter he delivered two hits off the bench in the '64 World Series.

Read the AP story here: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fkkNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gmwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5792%2C1940418

Here's the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN196407140.shtml

July 13, 1940: Mize Hits For The Cycle

On July 13, 1940, Johnny Mize hit for the cycle in the first game of a doubleheader against the Giants at Sportsman's Park. Mize completed the feat with a triple in the ninth, then scored the game winning run on an error by Giants catcher Harry Danning that gave the Redbirds a 7-6 victory. The nightcap would be decided in the bottom of the ninth as well, the Cardinals held a 3-0 lead after 6 innings then the Giants struck for a run in the 7th then 2 more in the 8th to set up another great finish. The Cardinals loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth then Terry Moore's single brought Mickey Owen into score. It was a thrilling day at the ole ballpark. The first win put to bed a 6 game losing streak and started a pretty decent stretch of ball for the club as they won 9 of their next 10 games.

Here are the box scores for both contests:
First game
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN194007131.shtml
Second game
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN194007132.shtml

July 12, 1980: The Cardinals Rally at Shea

On July 12, 1980, trailing 6-1 after five innings at Shea Stadium in New York, the Cardinals rallied to win the game 8-6 in the twelfth. The rally began in the sixth with a Terry Kennedy rbi, they picked up another run in the seventh when Gary Templeton knocked Ken Oberkfell in from third. Ted Simmons led the eighth off with a home run as the Cardinals closed the gap, with the score 6-4 the team had all the momentum on their side and it would carry over into the next frame. With one out in the ninth, third baseman Mike Phillips found his way to first after an error by the Mets second baseman. Gary Templeton tripled to score Phillips and was knocked in on a sacrifice fly by Leon Durham. Ken Oberkfell gave the Cards their first lead of the day with a triple in the twelfth that brought Terry Kennedy across the dish, before Mike Ramsey knocked him in with a single that gave the Cardinals an insurance run. John Littlefield set the Mets down in the bottom half of the inning to secure the Cardinal comeback winner. The game was a true team effort as they had their backs against the wall early then fought back slowly but surely, to pull off the win. The Cardinals starting pitcher Jim Kaat got rocked, he gave up three runs in the first, two more in third, then another in the fourth before Whitey Herzog went to the pen. The move to the pen was just what the doctor ordered, John Urrea, Don Hood, Kim Seaman, and John Littlefield kept the team in it by pitching eight scoreless innings while the birds pecked their way back. Littlefield pitched the last four innings which earned him a well deserved W. I love games like this one simply because it shows to not give up early, some days a starting pitcher has a rough outing and the team has to pick him up, the Cardinals did exactly that on that day at Shea.

Here's the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN198007120.shtml

July 11, 1950: Schoendienst Leads the National League To Victory With a 14th Inning Blast

On July 11, 1950, St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Red Schoendienst powered the National League to a 4-3 win with a solo shot off of Detroit's Ted Gray in the 14th inning of the All Star game at Comiskey Park in Chicago. It was the first time an All Star game went into extra innings.  The National League struck first with 2 runs in the 2nd, then the American League came back with a run in the 3rd then two more in the 5th to give them a 3-2 edge  that would last until the 9th inning when Ralph Kiner of the Pittsburgh Pirates tied it with a long ball. Both pitching staffs were sharp as they held each other at bay until Schoendienst stepped to the dish to lead off the 14th, Schoendienst's shot landed in the left field stands giving his squad the edge. Ewell Blackwell pitched his third consecutive 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the 14th to seal the deal for the National League.

Here's a link to a newspaper archive following the game: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=D1pIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Uk4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4243%2C4035228

Here's the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ALS/ALS195007110.shtml

July 10, 1923: Two Complete Game Wins In a Doubleheader for Johnny Stuart

On July 10, 1923, Cardinals rookie pitcher Johnny Stuart pitched two compete game wins over the Braves in Boston. The first game Stuart allowed just 3 hits as the Cardinals rolled to a 11-1 victory. The second game wasn't as smooth for Stuart, he gave up 10 hits but only 3 Braves runners would score while the Cardinals plated 6 for their second win of the day behind the outstanding effort of the young hurler. Unfortunately it would be what he was remembered for the most, Stuart spent three full seasons with the Cardinals posting a 20-18 record before hanging up the cleats at the end of the '25 season.  In 1926 he was hired to coach the baseball team at Marshall University he held that position until 1932, the team posted a 67-21-1 record while he was at the helm. Only Bill Doak in 1917 and Hi Bell in 1924 have pitched and won both games of a doubleheader for the Cardinals, the last time any pitcher accomplished it in the majors was in 1926 when Dutch Levsen did it for the Indians.

Here are the box scores to both games
Game 1: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BSN/BSN192307101.shtml
Game 2: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BSN/BSN192307102.shtml

July 9, 1940: The All Star Game Comes To Sportsman's Park

On July 9, 1940, the Cardinals hosted the All Star game at Sportsman's Park, it was the first time the Mid Summer Classic would be played at the ballpark. The National League toppled the Junior circuit with a 4-0 victory that was highlighted by a 3 run home run off the bat of Boston Bees outfielder Max West in the first inning. West was injured in the second inning after colliding with the wall in right, although he had to leave the game early he provided his squad with some all important runs as both teams would keep each other off the scoreboard until the eighth when the National Leaguers picked up another run with an rbi single by Giants catcher Harry Danning. Five National League pitchers combined for a three hit shutout over the best the American League had to offer, it was the first ever shutout in the history of the All Star game. The game returned to Sportsman's Park in 1948 and 1957.

Here's a list of the 17 Future Hall of Famers that were on the two all star rosters: Luke Appling, Lou Boudreau, Joe  DiMaggio, Bill Dickey, Leo Durocher, Bob Feller, Jimmie Foxx, Hank Greenberg, Billy Herman, Carl Hubbell, Ernie Lombardi, Joe Medwick,  Johnny Mize, Mel Ott, Arky Vaughn, Ted Williams, and Red Ruffing. Holy cow.

Here's the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NLS/NLS194007090.shtml

July 8, 1967: Julian Javier Wins It In Extras With an Inside The Parker

On July 8, 1967, a three run inside the park home run by Julian Javier in the twelfth propelled the Cardinals to a 6-4 winner over Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia. With the Cardinals ahead 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth Johnny Callison spoiled Bob Gibson's day with a solo shot to send it into extras. The Cardinals second baseman would help Gibson sleep better that night. After both teams put up zeros in the tenth and eleventh, the twelfth started out with Lou Brock reaching on an error before Eddie Bressoud moved him to second with a single, then it was Javier's time to do some damage. Julian lined a ball into center that was misjudged by Johnny Briggs, leading to the inside the park shot that gave the Cardinals a 6-3 advantage. The Phillies began the bottom of the 12th with a home run by pinch hitter Phil Linz before Al Jackson came in and shut the door on the Philadelphia rally.

Here's the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI196707080.shtml

July 7, 1962: Musial Jacks Four Home Runs in Consecutive At Bats

On July 7, 1962, after dropping the first game of a doubleheader to the Mets at the Polo Grounds in New York, Stan Musial picked the Cardinals up with a solo shot in the eighth inning of the second game to lead the team to a 3-2 victory. The next day Musial picked up three home runs in his first three at bats as he tied a major league record with four consecutive home runs in the 15-1 pummeling of the Mets. Bill White, Fred Whitfield, and Bob Gibson all joined Stan with a homer apiece in that contest. Stan was the only Cardinal to hit a homer in four consecutive at bats until Albert Pujols joined him in 2006. At the age of 41, Musial is the oldest player to hit three and four home runs in consecutive at bats.

Here's the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN196207072.shtml

Here's the box score for the three home run game:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN196207080.shtml

July 6, 1929: The Cardinals Score 28 Runs At The Baker Bowl

On July 6, 1929, the Cardinals broke out of an 11 game losing streak in grand fashion by scoring a National League record 28 runs at the Baker Bowl in Philadelphia. The 28 runs still stands today as the National League record. It happened after the Phillies had knocked the Cards off 10-6 in the first game of the doubleheader, in the nightcap the Cardinals did more than stop a losing streak they stopped it with an exclamation point. The Cardinals scored ten runs in the first, one in the second, two in the fourth, then ten more in the fifth. With the lead 23-4 they weren't done, the Redbirds put up 5 more runs in the eighth before the Phillies tacked on two more then the bludgeoning came to an end with the Cardinals on top 28-6. Jim Bottomley and Chick Hafey both hit grand slams, Bottomley had crushed two home runs in the first game of the twin billing to give him three on the day The pitcher on the mound that day for the Cardinals was Fred Frankhouse, he not only picked up a complete game winner for the club, he picked up 4 hits and knocked in 4 baserunners in the annihilation of the Phillies. The record has not since been matched by any other National League team and is the fourth highest run total in the modern era.

Check out the most runs ever scored list here: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/rare_feats/index.jsp?feature=most_runs_game

Check out the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI192907062.shtml

July 5, 1977: Mike Tyson's Grand Slam Leads The Cards Passed The Pirates

On July 5, 1977, Mike Tyson's fourth inning grand slam led the Cardinals to a 7-3 winner over the Pirates at  Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. Tyson was hardly known for his power, he hit just 27 home runs in his big league career and only one of them was a grand slam. The big blast opened up a 5-0 lead over the Buccos before Al  Oliver closed the gap with a three run bomb off of Bob Forsch in the fifth. It was all the Pirates had in them as Forsch settled down and Ted Simmons added two more Redbird runs to the board with a bomb of his own in the eighth. Forsch went onto pick up his third complete game victory, along with his tenth win. By season's end Forsch had eight complete games under his belt and led the team with 20 wins.

Check out the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PIT/PIT197707050.shtml

July 4, 1980: Hendrick Wins It With A Walkoff In The Tenth

On July 4, 1980, George Hendrick set the fireworks off at Busch with a walk off home run in the bottom of the tenth inning to give the Cardinals a 1-0 victory over the Phillies. It was the 17th home run of the year for Hendrick who would go onto lead the club with 25 dingers on the year. The game was a pitching duel throughout, on the Cardinals side Bob Sykes went the distance for the Redbirds to pick up a complete game victory while the Phillies countered with Nino Espinosa who was making his first start since coming off the disabled list. Espinosa showed no signs of rust as he shut the Cardinals lineup down, giving up just two hits through eight innings, a single to Leon Durham in the first and a seventh inning double to Ted Simmons. After a second inning walk to Dane Iorg, Espinosa set down 15 straight before Simmons picked up his double. The Phillies nearly broke the tie in the eighth after Pete Rose tried to score from first on a Greg Luzinski double, but Leon Durham fired the ball in from right nailing Rose at the plate. In the bottom of the ninth the Phillies skipper Dallas Green made a call to the bullpen for Kevin Saucier, the new hurler made quick work of the Cardinals hitters in the inning but wouldn't be so lucky in the tenth. After he picked up the first out of the tenth, Hendrick came to the dish and parked the ball over the left field wall to give the Cardinals the Independence Day winner.

Happy 4th of July to everyone, be safe and enjoy. Here's the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN198007040.shtml

July 3, 1946, The Turning Point in '46

On July 3, 1946, the Cardinals exploded for 10 runs in the fourth inning en route to a 16-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Sportsman's Park. Enos Slaughter led the Cardinals charge as he went 3-5 with 6 rbi and Whitey Kurowski's provided the highlight of the big inning with a three run home run that is still orbiting the planet. The Cardinals came into this game intent on stopping a 4 game skid that had the fans in St. Louis questioning if they could put together a true run at the pennant. The win put the club 7 games back in the standings behind the league leading Dodgers and they knew they better win some ballgames if they were going to keep up with Dem Bums from Brooklyn, and win they did. By July 12th they found themselves just 4 1/2 games back and the Dodgers were heading to town for a four game set, by the time the series came to an end the Redbirds had their brooms out and were only a 1/2 game out in the standings. A few days later they took the lead but it was short lived as both teams had their sights set on a pennant. Down the stretch neither team held more than a 2 1/2 game lead over the other as they went back and forth throughout. The two clubs would be tied with a 95-68 record as as the season came to an end which led to a best of three palyoff to decide the winner of the National League. The Cardinals took care of business as they swept the Dodgers in two and punched themselves a ticket to the Fall Classic where they would beat the Boston Red Sox in 7 games. There are games you can point to in a championship season that you think that was a turning point for a team, I think that 16-0 beatdown of the Reds in '46 might just be one of those games for the Cardinals.


This is Whitey Kurowski, Enos Slaughter, Marty Marion, and Stan Musial posing after beating the Dodgers in in the championship game.

Check out the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN194607030.shtml

July 2, 1965: Gibby Takes Care Of Business

On July 2, 1965, Bob Gibson scattered seven hits and struck out 13 in a 6-3 win over the Mets at Shea Stadium. While it wasn't the best day on the hill for the Cardinals ace he battled his way through it to nail down his tenth win of the season with a complete game victory. Gibson would go onto win 20 games and he set down 270 men via the strikeout during the '65 campaign.

Check out the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN196507020.shtml

July 2, 1976: McGlothen Fans 9 As The Cardinals Rollover The Expos At Busch

On July 2, 1976, Lynn McGlothen struck out 9 and picked up a complete game victory for the Cardinals as they rolled passed the Expos 3-0. The Cardinals hurler was coming off a rough stretch as he had lost four of his last five before he pitched the gem at Busch, and a gem it was.  After giving up a single to Tim Foli in the first then another single to Larry Parrish in the 2nd, McGlothen didn't give up another hit until the eighth, he was locked in. With the game on line in the ninth McGlothen gave up a couple one out singles before nailing down the victory. The win ended a four game losing streak for the Redbirds.

Check out the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN197607020.shtml

July 1, 1934: The Gashouse Gang Win It In The 18th

On July 1, 1934, it took 18 innings for the Cardinals to beat the Reds 8-6 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. It was a pitching duel of different variety as both Dizzy Dean and Tony Freitas pitched 17 innings apiece. Each of them gave up 5 runs in the regulation 9 then they both got into a heated battle that lasted until the 17th when Joe Medwick broke out of an 0-19 slump with a blast that bounced out of the ballpark. Unfortunately for the Cardinals the Reds tied it right back up in the bottom of the inning to keep the game alive. The game would be decided as both teams went to their bullpen's in the 18th. Jack Rothrock and Frankie Frisch both picked up rbi singles in the inning off of Paul Derringer to give the Cards an 8-6 lead, while they held the lead it was far from over. The bottom of the 18th had the men in the Cardinals dugout on the edge of their seats as the Redbird reliever Jack Lindsey loaded the bases. The next batter he would face was a former Cardinal and a future Hall of Famer, Jim Bottomley. Bottomly hit a hot shot into left that Ducky snagged with  a one handed grab, if the ball would have gotten passed Medwick all three baserunners would have surely scored. The game took nearly 4 and 1/2 hours to play, each team committed two errors, and they combined for 39 hits. Can I get a Holy Cow!!??!! It was the first game of a scheduled doubleheader, the second game was called because of darkness in the 5th, the score was 2-2.

Check out the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN193407011.shtml