April 27, 2005: Grudzielanek Hits For The Cycle On Carp's Birthday

     On April 27, 2005, Cardinals second baseman Mark Grudzielanek joined an exclusive list of men by hitting for the cycle as he led the way to a 6-3 victory over the Brewers. The history making performance came on Chris Carpenter's birthday, who also started the game, and struck out 12 men through seven and two thirds.

     Grudzielanek started things off with a leadoff home run, then singled and scored in the second, before knocking in a run with a double in the fourth. By the time the sixth rolled around Milwaukee's starter Victor Santos had been sent to the showers, and Jorge De La Rosa had taken over. Grudzielanek was cheered on by Albert Pujols in the dugout moments before he went to the dish, but hardly believed he would get the triple. Then came the pitch the pitch that turned into a scorching line drive into right. Grudzielanek flew out of the box, and rounded the bases until he was standing on third. History had been made. To date, he is the last Cardinals player to achieve the feat.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN200504270.shtml

Happy Birthday Chris Carpenter!!!

     Since 1918, the cycle has been accomplished 16 times by 15 different ballplayers who had the Birds on the Bat across their chests.  Outfielder Cliff Heathcote was the first man to do it, while Ken Boyer is the only man who accomplished the feat twice. It was accomplished four times pre 1900 by the club who would become known as the Cardinals when the club called themselves the Browns. In 1887, long before Boyer hit for his second cycle, Tip O'Neill picked up his second cycle, just eight days after he did it for the first time. 

Here is the complete list of men who have hit for the cycle as a member of the National League club that call St. Louis home. *Note: the club joined the National League in 1892, and before that they were a member of the American Association.

• Fred Dunlap, 5/24/1886
• Tip O'Neill, 4/30/1887
• Tip O'Neill, 5/7/1887
• Tommy Dowd, 8/16/1895
• Cliff Heathcote, 6/13/1918
• Jim Bottomley, 7/15/1927 
• Chick Hafey, 8/21/1930
• Pepper Martin, 5/5/1933
• Ducky Medwick, 6/29/35
• Johnny Mize, 7/13/1940
• Stan Musial, 7/24/1949
• Bill White, 8/14/1960
• Ken Boyer, 9/14/1961
• Ken Boyer, 6/16/1964
• Joe Torre, 6/27/1973
• Lou Brock, 5/27/1975
• Willie McGee, 6/23/1984
• Ray Lankford, 9/15/1991
• John Mabry, 5/18/1996
• Mark Grudzielanek, 4/27/2005