March 23: 1938: Landis Deals A Heavy Blow To The Cardinals Farm Systems

     On March 23, 1938, the commissioner of baseball, Kenesaw Mountain Landis declared 91 of the players in the Cardinals minor league system free agents. With Branch Rickey leading the way, the Cardinals were the pioneers in minor league development. This began in 1919, and turned the Cardinals into one of the most competitive teams in all of baseball. The commissioner's opinion about the farm system was that it would destroy minor league baseball, and he sought to bring it to an end. (The picture was published in The Evening Independent out of St. Petersburg, Florida two days before the ruling was made)

     The issues with the commissioner began long before this day in 1938. Landis had a low opinion of Rickey, and we already know how he felt about the farm system. The pot began to boil in the mid 20's. Being the team that introduced the farms system to Major League Baseball, the Cardinals were ahead of the curve. By the end of the 20's every team had a minor league team, the Cardinals had several. In the eyes of Landis a team should be restricted to one minor league team and that was it. Keep in mind this was a different era in baseball, and he did have valid points to be made. 

     At the annual banquet of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues held in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1929, the commissioner denounced the system. During his speech at that banquet Landis said "Already the seeds of disintegration have sprung into life." Landis saw that both the major league owners and the men who owned the minor league clubs were spreading themselves thin. Those who had multiple farm systems could bury players to where they would never get a shot at the big leagues. He had owners as well as many minor league ballplayers on his side. At the end of that banquet Landis said "I will keep hammering at this thing until something is done about it." 

     There was a key figure missing from that banquet and his name was Branch Rickey. In fact, there was no one there who represented the St. Louis Cardinals who Landis had seemed to have formed an agenda against. Throughout the next ten years, Landis proposed several ideas in an effort to revamp the minor league system altogether. One proposal had a player eligible for a draft after four years in an organization. This would at least give the player a chance to make a major league club rather than toil away in the minors It was a battle that Landis fought diligently, but just could not win. 

     By the Spring of '38, Landis had found the information that he had been looking for. He had launched a full-scale investigation into the Cardinals minor league system. In the years that led up to the investigation the organization had entered into an agreement with a minor league club out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, but they failed to tell the commissioner about this agreement. Over a three year period players in the Cardinals system were shuffled through Cedar Rapids who then shuffled them through other leagues while still under control of the Cardinals. Once it came to the attention of the commissioner he finally possessed the ammunition he needed to deal a heavy blow to Rickey and company. 

     Rickey denied any wrongdoing. He acknowledged the organization stocked the Cedar Rapids organization, but claimed that the players could be signed by any other club if they so desired. Landis wasn't buying what Rickey was selling and the decision was made the 91 players would hit the open market. The ruling did not have the desired effect that Landis had in mind. He thought it would cripple the Cardinals, however, the club won more games than any other team throughout the 1940's. 

     Of the 91 players who hit the open market, only second baseman Skeeter Webb and outfielder Pete Reiser made it to the majors. Webb bounced around for  12 years at the major league level. In two of those years he started more than 100 games, but spent most of his career as a utility man with very limited playing time. On the other hand, Reiser, a native St. Louisan was signed by the Dodgers. While wearing Dodger blue, Reiser was selected to the All Star game three times and helped them win the National League pennant in 1941 as they beat out the Cardinals by 2 1/2 games. Unfortunately for Reiser he injured himself the next year in game against the Cardinals in St. Louis when he ran into the wall at Sportsman's Park trying to field a ball that turned out to be a game winning inside the park homerun for Enos Slaughter. After that injury his career went into decline. 


     Landis continued his battle against the farm systems following the ruling against the Cardinals. On January 15th of 1940, the commissioner dropped a bomb on the Detroit Tigers organization by freeing 92 of their minor leaguers for infractions against baseball policy. If Landis continued  on the same path it was estimated that at least 10 different minor league teams would fold. A month after the ruling against the Tigers the commissioner met with 5 owners and reached a mutual agreement when it came to the minor league systems. It was a long war between the commissioner and the owners. While Landis had some of them on his side it was not enough to make the changes that he believed should happen. The owner of the Cardinals, Sam Breadon attended that meeting and for the first time in more than two years the owner and the commish were refraining from throwing verbal punches at each other through the media. It had been a long battle. In the end the Cardinals won the war. 

March 17, 1969: The Cards Swap Orlando Cepeda For Joe Torre

     On March 17, 1969, Bing Devine engineered a deal that sent first baseman Orlando Cepeda to the Atlanta  Braves in exchange for catcher/third baseman Joe Torre. The trade was not well received in St. Louis. Cepeda took home the league's MVP award in '67. That same year he helped bring another World Series title to the organization, and the next year he would help them win another pennant. While the Cardinals did win the National League pennant in '68, Cepeda's batting average sank to .248, at 31 years of age he was reaching a turning point in his career which had a downhill slope on the other side. On the other hand, Torre was 28-years-old at the time and was just beginning to peak. The trade turned out to be a great deal for the Birds as Torre spent the next six seasons in St. Louis, batting .308 with 96 homers. Torre's greatest achievement while wearing the birds on the bat came in 1971, when he took home the league's MVP award.

     The wheels were in motion to move Torre out of the Braves several months before the deal was made. Torre had been in a verbal feud with the vice president of the Braves organization Paul Richards since the early part of that year. As an active member of the players association, Torre was fighting to improve the players pension plan. As you could imagine this did not go over well with those who had the money he was trying to help spend. As the feud escalated Torre refused to sign his contract with the Braves. He was demanding more money as well as an apology from Richards. They were at a point of irreconcilable differences, as Richards was quoted as to saying "Torre could hold out to Thanksgiving." The Braves organization engaged in trade talks with the New York Mets for several months before realizing that they would not be able to get a deal done. Then came a conversation with Bing Devine. Four hours later, Torre was headed to St. Louis.

     The initial plan for Torre was for him to man first base, as well as back up catcher Tim McCarver. His versatility made him a valuable commodity, as the team had a prospect by the name of Joe Hague who they had hoped to give a legitimate shot with the big club. Hague did not live up to expectations, however, Torre did. His first year with the Birds he stood at first base during 144 games and just 17 games behind the dish. In 1970 he split catching duties with an up and coming catcher by the name of Ted Simmons. When he wasn't catching, he was holding down third base. Torre was great mentor for the kid who would catch games for the Cardinals until the end of the 1980 season. With the emergence of Simmons, Torre moved over to third base permanently. He was taking over for Mike Shannon, who had been diagnosed with a kidney disease, which led to his playing days coming to an end. The 1970 season had been a career year for Torre at the plate, as he knocked in 100 runs while batting .325. The MVP year in '71 was one for the ages.

     During that MVP campaign Torre belted out a .363 average, with 230 hits, and 137 RBI's. 24 of those 230 hits were home runs, and another 34 of them were doubles. The season began with a 22 game hitting streak, and by the time the All Star break rolled around Torre was selected as the starting third baseman for the National League squad. At that point he already had 118 hits and 60 ribbies. He was playing like a man on fire and no one could extinguish his flames. He never went more than 10 consecutive at-bats without a hit as he forged a legendary season. When Torre was named the league's MVP, he was the tenth Cardinal to receive the honor and he was the first National League third baseman to win the award in 59 years. Torre never did get to experience winning a World Series in St. Louis, however, he was one of the most productive men in the league while he wore the Cardinals uniform. He helped the club finish in second place in '73 and '74 and even hit for the cycle with those birds on the bat across his chest.

     This generation might remember Joe Torre as the skipper of the club before Tony LaRussa arrived on the scene. What they might not know is that when he stepped on the diamond as a player he was an offensive force who gave Cardinals fans a reason to cheer on many summer days throughout the early seventies. In 1974, Kenny Reitz was the heir apparent at third, and with Torre now 34-years-old the club decided to move him to the New York Mets. Coincidentally, they got Tommy Moore and Ray Sadecki in return. Sadecki had been a part of the deal that brought Cepeda to the Cardinals in 1966. By the time the Cardinals dealt Torre in '74, Cepeda's playing days had come to an end. It's safe to say the deal worked out in St. Louis.

March 14, 1899: SOLD!!! The St. Louis Browns Hit The Auction Block

     On March 14, 1899, the club that would become known as the Cardinals were auctioned off at the Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis. The club, then known as the Browns had been owned by Chris Von der Ahe who had been losing money for many years. The winning bidder was a longtime St. Louis lumber dealer by the name of G.A. Gruner who purchased the club for $33,000. By today's standards that would be nearly $900,000. Three days after winning the auction, Gruner sold the club to Edward C. Becker, a prominent St. Louis attorney who was working for  Frank and Stanley Robison who owned the Cleveland Spiders and would take ownership of the team in St. Louis. The Robison brothers changed the team's name to the Perfectos. Along with the name change the two brothers decided to change the uniforms as well, as they had decided a red with white trim was a good look for the club. After hearing a woman remark that the new uniforms were a lovely shade of cardinal, a new nickname was born for that ballclub who called St. Louis home. (The cartoon was printed in the Sporting News on March 18, 1899)

     At the time of the purchase there were no rules against owning more than one team. The Robison brothers had built a pretty decent club in Cleveland. Throughout the 1890's, the Spiders were always considered a contender, although, they never did win a pennant. Despite being a contender the Spiders didn't draw the crowds needed to support the club. The Browns in St. Louis were far from contenders, yet they outdrew the Spiders in every season from 1892 to 1898. When the Robison's took control in St. Louis they brought eight players from the Spiders with them. This included Hall of Famers: Cy Young, Jesse Burkett, and Bobby Wallace. The revamped club in St. Louis went from bottom dwellers who had posted a 39-111 in 1898 to 84-67 in 1899. Meanwhile, the Spiders had the worst season in baseball history as they watched their best players shift to St. Louis. They had posted an 81-68 record in 1898, then in 1899 they only won 20 games while losing 134. Most of the fans in Cleveland refused to watch the club play, because of that they played 112 of  their 154 games on the road. This spelled the end for Cleveland organization who disbanded in 1900.

     Von der Ahe, who was once estimated to be worth more than $1 million had lived well beyond his means. After his days as an owner of a Major League ballclub he worked as a bartender. Von der Ahe had a drinking problem that caused him many problems. He went bankrupt in 1908. The Cardinals and the newly christened American League St. Louis Browns played a benefit game to help him out. They raised $5,000 for the former owner who lived a few more years before passing away in 1913.

February 20, 1953: Gussie Buys The Birds

     On February 20, 1953, beer baron August A. Busch Jr. purchased the St. Louis Cardinals from Fred Saigh for $3.75 million. By today's standards that would be nearly $33 million. Saigh was forced to sell after being sentenced to 15 months in prison for tax evasion. The sale of the team to Busch has great historical significance as he stepped in during the 11th hour to prevent a sale of the team to a group out of Milwaukee. Busch guaranteed that the team would remain in St. Louis, which led to the Browns packing their bags and heading to Baltimore.

     Saigh along with his business partner Robert Hannegan purchased the club from Sam Breadon in '47. Their ownership is not as celebrated as other owners, as Hannegan was forced to sell his shares to Saigh due to declining health, and Saigh's legal issues that had forced him to sell the team just six years after he had celebrated the purchase. Saigh did not want to sell, but the powers that be in baseball insisted he do so in order to keep from giving the national pastime a proverbial black eye. A group out of Houston along with the group out of Milwaukee made significantly higher offers than Busch, but the longtime St. Louisan chose Busch knowing that he would not be shifting the club to another city. While the ownership of Hannegan and Saigh isn't as celebrated as others, it was an albeit short but very important era in the history of the organization. If Saigh would have chose greed over what his heart told him was right there is a very good possibility that the Cardinals would resided elsewhere.

     Busch, the President of the Anheuser-Busch saved the day for the fans in St. Louis with his 11th hour offer, In his official statement Busch said "We hope to make the Cardinals one of the greatest baseball teams of all time, and we propose to further develop our farm clubs." He promised to take an active role in the front office and would usher in a new era in Cardinal baseball. He owned the team  until he passed away in 1989. During his 36 years as the owner of the Cardinals, Busch saw the club win the National League Pennant six times which included three World Series titles. While he was already ingrained into the fabric of the City of St. Louis, his ownership of the team elevated him into legendary status. The team retired the number 85 in 1984 to honor the owner who was 85 years old at the time, and this year he was enshrined into new Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum at Ballpark Village. He did have his fair share of ups and downs, but the Gussie Busch era will always be remembered for great success, and for him being an owner that endeared himself to the fans and the city that he called home since the day he was born in 1899.

This is an article that was published in the New York Times after Mr. Busch passed away. It includes a short bio that will give you great insight into the life and times of the former Cardinals patriarch:  http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0328.html 
   

January 29, 1958: Stan The Man Inks A $100,000 Deal

    On January 29, 1958, Stan The Man Musial became the second player in the history of the National League to earn six figures when he inked a deal that would pay him $100,000 for the upcoming season. Stan was coming off a season that he had hit .351 and knocked 29 balls out of the yard. The owner of the Cardinals, Gussie Busch seen the accomplishments of the 37 year old who had become the face of the franchise and gave him a boost of $20,000 as a reward for all of the hard work he had put in to be one of the best in all of baseball.

     

     The contract wasn't the first to hit the $100,000 mark in baseball, that distinction belonged to Hank Greenberg who inked a $100,000 deal with the Pirates in '47, then in '49 the legendary Joe DiMaggio signed with the Yankees for $100,000. The minute the deal that Stan made hit the newswire, speculation began throughout the baseball community that Boston's Ted Williams would top the $100,000 mark as he was set to negotiate a new contract. Just six days after Musial put his signature on the contract in St. Louis, Williams signed a deal that would pay him $125,000 for the '58 season and also made him the highest paid player in the game.

     It seems that both Musial and Williams were always topping each other. Since the first days that Stan stepped on the field at the major league lever there was an argument between fans and pundits alike as to who was the better hitter. It was a argument that had valid points on both sides. The day the deal was inked Williams' lifetime average was 10 points higher than Musial's .340, he led The Man in home runs 456 to 381, and RBI's with 1,639 to Musial's 1,572. On the other hand, Musial had won 7 batting titles to Williams' 5 and he had also won the league MVP award three times which was something that Williams had taken home twice. In hindsight they were truly both the greatest of their era and even though Williams might even be the greatest to ever swing a bat there is no way I would have taken him over Stan. I say that with all due respect to Williams and his accomplishments. I just hold Stan in a much different light compared to anyone who ever picked up a bat.

     Musial produced a .337 average in that '58 season and added another 17 home runs to his career totals. By today's standards the $100,000 that Stan earned that year would top more than $800,000. Just recently I wrote a short story for https://www.facebook.com/OnThisDayInSports about the day that Jackie Robinson became the richest man in the history of the Dodgers organiazation. I reflect on that now because of the money that we see in contracts today. According to baseballreference.com Stan earned $980,000 over his entire career. That would be nearly $8 million today. Nothing to scoff at, but when we see what is happening with contracts nowadays it can really make the wheels in the ole head spin a bit.

     I think it is important to note that some of the numbers in the contracts might have been skewed a bit. Many of the numbers I used in this story were obtained from newspaper archives from the days that followed. Baseballreference.com lists some differnt totals that were provided by a researcher named Michael Haupert. If you look to the side of those estimations by Haupert, it does list the totals that were reported by The Sporting News which are concurrent with the newspapers I used as a reference. 

Here are both Stan Musial's and Ted Williams' career numbers: 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/musiast01.shtml

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/willite01.shtml

The AP file photo came with the caption: A Raise, And A Pat On The Back

Stan Musial of the St, Louis Cardinals gets a pat on the back from club owner August A. Busch Jr.after signing his 1958 contract for an estimated $100,000, a raise of about $20,000. In the rear is Bing Devine, Cards General Manager.

*Correction: I did correct some information in this blog as the Greenberg signing with Pittsburgh came to my attention. Originally I had Stan as the first National League player to make $100,000 but realized at a later date that Greenberg had come before him in that department. 

     

January 16, 1970: Curt Flood Versus Baseball

On January 16, 1970, with the support of the Major League Players Association, Curt Flood formally filed suit against Major League Baseball as he challenged baseball's reserve clause. The clause basically took all freedoms from a player after they had inked a deal with their respective team, while the team could trade, sell, or release a player whenever they felt it to be in their best interest. In the eyes of Flood he felt it to be unjust and that a player should have a right to choose where he would play. It was a fight that Flood did not necessarily win but it was a battle that would forever change the landscape in baseball.

The wheels were set in motion the moment the Cardinals decided to trade Flood in October of '69, it was a package deal that sent Tim McCarver, Byron Browne, and Joe Hoerner to Philly for Dick Allen, Cookie Rojas, and Jerry Johnson. After Flood refused to report to Philly the Cardinals would end up sending Willie Montanez and a minor leaguer by the name of Jim Browning in his place. However, the can of worms had been opened. On Christmas Eve in '69 Flood wrote a letter to Kuhn stating that he believed he should have a choice in the matter and that all clubs should be able to bid for his services. Kuhn refused to grant Flood his wish saying that the trade would stand as it should since he was under contract. Flood thought otherwise and a lawsuit was imminent.

The names in the Federal lawsuit included all 24 owners, the presidents of both the National and American League's, as well as the commissioner of baseball Mr. Bowie Kuhn. It would end up costing the embattled centerfielder a year in his career as the suit worked its way through the legal system before ending up in front of the Supreme Court. The nation's highest court heard the case on March 20, 1970, it took more than two years for a ruling and Flood returned to baseball following the '70 season. He was traded by the Phillies to the Washington Senators and would appear in just 13 games in with the team before deciding to retire at the age of 33.

On June 19, 1972, the court ruled in favor of Major League Baseball, and it looked like a baseball score with Flood losing his fight 5-3. The court upheld a ruling from 1922. While he had been defeated a change was on the horizon, not that it did much for Flood himself. After the decision he saw a marriage fall apart, battled alcoholism, and was looked at by many as an enemy in the world of baseball. While many will remember him for the fight he took on, nobody but those closest to him could tell you about the toll it took on not only him but his family as well.

On a nice summer day this coming year, I will be sure to tell you about one of the great games that Flood played in a career that is to be admired. Today, I will give you a quick summary of his career in a Cardinals uniform. In December of '57 the Reds shipped him to St. Louis, the next season the 20 year old cracked the big league roster.  He developed quickly into what many consider the best centerfielder of his generation. He won 7 consecutive Gold Gloves beginning in 1963 and he could hit as well. A .293 career hitter, Flood hit over .300 six times, he was a key component in two World Series Titles in '64 then again in '67 and on many summer days in the city of St. Louis he gave fans a reason to cheer. Unfortunately some chose to remember an error during Game 7 of the '68 World Series that might have just cost the Cardinals a championship. The error ended up leading to three runs for the Tigers who won that game 4-1. It truly is unfortunate. Flood, a normally sure handed outfielder, who at one point had set a record by going 568 chances without an error which spanned over a record setting 226 games. Each of those records has since been surpassed but it does give you a glimpse into just how good he was.

Flood came into the '69 season looking for a raise, he had made $72,500 in '68 and came to Gussie Busch asking to be paid $90,000. He did get the money but he had also severed a tie with the owner of the ballclub who considered him to be ungrateful. After that season ended it looked like the time had come for Flood and the Cardinals to part ways and the trade was engineered. Flood might have wanted to get paid what he felt he was due, but he did not want to leave the City of St. Louis. The choice he made to take on baseball's reserve clause did not only end his days in St. Louis, it also led to the premature end of an absolutely great career.

As the old saying goes "We might have lost the battle, but we did not lose the war" this can be true in the case of Curt Flood if the word we was removed in the latter part of the saying. He lost the battle while others won the war. In 1975, Dave McNally and Andy Messersmith were granted free agency after a federal arbitrator upheld the individual bargaining rights of the players and granted them free agency. With the owners seeing the writing on the wall they agreed to essentially end the reserve clause in the next collective bargaining agreement. The war had been won.

As stated before, Flood was considered by many to be the best centerfielder in the game for more than a decade. He had helped the team achieve great success while having great success of his own. His battle did forever change the landscape of baseball and in my humble opinion he deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame. I do understand statistical arguments but I do think that when we talk Hall of Fame that a player's impact on the game on and off the field should be recognized. For me, it is a travesty that his family has not been able to celebrate that day when he is recognized among those that will be immortalized forever. There is no doubt that Flood will also be immortalized as his story will be told to future generations to come but until he has his rightful spot in Cooperstown, New York, the Hall of Fame will be missing a key piece that played a huge part in the history of the great game that we call baseball.

If that day comes and the powers that be get it right, I know for fact that his family will appreciate it more than I could ever tell you. I would think it would be a bittersweet moment since Flood passed away in 1997 at the age of 59. I'm sure the tears would flow for his daughter and many others who have tried to argue the case that Curt Flood belongs in the Hall of Fame.

Today we hear and read about players signing contracts that are beyond the stars. As we sat back and watched Albert Pujols pack his bags for Anaheim after the 2011 season many looked down upon his decision to do so. Personally, in the name of Curt Flood I could not do that. By celebrating the life of Curt Flood and the battle he fought it is important to realize that each and every player is their own man, nobody owns anyone. If a player chooses to take more money elsewhere it is their choice, much like it is my choice to change employers at my discretion. I would feel like a hypocrite if I celebrated the life of Curt Flood then disparaged those who were able to use the rights that he had fought so hard for. I do realize this might not be the popular opinion but it is my opinion nonetheless. I hope that every time a free agent picks up a pen that is a signature away from making him rich beyond his wildest dreams they are aware of the battle that Curt Flood fought.

I usually try to stay away from these becoming opinion pieces but I feel strongly about Curt Flood and his contributions to the game. If I see the day when he is inducted I might just make the trip.

If you would like an in depth look at the definition and history of the reserve clause take a look at this: http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/reserve_clause

December 20, 1926: Hornsby For Frisch

     On December 20, 1926, in what was called the biggest deal since the Yankees purchased Babe Ruth, the Cardinals stunned the baseball world by sending second baseman Rogers Hornsby to the New York Giants in exchange for second baseman Frankie Frisch and pitcher Jimmy Ring.

     Hornsby and Cardinals President Sam Breadon were at odds over a contract dispute in which the star second baseman was demanding a three year contract as well as a substantial raise. Breadon offered him $50,000 for one year, it was a raise of $20,000, but the length of the contract was not enough for the man who had just guided the Birds to the first title in the history of the franchise.

     The list of accomplishments for Hornsby in St. Louis is long. He began his career with the Birds in 1919 and developed into one of the best hitters in the game, winning two Triple Crowns, an MVP award, then topped it off with the World Series title.

     After the deal was announced the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce and the Mayor of the city Victor Miller contacted the Commissioner of Baseball Kennesaw Mountain Landis hoping they could get the trade voided to no avail. The divorce between the owner and the player was an ugly one. Hornsby said that leaving the fans in St. Louis was one of the hardest blows of his life. However, he was upset with some of the statements that Breadon made about him and in a letter to his former employer he wrote "If you say that I wanted to leave St. Louis that is untrue, but to terminate relations with you, that is the truth." Breadon believed that after the '26 season that saw Hornsby's average fall from his MVP total of .425 in '25 to .317 in '26 that he was clearly in decline and was not going to offer him a multiyear deal. Despite Breadon's assumptions Hornsby had a lot of great years ahead of him.

     The fans in St. Louis were upset about the deal that sent Hornsby to the Big Apple, Breadon even had to disconnect his home phone after receiving numerous harassing phone calls. While the fans in the Lou weren't happy the deal was not a bad one at all. Frisch otherwise known as the "Fordham Flash" had already appeared in four World Series with the Giants, winning two titles. In St. Louis, he appeared in four more World Series and won two more rings along the way. After falling just short of the title in '28, then again in '30, Frisch and the Birds won it all in '31. After being named player/manager in '33, Frisch was described as the "driving force" behind the Gashouse Gang as he guided the club to the 1934 World Series title. When he first stepped to the plate in St. Louis, Frisch would listen to the crowd chant "We want Hornsby!!" "We want Hornsby!!!", by the time he retired in 1937, Frisch was a Cardinal legend and I'm sure many of those fans were glad he that wore those birds on the bat.

You can checkout the career numbers of Horsby and Frisch here
Hornsby:http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hornsro01.shtml
Frisch: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/friscfr01.shtml

Sidenote: Ring went 0-4 with the Cards then retired after posting a 4-17 record with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1928.