July 14, 1961: Carl Sawalkoffski Day At The Ballpark

     On July 14, 1961, catcher Carl Sawatski hit the only walk off home run of his 11 year career, which propelled the Birds to a 2-1 victory over the visiting Milwaukee Braves.

     The game was a pitching duel from beginning to end, as Larry Jackson toed the rubber for the Birds, and surrendered just two hits. While Bob Buhl was on the bump for the Braves. Buhl was dealin. His only hiccup before the ninth inning big blast came in the second when he served up a leadoff double to Stan Musial, who was knocked in by Sawatski on a groundout two batters later. If not for the effort by the 40-year-old Musial, Sawatski would have never had the chance for the late inning heroics.

     Unfortunately for Jackson one of those two hits he gave up came in the form of a game tying home run that was off of the bat of Milwaukee's first baseman Joe Adcock in the fourth. While Buhl went the distance Johnny Keane called on Red Schoendienst in the seventh to pinch hit for Jackson. Sawatksi had picked up a one out single in the inning, and was moved over to second on a groundout. While Keane had hopes of Schoendienst knocking in the go ahead run, the Milwaukee manager Chuck Dressen had another idea which was an intentional walk, so they could get to a light hitting second baseman by the name of Bob Lillis. The strategy worked out, as Lillis flied out to center, and the 1-1 deadlock remained intact.

     Lindy McDaniel took over pitching duties for the Birds in the eighth, and he did a masterful job by working around a two out jam in that inning, then setting the side down in order in the ninth. The table was set for Sawatski who watched Charlie James pop one up to first before he ended it with the walk off bomb.

     Sawatski spent the last four years of his big league career with the Cardinals. He arrived on the scene in 1960, and played through the '63 season. He hit just 58 home runs during his career, with 35 of those coming with the Birds on the Bat across his chest. While his name might be one that is rarely remembered when it comes to the history of the club, I can guarantee you this, those fans in St. Louis most definitely enjoyed watching him park the walk off shot over the right field wall on that July day in 1961.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN196107140.shtml

Sawatski's career numbers: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sawatca01.shtml

July 13, 1964: Brock and The Birds Beat Up on The Buccos

     On July 13, 1964, led by Lou Brock, the Cardinals took two from the Pirates at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. Brock picked up seven hits in eleven trips to the plate in the two games.

     In the first game Lou went 3 for 5 with a double and an inside the park home run. That game was a true battle as the Buccos tied it in the ninth, before Bill White put the Birds up 4-3 in the tenth with a solo shot. The lead was short lived for the Cards, as Bob Bailey knotted it right back up with a double in the bottom of the inning. The game would reach the twelfth inning before the Cardinals struck again, as Bill White, and Mike Shannon got on with back to back singles, before a passed ball put them 90 feet closer to scoring a run. Julian Javier followed the passed ball up with what proved to be the game winning single that brought White into score. Ron Taylor, who had come into the game in the eleventh had worked his way out of a jam in his first inning of work before setting the side down by retiring the side in order in the bottom of the twelfth to secure the 5-3 victory.

     The bats continued to rock and roll in the second game, with Brock going 4 for 6 with a home run that went over the fence, a triple, and three runs scored. The Birds unleashed a 20 hit attack in that second tilt, giving them 35 hits on the day. Bill White muscled up for his second home run of the day in that contest, Julian Javier went 4 for 4, Dick Groat picked up two hits to bring his total to five on the day, and Ken Boyer went 3 for 6 with an RBI. Boyer had picked up a hit in the first game with a two ribbies. While Brock had led the way, the entire club had enjoyed one helluva day in the Steel City.  The two wins put the Cardinals 8.5 games out of first place, as they were in search of their first National League pennant since 1946. The team battled all the way until the final week of the season to obtain that pennant, then went on a run to World Series glory.

Check out the box scores here.
Game 1: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PIT/PIT196407131.shtml
Game 2: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PIT/PIT196407132.shtml

July 12, 1955: Stan The Man Leads The National League To Victory With a Walk Off Blast

     On July 12, 1955, with more than 45,000 in the stands at County Stadium in Milwaukee, Stan The Man Musial blasted a walk off solo shot in the bottom of the 12th that propelled the National League to a 6-5 comeback victory in the 22nd playing of the midsummer classic.

     Musial came into the contest during the fourth inning and yet to connect with a hit before the walk off blast that capped off a miraculous comeback. The National League had fell in a 4-0 hole in the first which was highlighted by a three run home run by the Yankees legend Mickey Mantle. The A.L. squad tacked on another in the sixth, and the work would be cut out for the National Leaguers.

     The tide turned in the seventh. Giants legend Willie Mays made an unbelievable grab in the top of the inning that robbed Ted Williams of a homer, then in the bottom of the inning he led things off with a single. May stood at first, and watched the next two men be retired in quick succession before Hank Aaron of the hometown Braves drew a two out walk. Aaron's teammate Johnny Logan came to the dish and rapped a single that brought Mays into score from second. One batter later Phillies catcher Stan Lopata was called off the bench to hit for Smoky Burgess who called Cincinnati home. Lopata hit a hot shot right at White Sox shortstop Chico Carrasquel who bobbled the ball, which led to Aaron crossing the plate, while Lopata stood at first. The long inning ended when pinch hitter Gene Baker of the Cubs was retired on a routine popup to center. The 5-0 advantage had been cut to 5-2, as the National League squad showed they would not go quietly.

     The wave of momentum carried over to the eighth, although, it looked like the A.L. was going to bring it to a stop pretty quick, as Red Schoendienst and Stan Musial grounded out in succession. Then came Willie Mays. The Giants slugger had sparked the first rally, and he would do it again with a single to right, that was followed by another single to right off the bat of Cincinnati's Ted Kluszewski that led to Mays taking third base, before Cubs third baseman picked up the third single in a row to bring Mays into score. 5-3. Just like the inning that came before it, an error would haunt the A.L. squad. Hank Aaron came to the dish with a chance to do some damage, and just like the three men that came before him he singled into right. The A.L.'s rightfielder Al Kaline of the Detroit Tigers tried to fire the ball to third, where it could not be handled by Cleveland's Al Smith. The error was a fatal one as two runs scored in the process, and just like that it was a whole new ballgame with the score knotted at 5.

     From there it became a pitching duel, as Frank Sullivan of the Red Sox matched Cincy's Joe Nuxhall pitch for pitch. Nuxhall struck out five and Sullivan struck out four, as they dueled into the 12th. Musial was the first man up in that 12th inning and he would be the only man that would make a plate appearance for the National League in the frame. As he walked toward the batters box, his teammate Harry Walker shouted "Let's end this now, Stan. I'm hungry." Musial stepped to the plate, where Yogi Berra of the Yankees was crouched in the catcher position. Berra said something to the effect of my feet are killing me, and Stan told him to relax he would have him home in a minute. Musial was not kidding, as he took the first pitch from Sullivan and crushed it into the right field bleachers. As Al Kaline watched it sail over his head, Musial began a home run trot with a great celebration on tap, as he was greeted at home plate by a mob of victorious teammates.

     The big blast was a record breaker, as Stan came into the game tied with Ted Williams and Ralph Kiner with three home runs in the Mid Summer Classic. Musial appeared in 24 All Star games, a record that has only been matched by Willie Mays. He belted two more long balls in the All Star game, with the fifth coming in  1956, then the final one coming in 1960. The six All Star game home runs is a still standing record for the man who wore that same number on his back. In 2011 the game winner in 1955 was voted as the top moment in All Star history. Watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHsGaodBt0c

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NLS/NLS195507120.shtml

July 11, 1911: The Cardinals Survive a Deadly Train Accident in Connecticut

     On July 11, 1911, a little after 3:30 a.m., just outside of Bridgeport, Connecticut, the entire St. Louis Cardinals baseball team survived a deadly train accident that claimed 14 lives, and injured 47 more. The cars that were occupied by Cardinals were the only ones left on the tracks. Realizing that the ballplayers had only suffered minor injuries the Cardinals skipper Roger Bresnahan coordinated a rescue effort, as the players and coaches went from accident victims to rescue workers in a matter of minutes.

     The accident was caused by a fatal error by the engineer who was running late, and was trying to make up time with the throttle wide open. The engineer blew through a crossover that had a speed limit of 15 MPH at 60 MPH. The newly installed crossover was designed to slow the train down for a stop at the station in Bridgeport. Just moments before hitting the crossover the train flew past a towerman that said the steam had been turned off, as the engineer realized his error, and was trying to slow it down. It was too late.

     The Day out of New London, Connecticut described what happened next in grave detail as they wrote "When the heavy vestibuled train of nine cars struck the switch at full speed the locomotive leaped into the air like a rearing horse, rocked and swayed over the ties for nearly 150 yards and finally leaped to the street below, dragging six cars down the bank." The bank that was spoken of was an embankment of nearly 20 feet.  

     It has been said that Bresnahan had complained about the club being put in the front of the train before they left Philadelphia, which got them transferred to the back. However, there were several accounts of the story, with some contradicting the claim. The one that was widely reported was the railroad mixed up the order of the cars which put them in a fateful position. Either way it goes the club was very lucky to be shifted to the back, as the cars in front were crushed like matchsticks, and held no survivors. The players suffered cuts on their feet and hands as they dug through the wreckage. Some of the things that they seen and heard were unspeakable as everyone could not be saved. However, the team came together and helped the many injured while emergency workers arrived on the scene.  If not for their quick response the death toll would have been higher.

      The club was in the midst of a great stretch of baseball, when they hopped on that train called the "Federal Express" in Philadelphia that was set them to take them to Boston for a matchup against the Rustlers (who would later become known as the Braves). The train had taken its nickname as a frequent rider just happened to be the President of the United States William Howard Taft. The accident caught the attention of the White House because of this, and the scrutiny of the company who had an inexperienced engineer followed. Lawsuits followed, and were settled, while the Cardinals players each received $25 apiece for their lost luggage. In the end there was nothing that could be done to fix his fatal mistake that made him one of the 14 lives lost. Besides try to learn from the mistakes that were made of course.

     Just hours after the accident the Cardinals were put on a special train to get them to Boston. The team was presented with an opportunity to forfeit against the Boston club on the 12th, but chose to play and took the first game of a doubleheader 13-6, then tied the second game 6-6 that came to a close with the sun setting in the Boston sky. They were very lucky to see that sunset. The amazing story of tragedy and survival would end up taking a toll on the team, as many players did not want to step on a train after the incident, and were haunted by the accident. While they won six of their next eight, they put together a 27-40 record in the last two months, and finished just a game over .500 with a 75-74 record. With that said they lived to tell the tale, and they lived to play on another day in Cardinal Nation.

This link is to a picture gallery from the accident. I was a bit surprised to find it. I had seen the battered images in the old newspapers beforehand, but these really hammer it home on how bad of an accident this was: http://www.sportingoregon.com/p479278548/h4e695c46#h4dca07fa

July 10, 1897: The Great Umpire Egging of 1897

     On July 10, 1897, with the scored tied 2-2 in the fifth inning, during a contest against the Brooklyn Bridegrooms at Robison Field in St. Louis, umpire Jack Sheridan was egged by a fan after a close call went toward the Brooklyn club. According to Sporting News two eggs were thrown before the embattled umpire called upon the Browns owner Chris von der Ahe to provide him protection from the unruly spectators. The owner beckoned three local police officers to stand with him in front of the grandstands to grab control of the situation. The team that would take on the Cardinals nickname in just three years went on to win the game 4-2 with second baseman Bill Hallman knocking in what proved to be the game winning run in the eighth.

     The win that day was a rarity for the Browns. It was their second in a row, which proved to be the longest winning streak they could put together during the season that saw them win just 29 games while losing 102. However, there were some highlights, and quite a few lowlights, which included a couple of eggs flying at an umpire. Quite frankly it makes me laugh just thinking about walking through a gate at a ballpark while the guy in front of me has a dozen eggs with him. While this might sound off the wall (because it is) there were many off the wall moments in the early days of baseball. Everything from fans forming angry mobs and running umpires out of parks, to people firing off pistols in the stands on the Fourth of July. The great game that is played on a diamond is by far the most storied game of them all, and on this day in 1897 ole Jack Sheridan became a part of one those classic stories.

Hey ma, don't forget to grab them eggs.

July 9, 1955: Musial Slams The Cubbies

     On July 9, 1955, Stan The Man Musial erased a 1-0 deficit with a sixth inning grand slam that proved to be all the Cardinals would need to beat the Cubs by the score of 4-2 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Tom Poholsky grabbed the W with a complete game effort that included six strikeouts. Poholsky did have a couple hiccups in the contest, as he served up solo shots to Jim King and Hank Sauer. On the other side of the diamond Warren Hacker was in search of his 10th win of the season, and he made a strong run at it until the bottom of the sixth inning rolled around. A free pass, and two perfectly laid out bunts, and an error later, the bases were loaded. The Man who wore the six on his back stepped to the plate sent the 310th home run of his career over the wall. It was the fifth grand slam of his Hall of Fame career. He had four more packed in his bat.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN195507090.shtml

July 8, 1962, Stan The Man Launches Three In The Big Apple

     On July 8, 1962, with a three home run performance during a 15-1 thrashing of the Mets at the Polo Grounds in New York, Stan The Man Musial tied a major league record for home runs in consecutive at bats. Musial had belted a home run in his last at bat the day before, which proved to be a game winner as the Birds prevailed over that same Mets squad 3-2, then he returned to the ballpark the next day and entered the record books once again. The 41-year-old was no stranger to the record book at that point in his career, and he made it look easy, as he belted a solo shot in the first off of Jay Hook, then victimized the hurler once again with a solo shot in the fourth. When he stepped into the batters box in the seventh, there was a rookie on the mound by the name of Willard Hunter who served up the third home run of the day. The three home run barrage made Musial the oldest player to hit three home runs in a game, and the oldest to hit four home runs in consecutive at bats.

     Before that day only 12 major leaguers had hit four home run in consecutive trips to the plate. Today, 22 men are on that list. Albert Pujols joined him in the exclusive club in 2006, and Carlos Gonzalez of the Colorado Rockies is the last to achieve the feat, as he joined the club in 2012.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN196207080.shtml