July 28, 1967: Cha-Cha Goes Boom Boom

     On July 28, 1967, Orlando Cepeda blasted two home runs, while Dick Hughes fired six hit ball on the way to a 9-1 win over the Braves in Atlanta. Cha-Cha's first big fly was a solo shot that sailed past the fences in the third to give the Birds a 1-0 lead. The Braves evened things up in the bottom of that same inning when Felipe Alou knocked Denis Menke in on a sac fly, but it would be all they would be able to come up with as Hughes locked in, and sat down batter after batter. On the other side of the diamond the Cardinals plated two runs in the fourth, then three more in the fifth, before Cepeda's MVP swing came around and launched a two run bomb that brought Curt Flood into score. The second home run opened up an 8-1 lead, that would extend to 9-1 when Dal Maxvill came up with his third ribbie of the day in the ninth. Cepeda finished the day 3 for 5, with three ribbies of his own, while Dick Hughes strong pitching performance was a highlight of the game as well. The performance by Hughes included six strikeouts, and just two walks, as he led the way from the bump, while Cepeda led the way from the batter's box.

     Cepeda spent just three years in St. Louis. During that time the future Hall of Famer helped the club win the World Series in '67 with an MVP campaign, and he helped them win the National League Pennant in '68 as well. While his time with the Birds was short, he will forever be considered another legendary performer from the rich history of the organization.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ATL/ATL196707280.shtml

July 27, 1955: Wally Moon Slams The Buccos

     On July 27, 1955, an eighth inning grand slam off the bat of Wally Moon highlighted a 6-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates in St. Louis.

      The game was a duel leading with Roy Face toeing the rubber for the Buccos, while Harvey Haddix was on the bump for the Birds. The Cardinals struck with a run in the fourth on an RBI by Bill Virdon, that brought Stan Musial trotting in, before watching Pittsburgh's rookie third baseman Gene Freese launch a game tying solo shot in the sixth. Both pitchers looked to shrug off the runs and continued to dominate, until the bottom of the eighth rolled around.

     Haddix helped start the eighth inning rally by picking up a one out single, and Ken Boyer followed with another. The next man up was second baseman Red Schoendienst, popped one up into foul territory that looked like it would be caught by Pittsburgh's catcher Jack Shepard. The backstop had to reach into the first row of seats to make the grab, but a couple fans beat him to the punch. Shepard was irate, but since the ball was on the fans side of the wall no interference was called. Moments later Red rocked a single to right that scored Haddix. With the score now 2-1, Face just wanted to put the fire out, but the fire was just getting going. He issued a free pass to Stan Musial to load the bases, before Moon took the first pitch he looked at and parked it over the wall in right-center. The grand slam by Moon busted the game wide open, and Haddix who allowed just three hits on the day, had no trouble putting the Bucs to bed in the ninth.

   Moon spent the first five years of his career with the Cardinals. He had the distinction of being the guy who replaced Enos Slaughter. Not the easiest shoes to fill. However, he belted a home run in his first game with the club, and the fans in St. Louis would quickly become a fan of the kid who took home rookie of the year honors in 1954. Moon blasted 78 home runs in a Cardinals uniform. The grand slam that came on this day in '55 was the second of five career grand slams. After a down year in 1958, Moon was sent to the Dodgers for Gino Cimoli. It was terrible trade, as Moon bounced back and hit over .300 for the next three seasons while Cimoli played one season in St. Louis before he was shipped again. While the trade did not work out for the fans in St. Louis, it proved to be a beneficial one for Moon, as he won two titles with the Dodgers. The first came during his first campaign with the club in '59, while the second title capped off his 12 year career in 1965.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN195507270.shtml

July 26, 1963: Gibby Takes Down The Cubbies

     On July 26, 1963, Bob Gibson earned his 12th win of the season with a complete game effort during a 4-1 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The hurler allowed just four hits in the contest, and knocked in the first run of the day in the top of the second on a force play. He watched the 1-0 lead disappear in the bottom of the inning when Ernie Banks doubled to leadoff the inning, then came into score on  Ken Hubbs single. Gibby gave up just two more hits the rest of the way, while Ken Boyer belted his 13th home run of the season in the sixth. The two run shot by Boyer proved to be all the Birds would need as Gibson took care of business. The win was Gibson's fifth straight, and his 11th during his last 12 decisions. Gibson finished that '63 campaign with 18 wins, which was the same total as fellow starter Ernie Broglio. The club won 93 games, but fell short of winning the pennant by six games. With that said, the 27-year-old Gibson was becoming one of the most dominant pitchers in the game, and there would be several pennants coming his way in the very near future.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN196307260.shtml

July 25, 1964: Boyer Helps The Birds Survive In Philly

     On July 25, 1964, up 10-2 headed into the bottom of the ninth at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia, the Cardinals survived a furious rally by the hometown Phillies on the way to a 10-9 victory. Ken Boyer's bat was responsible for five of the Cardinals runs, as The Captain got things going with a fifth inning grand slam. The grand salami opened up a 4-1 lead, and after Mike Shannon tripled, then scored in the sixth, Boyer struck again with a solo shot in the seventh. The big blast opened up a 6-2 lead, before the Birds scored two more in the eighth, and two more in the ninth, as they looked to have the game in the bag. However, that Philadelphia club most definitely made the men who called St. Louis home earn their paychecks, as they put together a rally that fell just short of victory.

     The Cardinals starter, Curt Simmons who had spent 13 seasons in a Philadelphia uniform looked to be on cruise control until the bottom of the ninth came around. Some say the 27th out is the hardest to get, well on this day Simmons could not get past the 25th out. He gave up a leadoff single, issued back-to-back walks, then surrendered back-to-back singles that shrank the lead from 10-2 to 10-4. Still plenty of breathing room, but not for long. Glenn Hobbie took over for Simmons with the bases still loaded and walked Tony Gonzalez, before falling behind 2-0 to Dick Allen, which led to a quick hook. Hobbie handed the ball to Ron Taylor, only to watch him complete the walk to Allen. The 10-2 lead was now 10-6, and there were still no outs. Taylor followed the walk up by surrendering a two run single to leftfielder Alex Johnson, and that once comfortable lead had shrunk to 10-8.

     The Cardinals skipper called on his fourth pitcher of the inning in Mike Cuellar just hoping to salvage the victory. Cuellar was able to get John Herrnstein to hit into a rally killing double play. While the at bat produced the ninth Phillies run of the day, it also brought them down to their last out which came in the form of a popfly by catcher Gus Triandos. Triandos was the man who started the rally with the lead off single   I would imagine the celebration in the clubhouse after a win like that was one of relief, as they had just escaped the grasps of defeat.  It was also a very important win when you consider the fact that the '64 club laid claim to the pennant with a slim one game margin.

     Boyer had 18 two home run games during his storied career. Other than the friendly confines of Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, Boyer hit more home runs in Philadelphia than in any other town he played in, as he blasted 25 past the fences at Connie Mack. He also enjoyed playing in Chicago, which ranks second on the list, as he put 23 past the ivy. The grand slam on that day in Philly was his second of the season, and it turned out to be the last one he hit during a regular season. However, later that same year he belted a grand slam in a pivotal Game 4 of the Fall Classic that led the Birds to a narrow 4-3 victory. Had it not been for the regular season heroics, the postseason heroics would have most likely never existed. Had it not been for Ken Boyer there is a good chance that the flag that flies at Busch with the number 1964 on it would be flying elsewhere.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI196407250.shtml

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

     On July 24, 1949, just one day after a dramatic ninth inning comeback, the Cardinals poured one on the Dodgers at Ebbets Field with a 14-1 blowout, that was highlighted by Stan "The Man" Musial hitting for the cycle. The victory put the Birds into first place in the standings in what proved to be a true battle to the end. Musial tripled in the first off of Don Newcombe, singled in the third off of Paul Minner, and homered in the fifth off of Carl Erskine. Musial completed the feat in the seventh with a double off of Erskine, who then walked him in the ninth. Every other batter in the Cardinals starting lineup besides catcher Joe Garagiola produced a hit, even the pitcher Howie Pollet got in on the action.

     Musial had obtained his nickname "The Man" at Ebbets Field in '46, and he gave those Brooklynites good reason to call him that. In '48 and '49 alone, he hit .531 at Ebbets Field with 43 hits in 22 games. 11 of those hits were doubles, five were triples, and eight sailed past the fence. 37 of his 475 home runs came in front of Brooklyn fans before the team transferred to Los Angeles. The only other ballpark that Musial had more home run success at on the road was at the Polo Grounds that sat a little more than 15 miles due north from of the home of the Dodgers.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BRO/BRO194907240.shtml

July 23, 1949: The Birds Rally To Beat The Bums In Brooklyn

    On July 23, 1949, in front of 28,396 Dodger faithful at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn the Cardinals found themselves down to their last strike, before Marty Marion and Joe Garagiola came up with clutch hits that propelled the club to a 5-4 win over the hometown Dodgers.

     The Birds had fought an uphill battle throughout, as they trailed 2-1 after two, and 3-1 after six, before tying it up in the seventh, only to have the Bums retake the lead in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Jackie Robinson. Despite the four runs on the board the Cardinals starter Gerry Staley had kept the team in it until he was lifted for a pinch hitter in the eighth. While the strategy failed to produce a run, the reliever Ted Wilks made quick work of the Dodgers in the bottom of the inning, before the Cardinals offense got one more shot at the plate. It was an opportunity that would not be wasted, as Stan Musial was issued a free pass to lead off the ninth, which was just the beginning of a rally that would put the Birds just a half game out of first place.

     The walk to Musial led the Dodgers skipper Burt Shotton to calling on Erv Palica to shut the door. Palica immediately gave up a single to Nippy Jones, before the momentum looked to shift right back toward the Dodgers as Enos Slaughter smoked a ball right at Gil Hodges who raced to the bag before Jones could get back for an unassisted double play. Just like that there were two outs, and Musial was still standing on second base. Moments later Musial dashed to third on a passed ball, then watched his teammate Lou Klein reach with another walk. The boys were in business.

     Lou Klein was the next man up, and he was only in the game because All Star third baseman Eddie Kazak sprained his ankle in the second inning after knocking in the first Cardinals run of the day with a double. Klein was issued the second free pass of the inning as the Cardinals refused to go quietly. Marty Marion then stepped in and fell behind 0-2, before fouling off the next two, then as Klein broke for second on the hit and run, Marion connected with a single to right that brought Musial into score the game tying run, as Klein dashed all the way to third. Joe Garagiola followed Marion with a shot past Pee Wee Reese at short that brought Klein into score what proved to be the game winner. Wilks looked to give the Bums a breath of life with a two out walk in the bottom of the frame, but he quickly knocked the wind right out of that sail as Duke Snider struck out looking to end the game. One helluva comeback right there.

      The injury that the 28-year-old suffered was not considered very serious at the time, although it proved to be much more severe than realized as the papers of the day speculated he would be out two weeks. It turned into much more than that as the third baseman played in just five more games in late September. The injury ultimately changed the career path of Kazak who had just appeared in his first All Star game. Tommy Glaviano stepped in at third and played well enough that Kazak became a bench player the following year and thereafter as well.

     The Cardinals took sole ownership of the next day with as Stan Musial hit for the cycle during a 14-1 blowout against that same Dodgers team. The Cardinals held onto first place the majority of the way as they stormed down the stretch. However, those Brooklyn Bums hot on their heels, as the Birds never held more than a 2.5 game lead. With that said there was stretch between August 17th and September 27th that the Cardinals did not trail in the standings. Unfortunately for the Cards the season did not end on the 27th of September. They dropped one to the Pirates that day, then lost another to the Pittsburgh crew, before dropping two to the Cubs. The four game stretch spelled doom for the hopes of a pennant even though they did end on a high note by knocking off the Cubs 13-5 on the final day of the season.

     If it were today the two teams would have had a shot at meeting in the playoffs, but since this happened 20 years before the playoff expansion in baseball there was one winner in the National League, and one winner in the American League. While the Dodgers took the NL crown they were not able to take the World Series crown as they fell to the Yankees in the Fall Classic four games to one. The Cardinals fell just one game short that season of the goal with 96 wins. Still a great year by most standards, just a bittersweet ending. While there was no run in October I believe that Summer of '49 was a great one in St. Louis. Stan Musial belted 36 homers, led the league in triples with 41, and carried a .338 average. He finished right behind Jackie Robinson in the MVP voting. I am sure there was disappointment, but I am also sure those men held their head high as they had gave it their all.
   
     The Summer of '49 also highlighted what was once a great rivalry between the Dodgers and Cardinals. The two clubs had battled each other throughout the 40's. In 1941, the Cardinals won 97 games, but it was not enough as the Dodgers took the flag with 100 wins even. In '42, the Cardinals snatched the flag from their grasp with a 106 win season, while the Dodgers put 104 in the win column. Another great race came in '46 as the two teams once again battled to the end with the Cardinals prevailing with 98 wins compared to Brooklyn's 96. Unfortunately for those in Cardinal Nation the pendulum swung back toward the Dodgers during the last three years of the decade, but the rivalry was great.

     With the recent series between the two clubs it might seem like there is a rivalry heating up once again, but the rivalry will never come close to those days in the 1940's. Not even close. While I like every other Cardinals fan was annoyed with the Kershaw love festival that ESPN put on the other day, I did come to the realize that we should enjoy the hell out of this. Rivalries are fun, and they bring out the best in the teams you are watching. They might not reach the peak of yesteryear, but I can guarantee you this: there will be a day that we look at this era of Cardinals baseball as a fond memory. Win or lose, be sure to enjoy it.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BRO/BRO194907230.shtml

July 22, 1903: Homer Smoot Wins It With An Inside The Park Walk Off

    On July 22, 1903, down 7-5 to the Reds in the ninth at League Park in St. Louis, Homer Smoot stepped to the plate with two on, two out, and rocked a Jack Harper pitch all the way to the right field wall, that turned into a walk off inside the park home run that gave the Cardinals a dramatic 8-7 victory.

     The big hit looked to be a sure triple according to the Sporting News, who also said that the Cincinnati outfielder Cozy Dolan either did not see the ball or he thought that the first two runs that crossed the dish were all the Cardinals needed as he made no effort to retrieve it. It was the second time that Smoot had beat the Redlegs in walk off fashion that season, and the first time he did it came with another three run inside the park home run on April 26th.

     Smoot hit just 15 home runs in his five year career, and 10 of those were inside the park shots. He also accounted for half of the team's big blasts with four during the 1903 season. Of course this was in an era before the ball flew over the wall on a frequent basis as Brooklyn's Jimmy Sheckard led the National League with nine.

     The walk off win capped off a four game sweep of the Reds which proved to be the longest winning streak for the club that season. They posted a 43-94 record and were the occupants of the National League's basement. The club had been dominate as the American Association's Browns in the late 1800s as they took home the pennant in 1885, 1886, 1888, and 1889.

     When the American League's Milwaukee Brewers came to town in 1901 the owner of the AL squad Robert Lee Hedges raided the Cardinals roster which turned his newly christened Browns into a serious contender, while the Cardinals had been turned into the doormats of the National League. It took until 1911 for the club to post a record above .500, and even then they seesawed their way through the standings for a number of years before the '26 season came along and ushered in new era of Cardinal baseball.

     Unfortunately, Homer Smoot who was also known as Doc, never did see those winning days with the team. His days in a Cardinals uniform came in July of 1906 when he was traded to Cincinnati. He played the season out in Cincy before his playing days came to an end. Before that trade was made he had called St. Louis home since 1902. Another article in the Sporting News that featured Smoot proclaimed that he might be able to hit but he could not run or throw. He proved he could run with those inside the park shots, and he stole 84 bases with the team as well. In three of those five seasons he wore a St. Louis uniform he stole 20 bags or more, and the other two he came close with 19 and 17 respectively. While one writer never gave him a chance, he had proved he could play with the big boys by carrying a .292 average with the club, and proved he could play the field as well with a .950 fielding percentage.

     In all likelihood Smoot would have never gotten a chance on a big league diamond had the Browns not come to town and raided the cupboard. It just goes to show that even though it was a rough time in the history of the club, it did prove to be an opportunity for the kid that was nicknamed Doc, and he made the most of. It also is a great example of no matter how bad a record looks on paper there are most definitely silver linings that lie within. One of those silver linings from 1903 came as Smoot rounded third and scored the game winner with his inside the park shot in the ninth on that day in St. Louis oh so long ago.

You can look at Smoot's career numbers here:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/smootho01.shtml