October 7, 1964: The Birds Topple The Yankees In Game One of The Fall Classic

     On October 7, 1964, the Cardinals opened the World Series with a 9-5 victory over the Yankees. It was a matchup that featured 17 game winner Whitey Ford on the bump for the Yankees, while the Cardinals countered with a 20 game winner in Ray Sadecki. Neither of the hurlers had their best day on the bump, but Sadecki was able to keep the Birds in it, which was key to the victory. However, there would be unlikely heroes off the bench and the bullpen, as well as a moon shot by a rookie that was nicknamed "The Moon Man."

     The Birds flew into the lead early with an RBI sac fly by Ken Boyer in the first inning, but the lead would be short lived. The Yankees catcher Elston Howard got onboard with a single to lead off an inning, then came trotting in when leftfielder Tom Tresh  put one over the wall in left. The Yankees were on top, and were not done yet. Clete Boyer rapped an one out single, and stole second, then was rewarded for his efforts when the pitcher, Whitey Ford came up with a single that brought him into score. Definitely not going the way Sadecki had hoped for. He walked a man, then finally got out of the inning.

     There was a long way to go in this one, and the men on that Cardinals bench knew that. They would go right back to work, and Sadecki matched counterpart Ford by knocking in a run with a single that brought the Birds one step closer with the score now 3-2. From there the Redbird hurler settled in, and did not allow a run until the fifth. It looked like Sadecki might get out of that inning unscathed, but he gave up back-to-back singles, then Tresh struck again. This time it did not clear the fence, but it did turn into an RBI double, and the Cards were down 4-2.

     That is where the score stood until the tide turned in the sixth. Ken Boyer led off the frame with a single, and took second on a passed ball. Then came the game changer. He was a rookie. His name was Mike Shannon. He had his struggles like any rookie does during their first regular season. In fact, he spent 70 games with the triple A affiliate in Jacksonville, Illinois to help work his way through them. When he was called back up in early July he was ready to contribute to the club, as they made a historic run at the National League flag, and once they had grabbed it he was ready to contribute to winning a title. He proved it quickly in that sixth inning, as he connected on a pitch by Ford that some called the furthest ever hit at Busch. He carried, and carried some more, then bounced off the B on Budweiser sign that sat atop the scoreboard. The game was knotted at 4-4, as the kid they called "The Moon Man" had belted a moon shot.

     That home run might not have put the Birds ahead, but it it did swing the momentum, and the Cardinals took advantage of the shift. Ford gave up a double to Tim McCarver following the big blast, which led to a trip to the showers. Before making that trip he handed the ball over to Al Downing. The lefty got Charlie James to fly out for the second out of the inning, before Johnny Keane pulled the plug on Sadecki's day by sending Carl Warwick in to pinch hit. The move paid off, Warwick, who had hit just .259 during the regular season, came through big by singling in McCarver. It was his lone RBI of the series, and it was a pivotal one. The Birds were ahead, and they would not let that lead go. Keane made another move, by adding some sped to the basepaths by sending in Julian Javier in to pinch run for Warwick. It paid off as well. Curt Flood sent a ball over Tresh's head in left, and bounced off the wall. Javier scored, and Flood was standing on first. The Birds were flyin now.

     Following the big inning Keane handed the ball to 38 year-old Barney Schultz. The veteran knuckleballer would be on the rubber when the game was put in the books, as he held down the fort for three innings.He is unsung hero who played nearly 700 games of minor league ball. His baseball journey began when he was 19 years of age. He was 28 the first time he stepped on a major league diamond with the Cardinals. Over the next ten seasons he would be traded and shuffled around while playing most of his ball in the minors. He did spend time with the Tigers and the Cubs big league teams during that time, which led to the Cardinals reacquiring him in the Summer of '63. Like Shannon, Schultz had to work to be a part of the big league roster in '64. He appeared in 42 games in triple A before getting the call to the big club on August 1st. The club was about to turn a corner, and make a run, and he was about to be a part of it. All of the work he had put in had paid off as he proved to be a guy who could lock it down by saving 11 games while putting up a 1.64 earned run average. On this day he was standing on baseball's biggest stage, and he performed at the highest level.

     Schultz worked a scoreless seventh before a hiccup in the eighth. The hiccup was a two out RBI single that came off the bat of the Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson. Suddenly that two run lead was cut in half. With the score 6-5 the Yankees were on the heels of knotting this thing up, and they had a future Hall of Famer by the name of Mickey Mantle at the dish. One newspaper called it a matchup against Mantle and a "who is he." He was Barney Schultz and he was about to induce Mantle into a groundout to Javier at second. The huge out shifted the momentum back toward the Birds, and they made the most of it.

     Rollie Sheldon took over pitching duties for the Yankees. He was victimized by a Clete Boyer error that put Shannon on first. Shannon then took advantage of a passed ball, and dashed over to second. McCarver worked a walk out of Sheldon, before the hurler recorded an out. In fact, he recorded two outs, as Schultz lined one right back at the pitcher. The bang bang play caught McCarver off the bag at first, and he was one out away from keeping the score within one. With the light hitting Julian Javier up next Keane pulled another card from his sleeve by calling on Bob Skinner who was put on with an intentional walk before Sheldon hit the showers. Keane pulled another card from his sleeve by sending in Jerry Buchek to run for Skinner.

     The Cardinals skipper was determined to give Schultz some breathing room. On the other side of the diamond the Yankees skipper Yogi Berra then called on Pete Mikkelsen to face Curt Flood, and Flood made him pay by dropping an RBI single into left to bring Shannon into score the seventh Redbird run of the day. The move continued to haunt Berra and company when Lou Brock doubled in both Buchek and Flood. The score was now 9-5, and the crowd in St. Louis was ready to celebrate the first World Series win that the city had seen since October of '46. After Mikkelsen got out of the inning with no more damage done Schultz set the Yankees down 1-2-3. Game one was in the books. The Cards were victorious.

     After the game the clubhouse was not in full celebration mode. They knew there was a lot of work to do if they were going to win this series. There were players answering reporters questions sprawled about, and Johnny Keane sitting off to the side smoking  a cigar answering a few questions of his own. The biggest group mobbed Shannon who boasted he had hit a ball farther in the minor leagues. Keane had called his blast the biggest moment of the game. The skipper claimed he had not seen a ball hit any further at the stadium. There were reporters question Flood about his 157 pound  frame, and those who surrounded the veteran pitcher who had gave it his all to save the game for Sadecki by pitching the last three innings of the ball game.

      There were many heroes in this one. From Sadecki, to Flood, to Schultz and Shannon. They had come out and beat the favored Yankees in convincing fashion. However, each and every man knew that the Yankees would no go quietly. They were confident in their abilities, but they were not cocky. There was a great respect between both teams, and both teams were more than ready to continue this battle. There would be many more heroes in store.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN196410070.shtml

October 6, 1964: St. Louis Welcomes The Fall Classic Back To Town

     On October 6, 1964, St. Louis was buzzing, as the World Series would be making a triumphant return to the Mound City for the first time since 1946. The race had went down to the wire, with the Cardinals grabbing ahold of the National league Flag in the last week of the season. Even then, they had to fight to the finish, and capped off the the schedule with an 11-5 victory over the Mets on October 4th. If they would have lost that game the club would have been in a two way tie with the Phillies who had won that day as well, but it was not enough to make up for what is considered one of the biggest collapses in the history of Major League Baseball. They had held a seven and a half game lead in late August, but let it slowly slip away. In the last two weeks of the campaign it slipped away for good. Cincinnati worked their way into the mix, but there would only be one winner in the National League, and that winner wore two birds on a bat.

     The city was not prepared for the postseason after being deprived for so long. Hotel rooms were scarce, as the press and Yankees arrived, as well as the fans from all the reaches of the mighty signal of KMOX. The Fall Classic was on tap. Everywhere you looked the color red was prominent. Banners flew to show support for the club, and an electricity filled the air that might have been great enough to power the entire city. Many fans had braved a frigid night and long lines as they awaited their chance to be one of the many who would witness the home games live and in person. The temperature and the wait hardly mattered. The only thing that mattered was the ticket that would grant them passage through the gates at Busch.

     For many of us the joy that was felt from the fanbase would be reminiscent to 2004 or 2006. It had been so long, and the fans were overjoyed to finally be back in the postseason. I personally believe the run in '64 could be closely compared to the run in 2011. The stars had to align for the Cardinals to be there, much like the stars aligned in 2011. They did align, as everything fell into place, and the Cardinals were set to make World Series history. Over the course of the next week or two we will relive all for the highs and all of the lows of the '64 World Series, and in the end we will celebrate that title 50 years after it was celebrated for the first time.

Throughout the day today I plan on posting several pictures and stories that were featured in the newspapers the day before a pitch was thrown in this series.

You can always find me on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/OnThisDayInCardinalNation

Or catch up with me on twitter here: https://twitter.com/CardinalHistory

October 5, 1926: A Grand Celebration In St. Louis Takes Place Before Haines Leads The Way In Game 3 Of The Fall Classic

     On October 5, 1926, 37,708 souls witnessed the first World Series contest to be held in St. Louis during the modern era. The Birds had split the first two games in New York, by snagging a win in the second game by the score of 6-2. The club returned home to a heroes welcome the day before, then with Cardinals starting pitcher Jesse Haines starring in the third game with a five hit complete game shutout in a 4-0 Redbird winner the club moved ahead two games to one in the classic battle that would reach seven games before the Cardinals claimed their first title since 1888.

     The day before that battle an estimated crowd of 100,000 stood at Union Station awaiting the National League Champion Cardinals. The Birds had flown home at a record pace, as the train in which they rode made the dash from New York in just 23 and 1/2 hours. That was 15 minutes faster than that trip had been made before. The mayor of city Victor Miller had ordered all departments close at 3 p.m., and many businesses did the same, so everyone could be there when that train rolled in. A celebration was about to take place that had never been seen in the city just west of the Mississippi, and it was a grand celebration.

     The Yankees arrived five minutes before the Cardinals. Some fans cheered, others jeered, as they made their way to their awaiting cars. When the Cardinals train rolled in the roar of the crowd was so deafening the whistle of the train was drowned out. 20 cars decorated in Cardinals colors, a group of mounted police, and some fireman flying the American flag led a parade into the business section where the Cardinals players were showered in confetti and ticker tape. By his own request Hornsby was in the rear, as he had let his men receive the cheers before him. A brief ceremony took place that had all of the Cardinals players receiving a wide variety of gifts that ranged from a new pair of shoes to a gold watch. Rogers Hornsby was presented with finest gift when he was given a brand new car. He was recognized as the he man who captained this ship into port.

     Long after the players made their way home to  the celebration continued. An article that was printed in the  Southeast Missourian the following day proclaimed that automobiles sped through the streets dragging wash tubs and buckets, They called it a noise making device second to none. Although, the fans were making noise with anything they could find. Bells, whistles, as well as occasional gunshots and bombs could be heard going off around the city. Justy think this was the day before the third game of the World Series. It had been 38 years in the making, and the fans were more alive than they had ever been.

     Some of those fans did not attend the festivities. Those fans camped out for the chance to get a ticket to the game. Some of them for more than 24 hours. It had been a rainy week in St. Louis, and the rain did not stop that night either. At some points it poured, but those fans were not leaving. They yearned to be one of those 37,708 souls who stood within the walls at Sportsman's Park. Not another person could be held. The number of fans in attendance would be nearly 20,000 less than the number of fans in attendance in New York. However, the the cheers could be rivaled by no other. Those who were lucky enough to get a ticket would witness a gem.

     More than 5,000 packed the bleachers three hours before the game began. There were brief periods of rain, but they did not care, The World Series would be played in the coming hours. Once the game time finally arrived the fans would not be disappointed. The fans enthusiasm would not dim, for this day was theirs. It would also be a day that Jesse Haines would remember, as he led the Birds to victory in historic fashion.

     Haines was set to face a lefty in Dutch Ruether. The Yankees hurler struggled a bit early, but was bailed out by the defense behind him. Meanwhile, Haines held the New Yorkers hitless through the first two, before allowing a hit to lead off the third. He followed it up with two quick outs, then walked a man before ending the threat. Then the skies opened up in the fourth.

     The Yankees looked like they might find their spark in the fourth. Babe Ruth led off the inning with a single, then moved over to second on a groundout.Then the skies opened up. 32 minutes later play resumed on a muddy field, and the Cards grabbed two quick outs, and went to work quickly in the bottom of the inning.

      Third baseman Les Bell  got things started with a single, and was sacrificed over to second with a bunt by Chick Hafey. The Cardinals catcher Bob O'Farrell worked a walk out of Reuther. A game changer followed, as shortstop Tommy Thevenow looked like he had hit into an inning ending double play, only to have shortstop Mark Koenig overthrow Lou Gehrig at first. It led to the first Redbird run, and set the stage for the hero of this one: Jesse Haines. The Cards hurler stepped to the dish and launched a towering two run shot into the right field stands. It was a hefty blow that gave him some breathing room in a contest that he would dominate. Hornsby scored on a groundout in the next frame, and from there it was all Haines. Only two Yankees batters would reach second base as he cruised to victory. The club still had quite the battle in front of them. However, it was a battle they were prepared to fight. It was a battle they were prepared to win. Five days later they did exactly that in New York. The party that was held in St. Louis would exceed the party that came before it, as the Cardinals returned home champions.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN192610050.shtml

The second photograph with the 1926 pennant pin was provided to me by The Real BSmile. Check out his Facebook page for all kind of great vintage photos from baseball's past:
https://www.facebook.com/therealbsmilevintageblog

You can also find him on twitter here: https://twitter.com/BSmile

October 4, 1891: Ted Breitenstein Tosses The First No-Hitter In The History Of The Cardinals Organization

     On October 4, 1891, Ted Breitenstein recorded the first no-hitter in the history of the organization that would become known as the St. Louis Cardinals. Breitenstein's historic gem came in the first game of a doubleheader against the Louisville Colonels on the final day of the season in St. Louis, and it lifted the club to an 8-0 victory. The runs on the scoreboard were not the story of this day, as the number in the Louisville hit column resembled a goose egg.

     The 22-year-old was the first pitcher to accomplish the feat in his first major league start. That has only been accomplished twice since, as Charley Jones tossed a no-no in his first major league start for the Reds, and Bobo Holloman accomplished the feat in his first major league start as a member of the St. Louis Brown in 1953. The Holloman no-no came in St. Louis, and could be easily regarded as the last great moment for that organization in St. Louis.

     The no-no by Breitenstein was witnessed by just 500 fans. Those 500 fans witnessed more than just the first no-no in the history of the franchise, they also witnessed the first time a pitcher would achieve the feat in his first major league start. The 22-year-old hurler faced the minimum 27 batters, and struck out eight of them. The only Louisville batter to reach was first baseman Harry Taylor who was erased by a double play.

     At the time it was called one of the finest games ever pitched, and that it was. It proved to be the last no-hitter in the history of the American Association, as the league disbanded, and the Browns joined the ranks of the National League the following year. It took 33 years for another pitcher to accomplish the feat for the club that became known as the Cardinals. To date, 10 men have recorded a no-hitter with the club. The legendary list of men begins with one name: Ted Breitenstein.

October 3, 1946: The Cardinals Take The Flag In Brooklyn

     On October 3, 1946, the Cardinals win the National League Pennant by beating the Dodgers 8-4 in what was the first ever tie breaking playoff series in the history of Major League Baseball. Just two days earlier Howie Pollet, and Joe Garagiola had played the heroes, and two days later just about everyone got in on the action. In fact the entire starting lineup had recorded a hit, which included three triples, and one of those triples was legged out by Murry Dickson who had also toed the Redbird rubber on that fine October day. Dickson looked like he would nail down a complete game victory as he sailed into the ninth up 8-1. However that was not to be, as he looked to tire in the inning, and before he knew it two runs had scored to make it 8-3, and he was getting the hook. Harry "The Cat" Brecheen took over for Dickson, and gave up an RBI single, then he walked a man to load the bases. Brecheen put that fire out by striking out Eddie Stanky and Howie Schultz back-to-back. The Cardinals were the Champions of the National League.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BRO/BRO194610030.shtml

October 2, 1968: Gibby Strikes Out 17 in Game One of The Fall Classic

     On October 2, 1968, Bob Gibson did what no man had done before, and no man has done since, by striking out 17 men in one World Series contest. The performance came in Game 1 of the Fall Classic against the Tigers, and helped lead the Cardinals to a 4-0 victory.

     It had instant classic stamped on it before a pitch was thrown. The Tigers countered the National League MVP who had posted a regular season E.R.A. of 1.12 with Denny McLain who had won 31 games during the regular season. However, the Cardinals did not get the same McLain that had led the way to 31 wins. He surrendered three runs in the fourth, and was a victim of his wildness, which helped put the Birds on the board.

      McLain did look like he was cruising as well until that fourth inning, which began with a four pitch walk to Roger Maris. Orlando Cepeda popped out, then McLain issued his second four pitch free pass of the inning to Tim McCarver. He was in trouble. The Cards had him on the ropes, and they were not about to let up. Mike Shannon ripped one into left, that Willie Horton could not handle, which led to Maris scoring the first run of the ballgame, and McCarver made the most of it by moving over to third, while Shannon stood on second. One batter later Julian Javier padded the lead by knocking in both runners with a single to right. The Cardinals would not need any more runs on this day. Although, Lou Brock did add to the total by crushing a homer deep to center in the seventh. Brock had stolen a base earlier in the contest as well. With all of that said the story of the day was a strikeout machine who wore the number 45.

      Gibby struck seven men out in the first three innings. He would later say that he did not have his best stuff, but he had great control. He only allowed five hits in the contest, and the only true threat that he faced came in the sixth when Dick Mcauliffe picked up a one out single, then Al Kaline came through with a two out double. Gibson put that fire out by striking out Norm Cash. All the while he was not even focused on the Ks, he was focused on the task at hand, which was the next man he would have to face.

      When the ninth rolled around Gibson was just one strikeout away from the tying Sandy Koufax's World Series strikeout record of 15 strikeouts that had been set in 1963. He would equal the mark quickly, but it did not come before allowing a leadoff single to Mickey Stanley. Ultimately, that did not matter, as he sat down Kaline with a K to equal the mark. He followed it up by fanning Norm Cash once again, and that was when he realized he made history. He was so locked in that he did not even know McCarver was running out to the mound, as the cheers of the St. Louis faithful rained upon him. McCarver told him to look at the scoreboard, and when he did he saw the words "NEW WORLD SERIES RECORD 16 Ks!!!" What did Gibson do? He went back to work. There was one more batter that would become his 17th strikeout victim of the day. That batter was Willie Horton, who worked the count to two and two, before Gibson fired his 144th pitch over the plate and struck him out. The pitcher had painted a World Series masterpiece.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN196810020.shtml

You can watch the record setting performance here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR7mFvbd1XM

October 1, 1946: The Birds Push The Bums Against The Wall

     On October 1, 1946, the Cardinals won the first game of a three game playoff series against the Brooklyn Dodgers by the score of 4-2 at Sportsman's Park. The series was a truly historic one because it was the first ever tiebreaker in the history of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals and Dodgers both had sprinted to the finish line and had tied each other in the standings with identical 96-58 records. They each had the chance to take the National League Pennant on the last day of the season, but they both lost which forced the historic series.

     The first game of that series looked like the odds might be stacked against the Birds from the start. Their starting pitcher Howie Pollet had a muscle strain, and was game time decision. The journey to get that point had been a long hard journey, and Pollet went out there and turned in a complete game. It was not the prettiest game of his days on the diamond. In fact, he allowed eight hits, and surrendered a home run, walked three men, and had just two strikeouts under his belt when the last pitch crossed the plate. When that last pitch hit the mitt of Joe Garagiola it was his second strikeout of the day. Pollet had worked around jam after jam until he celebrated a win.

     Garagiola was the offensive star of the game . He put the first run on the board in the first, and came through big with a two out single in the third that kept a rally alive with score at 2-1. One batter later the Cards were on top 3-1. Brooklyn plated a run in the top of the seventh, but Garagiola grabbed it right back with a two out RBI single that brought Stan Musial into score. Musial had tripled to lead off the inning, and before the 20-year-old kid from St. Louis came to the dish it looked like he might be stranded there. Instead he came through, and gave Pollet some breathing room,  and the Cardinals would take one more step toward claiming the National League Pennant.  The series would head to Flatbush, and it would resume in two days. Two days from now, I will tell you the tale of how the Cardinals claimed that flag.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN194610010.shtml