April 15, 1899: The Perfectos Pummel The Spiders On Opening Day

     On April 15, 1899, Cy Young and the St. Louis Perfectos opened the season with a 10-1 victory over the Spiders in Cleveland. Young, along with the rest of the St. Louis starting lineup had all played in Cleveland the previous year, and posted an 81-68 record.  Meanwhile, the 1898 Browns posted an abysmal 39-111 record. The flip flop of rosters came after Frank and Stanley Robison purchased the Browns, and chose to send their best players to the Mound City. The Perfectos posted an 84-67 record with the revamped roster. The Spiders club went onto post the worst record in the history of Major League Baseball, winning only 20 games while losing 134. The fans in Cleveland turned their backs to the club, which led to the Robison's having the club playing 112 of their 154 games on the road. The Spiders disbanded following that season, while the Perfectos took on a new moniker in 1900. They would be known as the Cardinals.

April 14, 1967: The Dodgers Finally Score on Jaster

 

    On April 14, 1967, Larry Jaster surrendered a run to the Dodgers for the first time in more than a year and a half, but still picked up a win as the Cardinals knocked off the Los Angeles club by the score of 8-4 in front of a crowd of 24,757 at Busch. Jaster had tied a 50 year-old record the season before by blanking the Dodgers in five consecutive ballgames. While Jaster's shutout streak came to an end the record has not been matched since.

     The first man to shutout one team five times in one season came in 1905 when Washington Senators hurler Tom Hughes accomplished the feat against the Cleveland Naps, then in 1916, while pitching for the Phillies, Grover Cleveland Alexander blanked the Reds five times. The big difference between Jaster and the other two men is Jaster's five shutouts came consecutively, and he was facing a club that had taken the National League flag in four of the last eight seasons. Jaster had their number though, and time after time he shut them out.

     Then came that third game of the '67 season. The Cardinals were off to a hot start with two quick wins, and with the Dodger killer on the bump the third was well on the way. He was given a comfortable lead early to the delight of the home crowd, as they scored their eight runs through the first five. Orlando Cepeda and Roger Maris led the charge. Maris went 3 for 4 on the day, scored three runs, and legged out a first inning RBI triple that got things going, while Cepeda knocked in three runs with two doubles. 

     

     Meanwhile, Jaster was sailing through the Dodgers lineup much like he did in 1966. However, the shutout streak came to an end in the seventh when Jeff Toborg dropped a sacrifice fly into right that brought Jim Lefebvre into score from third. Relieved that the scoreless streak was over Jaster went back to work, and worked his way into the ninth before being lifted for Dick Hughes in what proved to be a three run inning for the Dodgers. Before the seventh inning Dodgers run the 23-year-old Jaster had went 52 and two-thirds of an inning without allowing a Dodger runner  to cross the dish. The Dodgers players had been so perplexed by how he had shut them down that they were just happy to be talking about scoring against him, which overshadowed their defeat. The '67 season was off to a fine start. The club would rattle off six consecutive wins. At season's end the Cardinals had won 101 games, and were headed toward a title. Jaster was the deciding pitcher in nine of those contests.

     The young pitcher shuffled in and out of the rotation until June of that season when Bob Gibson went down with an injury. He helped plug the hole down the stretch until the Cardinals ace returned before being sent to the bullpen. He appeared in just one game during the World Series, however, his contributions to the club would not be forgotten. Especially the phenomenal stretch of baseball dominance against the Dodgers. 

If you would like to read more about the life and career of Larry Jaster you can read his SABR bio here:http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/5de1bd44

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN196704140.shtml

April 13, 1926: The Cardinals Start Things Off With a Big Win

     On April 13, 1926, the Cardinals opened the season with a 7-6 victory over the defending champion Pittsburgh Pirates. The game was highlighted by a 3 for 3 day for Rogers Hornsby and a fifth inning three run shot by Jim Bottomley that put the Cardinals ahead 6-0. As you can tell by the final score, this was one to remember, as the Pirates came storming back in the contest. There were a variety of heroes in this one, as the Birds put their first of 89 wins in the books, which would propel them to Champions of the National League, as well as the first World Series title in the history of the franchise.

     Flint Rhem was on the bump for the Cardinals, and looked to be in fine form until he hit the sixth when the Pirates made a charge by scoring two runs in the frame. They put another on the board in the seventh, before outfielder Carson Bigbee hit a solo shot off of Rhem in the eighth. With the score now 6-4 the Cardinals looked to shift the momentum by scoring a run in the bottom of the eighth, which proved to be an important one, as the Pirates scratched another one across in the ninth.

     This was a different era in baseball. The bullpen was not utilized the way it is today and the player manager Rogers Hornbsy was riding his horse from start to finish. He made it interesting, but Rhem crossed that line in first. It was not easy getting there though. He had to face a two out bases loaded situation before he felt the thrill of victory, and he had a formidable foe in Glen Wright who was coming to the dish. Wright had hit .308 with 18 home runs the year before and he was ready to be a hero, while Rhem was trying to survive. The hurler did survive, but it took a spectacular play by center fielder Heinie Mueller who charged in to right to make a play on a ball that looked like it was going to fall in. As the crowd of 17,000 cheered, the boys trotted the field. Little did they know they were set to make a run at a title.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN192604130.shtml   
   

April 11, 1962: Stan The Man Ties Mel Ott's Runs Scored Record

     On April 11, 1962, Stan Musial tied New York Giants legend Mel Ott's all time runs scored record by scoring his 1,859th in an 11-4 win over the Mets on Opening Day in St. Louis. The game was the first regular season game in the history of the Mets organization, but it would be remembered far more for what the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer did at the dish with a 3 for 3 performance that included, a couple of ribbies and a run scored as well. Musial shared the spotlight with Julian Javier who recorded four hits in four trips, Bill White who knocked in three, and Larry Jackson who went the distance in the Redbird victory. However, it was Musial's name that grabbed the headlines, as he proved he still had gas left in the tank by tying Ott's record that had been set in 1947.

     Musial had stuck yet another feather in his cap by tying the mark, which meant he owned or shared 38 different National League records. He then set his sights on Honus Wagner's National League hit record of 3,340. Just 27 away from that mark, The Man said with a smile "Let's get that one real quick. Two hits at a time. You never know when fate might step in." That '62 season was something special for Musial. His numbers had been in declining for several seasons, however, he ripped out a .330 average, knocked in 82, and blasted 19 homers. One season later he hung up the spikes and called it a career. At the time of his retirement he held or shared 29 National League records, 17 Major League records, and 9 All Star game records.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN196204110.shtml

   

April 10, 2002: Eduardo Wins It In The Eleventh

     On April 10, 2002, Eduardo Perez ended a three hour and thirty-one minute affair with a walk off blast that beat the Brewers 6-5 in eleven innings at Busch Stadium. The Brew Crew looked like they came to play, as they hammered Andy Benes through the first three innings and jumped out to a 5-0 lead. However, the Birds started pecking away in the bottom of the third by plating three runs. They scored another in the fourth, then tied it in the ninth to set the stage for the eleventh inning heroics.

     Perez hit 79 home runs in his career. 25 of those came with the Birds on the Bat across his chest. The walk off  in 2002 was the second game ending home run of his career. The first came in 1993 as a member of the California Angels. He hit one more in 2005 as a member of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN200204100.shtml

April 9, 1979: Lou Brock Announces His Retirement

     On April 9, 1979, the end of an era was announced as Lou Brock told the media his playing days would be coming to close at season's end. The famed base burglar was in his 19th season at the time and just 100 hits shy of the coveted 3,000 hit mark. The '78 season had been a disappointment for Brock, as he recorded a .221 average and picked up just 66 hits, which led him to telling the press that he would be retiring no matter if he hit the mark or not.  Brock quickly put the '78 season behind him as he flew out the gate putting the bat on the ball. By the end of May he had 45 hits in 118 at bats, and by mid August he recorded that 3,000th hit. On September 30, 1979, Brock's journey as a player on a big league diamond came to a close. After taking off his uniform one last time Brock knew no other player in the Cardinals organization would wear the number 20 on his back.

Stats of a legend: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/brocklo01.shtml

Read Brock's SABR Bio here: sabr.org/bioproj/person/cb8af7aa

April 8, 1997: Walk It Off Willie!!!

     On April 8, 1997, Willie McGee hit the first walk off home run of his career, with a ninth inning, two out, pinch hit blast, that propelled the Cardinals to a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Expos at Busch Stadium. The 38-year-old veteran of the game was not known for his power. He had spent 16 seasons on a big league diamond up to that point, and until he put that one over the wall he had 73 home runs to his credit. The 74th of his career was one that he would surely remember, as it even surpised him, while his skipper Tony LaRussa called it something right out of The Natural. Willie hit another walk off blast on July 2nd of that same year. He finished his career with 79 home runs. Coincidentally the last three, in 1998, came against a trio of future Cardinals in Julian Tavarez, Darryl Kile, and Dave Veres.

   
     1997 was a rough year for the Cardinals. They lost 89 games. The walk off winner by McGee was the first win of that season, and it was the seventh game of the year. It amounted to the worst start in the franchise's history This came after winning the Central division the previous season, and after an overconfident Tony LaRussa guaranteed the club would take the title again. While the season was an overall disappointment there were bright moments as well. One of them came with two outs, in the bottom of the ninth, and Willie McGee swinging the stick.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN199704080.shtml