May 10, 1955: Virdon Walks It Off With a Big Blast In The 10th

     On May 10, 1955, rookie center fielder Bill Virdon hit a tenth inning walk off blast that propelled the Cardinals to a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in St. Louis. It was Virdon's second walk off home run of the campaign. Virdon shared the spotlight with another rookie by the name of Luis Arroyo who pitched all 10 innings for the Cardinals, scattering five hits, while striking out nine.

     Four home runs sailed over the wall that day in St. Louis, with three of them coming off the bats of Cardinals players. Del Ennis got the home run barrage started with a solo shot in the fourth that tied the game 1-1. Stan Musial's put the Cards back on top with a solo shot in the sixth to make it 2-1. It was the 297th of Musial's career. Catcher Bill Sarni got in on the action, after the Phillies tied it up on a Willie Jones single in the top of the seventh by launching a solo shot of his own. Jones came up big again in the ninth for the Fightin Phils with another game tying single that sent it into extras and set the table for Virdon's walk off heroics.

     The 24-year-old had come to the Cardinals in a package deal that sent Enos Slaughter to the Yankees. It looked like the Cardinals got great value in Virdon, after he took home rookie of the year honors at the and of the '55 seasons. However, his time in Cardinal Nation was short. Despite the strong campaign the club finished 68-86, which was the worst record since 1924. That led Gussie Busch to hiring Frank "Trader" Lane as General Manager going onto 1956.

     Lane's nickname had been earned with the Chicago White Sox, as he made 241 trades, which involved more than 300 players over seven years with the club. The deals he made in Chicago helped the club become a contender, and Gussie took notice. Lane began to put his imprint on the team with early seasons trades that included a deal that sent Solly Hemus to Philadelphia. The next man that Lane dealt was Virdon, who was sent to the Pittsburgh in exchange for Dick Littlefield and Bobby Del Greco.

     The trade proved to be a terrible deal for the Cardinals, as Virdon spent the next decade roaming the outfield for the Pirates. His career .267 average may make a casual fan shrug. However, he was known as one of the finest center fielders of his time. He was a part of the 1960 World Championship Pirates and would become revered in the Steel City.

     Like Virdon,  Luis Arroyo was dealt in 1956 by Lane. That deal was also a bust. With that said, Arroyo had very limited success in the majors. However, he rose to the occasion in 1961 by saving 29 games for the Yankees and posting an eye popping 15-5 record out of the pen. Lane's trades did seem to improve the club, but not enough to keep him around. He ended up dealing Red Schoendienst in June of 1956 and even talked about dealing Stan The Man, which turned the tide against him. He had caused great dissension within the organization and at the end of 1957 Frank Lane packed his own bags and headed for Cleveland.  His time in Cardinal Nation was very short, but it was very noteworthy as well. It is hard to say how Virdon would have fared in the Gateway City, however, without him being traded away in 1956 there is a distinct possibility that Curt Flood may not have gotten an opportunity in center field just a few years later.

That's the way baseball go.

Check out the box score here: https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8211124979997484546#editor/target=post;postID=921300874651085385

You can learn more about Virdon and Arroyo by reading their SABR biographies in the links provided below.

Virdon: http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/0a3985c3

Arroyo: http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/6a29b50a

May 9, 1949: War Hero Eddie Kazak Slams The Dodgers

     On May 9, 1949, a pair of rookies led the way to a 14-5 victory, as the Cardinals steamrolled the Dodgers at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. Eight different players picked up hits for the Redbirds. However, it was a pair of rookies that led the charge: third baseman Tommy Glaviano picked up three hits, which included a single, a double, and a three-run homer in the third that put the Birds up 6-1, while Kazak knocked in five men, which included an eighth inning grand slam that buried Dem Bums from Brooklyn. The grand slam artist was also a war hero that knew he was lucky to be standing on that diamond as he was about to embark on an All Star campaign.

     Kazak finished that day with five ribbies and three runs scored. He was top hitter in the National League with a .389 average, and it would balloon to .397 before it gradually began to come down. He caught the attention of the fans and would get the nod to start the game. He picked up two hits in the contest as he stood next to some of the greatest to ever player the game  Less than two weeks later disaster struck when he tried to take second base in another game against the Dodgers and broke his ankle.

     However, his career ended up being derailed by a broken ankle that came just 11 days after that All Star game was played. Kazak hit .304 during the injury-shortened year 1949,  he then returned to the club in 1950 and saw his average dip to .256, which led to him becoming a bench player. He played in just 16 more games for the Birds, before being sold to the Reds in May of 1952, where he played in 13 more before being sold to the Detroit Tigers in early July. Eddie Kazak's days in the majors were over. He received an invite to Spring Training in '53, but broke his hand before the end of camp. He spent seven seasons in the minors before hanging up the cleats.

     While Kazak's moment in the sun was brief, his story is truly remarkable. He grew up in Muse, Pennsylvania, which is just 30 miles away from where Stan The Man grew up in Donora. His last name had been Tkaczuk, but he had changed it because people had a hard time pronouncing it. His father was a coal miner and after graduating high school Eddie would end up in the mines as well. He nearly lost his life in 1940, when a mine car carrying some crew members came around a bend too fast, flew off the track, and pinned him against a wall. Lucky to walk away from the incident, Kazak found a ticket out of there by playing ball on team that was organized by the other miners. During that time he was approached by a scout that offered him $75 a week to play the game. He had been making $25 a week up to that point, so one could imagine he was an excited young man who had more money in his pocket and a major league dream in his head.

     He spent one year with an independent club by the name of the Valdosta Trojans of  the Georgia-Florida League and hit an impressive .292. In 1941, Kazak's contract was purchased by the Cardinals. He did not disappoint, as he hit .378 for the Albany affiliate who also called the Georgia-Florida League home. Kazak began to climb the ladder in 1942, then duty called. Eddie Kazak was off to war and he would be lucky to return, as he was nearly killed by an enemy soldier who stabbed him with a bayonet. I would imagine the other soldier did not live to tell the tale. Lucky to survive that attack, Eddie had his elbow crushed while under mortar fire in Brest, France. He spent the next 18 months in hospitals as doctors tried to repair the elbow by inserting a plastic piece to replace lost, as well as, trying to restore movement to fingers that had been paralyzed on his hand  It looked like he would never be helping any team win a ballgame ever again. His doctors even told him to put his days on the diamond behind him.

      Eddie Kazak was not hearing it. He refused to let the dream go. Despite pain and discomfort, Kazak worked his way back to the diamond. He joined the Cardinals Class A affiliate in 1946, then jumped to Triple A in 1947, before getting the call late in 1948. He found an opportunity at third base as Whitey Kurowski's career was coming to an abrupt end, due to arm issues of his own. When he was inserted in the lineup during the fifth game of the '49 campaign Kazak made the most of it, hitting safely in 11 straight games. As he found his name splashed across the  headlines. He looked to be a star in the making.

     While his star shined briefly, Eddie Kazak lived a long fulfilling life, had a family, and eventually retired from a job with the postal service in 1984. In his brief time in the majors he hit .273 with 11 home runs. One of those dingers was a grand slam that put the Dodgers to bed. It would be the lone grand slam of his career.  It had to be a thrill as he made the round trip. He was living the dream.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BRO/BRO194905090.shtml
   
Eddie Kazak passed away in 1999. He was much more than a ballplayer; he was a war hero. Thank you to all of our veterans. Past, present, and future.

   

May 8, 1939: The Wild Horse Runs Free; Pepper Martin Steals Home

     On May 8, 1939, the Wild Horse ran free in Brooklyn as Pepper Martin executed what many consider the most exciting play in baseball by stealing home in the sixth inning. The run was the lone run of the contest, with Bob Weiland going the distance in the contest to secure a complete game victory. The story of the day was Martin, who at 35 years of age singled to start the sixth, took second and third on infield outs, then broke for home as rookie hurler Red Evans began a long windup. According to Associated Press writer Sid Feder, Evans was "open-mouthed, too surprised to make a throw until it was too late." The savvy veteran was the hero of the day.

     The stolen base was one of one of 146 stolen bases Martin swiped as a Cardinal, with his first coming in 1928. His best days were behind him at that point, but that did not stop him from giving the club everything he had every time he stepped on the diamond.Martin played just 39 games in '28 and just six more in '30, making 1931 his rookie year. He helped the Cardinals win the pennant with a .300 season that included 16 stolen bases. His contributions in the World Series made him stand out like no other, as he swiped five bags, as he helped lead the way to the Cardinals second title.

     After a sub par performance in 1932, Pepper came back in '33 and led the league with 122 runs scored and 26 stolen bases. With 1933 included, Martin stole 20 bases or more for four consecutive years, leading the league in three of them. When he stole home in 1939, the days of the Gashouse Gang were becoming a memory. With that said, ole Pepper proved he had some gas left in his tank. Martin carried a .306 average that season and stole six bases. He may have tamed just a bit from his days where he earned the nickname Wild Horse of Osage.

     After hitting .316 in 80 games in 1940 Martin stepped off the major league diamond and managed a minor league affiliate before returning to the Cardinals in 1944. He hit .279 in 40 games for the eventual pennant winners, then stepped off the field. He not only swiped five bags in the 1931 World Series, he also hit .500, carrying the team to the championship. With a .355 in the 1934 Fall Classic, Martin's average of .418 in the World Series is a record that has yet to be broken.

    Martin never did really leave baseball. He owned a ranch and was an avid hunter, but that game on the diamond always lured him back. He managed and or coached with multiple minor league teams. The Miami News featured an article by John Crittenden in 1976 had a former player by the name of Knobby Rosa remember the days Pepper managed him with the Miami Sun Sox between 1949 and 1952. Knobby remembered the days when Pepper was close to 50 years old and would substitute himself into a ballgame as a pinch runner on second base. Moments later the Wild Horse slid into score another run, as he tried to help his club win a ballgame.

     It seems that Martin was a Wild Horse that could never be truly tamed Considered by some to be the spirit of the team that was known as the Gashouse Gang. It did not matter if he was a 27-year-old rookie, a 35-year-old man breaking for home, or 50-year-old coach the horse wanted to run. When he passed away at the age of 61 in  March of 1965, Martin had plans on coaching with the Tulsa Oilers in the upcoming season. Survived by a wife and three daughters, tears were surely shed when Martin passed away. With that said, his life was also celebrated, as many tales were told from the days when the Wild Horse ran free. One of those tales told may just have been about the time he stole home in 1939. It was just one of many his friends, family, and fans could share for the man they called Pepper.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BRO/BRO193905080.shtml

May 7, 1940: The Birds Obliterate the Dodgers With a Record Setting Performance

     On May 7, 1940, the Cardinals set franchise records by hitting seven home runs and recording 49 total bases in an 18-2 beatdown of the Brooklyn Dodgers in St. Louis. The "Big Cat" Johnny Mize and rookie second baseman Eddie Lake both hit two homers, while Don Padgett, Ducky Medwick, and Stu Martin all went yard once.

     The Cardinals catcher Don Padgett started things off with solo shot in the third. Lake and Mize both launched two run home runs in a five run third. Martin and Medick both hit solo shots, with Martin's coming in the fourth, while Medwick's came in the sixth, then Lake and Mize topped things with another couple of blasts in the eighth. Lake's second homer was another two-run shot, while Mize joined the solo shot club. Lake finished the day with five RBI's, as he knocked another runner in with a double.

     This may have been the best game of Eddie Lake's career. He was not a home run hitter by any means. In fact, he hit just 39 over the course of a decade. The two big flies that came on that day in early May were the only two he hit in a Cardinals uniform, as he spent just 79 games with the Birds on the Bat across his chest. He was a master of the game defensively, however, his bat was not up to par, which led to repeated trips to the minors.

     After spending all of 1942 with the Sacramento Solons, the Cardinals PCL affiliate, he was sold to the Boston Red Sox. He spent three years in Boston, and another five in Detroit. Nicknamed "Sparky", Lake was a role player, whos defense and speed made up for his bat, that had produced a .231 career average by the time he hung them up. While Lake's name is not one you will see on a plaque in Cooperstown, he too was a member of Cardinal Nation that made a little bit of history along the way.

     Just 2,298 fans witnessed that historic game that saw Mize, Lake, Padgett, Medwick, and Martin go deep a total of seven time. They saw the bases filled, and they saw the bases emptied as runners crossed the plate time and time again.  However, the club was not off to a great start and fans were unhappy with the decisions of Ray Blades. Just two days after this game an article in the Sporting  News  expressed exactly that and one month later the skipper was released. Mike Gonzlez would take over for short time before Billy Southworth took the reigns. That may have led to the small crowd, or it may have just been a cold and rainy day in the city. Either way it goes I am sure there were many fans that wished they had went through the gate that day. The 2,298 that did had to enjoy every second of it.

Check out the box score of the 20-hit attack here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN194005070.shtml

May 6, 1959: 399 Home Runs For The Man

     On May 6, 1959, Stan Musial hit the 399th home run of his career to spark an eighth inning rally that led the Cardinals to an 8-7 win over the Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia. The Cardinals came into the inning down 6-4 before Stan launched his solo shot that chased Philadelphia's starter Ray Semproch to the showers. The wheels fell off the Philadelphia bus from there, as Semproch's replacement, Jack Meyer loaded the bases before Joe Cunningham came up with a two-run pinch hit double that put the Birds on top 7-6. The Birds put one more on the board two batters later, which would prove crucial, as the Phillies plated a run with a Gene Freese sac fly off of Jim Brosnan in the ninth. Brosnan had pitched a scoreless eighth, then allowed a leadoff triple in the ninth, which led to Freese's opportunity. Brosnan allowed another hit before putting the Phillies to bed.

     Before the big inning the two clubs had been in a seesaw battle. With Stan's 399th long ball included, five flew over the wall that day. The Phillies right fielder Wally Post parked one in the seats in the fourth, his teammate Granny Hamner matched the feat in the fifth, then Ken Boyer hit a two run blast for the Cards in the sixth before Post hit his second of the day in the seventh. It was the fifth home run of the day that grabbed the headlines though, as the great Stan Musial was now just one big fly away from another milestone in his illustrious career. That big fly came the next day. Read about number 400 here: http://www.onthisdayincardinalnation.com/2014/05/may-7-1959-400-homers-for-stan-man.html

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI195905060.shtml

May 5, 1935: Dizzy Homers Then Strikes Out The Babe In Boston

     On May 5, 1935, Dizzy Dean and the Cardinals faced Babe Ruth's Braves in Boston, and beat them 7-0. It was the first time during a regular season the two legends of the game would face off, which led to a crowd of more than 30,000 packing into the stands of Braves Field.  Dean walked Ruth in the first, then in the second he launched a home run into the left field stands that flew right over Ruth's head. By the time the top of the second was over the Cardinals had Braves hurler Ed Brandt to the showers and were up 6-0. The next time The Babe came to the plate was in the fourth inning, and ole Dizzy struck him out. The day after this ballgame, Bill King, a writer for the Associated Press  wrote "with a wide grin on his face, Dizzy Dean waved his outfielders back to the fence and grooved a fast third strike on Babe Ruth today." Ruth followed the strikeout with a ground out in the sixth, before being pulled in the seventh. Dizzy had won the battle.

     The meeting between Dean and Ruth had a great buildup, as Dizzy had made a few comments the day that Ruth jumped over to the Boston Braves after spending the last 15 seasons in the Bronx. Dean said he resented the move, and that Ruth should have stayed in New York, rather than jump at a possible managerial job with the Braves. Dizzy also said that Ruth would be "just another out" for him and his brother, which stirred the proverbial pot. When sportswriters told Ruth what Dizzy said he refused to believe it. One day later, Dean retracted the statement saying he wished Ruth the best unless he was facing the Cardinals. Dean was more upset over the possibility that Bill Mckechnie would be replaced as manager of the Braves in favor of Ruth. After hearing his former skipper would be working as the club's General Manager he became more favorable of the move, and noted it would help draw more fans to National League ballparks.
   
     Ruth inked a deal with the Braves  the same day the Yankees released him. Part of the deal with the Braves was a front office position and what the famed slugger believed was going to be a shot at managing the club. However, that never came to fruition.It became apparent that Ruth would not end up manager which led to an early retirement. Ruth never did get to revenge the loss to Dean, however, he did go out in a blaze of glory with a three home run day against the Pittsburgh Pirates on the 25th of May. Eight days later the era of The Great Bambino came to a close.

     When this game took place Babe Ruth was 40 years old. His days had come and gone. Still yet, they were some of the greatest days the game of baseball has ever seen. Dizzy Dean was 25 years old, and was being deemed by sports writers the new face of baseball. He was coming off a 30 win campaign that ended with a World Series title. Dizzy locked down 28 more wins in '35, and another 24 in '36 before his career took a turn with injuries. He broke his toe in the All Star game in 1937, which would prove to be the beginning of the end for Dizzy's career on a major league diamond.

    While they never met on the diamond again, The Babe did get a little bit of revenge in January of  '36 by beating Dizzy on the golf course. I would imagine the conversations that they had were priceless. In the years that followed Father Time knocked on Dizzy's door just like he had Ruth's. When Ruth called it quits he dreamed of managing. That never came to be. Dean on the other hand found a broadcast booth where he entertained fans for many years. Dizzy called games for the Cardinals, Browns, Yankees, Braves, as well as a variety of National Telecasts. Dean called his last game in 1968. He spent 27 years in the booth. There is a good chance that during those 27 years he told the story on air about the day he struck out The Great Bambino.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BSN/BSN193505050.shtml

I really enjoyed the piece about Babe Ruth's bittersweet bow out in 1935: http://www.thisgreatgame.com/1935-baseball-history.html

It does not paint the prettiest picture, however, we must look at a much larger picture when it comes to Babe Ruth. 1935 was simply a chapter in one of the greatest baseball tales that has ever been told.
Check out Ruth's SABR bio here:http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/9dcdd01c

A special thanks goes out to Bruce over at Baseball by BSmile for the photo that was featured with the article above. He is just one of many friends I have made that share a love for the game and its rich history. Check out his Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/BaseballByBSmile?fref=ts or  find him on twitter at: https://twitter.com/BSmile Thanks again Bruce, and as you always say to me, Cheers!

May 4, 1901: The Ballpark Goes Up In Flames

     On May 4, 1901, disaster struck in St. Louis, as a discarded cigar lit the grandstands on fire at League Park. The fire broke out in the bottom of the ninth with the Cardinals looking to break up a 4-4 tie with the visiting Cincinnati Reds, however, this game would come to a sudden and dramatic end that had fans jumping over the wall, rather than the ball flying over it. Luckily, there were no major injuries. However, the ballpark was a shell of its former self, as it was assessed $30,000 in damage had been caused. Today that $30,000 would equate to nearly $850,000.

     The ballpark that sat at Vandeventer and Natural Bridge was the home of the team from 1893 to 1920. It was a largely wooden structure, as were many ballparks of the day, so they were susceptible to fire. The fire on that day in 1901 was the second time the park had burned. The first time came on April 16, 1898 when Chris Von der Ahe owned the club. The 1898 fire was far more disastrous, as panic struck, which led to at least 100 injuries and 1 death.

     As mentioned before all of those in attendance escaped the 1901 blaze without injury. Although, the owner of the Reds, John T. Brush was nearly trapped in Stanley Robison's private box. Brush suffered from rheumatism, which left him without the use of his legs. While the fans were jumping over the wall onto the field, Mr. Brush had to make his way up the stairs as the structure burned around him. Considering the magnitude of this blaze it was a miracle that no one was injured.

     As the fans, players, and owners made their way to safety the fire department arrived and battled the flames. They had a battle on their hands with it being a windy day in St. Louis. Before the firefighters could get control of the blaze flames had spread across the street to a racetrack known as the Jockey Club. Meanwhile, a row of streetcars had gathered outside of the park in anticipation of the game's end. As the ballpark burned it was said the cars were forced to drive through a wall of flames, scorching the operators of the cars. The Jockey Club was saved, however, the ballpark was almost completely destroyed by the time the firemen could douse the flames.

     When the blaze of 1898 happened Chris Von der Ahe did not have insurance, which led him to
scrambling to rebuild the park on the same day that the fire happened. All of the Cardinals players pitched in on that effort, so they could play a game the next day. On the other hand, Stanley Robison did carry insurance, which would help get the park rebuilt at a rapid rate.

     The Cardinals played one game at Sportsman's Park on May 5th, which had housed the Cardinals from 1882 to 1892. The park had been converted into a fairgrounds that featured a track, and was a year away from being converted back to a ballpark to house the American League Browns. This led to a diamond being laid out quickly inside of the track, which was hardly big enough for a baseball diamond. This led to a special set of ground rules, as a great deal of the crowd of more than 6,000 were put behind ropes in the outfield. One of the ground rules was that any ball hit into the crowd would be ruled a double, so what would normally a routine fly ball ended up in the crowd ended up a double. The Sporting News said the general opinion of that game being played under those conditions was a mistake. However the show must go on, so by the time it was in the books the Reds won 7-5, before the Cardinals embarked on a road trip that lasted nearly a month.

    The road trip gave Robison ample time to rebuild a structure that could at least be used for games. The team returned to St. Louis on June 3, 1901 to play in the park that had looked like it may have been completely lost just a few weeks before. There was still a ways to go until the park was complete, however, it was usable. The building commissioner in the city would only grant permits to rebuild if the club used fire retardant materials, and put a distance between the three new structures that were built in order to avoid the spreading of flames if another fire struck the park.  An article in the Sporting News said that those in charge of the club in 1898 ordered lumbered while the fire was still burning, so they wanted to make sure to not repeat the mistakes that had been made after the first rebuild.

     The days of wooden ballparks went to the wayside as time marched on, as steel and concrete became the material of choice for modern ballparks. Sportsman's Park was rebuilt an opened in 1902  for the American League's Browns. Stanley Robison eventually did invest in steel and concrete for the grandstands, before he passed away in 1911. His niece Helene Britton took over the club, and ran it until it was sold in 1917 to a group of investors that included Sam Breadon. Just three years later, with the ballpark in need of major renovations, Breadon and company made arrangements with the Browns to share the site at Grand and Dodier.

     The park that was known as League Park became nothing more than a memory as time marched on. However, there had been 27 years of baseball played there and it would be a memory that is still preserved in the tales that came within its confines. Including the tales of the fires that became a part of the history of the club that has proven time and time again they can be knocked down, but they will get back up.

The site where League Park stood is now the home of Beaumont High School. If you would like to read more about the park check this out: http://sabr.org/bioproj/park/88929e79  The park was also known as The New Sportsman's Park, Robison Field, and Cardinal Field.