May 14, 1915: The Birds Stun The Braves In Beantown

     On May 14, 1915, the Cardinals found themselves trailing the Braves 4-0 at Fenway Park in Boston, before scoring five runs in the top of the ninth, which led to a 5-4 comeback win. The Cardinals were dominated for eight innings by hurler Tom Hughes who struck out  seven men and allowed just two hits, before a trio of errors and five singles led to his demise. The error that seem to cost the defending champs the most was made my Rabbit Maranville, who looked like he was going to end the game by turning a double play, but it ate him up, and the Redbird surge continued. Left fielder Ted Cather committed the other two errors in the disastrous inning that ended up handing the Cardinals an unlikely win.

I searched and searched and was not able to find an account of this ballgame that had the details of the five men who singled in the ninth. However, I enjoy a good comeback and I am sure you do as well, so while I am not sure how it came together I am glad it did as I sit here 100 years later. The beauty of a box score does tell me that first baseman Dots Miller figured into the rally. Miller led the team with two hits, and a pinch hitter by the name of Jack Roche knocked in two runs in the inning. Miller had a solid 12-year-career in the bigs, while Roche played in just 59 games between 1914 and 1917. However, Roche did hang around as a player in the minors until 1928.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BSN/BSN191505140.shtml

May 13, 1940: The Big Cat Hits Three Home Runs During an 8-8 Tie In Cincy

      On May 13, 1940, Johnny Mize hit three home runs in at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. It was the third time in his career he went yard three times in a ballgame. However, it was not enough to win the ballgame, as the two clubs played to an 8-8 tie  that was called after the 14th due to the setting sun. It was a rather odd game that started nearly 30 minutes late because there were no umpires on hand when the first pitch was supposed to be thrown.

     The reason behind the lack of umpires was the two teams had made arrangements to makeup a game that had been flooded out on April 23rd, but forgot to inform the league office of the arrangement. Therefore, the league office did not assign any umpires to officiate the contest. Luckily, an umpire by the name of Larry Goetz was enjoying a day off at his home in Cincinnati, which led to a phone call that had him rushing to the park to call the ballgame. Since Goetz could only handle the duties behind the dish each team had to lend a member to officiate the bags at first and third. The Reds sent coach Jimmie Wilson over to first base, while Cardinals hurler Lon Warneke handled the duties at third. They would all witness a historic contest, as Mize put three in the seats on the way to a tie.

     The game was a true seesaw battle. After six innings the two clubs were knotted at seven, as the pitchers were battered and abused. Mize started off his home run barrage in the second with a solo shot. He followed it up with a two run shot in the third. Then put the cherry on top with a solo shot in the thirteenth that gave the Redbirds a very temporary 8-7 lead, as pair of Bill's tied it right back up for Cincinnati in the bottom of the inning. Billy Werber started off the rally with a single, before pinch hitter Billy Hershberger doubled him in with a single. Werber had himself a day at the plate with five hits in six trips, which included four doubles and that made him the first man to accomplish that feat in both the American League and the National League. He had accomplished the feat as a member of the Yankees in 1935. Unfortunately, the umpire who had spent his day off calling balls and strikes, had to call it as the sun set in the Queen City, so neither Mize nor Werber could celebrate a victory. That would have to be saved for another day.

     Johnny Mize owns the record for three home run ballgames with six. Sammy Sosa equaled the feat with his sixth three home run contest in 2002, however, the record has not been surpassed. The last three home run contest for Mize came in 1950 when he was a member of the New York Yankees. Coincidentally, the club that Mize was playing for only won a single game of the six, which came in July of 1938 as he led the way to a 7-1 victory. His record of 1-4-1 when hitting three home run is rather astounding, but it does go to show that it takes a team to win a ballgame. I am sure that was something Johnny Mize knew all too well.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN194005130.shtml

May 12, 1966: The House That Gussie Built Opens Up With a Winner

     On May 12, 1966, 46,048 walked through the turnstiles at Busch Stadium in St. Louis to witness the first game to be played at the new ballpark. The crowd would not leave disappointed, as Lou Brock came up with a game winning RBI single in the bottom of the 12th, which led to a 4-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

     The game was full of firsts. The first starting pitchers were Ray Washburn who stood on the mound for the Cardinals. Washburn surrendered the first hit at the new ballpark to Atlanta's Gary Geiger. Washburn also recorded the first strikeout when he fanned Eddie Mathews in the second. The first triple and run scored came in a two-run third inning, when Mike Shannon picked up the first RBI at the new digs with a three-bagger that scored Jerry Buchek.

     The Braves got one back in the fourth, then Felipe Alou put them on top by becoming the first man to hit a home run at the stadium with a solo shot in the sixth. Alou would then become the first man in the history of the stadium to hit two home runs in the stadium when he launched his second of the day in the eighth, which gave the Braves a 3-2 advantage. Then came the first blown save by Billy O'Dell, as Jerry Buchek dropped in a looping single that scored the game tying run in the ninth. It simply set the table for Brock and the boys to walk away victorious. The first person to record a loss at the stadium was Hall of Famer, Phil Niekro, who pitched a scoreless 11th, before a hit batsman, an error, and an intentional walk put Brock in position to win it in the 12th. Last not but not least, Don Dennis was the winning pitcher that day. He retired one man in the top of the final inning. That one man was Felipe Alou, so it was a pretty big out in the historic contest.

     That was first of 3,227 games played at the stadium that had 96 arches adorning the roof. The doors would stay open until 2005. The memories made within its walls were memories that should and will be cherished for years to come. I often refer to it as where I grew up. I can remember being there as a kid and listening to the fans chant Daryl time and time again hoping to disrupt Daryl Strawberry's day. I can remember watching Jack Clark parking one in the seats and thinking "Wow, he's awesome." One of  my all-time favorite memories from Busch Stadium II came when Larry Walker made his debut with the club in 2004. I had seats on the third base line, and remember vividly standing with the crowd when Walker came into pinch hit in the seventh. He ended up striking out, however, the crowd let him know he was a part of Cardinal Nation in grand fashion by giving him a standing ovation. To top it off, Walker got another standing ovation in the ninth, before being intentionally walked to get to a young rookie catcher by the name of Yadier Molina. The rookie dropped in a bloop single to win it. It was such a great game and it is one of many memories I cherish from the old ballpark. I truly did love the place.

I would love to hear your favorite memory from Busch Stadium II. You can find me on twitter @CardinalHistory or look up On This Day In Cardinal Nation on Facebook.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN196605120.shtml

May 11, 1928: Jimmie Wilson Joins The Birds

     On May 11, 1928, the Cardinals acquired catcher Jimmie Wilson from the Philadelphia Phillies. The unusual circumstance of this trade is it happened during the second inning of a contest against the Phillies in St. Louis and once the deal was complete Wilson, who was catching for the Philllies, changed uniforms and dugouts. He did not play in the ballgame, however, he did sit back and enjoy a win, as Grover Cleveland Alexander led the way to a 3-2 victory with a nine strikeout performance.

     The deal was made necessary because one day earlier they had sent Bob O'Farrell to the Giants for an outfielder by the name of George Harper. The trade for Harper was a bit of a shock, as O'Farrell was was a key contributor to the 1926 championship winning team and was the MVP of the National League that year as well. He would be revered in St. Louis for throwing out Babe Ruth in that series to record the final out of the of Game 7. Following that run to glory, O'Farrell took over as a player/manager after the club traded Rogers Hornsby. His playing time was limited due to injury, however, he did lead the club to 92 wins, which was good for second place in the National League standings. Therefore, when the trigger was pulled on the deal to send him to New York many writers were stunned. It seemed that trading O'Farrell seemed to be addition by subtraction; filled one hole and created another, which led to the deal for Wilson.

     The deal for Wilson proved to be a good one. He went from a team without a chance to a team that had a chance to win it all. Unfortunately the 1928 club did not win it all, however, they did win the National League pennant, only to be beaten by the New York Yankees in the Fall Classic. The club would win a second National League title in 1930, but would be disappointed by Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics. The two clubs would meet again one year later in a World Series rematch that saw the Cardinals celebrate their second championship title as they knocked off the A's in six.

     Coincidentally, Wilson was traded to the Phillies after the 1933 season and the Cardinals got Spud Davis in return. The two players had come full circle, but this time it would be Davis helping the Cardinals win a title by playing in 107 games for the '34 club. Davis' second stay in St. Louis lasted three years. Wilson went onto manage the Phillies for several years before joining the Cincinnati Reds in 1939. He enjoyed one more pennant winning season in the Queen City the next year before focusing on the coaching side of the game. He spent three full seasons as the manager of the Cubs from 1941 to '43, then was fired early in '44. His days on the diamond may have been over, but the old backstop had two decades of baseball tales in his book of life. One of those tales included swapping uniforms in the second inning of a ballgame against the Cardinals. He had become a member of Cardinal Nation.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/STL/1928-schedule-scores.shtml

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