June 7, 1921, Hornsby and The Birds Pound The Dodgers

     On June 7, 1921, the Cardinals pounded the defending N.L. champion Brooklyn Dodgers to the tune of 14-5 in front of a sparse crowd at Sportsman's Park. Things did not start well for the Cardinals starting pitcher Marv Goodwin, as he surrendered two runs in the first inning before being yanked with two outs. His successor Lou North cleaned up the mess, then watched the Cardinals put seven runs on the board in the bottom of the first. The Dodgers starter Leon Cadore did not even record an out, giving up five runs before he got the hook. The big star of the day was Rogers Hornsby, who hit a pair of home runs and a triple. The Cardinals plated their other runs with a tally in the third, then six more in the fifth. North held the Dodgers at bay until the eighth when they put two runs on the board. They scored on him again in the ninth, but it was too little too late, as Hornsby and his comrades celebrated a huge victory.

      The 1921 club won 87 games, which was the best record for the team since the 1889 campaign. They showed flashes of greatness that season, and no one man shined brighter than the 25-year-old Rogers Hornsby. He was monster who tore the cover off the ball with a .397 average, which was good for the league lead. He also led the league with 126 RBI's, 18 triples 44 doubles, 235 hits, and 131 runs scored. His 21 home runs ranked second in the National League. The 87 wins ended up placing the Birds in third, seven games out of first place, which was owned by the New York Giants. While that 1921 club did not win the flag, they did excite the fans regularly and could compete with the best of them. The first five years of the 1920's were crucial seasons for the team that would win it all in 1926, as the foundation was laid for the team that would become no stranger to the top spot in the National League.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN192106070.shtml

     The ad/bat featured with today's article was found in an issue of The Sporting News that appeared on the newsstands within a week of this game being played. The Louisville Mascot Bat was a pretty neat item to own. Several players endorsed the bat that had a decal with a picture of them on the end. Unfortunately, most of these bats were used like they were bats. The decals ended up being worn off, so there are not a lot to be found that are in very good condition. The bat in the photo sold for a little more than $400 in 2011. Definitely a cool collectible to say the least. I would imagine a bat like this one in perfect condition may be able to fetch as much as a $1,000. While there may not be a perfect one out there, this could be a neat project for an aspiring sports artist to pursue by painting vintage bats with a decal of a famous player from yesteryear. As a collector myself I would love to own one that's for sure.

June 6, 1928: The Birds Rally In The Seventh To Put The Giants Away In New York

     On June 6, 1928, the Cardinals were down 5-1 before exploding for six runs in the seventh inning on the way to a 11-6 victory over the Giants at the Polo Grounds in New York. The G Men scored those five runs in the first two innings, as Grover Cleveland Alexander got hit hard, which led to an early hook. He handed the ball over to spitballer Clarence Mitchell, and Mitchell was up to the task. The well-traveled veteran had just been released from Philly six days earlier and here he was about to win one with a team that was destined to win the National League pennant later that year.

     After taking over  for Ol' Pete, Mitchell went the rest of the distance. He enjoyed the seventh inning outburst, which was highlighted by a two run triple by Wattie Holm. Vic Aldridge had started the tilt for the Giants and looked like he was going to grab a win until the rally ignited. He was yanked for eventual loser Jim Faulkner, who surrendered the last three runs of the big inning. Mitchell gave a run back in the bottom of the seventh, then turned the lights on any hopes of a New York rally.

      The scribes of the day acted as if Alexander's spot in the rotation was in peril. They were wrong to assume such a thing. Rough starts are a part of the game and simply put Ol' Pete had a rough start. He gave the club more than 240 innings that season, going 16-9 at the age of 41. The hero of '26 even started and won a couple of games that were just two days apart later that month. On the other hand, Mitchell was a valuable piece to the pennant winning Cardinals as a fifth starter. His record was just 8-9 that season, but it was not because of a lack of effort that brought high praise by skipper Bill McKechnie. Both Alexander and Mitchell, as well as every other man on that roster helped the team reach the World Series. They may not have won the thing, however, they did wear the National League Crown with pride and all of Cardinal Nation was proud of them for it.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NY1/NY1192806060.shtml

If you would like to read more about Clarence Mitchell check out his SABR bio here: http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/923ff3e8 

June 5, 1895: Britenstein Sets'em Down At The Baker Bowl

     On June 5, 1895, behind a five hit performance by left handed twirler Ted Britenstein, the Browns pummeled the Phillies 13-2 at the Baker Bowl in Philadelphia.

     The Browns came out of the gate quick with a four run frame, then did not look back, as Britenstein dominated the Philadelphia lineup. The Philadelphia starter Willie McGill was yanked in the fourth inning, which ended with the Browns up 7-0. By the end of the fifth the St. Louis club extended its lead to 10-0. The Phillies finally got on the board in the sixth with a run that came through the benefit of a walk, an error, and a single. They plated another run in the eighth, before the Browns put three more on the board in the ninth. The lead offensive stars of the contest were Browns outfielders Tim Brown and Duff Cooley who both had two singles and a double. The Philadelphia Record  also mentioned Britenstein's batterymate Heinie Pietz who eliminated the running game of the home team with excellent defense.

     1895 was not a pretty year for baseball in St. Louis. The club won just 39 games. I tend to look at those 39 games as 39 silver linings. Britenstein, a St. Louis native, won 19 games that season. However, he did lead the league with 30 losses as well. It was a rough year all around with the club finishing in 11th place. Only the Louisville Colonels had a more abysmal record with just 35 wins. With that said, there were bright spots on that Browns roster. The aforementioned Duff Cooley may have been the brightest of them all, as he led the team with a .342 average, as well as runs scored with 108, and triples with 20. Cooley was sent to those same Phillies he help beat on that day in early June a little over a year later. He had spent parts of four seasons in the Mound City, hitting .328 during that time.

      Britenstein will forever be remembered for tossing a no-hitter in his first major league start. It was also the first no-no in franchise history. If you would like to read more about that historic contest check this out: http://www.onthisdayincardinalnation.com/2014/10/october-4-1891-ted-breitenstein-tosses.html

The Baker Bowl was built in 1887; less than a decade before this contest was played. It was quite an interesting looking ballpark with a short right field wall that was just 280 feet from home plate. The park remained open until the 1938, then was finally demolished in 1950. As you could imagine many great games were played within its walls. It was the home of the Philadelphia Eagles for three seasons and hosted three Negro League World Series from 1924 to 1926. The home team: known as the Hillsdale Daisies took the title in 1925. The park was marked with triumph and tragedy. If you would like to read more about it check this out: http://research.sabr.org/journals/baker-bowl



   

June 4, 1980: Kaat and Reitz Slam The Door On The Mets

     On June 4, 1980, Ken Reitz's tenth inning home run off of Neil Allen was the decider in 1-0 victory over the Mets at Shea Stadium in New York.  The man who put Reitz in the position to do so, was a 41-year-old Jim Kaat, who had been been purchased from the Yankees in late April. Kaat began his days on the diamond with the Washington Senators in 1959. The ten inning victory in New York made gave him his first win of the season, which was the 265th win of his career that ended with 283. It was the 31st and final shutout of his career that ended up coming to an end after 25 years in the big leagues in 1983.

     When he arrived in St. Louis, Kaat had been around the block. The Senators moved to Minnesota and became the Twins, where he pitched until August of 1973, when he was picked up off of waivers by the Chicago White Sox. Kaat had won 190 games, appeared in two All Star games, and won 12 Gold Gloves as a member of the Twins organization. His best season came in 1966 when he led the American League with 25 wins. Consistently in double-digits in the win column, the '66 campaign was the only season he would win 20 or more until he became a member of the White Sox and put together back-to-back 20 win seasons in 1974 and 1975. Following the '75 season Kaat was moved to Philadelphia in a five player deal. His career began to turn the corner in Philly, as his best days on the diamond were behind him.  Kaat posted a 27-30 record over four seasons in the City of Brotherly Love before being sold to the New York Yankees in May of 1979. He went 2-3 with the Yankees that season and became a fixture in the bullpen. After appearing in just four games for the Bronx Bombers in 1980 a decision was made to sell him to the Cardinals.

     It may have been the best thing to ever happen to the big lefty. He found a resurgence in St. Louis, with Ken Boyer exercising a patience with him that he felt was lacking in New York. He had felt like the Yankees were just waiting for the moment to hand him his walking papers, but fortunately they found a suitor just West of the Mississippi. Kaat was mainly a bullpen guy with the Birds. Although, he did start 14 games during that 1980 season and put up an 8-7 record. He started just three more games during his career, with two of those coming in 1982, as he helped the Cardinals win the National League Pennant. He pitched in four games out of the pen in the World Series that ended with a celebration in St. Louis. Kaat had waited his entire baseball career to celebrate like that. He was 43 years old, in his fourth decade of professional baseball, and he was finally a champion. The storybook came to a close the next season, however, he would always be remembered as a member of Cardinal Nation.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN198006040.shtml

June 3, 1907: Stoney McGlynn's Iron Man Pitching Performance in Cincy

     On June 3, 1907, Cardinals starting pitcher Stoney McGlynn pitched two complete games during a doubleheader split against the Reds in Cincinnati. McGlynn won the first contest, which was a ten inning affair that was won when Pete Noonan came up with a late sacrifice. Noonan caught the game and he would catch the next one as well, as McGlynn took to the mound again and despite splitting a finger he went the distance during the second tilt. Unfortunately, the batterymates would not score their second victory of the day, as the Redlegs beat them 5-1, however, the iron man performance is noteworthy. The feat has not been accomplished since 1927, and it is safe to say we will not see it completed again.

     McGlynn was old warhorse of sorts. His baseball reference page has his days on the diamond as a professional beginning in 1904 at the age of 29.  He played in the minors for the first several years of his career, before getting a call by the Cardinals late in 1906. He had made quite the impression by being the guy who would take the ball during both games of a doubleheader beforehand, which would lead to his name being remembered on this fine day.

     The 1907 season was the the only full season he spent in the majors and it was a rough one for the Redbirds. They won just 52 games that season and Stoney went 14-25 over the course of the campaign. The 25 losses were the most in the National League. He also led the league with 39 games started, 33 complete games, 352.1 innings pitched, 329 hits given up, 114 earned runs, 112 bases on balls, 1,426 batters faced, and 12 errors committed.

     McGlynn returned to St. Louis in 1908 and pitched in 16 games. He would then return to the minor league ranks where he became a bit of a legend by pitching in 446 innings for the Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association in 1909. He won an American Association record  27 games that season, struck out 183, and had 14 shutouts along the way. He prided himself on being able to complete iron man performance, and would often volunteer for the duty with the Brewers with an extra $20 as an incentive. He claimed that is key to success as an iron man came from standing under a hot shower after each game he pitched, gradually increasing the heat until it nearly scalded his arm. He called it the best attention he could give his whip.

     Stoney was a different breed of pitcher than the men we see trot out there today. Maybe even a different breed of man. He was truly something. After retiring from the game when he was in his mid-forties, McGlynn became a lifeguard at a beach in Mantiwoc, Wisconsin, a little more than an hour away from Milwaukee. At the age of 62, he rescued two young boys who had jumped on a raft, and sailed more than two miles, before Stoney could catch up to them. He must of been in some kind of shape to do such a thing. McGlynn passed away in 1941. He was 75 years of age at the time. While his time in Cardinal Nation was short he definitely made a mark during that 1907 season. He was survived by a wife and three children, as well as dozens upon dozens of stories from the diamond and more. He lived quite the life.

If you would like to read more about Iron Man pitching performances check out this piece by the Society of American Baseball Research: http://research.sabr.org/journals/iron-man-pitching

June 2, 1935: Ripper Collins Stuns Chicago With a Slam

     On June 2, 1935, Ripper Collins stunned the fans in Chicago by capping off a ninth inning rally with a grand slam that beat the Cubs 6-5 at Wrigley.

     The stage was set for a comeback early as the Cubs put two runs on the board in the third, then one in fifth and another in the sixth. Perhaps the most interesting play of the game came in the two run Cubs third, when Billy Herman "played possum" after realizing he would be tagged out by Frankie Frisch at second. Frisch thought he passed out, so he threw to first, before yelling for the ball back to make the tag on Herman. Meanwhile, Herman got up and dashed to second before the play could be made. I would imagine this would be quite the highlight on the MLB Network. The play ignited the two run Cubs inning, which had Herman scoring the first run of the ballgame.

     The Birds did scratch a run across in the seventh when the Cubs starter/former Redbird got in a bit of trouble by walking the bases full, before Charlie Gelbert came through with a single, but the Cubs came right back and plated a run in the bottom of the inning. Carleton was still on the bump in the ninth for the Cubs, but got into trouble quickly, which led to him handing the ball over to Larry French with the bases full. French retired to the first two he faced, then Ripper crushed the second pitch he saw and it landed over the left field wall. The turn of events had the Baby Bears slightly shell-shocked, as Dizzy Dean came in to earn a two out save in the bottom of the ninth.

Just a quick note about that 1935 Cubs club. They did win the pennant that season with 100 wins, but could not get past the Detroit Tigers in the Fall Classic. The Cardinals won 96 games, so they were right there in the hunt until the end. When looking back at these great pennant races I often think how this generation is very blessed with the expanded playoff format. Just think about how great a postseason series between these two clubs would have been. It would have been a classic battle that's for sure.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN193506020.shtml

June 1, 1943: Harry The Hat Ends a Wild One With a Walk Off

     On June 1, 1943, Harry Walker crushed a Rube Melton pitch in the bottom of the twelfth that sailed over his brother Dixie's head in right field at Sportsman's Park to give the Cardinals a dramatic 11-9 victory. The walk off was the lone walk off blast of Harry The Hat's big league career. As you can tell by the score it was a wild one at the ole ballpark, although, just 2,347 fans were in the seats, and who knows how many of them hung around until the bomb slammed the door on those Bums from Brooklyn.

     The two clubs bunched up 35 hits, with 20 of those belonging to the Cardinals. An article in the Schenectady Gazette called it a "titanic struggle" and there was no game up to that point in the season that could be compared to it. A pennant race was heating up and games like this one would help decide a victor as the teams sought to take hold of the National League flag.

     Nine different pitchers took to the mound in the contest. Howie Pollett got the nod for the Redbirds, while Ed Head got the call for the Dodgers. Head was given a two run cushion in the top of the second, but gave up five runs in the second and was yanked after an inning and a third. Pollett gave up two runs in the fourth, which led to him being yanked with the score 5-4 Cardinals. Neither bullpen appeared to be up the task on this day. On the Cardinals side of things Howie Krist surrendered a pair of runs in the sixth, then Murry Dickson gave up another in the seventh to give the Dodgers a 7-5 lead, but the Birds grabbed a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning with a two RBI single by Ray Sanders to make it 7-7.

     Stan The Man Musial did his best to put it the books with a two run home run off of Bobo Newsom to make it 9-7. However, the seesaw went right back the other way with a two out Brooklyn rally in the ninth. It started off with Red Munger walking former Cardinal Ducky Medwick, then he surrendered a triple to Dolp Camilli, before Billy Herman tied it right back up with a single. While a game like this can drive a person nuts on some days, just remember that everything that went into it set the stage for a finish to be remembered.

     Harry Brecheen took over on the mound in the tenth and was able to hold the Dodgers at bay, while Newsom stayed on the mound through the eleventh and did the same to the Redbirds. Rube Melton was called on after after Newsom was pinch hit for in the top of the twelfth. Melton retired Brecheen who was set to pitch another frame if need be, before giving up a single to Lou Klein. Then came Harry the Hat, who may have made his brother's hat nearly fall off as he watched the ball sail over his head onto the roof of the right field pavilion.  Harry was a walk off hero.

     The game brought the Cardinals within a half game of the National League lead. They would stay right within striking distance until early July then ran away from the entire pack through the month of July, as they went onto repeat as National League Champions. That pennant winning ballclub did fall four games to one in the Fall Classic against the Yankees, however, the 105 win season was a great year of baseball in St. Louis. Harry Walker and his teammates celebrated as Champions in 1944 and 1946. He was also a member of the '42 championship club. That core of players that formed those pennant winners had to be some fun to watch. They had a lot of fight in them just like the Redbirds we watch today.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN194306010.shtml