June 21, 1893: Brodie Slams Louisville

     On June 21, 1893, just 855 souls watched Browns center fielder Steve Brodie hit a third inning grand slam, which proved to be the difference maker in a 9-6 win over the Louisville Colonels at Robison Field in St. Louis. The Chicago Tribune called it a "hot and sultry afternoon" in St. Louis, which may have been one reason for such a small crowd. The mercury was cooking, and so was Brodie who hit a team high 2 home runs during that 1893 season. Although, he only played in 107 games that season for the club, as he was sold to Baltimore in a cash deal in late August. Brodie's SABR biography proclaimed that is where he made his name as a member of the "swashbuckling Orioles."  He also set the 19th century record for most consecutive games played with 727. If you would like to know more about the life and times of Steve Brodie you can read that bio here: http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/cffef117 

 

June 20, 1985: Danny Cox Shuts Down The Phillies

     On June 20, 1985, Danny Cox led the Cardinals to a 5-0 victory over the Phillies at Busch with a complete game performance.  Cox was provided with all of the run support he needed in the first, as Willie McGee knocked in Vince Coleman who had walked, then moved all the way to third on an attempted pickoff that went flying past Mike Schmidt at first. McGee crossed the dish on an Andy Van Slyke double moments later to put the Birds up 2-0.  A pair of Tom's got in on the offensive action, as third baseman Tom Lawless knocked in a run in the third, then catcher Tom Nieto did the same in the fifth. The cherry on top came in the eighth when Tommy Herr came up with a double to push McGee in for the second time of the day.

     The true story of the day was Danny Cox. It was his third complete game in a row, and his second consecutive shutout. The big righty gave up nine hits in the contest, but he worked his way around them. The biggest out of the ballgame came with the bases full in the seventh, and Cox needing one out to get out of the jam. He got that out with a ground ball, then wiped the sweat from his brow, and went out and finished the job by allowing just one more hit in the contest. Cox won a career high 18 games in 1985, then helped the Cardinals reach the World Series. That was something Cox would do twice with the Redbirds, as he was a member of the 1987 National League Pennant winning club as well. While Cox was not able to win a championship with the Cardinals, he did celebrate as a champion in 1993 with the Toronto Blue Jays. With that said, Danny Cox will forever be a Cardinal. as he was a part of some of the greatest teams that stepped on the diamond throughout the eighties.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN198506200.shtml

June 19, 1967: Maris Comes Up Big With His Bat; Flood Caps Things Off With an Unassisted Double Play

     On June 19, 1967, Roger Maris came up big with his bat in the top of the eleventh, and Curt Flood ended a battle in Houston with an unassisted double play to secure a 5-4 eleven inning win over the Astros.

     Bob Gibson took to the mound for the Birds, but it would not be a classic Gibby type of day, considering he struck out just three men and gave up three runs. With that said, Gibson kept the boys in it, and turned in seven innings before handing the ball over to the bullpen. He had been stung by an RBI triple by Julio Gotay in the third, then watched Orlando Cepeda put the Cardinals in front by knocking in two with a double in the sixth. That lead disappeared in the blink of an eye when Rusty Staub took him deep in the bottom of that same frame. Houston held onto that 3-2 lead until the eighth, then Lou Brock and Curt Flood came up with a pair of RBI's off of starter Mike Cuellar to give the Cardinals a 4-3 lead. The seesaw shifted back to the Houston side in the bottom of the ninth when Gotay picked up his fifth hit of the day, which was an RBI single that sent it to extras.

     Neslon Briles had inherited a runner in the ninth, and while he gave up the hit that ended up tying the ballgame, the run was charged to Joe Hoerner, who gave up a leadoff double to Bob Aspramonte. Briles picked up one more out during that inning, but it was a productive one that moved Aspramonte over to third with a sac bunt, which was the end of the line for Hoerner and the beginning of what was going to be a tough battle for Briles to win. He struck out the first man he faced before giving up the game tying hit to Gotay, who ended up a home run shy of the cycle. This set the table for Briles to win his third game of the campaign, as he held Astros in check until that fateful eleventh, when Roger Maris came up big with a one out RBI double that scored Tim McCarver, with what proved to be the game winning run.

     What kept that run from being preserved as the game winner was the spectacular play by the perennial Gold Glover who roamed center field like no other: Curt Flood. That web gem from '67 came after Briles surrendered a leadoff single to Jim Landis. Houston's skipper Grady Hatton went right back to the small ball that led to the game tying run in the ninth, as Landis was moved over to second with a sacrifice bunt. Landis thought he was going to tie it moments later, as Bob Lillis hit a looper to center that looked like a sure hit, only to have Flood take it away with a shoestring catch. Landis was off and running, and the alert Curt Flood was as well, as he darted to second base in a flash to record the game ending unassisted double play.

      One of the greatest to ever roam an outfield, Flood will forever be known for his challenge of the reserve clause. That challenge led to free agency in the ranks of Major League Baseball, and today every single player who puts ink on a contract owes that man a bit of gratitude. It is undoubtedly something that has defined his legacy, but it should never be forgotten that the man could play some ball. In my humble opinion what he did on the field should be enough to put him among the legends of the game in Cooperstown, New York. The challenge of the reserve clause simply adds something that revolutionized the game to what I consider a Hall of Fame resume. While I do understand the on the cusp on numbers alone argument, I do believe that the historical impact of what he did by sacrificing his career for the greater good of the men that followed him pushes him well over the top. It seems that most that understand baseball history realize what he meant to the game, and for this one fan I do believe it is a travesty he has been shunned from the institution that is built around preserving the history of the great game that is played on a diamond. Maybe one day they will get it right; maybe one day Curt Flood will be represented with a plaque in Cooperstown.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU196706190.shtml

I am very passionate about the belief that Curt Flood belongs in the Hall of Fame. I have written several papers in college about it, and did a speech about it as well. If and when that day comes I will do everything in my power to make a trip to watch an induction ceremony for the first time in my life. While he will not be there to celebrate the day, I do believe that he will be looking down on his family who have waited long enough for Major League Baseball to bestow the well deserved honor on the man that they knew and loved.

June 18, 1915: Doak Wins a 12 Inning Duel; The RedBirds Outfield Does Not Record a Putout

     On June 18, 1915, a pitching duel for the ages happened in St. Louis, as Boston Braves starter Pat Ragan and Cardinals starter Bill Doak went into the twelfth inning deadlocked 1-1, before Doak finally wavered in the tenth by giving up a run. The Birds bounced back in the bottom of the frame with a run, that meant more free baseball for the fans at Robison Field. Doak held the visitors in check before the wheels came off of Ragan's bus in the bottom of the twelfth. He started things off by walking left fielder Bob Bescher, followed that up by beaning second baseman Dots Miller, then he walked right fielder Cozy Dolan.  First baseman Ham Hyatt then rewarded Doak with a win by ripping a single that brought Bescher into score. When the Cardinals outfielders ran to the locker room that day they had accomplished a rare feat by doing a lot of nothing in the outfield. What I mean by that is the trio had not recorded one putout during the 12 inning affair. A rare feat to say the least. The only outfielder to even figure into the defensive efforts was Cozy Dolan who recorded an assist.

     Doak won 144 games for the Cardinals over  the course of 13 seasons. Those 144 wins rank fifth in franchise history. He also recorded 30 shutouts as a member of the club, which is the second most in franchise history; Bob Gibson recorded 56 shutouts. One of the last legal spitballers to take to a mound in the major leagues, Doak made a name for himself on the bump and off, as he also helped revolutionize the pitcher's mitt in 1919.

     I literally stumbled across the fact that the outfielders did not record a put out, while I was looking for a more detailed description of the contest. While I could find a few instances of it happening, I could not find a definitive number of times that it has occurred. With that said, I am going to try to find out, and if I do I will pass it on to you. Doak struck out six men in that contest, and besides the ball that got to Dolan every other ball that a Braves batter put wood on was snagged by one of the Cardinals infielders. Doak was dealin'. What a day at the ole ballgame.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN191506180.shtml

You can read Doak's SABR bio here: http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/1359e4e2

June 17, 1970: Gibby Flirts With a No-No In San Diego

     On June 17, 1970, Bob Gibson came oh so close to pitching a no-hitter against the Padres on San Diego, only to have it come to an end with just four outs to go in the contest, as the Friars left fielder Ivan Murrell ripped a two out single in the eighth. The offensive heroes of the day were Jose Cardenal and Dick Allen. Cardenal picked up three doubles and stole a base, and Allen knocked him in twice, which included the first run of the ballgame in the first. It was the only run Gibby needed, as he mowed down the San Diego lineup in quick succession. At the end of the day, the man who donned the 45 on his back had struck out 13 men, faced just 29 batters, and recorded his tenth victory in a row with the one-hit performance. Murrell spared San Diego of being no-hit twice in a week, as Dock Ellis had done the deed while high on LSD on June 12th (all kinds of crazy). Back to the star of this day, Gibson had come close to tossing a coveted no-hitter several times before, and at this point in his career he was an aging veteran who was 34-years-old. He began to doubt it was going to ever going to happen. Then came August 14, 1971, and Gibby finally added a no-no to his long list of accomplishments.

Read about it here: www.onthisdayincardinalnation.com/2014/08/august-14-1971-bob-gibson-no-hits-buccos.html

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SDN/SDN197006170.shtml

June 16, 1887: Curt Welch Nearly Causes a Riot in Baltimore

     On June 16, 1887, just one week after punching Athletics pitcher Gus Weyhing in Philadelphia, the saga of Curt Welch continued, as the embattled center fielder caused a near riot in Baltimore during the ninth inning of what turned out to be an 8-8 tie. The play that caused the pandemonium came when Welch took out the Orioles second baseman Bill Greenwood in an aggressive attempt to steal second base in the ninth. A group of Orioles players became enraged, and the fans became enraged as well. An arrest would follow, and the next day Welch stood before a judge hoping to clear his name.

     The Baltimore American  proclaimed that Welch had ran at least five feet outside of the baseline to take out Greenwood, then once he did the damage he was looking to do Welch tagged up, as Greenwood rolled around on the ground in pain. The crowd of an estimated 9,000 became enraged by the actions of Welch, who not only took out their player, but was also awarded the base by umpire Jack McQuaid. The crowd was already incensed by calls that they considered favorable to the Browns from earlier in the contest, and because of that a lead was stolen from their club. They were also angry over the way Welch had taken at bats in the contest, as it was said he had tried to be purposefully hit by a pitch by diving over home plate as one crossed the dish, so once he barreled into Greenwood the proverbial pot came to a boil.

     The Baltimore nine gathered around the umpire and argued that Welch should be called out on the play. The aforementioned Baltimore American said the players made the most "frantic of gestures" toward McQuaid, yet he would not overturn the call. The crowd began to shout "kill him!" and "hit him in the head" before trying to make their way onto the field. Luckily, there were plenty of police officers on hand to quell the stirring violence. After gaining control over the crowd, the police had to turn their attention to the players who were "likewise becoming pugilistic." Charlie Comiskey and Oyster Burns were forcibly separated by officers as they were set to go toe-to-toe in battle.

     As the dust settled the Mayor of Baltimore's secretary ordered that Welch be arrested for assault, which led officers to grabbing him up and escorting across the field amidst a rain of jeers from the crowd. The tense situation was not helped by Welch's apparent resistance to being placed under arrest. Immediately thereafter it was determined by all parties involved that the game should be called, however, this thing was far from over.

     The Browns gathered their equipment, then were escorted to waiting carriages to take them to their hotels. They had a problem though: a large crowd gathered around the carriages. It soon became apparent that Welch, Comiskey and the the umpire Jack McQuaid could not safely be escorted from the premises. The only St. Louis player treated well was Dave Foutz, who was a native of the Baltimore area. Foutz returned to the clubhouse where he made it be known that the situation was volatile to say the least, therefore, those in charge began to come up with a Plan B on how to get the players out of there. The problem with that was there was only so many exits to the park, so the fans made their way to those exits in anticipation of the men trying to vacate.

     Meanwhile, several fans, which included one Colonel Wm. H. Love gathered around the police insisting that they would go swear in court that they saw Welch clearly assault Greenwood. Welch was worried about his own safety while being asked about the play. He denied that he meant to take out the second baseman, as he was just playing the game of base ball. On the other hand, Greenwood, who was struck by a severe headache while being questioned, did insist he thought it was on purpose, but he too thought it was a base ball play, and Welch did not strike him illegally. All of the baseball men involved tried desperately to keep Welch being arrested. However, they could not stop the officers from doing what was seen as their duty.

     Once Welch was finally whisked away in a carriage, he along with Comiskey, Greenwood were taken to a courthouse in Waverly. Some 50 young boys followed the carriage on a dead run to the courthouse, where they were met by an estimated 200 people who were ready to jeer Welch as he made his way to face a judge. The initial hearing ended with Welch being released on $200 bail, then he and Comiskey were taken to their hotel by police officers. All along the way they passed angry fans who irately let them know exactly what they thought.

     The owner of the Browns,  Chris Von der Ahe blamed the Orioles squad and their fans who lacked a knowledge of the game of base ball, saying "Out of ten thousand people to go to a ball game, there is not 500 who understand its rules." He also blamed McQuaid for losing control of the situation. The play in question was a play that "happened every day in a good game of ball" according to Von der Ahe. Earlier in that same contest Baltimore's first baseman Tommy Tucker scored a run, taking out St. Louis' catcher Doc Bushong in the process. Von der Ahe looked at that play just like he looked at the ninth inning play that was blown well out of proportion. One of the reasons it may have been blown out of proportion was the incident in Philly, which came one week before. Welch already had a reputation as a rough and aggressive player and that news in Philadelphia was read about by every fan in Baltimore with St. Louis due to make a visit.

     Welch's reputation had preceded him. With that said, the courts were not concerned with what had happened in Philadelphia. Their concern was about this one incident. The hearing was held at 2 p.m. the next day. Colonel Love was a featured witness. The Colonel insisted he had witnessed an assault. Other witnesses included the Mayor's secretary, and a man named John Boyce. Welch was joined by Von der Ahe, and Harry R. Von der Horst who had assumed responsibility for the posted bail money from the day before.The prosecuting attorney, Frank X. Ward had come prepared to have Welch punished for assault. However, once the witnesses began to testify Von der Ahe asked them pointed questions about the rules that they did not know the answers to. Then when Greenwood was called on he said in a straightforward fashion that plays of that nature happen in base ball, and he did not believe he had been assaulted. Despite the efforts of prosecutor Ward to implicate Welch for taking out the second baseman on purpose Greenwood stood by what he said, which led the judge to reducing the charge to disorderly conduct before handing down a $1 fine, that had an additional $3.50 tacked on for court costs. Von der Ahe paid the fine, then looked to put the fiasco behind him, as his championship squad had to get back to the business at hand: defending the American Association's Title.

     If you had a chance to read about the game in Philadelphia that had Curt Welch running in from center to punch Gus Weyhing, who was on the way to second base with a double, you will remembered that Welch was considered one of the greats of his time. He had scored the game winning run in Game 6 of the 1886 World Series with a steal of home that brought the franchise its first true title. The play was coined the "$15,000 slide", as each member of the St. Louis squad was awarded a healthy bonus for winning the series.

     The club won the American Association. pennant for four consecutive seasons beginning in 1885. Welch was a part of the first three pennant winning squads. The Browns parted ways with Welch after the club took the American Association pennant during that 1887 season. They had failed to win the World Series that season, in fact out of the four pennants, 1886 ended up being the only World Series title, while one of the four ended up being a disputed tie. With that said the early version of the team that was destined to become the Cardinals was a powerhouse franchise during that moment in time and despite Von der Ahe's decision to sell off some of his stars after the 1887 season they were dominant in 1888, which ended with them winning their last pennant in the 19th century.

     When he played in St. Louis, it was said that Welch kept beer behind the scoreboard at the ballpark, so he could toss one back while manning his post in the outfield. With that said, his defense was stellar. It was said he could cover so much ground that he could catch a ball that was hit within two city blocks from where he was stationed. His hearing was so fine tuned that some said he could hear grass grow, so he knew right where the ball was going as soon as he heard the crack of the bat. Welch himself claimed he could hear a fish breathe. His play made him a legend among fans and peers alike. He spent three seasons in the City of Brotherly Love after being sold to the Philadelphia Athletics following that 1887 season.

     Welch spent time with the Orioles, Reds, and the Louisville Colonels before his career came to an abrupt end in the Spring of 1893. It seems that his battle with the bottle was won by the bottle, and less than ten years after he caused a near riot in Baltimore, Curt Welch passed away from what was deemed as "consumption." He was just 34 years of age at the time. Had he been able to tame that personal demon his tale may be far greater than it is, however, that never came to be. With that said, the man was a pioneer in the sport and he thrilled the fans on many days while that that game of base ball was quickly becoming  the national pastime.

   

June 15, 1927: Rajah Returns To St. Louis

     On June 15, 1927, Rogers Hornsby returned to St. Louis for the first time since being traded to the New York Giants in December of 1926. It was said Hornsby was given the town before the contest, took place, then was ceremoniously introduced before being given a gold watch that was presented by the Mayor of St. Louis, Victor Miller.  After the pregame  festivities came to a close, his former teammate Jessie Haines proceeded to two-hit Rajah's new club, which led to a 5-0 Cardinals victory over the New Yorkers.

     Burleigh Grimes got the nod for the Giants, and was rocked for three runs quickly, with Billy Southworth put one in the seats with two men on in the first. Grimes was tossed in the second inning for arguing balls and strikes after walking in a run with two outs. His successor, Don Songer inherited a bases loaded jam and walked in another run before he could get out of it. From there Songer settled down enough to keep the Cardinals off the board, but that hardly mattered, as Haines spun a gem. The only hits he surrendered were a second inning single to Edd Roush and a fifth inning single to Travis Jackson. The dominating performance earned Haines his 10th win of the season. He would go onto win 24 by the time that 1927 came to a close.

     When the trade for Hornsby went down there was bit of shock and outrage. However, Frankie Frisch, who Hornsby was traded for had already begun endearing himself to the St. Louis fans by the time Rogers made his way back to the park in which he had celebrated as a champion the previous October. While Hornsby was cheered before the game, Frisch was cheered during it. He played spectacular defense, reached on an error, stole a base, scored a run, and picked up a double as well. "Hornsby Day" in St. Louis turned out to be a big hit. It was big hit for Rajah before the contest began,  then it was a big hit for those boys who wore those Birds on the Bat thereafter. As history would have it, both Hornsby and Frisch would forever be celebrated members of the St. Louis Cardinals. Their tales would be told time and time again, as they both helped bring Championships to the Mound City.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN192706150.shtml