August 12, 1927: Sunny Jim Wins It In Extras

     On August 12, 1927, Jim Bottomley ended a pitching duel in the bottom of the eleventh with a walk off blast to beat the Pirates by the score of 2-1 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. The duel had Carmen Hill on the bump for the Bucs, while ole Jesse Haines toed the rubber for the defending World Series Champion Redbirds. Both hurlers were looked at as staff aces, and on that fine day they both fit the bill. Hill ran into trouble in the fifth when player/manager Bob O'Farrell  picked up a one out double, before Haines came through with a huge two out RBI to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. That lead didn't last long, as the Pittsburgh club made the most of an error that brought Lloyd Waner into score the tying run in the sixth. From there the duel was on. Both pitchers worked their way into extras. Haines allowed just four hits in the contest, while Hill allowed six. It was the sixth and final hit off of the Pirates hurler that mattered the most, as Bottomley walked to the dish to lead things off in the eleventh, and with one swing of the stick he sent the Bucco's packin'.

     Sunny Jim led the club with 19 home runs that season, for a club that won 92 games. 24 of those wins were credited to the day's starting pitcher Jesse Haines. Unfortunately, those Pirates who hit a minor skid in early August would go onto win the National League Flag with 94 wins. They would run into the famed Murderer's Row in the 1927 Yankees in the Fall Classic, and quite frankly they were murdered.

     Despite the Cardinals failing to repeat as Champions in the National League the team had turned a corner in the previous season. They were legit contenders and the best was yet to come. A foundation had been laid. The Cardinal Way was born. The farm system grew talent, and the club would be a true contender for the better parts of the next two decades. They did more than contend during that time. They won titles. They became the best of the best in the National League, and at times they were the best club in all of baseball. It was new era in Cardinal Nation.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN192708120.shtml

A special thanks goes out to Retrosheet for putting together a play-by-play from that contest. You can look it over here: http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1927/B08120SLN1927.htm

August 11, 1960: Musial Bombs The Bucs

     On August 11, 1960, a two run blast by Stan Musial in the twelfth led the way to a 3-2 victory over Pirates in Pittsburgh.

     Ernie Broglio and Bob Friend went toe-to-toe in this one on the mound for their respective clubs, with both of them going the distance in the tilt. Broglio served up a fifth inning home run to Smokey Burgess, then found himself locked in a zone. Friend allowed a one out triple in the eighth, which led to the tying run coming across the plate moments later on an RBI knock by Carl Sawatksi.

     With the teams deadlocked at 1-1 the 34,000 fans that walked through the gates at Forbes would get to watch some free baseball, but would walk away disappointed, when Musial walked to the dish with Bill White on base, then took a swing on a Friend pitch that ended up sailing over the wall in right.While the big blast put the Birds on top, Broglio would have his work cut out for him in the bottom of the twelfth. He came into the inning having retired the last 20 men he faced, but allowed a leadoff single to Bill Virdon. Broglio picked up two outs, before the Bucs first baseman Rocky Nelson knocked in Virdon with a double. Broglio wiped his brow, went back to work, and struck out Dick Stuart to finish things off. It was a battle from beginning to end, and thanks to the work of Broglio on the slab, and the bat that was held in the hands of Stan "The Man" Musial the Cardinals walked away victorious.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PIT/PIT196008110.shtml

August 10, 1955: 1,000 Extra Base Hits For Stan The Man

     On August 10, 1955, Stan "The Man" Musial became just the ninth player in the history Major League Baseball to record 1,000 extra base hits during a 7-2 win over the Braves at County Stadium in Milwaukee.

      The big hit came off Lew Burdette in the first, as Musial doubled off the hurler to join the elite club. Burdette got out of that inning with no damage done, but he would be handed a loss by day's end, as the Birds snapped a four game skid on their own end, and a three game winning streak on the Braves side of the diamond. The two clubs were tied 2-2 after four innings of play, which stood until the Cardinals plated three runs in the sixth.

     The three run rally was sparked by a lead off triple off the bat of Red Schoendienst. A rather funny incident followed, as the Cardinals catcher attempted to drop down a squeeze bunt, and it looked like he did make contact, as the ball flew into the air behind him and hit the net. However, the umpire Tom Gorman thought it hit Burbink and sent him trotting down to first. This led to the skipper of the Braves, Charlie Grimm out to have a heated discussion with the ump. All the while, Burbink had thought the umpire thought it hit him in the hand, so he was standing there shaking it like it pained him greatly. As it turned out, Gorman thought it hit him in the shoulder, so as soon as Burbink became aware of that fact he grabbed his shoulder. He was trying to win an Emmy award on that fine day. A frustrated Grimm gave up on the argument he could not win, and made his way back to the Milwaukee bench. Things unraveled for Milwaukee thereafter, as shorstop Alex Grammas doubled in a run, then an error led to the other two runs crossing the plate to give the Redbirds a 5-2 lead.

      The Cardinals added to their totals in the ninth with two more runs to cap things off, and the last of those two was scored by The Man of the hour Stan Musial, who singled in the inning. Musial finished the day with three hits, a walk, and the run scored. With that said, the story of the day was the 1,000th extra base hit. He was well on the way to breaking the all time record, set by Babe Ruth with 1.356. When Musial hung up the cleats in 1963, he had 1,377 extra base hits to his credit, which stood as the a record, until it was surpassed by the current record holder Hank Aaron, who finished his storied career with 1,477 extra base hits.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MLN/MLN195508100.shtml

The Milwaukee Journal  and  Milwaukee Sentinel  provided the details about the Burbink incident. Needless to say the fans in Milwaukee were not pleased, as it was looked at as a turning point in the ballgame.

August 9, 1961: Javier's Birthday Slam

     On August 9, 1961, Julian Javier celebrated his 28th birthday with an eighth inning grand slam that beat the Pirates 4-0 in front of more than 17,000 fans at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. The slam was delivered to him by starter Joe Gibbon, who up to that point had been locked into a head-to-head duel with Curt Simmons. Simmons was lifted for a pinch hitter in the big inning after Curt Flood and catcher Jimmie Shaffer picked up back-to-back one out singles. Simmons' replacement Don Taussig drew a walk to load'em up, then came the birthday boy grand slamarooski. Ed Bauta took over pitching duties for the Redbirds and knocked out two scoreless innings to secure a save and a Cardinals winner. Javier was not a power hitter by no means. That was the second home run of the season for him, and it happened to be his last of that campaign as well. It was also the first grand slam of his career. He hit one more in the summer of '64, as he helped the club make a run that will never be forgotten. Much like that run, Javier will never be forgotten as well. Happy Birthday Julian, and thank you for the memories from all of Cardinal Nation.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PIT/PIT196108090.shtml

August 8, 1949: Slaughter Slams The Redlegs

     On August 8, 1949, Enos Slaughter packed the punch it took to beat the Reds 9-3 in front of 13,053 fans at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. The man they called "Country" hit two home runs. The first was a two run shot in the third off of starter Kent Peterson, while the other was a fourth inning grand slam off of reliever Ken Burkhart. The Redbirds walked away with this one with ease, as Peterson and Burkhart piled up seven walks in a combined four innings of work. In fact, the nine runs on the Cardinals side of the scoreboard came on just five hits, as they exploited the walks, while Howie Pollett limited the damage done to the Birds, despite giving up 12 hits. The complete game effort by Pollett secured his 15th victory of the campaign; he would lead the staff that season with 20.

     Slaughter was 33 years of age in 1949, and many of the scribes of the day had written him and the Cardinals club he was on off as "too old." On that fine day the same men that said he was too old at the beginning of the season were looking at him and the Cardinals as a possible pennant winning club that sat tied atop the standings with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Cardinals took the lead in the National League on August 20th, then held it until the final week of the season, before a four game skid sunk the proverbial ship, as they finished just one game back of those Bums from Brooklyn.

     While the club did fall short of the flag, there were many bright spots that came during that campaign, In the end, a guy named Stan Musial led in every major offensive category, but that guy named Enos Slaughter put up some pretty good numbers himself. In fact, he hit .336, which was just two points shy of Musial's average. He and Musial led the league with 13 triples. While Musial set the pace for the club in the RBI department with 123. Slaughter ranked second on the club with 96 runs batted in, The duo was quite a 1-2 punch for that squad in 1949. When looking at these seasons from yesteryear it makes me appreciate the expanded playoff format so much.  Just think if they would have even been a playoff between the two league leaders. Of course that would come in time, but it is something fun to think about. Could have made for a classic series. Just be glad we are treated to what we are treated to today.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN194908080.shtml

August 7, 1915: Miller Huggins Dupes Brooklyn

     On August 7, 1915, a trick play by Cardinals manager Miller Huggins helped the club prevail 6-4 over the Brooklyn Robins in St. Louis. The game began with the Cardinals jumping out to a 3-0 lead, as they knocked Brooklyn's starting pitcher Wheezer Dell right out of the box. Ham Hyatt got the biggest hit of the inning with a big blast that had the Birds flying high early. Both pitching staffs would have their work cut out for them, as the Robins plated two runs in the second, another in the fourth to tie it 3-3, before the Birds could answer back with a run in the bottom of that same inning to retake the lead. That only lasted so long, as Casey Stengel tied it back up with a single in the sixth that came moments after his teammate Otto Miller come up big with a triple. Then came the play that decided it all in the seventh, with Huggins coaching at third with the bases loaded, he yelled over to Brooklyn's rookie reliever Ed Appleton and told him to toss him the ball. The rookie hurler tossed it his way, and Huggins moved out of the way, then Dots Miller, who was standing at third darted down the baseline to score the go ahead run. The Birds put one more on the board moments later, and from there it was all Cardinals. A rule was put in place to prevent a trick play like the one that Huggins executed, but on that day it was totally legal, and he made the most of it. I can almost hear the laughter in the stands as I have written this. It had to be hilarious.

August 6, 1964: Bill White and Dick Groat Put The Birds In The Win Column

     On August 6, 1964, despite being outhit 11 to 5, the Cardinals beat the Cubs 5-3 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Bob Gibson worked out of jam after jam, which included a bases loaded situation in the first. The Redbirds were helped by an error in the bottom of the first, as the Cubs' shortstop Andy Rodgers had what looked like a sure out by Curt Flood get by him. Lou Brock moved Flood to second with a sac bunt, and moments later Dick Groat came through with a single that brought Flood around to score. Ken Boyer was the next man up, and he came through a double that scored Groat and the Birds were off and flying. Ron Santo cut the 2-0 lead in half with an RBI single in the third, but the momentum shifted back to the Cardinals in the bottom of the frame, when Groat came through with a two out double, which was followed by an intentional walk to Boyer. Bill White was the next man up, and he made the Baby Bears pay for passing Boyer by ripping a double that brought both men into score. The true hero of this contest was Groat, as he added to his totals with another RBI with a two out single in the seventh. Santo was the only man that could come through when it mattered on the Chicago side of the ball, as he knocked in another run in the eighth, then drew a bases loaded walk in the ninth, before Barney Shultz was called on to face one batter. That one batter, was Ernie Banks and he struck him out to end it.

     It was a wild contest that was witnessed by just 8,258 fans. The Cardinals were seven games out after the game was put in the books, and would slide down in the standings into late August. reaching as far as eleven games back. Then came run at glory and epic collapse in Philadelphia. It could be said a perfect storm came together for the Redbirds that season, and you can honestly point at each win of the campaign and see that they were all truly important.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN196408060.shtml

I would also like to wish my friend Jame Nolde a.k.a. Captain a Merry Birthmas. He was born on that day, so he kicked things off the right way. I hope you have a great birthday my friend.