June 30, 1959: Two Balls In Play At Wrigley!!!

     On June 30, 1959, Stan "The Man" Musial was involved in one of the most unusual plays in baseball history at Wrigley Field in Chicago when he was retired with two balls in play.

     The ridiculous turn of events came during the top of the fourth when Musial worked Chicago's starter Bob Anderson to a 3-1 count, before he fired ball four over the plate. The ball hit the Chicago catcher Sammy Taylor, and caught a piece of the umpire Vic Delmore and bounced to the backstop. Taylor wasn't even worried about the ball. He began arguing with the umpire because he thought that the ball had caught a piece of the bat, therefore it would be a foul tip. As Musial trotted to first his teammates began screaming "Run, run!" He heard them and made a break for second, while the Cubs third baseman Al Dark realized this and went after the ball.

     As Dark was trying to retrieve the ball as quickly as he could, the Cardinals batboy picked it up and tried to flip it to the Cubs field announcer Pat Peiper, who also was in charge of keeping the baseballs for the umpires. Dark screamed to Peiper "Gimme that ball!" Peiper, not wanting to interfere, pointed at it saying "it's right there." as Dark stormed in, scooped and fired to second. At the same time that Dark was making his throw, the catcher Taylor had another ball put into his hands by Delmore, and he fired toward second as well. Taylor's throw sailed into center, while Dark's was dead on to Ernie Banks.

    While this craziness unfolded Stan decided to take third base as well, and the choice cost him, as Banks was able to tag him out as he tried to get back to second with baseballs flying everywhere. Bobby Thomson fielded Taylor's misguided throw into center, and he immediately threw the ball back in to the Cubs bench realizing that the other ball was the one that had tagged Musial out. Then came an argument.

     The Cards skipper Solly Hemus was furious, as he argued that Musial should be safe no matter what since the bat boy had his hand in it. The Boys in Blue referred to the rule book, and pointed at a rule that said if a bat boy had unintentionally interfered there was no interference at all. The ruling led to Hemus playing the game under protest, which in the end hardly mattered as the Cardinals ended up winning the tilt 4-1. I can only imagine Musial cracking his classic smile as he talked about the play with his teammates later that day.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN195906300.shtml

June 29, 1933: Ethan Allen's Inside The Park Home Run Never Makes It To The Record Books

     On June 29, 1933, Cardinals rightfielder Ethan Allen hit an apparent inside-the-park home run during the top of the second inning of a contest against the Giants in New York, only to have the run not count because he had batted out of turn. Allen was the sixth man on the lineup card, while Ducky Medwick had possession of the five hole. While Allen was trying to catch his breath the umpires conferred, and called Medwick out. Allen got another turn, and immediately grounded out. The mental error didn't cost the Birds,as they exploded for six runs in the next inning, then added one more in the ninth before starter Tex Carleton survived a late inning three run rally as he locked down a 7-3 complete game winner. No harm, no foul I guess when it comes to Allen's gaffe, and all these years later it just goes down as an odd play on the diamond. With that said, Allen is an interesting figure from baseball's past, and while this moment in his playing career was a bit rough to say the least, his story is a great one that should be told.

     Allen was well traveled ballplayer, as he spent time with the Reds, and Giants, before joining the Cardinals. He spent just one year with the Cardinals, and unfortunately it was a down season for him, as he hit just .241 for the club. He was sold to Philadelphia in February of '34, where he had a career year. Allen had a career in Philly as he batted .330 and led the league in doubles. Luckily in the grand scheme there were men that got the job done for the '34 Cardinals, so that getting rid of Allen is not a haunt from baseball's past.

     After two and a half seasons in the City of Brotherly Love, Allen was sent to the Windy City where he played 91 games for the Cubs as they made a run for a pennant in 1936. The Cubs fell short as the Giants took the flag, and he was sold during the offseason. The purchaser guaranteed a return to St. Louis, although, it would be as an American Leaguer with the Browns. Allen retired after the '38 season. In his 13 major league seasons Allen carried a .300 average, and had played in nearly 1,300 games.

     At age 34, Allen was still a young man with a lot of life ahead of him. He was an educated man, as he had earned a Bachelors Degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1927, then obtained his Master's Degree from Colombia in 1932. Immediately after retiring Allen was took a job leading the National League's first film bureau. From there he spent a short time in the booth calling games alongside Lefty Gomez, before joining the armed forces in 1945, where he taught a Special Services sports program in Italy. After serving, Allen was hired to coach Yale's baseball team where he spent the next 23 years, which included two trips to the College World Series in 1947 and 1948. Allen had a young future President manning first base on those squads by the name of George H. W. Bush, and they both maintained a lifelong relationship.

     Allen also wrote several  instructional books, and invented two popular baseball board games called Strat-O-Matic Baseball and All Star Baseball that remained popular for more than 50 years, and can still be bought today. Allen passed away in 1993 at the age of 89, and while his name might not be known by fans today, he had many great moments, and some not so great moments. One of those moments turned out being an inside-the-parker that did not count, which led to those who read this knowing a little bit more about the man who lived quite the baseball life.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN197706290.shtml

You can view his career numbers here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/allenet01.shtml

June 28, 1916: Hornsby Tears It Up In Cincy

     On June 28, 1916, down 6-5 in the top of the ninth in Cincinnati, the Cardinals put together a four-run rally that was capped off with an RBI triple by Rogers Hornsby to give them a 9-6 edge. An eighth inning rally that gave the Reds a short lived lead was all that Cincy squad had in them, as Redbird hurler Charley Hall pitched a perfect bottom of the ninth to secure the victory. Hornsby had quite the day at the plate going 5 for 5, with two singles, two triples and a home run.

     The Hornsby led Cardinals were up 5-2 headed into the eighth, but surrendered four runs to the hometowners to give them the slim 6-5 lead. The Reds player/manager Buck Herzog called on Al Schulz to finish things off in the top of the ninth, and it looked like he might get it done, as he had two outs under his belt before the winning rally began. Bruno Betzel and Bob Bescher  picked up back-to-back singles, before Tom Long was called into pinch hit. He hit a scorcher to Herzog at short that could not be handled. The bases were loaded for Dots Miller, and Miller cleared'em all with a triple. Hornsby followed him with his second triple of the day, which brought Miller trotting in.

     While this was a great day for Hornsby and the boys, the 1916 season was quite rough. The battle between the Reds and Cardinals was a battle of cellar dwellers. The two teams couldn't decide who was the worst between them so they finished with an identical 60-93 record, as they helped maintain the basement in the National League.

     With that said, as someone who likes to look for silver linings, Hornsby was the silver lining. The 1916 season was his rookie campaign. He finished the season with a .313 average, which made him the only Cardinals batter on the roster to top the .300 mark that season. He would become a fixture in the Cardinals lineup through 1926, and had many more great days at the plate in store. He only fell under the .300 mark once during that 10-year-span, with that being in 1918 when he hit .281. Between 1920 and 1925 Hornsby dominated the National League with a .397 average. He topped the .400 mark three times during the span, and it was nearly four times, but he fell three points short of the mark in 1921. The three seasons that he topped .400 came in '22 (.401), '24 (.424), and '25 (.403). Twice he took home the triple crown, with the first coming in 1922 and the second coming in 1925. No matter if the team was winning or losing, the fans in St. Louis knew if they came to the ballpark for a Cardinals game that kid was gonna hit.

     While he saw his numbers decline in 1926, Hornsby led the Cardinals to their first title in the modern era. He had spent a 10 year rollercoaster ride with the team before he was rewarded with a World Series title. He was the toast of the town following that run, and while his days with the club ended a little more than two months the city and the team celebrated  the title, he had forever cemented himself into the rich history of the franchise. The run to legendary status was just beginning on that day in Cincinnati.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN191606280.shtml

Stats of a legend: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hornsro01.shtml

June 27, 1964: Javier Ties The Putout Record

     On June 27, 1964, a quintuplet of Philadelphia errors made the headlines as the gaffes helped lead the Cardinals to a 9-4 win over the visiting Phillies. However, one stat that slipped through many of those papers was that Julian Javier had tied a National League record for second baseman with 11 putouts in the contest. Only six other National Leaguers had accomplished it before him, with the first coming in 1893, when Washington Nationals second bagger recorded 11 in a game. Javier was the last man in the National League to record 11 putouts in one game. The major league record was set in 1888, when  Lou Bierbauer recorded 12 putouts as a member of the American Association's Philadelphia A's.  It was equaled in 1966, when Bobby Knorr of the California Angels recorded 12 in a contest. It has not been matched since.

     Being a .257 career hitter, Javier was best known for his glove. He owned the Cardinals second base position for more than a decade, and celebrated two championships with the Birds on the Bat across his chest. Javier appeared in two All Star games during his tenure with the Cardinals. He also led the league in putouts in 1963 and 1964. While his scraptastic way of playing led to quite a few errors (led the league in '64 with 27), he earned the respect of his teammates by making spectacular grabs time and time again.

If you would like to know more about the man whose teammates called him "Hoolie" give this a read: http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/b8bf06ec

   

Paul Dean, The Brother of Dizzy

     Paul Dean, the brother of Dizzy, and by some accounts known as Daffy, is often overshadowed when it comes to the famous sibling pitching duo from the days of the Gashouse Gang. Dizzy was an over the top kind of personality. He was what I like to call a "quote a minute kind of guy." Dizzy had joined the Cardinals in '32, and two years later he was joined by his brother. It was going to be quite the year in St. Louis. Paul went about getting his job done quietly, while Dizzy grabbed the reporters ears, and the subsequent headlines. Although Paul did grab a few headlines of his own. In fact, 19 times during that rookie campaign Paul's name appeared in the headlines and the win column during the regular season, which included a no-hit performance against the Brooklyn Dodgers.

     The two brothers combined for 49 wins on the club that won 95 games, and the National League Pennant. The success continued into the World Series as Dizzy and Daffy combined to win all four games for the Cardinals. Dizzy opened the series with a win, Daffy won the third game by scattering eight hits while allowing a run. Dizzy did lose the fifth game of the series, but his brother won the sixth, and Dizzy, otherwise known as Jay Hanna Dean shut the Tigers out in the seventh game, that was won by the Cardinals 11-0, as the brother stood side by side as World Champions.

     Paul returned to form in 1935, he matched his '34 win total with 19 wins, while Dizzy added 28 more to his totals. Unfortunately for Paul, he ran into arm trouble that led to him winning just eight more games between '36 and '39. Five of the eight came in '36, and the other three came two seasons later. While many historians say that Paul ran into his arm trouble because of a massive workload in his first two seasons, he attributed it to weight gain, as he went from 175 to 225 after the '35 season. There is a very good possibility that both factors played into his struggles. Paul would also say that many pointed at the toe injury that Dizzy suffered in the '37 All Star game as the moment his career turned for the worst, but in reality Dizzy's arm had been hurting him in the Spring of '37, and the All Star game injury was just another proverbial strike against him.

       While this is an era in baseball that is looked at with great admiration, it was also an era in baseball that pitchers went the distance game in and game out, and there were many occasions that they would be called onto pitch in relief between starts. Simply put, the workload that pitchers took on during the era led to many careers ending before they truly got started.  I have heard today's fans berate a guy for not getting past the sixth or seventh inning of a game, and say things like "they used to do it back in the day", and that might be true, but it also is important to look at a much bigger picture which is not to not only have success today it is about sustained success. Both Paul and Dizzy could be considered a victim of the times.

    The brothers days as teammates ended with Dizzy being shipped to the Cubs in the Spring of '38. Both of their best days had come and gone. Paul joined New York Giants in 1940, and he won just four games for them that season. While his days in the game looked to be over Paul returned in '41, and appeared in just five games without figuring into decision. The Cardinals organization worked out a deal with the Giants in the Fall of '41, and it looked like he might get another shot in St. Louis. However, it never came to be, although, he did win 19 games for the club's minor league affiliate out of Houston. Following that season he shuffled around a bit before landing with the St. Louis Browns in '43. He pitched in just three games for the Browns before heading back to the minors. Paul officially hung up the cleats at the age of 33 in 1946. He never did make it back to the bigs after the stint with the Browns.

     After his days on the mound came to an end Paul spent seven years as a minor league manager, before retiring in 1965. Even after he officially retired Paul made appearances as an instructor in the years that followed. When Dizzy passed away in 1974, Paul acknowledged he played second fiddle to his brother, and he said he would do it all again if he could. The siblings bashed heads like siblings do, but they had a bond between them that was like no other. He talked about how they did not see each other for two or three years at a time, but that bond never faded. This is something I can relate to, as I have a brother who lives in another state, but there is a bond between us that cannot be broken. Dizzy often talked about his brother by saying "Me and Paul." While some might have looked at the younger Dean as the second fiddle to the more colorful Dizzy, to him he was just his brother and they lived what most of us could only consider a dream.

     Paul passed away six years after his brother. He was 67. He had lived a long happy life that included a wife, two sons, two daughters, and 15 grandchildren.While Dizzy stands amongst baseball's immortals, Paul is a figure that should not be forgotten. He too, is responsible for the 1934 Flag that waves in the wind at Busch Stadium.

June 26, 1934: Paul Dean Wins His 10th; The Cardinals Outslug The Giants

     On June 26, 1934, Paul Dean went the distance during a slugfest that had the Cardinals prevail 13-7 over the New York Giants at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. The New Yorkers picked up 15 hits off of the rookie hurler, which included home runs by Mel Ott and Travis Jackson. On the Cardinals side of the diamond the Gashouse Gang rapped out 13 hits, that did far more damage than those of their opponents. Ripper Collins led the Cardinals attack with a 4 for 5 day at the plate, that included a double and four ribbies, while Jack Rothrock went 3 for 5 with two ribbies, and a run scored. Dean not only went the distance during the contest, he also helped his own cause by picking up two hits, which led to an RBI, a run scored, and his tenth victory of the season.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN193406260.shtml
   

 

June 25, 1999: Jiminez Tosses a No-No In The Desert

      On June 25, 1999,  a 25-year-old rookie by the name of Jose Jiminez walked into Arizona with a 3-7 record, an E.R.A. over 6, and he was about to face one of the most dominant pitchers of the era: Randy Johnson... no problem.  Jiminez struck out eight, walked two, and hit a batter on his way to tossing the first no hitter for the Cardinals since 1983.  

      It was a true duel. Johnson was dealing, and he held the Redbirds hitless until the fourth. The big lefty kept them off the scoreboard until he walked two men in the ninth, before leftfielder Thomas Howard came through with a two out rbi single to put the Cardinals on top 1-0.  It was all the Dominican born Cardinals hurler would need. Although, David Dellucci nearly spoiled the no-no with one out in the ninth when he dropped a sinking liner into right that took a spectacular diving play by Eric Davis to keep it from falling in. Davis had also made a spectacular grab earlier in the ballgame. Jiminez retired Tony Womack with a slow roller to Joe McEwing at second, who fired the ball to a triumphant Mark McGwire, who celebrated with his teammates by mobbing the no-hit hero of the day. 

     Before that  game started 45, 540 souls walked through the turnstiles  at Bank One Ballpark expecting to witness a dominant outing by Randy Johnson, and they did. The Big Unit struck out 14, and picked up the 2,500th strikeout of his career in what was a true gem for both pitchers. However, the gem by Jiminez shined quite a bit brighter.  The no-hitter was the first for a Cardinals rookie since Paul Dean in 1934, and the first for the club since Bob Forsch accomplished the feat in 1983. The last man to achieve the feat with the Birds on the Bat across his chest was Bud Smith in 2001. 

Check out the box score: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ARI/ARI199906250.shtml

Watch the final out here with the Moon Man Mike Shannon on the mic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiKzu04cu38 

     Jiminez posted a 5-14 record for the Cardinals during that '99 season, then was traded to the Colorado Rockies during the offseason as part of a package deal that brought Darryl Kile, Dave Veres, and Luther Hackman to the Gateway City.