August 4, 1971: Bob Gibson Locks Down Win #200

     On August 4, 1971, Bob Gibson became the 66th player in the history of Major League Baseball to win 200 games in his career. The milestone performance came in front of a crowd of more than 27,000 at Busch Stadium, as the hurler with a warrior's mentality struck out nine, while giving up seven hits to the visiting San Francisco Giants, as he led the Birds to a 7-2 victory. The offensive highlight of the contest was Ted Kubiak's three run home run off of Gaylord Perry in the sixth. The big blast for the second baseman who had been traded to the Cardinals a week earlier put an exclamation point on a five run inning. Gibby did surrender a home run in the ninth, but quite frankly it did not matter, as he took care of business by helping the Cardinals add another digit to the win column.

     Gibson was just the second man to win 200 games as a Cardinal. The first was. Jesse Haines who forged out 210 wins over 18 big league seasons. The 1971 season was Gibby's 13th season in the big leagues, and he had quite a bit of gas left in the tank. The man who donned the number 45 surpassed Haines' total in '72 and he kept on adding to his own totals until the end of 1975 when he finished up his career as the franchise's all time wins leader with 245. When Gibson was inducted into the Hall of Fame he credited two of his managers for the wins, saying that Johnny Keane believed in him when no one else had, and Red Schoendienst who would leave him in there no matter what the score was. Gibson said jokingly "Red would leave me in there whether if the score was 20 to nothin. He figured I would hold them and we would get 21." Then with another chuckle he said "as a matter of fact he's responsible for me losing 170 ballgames or so."

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN197108040.shtml

Stats of a legend:http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gibsobo01.shtml

August 3, 1934: Dizzy and The Birds Take Down The Pirates; A Tribute To Father Time

     On August 3, 1934, Father Time Paul Pagano celebrated his 11th birthday with a 9-3 Cardinals win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Dizzy Dean pitched the Birds to victory on that day in St. Louis, and the hurler used more than his arm to beat another future Hall of Famer in Waite Hoyt who was knocked out of the game after giving up four runs in the second inning before he even recorded an out. Dean was dealing early. He gave up a double to Paul Waner in the first, then held the Buccos hitless until the fifth. While his line at the end of the day included 11 hits by the visitors, he was able to work around most of them, as the Cardinals offense rolled. Ernie Orsatti and Leo Durocher each picked up two hits, and two RBI's in four trips, which included a triple and a double for the both of them. The Cardinals hurler matched both Orsatti and Durocher's batting line with two hits of his own in four trips, and he even tripled and doubled just like his teammates. While Dizzy will forever be known for his Hall of Fame arm he was a pretty good hitter. His lifetime average sits at .225, but in 1934 he belted out a .246 average. His best year at the dish came in 1932 when he hit .258. I know those numbers are not eye popping, but when you consider the fact that he was a pitcher they are definitely respectable.

     Today is Mr. Pagano's 91st birthday. Born in 1923, Father Time has lived through each and every pennant winning season, which includes all 11 World Series Championships. He served his country proudly during World War II, before returning to the city that he knows and loves where he worked for 60 years as a produce merchant. After retiring he began to dress up and appear at many community events where he took on the name "Father Time." He has stood the test of time which makes that name an appropriate one. I am sure that many of you have seen him around the stadium, and might have even taken a picture with him. I wrote this today as a birthday gift for one of the greatest Cardinals fans the City of St. Louis has ever seen. I often scoff at the notion that anyone is the the "#1 fan", but today I do believe Father Time Paul Pagano is #1. Happy Birthday sir, and thank you for your service.

If you would like to wish him a Happy Birthday jump over to his Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Father-Time-Paul-Pagano/199775990038980

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN193408030.shtml

August 2, 1961: Cunningham's Three Run Blast Leads To Victory

     On August 2, 1961, Joe Cunningham's seventh inning three run blast proved to be the difference maker in a 4-2 win over the Pirates in St. Louis. The outfielder formed a legacy in St. Louis that continued well past his playing days.

     The Birds jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first when Ken Boyer came up with a two out RBI single, but watched as that lead disappeared in the top of the second  with one swing of Roberto Clemente's bat that tied things up. It looked like both starters were settling in after giving up the early runs. The Pirates hurler Bob Friend gave up just one hit after the first, until the fifth when Julian Javier hit a scorcher right back at the pitcher, which caught him on the foot, and ended his day.

     The Pirates skipper Danny Murtaugh called on Bobby Shantz to take over on the bump, and Shantz worked himself out of two jams before helping his own cause with an RBI in the top of the seventh. He wasn't so lucky in the bottom of the inning, as he surrendered a leadoff single to shortstop Bob Lillis, and a one out single to Julian Javier to set the table for Cunningham, who put the first pitch that Shantz threw him over the right field wall. It was all the Cardinals starter Larry Jackson needed for victory, as he was nearly flawless in the last two innings, as he locked down the complete game victory.

     Cunningham played 738 games with the Birds on the Bat across his chest, and he carried a .304 average during that time. While he had the ability to launch the ball, he was not a true home run hitter. His highest total or home runs in a single season came in 1958 when he hit 12. His best year came in 1959 when he finished with the second best average in the National League at .345. Hank Aaron's .355 kept him from wearing that crown. The 1960 season saw his average fall to .280, and after a .286 campaign in '61 Cunningham as shipped to the White Sox for Minnie Minoso.

     That trade did not turn out the way management had hoped for, as Cunningham hit .295 in the Windy City, while Minoso hit .196 for the Birds before being sold to the Washington Senators in the offseason. A collarbone injury in 1963 was a game changer in the career of Joe Cunningham, as the once consistent hitter never was able to find his swing following the bad fortune. the White Sox shipped him to the Senators in July of '64, and he spent the last couple years of his career in D.C. before being released in the Spring of '66.

     Cunningham's days as a player might have ended in '66, but his days in baseball were far from over. Several teams courted him to manage their minor league affiliates, but Joe proclaimed "once you are a Cardinal you are always a Cardinal", which led to him taking a job within the organization. He managed several minor league affiliates, took a position in sales, and was even a member of the coaching staff for the 1982 World Series championship squad. Cunningham continued to work for the organization for many years to come in a community relations role. While he might not be a household name among this generation of fans, I do believe that he is a man who deserves a proverbial tip of the cap, so here's to you Joe.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN196108020.shtml

Check out Cunningham's career numbers here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cunnijo01.shtml



   

August 1, 1957: Stan Surpasses Cobb In Extra Base Hits

     On August 1, 1957, Stan "The Man" Musial surpassed Ty Cobb on the all time extra base hits list with a 4 for 4 day that included two singles, two home runs, and four ribbies. Musial's extra base hits totals extended to 1,140, which was one more than the legendary "Georgia Peach." At the time only Lou Gehrig, and Babe Ruth had more extra base hits in their career, and Stan would pass them too. He finished his career the league leader in extra base hits with 1,377. To date, only Hank Aaron (1,477) and Barry Bonds (1,440) have collected more. Musial also laid claim to the second most RBIs in National League history in the contest, surpassing another St. Louis legend Rogers Hornsby. Musial's 1,951 RBIs currently rank seventh on the all time list.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN195708010.shtml

July 31, 1937: Win #210 For Ole Jesse Haines

     On July 31, 1937, Jesse Haines complete game performance against the Dodgers in St. Louis led the way to a 4-3 Cardinals win over the Brooklyn Dodgers. The 43-year-old knuckleballer worked his way around eight hits to survive in the contest that was highlighted by a 2 for 4 day by third baseman who came away with two RBIs, which included the game winning ribbie in the sixth. While the performance by Haines was not the most dominant of his career, it has a great historical significance because it was his last, and his 210th win in a Cardinals uniform. Only Bob Gibson's 245 wins rank higher than Haines on the franchise's all time wins list.

     The first time Haines tossed a ball for the Redbirds came in 1920. He gave the next 18 years of his life to the organization winning 18 games or more three times, and was the ace of the staff throughout the 1920s. He tossed a no-hitter for the club in 1924, and was key in beating the Yankees in the 1926 World Series, as he pitched the club to victory twice in the Fall Classic, which included a strong performance in the seventh game of the series. Haines was also part of pennant winners in 1928, 1930, 1931, and 1934. He pitched in each of those World Series besides the 1931 series, however, his 12-3 record had helped the club get to where they wanted to go. While Haines has not had a number retired by the club, nor is he recognized on the wall of fame in left, he truly is one of the great Cardinals from the past. The man they called "Pop" joined the ranks of baseball's immortal bunch in Cooperstown in 1970.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN193707310.shtml

You can view the all time wins list here: http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/stats/sortable.jsp?c_id=stl#sortColumn=w&sectionType=sp&playerType=ALL&statType=pitching&season=2014&season_type=ALL&game_type='R'&elem=%5Bobject+Object%5D&tab_level=child&click_text=Sortable+Player+pitching&league_code='MLB'&page=1&ts=1406783293372

July 30, 1933: Dizzy Strikes Out 17

     On July 30, 1933,in the first game of a doubleheader against the Cubs at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, Dizzy Dean set a modern day record by striking out 17 if the Cubs batters as he led the way to an 8-2 victory. The offense was highlighted by a 4 for 4 day by Ducky Medwick, Ernie Orsatti knocked in two, and Dizzy did more than pitch, as he went 3 for 4, with two doubles, and two RBIs. While the offense rolled, Dizzy baffled batter after batter with a mixture of fastballs and curveballs. The previous modern day record was shared by Frank Hahn, Christy Mathewson, Rube Waddell, and Nap Rucker. The all time record of 19 had been set in 1884 by Charles Sweeney of the Providence Grays, and was matched that same season by Hugh "One Arm" Daily that same year. It should be noted that the rules to the game were very different when those records were set. The strikeout record was not the only record setting performance at the ballpark that day, as the Cardinals catcher Jimmie Wilson's 18 putouts set  another record as well. While neither one of the records would stand the test of time, that day at Sportsman's Park is one to be remembered.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN193307301.shtml

     While the legendary performance by Dean was the headline grabber, the second game of the doubleheader was won by the Cardinals by the score of 6-5. That game was highlighted by a three run shot off of Medwick's bat, and a 2 for 3 day by Pepper Martin who scored three times, and knocked out a triple.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN193307302.shtml

July 29, 1974: Brock Steals His 700th

     On July 29, 1974, Lou Brock stole his 700th base during an 11-4 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The base burglar led the game off with a single, then stole his 65th bag of the season, and the 700th of his career. The game came to a halt while the base was uprooted and given to the living legend. That '74 season was something special in the career of Lou Brock, as he finished the season by setting the modern day record of 118 stolen bases. He had a lot more left in the tank too, as he finished his career with 938 stolen bases. 888 of those came with the Birds on the Bat across his chest. His base thievery began with the Cubs in 1962 when he stole 16 bags. He stole 34 more for the Cubbies before being shipped to St. Louis where he burned up the basepaths for the next 16 years as he ran straight toward Cooperstown, New York.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN197407290.shtml