April 10, 1963: Washburn Shuts'em Down In The Big Apple

    On April 10, 1963, the Cardinals shut the Mets for the second consecutive time at the Polo Grounds in New York. Ray Washburn allowed just four hits in the contest, and from the second to the eighth inning he retired 17 men in a row.

     The day before Washburn's dominant performance, Ernie Broglio had set the bar high by allowing just two hits to the New Yorkers. However, the story of this day was Washburn, who also helped score the first run of the ballgame with a sacrifice fly in the fifth that brought Curt Flood into score. The sac fly came within a foot of going over the fence.

     Dick Groat ended up getting a hold of one that cleared the fence to start off the eighth to make it 2-0. By the end of that frame the Cardinals tacked on another run when Gene Oliver ripped a single to bring Ken Boyer into score. In the ninth, Bill White knocked in the fourth and final Redbird run of the day, before Washburn finished what he had started.

     The Cardinals hopped on a plane and headed for St. Louis after the contest was played. However, the plane that they had hopped on ended up having an issue with its heating system. The pilot told the club over a speaker that if they stayed in the air the temperature in the plane would drop to zero. This led to a three-hour delay in Washington D.C., which eventually led to the club having to board another plane (The illustration to the right appeared in the Post Dispatch one day later). The club did reach home safely shortly thereafter, then got ready for the home opener. Curt Simmons got the call for that contest, which was played on April 13th, and he matched the performances of Broglio and Washburn by going the distance and helping lead the way to the third consecutive shutout to start the season.

     The Cardinals went 93-69 during that 1963 campaign. They had stormed down the stretch , going 19-1 from August 30th to September 15th. They were just one game back on that mid-September day. It seemed they were poised to make a run, and hopes were high it would happen with it being the last season that Stan Musial would lace up the cleats. Unfortunately, it did not work out that way. The club stumbled losing eight of their last ten, which led to a second place finish, six games behind the league leading Dodgers. While the club did not make the run they and everyone else had hoped for, the season was memorable, and it began in historic fashion, as the pitching staff tossed up zeroes in three consecutive ballgames.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN196304100.shtml

April 8, 1970: Gibby and Allen Lift The Birds On Opening Day

     On April 8, 1970, the Redbirds opened up the season with a comeback win over the Expos in Montreal. The heroes of the day were Bob Gibson, who struck out nine through eight, and Dick Allen, who in his regular season debut with the club went 3 for 5, with a home run and two doubles.

     It was a cold and blustery day north of the border, as an early morning snow threatened to blanket the field at Jarry Park. By 7:30 a.m. the snow had turned to rain, and shortly thereafter the skies cleared, as a crowd of more than 20,000 prepared for a day at the ole ballgame. That crowd in Montreal knew their team would have their hands full with Gibby standing on the mound for the Redbirds. However, they had hope that Bill Stoneman would be able to get the job done, and Stoneman delivered with a nine pitch first inning to start things off. Gibson stumbled early, falling behind 2-0 in the bottom of the first, despite striking out the side. The first man he faced, Marv Staehle, reached on a single, then he walked Rusty Staub, before watching Ron Fairly knock in the first run of the day with a single. Gibson then picked up his first strikeout, before Coco LaBoy singled to bring Staub around to score. Down 2-0, Gibson struck out the next two men in succession, which was a sign of things to come for the home team.

    Gibson and company watched the tide turn in the fourth, as Dick Allen ripped a double to open the inning. Allen would come around to score on a two out single by Joe Hague, and just like that the score sat at 2-1. Stoneman proved to be a formidable foe, as he pitched his way into the eighth before serving one up to Allen that landed 420 feet from where it started. The score was 2-2, as the Redbirds began to march toward victory.

      The Expos were trying to salvage the contest with Stoneman still on the bump in the ninth, It just was not happening on that day. He gave up a single to Leron Lee to start things off, Hague moved him over with a bunt, before Julian Javier punched a single into left that brought in the go ahead run. Moments later the phone rang in the Montreal bullpen and Stoneman handed the ball off to Carroll Sembera. That is when the floodgates opened. Sembera gave up a double to every other batter he faced, starting with Dal Maxvill, followed by Lou Brock, then capped off by none other than Dick Allen. Quite the Cardinals debut for Allen. By the time Senbera handed the ball to Dan McGinn the score was 7-2. McGinn picked up the final out of that fateful ninth, before watching St. Louis' Chuck Taylor pitch a scoreless ninth. The Redbirds were victorious.

      Allen would spend just one season with the Birds, hitting .279 with 34 home runs. As a huge fan of the man, I wish his time in the Lou was much longer. Gibson was poised for another great season right out of the gate that season, and he ended up with 23 wins, which was not only a career high, he also led the league in wins. Unfortunately, no other pitcher on that staff in 1970 got the job done like Gibby did. In fact, only one other hurler cracked double digits in wins, which was Steve Carlton who posted a 10-19 record. Another aspect that hurt that club in 1970 was a shaky lineup,full of question mark, which the famous artist Amadee poked a little bit of fun at with the illustration to the right. In the end the club went 76-86. With that said, the year did have its great moments, and that opening day had quite a few great moments as well. It was one to remember.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MON/MON197004080.shtml

April 5, 1989: DeLeon and McGee Lead the Way To Victory In New york

     On April 5, 1989, Jose DeLeon hurled the Redbirds to a 3-1 win over the Mets at Shea Stadium in New York with the help of a two RBI day from Willie McGee. The win was a much needed one for that Cardinals club, as they had not won a game at Shea in their last 11 appearances at the stadium. On top of that, DeLeon had not won a game there in his last nine appearances. However it all changed that day, as the hurler gave the club a strong eight, while McGee parked a long ball in the seats in the fourth to tie the game 1-1. Pedro Guerrero brought Willie into score on a groundout in the sixth, then McGee came through again with an RBI in the seventh to give the team a little insurance. Meanwhile, DeLeon got the job done, as he sailed though the eighth inning. He was lifted for a pinch hitter in the ninth, then watched Ken Dayley and Todd Worrell close the contest out.

     That '89 season ended with the Cardinals third in the National League East. They finished with an 89-76 record. DeLeon claimed 16 of those wins. Only Joe Magrane had more with 18 wins. With that said, the tide was turning against the club as the end of the Herzog era was on the horizon. However, the 1980's as a whole were something else. I grew up during that time, and those teams that Whitey managed got me hooked to that great sport that is played on a diamond. Those teams like many of the other great Cardinals teams that took to the field in St. Louis will be revered as long as the sun rises and sets over ballparks across this great land.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN198904050.shtml

April 4, 1998, Big Mac Makes History Right Out Of The Gate

     On April 4, 1998, Mark McGwire became just the second player in the history of Major League Baseball to homer in the first four games of the season. The sixth inning three-run blast was a difference maker in the contest, as it led the way to an 8-6 victory over the Padres at Busch. The man they called Big Mac joined elite company on that April day, by matching the feat that Willie Mays had accomplished in 1971. He was setting the pace early for what would be a historic season that ended with McGwire as the king of swing, as he belted a record 70 home runs by season's end. While the records that were broken and the home runs that were hit by McGwire have been questioned because of the use of performance enhancers, I do believe that season was something to be remembered. St. Louis and the entire nation alike were electrified, as we sat and watched Mark McGwire chase history. I personally remember those days fondly, and always will.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN199804040.shtml

April 3, 2006: The Cardinals Thrash The Phillies In Philly

     On April 3, 2006, the road to a championship began with a 13-5 Cardinals season opening win over the Phillies in Philadelphia. The game featured Chris Carpenter on the bump from the start, as well as two home runs by Albert Pujols. Jim Edmonds drove in the first run of the contest with an RBI double in the first, then sat and watched Albert lift his first long ball into the seats with a big blast in the third. The Birds then exploded with eight runs in the fourth, which began with an Aaron Miles triple, and ended with a grand slam off the bat of Scott Rolen to make the score 10-0.  Miles was making his regular season debut with the club, and he along with the rest of the Birds were flyin' towards victory. And little did they know, they were also flyin' towards a Championship.

     The Fightin' Phils finally got to Carpenter in the bottom of the fourth with a solo shot by Pat Burrell, however, the Redbirds were in the driver's seat in this one. David Eckstein got the run back with a sac fly in the fifth, before Albert connected with his second big fly of the day. The three run shot made the score 13-1, and the Cardinals were well on their way to victory. With that said, the Phillies would not just lay down. Chase Utley drove in a run in the bottom of the fifth, then Ryan Howard did his best Pujols imitation by taking on deep to lead off the sixth. Carp walked the next man, then handed the ball off to Randy Flores who watched another run cross the plate before the sixth was in the books.

     Flores handed the ball off to Josh Hancock after allowing a one out single in the seventh, before Burrell knocked in the fourth and final Phillies run of the day with a double. Hancock settled quickly, picked up the next two outs, then watched Adam Wainwright toss the eighth, before Brad Thompson finished things off in the ninth. Win number one of what would turn out to be an 83 win team was in the books.

     This club like each club on opening day had questions that would be answered, as well as adversity that would be faced. They would go through valleys and peaks. The peaks seems to have come early in that '06 season, as they were on fire from the start, then seemed to be drowning near the end. They had to overcome injuries, as well as players that did not perform up to expectations. In the end they took advantage of what was a weak Central Division and took first by 1 1/2 games over the Astros. With just 83 wins most probably did not believe in the team. However, the men in the locker room believed in themselves, and once the playoffs began the regular season was a thing of the past. It was time to make a run, and make a run they did. For the first time since 1982, the St. Louis Cardinals would be World Champions.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI200604030.shtml

December 23, 2004: Eckstein Becomes a Cardinal

     On December 23, 2004, David Eckstein signed a three year deal that made him a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. The club was in need of a shortstop after the Boston Red Sox had lured Edgar Renteria to Beantown, which opened the door for the scraptastic player who had spent his first four years in Anaheim with the Angels and helped them win the World Series in 2002. By the end of 2006, Eckstein would celebrate as a champion once again. He was part of an 83 win team that made and unlikely run as a wildcard contender. By the time it was wrapped up Eckstein was the World Series MVP. David moved on after the 2007 season, however, he will forever be revered in St. Louis, and when his name comes up in Cardinal Nation a smile will cross the face of the fans as they remember the days he wore the Birds on the Bat.

Thank you for the memories David.



   

December 8, 1966: Maris Joins The Birds

     On December 8, 1966, Cardinals GM Bob Howsam made a deal with Yankees GM Lee McPhail that put the Birds on the Bat across the front of Roger Maris' uniform, while a third baseman by the name of Charlie Smith would be wearing the pinstripes in New York. Maris would become a big part of a Championship club with the Redbirds in 1967, and he helped them take home the National League pennant in 1968 as well. He retired following the '68 campaign, calling his time in St. Louis the best two years of his career.

     Maris had broken Babe Ruth's longstanding home run record during in '61 with 61 big blasts. However, that historic campaign was not easy for him. He was in a head-to-head battle with fan favorite Mickey Mantle who too had visions of catching the Great Bambino in the history books. In the end Maris won the battle. however, the toll it took on him was great. The stress Maris suffered during that home run race caused him to lose his hair and sleep as well. He broke the record on the final day of the season, However, what should have been a celebrated feat ended up being something that ended with the media and fans turning on the outfielder in the years to come.

      The home run total dropped to 33 in 1962. In 1963 his home run total ended up at 23 and he was only able to play in 90 games due to injury. He bounced back with a solid season in '64. With that said, his Yankee squad ran into a team of destiny in the Cardinals who capitalized on an epic collapse by the Philadelphia Phillies, then put the Bronx Bombers to bed in the Fall Classic. The 1965 season was the worst year for Maris in New York. He played in a career low 46 games due to a misdiagnosed broken hand, and the press and fans alike turned on him completely. The team had finished in sixth place, and by Yankees standards this was not acceptable and he happened to be a scapegoat, despite the fact that other teammates also missed a great deal of time due to injury. Even Mickey Mantle missed significant time, but that did not matter because Mantle was held in much higher regard. The 1966 season was not as bad, however, Maris did play in just 119 games and hit just 13 homers. he had become a whipping boy in The Big Apple, and once that season came to a close he was ready to hang up the cleats.

     When Maris got word of the trade he was not surprised. He even said he thought the club would have moved him back in 1962. While he did intend on leaving baseball after the '66 season. He had even informed the Yankees of his intentions. With that said, once the deal went down he decided to go ahead and play another year because he did not want the same writers who raked him over the coals to say the trade was why he retired. The reason he wanted out was in large part due to a great deal of those men who put print in the newspapers daily.

     It turned out to be a great deal for Maris. He found new life in St. Louis. He found fans that appreciated him, a manager in Red Schoendienst that embraced him as a veteran who would produce when called upon, and a much more forgiving press corp who were about to enjoy a year that would end with a parade in Downtown St. Louis. In his two seasons in St. Louis Maris hit .258 with 9 homers, and 100 RBI's. Perhaps his greatest run in the Gateway City came during the run to glory in 1967 when he hit .385 and knocked in seven runs during the World Series. Unfortunately for Maris Father Time knocked at his door the next year, and he answered. However, he did put his name in the history books with the Cardinals, and right next to it says World Champion. In my view Roger Maris will forever be a Cardinal.
   
If you would like to read more about the life and times of Roger Maris you can read his SABR biography here: http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/bf4690e9