Tag Archives: St. Louis Cardinals

1967 World Series Game 6 Lou Brock Homers, But Red Sox Win

Lou Brock’s Home Run For The Cardinals Can’t Stop The Red Sox From Forcing A World Series Game 7

 

Lou Brock Hits Home Run in Game 6 1967 World Series October 11, 1967 photo: Marvin Newman

Cardinals star Lou Brock did not just excel in regular season play but would shine in World Series action.

Brock, appearing in the 1964, 1967 and 1968 World Series hit .391, scored 16 runs and had a 1.079 OPS. Each of those World Series would go the distance – seven games – with the Cardinals winning in 1964 against the Yankees and in 1967 against the Red Sox, but losing in 1968 to the Tigers.

In 21 World Series games Brock would steal 14 bases, and hit 4 home runs with 13 RBIs. Continue reading

1944 World Series Browns Vs. Cardinals – No Travel Involved

St. Louis Starting Pitchers Jack Kramer and Ted Wilks Meet Before Game 3 Of The 1944 World Series

HURLERS IN THIRD WORLD SERIES
Jack Kramer (left) of the St. Louis Browns and Ted Wilks of the Cardinals, pitchers in third World Series game in St. Louis October 6, shake hands before game time. photo: Associated Press October 6, 1944

The other day during the baseball playoffs, announcer Bob Costas noted that three out of the four playoff series did not involve air travel.

The Philadelphia Phillies versus the New York Mets, the San Diego Padres against the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Detroit Tigers playing Cleveland, would all use ground transportation to travel between their respective cities.

Only the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals will be flying to each others cities.

In 1944 the United States was deep into World War II and with gasoline rationing and travel restrictions in place the phrase “Is this trip necessary?” really did mean something. Continue reading

St. Louis Cardinals Catchers At Spring Training 1937

Who Will Be The Cardinals Catcher? – March 3, 1937

Though these three men look like they could be in a softball beer league, they are actually major league catchers.

As the news slug explains:

A Lot of Backstopping
Daytona Beach, FLA. – The burden of St. Louis Cardinal catching duties is almost certain to fall on one of the three backstoppers shown at the Card’s training camp here. Front to back: Paul Chervinko, Arnold “Mickey” Owen and Brusie Ogrodowski. credit: Associated Press March 3, 1937

Of the three catchers Mickey Owen had the most successful career. Continue reading

Gil Hodges Hits A Ball That Solly Hemus Can’t Catch

Gil Hodges Fly Ball Just Out Of Reach Of Solly Hemus – 1951

You Dropped Something Sol!
Brooklyn, NY – St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Sol Hemus loses his hat as well as Gil Hodges’ high fly to center field in the third frame of the game with the Dodgers, July 21. Coming in to help Hemus are centerfielder Wally Westlake (17) and leftfielder Harold Rice (39). Darting back to second base is Card second sacker Red Schoendienst. Ump is Lon Warneke. Brooks’ Jackie Robinson, who tried to score on the play was out at the plate. Brooks won 3-2. credit: Acme 7/12/1951

Over an 11 year career, Solly Hemus batted .273 in 961 games. Hemus became the Cardinals manager in 1959 and was fired part way through the 1961 season. Solly Hemus would have been 100-years-old this year, but he passed away at age 94 on October 2, 2017. Continue reading

Lefty Grove Takes A Bat To His Glove – 1931 World Series

World Series “Action” – Lefty Grove Breaks In A New Glove

What does a star pitcher do between games of the World Series? If you are 31-game winner Lefty Grove you take time to  work on breaking in a new glove.

Breaking In A New Mitt
Robert (Lefty) Grove victor over the St. Louis Cards first battle of the World Series, is seen here in Shibe Park, Philadelphia, October 4th as he breaks in a new glove. Grove will probably be selected to pitch against the Cards in the third game Oct, 5th. photo: Acme 10/4/1931

A new glove didn’t help Grove in game three Continue reading

Philadelphia Athletics 1931 World Series Pitchers Grove, Earnshaw & Rommel

Three Members Of The 1931 The Philadelphia Athletics Pitching Staff

Grove Earnshaw Rommel Athletics 1931 World Series Acme PhotoMay Play In World Series
Here are three important members of the Philadelphia Athletics pitching staff who are bound to figure in the World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals. Left to right, George Earnshaw, Eddie Rommel and Robert “Lefty” Grove. Photo: Acme September 30, 1931

The Athletics had reason to be confident. The previous year, the Athletics defeated the Cardinals four games to two with Grove and Earnshaw each winning two games.

The photo caption writer here was a bit off with “bound to figure”. Rommel pitched just one inning in the 1931 World Series.

Earnshaw and Grove once again carried the load pitching 50 of the 61 innings for the Athletics, but wound up losing the championship to the Cardinals in seven games. Continue reading

A Klingon In The 1964 Topps Baseball Card Set & Other Strange Musings

Some Random Observations On 1964 Baseball Cards and Players

Joe Torre 1964 Topps looks angry

Take away the cap and Joe Torre is not a ballplayer. He looks like a tough Brooklyn badass who you wouldn’t want to mess with.

The 1964 Topps baseball card set could be known as the mug shot set. Boring head shots predominate with few players pictured in full body or action poses. Continue reading

Oh Brother, Could They Pitch – The Dean, Perry, Martinez & Niekro Brothers

Winning Brothers, Dizzy & Daffy Dean

Dizzy & Daffy Dean 1935

Hold Chat On Bleachers

Dizzy and Daffy, those two Dean boys. Paul on the left looks a little skeptical as Dizzy shows his brother the way a ball is held for a “hook”. Just before the Giants and Cardinals got going  March 15 at Flamingo Park, Miami Beach, Florida, these two boys held a chat on the bleachers. The Giants defeated the Cardinals 2-0. — 3/17/1935 Associated Press Photo

In the history of Major League Baseball there have been many brothers who have each taken the mound to be pitchers. For both of them to be successful however, is another story. Continue reading

Rare Photograph Of Game 7 Of The 1926 World Series At Yankee Stadium

Yankee Stadium On Edge As Waite Hoyt Pitches To Cardinals Slugger Rogers Hornsby

And The Story of The Strangest End To A World Series

1926 World Series Waite Hoyt pitching to Rogers Hornsby gm 7It is October 10, 1926 and it seems everyone is wearing a hat at game seven of the 1926 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Although the stadium looks packed, rainy, gray and chilly weather kept the attendance for the deciding game down to 38,093.

In this rare photo, Yankee star pitcher Waite Hoyt is unleashing a pitch to the Cardinals Rogers Hornsby. The Yankees would lose this game 3-2 and the game would include one of the most dramatic moments in World Series history and one of, if not the strangest play to end a World Series.

The drama occurred when Cardinals starter Jess Haines had loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh with two outs and was lifted for the veteran pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander.  Old Alex had pitched a complete game victory the day before and was tired, but relaxed as he came into the game to face Yankees slugger Tony Lazzeri. The crowd fell silent as Alexander demonstrated his mastery and struck out Tony Lazzeri ending the threat. Continue reading

World Series Photos Delivered Instantly

Before The Internet, The Quickest Way To Get Photos Back To The Newspaper- Via Pigeon

Walker Cooper Phil Rizzuto pigeon delivers negatives 1942 world series

Walker Cooper, Phil Rizzuto and Private Harry Myers and carrier pigeons, October 4, 1942 photo: New York Journal-American

You would have thought by 1942 there was a quicker way for a newspaper to get photos from one place to another than using a carrier pigeon. Apparently not.

Before game four of the World Series at Yankee Stadium, Private Harry Myers, the Journal-American’s pigeon specialist, shows the Cardinal’s Walker Cooper and the Yankee’s Phil Rizzuto how photographic negatives of the World Series game are sent by pigeon from the ballpark to the newspaper’s offices for same-day publication of the photos.

Amazing.

Maybe it was just the New York Journal-American’s method, as I cannot imagine all the newspapers releasing pigeons during a baseball game.