photo: Edmundo Sosa (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals forged a 3-2 week at home that included a disappointing series loss to the Chicago Cubs. As the bullpen is struggling, fill-in shortstop Edmundo Sosa is providing a lift with the glove and bat. In our history feature, the team Hall of Fame candidacy of Charles Comiskey is assessed.

Game Recaps

Monday, May 17 – Off day

Tuesday, May 18 – Cardinals 5, Pirates 2

The St. Louis Cardinals took on their NL Central rival Pittsburgh Pirates for a brief two-game set at Busch Stadium beginning Tuesday.

St. Louis scored early and kept command throughout the contest.  In the first inning Dylan Carlson drew a walk and Nolan Arenado drove him in on two-run home run to left center field.  In the second, Harrison Bader drew a leadoff walk, Edmundo Sosa singled and Tommy Edman singled to plate Bader and Sosa.  The Redbirds led 4-0.

Nolan Arenado

In the third inning the Cardinals scored for the final time when Arenado drew a walk and Sosa later drove him home on a double to right field.

The Pirates finally plated two in the sixth inning off starter John Gant, who pitched 5 1/3 innings and surrendered the two runs on five hits while fanning three and walking one. Genesis Cabrera, Giovanny Gallegos and Alex Reyes combined to toss the final 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief. Gant earned his third wing of the season, Reyes his 12^th save.

Wednesday, May 19 – Cardinals 8, Pirates 5

The second game of the series was a little tougher for the Cardinals but in the end they came out the winners.

Jack Flaherty earned his MLB leading eighth win with a six-inning outing during which he yielded two runs on four hits.  The right hander punched out seven and walked four.  It was not one of Flaherty’s better starts but he got the job done.

Jack Flaherty

Kodi Whitley relieved in the seventh but was unable to record an out and surrendered three runs.  Tyler Webb secured just one out and after giving up two hits was replaced by Genesis Cabrera. Cabrera tossed one complete scoreless inning.  Ryan Helsley and Alex Reyes combined for the final 1 2/3 scoreless innings.  Reyes earned his 13^th save of the season.

The Redbirds offense started the scoring with a first-inning run.  Tommy Edman and Paul Goldschmidt launched doubles, with the latter scoring the first.

In the third the Cardinals added five runs to take a 6-0 lead.  Harrison Bader drew a leadoff walk and stole second base.  Justin Williams walked and Edmundo Sosa was hit by a pitch to load the bases.  Jack Flaherty’s sac fly plated Bader.  Sosa stole second. He scored, along with Williams on a single by Edman.  Dylan Carlson walked. Paul Goldschmidt plated Edman on a single and Nolan Arenado singled to score Carlson.

The Pirates cut the lead to 6-2 with two runs in the fifth.  The Redbirds answered with two in the bottom of the frame on an Edman sac fly and a Carlson single.  The Pirates put up three runs in the seventh off Whitley to slash the lead to the final score of 8-5.

Bader stole his third base of the season, Sosa snatched his first base, and Edman purloined his eighth base of the season.

Thursday, May 20 – Off day

Friday, May 21 – Cardinals 3, Cubs 12

The first home game against the Cubs since Sept 29, 2019 ended in a disaster for the Cardinals.  The game was well within winning distance until the bullpen melted down in the eighth inning.

The Cubs got on the board with one run in the first inning off starter Carlos Martinez.  Joc Pederson hit the first pitch he saw to begin the game over the right center field wall.  The Cardinals tied the game in the third when Edmundo Sosa singled, and Tommy Edman drove him home on a double.

The Cubs scored a second run off Martinez in the top of the fifth to take the 2-1 lead.  The Cardinals answered with a run in the sixth to retie the score. Matt Carpenter led off with a single and Paul Goldschmidt plated him on a double.

Ryan Helsley replaced Martinez in the seventh and the Cubs scored two to take a 4-2 lead.  St. Louis got one run back in the home seventh on an RBI single by Dylan Carlson.  The Cubs led 4-3, but the game was still manageable for the Cardinals.

Kodi Whitley replaced Helsley to begin the eighth and couldn’t get anyone out. It snowballed from there as Tyler Webb and Seth Elledge followed in the eighth, and against the three relievers the Cubs put eight runs on the board.  When the inning mercifully came to an end the game was out of reach.  Daniel Ponce de Leon staunched the bleeding with a scoreless ninth but the damage was done.

Nolan Arenado turned a beautiful double play in the sixth inning, but his night was marred by two fielding errors.  Dylan Carlson and Justin Williams each had an outfield assist, Carlson at home and Williams at second base.

Saturday, May 22 – Cardinals 2, Cubs 1

The Cardinals turned the page on the previous night’s debacle and rebounded to defeat the Cubs in a close game on Saturday.  The victory was marred, however, by the early exit of newly activated starter Miles Mikolas, removed after four innings with forearm soreness.

The Cubs got on the board with a first inning run.  It was the only tally Mikolas yielded in his four innings pitched.  The right hander allowed three hits, struck out three and walked one before signaling distress during warmups prior to the fifth inning.

The Cubs held that 1-0 edge until the Cardinals tied the game in the bottom of the fifth.  Edmundo Sosa tripled into the right field corner and Lane Thomas followed with a single to bring Sosa home.  The game remained knotted up 1-1 until Yadier Molina broke the tie with a solo home run to left in the seventh.

Yadier Molina

Daniel Ponce de Leon, Genesis Cabrera, Giovanny Gallegos and Ales Reyes kept the Cubs off the board following the exit of Mikolas.  Cabrera was awarded the win, his first, while Reyes earned his 14^th save.

Sosa went 2-for-3 as the only Cardinal with multiple hits.  Thomas and Molina had the RBI.  Thomas stole his second base of the season.

Sunday, May 23 – Cardinals 1, Cubs 2 (10 innings)

In the rubber match of the series, the Cardinals lost a grueling 10-inning  contest at Busch Stadium. In the pitcher’s duel, each team was unable to score in regulation.

Adam Wainwright

The Cardinals wasted a pitching gem from starter Adam Wainwright, who brilliantly tossed eight scoreless one-hit innings.  The right hander fanned seven Cubs and walked one. Giovanny Gallegos followed with a scoreless ninth.  Alex Reyes fumbled in the 10^th, surrendering a two-run home run to Javier Baez to give the Cubs the 2-0 lead. Reyes was tagged with the loss.

The Cardinals came back with one in the home 10th on a passed ball and a sac fly.

On the evening, St. Louis hitters were a dismal 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. .  A potential scoring opportunity occurred in the fifth inning when Harrison Bader led off with a double, but he was doubled off second when Justin Williams hit a line drive into the shift and it was caught, catching Bader too far off the bag.  The next hitter, Edmundo Sosa, doubled and Bader would have scored without the double play.  An even worse situation occurred in the seventh where the bases were loaded with no outs and the offense was unable to scratch a run home.

The offense managed six hits, three more than the Cubs, with Sosa the only Cardinal with multiples.

The Big Picture

The Cardinals ended the week and the homestand with a record of 3-2, sweeping the Pirates in a two-game set before losing the Cubs series, 1-2.  The Cardinals nevertheless remain in first place in the NL Central, two games ahead of the Cubs.

The first of the three against Chicago was a bullpen induced blowout.  This game highlighted the Cardinals’ precarious position with pitching, especially the bullpen.  Middle relief is the weakest with pitchers including Tyler Webb, Kodi Whitley, and Seth Elledge unable to dependably get outs.  Elledge was optioned to Memphis on Saturday, but Webb and Whitley remain.  As manager Mike Shildt said, he cannot pitch his three best pitchers in the pen every night.  It has come down to only three being able to get outs consistently, Cabrera, Gallegos, and Reyes.  With Andrew Miller still on the injured list, only two left handers are in the pen, and one of them is Webb.  This situation with the pen is not sustainable.

The starting pitching is in better shape, though getting Mikolas back only to lose him again is a major blow.  The Cardinals have begun another 17 day stretch of games with no off days, so six starters will be needed. That means John Gant will have to remain in the rotation for now, and the Cardinals will have to rely on either Johan Oviedo or Daniel Ponce de Leon for spot starts.  There doesn’t appear to be any relief in sight on the pitching end.

Edmundo Sosa

Offense has been streaky.  There was plenty in the Pirates series and almost none in the Cubs series.  The lineup has gotten some help from the bench in the form of Edmundo Sosa, who has filled in for injured Paul DeJong and has done so admirably both offensively and defensively.  Sosa leads the team for the week in OPS with 1.328.  Nolan Arenado has an OPS of .964 for the week.  Everyone else in the lineup is under .800 OPS.  Harrison Bader, who was one of the top offense producers lately, went into an 0-for-16 slump following the Padres series a week ago.  He doubled in Sunday’s game to end the drought.  It may be a coincidence, but the slump began when Bader was moved up in the lineup.

A return of Tyler O’Neill to the lineup appears to be nearing.  Dylan Carlson missed the last two games of the Cubs series with a tight back, but will likely return for the White Sox set.  Paul DeJong will be out longer than originally thought, perhaps some time in June according to team sources.

Defense continues to be the strength of the team.  Baserunning has been mostly good aside from the costly blunder by Bader in Sunday’s game.  Pitching is the weak link and continues to be so.

The Cardinals take on the AL Central first place White Sox beginning Monday.  This will be a very tough series as the White Sox are very good and the Cardinals have been notoriously bad in interleague play. The team ends the week at the Diamondbacks, cellar dwellars in the NL West.  Not getting swept by the White Sox would be a win.  A series win or even better, a sweep, of Arizona would be very advantageous.

NL Central Standings

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.

Transactions

• 5/18 The Cardinals activated 1B John Nogowski from the 10-day injured list.
• 5/18 The Cardinals activated RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon from the 10-day injured list.
• 5/18 The Cardinals optioned RHP Junior Fernandez to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 5/18 The Cardinals placed LF Tyler O’Neill on the 10-day injured list. Left middle finger fracture.
• 5/20 The Cardinals optioned 1B John Nogowski to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 5/21 The Cardinals activated RHP Carlos Martinez from the 10-day injured list.
• 5/22 The Cardinals activated RHP Miles Mikolas from the 10-day injured list.
• 5/22 The Cardinals optioned RHP Seth Elledge to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 5/23 The Cardinals placed RHP Miles Mikolas on the 10-day injured list. Right forearm tightness.
• 5/23 The Cardinals recalled RHP Junior Fernandez from the Memphis Redbirds.

Injury Report

• RHP Miles Mikolas (right forearm tightness), was removed from Saturday’s game prior to the fifth inning after indicating an arm issue. Mikolas had been activated from the injured list that day and made his first start against the Cubs.  Mikolas had an MRI done with no structural damage reported.  The right hander has been put back on the 10-day injured list with next steps to be determined.
• 1B John Nogowski (left hand bone bruise) was activated and later optioned to Memphis to make room on the roster for Carlos Martinez.
• RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon (right shoulder inflammation) was activated and made relief appearances against the Cubs over the weekend.
• LHP Andrew Miller (right foot toe blister) continues on the 10-day injured list. He has thrown bullpen sessions but no further information about a return has been reported.
• RHP Jordan Hicks (right elbow inflammation) was placed on the 60-day injured list to make room for the addition on 2B Max Moroff on the 40 man roster.  Hicks will not be eligible to return until early July, but the time out will likely be longer per manager Mike Shildt.  Shildt does anticipate Hicks will pitch again this season.
• RHP Carlos Martinez (right ankle sprain) was activated and made a start on Friday against the Cubs.
• SS Paul DeJong (left rib fracture) continues on the 10-day injured list. The Cardinals report DeJong will likely need more than two weeks to recover from the injury so his return will not come until sometime in June.
• LF Tyler O’Neill (left finger) was placed on the 10-day injured list with a middle finger fracture on Tuesday May 18. The placement is not considered to be lengthy and O’Neill was cleared for baseball activity on Friday.
• RF Dylan Carlson was scratched from Saturday’s lineup with back tightness. He is considered day to day.

Looking Ahead

Following the Cubs series, the Cardinals begin a 10-game road trip.  It starts in Chicago on Monday with a three-game series with the White Sox.

The team then travels to the west coast for a four-game set in Arizona against the Diamondbacks followed by three games in Los Angeles with the Dodgers.

The Cardinals return home on Thursday, June 2 for four games with the Reds. An off day on Monday, June 7, will the team’s first in 17 days. The homestand ends with two interdivision games against the Cleveland Indians.

The Cardinals regular season schedule can be found here.

Blast from the Past

This is the final installment of our Cardinals Hall of Fame series.  It has been a fun ride and this writer at least hopes to live to see each and every one of the individuals in the series be honored by selection to the Cardinals Hall of Fame at some point.

This week we look at a man who contributed to baseball as a player, manager and team owner.  This man, maybe more so than any of the others, has warts in his history which could tarnish his candidacy.

Charles Albert Comiskey was born on August 19, 1859 in Chicago and was one of seven children of John and Mary Comiskey.  His father was an Irish immigrant and a local politician and his mother was a New York native.

Charlie discovered baseball at an early age on the local sandlots, as did all youngsters in those days.  Comiskey attended Catholic parochial school and later religious colleges but continued his interest in baseball.  He played all positions but discovered a preference for pitching.  Charlie’s father did not approve of his obsession with baseball and tried to turn him in another direction by getting him an apprencticeship with a local plummer, and then in construction.  The story goes that one day while driving a brick wagon, Comiskey spotted a baseball game in progress and thought the pitcher wasn’t doing a great job so he took his place.

Charlie defied his father and left home at the age of 17 to play third base for an independent team in Milwaukee.  The next year he pitched for a team in Elgin, Illinois and then found a spot on a Dubuque, Iowa team.  Comiskey stopped pitching because of arm troubles and moved to first base permanently.  It is said Comiskey was the first to play the position “off the line” to enable him to field grounders headed toward right field.

Charlie made it to major league ball in 1882 when he was offered a contract by Chris von der Ahe to play for the St. Louis Browns.  The two became close, and von der Ahe chose Comiskey to be his new manager after a dispute with his then-current manager Ted Sullivan late in the 1883 season.  Charlie led the Browns (later the Cardinals) to four consecutive American Association pennants (1885-1888) and the 1886 World Series title.

Comiskey briefly left the Browns in 1890 for a position in a new Player’s League, but returned to the Browns at the end of the season when the PL disbanded.  Friction developed between Comiskey and von der Ahe and Charlie left for good in 1892 to defect to the Cincinnati Reds. Comiskey spent three seasons with the Reds as player-manager.  While on a sabbatical in aid of his health, Comiskey came up with an idea to form a new league in the western states.

The new league was formed with Ban Johnson, the sports editor of the Cincinnati Commerical Tribune, who became the league’s president.  Charlie returned to the Reds to fulfill his contractual obligations and then left to purchase one of the new league’s teams, the Sioux City Cornhuskers in 1894.  Comiskey moved the team to St. Paul, Minnesota and bought a ballpark.

Comiskey spent five seasons in Minnesota, and then moved the team to Chicago, with permission of the National League.  The National League already had a team in Chicago, the Cubs, which had formerly been the White Stockings.  Charlie’s St. Louis Browns had defeated the White Stockings in the 1886 championship, so in honor of that association he named his new team the “White Sox” though without “Chicago” in the title as that was a condition of his moving the team.

Comiskey continued his association with Western League, and in 1899, it changed its name to the American League.  In addition to the White Sox, there were seven other franchises in various cities, and in 1901 the new league declared major league status.

Comiskey built the White Sox into a very financially successful franchise.  He built and opened a new ballpark in 1910, aptly called “Comiskey Park”.  The White Sox won five AL pennants and two World Series in 1906 and 1917.  By this time however, Comiskey’s reputation with his players began to sour, as did his relationship with league president Ban Johnson.  All the discord reached a culimination in 1919 with the infamous Black Sox Scandal.

The details of the Black Sox Scandal are well known. Some believe Comiskey knew of the fix during the World Series, but Comiskey denied it.  He offered money to anyone who had knowledge as part of the investigation, though it was seen as more of a PR move than a genuine desire to get to the bottom of it.  The scandal ruined Comiskey’s reputation and harmed the franchise.  The White Sox did not win another pennant or World Series in Charlie’s lifetime.

Comiskey passed away at the age of 72 on October 26, 1931. The ownership of the White Sox passed to various members of the Comiskey family until 1958, when controlling interest in the team was sold to Bill Veeck.  Comiskey was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously in 1939.

Should Comiskey be honored with induction into the Cardinals Hall of Fame?  I will leave this one to the judgment of others, as Comiskey certainly contributed much to the early Cardinals as well undoubtedly to baseball itself.  The Black Sox Scandal haunts his candidacy though the Baseball Hall Of Fame saw fit to include him among its ranks. His introduction into major league baseball started with St. Louis, but his legend grew with another organization.  Whether Comiskey should grace the halls of the Cardinals Hall Fame is a decision best left up to the organization itself.

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photo: John Gant (Michael McLoone/Imagn)

It was an up and down 2-4 week on the road for the St. Louis Cardinals as they took their series at division rival Milwaukee but were swept in San Diego. The pitching staff leads all of baseball in total walks and walk percentage. John Gant leads the way with 27. Our Blast From the Past history segment outlines the candidacy of early team owner Chris von der Ahe.

Game Recaps

Monday, May 10 – Off day

Tuesday, May 11 – Cardinals 6 at Brewers 1 (11 innings)

The St. Louis Cardinals traveled to Milwaukee for a three-game series against the NL rival Brewers.  The Cardinals took the opener into extra innings and then let loose for five runs in the 11th inning.

Kwang-Hyun Kim got the start and tossed 5 1/3 innings.  The left hander yielded one run on five hits, fanned six and walked one.  Ryan Helsley, Kodi Whitley, Giovanny Gallegos, and Alex Reyes combined for 5 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.  Reyes earned the win, his second of the season.

The Brewers got on the board first with one run in the bottom of the sixth. The Redbirds knotted it up at 1-1 in the top of the eighth.  Harrison Bader led off with a single and Matt Carpenter followed with a walk.  Lane Thomas pinch ran for Carpenter.  Thomas and Bader advanced to second and third on a fly out by Tommy Edman.  Bader then scored on a sac fly by Dylan Carlson.

Paul Goldschmidt

The score remained 1-1 as the game went into extra innings. In the top of the 11^th, with Tommy Edman on second base, Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run home run to center field. Nolan Arenado followed with a double to center.  Andrew Knizner was hit by a pitch, and with two runners on, Tyler O’Neill blasted a three-run shot to center to make it 6-1.  The Brewers failed to score in the bottom half of the inning.

Edman stole his fifth base of the season and leads the Cardinals in bases stolen.

Wednesday, May 12 – Cardinals 1 at Brewers 4

The Cardinals were defeated by the Brewers in the second game of the series on Wednesday as the offense could not make headway with Milwaukee starter Brandon Woodruff.  Redbirds hitters managed only one run on four hits.

Woodruff kept the St. Louis hitters off balance for seven innings.  Tyler O’Neill finally broke through against him in the eighth inning with a solo home run to right field that tied the game at 1-1.

John Gant

The Brew Crew answered with three runs in the home eighth against the Redbirds bullpen. Starter John Gant pitched five innings with only one unearned run allowed.  Genesis Cabrera tossed two scoreless innings.  In the eighth, Ryan Helsley surrendered the three Brewers runs.  Tyler Webb came in to get the final out of the inning.  Helsley took the loss, his first of the season.

Harrison Bader was caught stealing for the first time this season.  The center fielder also made a fielding error.  Bader slipped in the grass at the edge of the warning track on a fly ball.  He caught the ball for the out but dropped the ball on the throwing attempt, which allowed a run to score.

Thursday, May 13 – Cardinals 2 at Brewers 0

The Cardinals bounced back from the loss the previous day to take the series with a 2-0 shutout of the Brew Crew on Thursday.  The Redbirds got a six-inning pitching gem from starter Jack Flaherty.  The right hander allowed no runs on four hits, fanned six and walked two.  Giovanny Gallegos, Genesis Cabrera, and Alex Reyes combined for the final three scoreless innings. Flaherty earned his major league leading seventh win.

Jack Flaherty

The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, and Flaherty made sure it stuck.  Tommy Edman led off with a single, stole second base, and scored on a single by Nolan Arenado.  An insurance run was added in the ninth inning when pinch hitter Lane Thomas walked, advanced on a ground out, stole third base, then scored on a throwing error on a pickoff attempt.

In addition to Thomas’ stolen base, Edman swiped two to lead the Cardinals with seven stolen bases, and Paul Goldschmidt stole his second base of 2021.

Friday, May 14 – Cardinals 4 at Padres 5

The Cardinals headed for San Diego to engage in a rematch of the 2020 postseason series with the Friars.  The first game was a loss that only became close at the tail end.

Johan Oviedo, who was recalled to replace the injured Carlos Martinez, got the start.  The right hander lacked command from the beginning, and only lasted two innings during which he gave up three runs on two hits and five walks.  Jake Woodford tossed two scoreless innings in relief. Tyler Webb yielded one run in 1 1/3 innings pitched and Seth Elledge surrendered the final run to the Padres in 1 2/3 innings pitched. Kodi Whitley pitched a scoreless eighth.

The Redbirds scored their first run in the fifth inning. Tommy Edman led off with a single, Paul Goldschmidt walked and Nolan Arenado singled to load the bases.  Edman scored on a sac fly by Yadier Molina.

The Cardinals rallied for three more runs in the eighth and ninth innings.  Tyler O’Neill blasted a two-run home run in the eighth, and Arenado thumped a solo shot in the ninth.

Saturday, May 15 – Cardinals 3 at Padres 13

In the second game of the series, Cardinals pitching was clobbered by the Padres offense. To paraphrase the words of starter Adam Wainwright, his performance was not suitable for children.  The veteran right hander pitched four innings, and was rocked for six runs on eight hits. He struck out two, walked three and yielded three long balls.

Wainwright’s first reliever, newly recalled Junior Fernandez, was no better. The right hander surrendered three runs in one inning. Tyler Webb allowed one more run and Jake Woodford gave up three. The only pitcher for the Cardinals who wasn’t scored upon was 35 year old infielder Matt Carpenter, who tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.  When the carnage ended, the casualties were 13 runs for San Diego.

The Cardinals managed three runs with the help of occasional solo home runs. Yadier Molina, Nolan Arenado, and Harrison Bader sent one over the wall in the fourth, sixth, and seventh innings, respectively.  Bader had two of the six hits, one single in addition to the long ball. Other singles were scattered by Paul Goldschmidt and Tyler O’Neill.

Dylan Carlson threw out a runner at third base for an outfield assist to save a 14^th run.

Sunday, May 16 – Cardinals 3 at Padres 5

The Cardinals entered the third and final game of the series hoping to avoid a sweep but the hope was futile.  It was the first series sweep the Redbirds have suffered so far this season.

The game started on a promising note, as the Cardinals scored two runs right out of the gate on a two run home run by Nolan Arenado, his third home run in as many games.  An opportunity to tack on further runs in that first inning came with a runner on first and second with Harrison Bader at the plate, and he hit a line drive that would ordinarily fall for a hit, but Padres centerfield Trent Grisham made a diving play to barely catch it.  This play would loom large.

The 2-0 lead lasted until the bottom of the fourth. A throwing error on a ground ball hit to Arenado put Manny Machado on base.  Things just snowballed from there.  After starter Kwang Hyun Kim got an out on a force play, Harrison Bader just missed catching a line drive that fell for a single. Kim walked the next two batters and two runs came home.  Kim was replaced by Genesis Cabrera. The next batter hit a sac fly to score a third run for San Diego. Cabrera surrendered a single for run number four, then retired the last batter to end the inning.

The Cardinals scored once in the sixth to cut the lead to 4-3.  Paul Goldschmidt doubled and Arenado singled. Yadier Molina hit into a double play, but Goldschmidt scored.  Back to back walks to Tyler O’Neill and Bader gave the Redbirds another scoring opportunity, but pinch hitter Matt Carpenter hit a weak ground ball on a check swing to the second baseman and the threat was over.

The Friars added an insurance run in the home sixth on a walk and a double.  The Cardinals were unable to mount any further rallies.

Kim went 3 1/3 innings and gave up four runs, only one earned, on two hits.  Once again the walks from the pitching staff, eight in total, were the catalyst for much of the Padres scoring. Of the five Cardinals pitchers – Kim, Cabrera, Helsley, Gallegos, and Reyes – only Gallegos did not issue a free pass.  Cabrera pitched 1 2/3 with one walk, Helsley tossed 2/3 innings with two walks, Gallegos went 1 1/3 innings with no walks, and Reyes walked two in his one inning pitched.

Of the eight hits from the Cardinals offense, Dylan Carlson and Arenado had two each.  Goldschmidt, Molina, ONeil, and Bader had the other four.  O’Neill stole his fourth base of the season, and Arenado had the throwing error.

Big Picture

The Cardinals ended their road trip with a losing record of 2-4.  They took the series 2-1 from the Brewers and were swept in three by the Padres.  The team returns to St. Louis to play two games against the Pirates on Tuesday and Wednesday, then face the Cubs over the weekend.

There were scattered issues over the road trip with missed scoring opportunities, and some costly defensive errors and misplays.  Nevertheless, the biggest with a capital “B” problem is the pitching. Walks, walks, and more walks, it has become the theater of the obvious with this pitching staff’s inability to throw strikes consistently.  The problem stretches across both starters and relievers.  The Cardinals pitching staff leads all of baseball in both total walks, and walk percentage.  A total of 26 walks were issued by Cardinals pitching in the Padres series alone.  John Gant leads the staff with 27 walks.  Tyler Webb leads the current regular staff in walk percentage with 22.6% (Bernardo Flores and Junior Fernandez have higher BB% but have been fill ins). To say it has to stop has become a tired mantra.   Regardless of the cause, if any, there must be a cessation.

The offense is there for the most part, with the usual ebbs and flows but the starting seven regulars, minus the injured DeJong, have been fairly consistent.  The outfield from last season that was a major hole in the offense is no longer at least so far.  The Cardinals are getting offensive production from all three of their starting outfielders, O’Neill, Bader, and Carlson.  Four starters have an OPS of .800 or better, Molina, Arenado, O’Neill and Bader at .899, .915, .820 and .889 respectively.  Carlson is a hair under with .796.  Tommy Edman is bringing up the rear of the regular starters (minus DeJong) with a .680 OPS.

The defense has had hiccups, especially in the Padres series.  Arenado made a costly throwing error in Sunday’s game and O’Neill badly misplayed a Trent Grisham line drive that had a 99% catch probability.  Despite these occasional defensive blips, the defense is not the problem.  Neither is the baserunning.  What is the problem?  PITCHING.

The Cardinals have the opportunity now to return home and reset.  Despite the sweep the Redbirds still stand in first place in the NL Central by two games.  If the pitching staff can get the excessive walks under control the homestand should be successful.  The Pirates and the Cubs, though not pushovers, are not the Padres.  Win both series, sweep if possible.  The Brewers have fallen from their earlier dominance but will not stay down long.  Any of the other teams in the Division, with perhaps the exception of the Pirates, can make a run at the Cardinals at any time.  Fix the pitching.

NL Central Standings

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.

Transactions

• 5/11 The Cardinals recalled RHP Johan Oviedo from the Memphis Redbirds.
• 5/11 The Cardinals placed RHP Carlos Martinez on the 10-day injured list. Right ankle injury.
• 5/13 The Cardinals sent RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 5/14 The Cardinals placed RHP Jordan Hicks on the 60-day injured list. Right elbow inflammation.
• 5/14 The Cardinals selected the contract of 2B Max Moroff from the Memphis Redbirds.
• 5/14 The Cardinals placed SS Paul DeJong on the 10 day injured list. Left rib non-displaced fracture.
• 5/15 The Cardinals recalled RHP Junior Fernandez from the Memphis Redbirds.
• 5/15 The Cardinals optioned RHP Johan Oviedo to the Memphis Redbirds.

Injury Report

• RHP Miles Mikolas (shoulder) was sent to Memphis on a rehab assignment. The right hander made a final rehab start on Sunday, May 16.  Mikolas is expected to return to the rotation shortly.
• 1B John Nogowski (left hand bone bruise) was sent to the Memphis Redbirds on a rehab assignment. Nogowski appeared in Memphis starting lineup over the weekend. There has been no indication how many rehab games are on the schedule for Nogowski before he returns to the roster.
• RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon (right shoulder inflammation) continues on the 10-day injured list. The right hander was sent to Memphis for a rehab assignment and pitched an inning on Thursday, May 13, and two innings on Saturday, May 15.  Ponce de Leon will likely return to St. Louis on Tuesday, though whether he will be activated or be sent out on another rehab assignment is yet to be decided.
• LHP Andrew Miller (right foot toe blister) continues on the 10-day injured list. Miller pitched a side session at Busch Stadium on Tuesday and another one on Sunday.  The Cardinals will evaluate where he goes from there.
• RHP Jordan Hicks (right elbow inflammation) was placed on the 60-day injured list to make room for the addition on 2B Max Moroff on the 40 man roster.  Hicks will not be eligible to return until early July, but the time out will likely be longer says Manager Mike Shildt.  Shildt does anticipate Hicks will pitch again this season.
• RHP Carlos Martinez (right ankle sprain) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to May 9. Martinez hurt his ankle on the dugout stairs while celebrating Jack Flaherty’s first major league home run on Friday.  Martinez pitched the following day but was ineffective, and afterwards revealed he had injured his ankle.  Martinez threw a bullpen session on Sunday at Busch Stadium nd came out of it well. The earliest Martinez could return is this coming weekend in the Cubs series.
• SS Paul DeJong was placed on the 10-day injured list on Friday, May 14 retroactive to May 13 with a left rib non-displaced fracture.  The fracture occurred when DeJong was hit by a pitch from Brewers starter Freddy Peralta on Tuesday.  DeJong played on Wednesday but felt something grab when tagging Lorenzo Cain at second base.  The Cardinals are hopeful the IL stint will not extend beyond the 10 day minimum.

Looking Ahead

The team has a travel day on Monday and returns to St. Louis to play two games against the Pirates. John Gant is scheduled to make the start on Tuesday, followed by Jack Flaherty on Wednesday.

After a second off day on Thursday, the homestand continues with a weekend series against the Cubs at Busch Stadium.  The next road trip begins on Monday, May 24 in Chicago with a three game series at the White Sox.

The team then travels to Arizona for a four-game set with the Diamondbacks.  The Cardinals will remain out west and travel to Los Angeles to play three games against the Dodgers.

The Cardinals regular season schedule can be found here.

Blast from the Past

In this week’s installment of the Cardinals Hall of Fame series we take a look at the first and most colorful owner of the St. Louis Cardinals.  This man could be considered not only the father of the team, but the father of modern baseball.

American baseball has been around since the 18^th Century in various forms.  Semi professional baseball came about in the 1860s, but the first professional leagues were formed after the Civil War . The first such professional team was the Cincinnati Red Stockings, formed in 1869.  The first “league” of teams was the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players, which operated from 1871 to 1875.  William Hulbert, the owner of the Chicago White Stockings (later the Chicago Cubs) formed the National League out of the remnants of the National Association.    It was the National League that instituted the reserve clause that kept players tied to one team.

Rival leagues began to spring up in protest of the reserve clause.  The most successful of these was the American Association, which lasted from 1882 to 1891.  It was from this league the St. Louis Cardinals were formed.  One of the teams that joined the American Association in 1882 was the St. Louis Brown Stockings, newly purchased for $1,800 by a saloon owner named Chris von der Ahe.

Christian Friedrich Wilhelm von der Ahe was born October 7, 1851 in Hille, Germany.  This is all that is known about von der Ahe prior to his emergence in the United States.  He showed up as a teenager in New York City in 1870, but shortly after moved to St. Louis.  He worked for a time as a clerk in a grocery store and then from savings he bought out the store owner and opened a saloon in the back of the store.  In 1881, von der Ahe, who knew  nothing about baseball, was asked by local businessmen to sell shares of the bankrupt St. Louis Brown Stockings.  The saloon owner showed up a few weeks later with $1,800, telling the businessmen he had sold 180 shares at $10 per share.  It turned out that von der Ahe had fronted all the money from his own pocket and was now the majority owner of the team.

Von der Ahe transformed a vacant lot next to his saloon into a baseball field (later known as Sportsman’s Park) and took the Brown Stockings into the American Association. The AA was rival to the National League and was in most respects much more liberal than the NL.  The National League prohibited gambling, the AA did not.  The NL banned Sunday games, the AA did not.

The German entrepreneur and saloon owner charged 25 cents admission to his games, and made a fortune.  He was the first owner to sell beer at games and was the first to add other forms of entertainment, such as horse track racing, games, and water slides near the park, leading Sportman’s Park to be known as “The Coney Island of the West”.  He was credited with coining the term “fan” (from fanatic) and for bringing hot dogs to the ball park.  Some of these facts are disputed by others, but nevertheless von der Ahe had people coming to his baseball games in droves, and by the end of the decade he had made $500,000 in profit.

As for the Brown Stockings, von der Ahe chose Charles Comiskey to run the team, a wise decision on his part as Comiskey led the Brown Stockings to four consecutive league championships.  However, the good times didn’t last.  The Brown Stockings began losing, the AA folded, and Comiskey left to join the Cincinnati Reds. The Browns joined the National League in 1892, but the loss of Comiskey left the team mired in last place.

Von der Ahe was enmeshed in debt, had marital problems, and was an alcoholic to boot. He was forced to sell the team in 1899 due to legal issues that came out of a fire at Sportsman’s Park.  The Brown Stockings became the Perfectos in 1899 and then the Cardinals in 1900, but under different ownership.

Chris lost most of his wealth, and had to tend bar to make a living.  Charlie Comiskey helped him out financially as best he could, as they were still friends even after Comiskey left.  Von der Ahe died of cirrhosis of the liver on June 5, 1913.

Though ultimately he became a failure, von der Ahe introduced a new brand of baseball entertainment, much different from the offerings of the stuffy National League.  Today, beer and hot dogs are a mainstay of the baseball game, and von der Ahe’s ingenuity in bringing a different experience than just strictly baseball continues today in the form of promotions and special events, and the games and fun like the Sausage and Presidents Races of the Brewers and the Nationals, as well as the between innings games of the minor leagues.

All of this started with Chris von der Ahe, who saw an opportunity and took it to new and higher levels.  The St. Louis Cardinals franchise started with von der Ahe, and his legacy to that franchise and to baseball lives on.  For this alone he deserves the recognition of the Cardinals Hall of Fame.  There would be no St. Louis Cardinals without Christian Friedrich Wilhlem von der Ahe.

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photo: Nolan Arenado via Zoom (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals completed their 17 consecutive day stretch with 13 wins and the best overall record in the National League. Nolan Arenado was a standout in his first series against his former Colorado Rockies teammates, a home sweep. Our Blast From the Past history segment outlines the team Hall of Fame candidacy of former general manager Bing Devine.

Game Recaps

Monday, May 3 – Cardinals 6, Mets 5

The Cardinals edged the Mets in a the first game of a four-game home set on Monday.  Starter Adam Wainwright, newly activated from the COVID list, had a tough start.  The right hander went 5 1/3 innings and surrendered five runs on seven hits. He fanned five and walked three.

Genesis Cabrera tossed a scoreless inning of relief.  Ryan Helsley got the final out of the seventh in relief of Cabrera.  Giovanny Gallegos and Alex Reyes each pitched a scoreless inning.  Wainwright still received the win, his first of the season, and Reyes the save, his eighth.

The Cardinals got on the board in the first inning on a leadoff triple by Tommy Edman, who scored on a sac fly by Dylan Carlson. The Mets responded with two runs in the top of the second.  In the bottom of the second, Harrison Bader tied it up with a solo home run to left center field.

Nolan Arenado

The Mets came back in the top of the third and scored three runs to make it 5-2.  The Cardinals were undeterred and answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning.  Singles by Dylan Carlson and Paul Goldschmidt were followed by a three-run home run by Nolan Arenado.  Paul DeJong and Tyler O’Neill hit back-to-back doubles to score the fourth run of the inning.

Neither team scored for the remainder of the game.  DeJong and Edman each contributed two hits to the effort.

Tuesday, May 4 – Game postponed

Tuesday’s game was postponed due to threatened inclement weather and was played as part of a doubleheader on Wednesday.

Wednesday, May 5 – Cardinals 4, Mets 1 (seven innings, Game 1)

The Cards prevailed over the Mets in the first game of twin bill necessitated by a postponement of the previous day’s game due to the threat of rain.

St. Louis’ offense scored four runs on eight hits.  Paul Goldschmidt got it going with a solo home run in the first inning.  Consecutive singles by Dylan Carlson, Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado gave the latter an RBI.

The Mets scored their only run in the fourth inning.  In the fifth the Cardinals added to their lead on two-run long ball from Paul DeJong.

Paul DeJong

Goldschmidt and Arenado each had two hits. Harrison Bader snatched his second base of the season.

Starter Kwang-Hyun Kim tossed four strong innings, giving up only one run on two hits.  The left hander struck out two and walked three. Ryan Helsley, Giovanny Gallegos and Alex Reyes each contributed a scoreless inning of relief.  Helsley picked up the win and Reyes earned his ninth save.

Wednesday May 5 – Cardinals 2, Mets 7 (seven innings, Game 2)

The Cardinals didn’t fare as well in the second game of the twin bill, falling to the Mets 7-2.  Number 6 starter Johan Oviedo struggled in this start, pitching only four innings and yielding four runs on five hits.  The right hander struck out two and gave up two long balls.

Tyler Webb relieved in the fifth and surrendered two additional runs in 2/3 of an inning.  He was relieved by Seth Elledge, who returned to pitch the sixth and allowed only two hits in 1 1/3 scoreless frames.  27^th man, Bernardo Flores Jr., started the seventh but couldn’t record an out and relinquished a run before being replaced by Kodi Whitley.  Whitley tossed a scoreless seventh to finish the game.

St. Louis’ offense managed only two runs on 11 hits.  The first run scored on a single by Dylan Carlson in the fourth inning.  Justin Williams plated a run on another single in the sixth. Tommy Edman contributed two hits, and the only extra base hits were doubles by Ali Sanchez and Harrison Bader.

Tyler O’Neill stole his third base of the season.

Thursday, May 6 – Cardinals 1, Mets 4

The series ended on Thursday with a split, as the Cardinals were again losers to the Mets 4-1.  Starter John Gant continued his struggles in giving up way too many walks. The right hander issued six free passes in 4 1/3 innings.  Gant fanned five and surrendered two runs, one earned, on five hits and took the loss. Kodi Whitley got the final two outs of the fifth with giving up a run.

Genesis Cabrera and Seth Elledge each tossed a scoreless inning. Tyler Webb yielded two more Mets runs without recording an out. Jake Woodford bailed out Webb in the eighth and returned to pitch a scoreless ninth.  Elledge was the only pitcher who did not walk a batter. The Cardinals pitching staff issued 11 free passes total.

St. Louis’ offense managed only one run on three hits.  Harrison Bader launched a sacrifice fly in the second inning.  Tommy Edman, Dylan Carlson, and Nolan Arenado had the only hits, all singles.

Arenado committed a throwing error in the fifth inning that led to an unearned run.

Friday, May 7 – Cardinals 5, Rockies 0

On Friday, the Cardinals began a three-game home series against Colorado and blanked the Rockies.

Former Rockies star Nolan Arenado opened up the offense in the second inning with a ground rule double.  Harrison Bader drove him home on a two-run long ball to left center field.  Jack Flaherty got his first home run of the season and his career in the third inning with a solo shot to left field. All came against former Cardinal Austin Gomber, a close friend of Flaherty.

Jack Flaherty

The offense added two insurance runs in the fifth inning.  Andrew Knizner and Tommy Edman singled. Dylan Carlson plated Knizner on a single.  Paul Goldschmidt grounded into a force out and Edman scored.  Arenado and Edman each had two hits.

Flaherty won his league-leading sixth game of the season, going seven scoreless innings and allowing only three hits.  The right hander punched out six and walked one. Ryan Helsley and Genesis Cabrera each tossed a scoreless inning.

Saturday, May 8 – Cardinals 9, Rockies 8

The Cardinals won the second game of the series with the Rockies but it was a tougher effort.  Starter Carlos Martinez struggled with his command throughout his five innings, citing afterwards a sore ankle hurt in Flaherty’s home run celebration on Friday as a contributor.  The right hander struck out only two and walked five while giving up five runs on six hits.

Kodi Whitley tossed a scoreless sixth. Giovanny Gallegos surrendered two runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief. Alex Reyes yielded one run in 1 2/3 innings but earned his 10^th save. Martinez picked up the win, his third.

The Rockies got on the board immediately with a run in the first inning.  The Cardinals responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame.  Tommy Edman, Dylan Carlson and Paul Goldschmidt hit consecutive singles to start the half inning.  Edman scored on the Goldschmidt single.  Paul DeJong drove in Carlson on a single.  Goldschmidt crossed the plate on a ground out by Yadier Molina.

The Cardinals increased their lead to 5-1 in the third.  Carlson was hit by a pitch and Goldschmidt singled.  Paul DeJong drew a walk and Molina singled to center to plate Carlson and Goldschmidt.

Yadier Molina

The Rockies tied the game in the fifth with a four-run inning off Martinez.  The Redbirds responded in the bottom half of the fifth to retake the lead with four runs of their own. Carlson singled and Goldschmidt hit a two-run home run to left field. Nolan Arenado doubled and Paul DeJong followed with another double to plate Arenado.  DeJong stole third base and Tyler O’Neill brought him home on a sac fly.

The Rockies were not done though and came back in the eighth to bring the score within one run, scoring three against Gallegos and Reyes. Reyes stiffened, striking out the side in the ninth to end any further threat.

Paul DeJong stole two bases.  O’Neill had a fielding miscue and Reyes made an error on a pickoff throw.

Sunday, May 9 – Cardinals 2, Rockies 0

The Cardinals finished the sweep of the Rockies on Sunday afternoon behind superlative pitching by starter Adam Wainwright.  The right-hander tossed 8 1/3 scoreless innings, two outs short of his 26^th career complete game. He allowed only three hits, punched out five and walked three.

Adam Wainwright

Ryan Helsley came in with one out and two men on in the ninth.  After walking his first batter to load the bases, Helsely induced a double play to give Wainwright his second win. Helsley earned his first save.

The offense only managed two runs on eight hits. It began in the second inning on a solo home run by Nolan Arenado, his first home run against his former team.  In the fourth inning, Arenado reached on a throwing error and scored on a double by Yadier Molina.

Paul DeJong committed a throwing error, his fourth of the season.

The Big Picture

The Cardinals finished the week with a record of 5-2 which included a split of the four-game series with the Mets and a three-game sweep of the last-place Rockies.  The Cardinals sit in first place in the NL Central with a record of 21-14, best in the National League, and are two games ahead of the Brewers.

The team is playing well but issues remain, especially with pitching, and specifically issuing too many walks.  In Thursday’s game against the Mets, the pitching staff dished out 11 free passes.  Six of the walks were from starter John Gant.  This must not continue.

The starters are going longer in games which is a plus.  Jack Flaherty and Adam Wainwright have been especially good with pitching into the sixth or seventh inning at a minimum.  Flaherty could go longer if he could be more efficient with his pitches.  The remaining starters Martinez, Kim, and Gant need to go a little farther and cut down on the walks, especially Gant.

The bullpen not surprisingly appears to be wearing down given the long stretch of games with no days off.  That stretch has come to an end fortunately.  The left-handed side of the bullpen has taken a hit with the injury to Andrew Miller, and the brief appearance of Bernardo Flores this week did not work out well.  Genesis Cabrera appears to be handling the extra work fairly well, but Tyler Webb had several poor outings during the week.  Again, the walks are a problem with the bullpen as well.

Offense has been adequate for the most part, though it was notably sparse in the doubleheader on Wednesday.  Strong pitching by the Mets may account for some of it.  The top offensive performances this week have come from Harrison Bader, Paul DeJong, Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, and Tommy Edman. Dylan Carlson and Yadier Molina both performed well with the bat in the Rockies series.

The defense made four errors this week, two in the infield, one in the outfield, and one by a pitcher.  The defense is a strength for this team, but a week without errors would be welcome.  Baserunning has been good.

The Cardinals’ next stop is Milwaukee to begin the week.  These two teams will likely be fighting for the top berth in the NL Central all season so wins in head to head games for the Cardinals is crucial.  The series with the Brewers will be tough so winning two of three would be ideal.  The team then heads to San Diego to play the Padres, another tough opponent.  Winning each series is the goal.

NL Central Standings

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.

Transactions

• 5/3 The Cardinals activated RHP Adam Wainwright from the Covid-IL.
• 5/3 The Cardinals optioned LF Austin Dean to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 5/4 The Cardinals placed RHP Jordan Hicks on the 10-day injured list. Right elbow inflammation.
• 5/4 The Cardinals recalled RHP Johan Oviedo from the Memphis Redbirds.
• 5/5 The Cardinals recalled LHP Bernardo Flores Jr from the Memphis Redbirds (27^th man DH).
• 5/5 The Cardinals sent RHP Miles Mikolas on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 5/6 The Cardinals optioned RHP Johan Oviedo to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 5/6 The Cardinals optioned LHP Bernardo Flores Jr to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 5/6 The Cardinals recalled CF Lane Thomas from the Memphis Redbirds.
• 5/7 The Cardinals sent 1B John Nogowski on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 5/8 The Cardinals optioned C Ali Sanchez to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 5/8 The Cardinals activated C Yadier Molina from the 10-day injured list.

Injury Report

• RHP Miles Mikolas (shoulder) was sent to Memphis on a rehab assignment and made a start for the Redbirds on Wednesday, May 5. Mikolas will likely make at least one more rehab start and perhaps more before returning to St. Louis later this month.
• 1B John Nogowski (left hand bone bruise) was sent to the Memphis Redbirds on a rehab assignment. There has been no report on when Nogowski will conclude the rehab assignment and return to the roster.
• C Yadier Molina (right foot tendon strain) was activated from the injured list on Saturday and made his first start in Saturday’s lineup against Colorado.
• RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon (right shoulder inflammation) continues on the 10-day injured list. The right hander has no structural damage to his shoulder and has received an injection to deal with the problem.  No timetable for his return has been reported.
• RHP Adam Wainwright was activated from the Covid-IL and made his scheduled start on Monday, May 3.
• LHP Andrew Miller (right foot toe blister) continues on the 10-day injured list. He has begun baseball activities testing out new orthotics, but his return date to the roster has not been set.
• RHP Jordan Hicks (right elbow inflammation) continues on the 10-day IL. No surgery is expected at this time, but possible treatments such as a PRP injection are being considered.  The right hander may be out for at least six more weeks as the team intends to take it slow with his recovery.  Hicks had not pitched in two seasons before the recent injury after having Tommy John surgery in 2019 and opting out of the 2020 season.

Looking Ahead

The Cardinals have an off day on Monday, May 10 and will travel to Milwaukee to play the Brewers in a three-game series.  Kwang-Hyun Kim is scheduled for the Tuesday start in Milwaukee followed by John Gant on Wednesday and Jack Flaherty on Thursday.

The road trip will continue to San Diego for a weekend series against the Padres. The team has a travel day on Monday and returns to St. Louis for two games against the Pirates.

After a second off day on Thursday, the homestand continues with a weekend series against the Cubs.

The next road trip begins on Monday, May 24 in Chicago with a three-game set at the White Sox.

The Cardinals regular season schedule can be found here.

Blast from the Past

This week’s installment of the Cardinals Hall of Fame series takes a look at a former front office executive. This man was at various times a business manager, a player, and a general manager in the Cardinals farm system.  He then rose to be the General Manager of the team for eight seasons, including the World Series-winning 1964 season.

Vaughn Pallmore “Bing” Devine was born on March 1, 1916 in the St. Louis suburb of Overland. He was the first of two children born to Grover W. and Pearl Devine.  His younger sister Barbara died of scarlet fever at the age of 2 so Bing grew up an only child.  His nickname “Bing” was given to him by his Aunt Daisy because of the way he threw things around as a child.

Bing’s father was a Cardinals fan and would often take his family and follow the team on road trips as a vacation.  Bing attended University City High School and played baseball and basketball at Washington University in St. Louis.  Devine was a better basketball player and was inducted into Washington University’s Sports Hall of Fame for his court feats.  Bing continued to play baseball, playing some amateur ball around the city.

Devine graduated from college in 1938 and got a job with the Cardinals as a part time publicity man and sometimes batting practice pitcher. In 1941 he was named manager of the Cardinals Appalachian League team in Johnson City, Tennessee, where he met and married his wife Mary.  Once when the team had a roster shortage due to the military draft, Devine signed himself as a player and played in 27 games for the team as a second baseman.  That was Bing’s one an only foray into playing professional ball.  In 1942 Bing was hired to run the Fresno Giants of the California League.

Bing spent three years in the Navy, serving in Hawaii. After the Navy, Devine spent two season leading the Columbus Foxes, a Cardinals Single A affiliate, and then seven more seasons running the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings.

Bing was promoted in 1956 to be an assistant to Cardinals GM Frank Lane.  After the 1957 season Lane resigned and Gussie Busch hired Bing to replace him as GM.

Bing’s first trade was to send three pitchers to the Cincinnati Reds for outfielders Joe Taylor and Curt Flood. In his nearly seven years as Cardinals GM, Bing acquired Bill White from the San Francisco Giants and signed pitcher Bob Gibson out of Creighton University in just some of his notable transactions.

Devine was forced to hire Solly Hemus as manager by Gussie Busch, a moved that did not turn out well.  By mid 1961, after much turmoil involving alleged racist behavior by Hemus toward his black players, Devine was allowed to hire his own manager, Johnny Keane.  Busch became frustrated with not contending and hired Branch Rickey as an adviser to Devine in late 1962.  He and Rickey did not get along and Devine refused to veto a trade for Dick Groat of the Pirates when Rickey advised him to do so.

The Cardinals finally had a winning season in 1963, finishing in second place with a record of 93-69.  The success was largely credited to Devine in acquiring White, Groat, Julian Javier and Ken Boyer, all four of whom made the All-Star team that year.

Bing’s greatest achievement would be the Brock for Broglio trade, a move that was instrumental in bringing about the Cardinals 1964 World Series-winning season.  Unfortunately Devine would not be on hand for the celebration, as Gussie Busch fired him on August 17 due to what Busch saw as a problem on the team involving a dispute between Groat and Keane.  The dispute was resolved, but several weeks later Busch fired Devine on the advice of Rickey.

Devine spent three years as GM of the Mets before Busch rehired Devine after the 1967 season.  Devine remained in that position for another 10 years, though his first reign as GM was more successful than his second.  Perhaps one of the worst trades in Cardinals history, Steve Carlton to the Phillies for Rick Wise, was made during that time – at the insistence of Busch.

The Cardinals did not contend again during Devine’s second tenure and Busch fired him a second time in 1978.  Bing continued to work in baseball for the Giants and the Expos and became the GM for the football Cardinals in 1981, a position he held for six years.  He returned to the baseball Cardinals as a special advisor to Walt Jocketty in 2000.

Devine passed away on January 27, 2007 at the age of 90. He was survived by his wife, three daughters and eight grandchildren.  Devine’s legacy in the St. Louis sports world was exemplary and his contributions to the Cardinals were unparalleled.  He brought icons of Cardinal baseball such as Flood, Gibson, and Brock to St. Louis and he more than deserves a spot in the Cardinals Hall of Fame.

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photo: Carlos Martinez via Zoom (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals posted a strong 5-2 week with a split against the Phillies before sweeping the Pirates in Pittsburgh. Carlos Martinez picked up two wins and Matt Carpenter hit pinch-hit three-run home runs in consecutive games. Our Blast From the Past history segment outlines the team Hall of Fame candidacy of long-time coach Buzzy Wares.

Game Recaps

Monday, April 26 – Cardinals 1, Phillies 2

The St. Louis Cardinals were edged by the Phillies in the first of a four-game series at Busch Stadium against Philadelphia.  The contest was a pitchers duel between Adam Wainwright and Phillies starter Zack Wheeler.

As is the case with most pitchers duels, neither team scored for the majority of the game, in this case, the first six innings. The Phillies got to Wainwright in the top of the seventh when Rhys Hoskins led off with a solo home run to left field.  Wainwright went the entire nine innings and gave up a second home run to Hoskins in the ninth.  The right hander allowed six hits and fanned eight with no walks issued.

Adam Wainwright

The meager St. Louis offense scored one run on two hits.  The run was manufactured in the final inning when Matt Carpenter, pinch hitting for Wainwright, drew a leadoff walk.  Tommy Edman singled, advancing Carpenter to third base.  As Dylan Carlson grounded out to second, Carpenter scored.

The only other hit in the game was a single by Paul DeJong.

Tuesday, April 27 – Cardinals 5, Phillies 2

With a little more offense, the Cardinals fared better in the second game of the Phillies series on Tuesday.

St. Louis’ offense scored five times on 11 hits.  After the Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, the Cardinals responded to tie the game in the bottom frame.  Dylan Carlson singled to left field and later scored on a double by Nolan Arenado.  St. Louis added to their lead in the bottom of the second with two runs plated by Tommy Edman on a double to right field.  Paul Goldschmidt doubled in two more in the seventh inning.

Edman, Carlson, Arenado and Andrew Knizner each had two hits.

Carlos Martinez

Starter Carlos Martinez pitched 7 1/3 innings and surrendered two runs, one earned on two hits.  The right-hander struck out four and walked two and picked up his first win as a starter since 2018.  Giovanny Gallegos finished the eighth inning.  Alex Reyes tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his sixth save.

Justin Williams committed his second fielding error of the season and Martinez erred on a pickoff attempt.

Wednesday, April 28 – Cardinals 3, Phillies 5

In the third game of the series, the Phillies beat the Cardinals 5-3 in a contentious situation in the later innings.

The Phillies got on the board first with a run in the top of the second inning.  The Cardinals came back in the bottom half to take a 2-1 lead.   Paul DeJong drew a lead off walk and Tyler O’Neill brought them both in with a home run to left field.  St. Louis added on in the third inning on a solo home run by Paul Goldschmidt.

The Phillies tied the game in the fifth inning on a two-run home run by former Cardinal Brad Miller.  The Phillies added lone runs in the sixth and the seventh to take the final 5-3 lead.

Spot starter Johan Oviedo pitched five innings, giving up three runs on three hits. The right hander fanned seven and walked two.

Genesis Cabrera relieved to start the sixth but had no command.  His first pitch came inside to left hander Bryce Harper and the ball struck his wrist and then his face, knocking him to the ground.  After pinch runner Matt Joyce took first base, Cabrera’s next pitch to Didi Gregorius hit him in the ribs.  At that point Phillies manager Joe Girardi came out on the field to argue about pitcher warnings and was ejected.  Cabrera still had to pitch to another batter due to MLB’s three batter minimum rule.  Andrew McCutchen singled to score Joyce for what became the winning run for Philadelphia.  Cabrera was then removed without recording an out and replaced by Tyler Webb, who finished the inning.

Ryan Helsley, Andrew Miller, and Daniel Ponce de Leon combined to pitch the final innings.  Ponce de Leon surrendered a run in the ninth.  Cabrera was tagged with the loss.

O’Neill stole his first base of the season.

Thursday, April 29 – Cardinals 4, Phillies 3 (10 innings)

On Thursday, the Cardinals split the series by winning the fourth game against the Phillies.  Starter Kwang-Hyun Kim pitched five innings, allowing one run on seven hits and punching out four.  Jordan Hicks tossed a scoreless sixth.  Andrew Miller allowed two runs.  Giovanny Gallegos replaced Miller with one out in the seventh and gave up a single to allow an inherited runner to score.  He was tagged with a blown save.  Gallegos returned to pitch a scoreless eighth.  Alex Reyes finished, hurling the final two scoreless innings to earn his first win.

Matt Carpenter

The Cardinals fell behind 1-0 in the third inning, but in the fifth they took the lead 3-1 on a three run pinch hit home run by Matt Carpenter.  The Phillies tied it up with two in the seventh.  The Cardinals walked it off in the 10^th when designated runner Tyler O’Neill scored from third on a wild pitch.

St. Louis’ offense managed four hits, two by Andrew Knizner. Carpenter’s pinch hit home run and a single by Edmundo Sosa were the others.

Sosa was caught stealing  for the first time in 2021.  Dylan Carlson had an outfield assist at third and Kim picked a runner off first.

Friday, April 30 – Cardinals 7 at Pirates 3

The Cardinals began a weekend series in Pittsburgh on Friday and defeated the Pirates 7-3 behind seven runs on 10 hits.

St. Louis got on the board first on doubles by Dylan Carlson and Nolan Arenado in the first inning.  Arenado doubled again in the third to plate a run which extended St. Louis’ lead.  Tyler O’Neill’s solo home run in the fourth expanded the edge to 3-0.

The Phillies scored a run in the fourth to reduce the Cardinal lead to 3-1.  In the sixth, following an O’Neill single and a walk by Andrew Knizner, Matt Carpenter hit his second pinch hit three-run home run in two days to give the Cardinals a 6-1 lead.  The Pirates responded with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. St. Louis added an insurance run in the ninth as pinch hitter Justin Williams and Tommy Edman were both hit by a pitch and Williams later scored on a fielding error.

John Gant

Starter John Gant tossed five innings, surrendering one run on three hits.  The right hander struck out two and walked five to earn his second win of the season.  Tyler Webb relieved in the sixth and was charged with two runs.  Kodi Whitley took over with two outs and allowed an inherited runner to score on a balk, but got the final out of the inning.  Genesis Cabrera pitched two scoreless innings followed by Ryan Helsley with one scoreless inning.

O’Neill stole his second base of the season.  Knizner committed a throwing error.

Saturday, May 1 – Cardinals 12 at Pirates 5

The Cardinals took the second game the series in Pittsburgh with a 12-5 victory.  Starter Jack Flaherty earns his fifth win and is the first pitcher in MLB to reach five wins this season.  The right hander went six innings and gave up three runs on six hits.  He fanned nine and issued two free passes.

Jack Flaherty

Jordan Hicks relieved in the seventh but did not finish the inning.  The right-hander was pulled due to inflammation in the right elbow.  Genesis Cabrera relieved with two outs.  Both relievers were charged with a run.  Giovanny Gallegos tossed a scoreless eighth and Kodi Whitley pitched a scoreless ninth.

The Cardinals took a 4-0 lead in the first inning.  Tommy Edman led off with a double.  Paul Goldschmidt singled to plate Edman.  Nolan Arenado drew a walk and Paul DeJong followed with a three-run home run to left center field.

The Pirates scored one in the second. In the third, Goldschmidt drew a walk and Arenado singled. Tyler O’Neill singled to plate Goldschmidt for a 5-1 lead for the Redbirds.  Pittsburgh added two in the bottom frame of the third to reduce the lead to 5-3.

Neither team scored again until the seventh.  Dylan Carlson led off with a walk, Goldschmidt singled, and Arenado drove them both in on a double to center field.  The Pirates added two more in the bottom half and the score was 7-5.

In the ninth, St. Louis’ offense went to town.  Goldschmidt led off with double to left field. Arenado tripled to right and Goldschmidt scored. O’Neill plated Arenado on a single to center.  Andrew Knizner reached on a error that sent O’Neill to third.  O’Neill scored on a ground out by Harrison Bader.  Pinch hitter Justin Williams followed with a two run home run to conclude the scoring.

Edman went 4 for-6. Goldschmidt and Arenado were each 3-for-4. O’Neill went 2-for-5.

Bader stole his first base of the season.

Sunday, May 2 – Cardinals 3 at Pirates 0

The Cardinals swept the Pirates in a 3-0 Sunday shutout that was won with one swing on a hanging slider.

The Cardinals scored their runs in the second inning, and they were the only runs by either side Paul DeJong led off with a walk and Tyler O’Neill singled to left.  Andrew Knizner grounded into a force play that eliminated DeJong at second.  With O’Neill on third and Knizner on first, Harrison Bader came up.  After he took a fastball in the zone for a called strike, and laid off a slider that was called a ball, another slider that hung in the middle of the plate was launched by Bader into the left center field bleachers for a three run bomb.

Harrison Bader

That was all  that needed for the win, as Carlos Martinez kept the Pirates off the board for eight innings and Alex Reyes did the same in the ninth.  Martinez allowed five Pirate hits, struck out three and walked two.  He also threw a pitch that hit Pirates catcher Jacob Stallings in the face, though it was a glancing blow.  Stallings stayed in for the remainder of the game.

Reyes retired all three batters he faced for his seventh save.  Martinez earned his second win of the week and season.

O’Neill went 2-for-4, a single and a double, as the only Cardinal with multiple hits.  The offense had only four hits; Bader’s long ball and Paul DeJong’s double were the others.

The Big Picture

The Cardinals ended the road week with a record of 5-2, splitting the four game set with the Phillies, and sweeping the Pirates in three.  The team now returns home for a seven-game homestand with the Mets and the Rockies.  The Cardinals are in second place in the NL Central, one game back of the Brewers.

The starting pitching remained solid for a second week now, and with more rest, the bullpen has stabilized somewhat.  Adam Wainwright pitched a complete game on Monday, and Carlos Martinez went eight innings on Sunday.  Walks continue to be an issue however for some of the pitchers.  John Gant issued five free passes in his start on Friday and leads all Cardinals pitchers with 18. Alex Reyes, Jack Flaherty, and Jordan Hicks are tied with 10 apiece.  The pitchers need to cut down on the free passes.

The offense has picked it up from last week. Matt Carpenter leads the team in OPS for the week with 2.100, due to two three-run home runs in six plate appearances.  Tyler O’Neill has an OPS of 1.259.  These numbers do not include Sunday’s game.  Tommy Edman and Nolan Arenado have OPS’s of .820 and .922 respectively.  The offense of Paul Goldschmidt and Dylan Carlson have fallen off a little bit. Harrison Bader hit the three-run home run Sunday, which helps his cause over the three days since his return to the roster.

The defense has improved somewhat and should continue to show progress in the outfield with the return of Bader.  Baserunning has been good.

The Cardinals have a four-game winning streak and momentum has shifted in their favor on all levels. They continue a second week of games with no off days, so keeping everyone fresh and being mindful of the areas that need improvement are a must.  The Cardinals will face uber-pitcher Jacob deGrom in the Mets series, so no small task awaits them.  The Mets are basically a .500 team so far but are no pushover by any stretch.  The Rockies are a last place team but should not be underestimated, especially with Austin Gomber and Nolan Arenado facing their former clubs for the first time.  Continuing to win series is the goal.

NL Central Standings

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.

Transactions

• 4/27 The Cardinals placed C Yadier Molina on the 10-day injured list. Right foot tendon strain
• 4/27 The Cardinals recalled C Ali Sanchez from the Alternate Training Site.
• 4/28 The Cardinals recalled RHP Johan Oviedo from the Alternate Training Site.
• 4/28 The Cardinals optioned CF Scott Hurst to the Alternate Training Site.
• 4/29 The Cardinals recalled RHP Seth Elledge from the Alternate Training Site.
• 4/29 The Cardinals optioned RHP Johan Oviedo to the Alternate Training Site.
• 4/30 The Cardinals activated CF Harrison Bader from the 10-day injured list.
• 4/30 The Cardinals placed RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon on the 10-day injured list. Right shoulder inflammation.
• 4/30 The Cardinals recalled RHP Kodi Whitley from the Alterate Training Site.
• 4/30 The Cardinals recalled RHP Jake Woodford from the Alternate Training Site.
• 4/30 The Cardinals placed RHP Adam Wainwright on the Covid injured list.
• 4/30 The Cardinals placed LHP Andrew Miller on the 10-day injured list. Right foot toe blister.

Injury Report

• RHP Miles Mikolas (shoulder) continues his rehab at the Alternate Training Site. He will likely begin a rehab assignment on Wednesday with the Memphis Redbirds according to President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak.
• CF Harrison Bader (right forearm flexor tendon) was activated from the 10-day injured list on Friday and has been in the starting lineup.
• 1B John Nogowski (left hand bone bruise) was placed on the 10-day injured list on April 23 as a precaution for continued discomfort in his left hand after being hit on that hand by a pitch. Nogowski remains on the injured list.  He is expected to head to Memphis to get some at-bats this coming week.
• C Yadier Molina (right foot tendon strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list on April 27. The Cardinals are hoping the catcher’s stay on the IL will be minimal.  Molina will be eligible to return this coming weekend against the Rockies at Busch Stadium.
• RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon (right shoulder inflammation) was placed on the injured list on Friday. No further updates on the right hander’s condition or possible return date to the roster have been forthcoming.
• RHP Adam Wainwright was placed on the Covid injured list on Friday. Wainwright has not tested positive for the virus but was exposed to a positive family member.  The right hander had been vaccinated and continues to test negative.  Wainwright did not travel to Pittsburgh and skipped his Sunday start but it is expected he will make the Monday start against the Mets in St. Louis.
• LHP Andrew Miller (right foot toe blister) was placed on the 10-day injured list on Friday. No further updates on the pitcher’s condition or a possible return date to the roster have been forthcoming.
• RHP Jordan Hicks was removed from an appearance in Saturday’s game due to injury. Manager Mike Shildt told reporters after the game that the move was precautionary and that the right hander has some inflammation in his right elbow but that the team is not unduly concerned. Hicks will undergo additional tests on Monday.

Looking Ahead

The Cardinals return to St. Louis on Monday to take on the Mets in a four game set.  Adam Wainwright is expected to come off the Covid IL and make the Monday start.  Kwang-Hyun Kim is scheduled for the Tuesday start, followed by John Gant on Wednesday and Jack Flaherty on Thursday.

The homestand continues on Friday, May 7 with a three-game weekend series against the Rockies. The Cardinals have an off day on Monday, May 10 and will travel to Milwaukee to face the Brewers for three. The Cards will then travel to San Diego for a weekend series against the Padres.

The Cardinals regular season schedule can be found here.

Blast from the Past

This week’s installment of the Cardinals Hall of Fame series takes a look at another coach, one who coached along side a previous subject of this series.

Clyde Ellsworth “Buzzy” Wares was born on March 23, 1866 in Newberg Township, Michigan.  Buzzy was the youngest of two children of Frank and Rosa Wares.  He learned to love baseball at an early age and played while attending Kalamazoo High School and later Kalamazoo College.

There are conflicting stories concerning how he came by his nickname.  One told of how he used a hidden buzzer in the palm of his hand on a girlfriend.  The other story is that Wares himself claimed to have gotten the nickname from a teammate on the St. Louis Browns who said he was always buzzing about baseball.

Wares began playing baseball professionally in 1906 with the Hancock Infants of the Northern Copper Country League.  The League was Class C in 1906 and became Class D in 1907.  Wares later played for the Houghton Giants of that league.  Buzzy moved on to the Zanesville, Ohio minor league team in 1907 and remained there until 1910, when he played for the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League.  Wares finished his minor league career with the Montgomery Rebels of the Southern Association.

Wares was called up by the St. Louis Browns and made his major league debut on September 15, 1913.  Buzzy played in 11 games for the Browns that season and slashed .286/.306/.343.  Branch Rickey took over managing the Browns two days after Buzzy’s debut and continued to manage him throughout his brief major league career.

Buzzy returned to the Browns for the 1914 season and appeared in 81 games.  Wares played primarily at shortstop after manning second base in 1913.  His slash line dropped to .209/.300/.265 for overall career marks of .220/.301/.276.  The 1914 season would be his last as a player in major league baseball.

Buzzy returned to the minor leagues as a player-manager for the Wichita Witches in 1915 and the Little  Rock Travelers in 1917.  Wares moved around in the minor leagues as player-manager for various clubs for the next decade plus.

In 1930, Rickey hired Wares to be a coach for the Cardinals.  That led Buzzy to a long and distinguished career as a coach for the club, from 1930 through 1952.  During that time the Cardinals won five World Series titles – in 1931, 1934, 1942, 1944 and 1946.

Buzzy was considered an excellent teacher, and he shared coaching duties for a dozen years with Mike Gonzalez, the colorful Cuban who was one of the first Hispanic major leaguers.  Gonzalez got most of the attention, but Wares was given equal credit for the successes of those years.  Hall of Fame manager Billy Southworth once said he considered Wares and Gonzalez to be his right and left arms.  Southworth said the number of times their suggestions won ballgames was too staggering a number to count.

Buzzy retired from baseball in 1952 and returned to South Bend, Indiana, the hometown of his wife Getrude.  He passed away after a long illness on May 26, 1964 at the age of 78.  Gertrude and a daughter Elizabeth survived him.

Like his counterpart Gonzalez, Wares contributed greatly to the most fruitful period of Cardinals baseball of all time.  Buzzy contributed to this success no less than did Gonzalez.  For his 23-year successful coaching career, Wares deserves the honor of an induction into the Cardinals Hall of Fame.

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2021 Memphis Redbirds Opening Roster Report

2021 Prospect Guide now available!

Now available, The Cardinal Nation 2021 Prospect Guide is back for a fourth year. It includes over 250 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of color photos.

TCN’s 2021 Cardinals Prospect Guide – Now Available!

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© 2021 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

photo: Jack Flaherty (Jeff Curry/Imagn)

Game Recaps

Monday, April 19 – Cardinals 12 at Nationals 5

The St. Louis Cardinals were in Washington, D.C. on Monday for the first game of a three game series against the Nationals.  This set was the final meetings between the two teams in the regular season.

St. Louis’ offense took it to Nationals pitching with 12 runs on 12 hits.  Nine of the 12 runs came by way of the long ball.  Paul DeJong’s solo home run in the second inning got St. Louis on the board. In the next inning the Redbirds increased their lead to 4-0 with a two run blast by Tommy Edman and a solo shot by Paul Goldschmidt.

The lead increased by two in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Matt Carpenter and a sac bunt by Jack Flaherty.  The Nationals scored twice in the bottom frame to make it 6-2.

In the top of the fifth, the Cardinals offense responded by tacking on five more runs. After Goldschmidt singled to start the inning, Nolan Arenado doubled. Arenado was out on the basepaths after a fielder’s choice ground ball by Yadier Molina.  An intentional walk to Dylan Carlson loaded the bases and DeJong made the Nationals pay the price with a grand slam to left field.  Justin Williams followed with a solo home run to center.

Paul DeJong

The Nationals added three runs in the sixth inning but the Cardinals weren’t quite finished, as Goldschmidt plated the final run on a single in the eighth.

Jack Flaherty enjoyed the bounty of his offense with a six inning outing.  The right hander surrendered five runs, but only two were earned.  He allowed six hits, fanned five and walked two.  Genesis Cabrera and Daniel Ponce de Leon combined for three scoreless innings of relief.  Flaherty earned his third win of the season.

A fielding error by Arenado to begin the sixth inning led to the three unearned runs.  It was the third baseman’s second error of the season.

Tuesday, April 20 – Cardinals 2 at Nationals 3

The Redbirds bats were quieter in the second game of the series in Nationals Park. Adam Wainwright got the start but not the advantage of the offensive bounty of the previous game.  The right hander pitched seven innings and allowed one run on five hits while punching out 10 Nationals and issuing only one free pass.  It was the the longest outing by a Cardinals starter in the young season, but he was not rewarded with a win.

Giovanny Gallegos relieved and had his worst outing of the season.  The righty was tagged with a  blown save and the loss.  Gallegos gave up two runs on one hit and three walks and was taken out with two outs in the eighth. Alex Reyes got the final out of the inning.

The Cardinals offense did manage to score two runs and take a 2-1 lead in the seventh inning.  Dylan Carlson tripled to plate Yadier Molina and Austin Dean brought him home on a sac fly.  The offense was unable to rally in the ninth after the blown save in the eighth.  The two runs were scored on six hits, with the only extra base hits being the Carlson triple and doubles by Molina and Dean.

Wednesday, April 21 – Cardinals 0 at Nationals 1

The Cardinals were blanked by the Nationals in the third game of the series on Wednesday.  The St. Louis offense had six hits again but no runs were produced. There was only one extra base hit out of the six and it came off the bat of the pitcher, Carlos Martinez.  Paul DeJong went 2-for 3 with two singles.  Nolan Arenado, Justin Williams and Andrew Knizner also provided singles.

Martinez tossed six innings and gave up one run on four hits.  The game was not a barn burner on either side offensively. The right hander fanned three and walked one.  Ryan Helsley and Alex Reyes each pitched a scoreless inning of relief.

In an effort to not be outdone by the offense, the base running and defense weren’t stellar either.  Williams was caught stealing and DeJong made a fielding error.

Thursday, April 22 – Off day

Friday, April 23 – Cardinals 5, Reds 4

The Cardinals edged the Reds in the first game of a three game series that didn’t become a nail biter until the very end.

St. Louis’ offense scored five runs on six hits.  Yadier Molina got the Cardinals on the board with a solo home run in the second inning. The offense put up a four spot in the third with starter Kwang-Hyun Kim’s first hit of his major league career, an infield single to begin the inning.  Kim was eliminated on a force out by Tommy Edman.  Dylan Carlson singled and Paul Goldschmidt doubled to plate Edman and Carlson.  Goldschmidt scored on a single by Nolan Arenado and Arenado came home on a double by Molina.  The Cardinals led 5-0.

Kwang-Hyun Kim

Kim cruised into the sixth inning with his offense having given him a five-run lead.   Kim gave up a solo home run to Nick Castellanos and retired the next two hitters before Ryan Helsley was brought in to get the final out of the inning.  Kim pitched 5 2/3 with one run allowed on five hits and eight strikeouts.  Helsley tossed a full scoreless inning and was relieved by Genesis Cabrera with two outs in the seventh.  Cabrera pitched to one batter in the seventh and then to two batters in the eighth.  Giovanny Gallegos entered with one out in the eighth and struck out the only two hitters he faced. The Cardinals held on to the 5-1 lead through the eighth inning.

The ninth didn’t go well.  Jordan Hicks began with a leadoff walk to Alex Blandino. He then got Nick Senzel to ground out.  Jonathan India hit a catchable fly ball to right center field that neither the center fielder Carlson or the right fielder Justin Williams caught. They nearly missed colliding in the process.  The catchable fly ball turned into a triple and Blandino scored.  Hicks then proceeded to walk the next hitter, Tucker Barnhart. Alex Reyes walked the next two hitters and India scored. Reyes struck out Nick Castellanos on a wild pitch that scored Barnhart. With the score 5-4, Reyes struck out Eugenio Suarez on a called third strike, an 85 mph slider that ended the game and preserved the win. Hicks was tagged with three runs and Reyes with none.

The Cardinals made no errors because the catchable fly ball triple was not ruled an error.  Edman stole his fourth base of the season.

Saturday, April 24 – Cardinals 2, Reds 0

The Cardinals blanked the Reds in the second game of the series, 2-0, with little scoring and no ninth inning drama.

Starter John Gant pitched six sterling scoreless innings with three hits allowed, five strikeouts and two walks.  Geneis Cabrera hurled a scoreless seventh and Giovanny Gallegos tossed two final scoreless innings to earn his first save.  Gant picked up his first win.

John Gant

The Cardinals got on the board in the first inning.  Tommy Edman singled and Dylan Carlson singled.  Paul Goldschmidt grounded into a force out that eliminated Carlson.  Nolan Arenado singled to score Edman from third.

The score remained 1-0 until the sixth when Tyler O’Neill drew a walk with two outs and Andrew Knizner doubled to center field to drive him home.  The Cardinals had seven hits, with Dylan Carlson going 3-for-4 with three singles.

Sunday, April 25 – Cardinals 5, Reds 2

The Cardinals went into the third game of the series looking to sweep the Reds – and they did.  The offense got the scoring started early with one run in the first inning. Tommy Edman and Dylan Carlson hit consecutive singles.  With Edman on third and Carlson on first, Paul Goldschmidt grounded into a force out and plated Edman.

In the second inning, Tyler O’Neill blasted a solo home run to put the Cardinals in the 2-0 lead.  O’Neill repeated the feat in the fifth with his second solo long ball of the day.  Andrew Knizner followed with a single and Dylan Carlson drove him in on a single.  The Cardinals increased their lead to 4-0.

That score remained until the seventh, when Jesse Winker hit a leadoff solo home run.  A second Reds run in the eighth decreased St. Louis’ lead to 4-2.

Paul Goldschmidt gave the Cardinals an insurance run in the eighth with an RBI single that scored Dylan Carlson. Carlson reached via his third hit of the day, a double to right field.

Jack Flaherty

Starter Jack Flaherty tossed seven innings, surrendering one run on three hits. The right hander fanned six.  There was a scary moment in the sixth inning when a pitch got away from Flaherty and struck Reds second baseman Jonathan India in the helmet.  India remained in the game to finish the inning but came out at the end of the Reds half of the sixth.  Reds manager David Bell was ejected for arguing with umpires about what appeared to be a warning issued by the umpires after the hit by pitch.

Jordan Hicks took the eighth and gave up a run on a walk, a wild pitch, and a single.  Alex Reyes closed the game in the ninth, but not without drama, as he allowed a double and issued two walks to load the bases before securing the final out.

Paul Goldschmidt stole his first base of the season and Tommy Edman committed his first error of the season, a throwing error on a potential double play.

Big Picture

The Cardinals finished this week better than the last one, with a 4-2 record. A sweep of the Reds over the weekend after losing the series to the Nationals at the beginning of the week helped put the team on better footing.

Starting pitching has improved from what it had been in the previous weeks.  All five starters pitched past the fifth inning, with Kim having the shortest start of 5 2/3 innings.  John Gant and Carlos Martinez each went six innings.  Adam Wainwright had a seven inning start on Tuesday and Jack Flaherty pitched twice, going six innings on Monday and seven innings on Sunday.

The bullpen remains a little shaky at times.  Twice over the weekend Alex Reyes issued multiple walks in the ninth inning.  Jordan Hicks has had issues with free passes as well.  Giovanny Gallegos had a bad outing on Tuesday but pitched well in two appearances over the weekend. The remaining bullpen has pitched fairly well.

The offense continues to be inconsistent.  A 12-run game on Monday was followed by scoring only two runs in the next two games against the Nationals.  The offense performed somewhat better against the Reds in the weekend series at home.

Yadier Molina

Yadier Molina and Dylan Carlson were the top performers over the week, though Molina was injured in Friday’s game and sat out the next two games.  Carlson is on a tear, with a .900+ OPS.  His .383 BABIP should give one pause, however, as he appears to be hitting into some very good luck recently.  Nevertheless, his move to the second spot in the lineup has paid off for now.  Tyler O’Neill returned to the starting lineup this weekend and on Sunday launched two home runs. Paul DeJong has started to hit better of late. The rest of the lineup has cooled somewhat from the previous week.

Dylan Carlson

The defense is one area that needs improvement.  A bad play on a fly ball to the outfield in Friday’s game almost cost the team a win.  There continues to be too many errors.

The Cardinals have a record of 11-10 following the sweep of the Reds and are in second place in the division, two games back of the Brewers.  A four game series against the Phillies begins the week and the Cardinals have already lost a series to Philadelphia.  The team ends the week with a series in Pittsburgh. It is not going to be easy as the Pirates have been on a roll of late and are only a half game behind St. Louis.  The Cardinals need to maintain their momentum by taking both series.

NL Central Standings

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.

Transactions

• 4/23 The Cardinals activated LF Tyler O’Neill from the 10-day injured list.
• 4/23 The Cardinals placed 1B John Nogowski on the 10-day injured list. Left hand bone bruise.

Injury Report

• RHP Miles Mikolas (shoulder) continues his rehab at the Alternate Training Site. He will throw a couple of simulated games before heading to rehab in minor league games.  The minor league season begins on May 4.  A return by the end of May for Mikolas is a “fair bet” according to Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak.
• CF Harrison Bader (right forearm flexor tendon) remains on the 10 day injured list. The center fielder has recently started to face live pitching and is throwing from 120 feet.  It was reported on Sunday that Bader is at full speed with baseball activities at the Alternate Site and if he progresses as planned he could return to the roster in the next 7 to 10 days.
• LF Tyler O’Neill {groin strain} was activated from the 10-day injured list and has returned to live game action with a start in Saturday’s game against the Reds.
• 1B John Nogowski (left hand bone bruise) was placed on the 10-day injured list as a precaution for continued discomfort in his left hand after being hit by a pitch. The IL move was made retroactive to Tuesday and Nogowski will be eligible to return by Friday, April 30.
• C Yadier Molina has been out of the lineup since the sixth inning of Friday’s game against the Reds with a foot injury. Imaging of the foot was favorable but Molina was not in the lineup on Saturday or Sunday.  Manager Mike Shildt said post game on Sunday that they are hoping to have Molina back in the lineup on Monday.

Looking Ahead

The Phillies come to St. Louis on Monday for a four game series at Busch Stadium.  Adam Wainwright is set to make the Monday start, followed by Carlos Martinez on Tuesday, Johan Oviedo on Wednesday and Kwang-Hyun Kim on Thursday.

The Cardinals travel to Pittsburgh to face the Pirates in a weekend series.  Next, the team returns to St. Louis to take on the Mets in a four game set.

The homestand continues with a three game weekend series starting Friday, May 7 against the Rockies. The Cardinals have an off day on Monday, May 10 and will then travel to Milwaukee for three against the Brewers.

The Cardinals regular season schedule can be found here.

Blast from the Past

In this week’s installment of the Cardinals Hall of Fame series, we look at another individual who contributed to the sport in a way that is seldom recognized.

Ernest M. “Ernie” Hays was born on January 1, 1935 in St. Louis, Missouri.  What we know about Hays prior to his becoming involved with the Cardinals is that when he was four years old his family moved to University City, and then later to Houston, Missouri, from where Ernie graduated from high school in 1952. Hays began playing the piano at the age of seven and after high school attended Drury College in Springfield where he majored in music.  Hays enlisted in the Navy for four years where he learned electronics.

After he returned from the Navy, Hays earned an engineering degree at the University of Missouri-Rolla and went to work for McDonnell Aircraft in St. Louis.  In 1966 Hays moved to Western Electric Co, where he remained until 1977.

After the Cardinals installed an organ at Busch Stadium in 1971, Hays, a classically trained pianist, was hired to play during games. During 40 years as the Busch Stadium organist, Ernie also played for the football Cardinals, the Blues, and several St. Louis soccer clubs.  He did all this while holding down a full time job.  It was while playing for the St. Louis Steamers that Ernie first played “Here Comes the King”, the Anheuser-Busch jingle, and it became a St. Louis tradition from then on.

In addition to his sports performances, Hays played in the Smithsonian Museum of American History in 1983 and made three solo guest performances for the St. Louis Symphony.  He released an “Organ for All Seasons” album in 1975.

Hays had a quirky personality and was known for some off-color jokes at times.  Hayes was known for never using sheet music.  Ernie also taught piano and continued to do so up until his death.

Ernie had open heart surgery in 2006 but continued to play for the Cardinals until 2010.  At that time the Cardinals joined other baseball clubs in using recorded music exclusively.  Hays never wanted to play more modern music, once quipping that Duke Ellington would never play Lady Gaga music.

Hays was presented with the Jack Buck Award in 2010 and is a member of the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame.  He passed away on October 31, 2012 at the age of 77 and is buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.  He was survived by his wife Loreta, a daughter, two sons, and five grandchildren.

Ernie Hays was a fixture at Busch Stadium and in St. Louis sports for 40 years.  The memories he gave St. Louis sports fans during that time are no small accomplishment.  For that alone he deserves to be honored and his legacy memorialized in the Cardinals Hall of Fame.

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

Restoring the J&J Vaccine Just in Time for Cardinals Minor Leaguers

2021 Prospect Guide now available!

Now available, The Cardinal Nation 2021 Prospect Guide is back for a fourth year. It includes over 250 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of color photos.

TCN’s 2021 Cardinals Prospect Guide – Now Available!

Not yet a member?

Join The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.

Follow Marilyn Green on Twitter @Marilyncolor.

© 2021 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

photo: Yadier Molina (Jeff Curry/Imagn)

The St. Louis Cardinals dropped both series of the week, falling below .500. The starting pitching is not getting deep into games and the offense is inconsistent. Our Blast From the Past history segment covers the team Hall of Fame candidacy of 25-year broadcaster Harry Caray.

Game Recaps

Monday, April 12 – Cardinals 2, Nationals 5

The St. Louis Cardinals took on the Nationals in St. Louis on Monday in the first of a three-game series.  Starter John Gant suffered his first loss of the season in the 5-2 loss to Washington.

Gant pitched five innings and surrendered three runs on six hits.  The right hander fanned four and walked three.   Giovanny Gallegos relieved in the sixth inning and the right hander allowed one run on one hit.  Andrew Miller followed with a shaky relief effort, giving up one run on three hits without recording an out.  Ryan Helsley took over in the eighth and was the first St. Louis pitcher to come out unscathed.  Helsley tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and was followed by Tyler Webb, who secured the final out.

St. Louis’ offense produced two runs on six hits, insufficient for a victory.  The runs came on an RBI single by Tommy Edman in the third inning and Yadier Molina’s sixth inning solo home run.

Edman stole his third base of the season and Dylan Carlson threw out a runner at home for his first outfield assist.

Tuesday, April 13 – Cardinals 14, Nationals 3

In the second game of the series, the Redbirds offense made up for what it lacked in Game 1.  In a 14 run onslaught, the Cardinals pummeled the Nationals for the Game 2 victory.

The scoring began with a first inning solo home run by Paul Goldschmidt.  Washington tied the game with a run in the top of the third, but the Cardinals responded with a four run bottom frame. Two run home runs by Nolan Arenado and Matt Carpenter gave the Cardinals a 5-1 run lead.

The Redbirds poured it on even more in the fifth.  Carpenter reached on a fielding error, Dylan Carlson drew a walk and Andrew Knizner singled to left. Justin Williams followed with an RBI single to right to plate one run.  Pinch hitter Austin Dean’s sac fly scored Carlson.  Tommy Edman walked and Goldschmidt singled to left to plate Knizner and Williams.  Nolan Arenado singled and Edman scored.  Paul DeJong singled to score Goldschmidt and a sac fly by Carpenter plated Arenado.  Carlson singled, Knizner walked and Williams singled to score DeJong and Carlson to make the score 14-1.

The Nationals put up two runs in the top of the ninth for the final score of 14-3.

Jack Flaherty

Starter Jack Flaherty earned his second win of the season in a five inning, one run allowed effort.  Flaherty fanned six and surrendered only three hits.  Genesis Cabrera followed with a scoreless sixth inning. Kodi Whitley contributed two scoreless frames.  Daniel Ponce de Leon allowed the two Washington runs in the ninth.

Arenado made a fielding error.  Williams had an outfield assist at second base.

Wednesday, April 14 – Cardinals 0, Nationals 6

In the rubber game of the series on Wednesday, the Cardinals offense apparently had no runs left to give after the 14 run onslaught the day before.  St. Louis was blanked 6-0 by Washington.

Veteran starter Adam Wainwright suffered his second loss of the season in a five inning effort which produced four opponent’s runs, three earned, on seven hits.  The right hander did punch out seven Nationals and walked two.  Jordan Hicks allowed one run in his one inning of relief.  Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless seventh.  Giovanny Gallegos surrendered one run in the eighth and Alex Reyes finished with a clean ninth.

St. Louis’ offense managed just four hits.  Tommy Edman and Nolan Arenado doubled.  Yadier Molina and Edmundo Sosa provided singles. Molina set a record with his 2000^th game caught, the first to do so with one team in MLB history.

Lane Thomas made a fielding error in what would be his final game on the active roster.

Thursday, April 15 – Off day

Friday, April 16 – Cardinals 2 at Phillies 9

The Cardinals traveled to Philadelphia for a weekend series against the Phillies.  The Cards all wore #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day, which was officially the day before, but the Cardinals did not play. St. Louis lost to the Phillies, 9-2.

Starter Carlos Martinez pitched a good first inning, retiring all three batters.  Then came the second inning and various defensive miscues sent Martinez into a brief tailspin in which he hit two batters, walked two (one intentionally) and gave up three singles and two doubles. The inning ended with the Phillies leading 6-0.  Martinez recovered and gave up no further runs in the succeeding three innings he pitched.  All told, the right hander surrendered six runs on five hits while striking out five and walking two over five frames.

Kodi Whitley relieved for 1 2/3 innings, yielding two runs on on two hits.  Andrew Miller closed out the game allowing one run on two hits.

St. Louis’ offense was held scoreless until the eighth. Dylan Carlson doubled to right field and Justin Williams smacked a two run home run to left center, his first as a major leaguer, to avert the shutout.

Saturday, April 17 – Cardinals 9 at Phillies 4

The Cardinals recovered from the previous day’s disappointment to beat the Phillies, 9-4. Kwang-Hyun Kim was activated from the injured list to make his first start of the season.  Kim pitched three innings and gave up three runs on five hits. The left hander fanned four and and issued one free pass.

Ryan Helsley relieved in the fourth and tossed 1 2/3 innings, allowing one run to earn his second win of the season – with the help of his team’s offense.  Tyler Webb pitched 2/3 scoreless innings in relief. Jordan Hicks, Genesis Cabrera, and Alex Reyes combined for the final 3 2/3 run-free frames.

The Cardinals offense scored six runs in the third inning to take a 6-1 lead.  Paul Goldschmidt singled and Nolan Arenado drew a walk.  Yadier Molina blasted a three run shot to to left field, his third long ball of the season.  Paul DeJong immediately followed with a solo home run to center field, his third of 2021.  Austin Dean walked and Dylan Carlson doubled to plate Dean.  Justin Williams was intentionally walked and Kim reached on fielding error that scored Carlson.

Yadier Molina

The Phillies scored two in the bottom of the third to make it 6-3. The Redbirds responded with three in the fourth. Once again it was back to back long balls – Nolan Arenado’s two run shot, and Molina’s second home run of the night, a solo blast.

On the basepaths, Tommy Edman was caught stealing for the first time in the season.  Williams made a fielding error.

Sunday, April 18 – Cardinals 0 at Phillies 2

In the rubber game of the three game series at Citizens Bank Park, the Cardinals were blanked by the Phillies, 2-0.  St. Louis’ sputtering offense could do nothing against Phillies starter Aaron Nola, who threw a complete game two hitter.

Yadier Molina collected the first hit early with a lead off single in the second inning.  The other hit didn’t come until the eighth, when Paul DeJong led off with a single.  In both cases, the next three hitters were retired.  10 Cardinals hitters struck out and there were no walks given.  The only other base runner was Tommy Edman, who reached on an error by Nola in the third.

Starter John Gant went the way of every Cardinals starter in every game except one, by not pitching past the fifth inning.  (Only Jack Flaherty made it past five innings in a six inning outing against the Marlins in Miami.)  Gant surrendered two runs on five hits, fanned five and walked five.   Andrew Miller, Giovanny Gallegos and Tyler Webb combined to toss the final four scoreless frames.

The Cardinals committed one error, a fielding miscue by Matt Carpenter.

Big Picture

The Cardinals fell under .500 by finishing the week with a record of 2-4 due to series losses to both the Nationals (home) and the Phillies (away).  It is too early to panic, but this is a pattern that must change soon.

The pitching continues to be the major problem, though offense and defense need to improve as well. There have been too many errors on defense, especially in the outfield, and the offense has been feast or famine, a pattern all too familiar to Cardinals fans with regard to seasons past.

The offense, when it does come, still is mostly centered at the top half of the order.  Tommy Edman at lead off gets on base, but the power hitters, Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado need to be a little more consistent.  Yadier Molina’s offense has been a surprise of sorts, but a welcome one.  Paul DeJong has always been streaky and this season is no different.

As for the bottom half of the order, Dylan Carlson shows periods of getting on a roll, but needs to strike out less.  Justin Williams began the season in a bad spot but has shown some areas of improvement.  The musical chairs in the outfield makes it difficult for hitters like Austin Dean to take hold.  Tommy Edman has been in right, making Matt Carpenter a semi regular at second base.

How things will shake in the outfield once Tyler O’Neill and Harrison Bader return will make it interesting considering the weakness so far with the defense.  Both O’Neill and Bader bring above average to elite defense in the outfield, something this team has been lacking.  Both will need to show something with the bat though.

The issue with the infield defense is more nuanced considering the lack of a DH this season makes it more difficult to get Carpenter at bats and his defensive skills are lacking in comparison to Edman. The Cardinals let Gold Glove second baseman Kolten Wong go to free agency with the understanding that Edman could take up the mantle, yet he is getting close to spending more time in the outfield than at second base.  The majority of the infield miscues so far have been up the middle with DeJong and Carpenter, which could lead to an untenable situation defensively.

Pitching is its own kind of problem, with starters not going deep into games, thus taxing the bullpen.  Walks have been a real problem as well.  Cardinals pitching has the fourth highest walk percentage in the major leagues. Team ERA is the worst in the major leagues. As stated previously, it is too early to panic, but improvement in the pitching needs to happen soon.

The Cardinals play a three game series at the Nationals and a three game set vs. the Reds at Busch this week.  St. Louis have lost series to both and series wins are needed.  The Cardinals are hovering around the .500 mark, but this can change in a heartbeat if the team continues to lose series at this pace.  A winning streak would go a long way to giving them some breathing space.

The Cardinals are currently 7-8 and are in third place in the NL Central, two games back of the Reds and one game back of the Brewers. The Brewers and Reds have shown some vulnerability lately and the time is now to gain some ground.

NL Central Standings

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.

Transactions

• 4/13 The Cardinals recalled RHP Kodi Whitley from the Alternate Training Site.
• 4/13 The Cardinals optioned RHP Johan Oviedo to the Alternate Training Site.
• 4/15 The Cardinals selected the contract of CF Scott Hurst from the Alternate Training Site.
• 4/15 The Cardinals optioned CF Lane Thomas to the Alternate Training Site.
• 4/15 The Cardinals placed RHP Dakota Hudson on the 60-day injured list. Right elbow injury
• 4/17 The Cardinals optioned RHP Kodi Whitley to the Alternate Training Site.
• 4/17 The Cardinals activated LHP Kwang-Hyun Kim from the 10-day injured list.

Injury Report

• RHP Miles Mikolas (shoulder) continues his rehab at the Alternate Training Site. The plan is for the right hander to throw to live hitters in simulated games.  Mikolas threw what was described by manager Mike Shildt as an “aggressive bullpen” and recovered well. The right hander is close to live BP. No timetable for his return has been reported.
• LHP Kwang-Hyun Kim (back tightness) has been activated and made his first start in Saturday’s game against the Phillies.
• CF Harrison Bader (right forearm flexor tendon) remains on the 10 day injured list. The injury is described as a right flexor strain but with no damage to the ligament. Bader has received a platelet rich plasma injection and  is expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks.   The outfielder returned to St. Louis and has been sent to the Alternate Training site.  Bader is about 10 to 14 days away from resuming full baseball activity and has been hitting off a tee and throwing up to 220 feet.
• LF Tyler O’Neill remains on the 10 day injured list with a right groin strain. Imaging showed no significant damage so it is expected O’Neill will be able to return to the roster when the 10 days are up, on April 21.

Looking Ahead

Following the weekend Phillies series, the Cardinals traveled to Washngton to play the Nationals for the second time in a three game series.  After a travel day on Thursday, the Cardinals return home to Busch Stadium for a weekend series against the Reds.

The Phillies come to St. Louis on Monday, April 26 for a four game set. The Cardinals will then travel to Pittsburgh for a weekend series against the Pirates. From Pittsburgh, the team will return to St. Louis to take on the Mets in a four game series.

The Cardinals regular season schedule can be found here.

Blast from the Past

This week’s installment of the Cardinals Hall of Fame series continues with another broadcaster, this one more well known to this author and doubtless to many other St. Louis fans.  A colorful character to say the least, this broadcaster’s career spanned more than one team and he became even more well known as the voice of a Cardinals rival.

Harry Christopher Caray was born on March 1, 1914 in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Christopher Carabina and Daisy Argint.  Harry changed his name from Carabina to Caray when he began his broadcasting career in Joliet, Illinois at the suggestion of the station manager, who thought Carabina sounded too awkward on the air.

Caray never knew his father, who was Italian, and who left Harry’s mother shortly after his birth.  Daisy Argint, of Romanian descent,  remarried when Harry was five.  She died of pneumonia when Harry was 14. Caray then went to live with his Aunt, Doxie Argint.

Harry’s family was poor, and he began selling newspapers at the age of 8.  Caray would attend Cardinals games at Sportsman’s Park whenever he had the money to afford a ticket.  He attended Webster Groves High School where he played second base and shortstop on the baseball team.  He was good enough to be awarded a baseball scholarship to the University of Alabama, but he did not accept the scholarship because he could not afford the room and board.

Caray played some semipro baseball after high school and was seen by scouts who invited him to a tryout for the Cardinals.  Caray didn’t make the team but he instead got a job with a company that sold sports equipment.  Harry listened to Cardinals games on the radio and though he could do a better job than the broadcasters he heard so he sent a letter to the general manager of KMOX.  Caray received a tryout and the general manager was impressed but thought he needed more experience, so he arranged to get Caray a job at WCLS in Joliet, Illinois.

After 18 months at WCLS, Caray was hired as the sports director of WKZO in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he got his first experience as a play by play man for baseball games.  It was at WKZO that Caray first uttered the phrase “Holy Cow!” as a substitute for profanity.

Harry was rejected for military duty in World War II because of bad eyesight and he moved back to St. Louis and took a job at KXOK in 1944.  Harry landed the job of doing play by play for Cardinals and Browns games in 1945 because he convinced the Griesedieck brothers that he could sell their beer on the air.  So Caray and broadcast partner Gabby Street began broadcasting Cardinals and Browns games on WIL in St. Louis.

At the time Caray started at WIL, the Cardinals games were not broadcast exclusively on one radio station so Caray and Street had competition.  The two built a considerable following, however, and in 1947 Cardinals owner Sam Breadon granted exclusive rights to the Griesedieck brothers to broadcast Cardinals games.

Caray continued to do play by play for the Cardinals through changes in ownership and broadcast sponsors, from Breadon to Gussie Busch and from the Griesedieck brothers to Anheuser Busch.  Caray and Street worked together until Street’s death in 1951. Caray then went on to partner with Joe Garagiola and then Jack Buck.  As the Cardinals play by play man, he called three World Series in 1964, 1967  and 1968.

Caray’s last season broadcasting Cardinals games was 1969, his 25^th year as the team’s play by play man.  Caray was fired after the  season, an action reportedly taken on the recommendation of Anheuser Busch’s marketing department.  Rumors that Caray had had an affair with Susan Busch, the daughter in law of Gussie Busch, were never substantiated but not denied by Caray, who said the rumors were good for his ego.  Susan Busch denied the rumors, stating the two were only friends.  Susan divorced her husband August Busch III shortly after the rumors began.

Caray’s broadcast career continued with the Oakland Athletics and then the Chicago White Sox, and ultimately Carey became the voice of the Chicago Cubs in 1981.  His time with the Cubs continued until 1997, despite

A stroke in 1987 cost him two months away from broadcasting.  Caray’s grandson Chip was hired to join Harry in the broadcast booth for the 1998 season but that pairing was never realized as Harry passed away on February 18, 1998.

Though Caray finished his career as the voice of St. Louis’ rival, Harry was the voice of the Cardinals first.  His 25 years in St. Louis cannot be eclipsed by his move to Chicago, and his voice and personality behind the radio broadcasts must not be overlooked.  Caray deserves his place in the Cardinals Hall of Fame as the exclusive voice through some of the best years of the franchise in the 1960s.

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Cardinals Minor League Spring Training Camp Details

2021 Prospect Guide now available!

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photo: Johan Oviedo via Zoom (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

Game Recaps

Monday, April 5 – Cardinals 4 at Marlins 1

The St. Louis Cardinals began a three game series with the Marlins in Miami with a victory.  Starter Daniel Ponce de Leon tossed five innings and gave up one run on three hits.  The right hander struck out three and walked one to earn his first win of the season.

Jordan Hicks pitched a scoreless sixth.  Giovanny Gallegos followed with two run-free innings. Alex Reyes hurled a scoreless ninth to earn his first save of 2021.

The game started with walks to Tommy Edman, Paul Goldschmidt, and Paul DeJong to load the bases.  A passed ball by Marlins catcher Jorge Alfaro scored Edman.  Yadier Molina doubled to left to plate Goldschmidt and DeJong and make it 3-0 in the first inning.

The game remained 3-0 until the fifth when Edman led off with a solo home run to right field.  The Marlins plated one in the bottom of the fifth to make it 4-1. That was all the scoring in the game.

Tyler O’Neill was caught stealing for the first time this season.

Tuesday, April 6 – Cardinals 4 at Marlins 2

The Redbirds were the winners in the second game of the series thanks to a mid inning comeback from an early 2-0 deficit.

The offense was held scoreless until the sixth inning.  Back to back singles by Tommy Edman and Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado’s walk loaded the bases.  In a repeat of the first game, Edman scored on a passed ball by Alfaro.  Paul DeJong followed with a ground out that plated Goldschmidt.  Matt Carpenter was intentionally walked and Yadier Molina hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Arenado.  St. Louis took the lead, 3-2.

The Cardinals increased their lead to the final score of 4-2 on a solo home run by Dylan Carlson in the ninth inning.  Molina went 2-for-3 as the only Cardinal with multiple hits.

Starter John Gant gutted his way through four innings.  He gave up one run on four hits while fanning four and walking three. Ryan Helsley tossed 1 1/3 innings of relief during which he surrendered one run on two hits. Helsley ended up with the win.  Genesis Cabrera secured the final two outs of the sixth before Giovanny Gallegos pitched a scoreless seventh.  Tyler Webb started the eighth and got two outs before Alex Reyes finished the final 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn his second save.

Tyler O’Neill made two errors on the same play, one fielding and one throwing.  Edman stole his first base of the season.

Wednesday, April 7 – Cardinals 7 at Marlins 0

In the final game of the series and road trip, the Redbirds blanked the Marlins 7-0 behind a good start by ace Jack Flaherty.  The right hander pitched six scoreless innings with one hit allowed and six punchouts.  The only blemish on the outing was four walks as Flaherty earned his first win of the season.

Genesis Cabrera relieved for the seventh and tossed two scoreless innings.  Jordan Hicks pitched a scoreless ninth.

The game had been scoreless on both sides until the seventh.  The Cardinals offense was generated by a two run home run from Yadier Molina in the seventh and a grand slam by Dylan Carlson in the ninth.  The other run came in the eighth on an RBI single by Paul Goldschmidt.  Tommy Edman was the only Cardinal with multiple hits, as he went 3-for-5 but with no RBI.

Edman did get his second stolen base of the season.  Flaherty had a pickoff at second base.

Thursday, April 8 – Cardinals 3, Brewers 1

The Cardinals returned to Busch Stadium for their 2021 Home Opener against the Brewers.  Following the festivities, Adam Wainwright took the field for his sixth opening day start.  The veteran right hander pitched five innings and gave up one run on five hits.  He fanned six and walked two but got a no decision.

Four relievers tossed one scoreless inning each – Ryan Helsley, Andrew Miller, Giovanny Gallegos and Alex Reyes.  Gallegos earned the win and Reyes the save, his third.

The Brewers took a 1-0 lead in the third inning. The Cardinals remained scoreless until the seventh when Yadier Molina singled, Dylan Carlson doubled, and Tyler O’Neill drove in Molina on an infield single.

In the eighth, Austin Dean drew a walk and Nolan Arenado blasted the first pitch he saw in the at bat for a dramatic two run home run, his first as a Cardinal.  St. Louis led 3-1, a score that would remain through the end of the game.

Wainwright made a throwing error on a pickoff attempt at second base and center fielder Dylan Carlson committed a fielding miscue on the same play, which resulted in the Brewers’ only run.

Friday, April 9 – Off day

Saturday, April 10 – Cardinals 5, Brewers 9

The second game of the Brewers series was a bitter loss for the Redbirds.  The pitching failed, as the offense scored five runs on 11 hits, which should have been enough to win.

Starter Carlos Martinez yielded three runs in five innings.  The right hander allowed eight hits, struck out one and walked one.  Martinez was the losing pitcher.

Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless sixth.  Tyler Webb started the seventh and allowed four runs in 2/3 innings.  Andrew Miller was responsible for an additional two runs in relief of Webb in large part due to a three-run home run served up to his first batter.  Jake Woodford pitched the final 1 2/3 scoreless innings before being sent down after the game for a fresh arm.

The offense was held scoreless until the sixth when Yadier Molina drew a walk and Austin Dean singled.  Justin William hit a grounder to first that was misplayed by Brewers 1B Keston Hiura.  The error allowed both Molina and Dean to score.  The Brewers still led 3-2.

Milwaukee plated five in the in the seventh to make it 8-2, then added another run in eighth.  The Cardinals rallied in the home eighth with three runs, scoring on a Molina single, a walk by Dylan Carlson and a three run bomb by Austin Dean.  That closed the scoring.

Sunday, April 11 – Cardinals 3, Brewers 9

In the rubber game, Cardinals pitching once again faltered and they dropped the home series with a 9-3 loss on Sunday.

Starter Daniel Ponce de Leon did not make it through the second inning. In 1 1/3 innings pitched, the right hander allowed seven runs on six hits, with no strikeouts and four walks.

Newly recalled Johan Oviedo relieved in the second and stopped the bleeding.  The right hander pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings, with two hits allowed, four punchouts and two walks.  Jordan Hicks added 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Tyler Webb followed with 2/3 scoreless innings.  Genesis Cabrera pitched the ninth and surrendered two runs.

Oviedo also batted in a run in his first Major League plate appearance.

He is the first #STLCards pitcher with a RBI in his first career PA since Mark Worrell hit a 3-run HR in his first plate appearance on 6/5/2008[2] at WSH. https://t.co/Mm4ZU22Hno

— Cardinals Player Development (@CardsPlayerDev) April 11, 2021

The offense was unable to crawl out of the seven run hole created by Ponce de Leon.  Ironically, Oviedo drove in the Cardinals first run on a ground out.  Austin Dean’s double in the sixth plated St. Louis’ final two runs as the outfielder went 2-for-4.

Paul DeJong made his third miscue of the young season on an errant throw.

Big Picture

Opening week, the Cardinals lost the first series of the season to the Reds.  A series win against the Marlins was a goal and the Cardinals exceeded that by a sweep in Miami.  The week ended with another series loss, yet the Cardinals came out ahead in the week, 4-2.

Pitching continues to be the Achilles heel so far for the Redbirds.  Though the offense could be better, especially at positions 5-9, it was pitching that failed miserably in the series loss to the Brewers.  The rotation is battered with injuries and the bullpen has been inconsistent at best.  The starters have been inconsistent and their inability to go deeper into games is putting pressure on the relievers. Only three members of the pen, Giovanny Gallegos, Jordan Hicks, and Alex Reyes, have been consistently reliable.  Johan Oviedo was a bright spot on Sunday in relief of Ponce de Leon.

The offense is mostly coming from the top of the order.  Tommy Edman, Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, and Yadier Molina have been the bulk of the offense so far.  Dylan Carlson has contributed three home runs, but with a high strikeout rate.  Austin Dean has contributed as well in limited appearances.  More contribution throughout the order is needed.  The outfield especially has been a mixed bag.  With Tyler O’Neill and Harrison Bader both on the injured list, it is going to be up to replacements Dean and Lane Thomas as well as Justin Williams to provide offensive production along with Carlson.

The defense has been fine, though Paul DeJong has three errors early in the season.  DeJong has also been unproductive with the bat in the last two series and was moved out of the cleanup spot on Sunday in favor of the 38-year-old Molina.

The Cardinals play the Nationals at Busch to start the week and then end the week playing the Phillies in Philadelphia.  Both teams will be tough so pitching must be better and the offense needs to pick it up.  As a result of the two losses to the Brewers, St. Louis is now tied for second place in the division behind the Reds.  Winning series should be the Cardinals’ prescription.

NL Central Standings

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.

Transactions

• 4/11 The Cardinals recalled CF Lane Thomas from the Alternate Training Site.
• 4/11 The Cardinals placed LF Tyler O’Neill on the 10 day injured list. Right groin strain.
• 4/11 The Cardinals optioned RHP Jake Woodford to the Alternate Training Site.
• 4/11 The Cardinals recalled RHP Johan Oviedo from the Alternate Training Site.

Injury Report

• RHP Miles Mikolas (shoulder) continues his rehab at the Alternate Training Site. The plan is for the right hander to throw to live hitters in simulated games.  No timetable for his return has been reported.
• LHP Kwang-Hyun Kim (back tightness) is on the 10 day injured list but returned with the Cardinals to St. Louis following the series in Miami. On Sunday, Kim pitched his final simulated game of six innings before returning to the rotation, which will likely come during the upcoming road trip.
• CF Harrison Bader (right forearm flexor tendon) remains on the 10 day injured list. The injury is described as a right flexor strain but with no damage to the ligament. Bader has received a platelet rich plasma injection and  is expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks.   The outfielder returned to St. Louis and has been sent to the Alternate Training site.  He has begun some light baseball activity but has not resumed throwing or hitting.
• 1B Paul Goldschmidt was scratched from the Opening Day lineup with lower back tightness. Goldschmidt was back in the lineup for the second game of the series on Saturday.
• LF Tyler O’Neill was placed on the 10 day injured list with a right groin strain. The injury occurred in Saturday’s game as the outfielder was running out a ground ball.  Imaging showed no significant damage so it is expected O’Neill will be able to return to the roster when the 10 days are up.

Looking Ahead

The Cardinals homestand continues on Monday against the Nationals to open a three game series. John Gant gets the start on Monday, followed by Jack Flaherty on Tuesday, and Adam Wainwright on Wednesday.

The Cardinals travel to Philadelphia on Thursday to begin a three game weekend series on Friday with the Phillies. Next, the team will go to Washington to play the Nationals for the second time in a three game series.

Following a travel day on Thursday, the Cardinals return home to Busch Stadium for a weekend series against the Reds.

The Cardinals regular season schedule can be found here.

Blast from the Past

This week’s installment of the Cardinals Hall of Fame series considers a Cardinals broadcaster not named Buck or Shannon.  This writer admits not having ever heard of this broadcaster prior to researching this article.  It is my loss.

Francis “France” Laux Jr. was born on December 3, 1897 in Guthrie, Oklahoma. He was the son of J. Francis Laux Sr., a local judge. His nickname “France” was given to him by classmates in school.  Laux was a multi sport athlete in high school and attended Oklahoma City College.

After service in World War I, Laux managed a semi-pro baseball team in Guthrie.  His other jobs included insurance and real estate broker and refereeing college football games.

Laux’s broadcasting career began in a unique way.  On the eve of the 1927 World Series between the Pirates and the Yankees, the regular announcer left local radio station KVOO in a disagreement less than an hour before first pitch.   The station manager called on Laux because he was the only person the manager could think of who knew enough about baseball to do the job.  The manager had to find Laux on the streets of Bristow, 45 miles away and drive him back to the station.  The two arrived with 90 seconds to spare.  So with very short notice, Laux began his broadcast career calling the 1927 World Series.

Laux did such a good job that he was hired to be the station’s regular sports announcer.  He broadcast baseball and football for KVOO for two years.

When KMOX in St. Louis was in need of a baseball announcer in 1929, they searched and found Laux.  He was brought in for a 30 day trial run calling both Cardinals and Browns games.  The trial was successful and Laux was hired.

Laux became very popular, with St. Louis the southernmost and westernmost city with a major league baseball team.  KMOX’ 50,000 watt channel was heard all over the western and southern parts of the country, and virtually coast to coast at night.

Laux was the voice of the Cardinals and Browns from 1929 to 1942.  After 1942, he called only for the Cardinals.  After the 1943 season, Laux resigned, only to return in 1948 to call Browns games. After the 1948 season, Laux broadcast only weekend games for the Browns until the Browns moved to Baltimore after the 1953 season.

In the late 1950s, Laux co-hosted a show called Batting Practice with Jack Buck, which functioned as a pre-game show for Cardinals road games.

After leaving broadcasting, Laux turned his attention to a bowling house he had purchased in St. Louis and his duties as the secretary of the American Bowling Congress.  Laux passed away on November 16, 1978 at the age of 80.

One could say that Laux had a similar appeal to Cardinals fans as Buck did later on.  He was the voice of the Cardinals before Buck.   As such, Laux deserves to be inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame because of his two decades of Cardinals broadcasting and huge popularity and reach.  The unfortunate fact that this writer hadn’t heard of him should be no impediment as this speaks more to my deficiencies than it does to Laux’s.

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Cardinals Minor League Update – April 9, 2021

2021 Prospect Guide now available!

Now available, The Cardinal Nation 2021 Prospect Guide is back for a fourth year. It includes over 250 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of color photos.

TCN’s 2021 Cardinals Prospect Guide – Now Available!

Not yet a member?

Join The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.

Follow Marilyn Green on Twitter @Marilyncolor.

© 2021 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

photo: Jake Woodford and Nick Castellanos (Albert Cesare/Imagn)

Spring Training Game Recaps

Monday, March 29 – Cardinals 3, Mets 3

The St. Louis Cardinals’ final spring game ended in a 3-3 tie with the Mets in Jupiter.  Adam Wainwright had his final spring tune up and pitched only 2 2/3 innings in his final spring appearance.  The right hander gave up two runs on three hits, struck out one and walked one.  Jesus Cruz came in to get the final out of the third inning.  Carlos Martinez followed with three scoreless innings and Andrew Miller tossed one scoreless frame. Ryan Helsley surrendered one run in the eighth and Giovanny Gallegos tossed a scoreless ninth.

The Mets took a 2-0 lead in the first before Nolan Arenado answered with a solo home run.  In the third inning, Matt Carpenter plated St. Louis’ second run on a single.

The Mets grabbed a 3-2 lead in the eighth, but in the bottom of the ninth, Edmundo Sosa thumped a solo home run to end the game in a 3-3 tie.

Regular Season Game Recaps

Thursday, April 1 – Cardinals 11 at Reds 6

The Cardinals began the 2021 regular season with a three-game series in Cincinnati.  In the chilly opener, St. Louis came out ahead by the score of 11-6.  Jack Flaherty made the opening day start and pitched 4 1/3 innings.  The right hander gave up six runs on six hits, fanned four and walked two.  Tyler Webb secured the final two outs of thre fifth.  From that point on Cardinals pitching shut down the Reds offense.  Ryan Helsley, Genesis Cabrera, Giovanny Gallegos, and Alex Reyes each pitched a scoreless inning.  Gallegos got the win.

The Redbirds offense scored 11 runs on 10 hits.  The bulk of the scoring came in the first inning off Reds starter Luis Castillo.  Paul Goldschmidt hit a missile that hit the right field wall and was initially ruled a home run.  A review overturned the ruling and Goldschmidt had a double.  He scored on a single by Paul DeJong following a Nolan Arenado single.  Tyler O’Neill was hit by a pitch and a fielding error on a ground ball hit by Yadier Molina allowed Arenado and DeJong to score.  Dylan Carlson then hit a three run home run to make it 6-0 in favor of St. Louis.

The Cardinals scored a seventh run in the second inning on a single by Arenado.  In the fourth, Flaherty drew a walk and Tommy Edman singled.  Goldschmidt singled to score Flaherty, and Edman came home on a wild pitch.  Tyler O’Neil then blasted a two run home run to left field.

Goldschmidt went 4-for-5 and Arenado was 2-for-5. O’Neill had two RBI and Carlson plated three.

O’Neill had an outfield assist at second base.

Friday, April 2 – Off day

Saturday, April 3 – Cardinals 6 at Reds 9

The Cardinals did not take their winning momentum into Saturday’s game in Cincinnati.  The game started out fine, as the Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a solo home run by Paul DeJong.

The wheels came off the bus in the bottom of the third inning.  Starter Adam Wainwright cruised through two, but gave up a leadoff walk in the third.  Leadoff walks are a bad omen generally and this time was no exception. A bad pitch to Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart sent the ball over the right center field wall for two runs.  That one bad pitch led to a torrent of weak and lucky hits to follow.  Six ground ball singles, two that never left the infield, led to four additional runs scored and a 6-1 Reds lead. After the sixth run, Wainwright was removed. Jake Woodford got the final out of the inning and stopped the bleeding.

St. Louis got one back in the top of the fourth on a second solo home run by DeJong.  With Woodford still pitching, the Reds added two additional runs in the bottom half of the fourth. A brawl ensued after Nick Castellanos, who Woodford had earlier hit with a pitch, scored on a wild pitch and then flexed himself with Woodford sitting on the ground after attempting to tag the Reds outfielder at the plate.  After the melee was over and the play resumed, Woodford hit Jonathan India with a pitch with the bases loaded, allowing Joey Votto to score.

The Cardinals made the score 8-3 in the top of sixth when Arenado singled and then later scored on a Dylan Carlson fly ball misplayed in the sun by Reds outfielder Aristedes Aquino.   The Reds responded with one more run in the bottom frame off Andrew Miller.   A three up and three down seventh inning occurred for both sides, with Jordan Hicks in for Miller.  In the eighth the Cardinals manufactured a run on two walks, a single and a sac fly by Carlson.  Tyler Webb retired all three Reds he faced.

In the top of the ninth, with the Cards down five runs, Nolan Arenado hit a two run home run to make it 9-6.

Sunday, April 4 – Cardinals 1 at Reds 12

Sunday’s game was even uglier than the day before, except without the brawl.  Once again it started fine, with starter Carlos Martinez cruising through the first three innings, though the offense had yet to score.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Reds broke through and Cardinals nemesis Nick Castellanos tripled on a Martinez slider that didn’t slide. Joey Votto followed with an RBI single.

Things hadn’t gotten bad yet though, because the Cardinals scored in the top of the fifth to knot it up 1-1.  Tyler O’Neill doubled and Yadier Molina followed with a single to plate O’Neill.

Martinez came back for the bottom of the fifth and after retiring his first batter, gave up a single to catcher Tyler Stephenson.  A wild pitch and a walk followed.  Martinez induced a ground out for the second out to bring up Castellanos, who smacked a cutter up in the zone for a three run home run.  The Reds led 4-1.

In the sixth, the Reds knocked relievers Ryan Helsley and Tyler Webb around for six runs.  They scored two more against Genesis Cabrera in the seventh.  The only Cardinal pitcher to come out unscathed was Andrew Miller, who pitched a scoreless eighth.

The Cardinals did not score again after the one run in the fifth inning.

The Big Picture

It is only three games into the season, but it is not looking good so far.  The Reds series was ugly after the first game.  The pitching throughout the series was not good, though the offense hit enough in the first game to overcome it.

The state of Cardinals pitching was precarious coming into the season because of injury to two pitchers in the rotation, Miles Mikolas and Kwang-Hyun Kim.  Because of those injuries, two pitchers who would ordinarily be in the bullpen were put in the rotation, Daniel Ponce de Leon and John Gant.  So they have yet to pitch in 2021. Gant had been one of the Cardinals’ most reliable relievers, so his services could have been beneficial in the Reds series.  Previously, Ponce de Leon had mostly been deployed as a long man out of the bullpen.

None of the three front-line starters in the series lasted past the fifth inning.  This was taxing on the bullpen and it showed.

The offense didn’t show up in the final game of the series.  It is too early to start talking about either pitching or offense being an issue but the Reds series loss was a bad omen.  Perhaps things will go better in Miami against the Marlins, although the Cardinals had a tough time with the Marlins in spring training so it won’t be a cake walk.  The pitching has to be better and the offense more consistent.

Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, Paul DeJong, and Tyler O’Neill provided the bulk of the offense in the Queen City.  The rest of the lineup needs to be better, most especially RF Justin Williams, who was 0-for-9 with five strikeouts in the series.  Williams will likely get the day off on Monday in favor of Austin Dean with a left hander on the mound for the Marlins.

St. Louis is now 1-2 on the season and will face the Marlins in Miami starting Monday.  The Cardinals need to win at least 2 of the 3 games to return to .500.

NL Central Standings

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.

Transactions

• 4/1 The Cardinals placed CF Harrison Bader on the 10 day injured list.
• 4/1 The Cardinals placed RHP Miles Mikolas on the 10 day injured list
• 4/1 The Cardinals placed LHP Kwang-Hyun Kim on the 10 day injured list.
• 4/1 The Cardinals placed RHP Dakota Hudson on the 10 day injured list.
• 4/1 The Cardinals claimed LHP Bernardo Flores Jr off waivers from the Chicago White Sox.

Injury Report

• RHP Miles Mikolas (shoulder) still has not faced live hitters since February 25 but is making progress. He opened the season on the 10 day injured list.  He threw a bullpen session on Friday and the plan is for the right hander to pitch to live hitters at the Alternate Site in Sauget, IL in the near future.  Mikolas could be ready for a return in late April/early May.
• LHP Kwang-Hyun Kim (back tightness) has been placed on the 10 day injured list and is set to pitch in a simulation game on Tuesday in Jupiter. It is possible that the left hander will fly back with the team to St. Louis when they return from the three game series in Miami that begins on Monday.
• CF Harrison Bader (right forearm flexor tendon) has been placed on the 10 day injured list. The injury is described as a right flexor strain but with no damage to the ligament. Bader has received a platelet rich plasma injection and  is expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks. Like Mikolas, he will be rehbbing at the Alternate Site.

Looking Ahead

The Cardinals will play the Marlins in Miami a three game series beginning Monday, April 5.  Daniel Ponce de Leon is scheduled to make the Monday start, followed by John Gant on Tuesday, and Jack Flaherty on Wednesday.

The Cardinals return to St. Louis on Thursday, April 8 for the home opener against the Brewers.  Adam Wainwright will make the start.  After a Friday off day, the series continues on Saturday and Sunday against the Brewers, with Carlos Martinez and Ponce de Leon the probable pitchers.

The team continues the homestand next Monday against the COVID-struck Nationals for three games before a day off Thursday.  The Cardinals will travel to Philadelphia for a three game weekend series starting next Friday with the Phillies.

The Cardinals regular season schedule can be found here.

Blast from the Past

This week’s installment of the Cardinals Hall of Fame candidacy series takes a look at a man who made history as the first Latin player for the Cardinals and one of the first Latin players in baseball.  He was a player, a coach, and a manager for St. Louis.

Miguel Angel Gonzalez Cordero a/k/a Mike Gonzalez, was born on September 24, 1890 in Havana, Cuba.  Gonzalez played baseball as a boy, as the sport had become popular in Cuba at that time.  He also played in school at the Institute of Havana.  Working as a bank clerk, he was recruited to play baseball by the Cuban baseball Club Fé.  At a height of 6’1”, he first suited up for the club as a shortstop in 1910, appearing in six games.

The next winter Mike was playing catcher and was spotted by the owner of the Long Branch Cubans, a New Jersey minor league team composed almost entirely of Cubans.  Mike played catcher for the New York/New Jersey League pennant winners of 1912.

The Cubans owner sold Gonzalez’ contract to the Boston Braves following the season.  He made his major league debut on September 28 at the age of 22.  He played in one game and in 1913 the Braves attempted to assign him to their minor league team in Wilkes-Barre but he refused and the Long Branch Cubans purchased his optional release and then subsequently his outright release.

Gonzelez returned to Cuba in 1913 and was traded from Fé to Habana.  He was signed by the Cincinnati Reds for the 1914 season.  Gonzalez returned to Habana in the fall as the manager and would have a long standing role as manager of Habana over his life, winning 13 Cuban League titles.

In April 1915, the Reds traded Mike to the Cardinals.  Gonzalez would play eight seasons for the Cardinals in three separate stints over his major league career, from 1915-1918, 1924-1925, and 1931-1932.  In between he also played for the New York Giants and the Cubs.  In 1933, he returned to the minor leagues as a player/coach for the Columbus Red Wings at the age of 42.  In eight seasons for the Cardinals, Gonzalez slashed .262/.320/.332 with seven home runs and 150 RBI.

Cardinals manager Frankie Frisch needed a coach for the 1934 season and added Gonzalez. As a coach for the notorious “Gashouse Gang”, he helped that team win the World Series over the Detroit Tigers in seven games.  Mike continued under Frisch until the manager was fired with 16 games remaining in the 1938 season. Gonzalez was named interim manager, making him the first Latin manager in the major leagues.

It was Gonzalez who recommended Ray Blades to Branch Rickey as the new manager of the Cardinals.  Mike would coach for Blades until Blades was fired in June 1940 and Mike again became interim manager.  The Cardinals then hired Billy Southworth and Mike coached for Billy until he left in 1945 to manage the Braves.  The Cardinals hired Eddie Dyer and Gonzalez was kept as the third base coach.

One of the most famous plays in World Series history happened in the 1946 series while Mike was third base coach.  Enos Slaughter’s “Mad Dash” that scored the winning run occurred either because Gonzalez  waved Slaughter home or Slaughter ignored a stop sign.  No one knows which one it was to this day although films appear to show Gonzalez waving Slaughter home.  Other accounts suggest otherwise.

Gonzalez is credited with contributing to baseball terminology that is still in use today.  Mike was asked to scout a winter league player by the New York Giants and he sent back a brief scouting report that said “Good field, no hit”.

Mike resigned from the Cardinals after the 1946 season in protest of a ban by major league baseball of players who played for the Mexican League.  MLB subsequently ruled him ineligible from working for U.S baseball.  Although the dispute between MLB and the Mexican League was ultimately resolved, Gonzalez never returned to major league baseball.

Gonzalez returned to Cuba and continued to manage Habana until he retired in 1953.  He passed away at the age of 86 on February 19, 1977.  He was survived by his second wife and a son, Miguel Jr.

Mike Gonzalez was a history maker for the Cardinals and a loyal player, coach and manager.  He received accolades from everyone around him, including Rickey and the managers for whom he coached.  He was considered an astute baseball man who had the ability to crack the code of signs and who had such a memory that he could recall the strengths and weaknesses of every player.  The dispute that resulted in his leaving MLB and the US was resolved and is long past.  Gonzalez’ contributions are obvious and he deserves a posthumous induction into the Cardinals Hall of Fame.

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