- This topic has 567 replies, 37 voices, and was last updated 9 hours, 47 minutes ago by
.
-
Posts
-
I can’t say I remember this player, but maybe some on this site do. RIP, George.
Honoring George Altman, who recently died in O'Fallon MO and played for the Cardinals, Mets & Cubs. He played in Negro Leagues, MLB & Japan. He was an MLB All-Star. And he was the only left-handed batter to ever hit 2 HRs off Sandy Koufax in same game. https://t.co/6eAE4UVbQp
— Benjamin Hochman (@hochman) December 21, 2025
For the last 20 New Years, I have posted an article about the Cardinals who passed away during the prior year. Altman is one of 14 so far in 2025. MLB’s oldest living player at 101 is another former Cardinal, Bill Greason. Also, the last three surviving Browns died during 2025.
The article is done, at least I hope so…
I met big George at a vintage baseball event held in St. Louis in 2005. We had a game played in Lafayette Square and George Altman was one of the guests. I chatted with him for probably a half-hour. Great guy and fun to talk to.
Despite slamming two homers off Sandy Koufax in a game, he told me Koufax was the toughest pitcher for him. He said it was not so much the fastball, which was great, but his curve ball would buckle your knees.
I cracked him up in talking about a game I have on tape – a 1962 broadcast of a Cardinals/Giants game where Harry Caray is gushing over how good the Giants are and how they can really hit. I went in to a Harry Caray impersonation and he laughed and said, “You sound just like him.” He told me Jim Ray Hart was a guy that could have been great, but did not have the personal discipline to take it to the next level.
He spoke highly of Johnny Keane as a manger, but said coming to the Cardinals messed up his swing. He had four hits in his first game as a Cardinal, but the Cardinals felt with his power he should pull the ball more. In focusing on pulling the ball rather than his normal swing his mechanics got fouled up. But he did go on from the majors and have a nice career in Japan, where he was very popular.
RIP George!
Yes, I also read that. Everyone was so excited about his potential to pull the ball to the short RF in the old stadium that he stopped doing what made him successful.
I remember the trade that brought Altman to the Cardinals well. We sent Two very good pitchers (Larry Jackson and Lindy McCardinal)
to the Cubs for George and Don Cardwell. We then shipped Cardwell to the Pirates for Dick Groat. Shortstop Groat was one of the hero’s of the Cards 1964 World Series ChampsDiamondbacks Sign Luken Baker To Minor League Contract https://t.co/wyETdLG4I8 pic.twitter.com/HY6Cl0HuWZ
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) December 26, 2025
That story about altman changing his swing really made me think. I know it was different back before free agency where you basically did what the team asked or you were basically done with ball. But today if i was an above average player and had a specific style like hitti g well to all fields, no way im listening to a team coach telling me to do something different esp pulling the ball. Its fine to try that in specific situations but even then only rarely. If you are that kind of hitter,you already know the situations and location of ball and pitches you do that on. Some other team will def pick you up cause while those guys may not get the contracts they should nor usually get the celebrity, managers tend to find them very valuable.
Nice history flood21 on the deal bringing Altman to our club. We gave up Larry Jackson, who won 24 games for a not-too-good Cub team in ‘64, and Lindy McDaniel.
Then after the ‘63 season we traded George to the Mets for Roger Craig. So we needed Craig for McDaniel and Jackson – pretty lousy exchange. But as flood21 pointed out we also got Don Cardwell in the original deal wit Chicago and used him as part of the deal to get Dick Groat.
That was when Branch Rickey was back in a special advisory role. He did not like the Groat trade, sending young shortstop Julio Gotay as well as Cardwell to Pittsburgh. He never liked dealing a younger player for an older one. But the deal worked out as Groat was great in ‘63, and still real good in ‘64.
Then of course we went back to the Cubs for another “pitcher for outfielder” trade, sending Ernie Broglio for Lou Brock in June 1964.
I have wondered how things would have gone had we unwound both the Altman and Brock deals. With Jackson and McDaniel, maybe we still win in ‘64 as our pitching would have been fabulous. In the long run, maybe we don’t win in ‘67 or ‘68 – but then who knows what other deals might have been made.
The Texas Rangers have signed Nabil Crismatt to a minor league contract, per @DanielAlvarezEE. The pitcher has 889 strikeouts in 889.1 innings pitched throughout his minor league career. The contract includes an invitation to major league spring training. pic.twitter.com/GjbpSpVWys
— Milb Central (@milb_central) December 29, 2025
The Philadelphia Phillies have signed Genesis Cabrera to a minor league contract. The pitcher has 534 strikeouts in 561.1 innings pitched throughout his minor league career. pic.twitter.com/lZgFZwTTwM
— Milb Central (@milb_central) December 26, 2025
I just read where joe kelly is retiring or at least not playing this season. The last cardinal player left from the 2013 pennant team.
When Kelly came up, I thought he would have a more impactful career than he ended up with. He just didn’t quite work out as a rotation regular, and never seemed like a factor out of the pen. Its like there was a box that didn’t get checked somewhere along the way.
I disliked the deal where we sent Kelly and Allen Craig for John Lackey. I felt Kelly would be better than Lackey going forward, and Craig was struggling, but had been a good hitter and could figure it out and come back. Seemed like a lopsided trade that favored Boston.
Kelly was pretty good out of the bullpen for a few teams, but the deal was not as bad as I thought it would be.
Kelly didn’t have an amazing career but Kelly’s was a successful outcome. 13 years in the bigs and he was never really dominant, but a role player who was certainly entertaining. 3 WS rings in his career.
According to GO Baseball, the Wei Chuan Dragons have signed 33-year-old American RHP John Gant. pic.twitter.com/9zirrsf7tc
— CPBL STATS (Taiwan Dark Lemon) 🪬🔮 (@GOCPBL) December 30, 2025
Fubon Guardians have signed 36-year-old American RHP Aaron Wilkerson for the 2026 CPBL season. pic.twitter.com/6Hjpw3gGTX
— CPBL STATS (Taiwan Dark Lemon) 🪬🔮 (@GOCPBL) December 30, 2025
Just in case anyone missed this.
I enjoy and feel badly about this annual feature in equal measure. Remembering 14 former #stlcards who passed away during 2025 as well as the last three St. Louis Browns. https://t.co/bBKBJUmywE pic.twitter.com/Pco5OC66no
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) January 1, 2026
Yankees Sign Paul DeJong To Minor League Deal https://t.co/AAFwdMHRS9 pic.twitter.com/6uItpQOg35
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) January 4, 2026
SIGNED: #Mariners have signed 1B/3B Patrick Wisdom to a minor-league contract.
— MLB Transaction Tracker (@MLBMovesTracker) January 7, 2026
Texas says they claimed Zak Kent on waivers. He was DFA earlier this week when the Cardinals acquired Justin Bruihl.
— Jeff Jones (@jmjones) January 9, 2026
The Rangers announced that Anthony Veneziano has been released from his minor league contract so that the southpaw can pursue an opportunity with an Asian team.
Rangers Release Anthony Veneziano https://t.co/mLDAqS0z1X pic.twitter.com/F2BKRD7mSX
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) January 10, 2026
The Milwaukee Brewers have signed Drew Rom to a minor league contract. The pitcher has 556 strikeouts in 474.0 innings pitched throughout his minor league career. pic.twitter.com/3aW5KaGjXl
— Milb Central (@milb_central) January 10, 2026
Yadier Molina joining Cardinals as special assistant https://share.google/EOKZKatneCrRSNyqF
Siani gets booted to make room for the $240 million dollar man.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker to a four-year contract for $240 million. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers designated outfielder Michael Siani for assignment.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) January 21, 2026
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.