photo: Red Schoendienst (Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports)
The MLB lockout is very close to affecting spring training with no end in sight. The St. Louis Cardinals increased their pitching depth with the signing of a KBO veteran. Our history feature highlights Hall of Famer Red Schoendienst.
MLB lockout updates
A delay of spring training appears inevitable after recent developments in the ongoing negotiations between the MLBPA and MLB. On Tuesday, February 1st, a heated 90-minute meeting ended with no progress made. It was reported that MLB intended to make a counteroffer to the union’s latest proposal.
Two days following the meeting, MLB, in a surprise move, announced they would not be making a counteroffer and instead requested immediate assistance from a federal mediator whose role would be advisory only. Such a request required agreement by the MLBPA, and that agreement did not occur as the union put out a statement the next day rejecting MLB’s request. The two sides continued to meet following the union’s rejection of the federal mediator, but the meetings were about non-economic issues. Meetings on the core economic issues have not been scheduled.
Given that pitchers and catchers would be normally scheduled to report to spring training around February 16th, it is unlikely at this time that spring training camps will begin as scheduled. A delay in spring training does not necessarily mean the regular season will not begin on time if the delay is of short duration. Considering the volatile nature of the negotiations to date, an agreement between the parties within the next couple of weeks appears improbable.
A federal mediator was used during the labor stoppage in 1994-95. The outcome then was a cancellation of the World Series and more than a half a year of negotiation before an agreement was reached. In light of the history, it is unsurprising that the union was not keen on taking that route again. Several players took to Twitter to express their unhappiness with what some described as a PR stunt by MLB.
Unless there is some unexpected breakthrough in the negotiations, in all probability some loss of regular season games appears on the horizon.
For further updates check back to this report every Monday.
Cardinals sign right hander to minor league deal
On Monday, January 31st, the Cardinals announced the signing of right-handed pitcher Aaron Brooks to a minor league contract. The deal includes an invitation to major league spring training camp. Brooks, 31, spent the last two seasons pitching in the KBO. He previously pitched in the major leagues in 2019 for the Orioles and the Athletics. Brooks was the ninth-round draft pick of the Royals in 2011.
In Brooks’ two seasons in South Korea, he delivered a 2.79 ERA in 36 starts. His career walk rate of 1.8 walks per nine innings is of particular appeal to a Cardinals team whose staff struggled with high walk rates in 2021.
Brooks pitched primarily as a starter in Korea but is likely destined for a spot in the bullpen should he make the major league roster.
For further details:
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Looking Ahead
On December 1 the MLB/MLBPA Collective Bargaining Agreement expired. No new agreement was reached and the Commissioner’s Office announced that the owners of all 30 teams voted unanimously to institute a lockout of MLB players effective immediately.
As a result of the lockout, all major league transactions are halted indefinitely. Players and team personnel are prohibited from communicating with each other and players are not permitted to use team facilities. The parties may continue to negotiate to reach an agreement that would end the lockout.
The deadline for teams and arbitration eligible players to submit salary figures was originally on January 14. This deadline has been extended to a date after the lockout ends.
There will be no major league activity to report for the foreseeable future as long as the lockout continues.
Blast from the Past
In last week’s Blast from the Past, we remembered the career of Cardinal icon and baseball Hall of Famer Joe “Ducky” Medwick. This week we continue in that same vein with another Hall of Famer who is beloved of Cardinals fans for his time as a player, coach and manager of the Cardinals, and his continued involvement with the Cardinals until the time of his passing in 2018.
Albert Fred “Red” Schoendienst was born on February 2, 1923, in Germantown, Illinois. Red was one of seven children born to Joe and Mary Schoendienst. Red began playing baseball as a youth. He dropped out of high school at the age of 16 to work in the Civilian Conservation Corps. Red injured his left eye on a nail while working on a fence. The injury forced him to become a switch hitter because he had difficulty seeing some pitches from right-handed pitchers while batting right-handed.
Red participated in a tryout for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1942. He was not initially chosen, but a scout later went to Germantown to sign him for $75 a month. After three seasons in the minor leagues, Red made his Major League debut on April 17, 1945, in a game against the Cubs.
The following are some highlights in the career of Red Schoendienst.
- Red had never seen a major league game until he debuted with the Cardinals in 1945.
- Red had five brothers, three of whom played in the minor leagues.
- Because of his eye injury, Red did not fight in World War II. He debuted with the Cardinals in left field replacing Stan Musial, who was serving in the Navy. He wore Stan’s famous #6 before moving to his now-retired #2.
- In 1946 after all the players returned from the war, Red did not have a position. Fortunately, the regular second baseman, Lou Klein, had jumped to the Mexican League and Red took over at second base. Red played the bulk of his career at this position.
- Red met his wife Mary on a streetcar returning home from a game in 1945. They married on September 20, 1947. The couple had three daughters and a son Kevin who played minor League baseball for two years.
- In Red’s debut season in 1945, he led the National League in stolen bases with 26.
- Red was selected to his first All-Star Game in 1946. He appeared in eight more All-Star games as a Cardinal.
- In 1950, Red led the National League in doubles with 43.
- Red’s best season was 1953. He slashed. 342/.405/.502 in 145 games, barely missing winning the NL batting title. The winner, Dodger Carl Furillo, hit. 344 even after missing three weeks of the season with a broken hand.
- In 1955, owner Gussie Busch hired Frank “Trader” Lane as general manager. As his nickname suggests Lane liked to make trades. Lane traded Red to the New York Giants on June 14, 1956.
- Red was traded again a year later to the Milwaukee Braves. The Braves won the pennant in 1957 and defeated the Yankees in the World Series. Red missed the last two games with a groin injury.
- Red played in only 106 games in 1958. He had been feeling unwell during the season, and after the Braves lost the 1958 World Series to the Yankees, Red went to the doctor. Red was diagnosed with tuberculosis and had surgery to remove part of his lung.
- Despite his illness, the Braves signed him for the 1959 season. He left the hospital in March but did not return to play until September. He played in only five games and had only three at bats.
- For 1960, the Braves hired a new manager who chose to play Red mostly off the bench. Red was released by the Braves at the end of the season.
- The Cardinals came calling in 1961 and Red returned to St. Louis. Red played in 72 games that season.
- In 1962, Red signed a contract to coach for the Cardinals. This was done primarily to keep Red protected from the expansion draft to fill two new teams in New York and Houston. He was put on the roster to begin the season and played in 98 games.
- Red returned in 1963 as a coach only but was put back on the roster in June. He played in six games with his last appearance on July 7.
- Red returned to the Cardinals in 1964 as a coach. After manager Johnny Keane left at the end of the season, the Cardinals hired Red as the new manager.
- Red remained the manager of the Cardinals through the 1976 season. His record included a World Series victory over the Boston Red Sox in 1967. He later returned as interim manager in 1980 and again in 1990. His managerial record over those 12 seasons was 1041-955.
- Red was hired as a coach by the Oakland Athletics in 1977. He remained in that position for two seasons.
- Red returned to the Cardinals as a coach and as a special assistant to the general manager. He remained in the employ of the Cardinals through 2017.
- Red was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989 by vote of the Veterans Committee.
- Red’s number 2 was retired by the Cardinals on May 11, 1996.
- Red’s wife Mary passed away on December 11, 1999.
- Red was inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 2014 and served on its Red Ribbon selection committee.
- Red passed away on June 6, 2018, at the age of 95. He was survived by his four children, eight grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.
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