Retro Simba

Ted Simmons clobbered the Cubs with his bat, but he also used brains and hustle to beat them. Fifty years ago, on May 24, 1974, Simmons outmaneuvered the Cubs, escaping a rundown between third and home to score the lone run in a 1-0 Cardinals victory. Hardly swift, the Cardinals’ catcher evaded the Cubs’ fastest player in a race to the plate. Cubs … [Read more...] about A crafty play by Ted Simmons confuses Cubs

At a critical point in a game against the Cardinals, Reds manager Birdie Tebbetts determined bold action was required. With Stan Musial at the plate, Tebbetts yanked the Reds’ shortstop from the game and went with an alignment of four outfielders. Tebbetts’ surprise move became the talk of baseball. According to The Sporting News, it was “probably the first … [Read more...] about Reds made unorthodox move in bid to thwart Stan Musial

In late July 1944, Allied troops were on the outskirts of Brest, a strategic seaport town in northwest France that the Germans occupied during World War II and turned into a submarine base. The Allies were determined to drive out the Nazis, and hoped to make the harbor a supply hub. Among the infantry advancing on Brest was a U.S. Army private, Eddie Kazak, a St. Louis … [Read more...] about Soldier’s story: How Eddie Kazak became Cardinals all-star

When Roman Gabriel was with the Los Angeles Rams, a strong performance versus the St. Louis Cardinals helped him emerge as a No. 1 quarterback. Later, when Gabriel went to the Philadelphia Eagles, he led them to a stirring comeback against the Cardinals for his first win, then never beat them again. In 12 games, including 10 starts, versus the Cardinals, Gabriel won four, lost … [Read more...] about The story of Roman Gabriel versus the Cardinals

While growing up in the St. Louis suburb of University City, Ken Holtzman rooted for the Cardinals and dreamed of pitching in the big leagues. Holtzman got to the majors, but not with the Cardinals. He went instead to their rivals, the Cubs. A left-hander, Holtzman was a starter for the Athletics when they won three consecutive World Series titles. He also pitched two … [Read more...] about Hometown boy Ken Holtzman: A Cardinal at heart