Retro Simba

Lou Brock had the legs; Jerry Grote had the arm. What sometimes made the difference in their showdowns was their heads. During Brock’s prime years with the Cardinals, when he led the National League in stolen bases eight times, one of the most difficult catchers to steal against was Grote, who played for the Mets. “Grote has been hailed as the best defensive catcher in the … [Read more...] about Game within the game: Jerry Grote versus Lou Brock

Early in the 1934 season, if any pitcher looked like a candidate to get 30 wins, it was Lon Warneke, not Dizzy Dean. A Chicago Cubs right-hander, Warneke pitched a one-hitter on Opening Day versus the Reds and followed that with another one-hitter in his next start against Dean and the Cardinals. Warneke is the only big-league pitcher to follow a one-hitter on Opening Day … [Read more...] about The year Lon Warneke started out nearly unhittable

As a rookie with the reigning National League champion Giants in 1963, Jim Ray Hart learned the hard way that facing the Cardinals could be a pain. On his first day playing in the majors, Hart suffered a fractured left collarbone when struck by a Bob Gibson pitch. A month later, when he returned to the lineup, Hart was hit in the head by a pitch from the Cardinals’ Curt … [Read more...] about Inside baseball: Jim Ray Hart got drilled by Cardinals

In 12 seasons in the majors, Sandy Koufax made just one Opening Day start for the Dodgers. It came 60 years ago, April 14, 1964, against the Cardinals. Koufax, 28, was considered to be at the top of his game then, coming off a dominant season. The left-hander won both the National League Most Valuable Player and Cy Young awards in 1963. He was 25-5 that season, including 4-0 … [Read more...] about Why start versus Cardinals was special for Sandy Koufax

In Montreal, where the predominant language is French, he’s “Un Dominicain Coriace.” In his homeland, where Spanish is spoken, it’s “Un Dominicano Duro.” Regardless of the locale, Joaquin Andjuar, the self-proclaimed “One Tough Dominican” pitcher, could back up his image with astonishing results. One such instance occurred 40 years ago, on April 27, 1984, for the Cardinals … [Read more...] about Ooh la la: Joaquin Andujar and a Canadian clout