Retro Simba

When Homer Jones made a catch, he turned the football field into a dance floor, spinning and shifting with an array of flashy moves. A receiver with the 1960s New York Giants, Jones was a master at producing long gains. He did it either one of two ways _ hauling in deep passes, or using his deft footwork to add yardage after a grab. His career average of 22.3 yards per catch … [Read more...] about Why Homer Jones scared the daylights out of defenses

Pitcher Neil Allen was given a mission impossible of sorts in his first assignment with the Cardinals. Having worn out his welcome in New York, Allen felt instantly unwelcomed in St. Louis when the Cardinals acquired him and pitcher Rick Ownbey from the Mets for first baseman Keith Hernandez on June 15, 1983. When the crowd attending a game at Busch Memorial Stadium heard … [Read more...] about Neil Allen: Good start, bad finish, with Cardinals

Something screwy usually happened to Cardinals batters when they faced Jack Baldschun, but the one time they beat him, it opened a crack in the solid hold the Phillies had on first place in the National League. Soon after, when the crack turned into a chasm, the Phillies fell and the Cardinals climbed past them to win the 1964 pennant. A right-hander who relied on a screwball … [Read more...] about Jack Baldschun played pivotal part in pennant chase drama

Though Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry were the most prominent pitchers on the 1960s Giants, Bobby Bolin was an important member of those staffs, too. A right-hander with a fastball rated among the best in the National League, Bolin was effective both as a starter and a reliever. In 1968, when Bob Gibson led the league in ERA (1.12), the pitcher who was next-best was not … [Read more...] about Good old country hardball: Bobby Bolin vs. Cardinals

Orlando Pena was a baseball sorcerer, a mound magician who delivered a mix of deceptive pitches and overcame formidable odds to repeatedly revive his career. Fifty years ago, Pena worked his wizardry for the Cardinals after they acquired him from the Orioles for cash on June 15, 1973. Pena was 39, a castoff who had gone to spring training that year as a batting practice … [Read more...] about Old pro: Orlando Pena worked wonders with Cardinals