Gee Walker took a nap in St. Louis. Problem is, he did it on the base paths. Ninety years ago, on June 30, 1934, Walker was picked off base twice in the same inning while sleep-walking for the Tigers against the Browns at Sportsman’s Park. His blunders ruined a potential Tigers scoring threat, opening the door for the Browns to win in extra innings, and … [Read more...] about How Gee Walker got a wakeup call versus Browns
Say hey! Cardinals made a pitch for Willie Mays
Imagine Willie Mays and Stan Musial in the same Cardinals lineup. The Cardinals could. They tried to make it happen. In June 1957, the Cardinals offered the New York Giants a combination of cash and players for Mays, the St. Louis Globe-Democrat reported. In the authorized biography, “Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend,” author James S. Hirsch wrote that Giants owner Horace … [Read more...] about Say hey! Cardinals made a pitch for Willie Mays
Jerry West could give St. Louis the basketball blues
Fans of St. Louis basketball found out in a hurry how gifted Jerry West was as an all-round playmaker. Whether facing the St. Louis University Billikens as a college senior or the St. Louis Hawks as a NBA rookie, West performed with excellence, totaling consistently impressive numbers of points, rebounds and assists. A 6-foot-3 guard who played three varsity seasons at West … [Read more...] about Jerry West could give St. Louis the basketball blues
How 28 equaled 30 for Cardinals’ Dizzy Dean
Dizzy Dean was plenty good for the 1934 Cardinals, but he needed a helping hand from an influential source to achieve 30 wins. In two June relief appearances Dean made for the 1934 Cardinals, National League president John Heydler credited him with wins in both, even though other pitchers appeared to qualify instead. If not for Heydler’s unconventional decisions, Dean would … [Read more...] about How 28 equaled 30 for Cardinals’ Dizzy Dean
How Dizzy Dean found a way to beat the heat
In 1934, the double whammy of the Great Depression and an extreme drought inflamed by excessive heat spread misery throughout the United States. For some, the antics of pitcher Dizzy Dean provided an amusing diversion from the problems they were facing. A 30-game winner for the 1934 Cardinals, Dean was an enthusiastic entertainer whose showmanship extended beyond his … [Read more...] about How Dizzy Dean found a way to beat the heat