Pitcher Nelson Chittum never spent a full season in the majors, but during his time there he mingled with the sport’s aristocracy. For example: _ In his big-league debut with the Cardinals, he got a start against the Dodgers and was opposed by Sandy Koufax. _ In parts of three seasons in the majors, Chittum was a teammate of Stan Musial and Ted Williams. Chittum and Musial … [Read more...] about Nelson Chittum rubbed elbows with baseball’s best
How John Lackey helped Cardinals sharpen their edge
John Lackey was a big guy (6-foot-6) with a big presence on the mound who often came up big in the biggest games. Ten years ago, on July 31, 2014, the Cardinals acquired Lackey from the Red Sox for outfielder Allen Craig and pitcher Joe Kelly. The Red Sox also sent the Cardinals a minor-league pitcher, Corey Littrell, and $1.75 million cash. Just nine months earlier with the … [Read more...] about How John Lackey helped Cardinals sharpen their edge
Behind the scenes: How Jerry Walker helped Cardinals
A right-handed pitcher and protege of Cardinals ace Harry Brecheen, Jerry Walker became the right-hand man to Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty. Walker was involved with professional baseball most of his adult life. At 18, he went from high school to the majors with the Orioles and was nurtured by Brecheen, the pitching coach who’d been a World Series standout with … [Read more...] about Behind the scenes: How Jerry Walker helped Cardinals
How Vicente Palacios shouldered his way to success
On Sept. 4, 1987, Vicente Palacios stood on a big-league mound for the first time, a 24-year-old Pirates rookie from Mexico making his debut at Houston’s Astrodome. It must have felt to him like standing atop Mount Everest. He’d been rejected by two other organizations, White Sox and Brewers, making him wonder whether he’d lost his chance of ever reaching the majors, but here … [Read more...] about How Vicente Palacios shouldered his way to success
Dave Williams started out on right track with Cardinals
A hurdler in track, Dave Williams used those skills on the football field to spring above defenders and catch passes in a crowd. The NFL St. Louis Cardinals projected him to be the deep threat who would replace longtime standout Sonny Randle. Williams came through for St. Louis in his first three seasons, but couldn’t sustain the success. He was 78 when he died on June … [Read more...] about Dave Williams started out on right track with Cardinals