This Date in Cardinals History

[remembirds]

Just two days after Ozzie Smith inspired St. Louis to “go crazy” with a game-winning home run in Game 5 of the NLCS, Jack Clark finished off the Dodgers with a ninth-inning blast that sent the Cardinals to the 1985 World Series.

https://www.stlredbirds.com/2023/11/19/ ... 985-nlcs/

[remembirds]

Did Albert Pujols break Brad Lidge in Game 5 of the NLCS 19 years ago today?

https://www.stlredbirds.com/2023/11/05/ ... 2005-nlcs/

[BrummerStealsHome]

Just two days after Ozzie Smith inspired St. Louis to “go crazy” with a game-winning home run in Game 5 of the NLCS, Jack Clark finished off the Dodgers with a ninth-inning blast that sent the Cardinals to the 1985 World Series.

https://www.stlredbirds.com/2023/11/19/ ... 985-nlcs/

Funny thing about that. I was listening to Game 5 on the radio at work, then was able to leave a bit early so I could catch the rest of the game on TV at my apartment, where my roommate and friends had gathered. I was sitting in my car at the last red light before my apartment complex when Ozzie hit his home run. I had to go crazy in my car. Two days later, I was listening to Game 6 at work, and left early to catch the rest of the game on TV at my apartment, where again my roommate and friends had gathered. I was sitting at that exact same damned red light when Clarlk hit his dinger. What are the odds? At least I was able to make it home in time to see the bottom of the 9th and properly celebrate with my friends.

[remembirds]

Cardinals fans who find video of Tom Lawless’s go-ahead, three-run home run off Frank Viola in Game 4 of the 1987 World Series can be excused for thinking that it wasn’t the 30-year-old’s second career home run (video in the article).

https://www.stlredbirds.com/2023/06/16/ ... -bat-flip/

[remembirds]

Just two days after Ozzie Smith inspired St. Louis to “go crazy” with a game-winning home run in Game 5 of the NLCS, Jack Clark finished off the Dodgers with a ninth-inning blast that sent the Cardinals to the 1985 World Series.

https://www.stlredbirds.com/2023/11/19/ ... 985-nlcs/

Funny thing about that. I was listening to Game 5 on the radio at work, then was able to leave a bit early so I could catch the rest of the game on TV at my apartment, where my roommate and friends had gathered. I was sitting in my car at the last red light before my apartment complex when Ozzie hit his home run. I had to go crazy in my car. Two days later, I was listening to Game 6 at work, and left early to catch the rest of the game on TV at my apartment, where again my roommate and friends had gathered. I was sitting at that exact same damned red light when Clarlk hit his dinger. What are the odds? At least I was able to make it home in time to see the bottom of the 9th and properly celebrate with my friends.

This is awesome.

[remembirds]

13 YEARS AGO TODAY: The Cardinals opened the 2011 World Series using the same recipe that got them there in the first place: dependable starting pitching, timely hitting, and sparkling relief.

https://www.stlredbirds.com/2021/09/22/ ... es-game-1/

[remembirds]

18 YEARS AGO TODAY: On the heels of an 83-win regular season in which nothing came easily, Yadier Molina, Jeff Suppan, and Adam Wainwright led the Cardinals to a 3-1 victory over the Mets in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, sending St. Louis to a World Series match-up with the Detroit Tigers.

https://www.stlredbirds.com/2024/10/17/ ... ies-berth/

[remembirds]

42 years ago today, Bruce Sutter struck out Gorman Thomas to seal the 1982 World Series championship.

https://www.stlredbirds.com/2023/10/20/ ... ld-series/

[remembirds]

20 years ago today, Jim Edmonds hit the biggest home run of his career, a 12th-inning, walk-off blast that won Game 6 of the 2004 NLCS …

https://www.stlredbirds.com/2024/03/12/ ... 2004-nlcs/

[RunSup]

Just two days after Ozzie Smith inspired St. Louis to “go crazy” with a game-winning home run in Game 5 of the NLCS, Jack Clark finished off the Dodgers with a ninth-inning blast that sent the Cardinals to the 1985 World Series.

https://www.stlredbirds.com/2023/11/19/ ... 985-nlcs/

Funny thing about that. I was listening to Game 5 on the radio at work, then was able to leave a bit early so I could catch the rest of the game on TV at my apartment, where my roommate and friends had gathered. I was sitting in my car at the last red light before my apartment complex when Ozzie hit his home run. I had to go crazy in my car. Two days later, I was listening to Game 6 at work, and left early to catch the rest of the game on TV at my apartment, where again my roommate and friends had gathered. I was sitting at that exact same damned red light when Clarlk hit his dinger. What are the odds? At least I was able to make it home in time to see the bottom of the 9th and properly celebrate with my friends.

If/When the Cardinals get back into the playoffs and fall behind late in a game, you now have to camp out at that stop light. DO NOT fail your assignment!

[BrummerStealsHome]

Just two days after Ozzie Smith inspired St. Louis to “go crazy” with a game-winning home run in Game 5 of the NLCS, Jack Clark finished off the Dodgers with a ninth-inning blast that sent the Cardinals to the 1985 World Series.

https://www.stlredbirds.com/2023/11/19/ ... 985-nlcs/

Funny thing about that. I was listening to Game 5 on the radio at work, then was able to leave a bit early so I could catch the rest of the game on TV at my apartment, where my roommate and friends had gathered. I was sitting in my car at the last red light before my apartment complex when Ozzie hit his home run. I had to go crazy in my car. Two days later, I was listening to Game 6 at work, and left early to catch the rest of the game on TV at my apartment, where again my roommate and friends had gathered. I was sitting at that exact same damned red light when Clarlk hit his dinger. What are the odds? At least I was able to make it home in time to see the bottom of the 9th and properly celebrate with my friends.

If/When the Cardinals get back into the playoffs and fall behind late in a game, you now have to camp out at that stop light. DO NOT fail your assignment!

I'll probably get arrested for stalking that apartment complex!

[remembirds]

On this date in 2006, Anthony Reyes outpitched Justin Verlander in the biggest game of his career …

https://www.stlredbirds.com/2024/03/14/ ... ld-series/

[remembirds]

On October 21, 1981, the Cardinals and Yankees quietly made the trade that brought Willie McGee to St. Louis.

https://www.stlredbirds.com/2020/10/21/ ... lie-mcgee/

[remembirds]

With three home runs in Game 3 of the 2011 World Series, Albert Pujols joined Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as the only players in baseball history to hit three homers in a World Series game.

https://www.stlredbirds.com/2021/09/25/ ... ld-series/

[BrummerStealsHome]

On October 21, 1981, the Cardinals and Yankees quietly made the trade that brought Willie McGee to St. Louis.

https://www.stlredbirds.com/2020/10/21/ ... lie-mcgee/

I remember Bob Sykes. He was a young left-handed starter the Cards acquired in a "trash-for-futures" trade with the Tigers in 1978. Sykes was mediocre at best until Whitey came around, who put him in the bullpen where he did very well as a lefthanded setup man. In the 1981 split season, Skyes struggled in the first half, but was one of Herzog's strongest weapons out of the bullpen with a 1.99 ERA as the Cards played .600 ball but finished 1.5 games behind Philly.

Whitey was in his wheelin' and dealin' phase and picked up a minor league outfielder for a solid MLB reliever. I remember wondering why Whitey would trade a valuable lefty reliever, which he coveted, for just a AA minor leaguer. Sykes evidenlty became an expendable trade chip as Whitey had decided to send lefty John Martin from the rotation to the bullpen, and he still had his old lefty workhorse from KC in Mark Littell. Turns out the minor league outfielder would become an All-Star, MVP, and batting champion, while the solid MLB reliever never pitched in the majors again, getting released after a season split between AA and AAA. It's a funny game.

[remembirds]

Just two days after naming Tony La Russa the Cardinals’ new manager and one day after they began removing the AstroTurf from Busch Stadium to install natural grass, Anheuser-Busch shocked St. Louis on October 25, 1995, with the announcement that it was selling the team.

https://www.stlredbirds.com/2022/07/30/ ... cardinals/