St. Louis Post Dispatch, June 10, 1947
The Cardinals and Browns announced a three-player trade yesterday. The Cardinals acquired starting pitcher Sam Zoldak in return for struggling reliever Earl Johnson and backup catcher Clyde Kluttz. Zoldak, 29, is a lefthander who was 3-6 with a 4.07 ERA for the Browns. Last year, Zoldak was 10-13 with a league-leading 2.55 ERA and 5 shutouts. Johnson had been horrible in the bullpen for the Cardinals, but the Browns are hopeful that a return to the American League (where he had been successful with the Red Sox) will improve his performance.
Kluttz is a capable veteran catcher and pinch-hitter, who will help young Les Moss learn the position for the Browns. The Cardinals signed free agent catcher Wes Westrum to fill Kluttz's spot on the roster.
The Cardinals are admitting two things with this trade. One, the trade of Murry Dickson was a mistake. Johnson's performance never justified the trade and it was clearly about money. Dickson is 6-1 for the Red Sox, who are running away with the American league thanks to their strong starting pitching. Two, Al Brazle is not a reliable starting pitcher, and probably never will be. Brazle was sent to AAA to make room for Zoldak in the rotation.
<end of article>
Dickson, Dickson, blah blah Dickson... He's gone already, get over it. [8|]
I am hoping that Zoldak will be consistently decent, and will make the bullpen stronger by going deep into games. They are right about Brazle. I could no longer live with his over 6.00 ERA in the rotation. He will be assigned a relief role at AAA, and I am hopeful that he and Munger can reliably fill two long relief spots in the bullpen before the end of the season. I have a couple of relievers, Center and Fagan, with expiring contracts that I don't plan to extend.
The inclusion of Kluttz in the deal was necessary to get the Browns on board, but he was expendable because his contract was expiring and he wanted a 400% raise to renew. No way that is happening for a backup catcher. Wes Westrum looks like a solid prospect for less money than Kluttz was making before the raise. Besides, I still have Garagiola.
This deal consumes most of my remaining salary budget, but I do have room for a minor deal or two. I am out of bullets in my gun. If Zoldak and Maltzberger don't improve the pitching, then it will be a long winter. It would be a shame to lose the pennant with such a strong offense. I really thought the pitching would be better than this...
1946 St. Louis Cardinals
Moderator: puresimmer
RE: 1946 St. Louis Cardinals
June 26, 1947
We completed a trade today to acquire a power-hitting right-handed outfielder, and it wasn't Sid Gordon. I really thought I wanted Gordon, but I found a better alternative... rookie Wally Westlake of Pittsburgh. One of the main reasons behind the trade was the need to replace Erv Dusak, our right-hand hitting corner outfield sub and primary RH pinch-hitter. Dusak was in the final year of his contract, and wanted $50,000 per year for an extension.
Dusak wasn't worth $50,000 when Gordon, a better hitter, was available straight up in trade at $65,000. However, Gordon was only signed through 1948. He wanted over $100,000 per year for an extension, and that is too much for a backup. Slaughter is not going anywhere, and Northey is playing way better than Gordon in left. So I talked myself out of Gordon, but I still wanted to move Dusak before the trade deadline.
I wanted a right-handed hitter because Northey and Slaughter are both left-handed. I want the backup to be able to play both corner spots to spell either player against tough lefthanders. He needs to be good enough to start for extended periods of time in case of injury. Ideally I want a power hitter, since it is a corner outfield position. Westlake was the best right-handed power-hitting corner outfielder that I could find in my salary range anywhere near even up for Dusak. Westlake is now a Cardinal.
The Pirates were not willing to move Westlake for Dusak straight up, but they were thrilled when I offered to add 22-year old first base prospect Nippy Jones to the deal. Jones became expendable when I drafted Ted Kluszewski and traded for Eddie Robinson. Even if I move Musial to left field at some point, Jones is still a distant third on the depth chart. He would never hit for enough power to satisfy me at first base anyway.
Westlake is signed through 1951 at $55,000, so he is a lot cheaper than Gordon. Westlake is a better defensive player than Gordon. Westlake is three years younger than Gordon. Westlake is a former Cardinal (1951-52). He makes more sense than Gordon for my need, so I am glad I took the time to shop around.
The two-for-one trade with Pittsburgh left me an empty roster spot, which I filled by signing 39-year old free agent relief pitcher Johnny "Fireman" Murphy to a one-year contract. Murphy was released by the Yankees at the end of last season, but he pitched well last year. He will be good insurance for the stretch run, assuming I stay in the race. And then, he will provide a valuable open roster spot free of charge at the end of the year, whereas Jones was signed for two more years and taking up a roster spot that could be used by a draft pick.
This completes my trading for 1947, as I have reached my salary cap and I have no expendable players. So win or lose, we're going into the second half with these players.
We completed a trade today to acquire a power-hitting right-handed outfielder, and it wasn't Sid Gordon. I really thought I wanted Gordon, but I found a better alternative... rookie Wally Westlake of Pittsburgh. One of the main reasons behind the trade was the need to replace Erv Dusak, our right-hand hitting corner outfield sub and primary RH pinch-hitter. Dusak was in the final year of his contract, and wanted $50,000 per year for an extension.
Dusak wasn't worth $50,000 when Gordon, a better hitter, was available straight up in trade at $65,000. However, Gordon was only signed through 1948. He wanted over $100,000 per year for an extension, and that is too much for a backup. Slaughter is not going anywhere, and Northey is playing way better than Gordon in left. So I talked myself out of Gordon, but I still wanted to move Dusak before the trade deadline.
I wanted a right-handed hitter because Northey and Slaughter are both left-handed. I want the backup to be able to play both corner spots to spell either player against tough lefthanders. He needs to be good enough to start for extended periods of time in case of injury. Ideally I want a power hitter, since it is a corner outfield position. Westlake was the best right-handed power-hitting corner outfielder that I could find in my salary range anywhere near even up for Dusak. Westlake is now a Cardinal.
The Pirates were not willing to move Westlake for Dusak straight up, but they were thrilled when I offered to add 22-year old first base prospect Nippy Jones to the deal. Jones became expendable when I drafted Ted Kluszewski and traded for Eddie Robinson. Even if I move Musial to left field at some point, Jones is still a distant third on the depth chart. He would never hit for enough power to satisfy me at first base anyway.
Westlake is signed through 1951 at $55,000, so he is a lot cheaper than Gordon. Westlake is a better defensive player than Gordon. Westlake is three years younger than Gordon. Westlake is a former Cardinal (1951-52). He makes more sense than Gordon for my need, so I am glad I took the time to shop around.
The two-for-one trade with Pittsburgh left me an empty roster spot, which I filled by signing 39-year old free agent relief pitcher Johnny "Fireman" Murphy to a one-year contract. Murphy was released by the Yankees at the end of last season, but he pitched well last year. He will be good insurance for the stretch run, assuming I stay in the race. And then, he will provide a valuable open roster spot free of charge at the end of the year, whereas Jones was signed for two more years and taking up a roster spot that could be used by a draft pick.
This completes my trading for 1947, as I have reached my salary cap and I have no expendable players. So win or lose, we're going into the second half with these players.
RE: 1946 St. Louis Cardinals
Standings
July 10, 1947
Just after the all-star break, we arrive in New York for a HUGE 3-game series with the Giants. We continue with 3 against the Phillies, 2 in Boston, and finish the road trip with 3 at Ebbets Field vs. the Dodgers. This is a big two-week stretch for us. We need to at least breakeven on the trip, especially against the Giants and Dodgers. It is a great opportunity to make up some ground if we could start a winning streak here in New York.
Then we finish the month of July with a long homestand against the same four opponents. If we have maintained our position within striking distance or gained a little ground while on the road back east, that latter two-week stretch of home games would be our chance to take the lead.
Our offense is still the best in the association. Our pitching has improved a little, but still middle of the pack. The bullpen is still unreliable. A couple of guys seem to be coming around, most notably Staley. Our patience may be paying off with him. Maltzberger has been ok, but not as good as he was in the A.L. Even Wilks has blown a couple of saves and has a 3.21 ERA.
We placed four players on the All-Star team. Ron Northey got the most votes of any player, and may be the MVP of the team (maybe the league if we win). Stan Musial and Whitey Kurowski made the team as substitutes. Harry Brecheen (8-1, 3.17 ERA) was our only pitcher on the squad.
All the analysis is done. The lineup and rotation are set. Everyone starts the second half healthy (knock on wood!). There's nothing left to do except play the games. We need to take 2 of these next 3 with the Giants and go from there.
July 10, 1947
Just after the all-star break, we arrive in New York for a HUGE 3-game series with the Giants. We continue with 3 against the Phillies, 2 in Boston, and finish the road trip with 3 at Ebbets Field vs. the Dodgers. This is a big two-week stretch for us. We need to at least breakeven on the trip, especially against the Giants and Dodgers. It is a great opportunity to make up some ground if we could start a winning streak here in New York.
Then we finish the month of July with a long homestand against the same four opponents. If we have maintained our position within striking distance or gained a little ground while on the road back east, that latter two-week stretch of home games would be our chance to take the lead.
Our offense is still the best in the association. Our pitching has improved a little, but still middle of the pack. The bullpen is still unreliable. A couple of guys seem to be coming around, most notably Staley. Our patience may be paying off with him. Maltzberger has been ok, but not as good as he was in the A.L. Even Wilks has blown a couple of saves and has a 3.21 ERA.
We placed four players on the All-Star team. Ron Northey got the most votes of any player, and may be the MVP of the team (maybe the league if we win). Stan Musial and Whitey Kurowski made the team as substitutes. Harry Brecheen (8-1, 3.17 ERA) was our only pitcher on the squad.
All the analysis is done. The lineup and rotation are set. Everyone starts the second half healthy (knock on wood!). There's nothing left to do except play the games. We need to take 2 of these next 3 with the Giants and go from there.
RE: 1946 St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 21, 1947
The Cardinals finished a very successful east coast road trip yesterday with a thrilling 1-0 victory at Ebbets Field.
Rookie Jim Hearn and lefty Joe Hatten were locked in a scoreless pitching duel through eight innings. In the top of the ninth, Harry Walker pinch-hit for Wally Westlake against reliever Hank Behrman, and homered to give the Cardinals the lead. Ted Wilks pitched the ninth to pick up his 14th save and give Hearn the win. Hearn is a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate with his 6-1 record and 2.55 ERA.
St. Louis was 8-3 on the road trip, including winning 2 of 3 from both the Giants and Dodgers. The Cardinals (51-40) have pulled to within one game of the league-leading Giants, and are tied for second with the Dodgers. The Cardinals and Giants will play a critical three-game series starting Tuesday to kick off a 13-game homestand for the Redbirds.
The Cardinals finished a very successful east coast road trip yesterday with a thrilling 1-0 victory at Ebbets Field.
Rookie Jim Hearn and lefty Joe Hatten were locked in a scoreless pitching duel through eight innings. In the top of the ninth, Harry Walker pinch-hit for Wally Westlake against reliever Hank Behrman, and homered to give the Cardinals the lead. Ted Wilks pitched the ninth to pick up his 14th save and give Hearn the win. Hearn is a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate with his 6-1 record and 2.55 ERA.
St. Louis was 8-3 on the road trip, including winning 2 of 3 from both the Giants and Dodgers. The Cardinals (51-40) have pulled to within one game of the league-leading Giants, and are tied for second with the Dodgers. The Cardinals and Giants will play a critical three-game series starting Tuesday to kick off a 13-game homestand for the Redbirds.
RE: 1946 St. Louis Cardinals
The Pirates approached me right before the trade deadline looking to acquire Red Munger. They offered Cal McLish, a 22-year old righthanded pitcher. It just so happens that McLish was a favorite player of mine. Pittsburgh drafted McLish in round 1 of the 1947 draft, and they had been pitching him in the majors all season without a lot of success. I would have started him in A ball, but maybe I am too conservative. I had tried to acquire McLish earlier in the season, but Pittsburgh was asking a lot for him and I put the idea aside.
Anyway, Pittsburgh was now at 49-49 and making an effort to upgrade their roster for the stretch run. Yesterday, they made the biggest free agent signing in the history of my association, giving a two-year deal worth $176,635 per season to 38-year old starter Dutch Leonard. Now they were apparently looking for even more pitching.
Munger was a decent reliever/spot starter who was steady but never spectacular. He currently has a 4.81 ERA in a league that has overall 4.20 ERA. I thought about this deal for a little while, and concluded that we have a lot of that type of pitcher. Barrett, Burkhardt, Lanier, Brazle, and Munger were all steady but never spectacular pitchers. That's one reason the Cards kept coming in second in the late 40's. Do I want to continue that trend, or do I want to take a little risk with a young pitcher who might develop into a great one?
(McLish was never great but he had some all-star years in his early 30's - 10 years from now. However, in 1950-55 he was a star AAA pitcher for Los Angeles in the Pacific Coast League. L.A. was not affiliated with any major league team and I suspect that this kept McLish from getting a fair shot in the majors earlier.)
I had been seriously considering demoting Munger to give Johnny Murphy a shot a the setup role. Murphy was pitching well at AAA, plus I still have Center, Fagan, and Fannin down there. I can afford to gamble with Munger. I made the trade for McLish and sent him to AA. I hope to see him pushing for a starting rotation job in 1949 or 1950. It's unusual for a contender to trade a veteran for youth, but that's one of the advantages of stockpiling talent.
Anyway, Pittsburgh was now at 49-49 and making an effort to upgrade their roster for the stretch run. Yesterday, they made the biggest free agent signing in the history of my association, giving a two-year deal worth $176,635 per season to 38-year old starter Dutch Leonard. Now they were apparently looking for even more pitching.
Munger was a decent reliever/spot starter who was steady but never spectacular. He currently has a 4.81 ERA in a league that has overall 4.20 ERA. I thought about this deal for a little while, and concluded that we have a lot of that type of pitcher. Barrett, Burkhardt, Lanier, Brazle, and Munger were all steady but never spectacular pitchers. That's one reason the Cards kept coming in second in the late 40's. Do I want to continue that trend, or do I want to take a little risk with a young pitcher who might develop into a great one?
(McLish was never great but he had some all-star years in his early 30's - 10 years from now. However, in 1950-55 he was a star AAA pitcher for Los Angeles in the Pacific Coast League. L.A. was not affiliated with any major league team and I suspect that this kept McLish from getting a fair shot in the majors earlier.)
I had been seriously considering demoting Munger to give Johnny Murphy a shot a the setup role. Murphy was pitching well at AAA, plus I still have Center, Fagan, and Fannin down there. I can afford to gamble with Munger. I made the trade for McLish and sent him to AA. I hope to see him pushing for a starting rotation job in 1949 or 1950. It's unusual for a contender to trade a veteran for youth, but that's one of the advantages of stockpiling talent.
RE: 1946 St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 31, 1947
Player Transactions:
Boston (AL) - placed Murry Dickson on the 60-day DL with a season-ending severe arm injury.
_________________________________________
Interesting. Who would have guessed that this very expensive pitcher would blow out his arm? Certainly not the bright beat writers at the Post-Dispatch. [8D]
Player Transactions:
Boston (AL) - placed Murry Dickson on the 60-day DL with a season-ending severe arm injury.
_________________________________________
Interesting. Who would have guessed that this very expensive pitcher would blow out his arm? Certainly not the bright beat writers at the Post-Dispatch. [8D]
RE: 1946 St. Louis Cardinals
Standings
August 1, 1947
We have gone 14-7 since the all-star break. The starting pitching has been much better during this stretch. Since replacing Brazle in the rotation on June 27, Sam Zoldak is 4-0 in 6 starts with a 3.53 ERA (3 CG's and 8 innings in the other 3). I have tightened up the bullpen rotation by designating my last two pitchers for "mop-up duty". Wilks has been perfect in 5 appearances with 4 saves since July 10. Murphy is perfect in 3 appearances as a setup man so far. Staley and Maltzberger are the other two pitchers getting the bulk of the late inning work.
PSPN Highlights for July:
July 30: Sam Zoldak pitches a 4-hit shutout for a 6-0 win over Brooklyn.
July 25: St. Louis' Ron Northey hit a walk off 2 run homer to defeat Boston 5-3. Northey is hitting .375 with 19 HR and 83 RBI this season.
July 16: Pete Reiser and Red Schoendienst each hit 2 HR's in a 11-2 win over Boston.
July 13: Ron Northey has 10 RBI in a 16-6 win over Philadelphia.
We will spend most of August on the road as the Browns will be using our stadium. However, we only have 4 games against New York and Brooklyn combined. We are hoping to maintain our pace of .600-plus ball against the second-division teams on our schedule. Cincinnati has been hot lately and just traded with Detroit to obtain Roy Cullenbine (.254 16 HR 66 RBI) at the deadline. We play four games (there) with them.
August 1, 1947
We have gone 14-7 since the all-star break. The starting pitching has been much better during this stretch. Since replacing Brazle in the rotation on June 27, Sam Zoldak is 4-0 in 6 starts with a 3.53 ERA (3 CG's and 8 innings in the other 3). I have tightened up the bullpen rotation by designating my last two pitchers for "mop-up duty". Wilks has been perfect in 5 appearances with 4 saves since July 10. Murphy is perfect in 3 appearances as a setup man so far. Staley and Maltzberger are the other two pitchers getting the bulk of the late inning work.
PSPN Highlights for July:
July 30: Sam Zoldak pitches a 4-hit shutout for a 6-0 win over Brooklyn.
July 25: St. Louis' Ron Northey hit a walk off 2 run homer to defeat Boston 5-3. Northey is hitting .375 with 19 HR and 83 RBI this season.
July 16: Pete Reiser and Red Schoendienst each hit 2 HR's in a 11-2 win over Boston.
July 13: Ron Northey has 10 RBI in a 16-6 win over Philadelphia.
We will spend most of August on the road as the Browns will be using our stadium. However, we only have 4 games against New York and Brooklyn combined. We are hoping to maintain our pace of .600-plus ball against the second-division teams on our schedule. Cincinnati has been hot lately and just traded with Detroit to obtain Roy Cullenbine (.254 16 HR 66 RBI) at the deadline. We play four games (there) with them.
RE: 1946 St. Louis Cardinals
September 1, 1947
The pennant races have come down to this:
American League
Boston 82-48
New York 78-51 3.5
National League
New York 77-52
St. Louis 75-54 2.0
Cincinnati 74-59 5.0
Brooklyn 71-61 7.5
The other teams in both leagues are either below .500 or more than 10 games back.
We were 18-10 in August, going 7-1 at home but only 11-9 on the road. Unfortunately, the Giants were 21-8 in August. However, we have 18 of 25 games in September at home, while the Giants have only 9 home games left. We play a huge 3-game series at home with the Giants. Of the remaining 22 games for each team, we have 5 games left against Cincinnati & Brooklyn while the Giants have 9 with those teams. We hope that the schedule will play in our favor.
We averaged 5.1 runs per game in August, compared to our season average of 5.4 runs. However, we only scored 1 run in 6 different games, going 1-5 in those, so inconsistent hitting still plagues us. Four runs would have won three of the five we lost, and we would be in first place because one of those was a 2-1 loss in 11 innings at New York.
Here is our current lineup and stats to date:
CF Reiser .306 11 53
SS Marion .309 2 62 (outstanding year!)
1B Musial .340 13 80
LF Northey .358 24 111 (could be MVP)
C Seminick .290 11 57
RF Slaughter .281 7 75
3B Kurowski .266 11 65 (in a slump)
2B Schoendienst .273 5 50
The pitching improved in August. Our stats for the month of August were 3.61 ERA & 1.39 WHIP compared to 4.00 ERA and 1.48 WHIP for the season. (Yes, I did a spreadsheet game-by-game to figure this out because I wanted to understand who was pitching well for the stretch run.)
Joe Dobson was our “pitcher of the month”, going 4-1 in 5 starts with a 2.41 ERA and 3 compete games. In the bullpen, our best pitcher was Maltzberger with a 2.25 ERA and 0.75 WHIP in 6 appearances. This result surprised me, as I had the impression Staley and Murphy were pitching better. Staley was pretty good also, with a 3.48 ERA in 9 appearances.
If we continue to play this well, we have a chance to win this thing. We brought up a few extra players with the expansion of the rosters on September 1. I don’t like to bring up players who will not be used, but we added some bench depth and a couple of pitchers. If we fall out of the race, we will start looking at younger players, but I hope I don’t see them until the spring.
The pennant races have come down to this:
American League
Boston 82-48
New York 78-51 3.5
National League
New York 77-52
St. Louis 75-54 2.0
Cincinnati 74-59 5.0
Brooklyn 71-61 7.5
The other teams in both leagues are either below .500 or more than 10 games back.
We were 18-10 in August, going 7-1 at home but only 11-9 on the road. Unfortunately, the Giants were 21-8 in August. However, we have 18 of 25 games in September at home, while the Giants have only 9 home games left. We play a huge 3-game series at home with the Giants. Of the remaining 22 games for each team, we have 5 games left against Cincinnati & Brooklyn while the Giants have 9 with those teams. We hope that the schedule will play in our favor.
We averaged 5.1 runs per game in August, compared to our season average of 5.4 runs. However, we only scored 1 run in 6 different games, going 1-5 in those, so inconsistent hitting still plagues us. Four runs would have won three of the five we lost, and we would be in first place because one of those was a 2-1 loss in 11 innings at New York.
Here is our current lineup and stats to date:
CF Reiser .306 11 53
SS Marion .309 2 62 (outstanding year!)
1B Musial .340 13 80
LF Northey .358 24 111 (could be MVP)
C Seminick .290 11 57
RF Slaughter .281 7 75
3B Kurowski .266 11 65 (in a slump)
2B Schoendienst .273 5 50
The pitching improved in August. Our stats for the month of August were 3.61 ERA & 1.39 WHIP compared to 4.00 ERA and 1.48 WHIP for the season. (Yes, I did a spreadsheet game-by-game to figure this out because I wanted to understand who was pitching well for the stretch run.)
Joe Dobson was our “pitcher of the month”, going 4-1 in 5 starts with a 2.41 ERA and 3 compete games. In the bullpen, our best pitcher was Maltzberger with a 2.25 ERA and 0.75 WHIP in 6 appearances. This result surprised me, as I had the impression Staley and Murphy were pitching better. Staley was pretty good also, with a 3.48 ERA in 9 appearances.
If we continue to play this well, we have a chance to win this thing. We brought up a few extra players with the expansion of the rosters on September 1. I don’t like to bring up players who will not be used, but we added some bench depth and a couple of pitchers. If we fall out of the race, we will start looking at younger players, but I hope I don’t see them until the spring.
RE: 1946 St. Louis Cardinals
September 14, 1947
The Giants come to town with a four-game lead. We need to sweep the three-game series to get back in it, or at least win 2 of 3 to stay somewhat alive.
Game 1: STL 13, NYN 3
Musial is 2-5 with 6 RBI. Zoldak pitches a complete game for the win.
Game 2: NYN 1, STL 0
Jim Hearn loses a heartbreaker. The Giants score their run on an error by Marty Marion, only his 6th of the season.
Game 3: NYN 7, STL 5
Our ace, Harry Brecheen, suffers a season-ending injury on the first batter and the bullpen is unable to hold the Giants back.
We now trail by 5 games with 11 to play. New York's magic number is 7. It doesn't look good.
The Giants come to town with a four-game lead. We need to sweep the three-game series to get back in it, or at least win 2 of 3 to stay somewhat alive.
Game 1: STL 13, NYN 3
Musial is 2-5 with 6 RBI. Zoldak pitches a complete game for the win.
Game 2: NYN 1, STL 0
Jim Hearn loses a heartbreaker. The Giants score their run on an error by Marty Marion, only his 6th of the season.
Game 3: NYN 7, STL 5
Our ace, Harry Brecheen, suffers a season-ending injury on the first batter and the bullpen is unable to hold the Giants back.
We now trail by 5 games with 11 to play. New York's magic number is 7. It doesn't look good.
RE: 1946 St. Louis Cardinals
1947 World Champions: New York Giants
(defeated Boston 4 games to 2 in 1947 WS)
I accomplished the two goals that I established after losing the critical September series to NY:
- finish second (just like the real 1947 Cardinals did), and
- finish 20 games over .500 (it seemed like a nice round number)
I had to hold off a furious rally by Brooklyn to achieve my second place finish. I led my league in offense and finished a respectable fourth in pitching/defense.
National League MVP = Johnny Mize (NYN) .318 48 HR 130 RBI
N.L. Best Pitcher = Ewell Blackwell (CIN) 14-5 2.51 ERA
American League MVP = Ted Williams (BOS) .339 19 HR 106 RBI (2nd straight MVP award)
A.L. Best Pitcher = Tex Hughson (BOS) 21-6 3.14 ERA
Ron Northey and Stan Musial had great years, but that 48 HR by Mize is hard to ignore!
St. Louis Cardinals notable achievements:
- Ron Northey wins batting title with .356 AVG and led the N.L. in hits (206)
- Northey was 2nd in RBI with 129 (1 behind Mize) and 3rd in HR with 28 - great year for my cleanup hitter!
- Red Schoendienst won the Gold Glove at second (.994 fielding pct.) and hit .280
- Marty Marion won the Gold Glove at shortstop (.991 fielding pct.) and hot .297 - strong double-play combination!
- Stan Musial had another solid season (.333 15 HR 97 RBI) and led the N.L. in runs scored (116) - it helps to bat in front of Northey
We had no leaders among the pitchers, but there were some solid seasons among the group.
- Harry Brecheen was 16-5 with a 3.97 ERA in 186 innings (27 starts)
- Jim Hearn had a great rookie year with 11-5, 3.13 ERA, 26 starts, 175 IP
- Joe Dobson was very dependable at 13-10, 3.39 ERA, 27 starts, 191 IP
- Jerry Staley had a nice rookie season in the bullpen with 3.44 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 35 app (49 IP)
- Ted Wilks had a high 3.12 ERA for a closer but still recorded a respectable 24 out of 28 saves (86%)
I am pretty happy with the overall performance of the team, but there is room for improvement. Time to prepare for the off-season!
(defeated Boston 4 games to 2 in 1947 WS)
I accomplished the two goals that I established after losing the critical September series to NY:
- finish second (just like the real 1947 Cardinals did), and
- finish 20 games over .500 (it seemed like a nice round number)
I had to hold off a furious rally by Brooklyn to achieve my second place finish. I led my league in offense and finished a respectable fourth in pitching/defense.
National League MVP = Johnny Mize (NYN) .318 48 HR 130 RBI
N.L. Best Pitcher = Ewell Blackwell (CIN) 14-5 2.51 ERA
American League MVP = Ted Williams (BOS) .339 19 HR 106 RBI (2nd straight MVP award)
A.L. Best Pitcher = Tex Hughson (BOS) 21-6 3.14 ERA
Ron Northey and Stan Musial had great years, but that 48 HR by Mize is hard to ignore!
St. Louis Cardinals notable achievements:
- Ron Northey wins batting title with .356 AVG and led the N.L. in hits (206)
- Northey was 2nd in RBI with 129 (1 behind Mize) and 3rd in HR with 28 - great year for my cleanup hitter!
- Red Schoendienst won the Gold Glove at second (.994 fielding pct.) and hit .280
- Marty Marion won the Gold Glove at shortstop (.991 fielding pct.) and hot .297 - strong double-play combination!
- Stan Musial had another solid season (.333 15 HR 97 RBI) and led the N.L. in runs scored (116) - it helps to bat in front of Northey
We had no leaders among the pitchers, but there were some solid seasons among the group.
- Harry Brecheen was 16-5 with a 3.97 ERA in 186 innings (27 starts)
- Jim Hearn had a great rookie year with 11-5, 3.13 ERA, 26 starts, 175 IP
- Joe Dobson was very dependable at 13-10, 3.39 ERA, 27 starts, 191 IP
- Jerry Staley had a nice rookie season in the bullpen with 3.44 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 35 app (49 IP)
- Ted Wilks had a high 3.12 ERA for a closer but still recorded a respectable 24 out of 28 saves (86%)
I am pretty happy with the overall performance of the team, but there is room for improvement. Time to prepare for the off-season!
-
Wrathchild
- Posts: 817
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RE: 1946 St. Louis Cardinals
Even though you didn't make it to the World Series you had a great season. I hate, though, when you can get so close to winning the pennant and you still can't quite pull it off. And after the next round of expansions it'll get even worse as you then have to still win a championship series!
J.G. Wrathchild, Manager, St. Louis Cardinals (1900-1906), Brooklyn Superbas (1907, 1908)
RE: 1946 St. Louis Cardinals
1947 post-season analysis
The position players are easier, so let's start there.
Our starting lineup is set. It's the best overall lineup in the league. We led the league in offense and our defense, particularly up the middle, is as good as any team. We won't alter the lineup for 1948 unless we have injuries. So that leaves two areas to analyze.
Bench:
We want 6 players, 3 LH and 3 RH (for pinch-hitting). The lefties are Eddie Robinson (1B), Harry Walker (CF), and Joe Garagiola (C). Robinson had a terrible year, but we have a solution for that if he starts poorly in 1948. The other two are back and good to go. The RH's are Wally Westlake (RF), Mark Christman (3B), and Wes Westrum (C). We like Westlake and Christman as pinch-hitters and defensively.
Christman was out of position backing up at short and second, and covering three positions keeps him in the lineup too much and therefore unavailable to pinch-hit. This year, we want to carry a true middle-infield sub instead of a third catcher. It is an off-season priority to find this player, since we don't have anyone that we like in the minors. Jeff Cross (SS) will be released to make room for this addition, and Lou Klein (2B) is available for trade.
Propects:
We have two blue-chip position players at AAA. Al Rosen is our third baseman of the future. He hit .278 with 18 HR at AA last season. We think he is still a year away, which is perfect timing because Christman is signed for 1948 only. Rosen will probably spend this season at AAA, but he could be called up if Kurowski gets hurt or continues his second-half slump.
Ted Kluszewski is a different problem. He is ready now, but there is no place to play him. Our best player, Stan Musial, plays his position. Stan can play left field, but our second-best player (Ron Northey) is there. We could play Northey in right, Musial in left, and bench Enos Slaughter. However, Slaughter is a pretty good player and we already have Westlake backing him up. Manager Eddie Dyer didn't like that idea at all when I floated it because he loves Slaughter's hustle and consistent quality play, plus that scenario significantly weakens our defense.
There are three possible solutions for 1948: keep Klu in AAA, trade him, or use him to replace Robinson as the primary LH pinch-hitter and 1B/LF sub. We won't trade Klu in the off-season, but it's a possibility during the season if we have a serious injury to one of our key players. He is such a great prospect that we could get one of the association's best players or pitchers for him, which is a good "hole card'. We are not ready to give up on Robinson as the long-term backup, so Klu will probably start the season in AAA.
If Northey stumbles out of the gate, we might consider moving Musial to left, starting Klu at first, and trading Northey. This is very risky considering Klu is untested and Northey is a MVP-caliber player signed for 2 more years at ridiculously cheap money. I don’t think I can get enough value back for Northey to justify this move.
One thing I haven’t mentioned is corner outfield prospects. That’s because we don’t have any. This is another off-season priority. We must sign one or two corner outfielders to develop. We have two center-field prospects in Diering and Gionfriddo. Diering hit .275 at AA and will move to CF at AAA this year. Gionfriddo hit .238 at AAA and his contract expired at the end of the season. He might still be a good prospect, but we just don’t have room for him in center and he doesn’t have the power to play left or right in our system. We will use his spot on the roster to draft a high-potential corner outfielder.
The pitching is a bigger problem and a more challenging analysis. We have lots of good pitchers, but we need to identify the best ones for 1948. We have 5 expired contracts on the pitching staff, so there is plenty of flexibility and opportunity for improvement.
Ideally, we would like to carry 12 starters, 6 lefties and 6 right-handers, on our 40-man roster along with 6 pure relievers. We have 10 starters under contract (6 LH and 4 RH), and 4 relievers. A critical off-season priority for us is to draft one or two high-potential RH starters to develop in our system. If one of those is ready now, that’s even better and we’ll find room for him. We must also find a couple of major-league relief pitchers to cure that ever-bothersome bullpen problem.
Simmons and McLish are outstanding prospects that could be starting for us in 1949. However, they need more seasoning and will be pitching in the minors this season. That leaves us eight starting pitchers fighting for five rotation spots, with another two probably starting the season on the major-league roster in long relief/spot starter roles. Choosing the five rotation pitchers will be difficult and critical to our success next season.
Harry Brecheen is a lock for one spot, assuming he recovers well from the serious ribcage injury that ended his 1947 season a couple of weeks early. Joe Dobson is a solid #2 starter. So it is really six pitchers competing for three spots. Since this is such a critical decision, we asked our player personnel group to prepare reports on each of these six pitchers.
Pollet: LH age 27, physical condition excellent, extremely high potential, excellent stuff and control. He had an off-year in 1947, cause unknown but more likely mental than physical. We predict continued under-performance in 1948 (just a hunch), but we think he has a career year yet to come that could be “best pitcher” level. Don’t give up on him.
Zoldak: LH age 30, physical condition good with only minor past injuries, excellent stuff and control, some potential but not a lot of upside left. We think he pitched to expectations in 1946-47. We expect 1948 performance to be dependable and consistent with last year.
Hearn: RH age 27, physical condition good with minor knee problems in his history, good potential, excellent stuff and control. He had a great rookie season but we are concerned about a sophomore jinx. Stay with this guy for the long-term, we think he is worth the patience. In the short-term, he may be erratic and unreliable. You should have a backup plan for this season in case he flames out or his knee becomes a more serious problem.
Parnell: LH age 26, physical condition excellent, great potential, still developing his stuff and control. Watch this guy in the spring. He has tremendous upside. He could have a breakout year, and you don’t want him buried in AAA if he does. He should be given every opportunity to make the team. He is a can’t-miss prospect with all-star ability.
Brazle: LH age 35, physical condition good with only minor previous injuries, very limited potential, good stuff and control. He has severely under-performed for two straight years with no logical explanation. We have very little expectation for him to suddenly improve given his age. He is expendable in our opinion.
Barnett: RH age 33, physical condition questionable after major arm problems in 1946, great stuff and control, very limited potential, poor 1947 performance due to slow recovery from injury. If this guy looks good in the spring, trade him before he blows out his arm for good. He might have a good year or two left, but don’t count on it.
I asked for one more report on my personal pet project, Cliff Fannin. It was heart-breaking, but it finally convinced me that I was probably not going to be able to turn him into a shut-down closer.
Fannin: RH age 24, physical condition excellent, some potential, great stuff and good control. Expect erratic performance to continue as a reliever. Future is probably as a starter because he puts too many men on base and is dangerous coming into games with inherited runners. He is still developing, so keep him around. We suggest giving him a starter role in AAA to improve his endurance.
Dyer and I met to discuss these reports, and here are our conclusions.
We have to continue with Pollet as a starter. He makes too much money to put in the bullpen or minors, and he doesn’t have a lot of trade value based on his contract and last year’s results. We can afford one under-achiever in the rotation if that’s the way it turns out. Hopefully, the scouts are wrong on their hunch. Even if he performs below expectations, he’s probably still better than half of the starters in the league.
Zoldak is the steady and reliable Dobson of lefthanders. We need him in the rotation, if for no other reason than to have fewer question marks. He will be our fourth starter to open the season.
Hearn has to open the season as the fifth starter based on last year’s performance. However, we have to find a RH starter that is major-league ready to have behind him. This soon-to-be-acquired pitcher will open the season in the bullpen in one of the long relief/spot starter slots. If we can’t draft this pitcher, we have to trade Brazle and/or Barrett to get him. Parnell will start the season as the other long bullpen pitcher, assuming he pitches well in spring training.
Wilks and Staley will open the season in two of the short relief spots. The other two short relievers will probably need to be obtained via free agency or trade. Our scouts have identified one possibility for the amateur draft, but it is such a controversial suggestion that I don’t want to put it in writing. It’s a long shot anyway.
We still have Fannin and Lanier in the minors with the hope that they will develop into either starters or relievers at the major league level. In an emergency, they could fill either role. We will start the season with them reversing their previous roles, i.e. Fannin will be a starter and Lanier will be a reliever.
It promises to be an interesting off-season, and we hope that improved pitching will put us back on top in 1948. With the planning behind us, it’s on to the draft…
The position players are easier, so let's start there.
Our starting lineup is set. It's the best overall lineup in the league. We led the league in offense and our defense, particularly up the middle, is as good as any team. We won't alter the lineup for 1948 unless we have injuries. So that leaves two areas to analyze.
Bench:
We want 6 players, 3 LH and 3 RH (for pinch-hitting). The lefties are Eddie Robinson (1B), Harry Walker (CF), and Joe Garagiola (C). Robinson had a terrible year, but we have a solution for that if he starts poorly in 1948. The other two are back and good to go. The RH's are Wally Westlake (RF), Mark Christman (3B), and Wes Westrum (C). We like Westlake and Christman as pinch-hitters and defensively.
Christman was out of position backing up at short and second, and covering three positions keeps him in the lineup too much and therefore unavailable to pinch-hit. This year, we want to carry a true middle-infield sub instead of a third catcher. It is an off-season priority to find this player, since we don't have anyone that we like in the minors. Jeff Cross (SS) will be released to make room for this addition, and Lou Klein (2B) is available for trade.
Propects:
We have two blue-chip position players at AAA. Al Rosen is our third baseman of the future. He hit .278 with 18 HR at AA last season. We think he is still a year away, which is perfect timing because Christman is signed for 1948 only. Rosen will probably spend this season at AAA, but he could be called up if Kurowski gets hurt or continues his second-half slump.
Ted Kluszewski is a different problem. He is ready now, but there is no place to play him. Our best player, Stan Musial, plays his position. Stan can play left field, but our second-best player (Ron Northey) is there. We could play Northey in right, Musial in left, and bench Enos Slaughter. However, Slaughter is a pretty good player and we already have Westlake backing him up. Manager Eddie Dyer didn't like that idea at all when I floated it because he loves Slaughter's hustle and consistent quality play, plus that scenario significantly weakens our defense.
There are three possible solutions for 1948: keep Klu in AAA, trade him, or use him to replace Robinson as the primary LH pinch-hitter and 1B/LF sub. We won't trade Klu in the off-season, but it's a possibility during the season if we have a serious injury to one of our key players. He is such a great prospect that we could get one of the association's best players or pitchers for him, which is a good "hole card'. We are not ready to give up on Robinson as the long-term backup, so Klu will probably start the season in AAA.
If Northey stumbles out of the gate, we might consider moving Musial to left, starting Klu at first, and trading Northey. This is very risky considering Klu is untested and Northey is a MVP-caliber player signed for 2 more years at ridiculously cheap money. I don’t think I can get enough value back for Northey to justify this move.
One thing I haven’t mentioned is corner outfield prospects. That’s because we don’t have any. This is another off-season priority. We must sign one or two corner outfielders to develop. We have two center-field prospects in Diering and Gionfriddo. Diering hit .275 at AA and will move to CF at AAA this year. Gionfriddo hit .238 at AAA and his contract expired at the end of the season. He might still be a good prospect, but we just don’t have room for him in center and he doesn’t have the power to play left or right in our system. We will use his spot on the roster to draft a high-potential corner outfielder.
The pitching is a bigger problem and a more challenging analysis. We have lots of good pitchers, but we need to identify the best ones for 1948. We have 5 expired contracts on the pitching staff, so there is plenty of flexibility and opportunity for improvement.
Ideally, we would like to carry 12 starters, 6 lefties and 6 right-handers, on our 40-man roster along with 6 pure relievers. We have 10 starters under contract (6 LH and 4 RH), and 4 relievers. A critical off-season priority for us is to draft one or two high-potential RH starters to develop in our system. If one of those is ready now, that’s even better and we’ll find room for him. We must also find a couple of major-league relief pitchers to cure that ever-bothersome bullpen problem.
Simmons and McLish are outstanding prospects that could be starting for us in 1949. However, they need more seasoning and will be pitching in the minors this season. That leaves us eight starting pitchers fighting for five rotation spots, with another two probably starting the season on the major-league roster in long relief/spot starter roles. Choosing the five rotation pitchers will be difficult and critical to our success next season.
Harry Brecheen is a lock for one spot, assuming he recovers well from the serious ribcage injury that ended his 1947 season a couple of weeks early. Joe Dobson is a solid #2 starter. So it is really six pitchers competing for three spots. Since this is such a critical decision, we asked our player personnel group to prepare reports on each of these six pitchers.
Pollet: LH age 27, physical condition excellent, extremely high potential, excellent stuff and control. He had an off-year in 1947, cause unknown but more likely mental than physical. We predict continued under-performance in 1948 (just a hunch), but we think he has a career year yet to come that could be “best pitcher” level. Don’t give up on him.
Zoldak: LH age 30, physical condition good with only minor past injuries, excellent stuff and control, some potential but not a lot of upside left. We think he pitched to expectations in 1946-47. We expect 1948 performance to be dependable and consistent with last year.
Hearn: RH age 27, physical condition good with minor knee problems in his history, good potential, excellent stuff and control. He had a great rookie season but we are concerned about a sophomore jinx. Stay with this guy for the long-term, we think he is worth the patience. In the short-term, he may be erratic and unreliable. You should have a backup plan for this season in case he flames out or his knee becomes a more serious problem.
Parnell: LH age 26, physical condition excellent, great potential, still developing his stuff and control. Watch this guy in the spring. He has tremendous upside. He could have a breakout year, and you don’t want him buried in AAA if he does. He should be given every opportunity to make the team. He is a can’t-miss prospect with all-star ability.
Brazle: LH age 35, physical condition good with only minor previous injuries, very limited potential, good stuff and control. He has severely under-performed for two straight years with no logical explanation. We have very little expectation for him to suddenly improve given his age. He is expendable in our opinion.
Barnett: RH age 33, physical condition questionable after major arm problems in 1946, great stuff and control, very limited potential, poor 1947 performance due to slow recovery from injury. If this guy looks good in the spring, trade him before he blows out his arm for good. He might have a good year or two left, but don’t count on it.
I asked for one more report on my personal pet project, Cliff Fannin. It was heart-breaking, but it finally convinced me that I was probably not going to be able to turn him into a shut-down closer.
Fannin: RH age 24, physical condition excellent, some potential, great stuff and good control. Expect erratic performance to continue as a reliever. Future is probably as a starter because he puts too many men on base and is dangerous coming into games with inherited runners. He is still developing, so keep him around. We suggest giving him a starter role in AAA to improve his endurance.
Dyer and I met to discuss these reports, and here are our conclusions.
We have to continue with Pollet as a starter. He makes too much money to put in the bullpen or minors, and he doesn’t have a lot of trade value based on his contract and last year’s results. We can afford one under-achiever in the rotation if that’s the way it turns out. Hopefully, the scouts are wrong on their hunch. Even if he performs below expectations, he’s probably still better than half of the starters in the league.
Zoldak is the steady and reliable Dobson of lefthanders. We need him in the rotation, if for no other reason than to have fewer question marks. He will be our fourth starter to open the season.
Hearn has to open the season as the fifth starter based on last year’s performance. However, we have to find a RH starter that is major-league ready to have behind him. This soon-to-be-acquired pitcher will open the season in the bullpen in one of the long relief/spot starter slots. If we can’t draft this pitcher, we have to trade Brazle and/or Barrett to get him. Parnell will start the season as the other long bullpen pitcher, assuming he pitches well in spring training.
Wilks and Staley will open the season in two of the short relief spots. The other two short relievers will probably need to be obtained via free agency or trade. Our scouts have identified one possibility for the amateur draft, but it is such a controversial suggestion that I don’t want to put it in writing. It’s a long shot anyway.
We still have Fannin and Lanier in the minors with the hope that they will develop into either starters or relievers at the major league level. In an emergency, they could fill either role. We will start the season with them reversing their previous roles, i.e. Fannin will be a starter and Lanier will be a reliever.
It promises to be an interesting off-season, and we hope that improved pitching will put us back on top in 1948. With the planning behind us, it’s on to the draft…
RE: 1946 St. Louis Cardinals
The AI deserves a round of applause for this draft. I made my usual list of favorites, packed with all-stars and HOF'ers, and all of them were taken by the end of the draft. There were no "Duke Snider" picks left for me, which is exactly the way that it should be.
I got the player that I really wanted in round 1, took one for the home team in round 2, and selected the best player available in rounds 3-5. I bent my own rules to take a HOF'er in the first round, but this is a special case for a couple of reasons. The player did not earn his HOF status during his brief major-league career, and his selection by me will not alter the balance of power like a Duke Snider might. This pick fits my role-playing scenario perfectly, and it was also a good pick for baseball reasons.
So, without further adieu, we present the...
1948 Amateur Draft
The Cardinals are drafting in the 13th position. We won't take this as a bad omen. We are picking ahead of the Giants, Yankees, and Red Sox, and right after Brooklyn and Cleveland. Philadelphia takes (future HOF'er) Richie Ashburn with the first pick. We sit quietly as several other top names, including Roy Campanella to Brooklyn and Mike Garcia to Cleveland, go ahead of us. Then we serve up a shocker of our own...
Round 1: St. Louis selects 42-year-old RH pitcher Satchel Paige! The Cardinals join Brooklyn and Cleveland as front-runners in the movement to integrate baseball. We think that Paige's showmanship and reputation will quickly win the hearts of our fans. But, at age 42, can he still pitch? Will our players respect his ability?
We had to answer these questions, so we arranged a secret tryout at Sportsman's Park a few weeks ago. We asked Enos Slaughter to drop by and help us evaluate a pitching prospect. Slaughter was not amused when he arrived and saw what we had arranged, but he agreed to participate in the tryout. Paige threw 20 pitches, 19 for strikes, and Slaughter managed to make contact only once, a weak popup. At the end of the session, Slaughter turned to me and said, "Sign him!" We think this endorsement by Slaughter, a team leader with a burning desire to win, will discourage any clubhouse problems before they start. (Editor's note: This story actually happened, but it was Bill Veeck who arranged the tryout with player/manager Lou Boudreau as the batter.)
Paige will use his baffling variety of pitches and deliveries in the bullpen setup role for us. We hope this finally solves our short relief problem.
Round 2: St. Louis selects 24-year-old LF Hal Rice (bats left). Rice was a part-time player who hit .260 over six seasons with the Cardinals. This is an affinity pick for me (to make things fair since the AI is forced to do the same). Rice will start the season in AAA. In truth, he will probably spend his entire career there and serve to compensate for those fictional scrubs that the AI carries on its rosters.
There were no other players of any significance that St. Louis introduced in 1948, so I spent the rest of the draft looking for the best player available without blatantly stealing anyone from the AI.
Round 3: St. Louis selects 25-year-old SS Ray Boone (bats right). This pick comes after Cleveland (Boone's affinity team) took a scrub two picks before me. Boone was a two-time all-star over 13 seasons with Cleveland and Detroit. He had a lifetime batting average of .275 with 151 career HR’s. He was the best player available at a position of need.
Boone will start the season at AAA while I decide how to use him. He might become the backup on the left side of the infield next year, replacing Christman whose contract expires, because he can also play 3B.
Round 4: St. Louis selects 21-year-old LH pitcher Billy Pierce. This pick comes after Detroit (his affinity team) and the White Sox (his primary team) had both picked scrubs in round 4 ahead of me. Pierce was a 7-time all-star with 211 lifetime wins and a career 3.27 ERA. He was definitely the best pitcher available, and a favorite player of mine. However, I need another LH starting pitcher like I need a hole in my head! Instead, I desperately need a RH starting pitcher, but all of the good right-handers were long gone.
(In case you are wondering why I need a RH instead of a LH, the answer is simple. I am a Libra. I now have 7 LH and 5 RH pitchers, and I can't stand that my roster is not balanced. [8|] )
So I must decide whether to keep and develop Pierce or trade him. I already have Parnell and Simmons as young LH prospects ahead of him, but I could trade one of them. I really should keep all three of them and trade Brazle instead, which would help with my salary budget. However, Pierce and Simmons are my #3 and #4 players on the AI's trade value ranking, just ahead of Kluszewski and behind only Musial and Schoendienst. I could trade either one of them for an all-star RH starting pitcher who could step into the rotation today. It's a nice problem to have.
Round 5: St. Louis selects 21-year-old RF Don Mueller (bats left). This pick follows the Giants (his affinity team) having taken a scrub in rounds 3 and 4. Mueller was a two-time all-star over 12 seasons with a .296 lifetime batting average. He is a similar player to Enos Slaughter, but with less power and a lower on-base percentage. Mueller could be good insurance against an injury to Slaughter for a few seasons, or I might trade him (maybe to the Giants if they are nice to me).
Mueller has a mid-level trade value (16th on my 40-man roster) and could bring a decent RH starting pitcher. I could then trade Brazle (29th in trade value) for an older backup corner OF with more power. This scenario would potentially save significant salary dollars that I need in order to extend the contracts of some key players.
1948 Free Agency
There was very little activity in the signing period, with only two pitchers signed by the Cubs. I did not bid on any players, so the signing period ended rather quickly. My only need was two relievers to get to 40 players before “finalizing” rosters. (Why does the player have to have a full roster before this step, but the AI does not?) I preferred to choose my free agents from what was left after prices had come down a little, and this strategy paid off for me.
I was able to re-sign Gordon Maltzberger to a one-year deal at half of the money that he was demanding immediately after the season ended. The salary difference was enough to sign Satchel Paige! Maltzberger is a gamble at age 36 (his career actually ended in 1947) but his ratings are still very good (81 stuff, 97 control). I am hoping he still has something left in the tank.
I took a flyer on a developmental player for the last roster spot. We signed 23-year-old relief pitcher, Buddy Lively. He had a very brief major-league career with a lifetime 4.16 ERA. However, he has nice ratings of 86 stuff, 64 velocity, and 77 control, with a potential of 41 and developing. You have to feel good about a fastball pitcher with the name “Lively” so I have a hunch that this one will work out well. If not, at least he was cheap.
I got the player that I really wanted in round 1, took one for the home team in round 2, and selected the best player available in rounds 3-5. I bent my own rules to take a HOF'er in the first round, but this is a special case for a couple of reasons. The player did not earn his HOF status during his brief major-league career, and his selection by me will not alter the balance of power like a Duke Snider might. This pick fits my role-playing scenario perfectly, and it was also a good pick for baseball reasons.
So, without further adieu, we present the...
1948 Amateur Draft
The Cardinals are drafting in the 13th position. We won't take this as a bad omen. We are picking ahead of the Giants, Yankees, and Red Sox, and right after Brooklyn and Cleveland. Philadelphia takes (future HOF'er) Richie Ashburn with the first pick. We sit quietly as several other top names, including Roy Campanella to Brooklyn and Mike Garcia to Cleveland, go ahead of us. Then we serve up a shocker of our own...
Round 1: St. Louis selects 42-year-old RH pitcher Satchel Paige! The Cardinals join Brooklyn and Cleveland as front-runners in the movement to integrate baseball. We think that Paige's showmanship and reputation will quickly win the hearts of our fans. But, at age 42, can he still pitch? Will our players respect his ability?
We had to answer these questions, so we arranged a secret tryout at Sportsman's Park a few weeks ago. We asked Enos Slaughter to drop by and help us evaluate a pitching prospect. Slaughter was not amused when he arrived and saw what we had arranged, but he agreed to participate in the tryout. Paige threw 20 pitches, 19 for strikes, and Slaughter managed to make contact only once, a weak popup. At the end of the session, Slaughter turned to me and said, "Sign him!" We think this endorsement by Slaughter, a team leader with a burning desire to win, will discourage any clubhouse problems before they start. (Editor's note: This story actually happened, but it was Bill Veeck who arranged the tryout with player/manager Lou Boudreau as the batter.)
Paige will use his baffling variety of pitches and deliveries in the bullpen setup role for us. We hope this finally solves our short relief problem.
Round 2: St. Louis selects 24-year-old LF Hal Rice (bats left). Rice was a part-time player who hit .260 over six seasons with the Cardinals. This is an affinity pick for me (to make things fair since the AI is forced to do the same). Rice will start the season in AAA. In truth, he will probably spend his entire career there and serve to compensate for those fictional scrubs that the AI carries on its rosters.
There were no other players of any significance that St. Louis introduced in 1948, so I spent the rest of the draft looking for the best player available without blatantly stealing anyone from the AI.
Round 3: St. Louis selects 25-year-old SS Ray Boone (bats right). This pick comes after Cleveland (Boone's affinity team) took a scrub two picks before me. Boone was a two-time all-star over 13 seasons with Cleveland and Detroit. He had a lifetime batting average of .275 with 151 career HR’s. He was the best player available at a position of need.
Boone will start the season at AAA while I decide how to use him. He might become the backup on the left side of the infield next year, replacing Christman whose contract expires, because he can also play 3B.
Round 4: St. Louis selects 21-year-old LH pitcher Billy Pierce. This pick comes after Detroit (his affinity team) and the White Sox (his primary team) had both picked scrubs in round 4 ahead of me. Pierce was a 7-time all-star with 211 lifetime wins and a career 3.27 ERA. He was definitely the best pitcher available, and a favorite player of mine. However, I need another LH starting pitcher like I need a hole in my head! Instead, I desperately need a RH starting pitcher, but all of the good right-handers were long gone.
(In case you are wondering why I need a RH instead of a LH, the answer is simple. I am a Libra. I now have 7 LH and 5 RH pitchers, and I can't stand that my roster is not balanced. [8|] )
So I must decide whether to keep and develop Pierce or trade him. I already have Parnell and Simmons as young LH prospects ahead of him, but I could trade one of them. I really should keep all three of them and trade Brazle instead, which would help with my salary budget. However, Pierce and Simmons are my #3 and #4 players on the AI's trade value ranking, just ahead of Kluszewski and behind only Musial and Schoendienst. I could trade either one of them for an all-star RH starting pitcher who could step into the rotation today. It's a nice problem to have.
Round 5: St. Louis selects 21-year-old RF Don Mueller (bats left). This pick follows the Giants (his affinity team) having taken a scrub in rounds 3 and 4. Mueller was a two-time all-star over 12 seasons with a .296 lifetime batting average. He is a similar player to Enos Slaughter, but with less power and a lower on-base percentage. Mueller could be good insurance against an injury to Slaughter for a few seasons, or I might trade him (maybe to the Giants if they are nice to me).
Mueller has a mid-level trade value (16th on my 40-man roster) and could bring a decent RH starting pitcher. I could then trade Brazle (29th in trade value) for an older backup corner OF with more power. This scenario would potentially save significant salary dollars that I need in order to extend the contracts of some key players.
1948 Free Agency
There was very little activity in the signing period, with only two pitchers signed by the Cubs. I did not bid on any players, so the signing period ended rather quickly. My only need was two relievers to get to 40 players before “finalizing” rosters. (Why does the player have to have a full roster before this step, but the AI does not?) I preferred to choose my free agents from what was left after prices had come down a little, and this strategy paid off for me.
I was able to re-sign Gordon Maltzberger to a one-year deal at half of the money that he was demanding immediately after the season ended. The salary difference was enough to sign Satchel Paige! Maltzberger is a gamble at age 36 (his career actually ended in 1947) but his ratings are still very good (81 stuff, 97 control). I am hoping he still has something left in the tank.
I took a flyer on a developmental player for the last roster spot. We signed 23-year-old relief pitcher, Buddy Lively. He had a very brief major-league career with a lifetime 4.16 ERA. However, he has nice ratings of 86 stuff, 64 velocity, and 77 control, with a potential of 41 and developing. You have to feel good about a fastball pitcher with the name “Lively” so I have a hunch that this one will work out well. If not, at least he was cheap.
RE: 1946 St. Louis Cardinals
Hot Stove League news:
It looks like the Cardinals will have some new faces next year. Rumor has it that GM orcin is busy working the phones. Every conversation starts with the same word... pitching.
It looks like the Cardinals will have some new faces next year. Rumor has it that GM orcin is busy working the phones. Every conversation starts with the same word... pitching.
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Wrathchild
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RE: 1946 St. Louis Cardinals
How do you determine the trade value of your players?
J.G. Wrathchild, Manager, St. Louis Cardinals (1900-1906), Brooklyn Superbas (1907, 1908)
RE: 1946 St. Louis Cardinals
Try to trade for a HOF player. Usually, you will only get 1 or 2 options for players the AI will take. The top one is your most valuable player.
Now offer your most valuable player to another team in trade. He will offer evey player that he has. Note who the bottom one is. Clear the offer, and then offer to trade for his bottom player. He will be willing to take all of your players in trade. They will be listed in the order in which he values them.
Be careful, because your #6 player might be worth more than another team's #3 player, or might be worth less than another team's #10 player. The rankings are only relevant within your team.
Now offer your most valuable player to another team in trade. He will offer evey player that he has. Note who the bottom one is. Clear the offer, and then offer to trade for his bottom player. He will be willing to take all of your players in trade. They will be listed in the order in which he values them.
Be careful, because your #6 player might be worth more than another team's #3 player, or might be worth less than another team's #10 player. The rankings are only relevant within your team.
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Wrathchild
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RE: 1946 St. Louis Cardinals
Cool. I didn't know that the players would accept in trade were in any specific order. I'm going to have to make a note of that. Would I see the same list regardless of team that I try to trade to, i.e. does each computer team value my players in the same order?
J.G. Wrathchild, Manager, St. Louis Cardinals (1900-1906), Brooklyn Superbas (1907, 1908)
RE: 1946 St. Louis Cardinals
I see players move up or down a notch or two depending upon the specific needs of the teams being queried. They don't change much, just one or two spots.
You will be surprised by some of your best players being at the bottom of his list. This usually relates to age or contract or both.
Edit: I also need to mention that this ranking changes as teams "evaluate players". So players can move up or down the list during the season.
You will be surprised by some of your best players being at the bottom of his list. This usually relates to age or contract or both.
Edit: I also need to mention that this ranking changes as teams "evaluate players". So players can move up or down the list during the season.
RE: 1946 St. Louis Cardinals
We lost the 1947 pennant for one reason... pitching. The recent player personnel evaluations convinced me that we needed a significant upgrade before the 1948 season. Satchel Paige was part of that plan, but that would not be nearly enough. In addition, we have now completed three separate trades for pitchers that should really help us.
Deal #1:
Harry Brecheen, our star pitcher, approached me after the season ended to talk about a player that he knew from his days in the Cardinals minor league system. This pitcher, Preacher Roe, was traded to the Pirates a few years ago (before I took over) and had a miserable 1946 season. He improved quite a bit in 1947 and made the All-Star team with a 12-8 record and 3.66 ERA. Brecheen said Roe had suffered a fractured skull before the 1946 season, but he pitched with it and didn't tell anyone for fear of being released. Roe's improvement on the field in 1947 was directly tied to the improvement in his health.
I told Brecheen that was all well and good, but we know about Roe and he is not really on our radar. We have left-handers who are better than him, so why should we add one more? Brecheen winked and said, "Because this year, Roe will be throwing a Beech-Nut curve." Well now, that's interesting.
You see, Beech-Nut is a brand of chewing gum. It's really special because when you chew it your saliva becomes very slippery. "Beech-Nut curve" is code for a spitball. Now I am not condoning cheating here, but I am also out to win. The spitball should not have been outlawed anyway. It's no more dangerous than that wild fastball Cliff Fannin throws, or that "mind-of-its-own" knuckleball that Dutch Leonard uses. Lots of guys fool around throwing spitters on the sidelines, but Harry said Preacher was pretty good at it and had developed ways to hide it in a game. A well-timed wet curve could turn a good pitcher into a great one pretty quick.
I thanked Harry for the information, and got on the phone with Pirates GM, Roy Hamey. I was not surprised to learn that Branch Rickey, Dodgers GM, had beaten me to the punch and was close to a deal to acquire Roe for Vic Lombardi. Rickey has good sources also. I asked Hamey what he really wanted for Roe. His answer was "a young left-handed starting pitcher". Lombardi was 26, a lefty, and and had a pretty good year in 1947. However, I had my own stable of young lefties and I got his attention when I offered 21-year-old phenom, Billy Pierce. Apparently, the Pirates' scouts were really upset that five position players were taken in the 1948 draft while Pierce was ignored on their board. Hamey jumped at Pierce and the deal was done.
It felt good to steal Preacher Roe right out from under Rickey's nose. And the really good news? Roe is signed for three years at minor-league money, so I haven't lost much except a draft pick if that "extra pitch" doesn't jump-start his performance. We have so many left-handed starters already that we plan to use Roe in the bullpen this year. Plus, we need to see how the deception goes before he starts spending whole games on the mound. (This memo will self-destruct in 5-4-3...)
Deal #2:
Cliff Fannin also came to see me and talked about a player stuck in the Braves' farm system that was from his neck of the woods in eastern Kentucky. This pitcher, Vern Bickford, was going to get a shot to make the Braves roster in the spring, but he was already 28 and no longer looking like a prospect. Fannin assured me that this guy could pitch so I checked with our scouts. Their thumbnail was: "great stuff, excellent control, physical condition excellent, high upside, ready to have a breakout year". Hmm...
We offered Red Barrett to the Braves for Bickford. You remember Barrett, the pitcher our scouts said to trade fast before he breaks down? The Braves didn't have our report so they were interested but wanted a little extra. They liked Don Mueller, our #5 draft pick, to groom as an eventual replacement for Tommy Holmes. I didn't have an immediate need for Mueller, so the 2-for-1 deal was done and we finally acquired that right-handed starter that we did need immediately.
Deal #3:
While I was talking about Bickford for Barrett, Al Brazle's name kept coming up (from me). The Braves liked Barrett a little better, but I went back to them and asked about their closer, Jim Konstanty, for Brazle. They would not do a straight up trade... apparently it was 2-for-1 week in Boston. The Braves' scouts were high on Buddy Lively, our young free agent reliever who they were apparently planning to sign before we beat them to it. So we were able to acquire Konstanty, a quality relief pitcher, for a guy who had worn out his welcome (Brazle) and a guy we weren't planning to use (Lively).
Summary of the pitching trades:
- Cardinals trade Billy Pierce to the Pirates for Preacher Roe
- Cardinals trade Red Barrett and Don Mueller to the Braves for Vern Bickford
- Cardinals trade Al Brazle and Buddy Lively to the Braves for Jim Konstanty
These deals left me two players short on the 40-man roster, so we went looking for free agents. We signed Ben Wade, another young reliever that our scouts had rated highly (just below Lively). We also re-signed Al Gionfriddo to a one-year deal as outfield insurance.
These deals combined to be payroll neutral, so I still have some room in my budget. I need this room because my new problem is expiring contracts for two key pitchers. Now we get to the REAL reason for acquiring a right-handed starter and a potential closer. Joe Dobson and Ted Wilks both have expriring contracts and want huge raises. I can't afford both along with next year's draft so something has to give. I need a backup plan, so I might as well execute the plan now and be pitching rich for at least one year.
I think we have enough depth now to handle the loss of one pitcher, so I am going to risk losing Dobson and not extend him. I am hoping that I can pick him up in free agency for less than his current demand. If not, c'est la vie. I will probably extend Wilks before the next free agency period if I still have excess budget by then.
Our major-league staff will go into the season organized this way:
Starting rotation = Brecheen, Dobson, Pollet, Zoldak, Bickford
Long Relief / Spot Starters = Parnell and Hearn
Short Relief = Konstanty, Roe, Paige, with Wilks as the closer
That's a much-improved bullpen... I hope. We struggled with taking Hearn out of the rotation, but all the talk about sophomore jinx and knee issues convinced us that he might be better off starting the year in the bullpen. He and Parnell will go into the rotation if we have injuries.
Maltzberger will start the year in AAA but he is good backup for Paige and Konstanty, or in case we need Roe as a starter. We are converting Fannin and Staley to starters, and the plan is to leave them in AAA this year unless we have a lot of injuries. And we still have McLish and Simmons, both of whom should be ready to pitch at the major-league next year..
We still had one more nagging assignment from the off-season "to-do" list - finding a backup second baseman / pinch-hitter. I contacted everyone, and I was really surprised and pleased to get the perfect player.
We traded Lou Klein, our backup 2B, to the Red Sox for Billy Goodman, a 22-year-old 2B (bats left, throws right). Goodman hit .430 (no, that's not a typo) in 107 AB with the Red Sox last year, and hit .323 in almost a full season at AAA. Goodman has great hands, good range, and can also play first, third, and all three outfield spots. So he is the ideal utility player and a great pinch-hitter when you need a baserunner. His only drawback is that he has no power, which is not a big deal for a middle infielder. Goodman could start for Schoendienst in case of injury without sacrificing much offense at all.
What's the catch? I couldn't find one. Goodman was only signed for one year, but he was happy to sign a four-year extension at ridiculously cheap money. So we have our backup infield problem solved for five years between him and Boone. Goodman also gives us another left-handed bat off the bench, which could come in handy because Harry Walker also has an expiring contract and I might need to replace him next year with Chuck Diering (who bats right).
PSPN has us rated #1 in the pre-season power rankings, so they must like these moves as much as I do. The proof is in the pudding, so let's play some games.
Deal #1:
Harry Brecheen, our star pitcher, approached me after the season ended to talk about a player that he knew from his days in the Cardinals minor league system. This pitcher, Preacher Roe, was traded to the Pirates a few years ago (before I took over) and had a miserable 1946 season. He improved quite a bit in 1947 and made the All-Star team with a 12-8 record and 3.66 ERA. Brecheen said Roe had suffered a fractured skull before the 1946 season, but he pitched with it and didn't tell anyone for fear of being released. Roe's improvement on the field in 1947 was directly tied to the improvement in his health.
I told Brecheen that was all well and good, but we know about Roe and he is not really on our radar. We have left-handers who are better than him, so why should we add one more? Brecheen winked and said, "Because this year, Roe will be throwing a Beech-Nut curve." Well now, that's interesting.
You see, Beech-Nut is a brand of chewing gum. It's really special because when you chew it your saliva becomes very slippery. "Beech-Nut curve" is code for a spitball. Now I am not condoning cheating here, but I am also out to win. The spitball should not have been outlawed anyway. It's no more dangerous than that wild fastball Cliff Fannin throws, or that "mind-of-its-own" knuckleball that Dutch Leonard uses. Lots of guys fool around throwing spitters on the sidelines, but Harry said Preacher was pretty good at it and had developed ways to hide it in a game. A well-timed wet curve could turn a good pitcher into a great one pretty quick.
I thanked Harry for the information, and got on the phone with Pirates GM, Roy Hamey. I was not surprised to learn that Branch Rickey, Dodgers GM, had beaten me to the punch and was close to a deal to acquire Roe for Vic Lombardi. Rickey has good sources also. I asked Hamey what he really wanted for Roe. His answer was "a young left-handed starting pitcher". Lombardi was 26, a lefty, and and had a pretty good year in 1947. However, I had my own stable of young lefties and I got his attention when I offered 21-year-old phenom, Billy Pierce. Apparently, the Pirates' scouts were really upset that five position players were taken in the 1948 draft while Pierce was ignored on their board. Hamey jumped at Pierce and the deal was done.
It felt good to steal Preacher Roe right out from under Rickey's nose. And the really good news? Roe is signed for three years at minor-league money, so I haven't lost much except a draft pick if that "extra pitch" doesn't jump-start his performance. We have so many left-handed starters already that we plan to use Roe in the bullpen this year. Plus, we need to see how the deception goes before he starts spending whole games on the mound. (This memo will self-destruct in 5-4-3...)
Deal #2:
Cliff Fannin also came to see me and talked about a player stuck in the Braves' farm system that was from his neck of the woods in eastern Kentucky. This pitcher, Vern Bickford, was going to get a shot to make the Braves roster in the spring, but he was already 28 and no longer looking like a prospect. Fannin assured me that this guy could pitch so I checked with our scouts. Their thumbnail was: "great stuff, excellent control, physical condition excellent, high upside, ready to have a breakout year". Hmm...
We offered Red Barrett to the Braves for Bickford. You remember Barrett, the pitcher our scouts said to trade fast before he breaks down? The Braves didn't have our report so they were interested but wanted a little extra. They liked Don Mueller, our #5 draft pick, to groom as an eventual replacement for Tommy Holmes. I didn't have an immediate need for Mueller, so the 2-for-1 deal was done and we finally acquired that right-handed starter that we did need immediately.
Deal #3:
While I was talking about Bickford for Barrett, Al Brazle's name kept coming up (from me). The Braves liked Barrett a little better, but I went back to them and asked about their closer, Jim Konstanty, for Brazle. They would not do a straight up trade... apparently it was 2-for-1 week in Boston. The Braves' scouts were high on Buddy Lively, our young free agent reliever who they were apparently planning to sign before we beat them to it. So we were able to acquire Konstanty, a quality relief pitcher, for a guy who had worn out his welcome (Brazle) and a guy we weren't planning to use (Lively).
Summary of the pitching trades:
- Cardinals trade Billy Pierce to the Pirates for Preacher Roe
- Cardinals trade Red Barrett and Don Mueller to the Braves for Vern Bickford
- Cardinals trade Al Brazle and Buddy Lively to the Braves for Jim Konstanty
These deals left me two players short on the 40-man roster, so we went looking for free agents. We signed Ben Wade, another young reliever that our scouts had rated highly (just below Lively). We also re-signed Al Gionfriddo to a one-year deal as outfield insurance.
These deals combined to be payroll neutral, so I still have some room in my budget. I need this room because my new problem is expiring contracts for two key pitchers. Now we get to the REAL reason for acquiring a right-handed starter and a potential closer. Joe Dobson and Ted Wilks both have expriring contracts and want huge raises. I can't afford both along with next year's draft so something has to give. I need a backup plan, so I might as well execute the plan now and be pitching rich for at least one year.
I think we have enough depth now to handle the loss of one pitcher, so I am going to risk losing Dobson and not extend him. I am hoping that I can pick him up in free agency for less than his current demand. If not, c'est la vie. I will probably extend Wilks before the next free agency period if I still have excess budget by then.
Our major-league staff will go into the season organized this way:
Starting rotation = Brecheen, Dobson, Pollet, Zoldak, Bickford
Long Relief / Spot Starters = Parnell and Hearn
Short Relief = Konstanty, Roe, Paige, with Wilks as the closer
That's a much-improved bullpen... I hope. We struggled with taking Hearn out of the rotation, but all the talk about sophomore jinx and knee issues convinced us that he might be better off starting the year in the bullpen. He and Parnell will go into the rotation if we have injuries.
Maltzberger will start the year in AAA but he is good backup for Paige and Konstanty, or in case we need Roe as a starter. We are converting Fannin and Staley to starters, and the plan is to leave them in AAA this year unless we have a lot of injuries. And we still have McLish and Simmons, both of whom should be ready to pitch at the major-league next year..
We still had one more nagging assignment from the off-season "to-do" list - finding a backup second baseman / pinch-hitter. I contacted everyone, and I was really surprised and pleased to get the perfect player.
We traded Lou Klein, our backup 2B, to the Red Sox for Billy Goodman, a 22-year-old 2B (bats left, throws right). Goodman hit .430 (no, that's not a typo) in 107 AB with the Red Sox last year, and hit .323 in almost a full season at AAA. Goodman has great hands, good range, and can also play first, third, and all three outfield spots. So he is the ideal utility player and a great pinch-hitter when you need a baserunner. His only drawback is that he has no power, which is not a big deal for a middle infielder. Goodman could start for Schoendienst in case of injury without sacrificing much offense at all.
What's the catch? I couldn't find one. Goodman was only signed for one year, but he was happy to sign a four-year extension at ridiculously cheap money. So we have our backup infield problem solved for five years between him and Boone. Goodman also gives us another left-handed bat off the bench, which could come in handy because Harry Walker also has an expiring contract and I might need to replace him next year with Chuck Diering (who bats right).
PSPN has us rated #1 in the pre-season power rankings, so they must like these moves as much as I do. The proof is in the pudding, so let's play some games.
RE: 1946 St. Louis Cardinals
Sometimes your team needs to be shaken up. There’s nothing like a headline trade that involves your starting lineup to give you a fresh start.
On May 12-13, we sweep a two-game series from the first-place Giants and things are looking up after a lackluster start. But over the next 10 games, we go 5-5 while the Giants win 10 straight to extend their lead over us to 8 games. The Phillies come to town, and we split a double-header on Sunday. We invite the Phillies' GM (and owner), Robert Carpenter, to dinner after the games, and the discussion turns to the future of our clubs. It is nice to negotiate with someone who doesn't need to check with the boss.
The Phillies #1 draft pick, Richie Ashburn, is hitting .347 and looks like the real deal. He is 21 and signed to a rookie contract for five years. I ask what it would take to get Ashburn, and Carpenter wants one of our two top prospects (Curt Simmons or Ted Kluszewski PLUS our starting center fielder, Pete Reiser). "Wow, that's a pretty steep price, Rob." Carpenter replies, "The guy is hitting .347 and he was the #1 pick in the draft." He has a point.
The Phillies have been scouting the 19-year-old Simmons since last year, and they dream of pairing him with 22-year-old Robin Roberts as a left-right 1-2 punch in their rotation for the next decade. They also have 24-year-old Rex Barney (courtesy of us in the Ron Northey trade), so they would have a great nucleus of young starting pitchers.
The Phillies have a huge hole at first base, so although they preferred the pitcher they were more than willing to do the deal with Klu instead of Simmons. I didn't want to give up Kluszewski, and I have tremendous depth in starting pitching, especially lefthanders. So we went that direction, and celebrated over dessert.
The headline in tomorrow’s Post-Dispatch sports page will read: “Cardinals acquire Ashburn” in return for center fielder Pete Reiser and minor-league pitcher Curt Simmons. There will be a lot of buzz over this deal, and I think it will give our club a lift.
We also signed Clyde Shoun, a 36-year-old left-handed free agent relief pitcher, to a one-year contract, bringing the roster back to 40 players. Shoun pitched well for the Reds over the past two years (3.25 ERA over the two seasons), and will be additional insurance for the bullpen.
Will the trade of another great pitching prospect be worth it? Is it a good move… for now and for the future?
Pete Reiser is 29 and at the peak of his career (potential 1 at peak). His skills will begin to decline, and he will become more prone to injury. His range in center field will shrink, and he is flanked by two outfielders who have limited range themselves. Ashburn is only 21 and already as good as Reiser with tremendous potential (86 and developing). He gets on base, hits doubles and triples, steals bases, and plays a Gold Glove caliber center field. His range and speed will allow him to get to balls that Northey and Slaughter cannot, which will make my whole outfield defense better. He has a rocket (rating 100) for an arm.
The Phillies have a dream of their 1-2 pitching punch. I dream of Richie Ashburn patrolling center field and leading off for the Cardinals for the next decade or more. Today, both our dreams came true. It sounds like a win-win deal to me.
_____________________
>>>out-of-character note regarding game balance:
Avid readers of this journal might recall that I traded a fifth-round draft choice, Duke Snider, to get Reiser. Simmons was a fourth-round pick. The AI passed on drafting both of these players several times, so I didn’t go out of my way to steal either of them.
A Snider-for-Ashburn trade is probably lop-sided in favor of the team receiving Snider. Add Curt Simmons to the deal, and it definitely favors the team giving up Ashburn for a HOF’er and an all-star. All three players were 21 or less at the time of the trades, so they all had their entire careers left for the receiving teams.
In fact, Simmons is probably better than he would have been since I carefully developed him for two years in the minors. The AI would have potentially ruined him by pitching him to death in the majors at age 18. Simmons pitched for the Phillies for the decade of the 50's, so he should be on this team anyway.
Ashburn is a HOF player but he was not voted in before his eligibility expired. He was elected by the Veteran’s Committee in 1995 (more than 30 years after he retired). Bill James did not include him among the 100 greatest players of all-time when he wrote the Historical Baseball Abstract in 1985. However, he was mentioned among the great center-fielders in the “players” section of the book that covered the top “few hundred” players according to James. Ashburn was truly a great player, but a borderline HOF’er.
Therefore, I ruled this trade to be “fair and balanced” and, as Commissioner, I allowed it. Ashburn was a favorite player of mine, and one of the players that I coveted for my team when I planned this replay league. I am really happy to have Ashburn-Schoendienst-Musial as my 1-2-3 hitters for the decade of the 1950’s.
On May 12-13, we sweep a two-game series from the first-place Giants and things are looking up after a lackluster start. But over the next 10 games, we go 5-5 while the Giants win 10 straight to extend their lead over us to 8 games. The Phillies come to town, and we split a double-header on Sunday. We invite the Phillies' GM (and owner), Robert Carpenter, to dinner after the games, and the discussion turns to the future of our clubs. It is nice to negotiate with someone who doesn't need to check with the boss.
The Phillies #1 draft pick, Richie Ashburn, is hitting .347 and looks like the real deal. He is 21 and signed to a rookie contract for five years. I ask what it would take to get Ashburn, and Carpenter wants one of our two top prospects (Curt Simmons or Ted Kluszewski PLUS our starting center fielder, Pete Reiser). "Wow, that's a pretty steep price, Rob." Carpenter replies, "The guy is hitting .347 and he was the #1 pick in the draft." He has a point.
The Phillies have been scouting the 19-year-old Simmons since last year, and they dream of pairing him with 22-year-old Robin Roberts as a left-right 1-2 punch in their rotation for the next decade. They also have 24-year-old Rex Barney (courtesy of us in the Ron Northey trade), so they would have a great nucleus of young starting pitchers.
The Phillies have a huge hole at first base, so although they preferred the pitcher they were more than willing to do the deal with Klu instead of Simmons. I didn't want to give up Kluszewski, and I have tremendous depth in starting pitching, especially lefthanders. So we went that direction, and celebrated over dessert.
The headline in tomorrow’s Post-Dispatch sports page will read: “Cardinals acquire Ashburn” in return for center fielder Pete Reiser and minor-league pitcher Curt Simmons. There will be a lot of buzz over this deal, and I think it will give our club a lift.
We also signed Clyde Shoun, a 36-year-old left-handed free agent relief pitcher, to a one-year contract, bringing the roster back to 40 players. Shoun pitched well for the Reds over the past two years (3.25 ERA over the two seasons), and will be additional insurance for the bullpen.
Will the trade of another great pitching prospect be worth it? Is it a good move… for now and for the future?
Pete Reiser is 29 and at the peak of his career (potential 1 at peak). His skills will begin to decline, and he will become more prone to injury. His range in center field will shrink, and he is flanked by two outfielders who have limited range themselves. Ashburn is only 21 and already as good as Reiser with tremendous potential (86 and developing). He gets on base, hits doubles and triples, steals bases, and plays a Gold Glove caliber center field. His range and speed will allow him to get to balls that Northey and Slaughter cannot, which will make my whole outfield defense better. He has a rocket (rating 100) for an arm.
The Phillies have a dream of their 1-2 pitching punch. I dream of Richie Ashburn patrolling center field and leading off for the Cardinals for the next decade or more. Today, both our dreams came true. It sounds like a win-win deal to me.
_____________________
>>>out-of-character note regarding game balance:
Avid readers of this journal might recall that I traded a fifth-round draft choice, Duke Snider, to get Reiser. Simmons was a fourth-round pick. The AI passed on drafting both of these players several times, so I didn’t go out of my way to steal either of them.
A Snider-for-Ashburn trade is probably lop-sided in favor of the team receiving Snider. Add Curt Simmons to the deal, and it definitely favors the team giving up Ashburn for a HOF’er and an all-star. All three players were 21 or less at the time of the trades, so they all had their entire careers left for the receiving teams.
In fact, Simmons is probably better than he would have been since I carefully developed him for two years in the minors. The AI would have potentially ruined him by pitching him to death in the majors at age 18. Simmons pitched for the Phillies for the decade of the 50's, so he should be on this team anyway.
Ashburn is a HOF player but he was not voted in before his eligibility expired. He was elected by the Veteran’s Committee in 1995 (more than 30 years after he retired). Bill James did not include him among the 100 greatest players of all-time when he wrote the Historical Baseball Abstract in 1985. However, he was mentioned among the great center-fielders in the “players” section of the book that covered the top “few hundred” players according to James. Ashburn was truly a great player, but a borderline HOF’er.
Therefore, I ruled this trade to be “fair and balanced” and, as Commissioner, I allowed it. Ashburn was a favorite player of mine, and one of the players that I coveted for my team when I planned this replay league. I am really happy to have Ashburn-Schoendienst-Musial as my 1-2-3 hitters for the decade of the 1950’s.