Osborne Earl Smith is an American former professional baseball player. Nicknamed "the Wizard of Oz",Smith played shortstop for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals in Major League Baseball,winning the National League Gold Glove Award for defensive play at shortstop for 13 consecutive seasons. A 15-time All-Star,Smith accumulated 2,460 hits and 580 stolen bases during his career,and won the National League Silver Slugger Award as the best hitter at shortstop in 1987. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2002. He was also elected to the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 2014.
Extra innings is the extension of a baseball or softball game in order to break a tie.
Eugene George Oliver was an American professional baseball player who appeared 786 games in Major League Baseball,as a catcher,first baseman,outfielder and pinch hitter,from 1959 to 1969. Oliver played for the St. Louis Cardinals,Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves (1963–67),Philadelphia Phillies (1967),Boston Red Sox (1968) and Chicago Cubs (1968–69). He batted and threw right-handed. stood 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and weighed 225 pounds (102 kg).
Dorrel Norman Elvert "Whitey" Herzog was an American professional baseball outfielder and manager,most notable for his Major League Baseball (MLB) managerial career.
The 1985 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1985 season. The 82nd edition of the World Series,it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Kansas City Royals and the National League (NL) champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Royals upset the heavily favored Cardinals in seven games. The Series was popularly known as the "Show-Me Series" or the "I-70 Showdown Series," as both cities are in the state of Missouri which is nicknamed the "Show Me State" and are connected by Interstate 70.
The 1968 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1968 season. The 65th edition of the World Series,it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Detroit Tigers and the National League (NL) champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Tigers won in seven games for their first championship since 1945,and the third in their history.
Yadier Benjamín Molina,nicknamed "Yadi",is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher who played his entire 19-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB) and who is currently the team's Special Assistant to the President of Baseball Operations. Widely considered one of the greatest defensive catchers of all time for his blocking ability and his caught-stealing percentage,Molina won nine Rawlings Gold Gloves and six Fielding Bible Awards. A two-time World Series champion,he played for Cardinals teams that made 12 playoff appearances and won four National League pennants. Molina also played for the Puerto Rican national team in four World Baseball Classic (WBC) tournaments,winning two silver medals.
In baseball,a golden sombrero is a player's inglorious feat of striking out four times in a single game.
Benjamin JoséMolina,nicknamed "Big Money",is a former Major League Baseball (MLB) catcher. He played for the Anaheim Angels / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (1998–2005),Toronto Blue Jays (2006),San Francisco Giants (2007–2010),and Texas Rangers (2010). He is the older brother of major league catchers JoséMolina and Yadier Molina.
Lafayette Napoleon Cross was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from 1887 to 1907. Cross played most of his 21-year career with Philadelphia-based teams in four different leagues. One of the sport's top all-around players in the years surrounding the turn of the 20th century,when he retired he ranked fifth in major league history in hits (2,644) and runs batted in (1,371),ninth in doubles (411) and total bases (3,466),and third in games played (2,275) and at bats (9,064).
Eugene James Petralli is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers from 1982 to 1993.
The St. Louis Cardinals 2004 season was the team's 123rd season in St. Louis,Missouri and the 113th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 105–57 during the season,the most wins of any Cardinals team since 1944,and the first Cardinal team to win 100 or more games since 1985,and won the National League Central by 13 games over the NL Wild-Card Champion Houston Astros. In the playoffs the Cardinals defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 3 games to 1 in the NLDS and the Astros 4 games to 3 in the NLCS to reach their first World Series since 1987. In the World Series the Cardinals faced the Boston Red Sox and were swept 4 games to 0. It was the final World Series played at Busch Memorial Stadium. Because the American League had home-field advantage as a result of winning the All-Star Game,Busch Memorial Stadium was where the Curse of the Bambino died.
The 1972 Major League Baseball season was the first to have games cancelled by a player strike. It was also the last season in which American League pitchers would hit for themselves on a regular basis;the designated hitter rule would go into effect the following season.
The 2010 Cincinnati Reds season was the 141st season for the franchise in Major League Baseball,and their eighth at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. The Reds began their season at home against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 5,losing 11 to 6. Cincinnati was coming off a 78-84 (.481) season and fourth place in the National League Central. The Reds were managed by Dusty Baker,who was in his third season with the team. His coaches were Mark Berry,Billy Hatcher,Brook Jacoby (hitting),Juan Lopez (bullpen),Bryan Price (pitching),and Chris Speier (bench). For the second year in a row,Cincinnati hosted the Major League Baseball Civil Rights Game. They played St. Louis Cardinals and won 4 to 3. The majority owner of the Cincinnati Reds was Robert Castellini;the general manager was Walt Jocketty. Their home field was Great American Ball Park.
The 2011 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2011 season. The 107th edition of the World Series,it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Texas Rangers and the National League (NL) champion St. Louis Cardinals;the Cardinals defeated the Rangers in seven games to win their 11th World Series championship and their second in six seasons.
The St. Louis Cardinals' 2011 season was the team's 130th season in St. Louis,Missouri,its 120th season in the National League,and its sixth season at Busch Stadium III. The Cardinals began their season at home against the San Diego Padres on March 31,following an 86–76 (.531) record and second-place finish in the National League Central in 2010. The team returned to postseason play in 2011 as the Wild Card team,after finishing second in the NL Central to the Milwaukee Brewers by six games. The Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Phillies in five games in the NLDS and the Milwaukee Brewers in six games in the NLCS. They defeated the Texas Rangers in the World Series in seven games.
Peter Michael Kozma is an American professional baseball shortstop who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals,New York Yankees,Texas Rangers,Detroit Tigers,and Oakland Athletics. The Cardinals selected him in the first round of the 2007 MLB draft from Owasso High School in Oklahoma,and he made his MLB debut for them on May 18,2011. He is 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m),weighs 190 lb (86 kg),and bats and throws right-handed.
The St. Louis Cardinals 2012 season was the 131st season for the franchise in St. Louis,Missouri,the 121st season in the National League,and the seventh at Busch Stadium III. The Cardinals made their 25th trip to the postseason in 2012 after taking the NL Wild Card title by one game over the Atlanta Braves on the last day of the regular season in 2011. They began the 2012 season away against the Miami Marlins on April 4. St. Louis was coming off a 90–72 (.556) season,a second-place finish in the National League Central Division,the aforementioned wild card berth,and their National League-leading 11th World Series championship.
In baseball,hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter who hits a single,a double,a triple,and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are rare in Major League Baseball (MLB),having occurred only 344 times,starting with Curry Foley in 1882. The most recent cycle in MLB was accomplished by JoséAltuve of the Houston Astros on August 28,2023.
The Call was a bad call made by umpire Don Denkinger in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series between the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals on October 26,1985 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City,Missouri. The Royals lost the first two games of the World Series at their home stadium and were on the verge of elimination,down 1–0 in the bottom of the ninth in Game 6,when Denkinger ruled Royals runner Jorge Orta safe at first. Television replays and photographs showed that Orta was out by half a step,and Denkinger received hateful letters and death threats from Cardinals fans following the game. The Royals went on to win the 1985 World Series.
