All in the Cards
June 23, 2010 by Sam Miller · Leave a Comment
Ozzie Smith, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson. Three names Cardinals fans and baseball enthusiasts know well. But those are just three of the Redbirds 42 Hall of Famers. What about Rabbit Maranville, Chick Hafey or Pud Galvin? Authors Greg Marecek and Myron Holtzman engage readers with story after story in “ The Cardinals of Cooperstown.”
Pick up a copy of this book because:
1. You will revel in the memories you already have of this proud franchise.
Jack Buck’s “Go crazy, folks, go crazy!” call of Ozzie Smith’s home run in the ’85 NLCS is one of the most enduring calls in baseball history. That you know, but how about Smith’s bet with Manager Whitey Herzog? In four years with the San Diego Padres, “The Wizard” hit .230. Betting on Smith’s hitting ability looked to be easy money for the skipper. Then again… With $2 from Herzog on the line for every ground ball and $1 out of Ozzie’s pocket for every fly ball, Herzog soon had enough of the bet. “I never saw anyone work harder than him trying to hit ground balls or line drives,” his manager said. ( 46, Cardinals
)
Last season’s leader, Houston’s Michael Bourn, stole 61 bases. Albert Pujols led the Cards with 16 swipes. In 1974, Lou Brock had barely started out of the batter’s box on the way to a then-record 118 stolen bases. Who knew that a grade school punishment could serve as a launching point for a career, but that’s what happened. A young Brock was up to mischief when his spitball hit a fellow classmate and landed him in the library. His task? To research baseball standouts Joe DiMaggio, Don Newcombe, Jackie Robinson and Stan Musial. With that, he was off and running ( 53 ). Baseball’s stolen base king reigned supreme until Rickey Henderson surpassed Brock with 130 in 1982.
2. Whether reading about familiar greats from your lifetime or perusing the statistics and accomplishments of a heralded batter from generations gone by, “The Cardinals of Cooperstown” will keep you poring over the pages .
“Superb clutch hitter. Drove in 100 or more runs six years in a row, 1924-1929, leading the league twice. Established record by batting in 12 runs in one game. Most Valuable Player 1928″ reads “Sunny Jim” Bottomley’s 1974 Hall of Fame plaque ( 17 ). Decade after decade the Cardinals players stand up favorably to their competition with myriad feats.
3. The wide variety of colorful illustrations are reason enough to pick up this prize.
Besides stories and stats, “The Cardinals of Cooperstown” features Old Judge cards, vintage photographs, souvenir programs and memorabilia. See for yourself!
Sam Miller is a graduate of the University of Illinois where he worked with various teams in sports information and received the Freedom Forum – NCAA Sports Journalism Scholarship for his achievements. During the 2009 season, Miller served as communications intern for the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate. Prior to that, he worked as a communications intern for USA Basketball and as an associate reporter for MLB.com.
