Inductees

When first base coach Joe Schultz nicknamed the 1967 St. Louis Cardinals “El Birdos,” the team was picked to finish the National League season no better than sixth — and worse in some polls.

However, few could factor in the Musial effect. Hall of Famer slugger Stan “The Man” Musial took over as general manager before the season and would become the first GM in history to win a pennant and World Series in his first year on the job.

In one of his first moves, Musial acquired Yankees slugger Roger Maris and asked third baseman Mike Shannon to move from right field to third base, a move that solidified the batting order and field a defense that would prove to be second to none.

The Cardinals had All-Stars at every position and built a defense with superior strength up the middle — catcher Tim McCarver, a double play combination of Dal Maxville and Julian Javier, and one of the finest center fielders in Curt Flood.

The corners took care of the offense, with league MVP Orlando Cepeda at first, Maris in right and Cardinals legend Lou Brock in left.

The Cardinals were unstoppable even as they overcame a number of injuries, including the loss of ace Bob Gibson for 52 games as he nursed a broken leg.

By the time El Birdos landed, they had run away with the NL flag by 10 1/2 games. Having clinched the pennant on September 18, the Cardinals had every opportunity to stale before the World Series against the American League’s Boston Red Sox. However, they maintained their momentum and defeated the Sox in seven games, winning their eighth World Series.

1967 World Series

The Red Sox finally returned to the “Big Show” after a grueling 21-year absence to face a much more experienced Cardinals team.

The National League champions had steamrolled over their competition and finished with an impressive 10½ game margin over the rest of the National League. Ending up ninth in 1966, the American Leaguers finished in first after a close four-team pennant chase. Despite the neck-and-neck marathon, rookie manager Dick Williams’ team held on to complete the season one game ahead of both the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins and three games in front of the Chicago White Sox.

Bob Gibson remained the “Redbirds” biggest threat, winning 19, 20 and 21 games in the previous three years, although he totaled 13 regular-season victories in 1967.

The Cardinals, sparked by Orlando Cepeda (25 home runs, 111 RBI and a .325 batting mark) gave manager Red Schoendienst a pennant in his third year as the St. Louis manager. Other key contributors included outfielders Curt Flood (a .335 hitter), Lou Brock (52 stolen bases), 29-year-old rookie righthander Dick Hughes (16 victories) and young pitchers Nelson Briles and Steve Carlton.

On the Boston side, Carl Yastrzemski boasted the Triple Crown (44 home runs, 121 RBIs and a .326 avg.) and was balanced by Jim Lonborg, who won 22o games (10 more than any other pitcher in the rotation).

As Game 1 opened in the picturesque Fenway Park, Gibson went up against Jose Santiago in what would be a hitter’s nightmare. The Cardinal ace struck out 10 batters and allowed on six hits all day in the 2-1 victory. Roger Maris, (obtained from the New York Yankees in December 1966) knocked in both of St. Louis’ runs with third and seventh-inning grounders.

Game 2 however, belonged to the “Beantown Bombers” as Yastrzemski nailed two homers and Lonborg pitched no-hit ball for 7 2/3 innings before winding up with a one hit (Julian Javier’s double), 5-0 masterpiece.

As the Series shifted to St. Louis’ Busch Memorial Stadium, the home team answered back with 5-2 and 6-0 victories. Game 3 foiled Boston’s best efforts as Nelson Briles’ seven-hitter and Mike Shannon’s two run blast proved to be the decisive factors, while Gibson’s five-hit hurling and two RBIs apiece by Maris and Tim McCarver kept the “Redbirds” up in Game 4.

Lonborg returned for Game 5 after an outstanding effort in the second outing and nothing changed as the 25-year-old righty tossed two hit, shutout ball over 8 2/3 innings, then settled for a 3-1 decision when Maris knocked a last-desperate homer to right.

Going for the clincher, the visiting team took a 2-1 lead going into the fourth inning when Dick Hughes (who led the National League with a .727 winning percentage) gave up a record three homers in a single inning. Yastrzemski led off the fourth with a long drive over the wall in left-center and, two outs later, rookie Reggie Smith and Rico Petrocelli both hammered consecutive shots. Brock managed to tie the game 4-4 with a two-run homer in the seventh, but Boston retaliated with four runs of their own and went on for the 8-4 triumph.

Game 7 promised to be a “gunslingers” shootout as Gibson and Lonborg met for the final duel. Both pitchers were 2-0 in the Series with Gibson giving up four hits in 18 innings and Lonborg surrendering a single run and four hits in his 18.

Pitching on three days rest (to his rivals two), the Cardinal ace clearly dominated the finale, permitting only three hits, striking out 10 batters and even adding a home run blast of his own in the fifth. Julian Javier added a three-run shot off Lonborg in the sixth and Gibson cruised to the decisive 7-2 victory. He now boasted a 5-1 record and a 2.00 ERA in World Series competition, with 57  strikeouts in 54 innings and only 37 hits allowed.