Jackie Smith played 15 years for the football Cardinals and ended his career in the Super Bowl, playing his final year for the Dallas Cowboys. At the end of his 16 year career, Smith held the NFL record for most pass receptions caught and most yards gained by a tight end. He played in five… Read more »
News
Team: St. Louis Cardinals
Lee Smith
The story goes that he was discovered in the deep woods of Louisiana by former Negro Leagues manager-turned-scout Buck O’Neil and yet walked away from the game while in the minor leagues, unconvinced of the future for relief pitchers. Imagine that. Baseball was that close to never hearing of Lee Smith. Yes, that Lee Smith,… Read more »
Rod Smith
In almost every community across America, a unique connection exists between sports fans and their local sports reporters. Nowhere is that more pronounced than in mid-Missouri. In 2008, at the height of the Great Recession and its layoffs, longtime KRCG-TV 13 Sports Director Rod Smith was among the casualties, for financial reasons like so many… Read more »
Charles Evard “Gabby” Street
It is doubtful that Charles Evard Street will be recognized as one of the great catchers in the Deadball Era of major league baseball. Chances are excellent that many baseball fans may not recall him at all. For Gabby, it was outside the white lines of a baseball diamond that brought him the most notoriety.… Read more »
Jeff Suppan
They called him “Soup,” and he approached hitters the way a mechanic restores a vintage vehicle. That is, with patience, thinking and creativity. No, Jeff Suppan didn’t throw fastballs that left vapor trails. Instead, when the sun set on his 17-year career in Major League Baseball, he offered a comment that every up-and-coming athlete ought… Read more »
Bruce Sutter
The lone 2006 inductee to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, Sutter was among the game’s top relief pitchers in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Sutter led the NL in saves five times and ranks 20th on the all-time saves list. Posting a 2.84 ERA with the Cubs, Cardinals and Braves, he… Read more »
Lee Thomas
A St. Louis native, Lee was signed by the New York Yankees in 1954. It was with the Angels that Lee was named to the All Star Rookie Team in 1961 and the next season earned a place on the A.L. All-Star Team. In 1972, he joined the Cardinals and remained with the organization until… Read more »
Andy Van Slyke
In mid-June 1983, a prospect outfielder on the St. Louis Cardinals’ Triple-A Louisville club arrived to the ballpark, only to be told he didn’t have a job there. Andy Van Slyke enjoys telling the story. “I remember (Louisville manager) Jim Fregosi called me into his office and sat me down, and he was shaking his… Read more »
Bill Virdon
Bill Virdon was not just an accomplished baseball player, he was also a talented baseball manager. Virdon managed Pittsburgh (1972-73), the New York Yankees (1974-75), Houston (1975-82) and Montreal (1983-84). Bill Virdon has spent his entire life teaching the game of baseball. He began his playing days with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1955 in… Read more »
Adam Wainwright
In spring training of 2003, just a few months after being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, a prospect right-hander walked in to an empty clubhouse. Adam Wainwright had his glove in hand but not much other baseball gear. Plus, he was wondering where his career was headed, as any young player would think. “And… Read more »
Dr. Harrison Weaver
Dr. Harrison Weaver originally played football as a college student at Ohio Wesleyan University. In 1927 he became a trainer and physician for the St. Louis Cardinals and was known for his unusual methods. For example, Weaver would employ a technique known as the “double whammy” which was supposed to jinx the person on whom… Read more »
Harry Weber
Walk outside Busch Stadium in St. Louis or around Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, and you’ll see his work. Or, drive to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in Springfield, where you’ll find his largest collection. That is, a collection of bronze busts and statues. For Harry Weber, call it all a labor of love… Read more »
Todd Worrell
In August of 1985, Todd Worrell was tabbed as the new Cardinal closer. Worrell saved 5 games down the stretch, compiling an ERA of 2.91, then pitched effectively in the postseason against the Dodgers in the NLCS and the Royals in the 1985 World Series. His 36 saves the following season, netted him the 1986… Read more »
Dr. Rick Wright
There is one man in the state of Missouri who in the past 20-some years has pulled this trifecta – working as a pro in the National Hockey League, National Football League and Major League Baseball, too. Yes, the Sikeston kid who was an OK athlete – his own words – made it to the… Read more »
Dick Zitzmann
Richard Zitzmann is the President of Sport Classics, Inc. based in St. Louis, Missouri. For the past 20 plus years, Sports Classics, Inc. has acted as the exclusive business agent for Baseball Hall of Famer’s Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock and Red Schoendienst. Zitzmann also works closely with many other Hall of Fame players… Read more »