UCB Topic: End of the Season Roundtable

[Ed note:  This discussion occurred from 22-25 October]

One of the cooler aspects of being in the United Cardinal Bloggers is the interaction between the writers (and this year, being able to meet a majority of them).  Each off-season the UCB holds a discussion between the members via email, where one blogger poses a question and the rest offer their opinions as to the best answer.  It’s always interesting and thought-provoking.  The first year we did this it took about 10 days.  This year it lasted over a month and was awesome.

My question came around on 22 October, and the panel of experts had the weekend to ponder their answers.  What sage question did I come up with, do you ask?  See for yourself:

Good Morning!  I briefly considered asking this august panel if Mozeliak should trade Albert Pujols away this winter because his price is likely to be too high, but that is too depressing a thought to carry into the weekend.

Instead, I give you access to Bill and Ted’s excellent time machine elevator, and ask:  If you could be present, in person, to witness any game in Cardinals history, what would it be?

Clever answers after the jump.

Dennis, Pitchers Hit Eighth:  Without question, I’d go see the 7th game of the 1946 World Series against the Boston Red Sox at Sportsman’s Park (III).  The 8th inning of that game was immortalized by Enos Slaughter’s “Mad Dash” from 1st base on Harry Walker’s double over the head of Johnny Pesky to score the winning run.  The win gave the Cardinals a WS victory over the Red Sox.  As an added bonus, I’d get to see some guys named Ted Williams and Stan Musial play.  Not too shabby.

Excellent choice.  Williams and Musial in their primes.  See the Cardinals win on their home field.  See a play that became a legend.

Jaqueline, Cardinal Diamond Diaries: Wow..if only! My choice would be The Immortal 1964 World Series-memorialized in print by David Halberstam in his NY Times best seller “October 1964”.  I’d go to any game, but if I have to pick one game, it would be Game 7-Cards vs the hated Yankees at Busch Stadium. Cards had never lost a game 7. Yankees had never lost two WS in a row. Bob Gibson was pitching on 2 days rest. He worked quickly to disguise his fatigue. Of course he pitched a complete game. Future Hall of Famers in the game beside Gibby were Lou Brock, Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford and Yankee manager Yogi Berra. Brock and Kenny Boyer hit home runs and McCarver stole home on a double steal. Mantle and Boyer’s brother Clete (also a 3^rd baseman) hit HRs for the Yanks as well. Gibby led the Cards to a 7-5 victory and was named MVP of the WS. Of course the Cards won the Series. *Added bonus- the Yankees, unlike the Cards, wouldn’t make it back to the WS until 1976.

“One ball, one strike. Richardson waits. Gibson delivers…Swung on, popped up! Maxvill at second base, calling for it, makes the catch! The Cardinals win it, and this ballpark…complete bedlam!”

—Joe Garagiola, calling the final out in Game 7.

Last Cardinal Championship in Sportsman’s Park is certainly worthy of a look.  Superior choice.

Mark, Retro Simba:  For me, it would be Stan Musial’s last game, Sept. 29, 1963, at St. Louis, when he singled twice, against the Reds’ fireballer Jim Maloney, in his last two at-bats, and ended his incredible career as the greatest Cardinal of all-time.

Two of three bloggers want to see Musial play, and how can you blame them?  This game would definitely be bittersweet for me if I went, seeing an all-time Great at the end of the line.  I got to see Tony Gwynn’s last hit as a Padre and it was an emotionally charged moment for the fans.  Well worth it.  Mark goes in an unexpected direction, which makes it all the more awesome.

Dan, Cardinal 70:  I think, given the time machine, I might have to pick Gibson’s seventeen strikeout game in the 1968 World Series.  To see a dominant pitching performance like that in a situation with that much meaning would be astounding.  Plus, you’d made a ton after the game betting on the Tigers to win the Series!

The Godfather of the UCB goes for Gibson in his prime.  If memory serves, 17 strikeouts still stands as the post-season record.  Hard to believe St Louis would go on to lose this series with Bob Gibson in the rotation.  Dan certainly will work his magic to get a seat in the field level so he can see for himself if Gibson was as intimidating as the old-time players say he was.  That alone would be worth the trip to me. Outstanding.

Dennis again:  To be honest, I thought about going back to just before the 4th game of the 1985 NLCS and telling Vince Coleman to watch out for the tarp machine.  I just wasn’t sure whether or not we were allowed to try and change anything in the space-time continuum.

This comment made me laugh out loud. I hadn’t considered that use of the time machine, I was just thinking about what event I’d like to see as a spectator.   Loved this thought.  For what it’s worth, I subscribe to Doc Brown’s position on changing the space-time continuum:  “I figured, what the hell.”

Erika, Cardinal Diamond Diaries:  Being new to Cardinal Nation and having missed just about EVERYTHING prior to 2006, this exercise at first seemed daunting, but I quickly managed to narrow it down.  The first criteria was a no-brainer.  Bob Gibson would be on the mound.  The next criteria would be based less on Redbird history and more on my own personal family baseball connections.  Gibson’s opponent would have to be Warren Spahn, the greatest left-handed pitcher of all time.  So, with a little internet research I discovered that Gibson and Spahn opposed each other 10 times, and I chose my ultimate baseball game from among those 10 dates based on location (it had to be in St. Louis), lineup and the boxscore fingerprint.

The result: my time machine would be set for Saturday July 2, 1960.  Yes, Gibson was on the mound, but I would also get to see Curt Flood, Julian Javier, and Ken Boyer as well as watch Stan Musial go 2 for 3 at the plate.

Couple that Cardinal experience with the tandem joy of seeing Warren Spahn deal as well as Eddie Matthews, Del Crandall and Hank Aaron in the Braves lineup and my wish for a perfect historical baseball game experience would be complete.  Oh, and the Cardinals would get the win 7-1 with both Gibson and Spahn throwing the entire game!

This was the only game not either a playoff game or the final game of the season.  Leave it to Erika to hit a home run.  What a lineup!

Chris, Bird Brained:  Man, there are so many great games in Cardinal history. I think I’m going to pick one from my lifetime, but even that’s difficult: the championship years of ’82 and ’06, the NLCS of ’85 and ’04-’06, any one of a number of games from ’98 (though I was present for HR #1 that year)…it just goes to show you how lucky we are to root for a team with such a rich and successful history.

I think I have to pick Game 7 of the 1982 World Series. It was such a classic power vs. speed matchup. But to see that final strike from Bruce Sutter, seeing Darrel Porter jump into his arms, the pile-on of players including names like McGee and Smith and Herr and Hernandez, and the throng of fans that poured onto the Busch Stadium turf afterward…it just seems like that would be one hell of a great time.

I listened to this game on the radio.  I was 12 years old and doing homework at the time.  I remember the crowd going nuts when the Cardinals took the lead. Gotta agree with Chris, the first title in 15 years would be a hell of a great time.  Nice.

Dan again:  Slightly off-topic, but if we are going back in time to change things, I might not actually make a change in a Cardinal game.  I’ve postulated before what might have happened if Dave Roberts had been caught stealing in the ’04 ALCS.  Could have made a large change in the Cardinal fortunes.
I’ve long thought the 2004 Cardinals were a better team than the 2004 Yankees.  It might be personal bias, but still – those Cardinals won 105 games.  Had Boston not made their improbable comeback the Cardinals might have won 2 titles in 3 years.  Of course, they might still have done it if Edmonds and Rolen could have knocked in a run in the eighth inning of Game one, or if Suppan hadn’t got caught off third in Game 3.  Oh, well.

Anywho, that was all the input.  As for me, I would go back to 1926 and watch the Cardinals win their first ever World Series.  Why?  Because that game included the greatest right-handed hitter who ever lived (Rogers Hornsby), another moment that became the stuff of legend (Grover Cleveland Alexander striking out Tony Lazzeri with the bases loaded to end the seventh), and the only World Series game ended with a caught stealing – involving the greatest baseball player ever (Babe Ruth).  Not to mention actually getting to sit in the House that Ruth Built, with the original dimensions.

A great discussion and a lot of memories (and time spent on Baseball Reference).  Thanks to all who participated.