No Stranger to the World Series
St. Louis Cardinals: Beyond the HOF- Saluting Unsung Heroes
Release Date: 06/24/2024
Two Salutes!!- Tolan and Segui: One outstole Brock in '70, the other was a near hero in '73
St. Louis Cardinals: Beyond the HOF- Saluting Unsung Heroes
It's a 2-fer episode in which we spotlight two unsung heroes of Cardinal past. One of the Cardinals contributed to the '67 and '68 championship teams while the other just missed being remembered as a hero in a weird finish to the 1973 season. Production note: As explained in this episode, we curtailing our production of episodes from twice a month to once a month. We'll continue to publish a Cardinal salute on the fourth Monday of each month.
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Hilarious start to a professional baseball career- Keep Digging
St. Louis Cardinals: Beyond the HOF- Saluting Unsung Heroes
You might think that a typical professional baseball player’s early experience might include lessons from a paid instructor, inclusion on an exclusive travel ball team, or carefully guided support from a parent. That’s not even close to Danny Sheaffer’s experience. While enjoying over 40 years in professional baseball, Sheaffer played three seasons for the Cardinals (1995, 96 and 97). It is a hilarious beginning to a long baseball journey. Sheaffer is the author to his new book Keep Digging: Discovering the Greatest Story Ever Told, Through the Greatest Game...
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Ron Taylor recast: 4 WS rings, 5 decades in MLB
St. Louis Cardinals: Beyond the HOF- Saluting Unsung Heroes
What a career in baseball!! Four World Series rings Member of Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame At 35, pivoted to a medical degree and became team physician for Toronto Blue Jays With the recent passing of Dr. Taylor, we are recasting one of our early episodes that saluted his career. We start with giving additional information not included in the original episode.
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Want to be a Cardinal? Beat Bob Gibson Twice
St. Louis Cardinals: Beyond the HOF- Saluting Unsung Heroes
Diminutive Al Jackson, nicknamed "Little Al", twice took on the formidable Bob Gibson and beat him 1-0, both complete game victories. This occurred just before the Cardinals traded for Jackson in 1966. Jackson went on to help the Redbirds win a pennant and World Series championship as a starter and a reliever. Via phone interview, teammates Dick Hughes and Larry Jaster share their memories of Al while we also give you the highs and lows of Jackson's exploits with the woeful Mets. Also, enjoy another edition of a regular feature "Redbird Recall," where our listeners...
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The Dodger Killer/The Creeper, AKA Larry Jaster, on 40 years in MLB and his time with St. Louis (part II)
St. Louis Cardinals: Beyond the HOF- Saluting Unsung Heroes
Jaster, an integral member of the Cardinals success in the late ‘60s, spent an hour with Jon and I, talking about the World Series and pennant championships he helped to secure. You’ll hear more about Eucker and his antics along with anecdotes about Tom Seaver, Willie McCovey, and others. This is part II of our conversation with our salute to Larry Jaster. Check out part I to learn how he earned the nicknames of “The Creeper” and “The Dodger Killer” along with other highlights from his 40 plus years in baseball. The Essential links: Website: YouTube: ...
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Larry Jaster: The Creeper/The Dodger Killer - part 1
St. Louis Cardinals: Beyond the HOF- Saluting Unsung Heroes
When a Clemente line drive broke Bob Gibson's leg in '67, "The Creeper" stepped up. With ace pitcher Gibson out of commission for a large part of the '67 season, the Redbirds had their wings clipped, but on the arms of his teammates like Larry "The Creeper" Jaster, they persevered, not only winning the pennant but ultimately taking the World Series trophy. In part 1 of our interview with 82-year-old Jaster, he shares his memories of that championship season, including how he earned his two nicknames, The Creeper and The Dodger Killer. He also reminisces about the many legends...
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Larry Jaster, aka The Creeper aka The Dodger Killer
St. Louis Cardinals: Beyond the HOF- Saluting Unsung Heroes
Larry Jaster's exploits in MLB earned him not one, but two nicknames: The Creeper and The Dodger Killer. This spotlight of an unsung hero covers Larry's five decades in baseball as a player and coach. He shares his recollections of helping the Cardinals win the pennant in '67, being the first person to pitch in Canada for the Expos, shutting out the Dodgers five times in a row, and rubbing elbows with legends like Willie McCovey, Ted Simmons, and George Kissell. His story about Bob Eucker is not to be missed. The Essential links: Website: YouTube: Facebook: Email address: ...
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Ron "No-Chin" Willis contributed significantly to the '67 and '68 Cardinals championships
St. Louis Cardinals: Beyond the HOF- Saluting Unsung Heroes
"No-Chin" Willis kept his chin up as he worked his way through the minor leagues and into a position to help the St. Louis Cardinals win the WS in '67 and the NL pennant in '68. His adventures include being on fire in the Cardinal dugout and being among the league leaders in saves in '67. This episdoe also includes an interview with a guard at Busch Stadium in the late '60s who recounts his duties and interactions with various players. The Essential links: Website: YouTube: Facebook: Email address:
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Given his last rites and THEN a World Series ring
St. Louis Cardinals: Beyond the HOF- Saluting Unsung Heroes
What former Cardinal, while pitching a minor league game, collapsed on the mound and was taken to a hospital where he was issued his last rites? Surviving this near fatal experience, years later he provided key pitching for the Redbirds in their championship seasons of ’67 and ’68. The answer is the unsung hero of this episode: Joe Hoerner. An All-Star reliever, Hoerner had an interesting life full of peaks and valleys. Consider these examples: Wins a state championship. Then almost dies in a hospital with heart problems. Wins Rookie of the Year in...
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Who is the Cardinal father/son duo that had each of them win a WS ring with the Redbirds?
St. Louis Cardinals: Beyond the HOF- Saluting Unsung Heroes
Many father/son duos have been on the field of play in MLB: Ken/Ken Jr. Griffey, Bobby/Barry Bonds, Sandy/Roberto Alomar, Felipe/Moises Alou, Ray/Bob Boone, and Jose/Jose Jr. Cruz to name a few. However, only one duo had both the father and son sporting multiple WS rings with each of them having a WS ring as a St. Louis Cardinal. This episode reveals this duo, focusing mainly on the father from Joliet, IL. It covers the career of this unsung hero, his ups and downs as a player and as a father. The Essential links: Website: YouTube: Facebook: Email address: ...
info_outlineMaybe you know your baseball. Maybe you don’t.
Test your baseball knowledge by answering these six baseball trivia questions. Here’s the fun part: they all have the same answer:
- Who was the pitcher that figured prominently in World Series championships with both the Brooklyn Dodgers and Los Angeles Dodgers?
- Who was the starting pitcher for the last game ever played by the Brooklyn Dodgers?
- Name the pitcher that started the first regular season game in the inaugural season for the New York Mets.
- Who earned his fourth World Series ring as a pitching coach for the 1984 Detroit Tigers?
- Name the manager of the San Francisco Giants for the 1989 World Series, aka Earthquake series.
- To whom did Bob Brenly give a World Series ring for delivering valuable coaching advice as Brenly managed the Arizona Diamondbacks to a World Series title in 2001?
So who is the baseball player whose career spanned four plus decades and is the answer to all of these questions? He's our featured unsung hero of this podcast episode.
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