Best history of the Cardinals?

by collies-n-baseball on Jul 23, 2008 6:21 PM EDT Comment 15 comments

I would like to learn more about the history of the Cardinals and figured who better to ask than the fans from St. Louis. What are the best histories of the team? Also, any good histories of the old Browns?

Thank you for any suggestions you have and please know I deeply appreciate you taking your time to help me. :)

I need to make 75 words and the only other thing I can think of to write is that when my father was growing up one of his favorite ballplayers was Dizzy Dean. Your having a impressive season this year and I wish the Cardinals all the best in the pennant race. Hope they beat the Brewers tonight. :)

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hey collies, there is soooo much history in redbird nation that 75 words simply wont even scratch the surface! but if its Dizzy you want… a couple of my favorite stories about Diz are: I forget the year, but in the World Series Dizzy decided to steal second and while sliding into 2nd he was struck in the head by the ball. it looked to be a pretty bad knock and he couldnt finish the game. obviously, this really looked bleak for the NL champs since their top ace possilbly wouldnt be able to pitch another game in the series. but the next day, ole Diz showed up at the park and declared himself ready to go when his turn came up next. he said “i went to the hospital and the doctors x-rayed my head and couldnt find nothing in it” just a funny way that Dizzy had of dealing with the situation. also, look into the “Gashouse Gang”, same time period. they were a cocky and scrappy bunch of ball players that gave a depression era public a good reason to come out to the ballpark. Pep Martin and his crew would warm up before the game with trick throws and all kinds of shennanigans. those are just a few examples of some cards history, im sure there will be plenty more posts from the other great fans on this blog…those are just a few of my favs.

by jbrowning007 on Jul 23, 2008 6:36 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Cool! I saw a film recently of the Gas House Gang

warming up before the game. They sure knew how to play around with the ball. That is too funny about Dizzy, was that the Series against the 1934 Tigers? I live in Michigan and I am not a fan of them or
American League baseball. But, thats another story. Thank you for the wonderful tidbits of history, I am enjoyed them greatly! :)

by collies-n-baseball on Jul 23, 2008 7:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Gashouse Gang

I think this may be the one that jbrowning had in mind. It’s very good.

The Gashouse Gang: How Dizzy Dean, Leo Durocher, Branch Rickey, Pepper Martin, and Their Colorful, Come-from-Behind Ball Club Won the World Series- and America’s Heart-During the Great Depression

I just got done reading the book and it is very thorough and good.

Another interesting book is:

Diz: The Story of Dizzy Dean and Baseball During the Great Depression

Naturally, I would also recommend:

El Birdos: The 1967 and 1968 St. Louis Cardinals

I consider this a must-read.

by bgh on Jul 24, 2008 9:04 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yep

Just read those three over last winter—couldn’t give a higher recommendation. Great books. Also, don’t forget “Cardinals Journal” by John Snyder. It’s a, get this, GAME BY GAME study of The Birds from 1882 to 2005!! Very cool for stats, trades, records, all kindsa fun info.

by rockin redbird on Jul 24, 2008 3:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

the most interesting eras to me

are the 60’s teams and the 80’s teams. but that’s the main eras I know about due to reading the Bob Gibson biography and White Rat, a book about Whitey Herzog and the 80’s teams. both books delve into the past too, and relate stories and players from earlier eras. there are probably a ton of good books on the subject…

strikeouts from left-center

by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jul 23, 2008 6:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

thank you!

I’ll look for their bios. I appreciate your help. :)

by collies-n-baseball on Jul 23, 2008 7:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

a suggestion

Also, any good histories of the old Browns?

Try Before They Were Cardinals by Jon David Cash. It’s not a long book, but it’s great, especially if you’re interested in late nineteenth century history and the early St. Louis vs. Chicago rivalry.

by jdub176 on Jul 23, 2008 6:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Thank, added it to my list. :)

I have time to read now and want to read about the Cardinals since my dad used to tell me about the Gas House Gang. :)

by collies-n-baseball on Jul 23, 2008 7:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

More recent history

but October 1964 by David Halberstam needs to be recommended.

by liam on Jul 23, 2008 7:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Another one

I haven’t read this yet, but the beat writer for stlcardinals.com recently came out with a history of the Cardinals that looks great:

Game of my Life by Matthew Leach.

by liam on Jul 23, 2008 7:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

wikipedia is your friend

Search wikipedia for stl cardinals and you’ll find a plethora of information. :)

Superman
will wear an Ankiel t-shirt to bed tonight.
by Iowa on May 6, 2008 11:07 PM EDT

by lynx on Jul 24, 2008 9:30 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

im a young cardinlas fan…my earliest memories were mcgwire….but my father taped every game in the 70s and 80s (almost everygame)...but my favorite part of history was the 80s cardinals with all the speed, mcgee, coleman, ozzie teams hated playing them back in the day and with john tudor on the mound winning 15-20 games a season…i dont think people understand the historical value of el hombre …were watching one of the best right handed hitters ever to play the game…steroid free at that the man is unbeivable…for those who will remember seeing albert and a-rod play…years after they retire everyone will understand what special hitter they both are….amazing players in their prime i know im enjoying it

by pujols_5 on Jul 24, 2008 10:01 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I highly recommend

the late Bob Broeg’s Redbirds: A Century of Cardinals Baseball, originally written in 1981, and expanded to include the “Whiteyball” teams of the ‘80s.

The Cardinals were one of the “have-not” teams before Branch Rickey invented the “farm system” by buying minor-league teams and the rights to their players… prior to that, big-league teams had to deal with “free-agent” minor-league team owners to acquire talent! Then as now, clubs with the most money could buy the rights to the best prospects (although the players at the time didn’t see the dough). That farm system was the foundation for winning Cardinals teams throughout the 1930’s and 1940’s, before the rest of baseball “caught up”.

Those 1960s teams featured home-grown talent such as Bob Gibson, Ken Boyer, Tim McCarver, Mike Shannon, Steve Carlton, and Dal Maxville… shrewd trades added Lou Brock, Julian Javier, Orlando Cepeda, and Roger Maris.

The “Runnin’ Redbirds” were built by trade and acquisitions such as Ozzie Smith, Lonnie Smith, Jose Oquendo, Willie McGee, George Hendrick, Jack Clark, Joaquin Andujar, John Tudor, Bruce Sutter, and Jack Clark. Tom Herr, Ken Oberkfell, and Keith Hernandez were the most prominent “homegrowns.”

"In this game, don't nobody know nuthin' about nuthin'." -- attributed to Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra

by The Ol Goaler on Jul 24, 2008 10:56 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

St. Louis Browns History

Check out these sites on the St. Louis Browns and I also highly recommend researching Baltimore Orioles history because that’s where the Browns moved to in 1954.

http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/al/stlouisbrowns/browns.html

http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=St_Louis_Browns

by REDROBIN1892 on Jul 25, 2008 4:23 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs