|
|||
When evaluating season-by-season offensive power production (in terms of doubles, triples and home runs) by a given team's starting first and second basemen in the same season, Cardinals fans armed with long memories and/or a Baseball Encyclopedia probably agree that 1925, the first season in which a baseball with a cushioned cork center was used in all big league games, was a good year.
That was because, in 1925, the St. Louis 1B/2B duo of Jim Bottomley and Rogers Hornsby combined for a total of 167 extra-base hits...with Hornsby alone accounting for 41 doubles, 10 triples, and 39 home runs.
Other standout extra-base hit seasons by Redbird first and second sackers?
*in 1928, Bottomley and Frank Frisch combined for 141 extra-base hits
*in 1946, Stan Musial and Red Schoendienst had 119 extra-base hits (including Musial's 50 doubles)
*in 1963, Bill White and Julian Javier had 106 extra-base hits
*in 1967, Orlando Cepeda and Javier had 95 extra-base hits
*in 1969, Joe Torre and Javier combined for a total of 93 extra-base hits
*in 1985, Jack Clark and Tom Herr combined for a total of 100 extra-base hits.
These comparisons make the 1997 numbers posted by the 1B/2B tandem of Mark McGwire and Delino DeShields look pretty good.
That's because, including McGwire's Oakland stats, in 1997, McGwire and DeShields pounded out a total of 136 extra-base hits (53 doubles, 14 triples, and 69 home runs).
Combine those numbers with those compiled by SS Royce Clayton, who in 1997 had 53 extra-base hits, and the Cardinals have the makings of a history-making 1998 infield.
All of which assumes that Clayton and DeShields will join McGwire as Cardinal regulars in 1998.
Late last season, Cards GM Walt Jocketty was asked if all eight of the '97 Cardinal regulars would return in 1998. The question was phrased in such a way that the Pagnozzi/Marrero/DiFelice/Lampkin catching quartet would be considered to be unchanged if two or three of that group played in St. Louis in '98.
"That's a really good question," Jocketty replied.
He then paused for a moment before continuing.
"I don't know...we'll have to wait and see what happens."
Fast forward to early December, 1997.
The expansion draft has come and gone, with the Cardinals losing only DiFelice and minor league OF Kerry Robinson.
Meanwhile...
*OF Ron Gant is still a Cardinal, with three seasons remaining on a five-year contract signed prior to the 1996 season.
*OF Brian Jordan, recovering from wrist surgery, is heading into the last season of a three-year contract.
*OF Ray Lankford is entering the last year of his contract, which apparently has an option year (the Cardinals hold the option) for the 1999 season.
*OF-1B John Mabry spent several weeks in Florida learning the third-base trade.
*3B Gary Gaetti is still unsigned.
*SS Clayton, if he doesn't re-sign with the Cardinals, will probably file for arbitration...and will probably draw a 1998 paycheck in the $4-5 million range.
*2B DeShields is in the second year of his free-agent contract signed last season.
*And 1B McGwire, assuming that he remains injury-free, will start 140 or so games.
To date, the only significant change in the Cardinals roster resulted in the acquisition of Reds closer Jeff Brantley.
In return for Brantley, Jocketty sent Dmitri Young to Cincinnati.
Implicit in Brantley's acquisition is the fact that 43-year-old Hall of Fame reliever Dennis Eckersley will not wear a Cardinals uniform in 1998.
That about sums up the state of the Cardinals roster, as of early December.
But back to Jocketty.
I think his trigger finger is itchy.
And the trade of Dmitri Young didn't scratch that itch.
Perhaps the uncertainty over Andy Benes' free-agent situation has thrown a monkey wrench into Jocketty's plans...or maybe there's been some other hang-up.
Something tells me, though, that the time is running out on Jocketty's "I don't know...we'll have to wait and see what happens" reply.
Tradable Cardinals?
Something tells me, too, that sometime in 1998 minimum wage rookie SS Luis Ordaz, a defensive whiz, may trade in his warm-up jersey for one of those slightly modified '98 Cardinal uniforms.
|
||||||||||
