In the fifth inning at Sportsman’s Park, Babe Pinelli forfeits the second game of the twin bill to the visiting Phillies. The umpire makes the rare call when the Cardinals, trailing 8-1 in the not-yet-official contest and darkness approaching, delay the game by bringing in three new pitchers during the inning.
Seven years after the team had threatened to strike because of the integration of baseball by Jackie Robinson, North Carolina A&T graduate Tom Alston becomes the first black player to appear in a Cardinals uniform. The highly-touted first baseman, acquired from the PCL’s San Diego club in exchange for veteran infielder Dick Sisler and $100,000, pops out to first base in his first major league at-bat.
The Cards hit 5 home runs‚ all of them solo shots‚ but lose to the Dodgers’ Preacher Roe‚ 12 – 5. The Dodgers collect 17 hits in the win. The 5 solo homers – one each by Stan Musial‚ Harry Elliott‚ and Rip Repulski‚ and two by Steve Bilko – tie a National League record.
August 30, 1953 at Ebbets Field Cardinal manager Eddie Stanky gets on Jackie Robinson during the Dodger 7th. The towel wrapped around Stanky’s knee is a reference to Jackie’s knee problems that had sidelined him for the previous two games. Robinson had struck out earlier in the inning, nearly falling down which prompted Stanky’s…
8/21/1953 – The Cardinals hit out of turn for the second time in less than a month. Playing at home against Cincinnati, the Redbirds went down in order in the first inning. Ray Jablonski was due up to start the second but Steve Bilko batted one slot early in the order. After Bilko grounded out, the Cardinals discovered the error and told the umpires who declared Jablonski out. Then Bilko hit again in his proper place and homered for the game’s first run. The Cards won, 4-0.
Dodger backup 1B Wayne Belardi scores two runs in the 8th inning, one on a pinch-hit grand slam. His slam is the third Dodger grand slam in three games (Gil Hodges connected on the 16th, and Billy Cox, on the 17th). The Dodgers’ 8 – 6 win over the Cardinals puts Brooklyn three games ahead of Milwaukee.
May 26, 1953, Six years after Jackie Robinson makes his major league debut, the Cardinals sign their first black player when Fresno State College slugger Len Tucker agrees to a $3,000 professional contract. The 23 year-old speedy outfielder plays exceptionally well in the minors for Peoria, Saskatoon, and Modesto, but never gets the called up…
At Sportsman’s Park on Sept. 28, 1952, In was scheme to add some life to the last game of the season, Eddie Stanky puts starter Harvey Haddix in right field and brings in Stan Musial to pitch to Cubs Frankie Baumholtz who is chasing Stan for the batting title. Stan threw one pitch and…
1952 – Enos Slaughter of the Cardinals walks twice in the 5th inning. Teammate Stan Musial chips in with a home run and a double in the inning, as St. Louis scores 11 runs against Dave Koslo. The Giants pitcher loses the game 14 – 4, his first loss to St. Louis after 13 straight victories since June 11, 1950.
1952 – The U.S. Standardization Board clears the way for Stan Musial to get a salary increase to $85,000. Prior to this relaxation of the rules, there was a wage freeze in effect due to the Korean War. Under the new rules, a team is free to raise individual salaries, as long as they do not exceed a complicated formula, based on total team salaries for any one year, from 1946 to 1950, plus 10 percent.
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