On September 18, 1967, the Cardinals clinched the National League pennant. The next day's game against the Phillies was almost as interesting. Starting for the Cardinals was Dick Hughes, who owned the best winning percentage of all NL pitchers. Dick talks about this game and other highlights of the '67 WS champions, including how he got his nickname "The Sniper."

This episode is part two of our interview with Dick Hughes, The Sporting News 1967 Rookie of the Year.

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He's the same guy who Tom Seaver beat out for the 1967 MLB Rookie of the Year. He's the same guy who led the Cardinals in wins that year. He was a 29-year-old rookie who picked up the mantle when Gibson went down with a broken leg, leading the team with 16 wins, only becoming a regular starter in May. He's an eighty-six-year-old who delights us with an interview that covers his adventures from minor league ball to pitching in Fenway as he helped lead the Cardinals to a World Series Championship.

It started with a state championship in high school and concluded with a World Series ring in 1967, with a slew of minor league crowns in between. Despite various setbacks, Dick Hughes pitched for one successful team after another, including the 1967 World Series champion Cardinals, in a season that he would lead the team in wins and be named The Sporting News Rookie of the Year. This spotlight is punctuated with excerpts from our interview with Dick and his wife Anne in which they share the ups and downs of his journey through professional baseball, all the while being one the very few Redbirds to have his entire career with St. Louis.

Who is the best all-time second baseman for the Cardinals? Roger Hornsby, a two-time Triple Crown winner? Frankie Frisch, who set a record for most assists in a single season (643) that still stands today?

Tommy Herr? Red Schoendienst? Among others who should be in this conversation is Julian “The Phantom” Javier, who played more games at second than any other Redbird (1960-1971). He was a key figure in the World Series championships of ’64 and ’67 and the pennant crown of ’68.

While it was his glove that provided the most value for his team, his penchant for clutch at bats helped make him at two-time All-Star and this episode’s unsung hero.

Why was Bob Uecker rejected as a roommate while with the ’64 Cardinals?

Why did Augie Busch rent an entire motel for the Cardinals to use during spring training in ’64?

What were the circumstances surrounding the time Bob Uekeer had to drive his teammate Carl Warwick to a St. Louis hospital?

These stories are a just a few of the memories that Carl and Nancy Warwick share in our interview about Carl’s time with the WS ’64 Champion Cardinals and other clubs. This episode is part II of our interview with them and their grandson. Be sure to listen to part I first.

You'll also hear one of our listeners tell us about the afternoon he spent pestering Tim McCarver.

Our podcast that spotlights unsung heroes from Cardinal lore like Carl Warwick can be found here and wherever fine podcasts are hosted:

Website: https://stlouiscardinalsbeyondthehof.libsyn.com/

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Being a professional baseball player sounds like a glamourous occupation, right? Not so much in the early 60s, especially if you were playing in the minors. Nancy Warwick shares with us the struggles of managing a family amid trades, poor pay, and a husband who was absent half the time playing on the road. With husband Carl Warwick, a significant player on the 1964 World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals, Nancy gives her unique perspective of a wife as she and Carl navigate the arduous journey from minor league play to baseball’s biggest stage. Their amusing stories include a bologna road trip from Chicago to Houston while toting two young daughters, one only a few months old. Take an engaging walk down memory lane to baseball as it was in the 1960s.

ALSO! Be a guest on our podcast! To be a part of a future episode, share with us an early memory of the St. Louis Cardinals. It could be about a game you watched on TV or in person or listened to on the radio. It could be about a game you attended. It might be about how the Cardinals were a bonding element between you and a grandparent. Additionally, you could tell us about your favorite unsung hero.

Email me with your memory and we’ll set up a time for us to have a brief phone conversation so that I can record your recollection and put it in an upcoming episode. I’d prefer to record your voice, but if you just want to only share it via email, that can work, too.

Email address: tommyjonstlcardinalspodcast@gmail.com

Other links:

Website: https://stlouiscardinalsbeyondthehof.libsyn.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkRx0bBfd2KyDcY9MEvdPaPhli56Ou4Ow

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Did you know that The Sporting News named Bing Devine, the Cardinals General Manager, Baseball's Executive of the Year for both 1963 and 1964? It would be no surprise in 1964 as the Redbirds were World Series Champions, but did you know that August Busch fired Devine in the latter part of the '64 pennant run? That's an example of one of the many interesting developments covered in this episode that details the members of the '64 roster. While the marquee players are noted, equal coverage is given to the role players, like those who closed out Gibson's victories and got on base to set up Boyer's grand slam. Relive the thrill of that season in this episode that also includes excerpts from actual game broadcasts by Jack Buck and Harry Caray.

In this episode we conclude our conversation with 85-year-old Gordie Richardson, a key player in the Cardinals journey to win the World Series in 1964. Gordie recalls his interactions with legends like Mike Shannon, Bop Gibson, Dizzy Dean, Yogi Berra, and his memories of winning the pennant and his time in New York taking down the Yankees. He also talks about life after baseball and explains how his home town is billed as "Home of Swamp Gravy."

All of our episodes can be accessed on YouTube:

YouTube Playlist for St. Louis Cardinals: Beyond the HOF

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