Who is the man: Jose Cardenal had just completed his first season with St. Louis when this card came out. He set career season-highs in hits, doubles, RBIs and OPS.
Can ya dig it: Cardenal is a long way from his power Afro days.
Right on: A Cardenal is playing for the Cardinals!
You see that cat Cardenal is a bad mother: Cardenal finished his career with 329 stolen bases and was second in the American League in the category in both 1965 and 1968.
Shut your mouth: Cardenal was known for coming up with bizarre reasons for not being able to play, causing Chicago columnist Mike Royko to call him "the immortal Jose Cardenal". Cardenal once famously said he couldn't play spring training games because one of his eyelids was stuck shut. (By the way this story has been retold many times, some with Cardenal having both eyelids stuck shut and others with him having his eyelids stuck open).
No one understands him but his woman: Cardenal and former Oakland A's shortstop Bert Campaneris are cousins. When Campaneris played all nine positions in a game in 1965, Cardenal was the first batter to come to the plate when Campaneris moved to the mound.
(A word about the back): The Sophomore League is an odd name. It was a Class D minor league that ran from 1958-61. A couple of the teams in that league (Albuquerque, El Paso) later moved to the Texas League.
He used to hide baseballs in the Wrigley Field ivy, too, during the game.
ReplyDeleteRight on II:
ReplyDeleteJohnny Podres played for the Padres.
Right on III: Dave Philley played for the Phillies. Now look what you started!
ReplyDeleteRight on IV: Butch Metzger briefly pitched for the Mets.
ReplyDelete