St. Louis Cardinals: Beyond the HOF- Saluting Unsung Heroes

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:

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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: [email protected]

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

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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."

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85-year-old Gordie Richardson spends an hour with us talking about his experience in helping the St. Louis Cardinals to a thrilling finish atop the National League in 1964. He shares memories of Dick Allen, Willie Mays, Yogi Berra, and many of his Cardinal teammates. Gordie left his peanut farm near a small town of 2,000 people for the spotlights of St. Louis and New York City where the '64 World Series played out. Enjoy part one of our interview as Gordie walks us back 60 years through his journey of becoming a major league pitcher and earning a WS ring.

Who is the most famous peanut farmer from Georgia? Most likely, your answer is former president Jimmy Carter. If you're an ardent Cardinal fan, you might come up with Gordon Richardson, the featured Cardinal from the 1964 WS champions. Gordie was a 25-year-old peanut farmer boy who stood in the way of the Phillies as the Cards grabbed the pennant by winning only one game more than the Phils. Enjoy listening to how this youngster climbed from the depths of the minor leagues to become a pivotal role player that beat back the Phillies several times late in the '64 season.

Maybe you know your baseball. Maybe you don't.

Test your baseball knowledge by answering these six baseball trivia questions. Here's the fun part: they all have the same answer:

1. Who was the pitcher that figured prominently in World Series championships with both the Brooklyn Dodgers and Los Angeles Dodgers?
2. Who was the starting pitcher for the last game ever played by the Brooklyn Dodgers?
3. Name the pitcher that started the first regular season game in the inaugural season for the New York Mets.
4. Who earned his fourth World Series ring as a pitching coach for the 1984 Detroit Tigers?
5. Name the manager of the San Francisco Giants for the 1989 World Series, aka Earthquake series.
6. To whom did Bob Brenly give a World Series ring for delivering valuable coaching advice as Brenly managed the Arizona Diamondbacks to a World Series title in 2001?

So who is the baseball player whose career spanned four plus decades and is the answer to all of these questions? He's our featured unsung hero of this podcast episode.

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Carl Warwick may not have been a large man at 5' 10", 170 lbs., but he had some big pinch hits in the 1964 World Series when the Cardinals defeated the Yankees in 7 games. Warwick bounced around during his MLB career with the spotlight finally finding him coming through in the clutch on the biggest stage. Join us for our third look at a role player who played a pivotal role in claiming a WS trophy for the Redbirds.

How many Cardinals have earned three World Series rings with three different teams?

The surprising answer is that there are several more Redbirds than just the unsung hero featured in this episode. Join us as we sing the praises of Ron Taylor who played a critical role on two teams- the 1964 Cardinals and the 1969 Mets- that had unlikely come from behind late season runs as WS champions. Now, what's the name of the third team from which he collected a ring?