April 23 in Cardinals History

 

1912- The St. Louis Cardinals selected Elmer Miller off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds.

1924 On WMAQ, Hal Totten, a Chicago Daily News play-by-play reporter, does a play-by-play radio report of the 12-1 Cubs’ victory over the Cardinals. It will be the first broadcast of every Cub and White Sox home game of the season, marking the first time a team’s games have been on the airwaves on a regular basis.

1940- The St. Louis Cardinals released Lyn Lary.

1948– The St. Louis Cardinals selected Larry Miggins off waivers from the Chicago Cubs.

1954 At Busch Stadium, Hank Aaron hits the first of his 755 career home runs in his seventh major league game. The Milwaukee outfielder’s sixth-inning solo round-tripper is hit on a pitch thrown by Cardinal right-hander Vic Raschi in the Braves 7-6 extra-inning victory in St. Louis.

1990 The Montreal Expos traded Rex Hudler to the St. Louis Cardinals for John Costello.

1999 Fernando Tatis becomes the only player in major league history to hit two grand slams in the same game in one inning. The Cardinal third baseman hits both off Dodger starter Chan Ho Park in an 11-run third, setting the major league mark. The third baseman’s eight RBIs in one inning also breaks the old record of six.

1998– The St. Louis Cardinals released Steve Ontiveros.

2005- Mark Mulder pitches a 6-hit 10 inning 1-0 shutout against the Astros

2006- The St. Louis Cardinals signed Desi Relaford as a free agent.

 

Birthdays

Jim Bottomley   (April 23, 1900 – December 11, 1959) made his Major League Baseball debut for the St. Louis Cardinals on August 18, 1922. As a rookie, he batted .371, finishing second in the National League (NL) behind teammate Rogers Hornsby, who batted .384. 

 

Ray Starr  (April 23, 1906 in Nowata, Oklahoma – February 9, 1963 in Baylis, Illinois) played for the Cardinals in 1932 which was the first year of his career. In his career he was 37-35 with a 3.53 ERA. 

Jack Creel (April 23, 1916 – August 13, 2002) made his debut on April 22, 1945. He just played part of one season while other players were gone due to World War II. He played his last game on September 25, 1945 and ended with a 5-4 record and a 3.14 ERA. 

Chuck Harmon was born in 1924 and was also a star in basketball as he tried out for the Boston Celtics but was cut along with Isaac “Rabbit” Walthour, another black star, although Chuck Cooper did make the Celtics squad. Harmon finished that season as player-coach of Utica in the American Basketball League, becoming one of, if not the first, African-American to coach an integrated professional basketball team. On April 17, 1954, he became the first Black American to play for the Cincinnati Reds. 

Duke Carmel was born in 1937 and made his professional baseball debut with the St. Louis Cardinals on September 10, 1959. He played for three seasons in a Cardinals uniform. In his career, he hit .211 with four home runs.

Rheal Cormier (1967) made his major league debut on August 15, 1991. He started the St. Louis Cardinals’ game against the New York Mets, going six innings, giving up one earned run, and striking out two. He pitched for St. Louis through 1994 and was traded to Boston for the 1995 season. 

 

Major League Debuts

Jack Thielman 1905
Ted Menze 1918
Jimmy Brown 1937
Don Padgett 1937
Bill Reeder 1949
Cloyd Boyer 1949
Luis Alicea 1988
John Mabry 1994