1967– Red Ruffing, the former Yankee pitcher who authored 273 major league wins, is selected to be in the Hall of Fame by getting the most votes on the second ballot made necessary as a result of the BBWAA failing to choose a player in January. Former Cardinal outfielder Joe Medwick also received 75% of the writer’s votes that is usually enough to be selected, but under the rules of this special run-off election only the top vote-getter gets the nod.
2011- Albert Pujols’ self-imposed deadline for reaching agreement on a long-term contract extension with the St. Louis Cardinals expires without a deal. Pujols, who is seeking $300 million over 10 years, states that there will be no more negotiations during the season in order to avoid a potential distraction. The three-time National League MVP is slated to become a free agent next fall.
Birthdays
Ray Harrell was a pitcher that played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, and New York Giants. In his career he won nine games and lost twenty with a 5.70 ERA with 136 strikeouts.
Creepy Crespi (February 16, 1918 – March 1, 1990) was a Major League Baseball player who played infielder from 1938-1942 for the St. Louis Cardinals. He made his major league debut on 14 September 1938 playing second base for the Cardinals. In 1951, longtime Cardinals star shortstop Marty Marion praised Crespi as the best defensive second baseman he’d ever played with. “For one year—1941—Crespi was the best second baseman I ever saw. He did everything, and sensationally.”
Frank Crespi’s nickname, ‘Creepy’, is widely considered one of the more colorful and unusual names in baseball history. In a 1977 radio interview with future hall-of-fame broadcaster Jack Buck, Creepy was asked if people still called him by his nickname (answer was yes). Jack followed up with, “Why do they call you that?” Crespi replied, “Well, it’s an involved thing…I used to hear a lot of different stories. But I think the best one is (from) some sportswriter. He said the way I creep up on a ball, because I run low to the ground after a ground ball.” Although Crespi lost the starting second base job for the Cardinals in 1942 to Jimmy Brown, he still appeared in 93 games that season. The Cardinals won the National League pennant and played the New York Yankees in the 1942 World Series. Crespi played in one game in the World Series, serving as a pinch runner in game 1, and scoring a run. The Cardinals won the series, four games to one.
Fred Hahn (February 16, 1929 – August 16, 1984) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played one game for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1952 and pitched two innings and allowed no runs.
Don Landrum (February 16, 1936 – January 9, 2003) was an American professional baseball player, an outfielder in the Major Leagues from 1957 to 1966 for the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies. Born in Santa Rosa, California, He attended Mt. Diablo High School in Concord, California. Landrum spent all or parts of eight seasons in Major League Baseball, with most of his MLB games played coming during his term for the Cubs. He was Chicago’s regular center fielder in 1965, appearing in 131 games and garnering 425 at bats. But he batted only .226 with six home runs and 34 runs batted in, and was traded to his hometown San Francisco Giants at year’s end with pitcher Lindy McDaniel for pitcher Bill Hands and catcher Randy Hundley. Hands and Hundley would become key members of the Cubs’ contending teams under Leo Durocher in the late 1960s, while Landrum’s professional career ended after the 1966 season. He appeared in 456 MLB games, with 1,160 at-bats and 272 hits for a .234 lifetime batting mark.
Jorge Rondon (born February 16, 1988) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Colorado Rockies and Baltimore Orioles.He began pitching professionally for the Cardinals when he was 18. From 2006 to 2011, he played on various rookie league and A-level teams. He received his first promotion to AA Springfield in 2011. The promotion coincided with increased strikeouts per 9 innings pitched (K/9) rates. With Palm Beach of the Florida State League that year, he posted a then-professional high of 9.1 K/9 in 26 2⁄3 innings pitched (IP). He yielded a 4.05 earned run average (ERA), 29 hits and 13 walks (BB).
Rondón split the 2012 season between Springfield and the Triple-A affiliate, Memphis, postng a 3.49 ERA in 49 innings with 50 strikeouts. On October 30, 2012, the Cardinals added Rondón to the 40-man roster to prevent him from becoming a minor league free agent. The club optioned him to AAA-Memphis on March 11, 2013. He spent the entire 2013 season at Memphis, appearing in 51 games, pitching 67 innings and allowing a 3.06 ERA. He allowed 72 hits, 37 BB and struck out 42 (SO).The Cardinals recalled Rondón and Eric Fornataro from Memphis on April 17, 2014, when they moved Joe Kelly to the 15-day disabled list (DL). However, he did not appear in a game before being optioned to AAA to clear a roster spot for top prospect Oscar Taveras.
Rondón was claimed off waivers by the Colorado Rockies on November 3, 2014. He was designated for assignment by the Rockies in May 2015. On May 10 he was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles. He was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates on October 26, 2015.
John Gast (born February 16, 1989) is an American professional baseball player. A left-handed pitcher, he plays in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. Gast made his Major League debut on May 14, 2013 against the New York Mets.He was drafted in the 5th round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft by the Texas Rangers, but chose to attend Florida State University instead and play college baseball for the Seminoles. Gast suffered an elbow injury during the spring of his senior year in high school, which required Tommy John surgery on May 1, 2007 and forced him to be inactive during most of his first year with the Florida State team. In 2009 Gast played for the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod League. St. Louis Cardinals selected Gast in the sixth round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft. That first summer of 2010 in the Cardinals organization he played for the Batavia Muckdogs of the New York-Penn League, finishing the season with a 1.54 ERA and a perfect 6-0 win/loss record. In 2011, He split time between the Palm Beach Cardinals and the Double-AA affiliate Springfield Cardinals, posting a combined record of nine wins and eight losses. He started the 2012 season with the Springfield Cardinals again but in mid-May was moved up to Triple-A baseball with the Memphis Redbirds, finishing the year with a 13-7 record. He began the 2013 season with the Memphis Redbirds, where he pitched thirty-two consecutive scoreless innings.He was named Pacific Coast League pitcher of the week for the week ending April 21. Gast was called up on May 12, 2013, after Jake Westbrook was put on the 15-day disabled list. He made his major league debut on May 14, 2013 at Busch Stadium against the New York Mets. Gast threw five shutout innings but gave up four runs in the sixth inning. He gave up six hits total, walked one, and struck out three to earn his first victory as a Cardinal. He won in his second start with the Cardinals as well, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks over 5 innings as St. Louis beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2. He was placed on the disabled list on May 26, after suffering a shoulder strain. On July 26, 2013 he underwent season-ending surgery on his left shoulder. According to the Cardinals John Mozeliak that the expected recovery and rehabilitation time is between eight and twelve months. It is the second major surgery for him, his first being Tommy John surgery while he was a high school senior. The lefty was outrighted off the Cardinals roster on November 20, 2013
Eduardo Sanchez (born February 16, 1989) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as a non-drafted free agent on December 26, 2005 and played for the Cardinals and Chicago Cubs in Major League Baseball (MLB). He began his professional career with the VSL Cardinals in 2006. He earned his first win on July 29 against the VSL Tigers/Marlins, allowing one run on five hits and a walk with three strikeouts in five innings pitched. Sánchez finished the season with a record of 1-2 with 38 strikeouts and an 8.71 ERA in 19 games, two starts.
In 2007 Sánchez split the season between the Rookie-Level GCL Cardinals and Johnson City Cardinals. He held opponents scoreless in six of his seven outings with GCL Cardinals and notched his first career save on June 21 against the GCL Marlins. He was promoted to Johnson City of the Appalachian League on July 20 and earned a save in his first appearance. Sánchez picked up his first win of the season after striking out both batters he faced on August 2. He finished the season a combined 2-2 with 29 strikeouts and a 1.27 ERA in 211⁄3 innings pitched. With the Class-A Quad Cities River Bandits in 2008, Sánchez
In 2009 Sánchez split the season between the Class-A Advanced Palm Beach Cardinals and the Double-A Springfield Cardinals. He began the season with Palm Beach where he went 0-1 with 26 strikeouts and a 1.44 ERA in 19 games. He was promoted to Springfield and went 2-0 with 56 strikeouts, 10 saves and a 2.70 ERA. Sánchez went a combined 2-1 with 82 strikeouts, 13 saves with a 2.28 ERA in 75 innings pitched. At the end of the season Sánchez was named the Cardinals’ Minor League Reliever of the Year by Scout.com. He was also named a “Top Prospect” in the Cardinals’ organization by MLB.com.
He made his major league debut against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in the 8th-9th innings on April 13, 2011, getting a groundout and two strikeouts in the 8th, giving up a double, but striking out the side in the 9th for five strikeouts in a mop-up role in the 15-5 victory.
On April 27, 2011 he got his first career save at Minute Maid Park against the Houston Astros. He gave up two earned runs but ended up completing the save striking out two in one inning of work.
In the beginning of 2013 Season, Sánchez was optioned to the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds.
Marco Gonzales (born February 16, 1992) is a baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Gonzales was widely considered to be a first-round pick before the 2013 MLB Draft. The St. Louis Cardinals selected him 19th overall. He signed on June 19 for $1.85 million. Baseball America rated him #28 in their Top 500 prospects.The Cardinals assigned him to the Gulf Coast League Cardinals in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, then promoted him to the Palm Beach Cardinals of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League. He completed 23 1⁄3 IP with a 2.70 ERA between the two squads. In addition, he allowed 18 hits and eight walks for a 1.114 walks plus hits per inning pitched ratio (WHIP) while striking out 23.
Gonzales began the 2014 season with Palm Beach, and received a promotion to the Springfield Cardinals of the Class AA Texas League in May. His statistics after seven starts at Springfield included 38 2⁄3 IP, a 3–2 won-loss record, a 2.33 ERA. He allowed 33 hits, two home runs, and 10 walks while striking out 46. He was rated the #4 prospect in the Cardinals’ organization. The Cardinals called him up to the major leagues, and, the day before he made his MLB debut, he was named to the 2014 All-Star Futures Game at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Filling in for the injured Jaime García, Gonzales made his major league debut as the starter against the Rockies on June 25.[Due to his promotion to the major leagues, he was removed from the Futures Game roster. He doubled in his first major league at-bat. Left fielder and former Rockie Matt Holliday singled him home to score his first run. On the mound, he gave up five earned runs and seven hits, with one home run in five innings, walking two, striking out three, facing 24 batters, and received a no-decision. Gonzales began with three scoreless innings, but got into trouble in the fourth by giving up a lead-off home run to Drew Stubbs, two doubles and two singles. The Cardinals eventually won, 9–6. Gonzales became the first Cardinals’ starter to make his debut without playing at the Triple A level since Cliff Politte in April 1998.
Gonzales’ second MLB start came against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. The outing went similar to his first MLB appearance, he started with three scoreless innings but yielded multiple runs in the fourth. In 4 1⁄3 IP, he yielded five earned runs, seven hits, four walks and two strikeouts. The Giants won 5–0, giving him his first MLB loss. After posting a 7.07 ERA in first three MLB starts, the Cardinals optioned him to the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds on July 7, where he appeared for the first time. On August 30, the Cardinals recalled Gonzales, and he gained his first MLB win in a 13–2 romp over the Chicago Cubs. He completed six innings, allowed one run on three hits, two walks, and struck out five. Gonzales’ third win of the season came against the Rockies by a score of 4–1 on September 14 as he struck out nine in 5 2⁄3 IP. The nine strikeouts were the most by a Cardinals left-handed rookie since Rick Ankiel on September 13, 2000. He made 10 total MLB appearances, five as a starter, completing 34 2⁄3 IP, allowing 32 H, 21 BB, 16 ER and a 4.15 ERA with a 4–2 W–L. In 31 total games – including 26 starts – between three minor league levels and the major leagues, Gonzales allowed a 2.81 ERA with a 13–7 W–L record and 148 SO in 156 2⁄3 IP.
DEATHS
Percy Coleman 1948
Dazzy Vance- 1961
Ken Nash 1977
Hank Gornicki 1966
Lew Krausse 2021
Tim McCarver-2023