September 8 in Cardinals History
1940 Johnny Mize hits homers #’s 38, 39, and 40 in the first game of a doubleheader, becoming the first player to hit three homers in one game four times in his career. Despite the ‘Big Cat’s’ heroics, the Cardinals drop a pair to the Pirates, 16-14 and 9-4.
1949 Red Schoendienst steals the team’s last stolen base of the season when he takes second base in the Cardinals’ 8-0 victory over the Cubs at Sportsman’s Park. The Redbird third baseman will lead the club with eight pilfered bags, accounting for more than half of the all-time National League low of 17 the entire club will swipe this season.
1998 Cardinal first baseman Mark McGwire connects off of Cub hurler Steve Trachsel and sends a 341-foot line-drive over the left field fence for his historic 62nd home run, breaking the single-season home run record set in 1961 by Roger Maris. Big Mac’s historic homer comes in the fourth inning of a nationally televised game.
Birthdays
- Ray Rolling 1886
- Verne Clemons 1891
- Johnny Schulte 1896
- George Gilham 1899
- Ernie Orsatti 1902
- Lars Nootbaar 1997
Debuts
- JD Drew 1988
- Carmen Cali 2004
- Chris Narveson 2006
- Jack Flaherty 2011
- Alec Burleson 2022
Deaths
- Bill Byers 1948
- Joaquin Andujar 2015
Tracking Musial’s Home Runs
He hit TWO home runs in 1943 with career #22 and #23 facing Rip Sewell with solo home runs.