A stroll down memory lane with HJ

[Hungary Jack]

Cardinal baseball firmly entered my consciousness in 1977. We had a friend in the organization and were able to visit the dugout one spring. I remember meeting Bob Forsch, John Denny, and Jerry Mumphrey. I was 10 years old.

That team went on to have a surprisingly decent year at 83-79. Keith Hernandez emerged as a fine hitter in his first full season. Bob Forsch won 20 games. Gary Templeton hit .322 and was an All-Star. Bake McBride, Tony Scott and Jerry Mumphrey looked like good young outfielders.

And Roger Freed had an incredible season as a PH, hitting two dramatic game-winning home runs. The first was a 3-run capper to an amazing 7-run comeback against the Dodgers to win 8-6. I remember listening to the 9th inning on the radio, and running into my parents room to update them everytime the Cardinals scored another run: 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, 6-5, then Freed's blast.

With a young team surrounded by veterans Brock, Simmons, and Forsch, 1978 looked very promising. The marketing folks came up with a cheesy theme song "Hey St. Louis We Can Do it!" They didn't. The wheels came off as the team went 69-93. Hernandez slumped badly. Brock was hurt. Reitz, Tyson, and Forsch were unable to repeat their career years.

The team rose quickly in 1979 from the ashes of 1978, winning 86 games. 40 year-old Lou Brok had an outstanding senior send-off, hitting .300 and getting his 3,000 hit and stealing 21 bases. The team fell back again in 1980, going 74-88.

At that point, Gussie Busch had seen enough. Whitey Herzog was hired, many trades were made, the winning tradition of Cardinal baseball firmly resurrected itself.

[ZigZagCardsFan]

Thanks for sharing, HJ. I never really got into baseball until the McGwire home run chase. As a younger member of the GRB, I love hearing personal accounts of Cardinal history before I really became a fan.

[MDCardsFan]

And Roger Freed had an incredible season as a PH, hitting two dramatic game-winning home runs. The first was a 3-run capper to an amazing 7-run comeback against the Dodgers to win 8-6. I remember listening to the 9th inning on the radio, and running into my parents room to update them everytime the Cardinals scored another run: 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, 6-5, then Freed's blast.

Wow, I actually remember listening to that game. I would have been 12 at the time. If I remember correctly, my dad was making me take out the garbage for collection during that 9th inning. I took my radio with me to the garage, and let out a yell when Freed hit the bomb, prompting my Dad to come and make sure I was okay.

[clement]

Cardinal baseball firmly entered my consciousness in 1977. We had a friend in the organization and were able to visit the dugout one spring. I remember meeting Bob Forsch, John Denny, and Jerry Mumphrey. I was 10 years old.

That team went on to have a surprisingly decent year at 83-79. Keith Hernandez emerged as a fine hitter in his first full season. Bob Forsch won 20 games. Gary Templeton hit .322 and was an All-Star. Bake McBride, Tony Scott and Jerry Mumphrey looked like good young outfielders.

And Roger Freed had an incredible season as a PH, hitting two dramatic game-winning home runs. The first was a 3-run capper to an amazing 7-run comeback against the Dodgers to win 8-6. I remember listening to the 9th inning on the radio, and running into my parents room to update them everytime the Cardinals scored another run: 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, 6-5, then Freed's blast.

That's funny. That was the year baseball most seriously entered my consciousness as well. I think they got off to a great start, especially the offense. I was thrilled by the Jerry Mumphrey, Tony Scott, and Bake McBride outfield. Tony Scott, for whatever reason, was my favorite player.

I also remember that Roger Freed home run against the Dodgers. I was at that game! I often got confused thinking that I was at the Joe Sambito game where Freed hit the walk-off grand slam, but as I picked my memory I clearly remembered listening to that one on the radio in my bedroom late one school night. So what was that line drive walk-off home run that I remembered that Freed hit? And it was only a couple of years ago after an exhaustive internet search that I found the story about the 3-run shot that Freed hit to win 8-6 against the Dodgers. It's funny how little things get engrained in your memory from your youth, and for me, I can still see that ball sailing off Freed's bat and knowing immediately it was gone.

[StL Dan]

Awesome posts, guys.

[BigDCardlvr]

Roger Freed was an OX. I remember that year/game as well. Jack and Mike used to talk about Freed being an appliance delivery guy and lifting appliances by himself

[clement]

Here's the Box Score of said game.

Los Angeles Dodgers 6, St. Louis Cardinals 8
Game played on Monday, August 22, 1977 at Busch Stadium II

Los Angeles Dodgers.......ab.....r.....h.....rbi
Martinez 2b ....................5......0.....1.....0
Russell ss ......................5......1.....2.....0
Smith rf .........................4......1.....1.....0
Cey 3b ..........................4......2.....2.....1
Garvey 1b .....................5......0.....1.....0
Monday cf ......................4......0.....1.....0
Baker lf .........................2......1.....1.....0
Davalillo ph,lf .................2......0.....2.....1
Yeager c ........................4......1.....1.....4
Hooton p ........................3......0.....0.....0
Rautzhan p .....................0......0.....0.....0
Hough p .........................0......0.....0.....0

Totals ...........................38.....6.....12.....6

St. Louis Cardinals .........ab.....r.....h.....rbi
Brock lf .........................4......0.....1.....0
Mumphrey cf ..................4......1.....1.....0
Templeton ss .................4......1.....2.....1
Simmons c ....................4......1.....2.....1
Hernandez 1b ................3......2.....2.....0
Anderson rf ...................4......0.....1.....1
Reitz 3b .........................4......0.....1.....0
Bosetti pr ......................0......1.....0.....0
Tyson 2b .......................3......1.....1.....0
Denny p ........................0......0.....0.....0
Oberkfell ph ...................1......0.....0.....0
Carroll p ........................0......0.....0.....0
Iorg ph ..........................0......0.....0.....0
Metzger p ......................0......0.....0.....0
Rader ph .......................1......0.....0.....0
Hrabosky p ....................0......0.....0.....0
Freed ph .......................1.....1.....1.....3
Totals ...........................33.....8.....12....6

Los Angeles.. 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 – 6 12 1
St. Louis........0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 – 8 12 1

Los Angeles Dodgers IP...H...R...ER...BB..SO
Hooton .......................8.0...7...3....3.....3....5
Rautzhan ....................0.0...2...2....2.....0....0
Hough L (5-10) ............0.1...3...3....3.....0....1

St. Louis Cardinals IP...H...R...ER...BB..SO
Denny .......................3.0...7...5....5.....1....2
Carroll .......................3.0...1...0....0.....2....0
Metzger .....................2.0...2...0....0.....1....2
Hrabosky W (6-4)........1.0...2...1....1.....0....1

E–Russell (24), Hernandez (8). DP–Los Angeles 3. PB–Yeager (3). 2B–Los Angeles Cey (21,off Hrabosky), St. Louis Hernandez (26,off Rautzhan). 3B–St. Louis Hernandez (4,off Hooton); Templeton (12,off Hooton). HR–Los Angeles Yeager (13,3rd inning off Denny 3 on, 2 out), St. Louis Freed (4,9th inning off Hough 2 on, 1 out). SH–Hooton (12,off Denny). HBP–Baker (5,by Denny). SB–Russell (11,2nd base off Denny/Simmons). CS–Anderson (2,2nd base by Hooton/Yeager). HBP–Denny (4,Baker). U–Art Williams, Paul Runge, Lee Weyer, John McSherry. T–2:37. A–28,222.

[Hungary Jack]

Cardinal baseball firmly entered my consciousness in 1977. We had a friend in the organization and were able to visit the dugout one spring. I remember meeting Bob Forsch, John Denny, and Jerry Mumphrey. I was 10 years old.

That team went on to have a surprisingly decent year at 83-79. Keith Hernandez emerged as a fine hitter in his first full season. Bob Forsch won 20 games. Gary Templeton hit .322 and was an All-Star. Bake McBride, Tony Scott and Jerry Mumphrey looked like good young outfielders.

And Roger Freed had an incredible season as a PH, hitting two dramatic game-winning home runs. The first was a 3-run capper to an amazing 7-run comeback against the Dodgers to win 8-6. I remember listening to the 9th inning on the radio, and running into my parents room to update them everytime the Cardinals scored another run: 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, 6-5, then Freed's blast.

That's funny. That was the year baseball most seriously entered my consciousness as well. I think they got off to a great start, especially the offense. I was thrilled by the Jerry Mumphrey, Tony Scott, and Bake McBride outfield. Tony Scott, for whatever reason, was my favorite player.

I also remember that Roger Freed home run against the Dodgers. I was at that game! I often got confused thinking that I was at the Joe Sambito game where Freed hit the walk-off grand slam, but as I picked my memory I clearly remembered listening to that one on the radio in my bedroom late one school night. So what was that line drive walk-off home run that I remembered that Freed hit? And it was only a couple of years ago after an exhaustive internet search that I found the story about the 3-run shot that Freed hit to win 8-6 against the Dodgers. It's funny how little things get engrained in your memory from your youth, and for me, I can still see that ball sailing off Freed's bat and knowing immediately it was gone.

I also remember a Freed grand slam against the Astros in the bottom of the eleventh to win a game 7-6. It was the Sambito game. May 1 1980. It prompted this cheesy poem from a 12 year-old:

In the eleventh of a game last night
The Cardinals were losing without a fight.
The score was bad 6 runs to 3
And the game was lost it seemed to me.

The Cards loaded the bases with 2 out
They needed one big hit to win the bout
Then from the dugout number 7 appeared.
Big Roger Free the pitcher feared.

The count ran full, 3 and 2
And within the crowd nary a boo.
Sambito wound and fired the ball
With one heroic swing it was bound for the wall
And toward center field ball did fly.
And over the fence, it had said "goodbye"

Freed rounded the bases with a grand slam trot.
And the winner of this game--Houston was not.

[sighyoung]

I remember heading upstairs and listening to that game on the radio--that comeback was just amazing. I had a good feeling about it, but still, the moment that Freed hit that homerun . . . . That was classic.

[clement]

I also remember a Freed grand slam against the Astros in the bottom of the eleventh to win a game 7-6. It was the Sambito game. May 1 1980. It prompted this cheesy poem from a 12 year-old:

In the eleventh of a game last night
The Cardinals were losing without a fight.
The score was bad 6 runs to 3
And the game was lost it seemed to me.

The Cards loaded the bases with 2 out
They needed one big hit to win the bout
Then from the dugout number 7 appeared.
Big Roger Free the pitcher feared.

The count ran full, 3 and 2
And within the crowd nary a boo.
Sambito wound and fired the ball
With one heroic swing it was bound for the wall
And toward center field ball did fly.
And over the fence, it had said "goodbye"

Freed rounded the bases with a grand slam trot.
And the winner of this game--Houston was not.

I'm pretty sure the Freed grand slam off Sambito was in 1979. Freed was out of baseball by 1980. It's strange, I have so many memories of these mammoth big home runs he hit, but he only had a handful of home runs in his whole rather short, part-timer career.

That poem sounds like something I would have written when I was 12 Where did you find that?

Freed died quite young, I think in his late 40s. Anyone know what happened?