Curt Flood Set Off The Free Agent Revolution 50 Years Ago

Curt Flood set off the free-agent revolution 50 years ago Tuesday with a 128-word letter to baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, two paragraphs that pretty much ended the career of a World Series champion regarded as among the sport's stars but united a union behind his cause.

KMOX

Why Cardinals Chose Jose Cardenal As Their Center Fielder

Jose Cardenal, looking for the right fit for a baseball home after being exiled from his native Cuba, embraced an opportunity to be the center fielder for the Cardinals.

RetroSimba

Bobby Tolan & The Saga Of The Senior League

Bobby Tolan, who played on championship clubs with the Cardinals and Reds, was a champion as a manager in the Senior Professional Baseball Association.

RetroSimba

How Bob Gibson Delivered A Gem In First Cardinals Start

After being demoted to the minors early in his rookie season with the Cardinals, Bob Gibson got a chance to return a few months later and showed he belonged in the big leagues.

RetroSimba

How Lou Brock, Tim McCarver Gave Phillies Good Scare

A change in the batting order helped the 1969 Cardinals wake up from their slumber.

RetroSimba

Why Cardinals Rated Expos A Diamond In The Rough

Stepping foot on foreign soil for the first time in the regular season, the Cardinals felt the ground shift beneath them.

RetroSimba

Byron Browne Had Hit-Or-Miss Year With Cardinals

Byron Browne, who had thunder in his bat and holes in his swing, intrigued the Cardinals as a power-hitting prospect.

RetroSimba

Why Cardinals Considered Phil Clark Potential Relief Ace

The Cardinals projected rookie Phil Clark to be their top reliever in 1958, but the role eventually went to the opposing pitcher who earned a win in Clark’s major-league debut.

RetroSimba

Coco Laboy: Cardinals Outcast Brought Joy To Expos

The National League expansion draft enabled third baseman Coco Laboy to get out from under control of the Cardinals and earn a chance to play in the major leagues.

RetroSimba

Bob Howsam Outfoxed Bing Devine In Vada Pinson Deal

A deal designed to make the Cardinals a surefire bet to win a third consecutive pennant backfired on them and instead helped the Reds develop into the most dominant team in the National League.

RetroSimba

The Legend Of Luke Voit Will Have Another Chapter

If Luke Voit had played 80 games instead of 39 as a Yankee, there is a chance he would be in the discussion with teammate Miguel Andujar for AL Rookie of the Year.

NY Post

Johnny Lewis: From Pupil To Mentor With Cardinals

Johnny Lewis, a prospect considered to have more potential than Lou Brock, overcame personal tragedy, rebounded from setbacks in his playing career and became a pioneering coach for the Cardinals.

RetroSimba

Black MLB Players Get Little Hall Of Fame Help From Veterans Committee

When Harold Baines and Albert Belle appeared on the Today’s Game Committee ballot in November for the Baseball Hall of Fame, they’d have been forgiven for not getting their hopes up.

Sporting News

Jose Cardenal & His Tumultuous Time With Cardinals

Jose Cardenal faced two daunting challenges with the 1970 Cardinals: (1) replace Curt Flood as the center fielder and (2) defend himself against comments from anonymous teammates who accused him of being selfish and lackadaisical.

RetroSimba

Trying To Put A Value On Jason Heyward In Free Agency

There are few who doubt that, after finishing up his sixth season in Major League Baseball, Jason Heyward is a good player. Up for debate is precisely how good Jason Heyward has been during his career, and more importantly for whichever teams signs him this winter, how good Heyward will be moving forward.

Fangraphs

How Oscar Taveras Connects To Bobby Tolan As Cardinals

As a teen-ager, Bobby Tolan was given a chance to displace Mike Shannon as the Cardinals’ everyday right fielder.

RetroSimba

Reds By The Numbers: #28 Vada Pinson

As we near the conclusion of our Reds all-time best at each number countdown, it is fitting that Vada Pinson makes his way onto the list. One of the most underrated players in Reds history had to wait until his number was called, but there was no doubt over who would get the honor of being the best to ever wear the #28.

Blog Red Machine

Tim McCarver, A Great Voice For Baseball, Will Be Missed

The warning was spoken first, from what I've read and been told, by Bette Davis. And the late Stan Musial, the Man of the Midwest, often repeated it as if we needed convincing. "Gettin' old ain't for sissies," they said.

New York-N Official Site

Career Profile: J.D. Drew

Career Profile: J.D. Drew
Per reader request, here is a Career Profile for Boston Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew. How did he develop as a prospect, and where does his career stand in historical context?

Minor League Ball

Some "Teams" Based On The Hall Of wWar

As I was putting together the Hall of wWAR, I kept myself amused by putting together a few "teams" from the pool of players I had before me—a team of Hall of Fame snubs, best to miss the Hall of wWAR, etc. I figured Saturday morning was a good time to throw some of these out for discussion.

Beyond The Boxscore