ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
THE MANAGER
A former American League pitcher and manager with Detroit, Fred Hutchinson (29) came to the Cardinals two years ago, led them from seventh to fourth in 1956 and all the way to second last year, was named Manager of the Year. A big, hulking man called Bear by close friends, he is soft-spoken and pleasant off the field, a great competitor while on it. Has a fine record for handling young players. Aides are Stan Hack (35), the former Cub star and manager who coaches at third; Terry Moore (34), the ex-Card outfield genius who coaches at first; and Pitching Coach Al Hollingsworth (33), for years a manager and scout in the Cardinal organization.
ANALYSIS OF THIS YEAR'S CARDINALS
STRONG POINTS: In St. Louis, when this subject arises, all eyes shift in unison in the direction of first base, just to be sure that the National League's No. 1 citizen, Stan Musial, is still present and healthy. Since he is, the Cardinals can relax and count their other blessings, of which there are several. The infield, with flashy Don Blasingame at second, steady Eddie Kasko moving in to play short and the wise and determined veteran, Alvin Dark, shifting to third, will hit and run and steal and help the Card pitching staff sleep better at nights with some of the tightest defensive play in the league. To give Dark some rest, they have a brilliant little glove man in Dick Schofield. Furnishing the power, along with Musial, that any pennant contender so badly needs, is the outfield of Del Ennis, Ken Boyer and Wally Moon. And in Joe Cunningham, Hutchinson has the answer to a manager's prayer: a pinch hitter who can deliver the long ball in the clutch, give Musial a day off now and then at first base and also fill in for Ennis or Moon when the expected annual case of slumpitis occurs. Hal Smith is one of the game's better catchers and he can hit. The pitching staff no longer has to depend upon the performance of some tired veterans, for the big men are now young Larry Jackson, Lindy McDaniel, Billy Muffett and Vinegar Bend Mizell, along with Sam (Toothpick) Jones. They proved they could deliver in the heat of the 1957 pennant race.
WEAK SPOTS: There is a definite lack of defensive ability in the outfield, where Ennis is slow (this is being kind), Moon is fast but does not have really good hands, and Boyer is a converted third baseman who has great speed and the only strong arm of the three but is still learning what to do with a fly-ball hit over his head. Catching, despite Smith's presence, is the other problem. He has tired in past seasons, and the only other receivers on the roster are Hobie Landrith and Ray Katt; both are inferior to Smith at the plate.
ROOKIES AND NEW FACES: Despite trade talk all winter, the Cards made no big deals for established players and the new faces on the team belong to youngsters. The one Hutchinson is counting on most is a big, poised kid from Georgia named Phil Clark, who won 16 games entirely in relief at Houston last year with the startling ERA of 1.83. Curtis Flood, part of the deal which sent Schmidt to Cincinnati, had a big chance to win the center field job but, despite his speed and fine minor league record, probably needs another year of seasoning. Benny Valenzuela, a third baseman also up from Houston, impressed everyone with his fire and hustle and the way he swings a bat and could stick as infield insurance and to pinch hit. Otherwise the organization is loaded with highly promising young pitchers, such as Bill Smith, Frank Barnes, Tom Flanigan, Howie Nunn and Bob Mabe (not to mention last year's bonus kids, Von McDaniel and Bob Miller), who could stick around or be sent out but would always be available for recall on a moment's notice.
THE BIG IFS: Excluding the possibility of a late trade, the questions facing the Cards are these: Can Smith handle the catching all alone and still operate at peak efficiency through almost 154 games? Can a team win a pennant with barely adequate outfielding? Will Boyer finally develop into the truly big hitter that he could become? Will Mizell, the only proven left-hander on the staff, have the great season that virtually all of baseball still predicts for him? Can the rest of the pitching staff, the youngsters as well as Jones and Wehmeier, turn their erratic brilliance into the kind of day-to-day consistency that it takes to win a pennant?
THE VOICES
Harry Caray (43, exuberant) was rapidly going nowhere at all until, in 1941, he got the notion that he could do a better job broadcasting baseball than the then current St. Louis crop. So he wrote a letter to the general manager of the local station (Merle Jones, now CBS president) requesting an audition. He got it, flubbed it, got another chance, clicked and was farmed out to Joliet and Kalamazoo for seasoning. Three years later he was back in the big town and soon after that began working St. Louis games with Gabby Street. He has been with the Cardinals exclusively since 1949. Still not a polished announcer, Caray often garbles words, but he is so enthusiastic, such a home-town booster ("Our Cardinals") that he makes every game and every fan seem important. The home folks like him, and that's what counts. He is supported by JOE GARAGIOLA (32, knowing), star catcher for the 1946 World Champion Cardinals, and JACK BUCK (33, humorous), who lend baseball savvy and old and new jokes to the occasion.
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STAN MUSIAL
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ALVIN DARK
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WALLY MOON
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DON BLASINGAME
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KEN BOYER
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DEL ENNIS
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EDDIE KASKO
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HAL SMITH
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HARRY CARAY
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LARRY JACKSON
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LINDY MCDANIEL
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WILMER MIZELL
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SAM JONES
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ILLUSTRATION
THE OUTLOOK: Last year the Cardinals chased Milwaukee all the way to the throne room, coming back even after the rest of the league had folded to scare the daylights out of the Braves far into September. It is quite likely the Cards will furnish the main resistance once more. Outside of Musial, Dark and Ennis, this is a young team which should improve, and the biggest area for improvement lies in the pitching staff. Should Jackson. McDaniel, Mizell, Jones Muffett, Merritt and Clark deliver, St. Louis can be first in shoes, first in booze and first in the National League.