1. 7/14/2016 '80s-Era Cardinals on Team Legacy - 101Sports.com
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’80s-Era Cardinals on Team Legacy
Posted by: Zoe Wolkowitz in Major League Baseball July 16, 2014
Flashback Week has provided 101ESPN the opportunity to relive one the greater decades the Cardinals
have ever known. The 1980s saw a transition for baseball, with offensive power numbers having dropped.
The Cardinals triumphed during this time, however, with three National League pennants and a World
Series title.
’80s MLB stars weren’t reliant on the home runs or recognition by the
press. Baseball was changing and began to revolve around speed and
relief pitching. If a team won, it was a team effort; not one big name or
big hit. In fact, nine different teams won World Series championships
during that decade.
“One of my favorite things about the ’80s was the variety there was in a
game,” said 101ESPN’s Kevin Wheeler. “In the ’80s it seemed like every
team had their own style and an era when there weren’t repeat
champions, there weren’t individual franchises dominating the entire
decade. I find that time just to be a great time in baseball history.”
During the 80’s era, teams began to change their lineups to focus on
speed. Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog implemented this strategy and
used “Runnin’ Redbirds” players like Ozzie Smith, Willie McGee, Lonnie Smith, and Vince Coleman. After
piling up stolen bases and countless RBI’s, this style of play was dubbed by the media and fans as “Whitey
Ball.”
“I think the two things that are crazy when I look at the team from ’85 is Tom Herr with 100 RBIs but
only eight home runs and Vince Coleman with 110 stolen bases. Just a completely different style of baseball
back then,” said Anthony Stalter on 101ESPN’s “The Turn.”
The ’82 Cardinals hit a majorleague low of 67 home runs, but stole 200 bases on the way to their ninth
world championship.
“We weren’t a home run hitting team but I think that in 1982 we were a very fundamentally sound
team,” said Ozzie Smith on “The Kevin Wheeler Show.” “One of the things that made us very successful
was the fact that we moved as a unit and people don’t realize that when you play the game of baseball you
move as a unit. When one guy moves, it starts a chain reaction and that was one of the things that was
very special about our team because we were a total unit as far as defense was concerned, we had real
quality pitching, we had veterans that understood what there job was.”
Another change the ’80s era introduced was the rise of relief pitching and the role of the closer. The
Cardinals ruled the league with strong and consistent pitching performances.
“I was so excited to be sitting out in the bullpen on our bench watching that speed than being on the
mound watching that speed because I just watched pitcher, after pitcher, after pitcher come unraveled on
the mound and worry so much about someone peeping at first or stealing a base that they forget about
home plate,” said Ken Dayley, former Cardinals relief pitcher, on 101ESPN’s “The Turn.”
“I’ve had some wonderful years in St. Louis but that 1982 was a magical year for us because it all worked
and it all came together” said Smith. “We had guys that could run the ball down and pitchers that could
pitch to our defense. It made it a very easy trip to the ballpark everyday knowing that we were going to
have a chance to win because of how we went about our work.”
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