The Cardinals held a joint press conference before the game today with Tony LaRussa and Red Schoendienst, the two winningest managers in franchise history. Schoendienst, who guided the Redbirds to a World Series title in 1967, is 90 years old, and while he still appears to have his full faculties about him, a couple of moments in this presser were pretty funny. The first question he was asked was about the success the Cardinals have had in recent years, going to the National League Championship Series eight times in the past 14 years.
This was his answer:
“Well, anytime you can be in this many playoff games and trying to get to the World Series, I think it’s outstanding for the Cardinals, for any club. I really didn’t understand all of what you were saying. I can’t hear a word.”
And then at the end, somebody asked Red about his ’67 world championship team.
“Well I had a leadoff man (Lou Brock) who was a pretty good guy. He would sell a lot of tickets. And I had a pitcher (Bob Gibson) that was pretty damn good out there, too. So when you have guys like that … I had some guys, Mike Shannon, and we got (Roger) Maris, when he went in the outfield. … Shannon is a winner. He is going to give you a hundred percent where he can win. We won with guys like that. Then Tommy Herr coming around, and Maxi (Dal Maxvill) playing short. The one guy that was really underrated, I think, was our center fielder (Curt) Flood. He was a good second-place hitter, and with Brock leading off, we had a good, solid ballclub.”
Great memories on Red’s part, except for one — Tommy Herr, who came to the major leagues in 1979, was 11 years old in 1967. But you know, I just HOPE I live to be 90, and if I do, I hope I’m half as sharp as Red still is.
By the way, as the Dodgers dressed in a somber clubhouse after the game in preparation for their flight home, the players outnumbered by the media roughly 5-1, Andre Ethier was sporting a polka-dot suit. Honestly, I think the last time I saw somebody in a polka-dot suit was when I was in college at the University of Arkansas, when Nolan Richardson used to wear them on the bench. It was his trademark at the time. A few years later, by which time I had graduated and Nolan was leading the Hogs deep into March Madness every year (and to a national championship in 1994), thankfully, he had shelved the polka-dot suits.
Great seeing longtime Dodgers scout Carl Loewenstine here the past two days. Carl, who lives in the Cincinnati area, is retiring after the season, and he will be missed. One of the truly wonderful people in the organization and in the game. Every time I have a conversation with him, he ends it with the words, “God bless you.” Well, God bless YOU, Carl, and here is hoping you have a long, happy retirement. No one deserves it more than you do.