1964 St. Louis Cardinals

BR Team Page

Record: 93-69, Finished 1st in National League (1964 NL)

Clinched Pennant: October 4, 1964, vs. New York Mets

World Series Champs

Managed by Johnny Keane

Coaches: Vern Benson, Howie Pollet, Red Schoendienst and Joe Schultz

Ballpark: Sportsman's Park IV

History, Comments, Contributions

The 1964 St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series for the first time since 1946, but the team had a very rough path to the title.

After finishing second to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1963, the Cardinals were considered a favorite to contend for the pennant the following year, but they began the season slowly, sinking as low as eighth place in June. Knowing changes needed to be made, General Manager Bing Devine made a trade on June 15th, sending pitchers Ernie Broglio and Bobby Shantz and outfielder Doug Clemens to the Chicago Cubs for outfielder Lou Brock and pitchers Jack Spring and Paul Toth. Brock immediately found his hitting stroke, however, two months later, the Cards were still mired in fifth place, nine games behind the Philadelphia Phillies. Owner Gussie Busch fired Devine on August 17th, and word circulated that manager Johnny Keane was the next to go. However, the Cards went 30-14 from that point on, and, aided by the collapse of the Phillies, went on to win the pennant by one game.

The speedy Brock excelled with the Cardinals, hitting .348 with 12 homers and 33 steals after joining the club in the deal that would eventually go down as one of the most lopsided trades in history. Additionally, the team had four All-Stars: first baseman Bill White, who hit .303 with 21 homers; third baseman Ken Boyer, who clubbed 29 home runs with a league-best 119 RBIs en route to being named the NL MVP; shortstop Dick Groat, who hit .292; and outfielder Curt Flood, who hit .311. Additionally, the rotation was anchored by Ray Sadecki, who won 20 games; Bob Gibson, who won 19 and struck out 245 batters; and Curt Simmons, who notched 18 wins.

The Cardinals met the New York Yankees in the World Series, and the clubs split the first six games. The Cards jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the seventh and final game, and despite giving up two homers in the 9th inning, Gibson held on to give the Cardinals a 7-5 win and a world championship.

However, the clubhouse drama continued in the days following the World Series. Keane, who was named the major league Manager of the Year, resigned, eventually moving on to the Yankees, who had fired skipper Yogi Berra after the World Series.

Awards and Honors

• All-Stars: Ken Boyer, Curt Flood, Dick Groat and Bill White
• NL MVP: Ken Boyer
• NL Gold Glove: Curt Flood (OF), Bobby Shantz (P) and Bill White (1B)
• Manager of the Year Award: Johnny Keane

1964 Opening Day Lineup

Julian Javier, 2b

Dick Groat, ss

Bill White, 1b

Charlie James, lf

Ken Boyer, 3b

Carl Warwick, rf

Curt Flood, cf

Bob Uecker, c

Ernie Broglio, p

World Series

NL St. Louis Cardinals (4) vs. AL New York Yankees (3)

Game	Score	Date	Location	Attendance	Time of Game
1	Yankees – 5, Cardinals – 9	October 7	Busch Stadium I	30,805	2:42
2	Yankees – 8, Cardinals – 3	October 8	Busch Stadium I	30,805	2:29
3	Cardinals – 1, Yankees – 2	October 10	Yankee Stadium	67,101	2:16
4	Cardinals – 4, Yankees – 3	October 11	Yankee Stadium	66,312	2:18
5	Cardinals – 5, Yankees – 2	October 12	Yankee Stadium	65,633	2:37
6	Yankees – 8, Cardinals – 3	October 14	Busch Stadium I	30,805	2:37
7	Yankees – 5, Cardinals – 7	October 15	Busch Stadium I	30,346	2:40

Further Reading

• "Cards take Pennant, wallop Mets", The Washington Post, October 5, 1964, historic-newspapers.com
• William A. Cook: The Summer of '64: A Pennant Lost, McFarland, Jefferson, NC, 2002. ISBN 978-0-7864-1216-7
• John G. Robertson and Carl T. Madden: World Series '64: The Cardinals, the Yankees and the End of a Dynasty, McFarland, Jefferson, NC, 2024. ISBN 978-1-4766-9206-7
• John Harry Stahl and Bill Nowlin, ed.: Drama and Pride in the Gateway City: The 1964 St. Louis Cardinals, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, NE, 2013. ISBN 978-0-8032-4372-9

<< 1963 1964 World Series 1965 >>

Cardinals over Yankees (4-3)