Who am I? Name that Cardinal, 2nd edition

The long days of winter and the baseball off season has brought back another edition of “Who am I?”  It is time to step aboard the baseball time machine and try to guess who this Cardinal was that provided a classic memorable St. Louis Cardinal moment.

There has been a plethora of “Big” home runs in Cardinal post season history.  These home runs have left indelible marks or impressions on the heart and minds of Cardinal Nation.  This past season’s World Series heroics of David Freese in game six will always and forever be added to that list.  These are the home runs that captivate those next morning water cooler conversations.  They are the moon shots that are played over and over on the news and in the media.  We see them in our sleep when we shut our eyes and dream of another Cardinal win or championship.  They become part of our own personal history.

Well, this player provided a blast that has been forever burned into the visions of Cardinal fans.  It is still talked about as one of those “moments”.  It actually is the moment that defined this player.  It is this homerun that he is remembered for.  So, who is it?  Here are the clues:

I was drafted in the 17^th round of the 1978 amateur draft by the Cincinnati Reds.  I played two seasons for the Reds and one for the Montreal Expos before becoming a Cardinal.  I am the only player in history to be traded for Pete Rose.  When I became a St. Louis Cardinal, I was the player to be named later.  I played for the Cardinals for 4 seasons.  In my four seasons with the Cardinals I was a career .187 hitter with only 35 hits for the Birds.

The final two seasons of my career was spent with the Toronto Blue Jays.  I had taken 394 trips to the plate before I hit my first major league home run.  It actually came off of Ken Dayley of the Cardinals.  I would finish my career with a total of two regular season home runs and 1 post season home run for a total of three round trippers.

During the 1987 regular season we were headed to the World Series.  I had batted .080 for the season with no RBI’s.  I didn’t get my first hit until August of that year.  However, during the Series against the Minnesota Twins, my manager, Whitey Herzog, dubbed me Mr. October because I had 2 hits in my first 6 at bats.  My defining moment and what I will always be remembered for came in the fourth inning of game four.   I hit a three run homer off of Frank Viola, the eventual World Series MVP, to give my team the lead and move us into a 2-2 tie with the Twins.

My home run was memorable, no doubt.  But, what I did next is what made me famous.  I took 8 s-l-o-w steps from the plate after I hit the ball.  On the eighth step I tossed the bat in the air like the most skilled baton twirler ever.  The confidence/cockiness or bravado of this “toss” would have made Rickey Henderson look humble.

So, who am I?  Click here for the answer.

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