Who am I? Name that Cardinal

The game of baseball is full of stats, comparisons and iconic moments.  The faithful followers of the Cardinal Nation embrace our rich history.  We have had some of the all time greats that have played the game.  We have had the record holders and the record breakers.  We have witnessed some of baseball’s most iconic moments.  As baseball fans we have resolved to the fact that records are made to be broken.  It is part of the excitement of the game.  But, we also love those iconic moments.  Those moments that generates the talks of “do you remember” or “did you see”.  Well, today’s edition of “Who am I? Name the Cardinal” is about one of those iconic moments.

Since the beginning of the game, the fans have loved the long ball.  Is there anything better than those towering homeruns?  We wait for the moon shots or the leather covered laser beams that leave the playing field.  They don’t have to be big blasts to take our breath away.  McGwire’s 62^nd homerun barely left the park, but it was breathtaking.  We love the long ball!  

Some of the shots have become legendary.  In 1883, long before there was the “tale of the tape”, Hall of Famer, Roger Connor hit a blast in the original Polo Grounds that became a story for ages.  Mickey Mantle holds the Guinness Book of World Records record for the longest homerun.  The blast carried over 600 feet.  

The Cardinals have had their share of legendary shots in their storied past.  The confines of any of the Cardinals past stadiums have never been known as a power hitter’s paradise.  However, there have been some legendary long balls that have happened there.  In Busch Stadium 2, the longest homerun title belongs to Mark McGwire when he hit one 545 feet.  This one resulted in the big fake band aid on the scoreboard to commemorate the blast.  The new stadium, Busch Stadium 3, saw Lance Berkman hold the record for the longest shot at 452 feet.  He only held the title for a few months until Albert Pujols lifted one 465 feet.  Both of these happened in 2011.  

We have all seen the homers that leave Wrigley Field and out onto the street.  But who is the only person to hit a ball out of Busch Stadium 2, all the way out of the stadium?  Can you name that Cardinal?

Here are the hints:

I was drafted the Detroit Tigers in the 1^st round of the 1980 amateur draft.

I made my Major League debut in 1982.

I became a Cardinal as a “player to be named later” in 1986.

I was in two World Series and have a championship ring, but never got to play in either of the fall classics.

I was a career .199 hitter.

I hit a homerun my first time at bat in Busch Stadium.

I did something no one else in baseball history has ever done.  It is something that no one else will ever do. I am the only one and will forever remain the only one.

My career defining moment came on September 15, 1986.  It was third inning and I was batting against Ron Darling of the New York Mets.  I had only been a Cardinal for about a week.  I took a Darling pitch deep, yes it was foul, but it was deep.  It is the only ball ever hit out of Busch Stadium.  I mean OUT, all the way out of the stadium.  I received a standing ovation for the foul ball and then I struck out on the next pitch.  

Who am I? Click here for the answer.

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