Red Schoendienst has cold, not at Spring Training

St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame second baseman Red Schoendienst is battling a cold and has not step foot in Jupiter, Florida for his 70th Spring Training.

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What has become a Spring Training tradition is the former Cardinals manager delivering the lineups to home plate as the exhibition season kicks off. That was not the case this afternoon when the Cardinals took on the Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium.

Rick Hummel reports that the 92 year old has been “in and out of the hospital lately.” While he is currently at his home, he is battling what Hummel describes is “a hard-to-kick, raspy cold.” Making matters worse is that the Hall of Famer is short of breath and told Hummel, “and I just don’t have any energy.”

The Hall of Famer will mark his 70th consecutive year wearing a Major League uniform, mostly with the St. Louis Cardinals during a 19-year career. He has only missed one Spring Training since 1945. The special assistant to general manager John Mozeliak is currently the oldest living World Series-winning manager.

According to Hummel, the Hall of Famer would “pretty much would have to know by the end of this week or the start of next week if he could make it here.”

“I’d love to be down there,” Red told Hummel. “But I don’t know. I just can’t do it.”

“I’ve been putting the pressure on him,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny told reporters on Thursday. “He’s battling a little bit of a cold that has him down and tired. I told him that he needs some sunshine, I need some help, so hurry up. (But) the doctors have to cooperate. They have a little more say in his life than I do.”

In Cardinals Hall of Fame news, shortstop Ozzie Smith was recently on hand to instruct infielders. The likes of both Bob Gibson and Lou Brock are expected to be arriving in Jupiter at some point in the next month or so.

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