Last time All-Star Game was in St. Louis, Schoendienst managed Cardinals

Schoendienst is Cardinals’ bridge to ‘66 game

ST. LOUIS — In 1966, the last time the All-Star Game was played in sweltering St. Louis, Red Schoendienst managed the Cardinals. He’s still suiting up, giving you an idea of his incredible longevity.

The 86-year-old Schoendienst is in his seventh decade with the franchise, including 45 seasons as a player, coach and manager, and presently serves as special assistant to general manager John Mozeliak. In short, he’s a franchise lifer.

Schoendienst appears most comfortable in uniform and with a fungo bat in his hands before home games, ever ready to help with pregame drills. But there’s no doubt he belongs among the luminaries given his career as a Hall of Fame second baseman who played in 10 All-Star Games and managed a pair of NL victories in ‘68 and ‘69.

“Yeah, it’s fun,” he said. “It was always more fun, though, when you were in it.”

Schoendienst batted .289, totaled 2,449 hits, was among the best defensively, and managed a franchise record 1,041 victories before Tony La Russa passed him in 2007. Though forever overshadowed in Cardinals lore by Stan Musial, a former teammate regarded as one of the best players of all time, he also had a flair for the dramatic.

Schoendienst, who totaled 84 home runs and topped double figures only twice in his career, had the game-winning homer in the 14th inning of the 1950 All-Star Game.

“I wasn’t a home-run hitter,” Schoendienst said. “But I hit one in an All-Star Game.”

Schoendienst would have had a dozen All-Star appearances had he not twice opted for rest. Manager Eddie Dyer convinced him both times the break would do him good.

“I was selected when the manager and press picked them,” Schoendienst said. “Eddie told me, ‘You’re in the game but I’d prefer you to stay back and rest. I think it would help me, help you and help the club.’”

Schoendienst’s response: “So, OK. But it would have been 12 rather than 10.”

Schoendienst managed the NL’s 1-0 victory in 1968 in Houston’s Astrodome, riding Willie Mays’ first-inning RBI single and a pitching staff that included Don Drysdale, Juan Marichal, Steve Carlton and Tom Seaver. Jerry Koosman struck out Boston’s Carl Yastrzemski for the final out.

He used all but two players, pitchers Woody Fryman and Cardinals ace Bob Gibson, in that game. Gibson had his historic 1.12 ERA that season, forcing major league baseball to lower the mound, but just like Dyer during his playing days, Schoendienst recognized that Gibson would benefit from time off.

“Gibson’s arm was tired and was bothering him then,” Schoendienst said. “So I was glad to keep him out.”

The game was big back when Schoendienst, the pride of nearby Germantown, Ill., was playing and managing. In those days, it was the lone chance to see how players matched up against the rival league.

Now, events are stretched over four days. Schoendienst and the Cardinals’ other five living Hall of Famers — Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, Ozzie Smith, Bruce Sutter and Lou Brock — will be honored before the game.

“It’s marketing,” Schoendienst said with a chuckle. “I guess they’ve got a uniform for hitting, for the home run derby, all that stuff. Just the way it is.”