The NLCS Game 3 victory was Carpenter’s seventh career post-season win, tying him with Hall of Famer Bob Gibson for first place on the Cardinals’ all-time list. Coincidentally, Gibson was among the Busch Stadium attendees Wednesday, along with fellow Cardinals Hall of Famers Lou Brock, Red Schoendienst and Stan Musial.

With his fifth-ever home win in the playoffs, Carpenter broke a tie with John Tudor and is now alone atop that subset with the most home post-season wins in franchise history.

While Carpenter has enjoyed the advantage of expanded playoffs that did not exist in Gibson’s days, his accomplishments are certainly worth acknowledging here.

Overall in his post-season career, Carpenter is 7-2 with a 2.99 ERA (26 ER/75.1 IP), a .248 (68-for-274) opponents batting average and 46 strikeouts against 25 walks. Most importantly, the Cardinals have won 10 and lost just two of his post-season starts.

In Cardinals playoff history, Carpenter passed Matt Morris (11 starts, 73.1 IP, 44 SO) Wednesday night in starts, innings pitched and strikeouts. He now ranks second in the latter two categories for St. Louis, trailing only Gibson (81.0 IP, 92 SO).

Thanks to researcher Tom Orf, here is the full list of Cardinals post-season winners, including home-road splits. 56 different pitchers have won 103 playoff games, led by Carpenter and Gibson.

Of course, the Cardinals hope to see six more wins added to this total before they pack up their gear for a final time in 2011.

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Chass’ latest target is none other than a fellow Cooperstown inductee, former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson.

Following a sparse, two-paragraph review of the upcoming HBO special about the late Curt Flood and his fight against MLB’s reserve clause which bound a player to a team, Chass quickly turned to his specialty, attacking others.

Chass labels the former Cardinals hurler a “tin man,” in other words, heartless, because Gibson did not come out publicly in support of his teammate Flood’s legal challenge against baseball’s owners in 1970.

Even as he completed his skewering of Gibson, Chass undercut his own position by admitting that Gibson was far from alone. In fact, the writer acknowledges that not one major league player came to Flood’s defense at the time.

In other words, Gibson was simply one of 599 other major leaguers in 1970 that did not step out of line to risk the ramifications of crossing the then-all-powerful owners.

Though other contemporaries of Flood such as Joe Torre and Tim McCarver are quoted in the article about their own indifference to the Flood situation, they were spared Chass’ slander.

Apparently one reason Gibson was singled out was because the candid former pitcher was willing to discuss the situation in depth with the HBO filmmakers, providing Chass quotes to dissect.

Another reason appears to be that Gibson’s long-tenured dislike of the press remains stuck in Chass’ craw.

“As a player, Gibson intimidated opposing batters with his blazing fastball and reporters with his menacing stare and gruff responses to questions,” Chass wrote. “In retirement he has not mellowed. He neither takes phone calls from reporters nor returns them.”

Did Chass single out Gibson because he spoke with HBO and not him?

One final question.

In his 1970 writings, did Chass spring to Flood’s defense, joining the lonely fight against baseball’s barons? Or instead, did he “wimp out,” just as his headline over 40 years after the fact accuses Gibson of doing?

One thing we have learned from the steroids era is that silence was wide-spread at the time. Moralizing after the fact about what should have been done simply creates the impression of hypocrisy by the accuser.

More than likely, the pot is calling the kettle black here and it is not becoming.

Update:  A reader provided this link from the NYT, noting that in 1971, the very brave and visionary Chass wondered if players who demand change have mental issues.

Notes: “The Curious Case of Curt Flood” is a 90-minute documentary that premieres on HBO at 9 P.M. EDT on July 13. I also highly recommend reading “A Well-Paid Slave,” a Flood biography written by Brad Snyder.

The above photo is from the aftermath of game seven of the 1964 World Series. On the far left, an exhausted Gibson is helped off the field by catcher McCarver, while Flood, number 21, is in the far right of the shot.

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The team needed the win to avoid being swept at home and starting 0-3 for the first time since 2007. Despite the momentum of the 2006 World Championship, 2007 became a non-playoff year.

Garcia’s gem was fittingly the ninth nine-or-more strikeout game posted by a Cardinals pitcher in the first three games of the season (since 1920). Not surprisingly, Hall of Famer Bob Gibson logged five of the first eight.

St. Louis Cardinals pitchers with nine+ strikeouts in first three games of the season (since 1920)

It was the 49^th time a Cardinals pitcher threw a shutout while fanning at least nine and allowing four hits or less at any time of the season. Garcia’s teammate Chris Carpenter had the last four, three during his 2005 Cy Young Award season. Carp is second all-time to Gibson’s 12.

St. Louis Cardinals pitchers, shutout, nine+ strikeouts, allowing four hits or less (since 1920)

Thanks to researcher Tom Orf for the data tables.

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It was a most disappointing outing for St. Louis Cardinals right-handed starting pitcher Adam Wainwright in San Diego on Tuesday night. The 28-year-old allowed just four base hits in seven innings, yet took the 1-0 loss.

Wainwright looked almost unhittable, fanning a career-high-tying 12 Padres, including their best hitter, Adrian Gonzalez, three times. Yet a solo home run to journeyman Jerry Hairston in the second inning was the difference-maker as the Cardinals quiet offense allowed no wiggle room whatsoever.

It was the 64th 12-or-more strikeout performance by a Cardinal since 1952. (See complete list below.) Hall of Famer Bob Gibson has almost half of them with 30. Wainwright became the eighth St. Louis pitcher to have multiple 12 K games during that time.

Oddly, Wainwright didn’t get the win in his other 12-strikeout game, either. He received a no-decision after yielding just one run in nine innings against the San Francisco Giants last July 1. The Cardinals went on to win that game in ten innings.

The last time a Cardinal pitcher had 13 strikeouts was almost four years ago when Chris Carpenter did it on June 13, 2006. Others prior to that were Matt Morris on 9/19/2001, Todd Stottlemyre twice, on 5/11/1998 and 5/15/1996 and Gibson who had 14 on 8/30/1972.

Other than Wainwright, Gibson is the only Cardinal pitcher to strike out 12 Padres. He did it three times: 8/12/1970 (13 K-14 IP), 6/17/1970 (13 K), 7/30/1969 (13 K). Gibby won all three games, a much better outcome than the Cardinals suffered on Tuesday.

Wainwright’s outing was the 31st time in MLB history that a pitcher has allowed one run with 12 or more strikeouts and lost the game. Two of those were by Arizona’s Randy Johnson within a ten-day span against the Cardinals in 1999. Both times, The Big Unit came up short compared to St. Louis’ Jose Jimenez, who tossed a no-hitter and two-hitter those days.

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher, 12 or more strikeouts, game, 1952-current

As always, a special thanks to Tom Orf for his research included above.

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It only seemed fitting.

St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson was in the house at Busch Stadium Friday night to commemorate the fan giveaway of a replica statue of his likeness.

When Brad Penny shot a bases loaded home run over the outfield wall in the third inning, it was the ninth grand slam by a Cardinals pitcher since at least 1952. Only one man has two and he happened to be in the FOX Sports Midwest booth at the time – Gibson. Upon questioning, he was quite aware of his feat.

Gibson’s first grand slam was in 1965 with the other in 1973. The latter was the last of his 24 career long balls. Gibson retired in 1975.

Oddly, the most recent two St. Louis pitcher grand slams came against former Cardinals starters. Joel Pineiro was Penny’s victim Friday night while Kip Wells served up Chris Carpenter‘s shot last October 1. Prior to Carpenter’s home run, it had been over 11 years since it had been done.

St. Louis Cardinals grand slams, pitcher, 1952-current

Since 1952, Cardinals pitchers have hit 106 home runs.

Thanks to statistician Tom Orf for pulling the detailed data summarized above.

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Almost lost in all the St. Louis Cardinals hit-by-pitch posturing, multiple home runs and final inning comeback Wednesday night was the performance on the mound by Chris Carpenter.

Though the bullpen helped cost him a win, the Cardinals’ ace still fanned ten Arizona Diamondbacks through seven-plus innings. In fact, it was the right-hander’s second consecutive ten strikeout performance, coming on the heels of his seven-inning, 10 K win over the Mets last Friday night.

Surprisingly, it was Carpenter’s first such back-to-back double-digit strikeout performance as a Cardinal in his seventh year with the club. In doing so, his was the 21^st in team history by the 11^th individual. Teammate Adam Wainwright joined the group last September as he built his case for the Cy Young Award that ultimately went to Tim Lincecum.

From a historical perspective, not surprisingly, Hall of Famer Bob Gibson dominates the list with nine of the 21 entries. Gibson not only has the single four-game, double-digit strikeout streak in team history, but he had also four of the five three-game stretches ever accrued by a Cardinals hurler.

Streak of 10 or more strikeout games, Cardinals pitchers

Thanks to Tom Orf for providing the data table.

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When Carpenter masterfully shut out the Milwaukee Brewers on one hit, winning by a 3-0 margin on Monday afternoon at Miller Park, it was the 34-year-old right-hander’s 11^th consecutive victory.

It marks the second-longest winning streak in Carpenter’s career, with his best having been a 13-game run during his Cy Young Award-winning 2005 campaign.

Only one other pitcher in St. Louis history had multiple victory streaks of at least 11 games. Two-time Cy Young Award-winner Gibson assembled two such consecutive win runs – 15 in 1968 and 11 in 1972.

Further, as Carpenter fanned 10 Brewers on Labor Day, it marked just the sixth time since at least 1954 that a Cardinals hurler allowed one or fewer hits and fanned ten or more in a complete game. Carp and Gibby are the only ones to make this list twice.

Complete game, one or fewer hits, ten or more strikeouts, Cardinals, 1954-2009

			Team	Score	Pitcher		IP	H	K
Chris Carpenter	9/7/2009	@MIL	W	3-0	SHO9	W	9	1	10
Chris Carpenter	6/14/2005	@TOR	W	7-0	SHO9	W	9	1	10
Alan Benes	5/16/1997	@ATL	L	0-1	GS-9		9	1	11
Bob Gibson	8/14/1971	@PIT	W	11-0	SHO9	W	9	0	10
Bob Gibson	6/17/1970	@SDP	W	8-0	SHO9	W	9	1	13
Ernie Broglio	7/15/1960	CHC	W	6-0	SHO9	W	9	1	14

In terms of raw numbers of contests of ten or more strikeouts, Gibson has no peer in at least the last 55 years of team history. In fact, no one else is even close.

Ten or more strikeout games, Cardinals, 1954-2009

74	Bob Gibson
13	Steve Carlton
10	Matt Morris, Andy Benes
9	Sam Jones, Jose DeLeon, Chris Carpenter

With his Monday gem, Carpenter broke a three-way tie for the most ten-plus K games by a Cardinal hurler this decade. He had been tied with Matt Morris and the late Darryl Kile with eight.

Ten or more strikeout games, Cardinals, 2000-2009

9	Chris Carpenter
8	Matt Morris, Darryl Kile
6	Rick Ankiel

Further narrowing down to the last five years, Carpenter has eight of the club’s ten-or-more strikeout performances.

Ten or more strikeout games, Cardinals, 2005-2009

8	Chris Carpenter
1	Adam Wainwright
1	Mark Mulder

Thanks to Tom Orf for pulling the data tables shown above.

Carp’s command was off in the early innings as he prevailed for his eighth win of the season despite allowing seven hits, one hit batter and one walk.

It was Carpenter’s second shutout outing of at least eight innings this season. The other was also exactly eight innings in duration, a dominant two-hitter on May 25 in Milwaukee. Carp has yet to pitch a complete game in 2009 as the club remains cautious with their oft-injured ace.

Carpenter also went seven innings in his season opener on April 9. The one run that scored during that outing was unearned. Those were his only three scoreless outings of more than five innings this season.

To help put this into historical context, the always-ready Tom Orf offers an assist with the data.

Friday night’s eight-inning shutout was Carpenter’s 12^th in his Cardinals career. That ties for only 13^th-best on the club in the last 55 years, or since 1954. Hall of Famer Bob Gibson, pitching in a different era, is the runaway leader with 67 such games.

Dropping the criteria to seven innings with no earned runs, as noted above, Carp has three of those games this season and 19 total as a Cardinal, good for a tie for eighth-most since at least 1954. I found it most interesting to note that the leader, Gibson, collected “just” 68. When I say “just”, I mean not in comparison to others, but to himself.

In other words, only once in 68 career games during which Gibson spun seven innings with no earned runs allowed, did he not remain in the game to do the same thing in the eighth inning, too.

Simply amazing.

All Cardinals hurlers who reached double-digits in number of either eight or seven inning outings with no earned runs allowed in the last 55 years follow.

	Cardinals 1954-2009
	8 IP-0 ER				7 IP-0 ER
Rk		#		Rk		#
1	Bob Gibson	67		1	Bob Gibson	68
2	Bob Forsch	27		2	Bob Forsch	35
3	Steve Carlton	20		T3	Matt Morris	23
T4	John Tudor	19		T3	Steve Carlton	23
T4	Curt Simmons	19		T5	John Tudor	22
T6	Larry Jackson	18		T5	Curt Simmons	22
T6	Ernie Broglio	18		7	Joe Magrane	20
8	Matt Morris	15		T8	Chris Carpenter	19
T9	Nelson Briles	14		T8	Ernie Broglio	19
T9	Joaquin Andujar	14		10	Larry Jackson	18
T11	Ray Washburn	13		11	John Denny	17
T11	John Denny	13		12	Joaquin Andujar	16
T13	Vinegar Bend Mizell	12		13	Nelson Briles	15
T13	Joe Magrane	12		14	Donovan Osborne	14
T13	Chris Carpenter	12		T15	Ray Washburn	13
T16	Bob Tewksbury	10		T15	Bob Tewksbury	13
T16	Lynn McGlothen	10		T17	Vinegar Bend Mizell	12
T16	Reggie Cleveland	10		T17	Jose DeLeon	12
				T19	Lynn McGlothen	11
				T19	Danny Cox	11
				T19	Reggie Cleveland	11
				T22	Ray Sadecki	10
				T22	Larry Jaster	10

Yet it also applies to a St. Louis Cardinals icon, Bob Gibson, the best pitcher to ever don the birds on the bat, according to our all-time ranking at Scout.com.

In just one month from now, on July 31st, 100 items representing the best of the Hall of Famer’s lifetime collection of baseball memorabilia will be sold to the highest bidders through the services of a Cleveland firm called Legendary Auctions.

The auction is scheduled to coincide with the National Sports Collectors convention and will include Gibson’s World Series rings, Most Valuable Player and Cy Young Awards, game-used equipment and more.

The items to be auctioned include the following:

• Gibson’s 1968 MVP Award
• Gibson’s 1968 and 1970 Cy Young awards
• Gibson’s 1964 and 1967 World Series rings
• Gibson’s Hall of Fame induction ring
• A complete compilation of all of Gibson’s player contracts
• Gibson’s first MLB victory ball
• A Gibson game-used glove

Just yesterday, I was reading an article highlighting the top ten “hocked” World Series rings. But in that case, most of the players/coaches who originally owned the rings are either dead or the sellers were obscure participants who perhaps needed a quick cash infusion.

That doesn’t seem to be the case with Gibson, who seemingly has lived a comfortable life back home in Bellevue, Nebraska with an occasional spring foray to Jupiter, Florida for spring training or a summer visit for a ceremony of some type in St. Louis.

Apparently, Gibby has decided that this is the right time to put his memorabilia on the open market.

While that is clearly his right, it seems a shame that he feels the need to put such tangible elements representing his legacy up for sale to the highest bidder. On the other hand, Gibson is now 73 years old and must have decided he’d rather this is carried out while he is still alive instead of after his passing.

At least the Baseball Assistance Team (B.A.T.) will receive an undefined portion of the proceeds. The charity aids long-time members of the “baseball family” that are unable to help themselves due to personal hardships.

Gibson does not apply.

After it was broken up by a lead-off single from Craig Counsell, Carp went on to complete his eighth shutout inning, during which time he struck out ten and did not walk a batter. Unfortunately, he took a no-decision in the Cardinals’ ten-inning 1-0 loss to the Brewers.

Over the last five seasons, only one other major league pitcher failed to earn a win despite throwing at least eight scoreless innings, recording ten-or-more strikeouts and not issuing a walk. That was the Giants’ Tim Lincecum, last month against Arizona. Prior to Carpenter, the last Cardinals pitcher who did not win a game under those conditions was Lee Meadows in 1917, according to Elias and Cardinals Media Relations.

Perhaps even more notable was that it was Carpenter’s fourth consecutive start without allowing an earned run, one short of the club record over at least the last 55 years. On Saturday night against San Francisco, Carp can tie the mark of five set by Bob Gibson during his signature 1968 season, known as the “Year of the Pitcher” across MLB.

Following are all 13 of the three-or-more Cardinals shutout start streaks in the last 55 years. Of course, all starts are not equal.

Among the oddities:

• John Tudor’s three shutout starts were interrupted by two seasons with the Dodgers.
• Jose DeLeon obviously pitched well, but had four no-decisions to show for it as he was injured twice.
• Ray Washburn‘s only relief appearance of the season occurred in the middle of his three starts without an earned run.
• Bob Forsch was spiked and left the game in the second of his four.

As one might suspect, Gibson’s run of five require no asterisks of any kind as they were all complete-game shutout wins earned during June of 1968. That has to be the one of the most dominant single months put together by any pitcher in the history of the game. Simply amazing.

Cardinals streaks of three or more consecutive shutout starts by a single pitcher (1954-2009)

Bob Gibson	1968
Start #	Car	TmG	Date		Opp	Rslt	Inngs	Dec	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
12	292	52	Jun 6	@	HOU	W,4-0	SHO	W(5-5)	9	3	0	0	2	5
13	293	58	Jun 11	@	ATL	W,6-0	SHO	W(6-5)	9	5	0	0	2	4
14	294	62	Jun 15		CIN	W,2-0	SHO	W(7-5)	9	4	0	0	0	13
15	295	66	Jun 20		CHC	W,1-0	SHO	W(8-5)	9	5	0	0	1	6
16	296	72	Jun 26(1)		PIT	W,3-0	SHO	W(9-5)	9	4	0	0	0	7
Chris Carpenter	2009
1	251	4	Apr 9		PIT	W,2-1	GS-7	W(1-0)	7	1	1	0	2	7
2	252	9	Apr 14	@	ARI	L,6-7	GS-3		3	4	0	0	0	2
3	253	40	May 20		CHC	W,2-1	GS-5	W(2-0)	5	3	0	0	2	4
4	254	45	May 25	@	MIL	L,0-1	GS-8		8	2	0	0	0	10
Jose DeLeon	1991
25	258	120	Aug 23		LAD	W,2-1	GS-6		6	7	0	0	1	3
26	259	125	Aug 28		SDP	L,1-2	GS-2		2	0	0	0	1	0
27	260	151	Sep 23(2)		MON	L,1-5	GS-5		5	2	0	0	2	3
28	261	157	Sep 30		MON	W,11-1	GS-1		0.2	1	0	0	0	1

(First game left with stiffness in right shoulder; fourth game hit on the wrist with a line drive and taken out.)

Bob Forsch	1980
4	192	15	Apr 27	@	PHI	W,10-1	CG	W(1-1)	9	6	1	0	0	5
5	193	19	May 2		HOU	W,9-1	GS-2		1	1	0	0	1	0
6	194	24	May 7		SFG	W,12-2	GS-7	W(2-1)	7	3	0	0	1	7
7	195	27	May 11		LAD	L,2-4	GS-7	L(2-2)	7	9	4	0	2	4

(Was removed from second game after being spiked by Jose Cruz on a play at first base.)

Woody Williams	2003
1	274	2	Apr 2		MIL	W,7-0	GS-7	W(1-0)	6.2	2	0	0	1	5
2	275	10	Apr 12	@	HOU	W,3-0	GS-6	W(2-0)	6	6	0	0	2	2
3	276	15	Apr 18		ARI	W,6-3	GS-7	W(3-0)	7	3	0	0	0	6
John Tudor	1988
21	241	113	Aug 10	@	PHI	W,1-0	GS-8	W(6-5)	8	3	0	0	2	3
	1990
1	257	4	Apr 13	@	PHI	W,11-0	GS-6	W(1-0)	6	3	0	0	2	2
2	258	9	Apr 18	@	PIT	W,3-0	GS-7	W(2-0)	7	6	0	0	1	4

(Traded to Dodgers on 8/16/1988 for Pedro Guerrero; signed by Cardinals as a free agent in 1990 – two years between Cardinal starts.)

John Tudor	1985
29	167	127	Sep 1		HOU	W,5-0	SHO	W(16-8)	9	7	0	0	0	5
30	168	132	Sep 6		ATL	W,8-0	SHO	W(17-8)	9	7	0	0	1	7
31	169	137	Sep 11	@	NYM	W,1-0	SHO	W(18-8)	10	3	0	0	2	7
Joaquin Andujar	1982
33	223	136	Sep 6		MON	W,1-0	SHO	W(11-10)	9	5	0	0	1	4
34	224	140	Sep 11		NYM	W,6-3	GS-5	W(12-10)	5	3	0	0	2	6
35	225	144	Sep 15	@	PHI	W,8-0	SHO	W(13-10)	9	3	0	0	1	4
John Fulgham	1980
5	25	32	May 17	@	SFG	L,2-4	GS-4		4	3	0	0	0	5
6	26	37	May 23		SDP	L,0-2	GS-8		8	6	0	0	2	4
7	27	42	May 28		NYM	L,5-6	GS-7		7	2	0	0	6	2

(First game coming back from a shoulder injury was limited to four innings.)

Sonny Siebert	1974
8	356	40	May 24	@	CHC	W,1-0	SHO	W(4-3)	9	5	0	0	1	3
9	357	46	May 31		SDP	W,5-0	SHO	W(5-3)	9	5	0	0	2	5
10	358	50	Jun 5	@	SFG	W,4-1	GS-9	W(6-3)	8.2	10	1	0	3	4
Ray Washburn	1966
7	98	41	May 31		HOU	W,3-0	GS-6	W(2-3)	5.2	3	0	0	1	4
8	99	46	Jun 4(2)	@	ATL	L,1-4	7-GF(8)		2	0	0	0	0	2
9	100	55	Jun 13(2)	@	NYM	W,4-1	GS-7	W(3-3)	6.2	4	0	0	5	4
10	101	61	Jun 19(1)		PHI	W,1-0	SHO	W(4-3)	9	2	0	0	3	5

(Pitched in his only game of the year in relief in between the three starts – 26 starts on the year.)

Curt Simmons	1963
28	437	140	Sep 5		NYM	W,9-0	SHO	W(13-7)	9	6	0	0	0	7
29	438	145	Sep 9		CHC	W,6-0	SHO	W(14-7)	9	5	0	0	2	3
30	439	149	Sep 13		MLN	W,7-0	SHO	W(15-7)	9	5	0	0	3	7
Harvey Haddix	1954
14	57	51	Jun 9		BRO	W,3-0	SHO	W(9-3)	9	3	0	0	3	4
15	58	55	Jun 13(1)		PIT	W,5-0	SHO	W(10-3)	9	3	0	0	0	10
16	59	59	Jun 18	@	NYG	W,5-0	SHO	W(11-3)	9	4	0	0	2	7

As always, a tip of the cap to Tom Orf, who pulled the data shown above.

Though no one knew it at the time, June 13, 2006 would become a milestone for the St. Louis Cardinals. On that evening in Pittsburgh, reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter fanned 13 Pirates in seven shutout innings of work.

Since then, the Cardinals have gone 422 games and counting without a ten strikeout performance by any pitcher. Unless Carpenter is able to return to his previous proficiency level in 2009, the prospect of the drought being broken any time soon seems unlikely.

Maybe that was partly what Carp was thinking about when he told the Boston Globe the following last weekend:

“After two very frustrating and miserable years, I just want to feel healthy again. I feel if my arm and elbow are fine, I’ll be able to do what I’ve always done.”

One of the things the Cardinals ace has always been able to do on the mound is to get the big strikeout in a crucial situation.

We are all probably ever-so familiar with the Tony La Russa/Dave Duncan “pitch to contact” philosophy. I am not here to bash that, as it has worked for them. It also may at least partially be a reflection of the strengths of a majority their personnel.

On the other hand, is there a more macho play in all of sports than the strikeout – one on one, pitcher against hitter? When the hurler dominates, the batter is returned meekly to his dugout.

Let’s face it. Would the final out of the 2006 National League Championship Series have been remembered even a week later if Adam Wainwright had retired the Mets’ Carlos Beltran on a 6-3 grounder instead of looking at an amazing curveball?

Better yet, Wainwright also polished off the Detroit Tigers’ Brandon Inge on another K to secure the last out of the 2006 World Series. But who remembers the first step, the NLDS win? Yet had that not occurred first, the rest would never have happened. For the record, San Diego’s Dave Roberts grounded out to Albert Pujols. How utterly boring!

Back on point, statman extraordinare Tom Orf pulled some lists that illustrate the dying art of the Cardinals double-digit strikeout performance.

In the last 50 years, since 1959, team pitchers have registered 194 performances of ten strikeouts or more. While that averages almost four per year, the reality is that without Hall of Famer Bob Gibson, who retired following the 1975 season, the Cardinals half-century total would be a meager 120.

To help put those counts into perspective, one man alone, albeit MLB’s leading active strikeout pitcher and second all-time, Randy Johnson, has amassed some 212 games of ten or more Ks since his 1998 debut.

Closer to home, despite the strikeout-averse reputation of the current Cardinals coaches, at first blush, the TLR/DD years look fairly normal. Since 1996, St. Louis pitchers have amassed 60 ten strikeout games. Upon further analysis, however, over 75% of them occurred in the first five seasons of the La Russa reign behind the Benes brothers, Todd Stottlemyre and yes, Rick Ankiel. Andy had ten, Todd eight and Alan and Rick six.

Of course with Ankiel, I am referring to his superb 2000 season, a year in which he registered all six of his ten K performances. That total represents the Cardinals’ highest single season count of such games since Gibson’s seven accrued thirty years earlier, back in 1970.

I already mentioned Gibson’s career total of 74 ten strikeout games. As good as Ankiel was in 2000, Gibson had six different seasons as good or better, led by his magical 1968 campaign, during which he fanned ten or more batters 11 different times.

While Ankiel reached ten six times, he did not fan as many as 12 in any one game. In contrast, over his 17-year career, Gibson fanned 12 or more on a single day 30 different times.

Since 1903, Gibby is also the Cardinals post-season king, with five of the club’s seven 10 or more strikeout games. Mort Cooper and Grover Cleveland Alexander also cracked that list.

Gibson’s top playoff performance was in Game One of the 1968 World Series. On October 2, 1968, he fanned 17 Detroit Tigers while leading the Cardinals to a 4-0 shutout. It was arguably the greatest-pitched game in the history of the old Busch Stadium (Busch Stadium II), and shattered the World Series record of 15 that had been held by Sandy Koufax.

But as many Cardinals fans may know, Gibson doesn’t hold the club’s single game record. That is 19 Ks, collected by Steve Carlton on September 15, 1969. Ironically, the Cardinals lost 4-3 to the Mets that evening. Carlton had set his own team record of 16 two years prior, on September 20, 1967.

Though “Lefty” pitched for St. Louis for just five full seasons, he owned three of the top four highest one-game regular season strikeout totals in team history at the time he left the club. And he still does today. Carlton fanned 16 again on May 21, 1970 and ironically two days later, Gibson repeated the feat. Carlton did it in just eight innings, while Gibson went a full nine.

The Cardinals opponent in that pair of games was none other than the Philadelphia Phillies. Less than two years later, over a salary dispute, Carlton ended up a member of that very club, where he would remain for over 14 years. Lefty went on to finish fourth all-time in Major League Baseball history with over 4000 strikeouts.

Once Gibson retired, the Cardinals’ double-digit strikeout games essentially dried up. For the 12 years from 1976 though 1987, including the “Whiteyball” success years, the club had just three 10 K games. That was an amazing dry run considering the span was of almost 2000 games in duration.

After three years of Jose DeLeon logging a total of nine ten-plus strikeout games from 1988 through 1990, the final five years before La Russa’s arrival for the 1996 season saw six more such contests.

For the years 2001-2004, Matt Morris led the club each season, but totaled only eight 10 K games. Carpenter followed with four in his Cy Young Award 2005 season, which brings us right back to where we started – June 13, 2006, his only ten strikeout game that year – 422 games ago and counting.

Again, a special thanks to Tom Orf for his research, the basis for this article. His lists follow.

St. Louis Cardinals

Most ten or more strikeout games in a season

1959-2008

Year	Pitcher	#
1968	Gibson	11
1969	Gibson	9
1965	Gibson	8
1970	Gibson	7
1962	Gibson	6
1967	Gibson	6
2000	Ankiel	6
1963	Gibson	5
1964	Gibson	5
1966	Gibson	5
1969	Carlton	5
1972	Gibson	5
1997	An. Benes	5
2000	Kile	5
2001	Morris	4
2005	Carpenter	4

St. Louis Cardinals

Ten or more strikeout games by season

1959-2008

Team	Year	Pitcher	#	Pitcher	#	Pitcher	#	Pitcher	#	Pitcher	#
3	1959	Gibson	1	Broglio	1	Mizell	1
4	1960	Broglio	3	Mizell	1
2	1961	Gibson	1	Sadecki	1
8	1962	Gibson	6	Broglio	1	Simmons	1
8	1963	Gibson	5	Broglio	1	Sadecki	1	Washburn	1
6	1964	Gibson	5	Sadecki	1
9	1965	Gibson	8	Sadecki	1
5	1966	Gibson	5
9	1967	Gibson	6	Carlton	2	Hughes	1
12	1968	Gibson	11	Briles	1
14	1969	Gibson	9	Carlton	5
11	1970	Gibson	7	Carlton	3	Torrez	1
8	1971	Gibson	2	Carlton	2	Reuss	2	Cleveland	1	Guzman	1
8	1972	Gibson	5	Spinks	1	Wise	1	Santorini	1
2	1973	Gibson	2
2	1974	Gibson	1	Siebert	1
3	1975	McGlothen	2	Gibson	1
1	1976	McGlothen	1
0	1977
1	1978	Urrea	1
1	1979	Vukovich	1
0	1980-1985
1	1986	Conroy	1
0	1987
3	1988	DeLeon	3
4	1989	DeLeon	4
3	1990	DeLeon	2	Magrane	1
0	1991
3	1992	Cormier	2	Osborne	1
0	1993
1	1994	Tewksbury	1
2	1995	Al.Benes	1	Petkovsek	1
6	1996	Al.Benes	2	An.Benes	2	Stottlemyre	2
12	1997	An.Benes	5	Al.Benes	4	Stottlemyre	3
5	1998	Stottlemyre	3	Morris	2
2	1999	Bottenfield	1	Oliver	1
14	2000	Ankiel	6	Kile	5	An.Benes	3
7	2001	Morris	4	Kile	3
4	2002	Morris	2	Finley	2
1	2003	Morris	1
3	2004	Morris	1	Williams	1	Carpenter	1
5	2005	Carpenter	4	Mulder	1
1	2006	Carpenter	1
0	2007
0	2008
194

St. Louis Cardinals

Ten or more strikeout games

1959-2008

	19	16	15	14	13	12	11	10	Total
Bob Gibson		1	2	3	10	14	18	26	74
Steve Carlton	1	2				4	1	5	13
Matt Morris					1		3	6	10
Andy Benes						2	2	6	10
Jose DeLeon						1		8	9
Todd Stottlemyre					2		1	5	8
Darryl Kile							2	6	8
Alan Benes							4	3	7
Chris Carpenter					1	1	2	2	6
Rick Ankiel							4	2	6
Ernie Broglio				1		1		4	6
Ray Sadecki					1			3	4
Lynn McGlothen								3	3
Chuck Finley						1		1	2
Rheal Cormier							1	1	2
Vinegar Bend Mizell								2	2
Jerry Reuss								2	2
Scipio Spinks					1				1
Dick Hughes					1				1
Mark Mulder						1			1
Pete Vukovich						1			1
Al Santorini						1			1
Woody Williams							1		1
Darren Oliver							1		1
Joe Magrane							1		1
Tim Conroy							1		1
Sonny Siebert							1		1
Curt Simmons							1		1
Mark Petkovek								1	1
Bob Tewksbury								1	1
Donovan Osborne								1	1
Nelson Briles								1	1
Ray Washburn								1	1
Mike Torrez								1	1
Reggie Cleveland								1	1
Santiago Guzman								1	1
Rick Wise								1	1
John Urrea								1	1
Kent Bottenfield								1	1
Totals	1	3	2	4	17	27	44	96	194
Strikeouts	19	16	15	14	13	12	11	10	Total

St. Louis Cardinals

Six or more strikeout games – Postseason

1959-2008	17	13	12	10	9	8	7	6	Total
Bob Gibson	1	1		3	2	1		1	9
John Tudor						1	1	2	4
Chris Carpenter							1	2	3
Danny Cox						1		2	3
Andy Benes					1		1		2
Matt Morris								2	2
Todd Stottlemyre						1	1		2
Woody Williams					1		1		2
1903-1958
Bill Hallahan						1		2	3
Burleigh Grimes							1	2	3
Dizzy Dean								2	2
Max Lanier							1	1	2
Mort Cooper			1				1	1	3
Pete Alexander				1				1	2
Totals	1	1	1	4	4	5	8	18	42