1972 - A Wise Move for the Cardinals?

February 25, 1972 - A Wise Move for the Cardinals?

There are trades… and then there are trades that never stop being discussed in barbershops, press boxes, and spring training backfields.

On this date in 1972, the St. Louis Cardinals made one of the most controversial decisions in franchise history. Due to a salary impasse, they traded 20-game winner Steve Carlton (20–9 in 1971) to the last-place Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for right-hander Rick Wise (17–14).

It wasn’t a rumor. It wasn’t leaked in advance. It was done.

Carlton, already an All-Star and one of the most dominant left-handers in baseball, reportedly learned of the deal when traveling secretary Eddie Ferenz knocked on his Clearwater Beach condo door early in the morning during spring training. Just like that, the ace of the staff was gone.

At the time, the Cardinals were only a few years removed from National League pennants in 1967 and 1968 and were trying to maintain their place among baseball’s elite. But baseball was changing. Salaries were rising. Player leverage was evolving. And the old guard front-office philosophy was being tested in ways it hadn’t been before.

Rick Wise was no throw-in. He was durable, competitive, and coming off a solid season in Philadelphia. In fact, Wise would give the Cardinals two strong years, including a 16-win campaign in 1972 and 19 wins in 1973. He was a professional pitcher who did his job.

But history rarely treats trades as balanced ledger sheets.

Carlton, known as “Lefty,” went on to deliver one of the greatest pitching seasons in modern baseball history in 1972. Pitching for a Phillies team that won just 59 games, Carlton posted a staggering 27–10 record, accounting for nearly half of Philadelphia’s victories. He led the league in innings, strikeouts, and complete games and won the National League Cy Young Award in unanimous fashion.

Over the years, Carlton would win four Cy Young Awards and eventually be inducted into the Hall of Fame. His departure became one of those defining “what if” moments for St. Louis — a reminder that sometimes disputes off the field can shape decades of narrative.

Every franchise has turning points. Some are championships. Others are crossroads.

March 25, 1972, remains one of them.