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The Cardinal Chronicle This Day in Cardinals History The One-Hit Wonder That Was a Bomb St. Louis, MO — By Ray MileurBaseball history is often told through the legends — the Musials, Gibsons, Brock and Pujols. But the story of the game is also written by the many players who reached the Major Leagues, even if only briefly.And make no mistake about it: reaching the Major Leagues is an accomplishment that only a small fraction of professional players ever achieve.Steven Hill, born on this date, earned that opportunity with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2010.Hill made his Major League debut on August 15, 2010, at Busch Stadium against the Chicago Cubs. Entering the game in the sixth inning as a replacement catcher for Yadier Molina, Hill waited patiently for his moment at the plate.It came in the ninth inning.Facing Cubs reliever Marcos Mateo, Hill connected for his only hit that season, the first hit of his Major League career — and it left the ballpark for a home run.For any player, a first Major League hit is unforgettable. For Hill, that memory came with the added joy of circling the bases at Busch Stadium.Hill would appear in a limited number of games with the Cardinals over parts of three seasons, collecting only a handful of hits during his time in the majors. Yet like every player who reaches that level, he accomplished something that can never be taken away.He became a Major Leaguer.And on that August evening in St. Louis, he added a moment that will forever remain part of Cardinals history:His first hit.A home run.Against the Cubs. The Cardinal Chronicle Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

The One-Hit Wonder That Was a Bomb

The Cardinal Chronicle Trainer’s Table A Spring Defined by Setbacks, Setups, and Players Stuck in Neutral St. Louis, MO — By Ray MileurJUPITER, Fla. — Spring training is supposed to be the season of fresh starts and clean slates. Instead, the Cardinals’ Trainer’s Table has become one of the busiest places in camp.Some of the issues are minor. Some are simply delays. But taken together, they’ve quietly shaped the rhythm of the spring. Every absence opens another opportunity, and this March the roster movement has been driven as much by who isn’t on the field as by who is.&nbsp; Iván Herrera — Knee Inflammation Herrera has now missed seven straight games with inflammation in his knee. The expectation remains that he will return as a designated hitter first, easing his way back into action before resuming catching duties.The challenge is the calendar. The Cardinals want him to log defensive innings before camp ends, but the window to do that is narrowing.Impact• Delays his defensive progression behind the plate • Creates additional opportunities for Pedro Pagés and other depth catchers • Forces the staff to evaluate early-season catching depth if Herrera’s ramp-up lags&nbsp; Lars Nootbaar — Waiting Without a Timetable Nootbaar continues working his way back from offseason heel procedures. He has resumed agility work, but he has not yet been cleared for full baseball activity, and the club has offered no timetable for his return.For a lineup that counts on his on-base skills and clubhouse energy, the uncertainty itself has become part of the storyline.Impact• Left field remains unsettled • Provides additional runway for Victor Scott II, Colton Ledbetter, and Alec Burleson • Could require roster creativity early in the season&nbsp; Hunter Dobbins — Rain Delay, Not a Roadblock Dobbins’ scheduled minor-league start was washed out by rain Friday, but he is expected to take the mound this weekend.Earlier knee discomfort slowed his buildup slightly, yet the organization continues to view him as a promising arm moving up the system.Impact• Delays evaluation of a rising pitching prospect • Opens innings for fringe MLB arms competing for attention&nbsp; Cooper Hjerpe — Elbow Tightness Hjerpe was optioned to Triple-A while dealing with elbow discomfort. The issue is not believed to be serious, but it represents another pause in a development path that has already seen interruptions.Impact• Removes a potential depth starter from early-season consideration • Delays the club’s ability to see him stretched out over multiple innings&nbsp; Zack Thompson — Shoulder Issues Thompson was reassigned to minor-league camp due to shoulder concerns. For a pitcher who has moved between starting and relief roles, the setback complicates his path back to the big-league bullpen.Impact• Thins the organization’s left-handed relief depth • Increases the importance of JoJo Romero staying healthy and available&nbsp; Tekoah Roby — Elbow Concerns Roby was optioned to Triple-A while dealing with elbow discomfort. He is expected to miss the 2026 season. The Cardinals remain high on his upside, but this spring represented an opportunity to show he could contribute sooner rather than later. Now it will be later.Impact• Removes a high-upside arm from the early-season pitching mix • Delays his push toward a rotation or swingman role&nbsp; Brandon Clarke — A Long Road Back Clarke continues recovering from a January procedure to repair an arm aneurysm. The organization does not expect him to return to game action until June.Impact• Removes a depth arm from the early-season pipeline • Affects rotation planning at the Double-A and Triple-A levels&nbsp; Ixan Henderson — Flexor Strain Henderson has been shut down from throwing due to a left flexor strain.Impact• Eliminates another depth arm from the early pitching picture • Adds pressure to the lower-level pitching pipeline&nbsp; A Camp Shaped by AbsencesThe Cardinals are not in crisis mode. Not even close.But inj ries have quietly changed the storylines in Jupiter.In a spring where competition is real and jobs are being earned, sometimes the biggest story in camp isn’t who’s playing.It’s who’s waiting to get back on the field.&nbsp;

A Spring Defined by Missed Opportunities

The Cardinal Chronicle In the Spotlight: Ivan Herrera Nears Return to the Lineup St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurSpring training has a rhythm of its own. Some stories roar through camp, while others develop quietly in the background. Over the past week, one of those quieter storylines has been the status of Cardinals catcher and designated hitter Iván Herrera, who appears to be nearing a return to Grapefruit League action.Herrera has been dealing with knee inflammation that briefly slowed his progress in camp, but recent reports suggest the situation is trending in the right direction. According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Herrera’s return to Grapefruit League play is considered imminent, and the young catcher has already resumed full workouts in Cardinals camp.There are also encouraging signs from behind the scenes.As first reported by Brian Walton of TheCardinalNation.com, Herrera stepped into the box eight times during a backfields “B” game on Wednesday, an important step as he works his way back into game rhythm. Walton also noted that Herrera homered in his first plate appearance during that session, a reminder of the offensive ability that has long made him one of the more intriguing bats in the organization.For now, the Cardinals may choose to bring him along gradually. Herrera could initially see time at designated hitter while his knee continues to strengthen, before returning to more regular work behind the plate. That approach would allow St. Louis to get his bat back into the lineup without immediately placing the full defensive workload on his knee.Even in limited action this spring, Herrera has shown flashes, going 2-for-7 at the plate so far in Grapefruit League play. The numbers themselves aren’t the story yet — the real focus is simply getting him healthy and back into the daily rhythm of games.That matters because Herrera is expected to play an important role in the Cardinals’ evolving lineup. While Pedro Pagés projects to handle much of the catching duties, the organization has increasingly looked at Herrera as a middle-of-the-order offensive presence, capable of contributing both at catcher and at designated hitter.In a spring filled with talk about the Cardinals’ youth movement, Herrera represents another key piece of that transition. Still only in his mid-20s, he brings a blend of power, patience, and improving defensive skill that the club hopes will translate into consistent production.If the current timeline holds, Cardinals fans may not have to wait long to see him back in the lineup.The old school take is, in baseball, the goal of spring training isn’t to win games — it’s to arrive in April with your roster healthy and ready. If Iván Herrera returns to the lineup in the next few days, the Cardinals will have accomplished exactly what they needed to do: protect a bat that could quietly become one of the more important in their 2026 lineup.

Ivan Herrera Nears Return to the Lineup

The Cardinal Chronicle St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurA Quiet Release, A Clear SignalThe Cardinals’ decision to release former seven-figure prep arm Alec Willis reveals a quiet but meaningful shift in how the organization is evaluating young pitching.The release of Alec Willis barely earned a line in Wednesday’s Minor League Camp report from Brian Walton at The Cardinal Nation, but it’s exactly the kind of small, easily overlooked move that reveals how the Cardinals are reshaping their pitching pipeline.Willis, signed in 2020 to a seven-figure bonus, was once a classic upside bet — a long, projectable prep arm the organization hoped to grow into a mid-rotation starter. But injuries kept him from ever establishing a foothold, and after multiple days on the “Missing” list, his name appeared under a new column: Released (1): Willis.For most fans, it’s a footnote. For people who follow the system closely, it’s a signal.What Willis Represented When He SignedWillis was the archetype of the Cardinals’ earlier developmental philosophy:- Bet on projection, especially with young arms. - Trust the system to build strength, repeatability, and command over time. - Accept long timelines in exchange for potential upside.That model produced its share of successes, but it also produced a long list of pitchers who never stayed healthy long enough to turn raw traits into real innings. Willis became one of them.Why the Move Happened NowThe camp sheet tells the story without commentary: Willis hadn’t appeared in work groups for days, and the organization is in a period of roster compression.With more polished college arms arriving, more conversion projects showing promise, and more prospects needing innings, the Cardinals are prioritizing availability over projection.In practical terms: if you can’t get on the mound, you can’t stay in the plan.The Bigger Picture: A Shift in Pitching PhilosophyThis release fits into a broader pattern visible across the backfields in Jupiter.- Health and workload stability are becoming non-negotiable. - Polished, high-floor arms are showing up in greater numbers. - Conversion projects like Alejandro Loaiza — who are healthy and throwing — are getting real developmental attention.Rehab and recovery groups are tightly managed, and players who fall behind the progression curve are no longer held indefinitely.The Cardinals aren’t abandoning upside. They’re redefining it. Upside now includes durability, repeatability, and the ability to contribute sooner rather than later.Why This Small Move MattersAlec Willis wasn’t a household name. Most fans never saw him pitch, and many probably never heard the name.But his release marks something larger:-The organization is less patient with long-term injury projects. - They’re more focused on building a reliable, sustainable pitching base. - They’re tightening the developmental funnel, especially for pitchers who haven’t logged meaningful innings in years.These are the kinds of decisions that rarely make headlines but quietly shape the future of a farm system.My closing thoughts, sometimes the most telling stories in spring aren’t the home runs or the radar-gun readings - they’re the names that quietly disappear from the daily plan sheet.Alec Willis is one of those names.His release is a reminder that the Cardinals are recalibrating what they value in young pitching, and the ripple effects of that shift will likely be felt across the organization for years to come.&nbsp; The Cardinal Chronicle Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.&nbsp; If you'd like, I can also quickly give you:• a Facebook intro • a single clean Twitter/X post • and a graphic headline concept that will match your Chronicle template— so this piece drops straight into your workflow. ⚾

A Quiet Release, A Clear Signal

The Cardinal Chronicle This Date in Cardinals History March 13 St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurGary Kolb: The Man Between Two Cardinals LegendsBorn on this date in 1940, former Cardinals outfielder Gary Kolb holds a quiet but fascinating place in St. Louis baseball history.Kolb’s major league numbers were modest—over seven seasons he batted .209 with six home runs and 29 RBIs—but his name appears in the record books alongside two of the greatest players ever to wear the Birds on the Bat.On September 29, 1963, Kolb became part of one of the most historic moments in Cardinals history. That afternoon at Busch Stadium, Stan Musial collected the final hit of his legendary career. When Musial reached base, Kolb was sent in as a pinch-runner, becoming the player who literally took over on the basepaths after Musial’s last hit as a Cardinal.Kolb’s connection to Cardinals history doesn’t stop there.He also happened to be the last Cardinals player to wear uniform number 20 before it passed to a newly acquired outfielder the following year. When the Cardinals traded Kolb to the Milwaukee Braves just before the 1964 season—in a deal that brought Bob Uecker to St. Louis—the number soon found a new home.The next man to wear it would be Lou Brock.Brock made number 20 one of the most recognizable numbers in franchise history, eventually earning a plaque in Cooperstown and having the number retired by the Cardinals.So while Kolb’s time in St. Louis was brief, his place in the story of Cardinals baseball is unique—the man who stepped in for Stan Musial’s final moment and the last Cardinal to wear number 20 before Lou Brock made it legendary.

Gary Kolb: The Man Between Two Cardinals Legends

&nbsp; The Cardinal Chronicle St. Louis, MO By Cardinal Chronicle StaffThrowback Thursday: The Billy Southworth Hall of Fame CampaignFor decades, the name Billy Southworth stood among the greatest figures in St. Louis Cardinals history — yet his rightful place in Cooperstown remained strangely absent.It never quite made sense.Southworth’s Cardinals dominated the 1940s with a level of consistency few managers in baseball history have ever matched. His teams won pennants, championships, and games at a pace that defined an era of Cardinals baseball.Yet year after year, Hall of Fame elections came and went without his name being called.That mystery eventually sparked something unexpected — a grassroots effort that would grow into one of the earliest organized internet campaigns aimed at correcting a piece of baseball history.And like most things in baseball, it started with a simple question:Why isn’t Billy Southworth in the Hall of Fame?Billy Southworth managed the Cardinals from 1940 through 1945, and the numbers from that stretch remain among the most remarkable in franchise history.During that six-year run, his clubs captured three National League pennants and won two World Series championships in 1942 and 1944.His teams recorded three consecutive seasons of 105 or more wins, a feat that remains one of the most dominant managerial stretches in Major League Baseball history.Southworth finished his Cardinals career with a .642 winning percentage, the highest of any Cardinals manager since 1900.His teams were disciplined, fundamentally sound, and relentlessly consistent. Long before the phrase became popular, Southworth’s clubs embodied what fans today recognize as The Cardinal Way.Yet despite those accomplishments, his Hall of Fame candidacy lingered for decades without recognition.In the early days of baseball on the internet, a project by Ray Mileur began to take shape aimed at bringing Billy Southworth’s accomplishments back into the national conversation.That effort eventually led to the creation of BillySouthworth.com, a website dedicated to documenting his career and sharing the historical record of what he accomplished in St. Louis.But the effort quickly expanded beyond a website.It became a full campaign.Letters were written to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Radio interviews spread the story to wider audiences. Articles began appearing in newspapers and baseball publications. Research and historical records were shared with historians, writers, and Hall of Fame voters.The goal was simple: make sure Billy Southworth’s remarkable record could no longer be overlooked.What started as a historical tribute gradually became something larger — a coordinated effort to bring renewed attention to one of the most accomplished managers in baseball history.At the time, few realized that this work represented something new. Today, it is widely recognized as one of the earliest internet-driven Hall of Fame advocacy efforts, a milestone now referenced in multiple historical publications including the final chapter of Southworth’s official biography that also acknowledges the role of Ray Mileur and the campaign he led that played a role in bringing renewed attention to his legacy.As the effort grew, something even more meaningful happened. Members of the Southworth family reached out to express their appreciation for the work being done to honor their father’s legacy.For them, Billy Southworth was not simply a historical figure from baseball’s past. He was a father whose accomplishments had too often been forgotten by the game he loved.Their message of appreciation remains preserved:“We are very grateful for such a generous tribute.” — Carole Carol Southworth Watson &amp; familyIt was a reminder that baseball history is not just statistics and records. It is also families, memories, and the people who lived those stories.In 2008, the long wait finally ended. Billy Southworth was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, bringing one of the Cardinals’ greatest leaders to the place where he had always belonged.In a gesture that remains deeply meaningful, the Southworth family extended an invitation for Ray Mileur, founder of The Cardinal Chronicle, to represent them at the induction ceremonies in Cooperstown.It was a moment that connected generations — a family honoring their father, a franchise honoring one of its greatest leaders, and the game finally recognizing a remarkable career. For more on Billy Southworth, check out his official website at <a href="http://www.billysouthworth.com">www.billysouthworth.com</a>&nbsp;

The Billy Southworth Hall of Fame Campaign

The Cardinal Chronicle 

The Cardinal Chronicle is dedicated to preserving Cardinals history, covering today’s game, and following the next generation through the minor leagues. Written in the tradition of the old beat writers, it’s baseball with perspective — steady, faithful, and rooted in a lifelong love for the game.