![]() His 87.4 percent strand rate in 2002 was the fourth best in the league for pitchers with at least 50 innings pitched. In 64 combined innings pitched with the Cardinals in 20, Crudale had a 1.97 ERA, the best on staff for pitchers who threw at least 50 innings and fourth best in all of MLB. So say his run prevention numbers anyway. But what’s interesting is for how little time he spent with the Cardinals and in MLB in general, Crudale was pretty good. Unless you’re Mark Grace, 24th rounders don’t usually carve out much of a career in MLB, and Crudale isn’t exactly a huge exception. The relevant facts: Mike Crudale was selected in the 24th round of the 1999 MLB draft. So what’s so special about Mike Crudale? Let’s find out. The great thing about the Devil Magic Hall of Fame is that it doesn’t distinguish between near-Hall of Famers like Will Clark and players most people can barely remember. And this raises an interesting question for anyone with good research skills: How many other players, if any, have had at least one 5.5 WAR season or better without ever making an All-Star game or receiving a single MVP vote at any time in their career? It’s a good question, no? Either way, add the Devil Magic Hall of Fame to José Oquendo’s already impressive legacy. Oquendo didn’t receive any MVP votes nor an All-Star game nod, not this season or ever. Add in his stellar defense and he was worth 5.7 wins above replacement according to FanGraphs, which tied for 7th in the NL that season with Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg. 375 on-base percentage, good for tenth in the National League, and a career-high wRC+ (117). Oquendo had a career year in 1989 when he was the primary second baseman and eclipsed 600 plate appearances for the only time in his career. This home run is under-appreciated in franchise lore as it’s buried under so many other famous postseason home runs from various Cardinals, but it’s probably something we should talk about more. But that didn’t stop him from hitting a three-run shot in Game 7 of the 1987 NLCS, which gave the Cardinals a commanding 4-0 lead early in the game, a lead they would not relinquish. Oquendo retired with only 14 career home runs, so he averaged about one home run per every 220 trips to the plate. ![]() His wRC+ with the Mets was around 45 with the Cardinals it jumped to 96. A lot of that value came from defense and his versatility (he pulled off the “play all nine positions” feat in 1987), but his hitting improved and certainly reached a level that was perfectly passable. And this is what might surprise people: During that span he was a near 3-win player per 600 plate appearances. ![]() The relevant facts: After spending the entire 1985 season with the then triple A affiliate Louisville Redbirds, Oquendo joined the big-league squad in 1986 and logged 3,173 plate appearances with the club before calling it quits after the 1995 season. The Mets decided they could do without that and he was swapped to St. 200/.200/.200 seasons to begin his career in Queens, amounting to negative 0.9 wins above replacement in only 564 plate appearances. But his career, which began with the dreaded 80s Mets, didn’t start that way. Remember when Tommy Pham had a. So you’re forgiven if you sometimes forget that Oquendo once actually played baseball, and though he’s probably most known for being a jack-of-all-trades – one of the few players who spent time at all nine positions, however so sparingly – he even played baseball quite well. He’s been with the Cardinals organization for so long he’s basically a civic institution who we just expect to be present in some shape or form. Louisans feel the same way about the Arch. It’s just another building that’s supposed to be there. And you know, politics aside, I don’t even think about it anymore and I haven’t for a while. I work downtown and like a lot of people I often find myself walking near the White House. Joining the inaugural five inductees, here are the four players who make up the Class of 2019. The criteria for eligibility is simple: 1) Be five years removed from playing with the Cardinals (so Allen Craig won’t be eligible until next year’s class) and 2) Perform above and beyond what’s reasonably expected while wearing the Birds on the Bat (or be considered by and large a not great player but one who still came through on a big stage, e.g., Pete Kozma, who will first be eligible in 2020). ![]() The five inaugural inductees were Will Clark, Tom Henke, Gregg Jefferies, Craig Paquette, and Tony Womack. Last year we unveiled the inaugural class for the Cardinals Devil Magic Hall of Fame, a place where we honor those who made some sort of Robert Johnson-esque pact while playing in St. ![]()
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