Decades later, Cardinals still have stranglehold on single-game RBI mark
Shohei Ohtani's incredible three-homer, 10-RBI, six-hit, two-stolen base game may be the greatest single offensive game of all time.
On Thursday, Ohtani became the 17th player to drive in 10 or more in a game, two behind the record of 12, held by two Cardinals who did so 69 years apart.
Jim Bottomley (in 1924) and Mark Whiten (in 1993) each drove in 12 in a game, to set and then tie the single-game RBI record, and no other player has driven in even 11 since 1944.
Bottomley's game 100 years ago came in front of the previous record holder, Wilbert Robinson, who drove in 11 in 1892 vs. the Browns while playing for Baltimore.
To add to the indignity for Robinson, the opposing manager on Bottomley's big day, in addition to watching his record fall, the Post-Dispatch game report called Robinson "portly."
Of the 17 games in which a player drove in at least 10 runs, St. Louis teams were involved in five of them.
As much a look at the metamorphosis of sports journalism, below is a look at what was written about each 10-plus-RBI game involving St. Louis at the time of the game, starting with the two Cardinals 12-RBI games.
Whiten wallops Reds
Of the Post-Dispatch Staff
As published in the Sept. 8, 1993, edition of the Post-Dispatch
CINCINNATI — Seventeen hits were insufficient for the Cardinals to win the opener of a twi-night double-header Tuesday.
But 11 hits were enough in the second game because four were homers by Mark Whiten. He had 12 runs batted in in the 15-2 victory.
The four homers tie a major-league record. Whiten is the first Cardinal to achieve the feat.
A first-inning grand slam by Whiten, a three-run homer in the sixth, another three-run clout in the seventh and a two-run homer in the ninth set Bob Tewksbury in good stead to tie his single-season high of 16 wins.
Whiten, raising his season total to 22 homers, never even had a two-homer game and, in fact, is slated to go the Florida Instructional League to work on his hitting next month. He was two shy of the National League and major-league record of 12 runs batted set by Jim Bottomley of the 1924 Cardinals.
Jim Bottomley smashes batting record of 32 years' standing
Drives in 12 runs, beating Brooklyn club
By Thomas S. Rice, of the Brooklyn Eagle Sport Staff
As published in the Sept. 17, 1924, edition of the Post-Dispatch
NEW YORK, Sept. 17 - The St. Louis Cardinals may be headed for nowhere in particular this season, but they seem to take an unholy though perfectly legitimate delight in smearing the pennant aspirations of other teams. Not so long ago the Rickeyites cast a spell of gloom over Pittsbrg by treating Bill McKechnie's Pirates rather roughly, and yesterday afternoon the Cardinals earned the undying enmity of the gentle rooters of Brooklyn by walking all over the Dodgers by a 17 to 3 score.
"Sunny Jim" Bottomley, Branch Rickey's agile first baseman, was the bright star of the hectic pasttime. Besides getting six hits in six times at bat, including two home runs over the far-away right field wall at Ebbets' Field and breaking a major league record of 32 years' standing, Bottomley did not a thing to distinguish himself. To add insult to injury, the previous holder of the smashed mark was none other than the portly Wilbert Robinson, now the guider of Brooklyn's baseball destinies.
Next, the first of baseball's three 11-RBI games involved the Browns. Below is the report on Robinson's game.
Yesterday's games
Note: RBI totals for players weren't reported, and, as you'll see the reports were rather rudimentary.
As published in the June 11, 1892, edition of the Post-Dispatch.
The Browns were slaughtered twice at Baltimore yesterday. Getzein started out to pitch in the first game, but after ten runs had been scored he retired in favor of Young, Von der Ahe's new find. The same number of runs in an equal number of innings caused his retirement. ... Catcher Robinson led in the batting for Baltimore, breaking the season's record with seven safe hits.
There have been 12 games in which a player drove in 10 runs. Below, a report on Rudy York's 1946 game for the Red Sox vs. the Browns in front of 13,667 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.
Rudy poles two with 3 on, bats in 10 runs
As published in the July 28, 1946, edition of the Post-Dispatch
You can't give a batter an intentional walk when the bases are all occupied. At least that has always been considered poor baseball strategy, but Manager Luke Sewell of the Browns must be considering the wisdom of breaking that time honored precedent.
No, it isn't Ted Williams he's worrying about this time, but Rudy York.
Sewell got rid of the terrific Ted last night at Sportsman's Park by walking him but that cluttered up the bases for Rudy. And what Rudy did makes baseball history.
Mr. York twice hit a home run with the bases filled, accounting thereby for eight runs. Earlier, in one of his weaker moments, he knocked in two others with a two-bagger.
It was all part of a great big exhibition of timely hitting by the Red Sox, who mauled a couple of Brownie pitchers. Bob Muncrief and Tex Shirley and defeated the Browns, 13 to 6.
Finally, the most recent 10-RBI game involving a St. Louis team came seven years ago, again in Cincinnati.
Scooter does a number on Cardinals
By Derrick Goold, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
As published in the June 7, 2017, edition of the Post-Dispatch.
CINCINNATI — Long before Scooter Gennett took a swing at history Tuesday and did something rarer than even the feat baseball calls a "perfect game," there was the tradeoff.
In hope of a close-scoring game, one the Cardinals' soporific offense could join, manager Mike Matheny elected to give up an out to get a run back. He challenged a call on a ball his own fielder caught, had the sacrifice fly overturned, and put faith in starter Adam Wainwright to slip free from the inning, even with an extra out. The result was not the ground ball or strikeout needed, but a walk that ushered in Gennett's game of a lifetime and a rout.
The Cardinals are playing in quicksand.
Gennett launched a grand slam off Wainwright for the first of his four home runs in a 13-1 rout of the Cardinals at Great American Ball Park. The undeserved target of a teapot tempest earlier this month when former Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips griped about the team giving away his No. 4 so quickly after his departure, the new No. 4 earned the number with that many homers and a game like no player for Cincinnati has ever had, and only Mark Whiten has ever had in Cincinnati. Gennett is the first Red with four home runs in a game, the first opponent ever to hit four against the Cardinals, and the 17th in Major League Baseball history with that many homers.
There have been 21 perfect games since 1900.
Gennett's is the 15th four-homer game since 1900, the first in the National League since Shawn Green in May 2002. Oh, and his 10 RBIs tied the Reds' record and his 17 total bases set a record for baseball's first franchise.
"You guys weren't all here when I was 0-for-19," Gennett said after the game. He added in a field interview: "Usually when I hit a home run I consider myself lucky. It's hard to get lucky four times in a row. I might be on to something."
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