Cardinal Hall of Famer managed club to 1967 World Series victory
ST. LOUIS — Red Schoendienst, the Hall of Fame second baseman who managed the St. Louis Cardinals to two pennants and a World Series championship in the 1960s, died Wednesday. He was 95.
The Cardinals announced Mr. Schoendienst’s death before the top of the third inning during their game against the Miami Marlins. A photo was shown on the video board with “1923- 2018” written along the bottom. Fans gave him a standing ovation and players stood and applauded.
“Red Schoendienst has passed away today surrounded by his family,” Mr. Schoendienst’s family said in a statement. “He had a life full of happiness for 95 years. He inspired all that knew him to always do their best. Red was a great ball player, but his legacy is that of a great gentleman who had respect for all. He loved his family, friends, teammates, the community and his country. He will be greatly missed.”
Alfred Fred Schoendienst wore the Cardinals uniform for 45 seasons as a player, coach and manager and remained involved as a special assistant to general manager Walt Jocketty. Into his 80s, Mr. Schoendienst hit fungos to fielders in pregame practice.
“Red was one of the greatest Cardinals of all time, and a beloved member of the Cardinals organization for over six decades,” team owner William O. DeWitt Jr. said in a statement. “His influence on this organization cannot be overstated.”
A 10- time All- Star with the Cardinals, Giants and Braves, Mr. Schoendienst was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1989 by the Veterans Committee. His best season was in 1953 when he batted .342, second in the NL, with 15 home runs and 79 RBIs, and he led the league with 200 hits in 1957. Defensively, he tied or led the league in fielding seven times.
He’s second in Cardinals history with 1,041 managerial victories. His No. 2 jersey was retired in 1996. Schoendienst’s 12- year tenure as manager is the second- longest in franchise history behind Tony La Russa. He also served as interim manager in 1980 and 1990.
When he signed his first professional contract in 1943, Schoendienst, of tiny Germantown, Illinois, gave himself four or five years to make his mark. He broke in with the Cardinals in 1945, filling in while left fielder Stan Musial was serving in the U. S. Army. Mr. Schoendienst led the National League with 26 stolen bases that year.
Mr. Schoendienst was a coach on the Cardinals’ 1964 World Series championship team and replaced Johnny Keane the next season. Under Mr. Schoendienst’s low- key leadership, the Cards won pennants in 1967 and 1968, with Bob Gibson and Lou Brock among the key players. St. Louis beat the Boston Red Sox in a seven- game World Series in 1967 but lost in seven the following year to the Detroit Tigers.
Mr. Schoendienst is survived by his four children; Colleen, Cathleen, Eileen and Kevin, eight living grandchildren ( he had 10 total) and seven great- grandchildren. Wife Mary Eileen O’Reilly Schoendienst died in 1999. They were married 53 years.