Cardinals from Times of Yore

Neil Allen/Rick Ownbey

June 15, 1983

Keith Hernandez traded to Mets for Allen and Ownbey

In 1979, Keith Hernandez led the NL with a .344 batting average, 48 doubles, and 116 runs scored. He went on to share the MVP with Willie Stargell — the only time that’s ever happened.

Number 37 was an integral member of the 1982 World Series Champion Cardinals, but by mid season in 1983, manager Whitey Herzog felt that he had become a cancer on the team and petitioned Cardinal management for a trade. On June 15, after becoming convinced that Hernandez was using drugs, he was traded to the last-place Mets for journeyman relief pitcher Neil Allen (who was pretty much known for sucking arse) and no-name loser Rick Ownbey (who won just one game while with the Cardinals and three in his career).

Awesome trade, huh? That most craptastic of transactions ushered in the George Hendrick/David Green/Jim Adduci/Art Howe/Dane Iorg/Mike Jorgensen/Gary Rajsich era of first basemen — first ballot Hall of Famers, one and all. Yeah, for a year and a half it sucked like a Charms Blow Pop, until February 1, 1985, when what happened? Anyone? Anyone? (To be discussed in a future, Dave's Favorite Baseball Cards post.)

By the way, in 1985, Hernandez's cocaine use became a matter of public record as a result of the Pittsburgh trial of a drug dealer in which he was implicated as a buyer.