If you quickly glance at the 1982 St. Louis Cardinals’ Baseball Reference page, the contributions of infielder Mike Ramsey could easily be overlooked. He batted only .230, produced an OPS+ of 64, and had a -0.9 wins above replacement. However, the veteran utilityman made many important contributions for the World Series champs.
From Appalachian State to the Appalachian League
Michael Jeffrey Ramsey was born in Virginia and raised in Georgia. He had an unspectacular high school baseball career and signed to play baseball at Appalachian State University—the only D-1 school to offer him a scholarship. Much to his surprise, the Cubs then selected him in the 26th-round of the 1972 June amateur draft and offered him $5,000. He turned down the offer and instead went to college. “I just didn’t think I was ready to do it,” recalled Ramsey in an interview for Runnin’ Redbirds.
Ramsey’s decision paid off; after three years at Appalachian State, the Cardinals made him their third-round pick in 1975. He spent his first summer as a pro in rookie ball playing in Johnson City, Tennessee. Among his teammates were Tom Herr and Glenn Brummer.
How Mike Ramsey Fit Into Herzog’s Rebuild
Except for a brief cup of coffee with the Cardinals in 1978, Ramsey spent his next five seasons in Double-A Arkansas and Triple-A Springfield. During that time, he was blocked on the big-league depth chart by the likes of Garry Templeton, Ken Reitz, Ken Oberkfell, and Herr.
Ramsey finally caught a break in 1980 when Oberkfell landed on the disabled list. A month later, the Cards’ front office replaced manager Ken Boyer with Whitey Herzog. Fortunately for Ramsey, he was just the type of player Herzog was looking for. “My skillset was conducive to me staying around with that group,” recalled Ramsey. “Not as an everyday guy though, and that’s where my limitation was in their opinion.”
Ramsey settled in as a backup switch-hitter who could fill in a second, short, or third. Like Dane Iorg, Steve Braun, and Tito Landrum, Ramsey accepted his role as a bench player. And no manager appreciated the reserves as much as Herzog, a former bench player himself. The White Rat communicated more with his role players than the everyday guys and kept them sharp with regular playing time.
Mike Ramsey’s Contributions in ’82
While Ramsey’s overall numbers in the ’82 season are not eye-popping, he stepped up at pivotal moments throughout the season. His first contribution came during an extend stretch of playing time in May when Herr missed time with a leg injury. During an arduous 13-game road trip that took the Redbirds south to Atlanta and then to California, Ramsey played 12 games and hit .372 (16-for-43).
On July 25, Ramsey was the hero in the unlikeliest of ways. To that point in his big-league career, he had come to bat 431 times and never hit a home run. That day, he faced future Hall of Famer Don Sutton, so there was little reason to believe his streak would end. Nonetheless, Ramsey managed to make solid contact and redirected Sutton’s delivery over Busch Stadium’s right-field wall for a three-run homer. The blast proved to be the decisive blow in the Cards’ 4-3 victory.
Another of Ramsey’s significant contributions came as the Redbirds battled the Expos and Phillies for the NL East crown. Ozzie Smith suffered a thigh hematoma which caused him to miss two weeks, including a crucial series with the Mets at Shea Stadium September 17-19. The five-game series was played over three days as a result of rainouts earlier in the season. Ramsey played all 46 innings of the series while registering four hits and playing flawless defense as the Cards swept the set and gained control of the division.
In total, Ramsey spent parts of six seasons with the Cardinals before stints with the Expos and Dodgers. He retired with a .240/.285/.296 slash line, two home runs, and—most importantly—one World Series ring.
You can read more about Ramsey and, of course, the entire ’82 Cardinals, in my forthcoming book, Runnin’ Redbirds.
