José Cardenal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids José Cardenal |
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: October 7, 1943 Matanzas, Cuba |
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| debut | |||
| April 14, 1963, for the San Francisco Giants | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 3, 1980, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .275 | ||
| Home runs | 138 | ||
| Runs batted in | 775 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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José Rosario Domec Cardenal (born October 7, 1943) is a Cuban American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder from 1963 to 1980. He was especially well-known for his time with the Chicago Cubs.
Cardenal was a fan favorite for the Cubs because of his powerful hitting and strong throwing arm. He had some of his best seasons while playing for Chicago. After his playing career, Cardenal became a coach for several MLB teams. He even won three World Series championships as a coach for the New York Yankees. In 2022, José Cardenal was honored by being inducted into the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame.
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Playing Career Highlights
José Cardenal was born in Matanzas, Cuba. He grew up playing baseball with his second cousin, Bert Campaneris, who also became a major league player. Cardenal started his MLB journey with the San Francisco Giants in 1963.
Early Career and Stolen Bases
Before the 1965 season, Cardenal moved to the California Angels. He was very fast and finished second in the American League with 37 stolen bases that year. In 1967, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians. He led the Indians in stolen bases twice, with a career-high 40 steals in 1968.
That same year, he made a special play called an unassisted double play twice. This is a rare feat for an outfielder in baseball.
Time with the Cardinals and Brewers
In 1970, Cardenal was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. He had a great season, hitting for a .293 average and getting 74 RBI (runs batted in). In 1971, he played for both the Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers. That year, he set a new personal record with 80 RBI.
Becoming a Chicago Cubs Favorite
Cardenal joined the Chicago Cubs in 1972. In 1973, playing as a right fielder, he led the Cubs in several important stats. He had a .303 batting average, 33 doubles, and 19 stolen bases. Because of his great performance, Chicago baseball writers named him the Cubs Player of the Year.
José Cardenal was known for his strong personality. In 1974, he had a disagreement with the Cubs management. He famously refused to play the first game of the season. He claimed he was injured because his eyelids were "stuck open."
In 1975, he had an even better season. He achieved career-highs with a .317 batting average and 182 hits. He continued to play well in 1976, batting .299 with 8 home runs. On May 2, he had an amazing game, getting 6 hits in 7 tries during a 14-inning win against San Francisco.
Later Years in MLB
Cardenal played for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1978 and 1979. He was the last player to wear uniform number 1 for the Phillies. The team later retired that number to honor another great player, Richie Ashburn.
In August 1979, Cardenal was traded to the New York Mets. This happened between two games of a doubleheader! He played the first game for the Phillies, then switched uniforms and dugouts to join the Mets for the second game. He played for the Mets until August 1980. He then signed with the Kansas City Royals, where he finished his long MLB career during the 1980 World Series.
Over his 18-season career, José Cardenal played in 2017 games played. He had a .275 batting average, hit 138 home runs, and had 775 RBI. He also collected 1913 hits, scored 936 runs, and stole 329 bases. He was also a good fielder, with a .978 fielding percentage.
Coaching Career
After his playing days, José Cardenal became a coach. He coached for several teams, including the Reds, Cardinals, Yankees, and Devil Rays.
He was the first base coach for the Yankees when they won three World Series championships in 1996, 1998, and 1999. He left his coaching role with the Yankees before the 2000 season.
In 2005, Cardenal became a senior advisor for the Washington Nationals general manager. On September 14, he announced he wanted to help people affected by Hurricane Katrina. He planned to auction off his 1998 World Series ring to raise money. Cardenal left his position with the Nationals after the 2009 season.
Cultural Impact
In January 2017, First Lady Michelle Obama hugged José Cardenal during the Chicago Cubs' visit to the White House. The team was there to celebrate their 2016 World Series victory. Michelle Obama, who grew up in Chicago, said she used to wear her Cubs hat just like Cardenal did during his playing career.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players from Cuba
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
- List of Major League Baseball single-game hits leaders
- List of St. Louis Cardinals coaches
- List of Cuban Americans
