Another MLB World Series complete, and still the Curse reigns.
No, not that silly Bambino thing. I’m talking about the Curse of Keith.
I lived in the St. Louis area until 1980 when, at the age of twelve, my family moved to Texas. St. Louis is a baseball-mad city and, as a little league first baseman, my childhood hero was an easy choice — the Cardinals’ all-star and MVP Keith Hernandez. Keith was a very good hitter, but his true strength was in the field. He practically redefined the position, making it no longer the place to park aging sluggers. It was sometimes wondered whether he generated more runs with his bat or saved more with his glove. Though I had moved near Houston, my loyalty remained with Keith and the Redbirds. I went nuts in 1982 when the Cards knocked off the Milwaukee Brewers to take the World Series. Keith had a dinger and eight RBIs in the seven-game series.
And then the unthinkable happened. June 15, 1983, barely into the defense of their title, the Cardinals traded Keith to the lowly New York Mets. Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey were acquired, but the real issue was an ongoing personality clash between Keith and Cards manager Whitey Herzog. The Curse of Keith had begun.
Having lost my geographic ties to the Cardinals, my loyalty followed Keith to New York. I watched as the Mets, perennial cellar-dwellers, used the lefty first-bagger as a cornerstone in their rebuilding. They added another key veteran when they acquired catcher Gary Carter from the Montreal Expos, and developed some key young talent in outfielder Darryl Strawberry and pitching ace Dwight Gooden. With this nucleus intact, the Mets were able to dominate the 1986 regular season, win a dramatic playoff series over the Houston Astros, and take the title from the supposedly-cursed Boston Red Sox.
In the 86 years since the Bambino thing began, the Bosox only lost four World Series. In the 22 seasons since the Curse of Keith began, my boyhood hero won another ring while the Cards have already failed in three trips to the series.
Keith’s career faded in the late ’80s as his knees slowly succumbed to wear and tear. Never known for his speed, Keith finished two stolen bases short of 100 for his career, a personal goal his legs wouldn’t let him reach.
Over the years, the Curse of Keith still haunts the Cardinals. My allegiance slowly switched to the Astros, but I still think Keith Hernandez is the greatest defensive first baseman and one of the greatest all-around at his position to ever play the game. To this day, I still believe he should be in the Hall of Fame for his batting but especially for his fielding and eleven consecutive Gold Gloves. Oh yeah, also for his Seinfeld appearance.