Ray Sadecki, one of the standout hurlers on the 1964 St. Louis Cardinal team, died on Monday of blood cancer at the age of 73. For those of us who remember that season oh so well as youngsters, Sadecki was a thorn in the Phillies side that year as he won 20 games for the Redbirds and beat the Phils four times that year in 5 decisions.
Sadecki also pitched for the Giants and was a member of the 1973 Mets that made it to the World Series but he will always be remembered as one of the Big Three, along with Bob Gibson and Curt Simmons, who helped the Cards overcome that seemingly insurmountable 6.5 game Phillie lead with but 12 games to play.
He also pitched and won Game 1 of the 1964 World Series against the Yankees, and in the process defeated Hall of Famer Whitey Ford, in what would prove to be Ford's final appearance in a World Series. He was also remembered as the player who was traded for yet another Hall of Fame member, Orlando Cepeda, in 1966.
Ray Sadecki, dead at the age of 73 years old.
