Red Schoendienst never played for the Atlanta Braves, but he was a big part of Braves history.
Schoendienst, a Hall of Fame second baseman who managed the St. Louis Cardinals to two pennants and a World Series championship in the 1960s, died Wednesday in St. Louis. He was 95.
Schoendienst played four seasons for the Milwaukee Braves and played in two World Series in a Braves uniform.
In 1957 he was traded from St. Louis to Milwaukee in midseason and led the Braves to the pennant and a World Series win over the Yankees, finishing third in MVP voting. The Braves repeated as NL champs in 1958 but lost to the Yankees in a World Series rematch.
The switch-hitter batted .300 seven times and led the National League with 43 doubles in 1950.
The Cardinals announced Schoendienst's death before the third inning of their home game against the Miami Marlins. A photo was shown on the video board with "1923-2018" written along the bottom. Fans gave him a standing ovation and players stood and applauded.
"Red Schoendienst was one of the most beloved figures in the rich history of the St. Louis Cardinals, the franchise he served for 67 years," Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "He was a wonderful ambassador for our game."
Alfred Fred Schoendienst wore the Cardinals uniform for 45 seasons as a player, coach and manager, and remained involved with the team in later years as a special assistant to general manager Walt Jocketty. Into his 80s, Schoendienst hit fungos to fielders in pregame practice.
"Red was one of the greatest Cardinals of all time, and a beloved member of the Cardinals organization for over six decades," team owner William O. DeWitt Jr. said in a statement. "His influence on this organization cannot be overstated. Red was a great player, a great manager, and a wonderful mentor to countless players, coaches, and members of the front office. He was also a fan favorite who connected with millions of Cardinals fans across multiple generations. He will be sorely missed."
In the same statement, Schoendienst's family said he died surrounded by loved ones.
"He had a life full of happiness for 95 years. He inspired all that knew him to always do their best. Red was a great ball player, but his legacy is that of a great gentleman who had respect for all. He loved his family, friends, teammates, the community and his country. He will be greatly missed," his family said.
A 10-time All-Star with the Cardinals, Giants and Braves, Schoendienst was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1989 by the Veterans Committee. His best season was 1953 when he batted .342, second in the NL, with 15 home runs and 79 RBIs. He led the league with 200 hits in 1957. And on defense, he tied or topped the league in fielding seven times.
Schoendienst ranks second in Cardinals history with 1,041 wins as a manager. His No. 2 jersey was retired in 1996 and a bronze statue portraying Schoendienst in the air at second base, kicking up dust while pivoting to complete a double play, sits outside Busch Stadium.
"They made me better looking," the red-haired Schoendienst joked when the statue was unveiled in 1999.
Schoendienst's 12-year tenure as manager is the second-longest in franchise history behind Tony La Russa. Schoendienst also served as interim manager in 1980 and 1990, the latter stint after Whitey Herzog resigned, and coached for the Oakland Athletics in 1977 and '78.
"It's been a good, long ride," Schoendienst said in 2002. "And I've had a lot of fun."
Schoendienst finished his career with a .289 batting average, 2,449 hits, 427 doubles, 1,223 runs and a .983 fielding percentage. He set a major league record with eight doubles in a three-game span.
Schoendienst is survived by his four children; Colleen, Cathleen, Eileen and Kevin, eight living grandchildren (he had 10 total grandchildren) and seven great grandchildren. Wife Mary Eileen O'Reilly Schoendienst died in 1999. They were married 53 years.
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