Dick Hughes, Cardinals 1967 World Series Champion Pitcher, Dies at 88

Former Cardinals pitcher Dick Hughes has died at the age of 88, Augie Nash reported on X. Hughes, who was born in Arkansas, began his professional pitching career in 1958. He debuted with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1966 at age 28 and spent his entire 3-year MLB career with the team.

His long-awaited major league arrival was followed by a standout 1967 rookie season. 954 WHIP that led the National League, Forbes reported. He earned MVP Award votes for that campaign and finished second to eventual Hall of Famer Tom Seaver in the 1967 National League Rookie of the Year Award voting.

Hughes also pitched nine innings in the 1967 World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Boston Red Sox as the team won the championship. The St. Louis Cardinals have won 11 World Series championships.

Hughes' contributions came during one of the franchise's title-winning seasons. After that promising rookie year, Hughes injured his throwing shoulder in Spring Training 1968. He appeared in 25 games for the St.

Louis Cardinals that season before being placed on the disabled list, Forbes reported. His MLB playing career ended in 1968. Hughes stuck with the Cardinals organization in various roles until 1975, when he chose to spend more quality time with his family, a local obituary noted.

Hughes loved playing the guitar, hunting, and fishing. Those pursuits influenced his children and eventually his grandchildren, according to the obituary. The news of his death prompted reflection on a career that flashed brightly before being cut short.

Hughes remembered the moment of injury during 1968 spring training, according to an account by Thomas Van Hyning of the Society for American Baseball Research cited by Forbes. “Something happened at the end of the warm-ups, throwing at game speed. ” He pitched five innings after alerting trainer Bob Bauman that something was wrong.

X-rays later showed he had a torn rotator cuff, an injury doctors could not properly repair in those days. Hughes said it would have been best in hindsight to shut it down and give it time to heal. Instead, he continued until the disabled list claimed him and his playing days were over after the 1968 season.

Forbes reported on the death of the World Series champion and rookie sensation whose promising career was curtailed by injury.