Al Hrabosky: My Baseball Life | St. Louis Cardinals

Al Hrabosky: My Baseball Life | St. Louis Cardinals

[Music] For over half a century, Al Rabosski has been entertaining baseball fans. You might see him signing autographs or taking pictures at the ballpark. Or maybe it’s his commentary during a Cardinals baseball game. Or perhaps you stopped what you were doing to catch a glimpse of the colorful Mad Hungarian when he came into pitch and shut the door on the opposition. However you followed Al, it’s always been entertaining and it’s led him to the Cardinals Hall of Fame. The Mad Hungarian goes to work and pitches and struck him out. As Rabosski struck Sadena with the ball, the umpires are trying to pull him apart. Raboski was the Cardinals first round draft choice in 1969. And at the age of 20, he was called up to the big leagues with the club in 1970. A promotion that changed the Cardinals and also the game of baseball. A lot of people don’t know why I got picked up in a at 20 years of age. And it all has to do with Kurt Flood, the Kurt Flood trade. when he refused to go to Philadelphia, um Willie Montinez, Byron Brown, I think a couple others were involved in that trade. But at June 15th of 1970, the Cardinals owed Philadelphia player. They could pick anybody in the Cardinal organization that wasn’t on the active 25man roster. And the thought was it was going to be me. So that’s why I came up uh in June 14th of of 1970. Originally the lefty was signed and developed as a starter, but it was another Cardinals Hall of Famer who thought the path to the big leagues was out of the pen for Hongo. Actually it was Whitey Herszog in in 1971. We didn’t have an instructional league team and Whitey was running the Mets farm system. Bing Divine, the Cardinal general manager had given Whiteidy his first job outside of playing and he said uh he asked if Mike Tyson Edpel was our number one draft pick that year and myself go to the Mets instructional league team and and uh play for them. And Whitey wrote a very favorable report on me uh saying that no pun intended but I could be a short reliever. And uh and I remember him telling me that Bing’s called him and said, you know, what’s the deal? All of our guys thinks he’s going to be a starter. He goes, no, he’s too too emotional, too hyper. You know, you got to make him a reliever. And uh so then it was kind of the thought process that I’d be a reliever. A reliever was born. Roboski bounced between MLB and the minor leagues for three seasons after his debut before finally sticking with the Cardinals in 1974. A reliever was here to stay and so is a new fan favorite in town. [Music] Mad Hungarian 6′ n really only 6’8, but 292 lbs. Meanest, baddest dude ever. No rules pertain to him. And he’s going to he’s going to fight you. [Music] The MadHungarian was born and in many ways Al was ahead of his time. He used visualization as a way to get himself prepared and to be the closer that he wanted to be and that the team needed. During the All-Star break of 74, I was on a somewhere I chipped a tooth and I’m not a fan of dentistry and I’m in the chair and white knuckling and I’m trying to do this and I started thinking about what I had to do for my concentration. And one of the things I did in the minor leagues when I was a starting pitcher is at the end of an inning when they’re throwing the ball around the around the horn, I started visualizing me walking behind the mound and visualizing winding up seeing the ball, you know, doing everything, staying on top of the ball, seeing a positive reaction of a swing and miss, and then basically kind of went through a little mental pep talk and and then tried to physically duplicate what I just did mentally. The first time I did it, um, the ball went exactly where I wanted it and it was just like a light bulb. The light bulb had gone on and the star was born. The Mad Hungarian had emerged. In 1974, Al had his breakout season, going 8-1 in 88 innings of work. In 1975, he was the National League Fireman of the year with 22 saves, a 13-3 record, and a 1.66 ERA. While pitching in St. Louis, he went 40 and 20 with the Cardinals. The success he had took him to both Kansas City and Atlanta. But it was with the Cardinals that Hungo made his name, a name that has carried him to the Cardinals Hall of Fame and a place forever in baseball lore. Coming up, the Mad Hungarian makes his mark with two unforgettable days at the ballpark. That’s next. This is Al Rabosi, My Baseball Life. When you have a name like the Mad Hungarian, there’s bound to be some memorable moments along the way. Al definitely had his fair share. When the Mad Hungarian would psych up, fans loved it. But the same couldn’t be said for the hitters he faced. That was the case September 22nd, 1974. The Cubs were at Bush Stadium, and Al tells the rest of the story. I came into the game in the eighth inning um tie game and I had nothing that day and I threw like three line drive outs in the eighth inning. Start the ninth inning. Madlock, four-time nationally batting champion, um was the first hitter and when I went behind the mound, you know, he went to the on deck circle. So eventually, you know, Shag Crawford went after him and said, you know, hey, stay in the batters box and he’ll have to pitch. And whatever Madlock said and Jim Marshall was their manager and he was arguing with him and he walks back to home plate and Teddy’s sitting there and I’m standing on the mound and he orders me to pitch. And you know, I’m not the smartest guy in the world, but when an umpire tells you to pitch and it’s an automatic strike and there’s no batter there, I got a pretty good chance of getting the guy out. So I throw the pitch and Simmons reaches up and catches at strike one. Now Jose Cardinal was the on deck hitter. He jumps in the batters box. Madlock, you know, he telling Madlock to get in the batters box and I was ordered to pitch. So I just wind up and Cardinal’s trying to swing at the pitch. Madlock’s trying to get out of the way of the back swing. Swing at the pitch. Ted’s like this and Chag’s in perfect position to make the call. And somehow it started a fight, you know, but Teddy throws the punch at Madlock and and after they broke up the fight and it was a good one. It kind of went all over the field, but and none of us got thrown out of the game. Uh but I told Teddy, I said, “Teddy, what did what did Madlock say to you? Threw the punch.” He goes, “I don’t know, man. There’s just too many bodies around me.” While the video of this memorable day has surfaced, there was another night on national television that Hungo did his best Houdini act in getting three Red’s right-handed batters after allowing the first three to reach. Ken Griffy, Joe Morgan, and Dan Dreon all reach base against Hungo. He was hearing it from the commentators that night. One of those happened to be Howard Coell. I also would dream every night about coming into a game with the bases loaded, uh, the best hitter in baseball up and, uh, three balls and no strikes and no outs in a tie game. And I would visualize this and to the point where I I was comfortable coming in that situation. And I remember going off the back of the mound and I said, “Okay, here’s the situation you’ve always dreamt about. Now go have fun with it.” And proceeded to strike out Johnny Bench and then George Foster, who that was his MVP season. Hit 52 home runs. And then they sent up uh Bob Bailey to pinch hit. And I knew it. I didn’t know if I was going to strike him out, but I knew there was no way they were going to score. It was one of the first games that Howard Coell did on a Monday night baseball game and they said he buried me uh when I loaded the bases and then when I when I struck the side out that he had to just sit there and the first time he ever shut up in his life. Hungo was always entertaining and that included his appearance. Long hair, facial hair, and in particular his fu man chew. But not everyone was on board with it. Coming up, a decision that nearly changed the Mad Hungarian’s look in a Cardinals uniform. The biggest mistake I ever made, but because I have the utmost respect for for Gussy, you know, I mean, he owned the ball club at that time and and uh you know, that gave me that opportunity to play with the St. Louis Cardinals. So, uh like I said, it’s the biggest mistake I ever made, you know, in my baseball career. I intend to call your bluff and you said in the newspapers that you can only get batters out by being psyched up with your mustache and beard. Then go on ahead and grow it. But boy are you going to look like a fool if you don’t get batters out. Here comes the beard. And if you don’t win from here on out, boy, it’s going to be rough on you, isn’t it? Well, sincerely, I do believe that my production will increase, but the biggest thing is is it has been more pressure put on me before because I was placing on myself mentally. In 1977, Vern Rap, the manager of the Cardinals, had distinct rules on players appearance. Specifically, this applied to Al Rabosski’s Fu Man shoe and his long hair, a clash that eventually led to Al being suspended. I wish I would have been a little more mature. First of all, Vern never implemented the hair and mustache rule to penalize me. I was just the one that it affected mostly. Every town we went in, you know, they were always talking about, oh, the new Cardinals were, you know, they’re going to be disciplined. They’re going to be this and that. And there would always be my pitcher would be in the in the newspaper of what we were trying to get away from. And I kind of felt like, you know, to play at the major league level, you got to be pretty self-disciplined. And uh Vern was kind of a really weird guy. I don’t want to be disrespectful when I say I felt like I was going to combat without a rifle. Um, you know, I just needed every mental and physical thing that I knew throwing the hair and mustache had no effect on physically me throwing the ball, but mentally it did. And I had that meeting with Mr. Bush, you know, down at Pesto Lozi Street when I when he told me it was his rule about the hair and mustache. And I said, “Mr. Bush, if you would have told me this in spring training, we wouldn’t be here today.” When I went back with my attorney, they sit there and they said, “Al, you know, if you’re asking our opinion, you probably should shave.” They said, “But you’re the one who has to live with it.” And I said, “I’m I couldn’t do it.” So Tom Gilfoil told Ghart Pzel, he said, “Call him up and tell him Al’s not shaving.” And L Susman was Gussy’s uh, you know, attorney. He answered the phone. Al’s Barberhop. And so they couldn’t believe that I had defied Mr. Bush. And the biggest mistake I ever made, but because I had the utmost respect for for Gussy, you know, I mean, he owned the ball club at that time. And and uh you know, that gave me that opportunity to play for the St. Louis Cardinals. So, uh like I said, it’s the biggest mistake I ever made, you know, in my baseball career. While not everything is perfect in a player’s career, there was a perfect day in Al’s career, one that still sticks with him today. You know, I don’t think we had batting practice that day, but I came out to run and kind of saw the crowd and saw the banners and and things and and uh I remember thrusting my arm up and and you know, and then heard a ovation or something that way. So, it was it was very uh special to me. That’s next on Alraoski, my baseball life. In 1975, Alraoski was putting together a career year, a season that should have seen him represent the Cardinals at the All-Star game. That selection never happened, but his efforts on the field and what he meant to the city was not forgotten. You know, like I say, I played with some greats and played against greats, but none of them had a Herboski Habana Haday. We were going to play the Dodgers that weekend, and they came up with this idea that if everybody brought in a a poster, they could they could uh be admitted to the game free. It was a national televised game on Saturday. First of all, when they told me about it, I said, “Well, don’t look like I’m the one protesting.” Um, and I started thinking about it and I went back upstairs. I said, “What if nobody shows up?” And so back then we would get maybe on a, you know, Dodger Cardinal game on a Saturday afternoon, maybe we get 25,000. And there was basically with the the freebies there was like 50,000. The whole top of Bush Stadium was filled and people had banners and and everything. And it so it was when I took the field, you know, it was like it was my all-star game. Uh so it it was very special and and I kind of visualized myself, you know, I don’t think we had batt practice that day, but I came out to run and kind of saw the crowd and saw the banners and and things and and uh I remember thrusting my arm up and and you know, and then heard a ovation or something that way. So, it was it was very uh special to me. These days, Hungo is still making memories for fans at the ballpark. In his role as a club ambassador, you can see Al still connecting with Cardinals fans every night of the summer. That’s next on Al Rabosi, My Baseball Life. Oh, yeah. The bets right here. Here they come. Here they come. Congrats. How you doing? Thank you. Thank you. Hey, my man. Congratulations. Thanks, Joe. Appreciate it. What have you been up to? Congrats. Yeah. Thanks, Terry. Thanks, Terry. Appreciate it. Appreciate it, too. These days, Alabosski still connects with the fans. He interacts with them at the ballpark with autographs, a smile, or a picture. How are you doing? I’m good. I’m John. Nice. Your dad to bring you here, right? That’s what I’ve heard before. Rick Ankle was the closest thing. and he still is seen on Cardinals television broadcast, a position he’s held since 1985. Joe Cunningham, who was my first minor league manager, um when he got to the front office with the Cardinals, you know, he he was kind of a mentor to me off the field and started encouraging me to go to, you know, the Oaks clubs, the Lion clubs, you know, to get involved with um you know, public speaking a little bit and get more comfortable with it. uh cuz like everybody’s got a fear of public speaking at first and not that I’ve ever gotten over it. Um, but you know, it got me out there and everything and I always kind of envisioned, you know, I like I said, I fed off the fan energy, but I also knew that maybe if going into someplace, somebody’s going to be, you know, take a liking to me, maybe offering me a job in some capacity. And I remember that, you know, the channel 11 KPLR used to have the Miracle Network teleathon and uh you know, Lisa was four or five, you know, I guess she was four years old and watching the teleon one time and she had, you know, she had some little initial uh health problems and uh and I went down to channel 11, you know, went the Chase Park Hotel where they were doing it and I presented a check and that impressed uh Ted Cppler. children and he offered me my first job broadcasting. Al has been promoting the Cardinals not only through his broadcasting but also at times through his entertaining acting skills. [Music] While on set, Hungo receives the news of a lifetime. He’s a person that we’re all familiar with and still active in Cardinals business today. And his name is Alra Bosski. [Laughter] Up next, a baseball life comes full circle. Al Raboski is headed to the Cardinals Hall of Fame. That’s next on Al Raboski, My Baseball Life. It’s a veterans committee choice. And uh what was the veteran committee’s choice to be inducted into the 2025 Cardinals Hall of Fame? Yeah. Well, um, he’s a person that we’re all familiar with and still active in Cardinals business today, and his name is Al Robosski. [Laughter] Al, you’ve been elected. Uh, the veterans uh, talked a lot about your great career here in the late ‘7s. Uh, not only a great career, but you’ve been just a wonderful ambassador to the Cardinals. I was thinking about this morning how I was going to tell you and um one of the things that occurred to me is you probably know more Cardinals fans by their first names than anybody on the planet. You’ve been with us for so many years. You’ve you have so many wonderful relationships and you’re a true Cardinal and I can’t wait to put that red jacket on you. I forgot all about the Red Ribbon uh committee and so and I told Scott I said you know just do it yourself. You don’t need me and you know I’m not going to be on the air. it’s going to look kind of awkward and he go no we need you and finally convinced me only because he said I need you to talk about Renteria and Walt um but when Billy said in the third and said it’s a guy that’s been around a long time then I had an inkling uh but until they say your name you know it it you know it means This this means an awful lot to me and my family and and I got to say thank you because the dwits have been phenomenal to me and I think to the garden nation. Um but through Annheiser Bush and through your ownership I’ve been the luckiest guy in the world. Thank you. Great to hear. I’m really thankful that going in as the Red Ribbon Committee because that tells a little bit more about my playing career than, you know, being an organizational pick because of what I’ve done the last 40 years being with the ball club. So, I’m I’m proud of my career. I just enjoyed competing and for a while I would I could compete very well against the best. But just being on that field and competing against, you know, the greatest some of the greatest players ever and playing with some of the greatest players ever is is that’s all the memories I really need. Decades in the game of baseball. Now Ravoski strolls around the mound with a new baseball. A great player. The mad Hungarian goes to work and pitches and struck him out. a better person. I’m a hunter. More than dead and dancing. And now a Cardinals Hall of Famer. I’m Alaski and this is my baseball life.

Al Hrabosky was considered one of the most intimidating pitchers of the 1970’s. Also, he was thought of as an entertainer and character inside Major League Baseball. His baseball life is not only defined by his work on the mound but, also into his charitable side and the love for the game and the fans that he still shows today. It’s a comprehensive look at a life spent in baseball and one that is taking him to the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame.