Joaquin Andujar Dies At 62

Former Cardinals pitcher Joaquin Andujar has died at the age of 62 in his native Dominican republic due to complications from diabetes.

Mr. Andujar pitched for the Cardinals over parts of 5 seasons (1981 – 1985) posting 68 wins in 153 starts, winning 20 games in 1984 and 21 games in 1985 before being traded to the Oakland Athletics prior to the 1986 season for catcher Mike Heath and pitcher Tim Conroy.

The highlight of his career with the Cardinals was during game 7 of the 1982 World Series win against the Milwaukee Brewers. From the Post-Dispatch:

In the 1982 World Series, Andujar went 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA in two starts against the Milwaukee Brewers. That series is remembered now with Bruce Sutter’s final, title-clinching pitch in Game 7, but it was Andujar who started that game and pitched all the way until Sutter appeared for the two-out save. Andujar struck out 1 and allowed seven hits over his seven innings against the Brewers.

He also noted in the same story quoted above that “I’m a Cardinal all the way” and said that he still followed the team in a trip to St. Louis to celebrate the 2006 Cardinals World Series Championship.

Here’s a clip of Andujar in action:

And if you’ve got a spare couple of hours and want to watch Andujar’s performance in GM7 of the 1982 World Series, the entire game is below:

For many Cardinals fans, Andjuar will represent one of the best decades of Cardinals baseball in the storied history of the franchise. He was a fan favorite for many – a player that if you loved, you LOVED.

We wish Andujar’s family and friends well during this difficult time.

Photo: It’s Already Signed 4 U