Corky Withrow, who played briefly for the St. Louis Cardinals and later moved through multiple organizations, died April 22 at 88. His story spans twists in MLB and years in the minors—along with an unexpected path from basketball to baseball.
Corky Withrow, a former outfielder who appeared briefly for the St. Louis Cardinals, died April 22 at 88.
Withrow’s time in the majors was short—an up-and-down six-game span in September 1963 that featured a 0-for-9 stretch with an RBI groundout.. For fans, that may sound like a footnote.. For Withrow. it was the culmination of years of effort. a moment in the spotlight that came after a promotion from the Denver Bears. a Pacific Coast League stop that once served as a proving ground.
Behind that brief Cardinals chapter was an 11-year professional baseball run marked by movement. trades. and long stretches in the minors.. It was a career that rarely held still. the kind that reflects how difficult it is to secure a lasting role in the majors—even for players who can hit. field. and contribute when called upon.
His MLB storyline took an especially sharp turn after the Cardinals traded him in June 1964.. Withrow became part of a deal that sent him and Lew Burdette to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for pitcher Glen Hobbie and a player to be named later.. Burdette went on to make 28 appearances for the Cubs in 1964 and another seven in 1965, while Hobbie logged 13 appearances for St.. Louis in 1964 and was omitted from the World Series roster.
For Withrow. the trade mattered less for what happened to the other names in the transaction and more for what it signaled about his own path.. The player to be named later in the Cubs’ direction was minor leaguer Bob Will. an outfielder who never returned to the majors.. Withrow. however. continued to orbit baseball’s upper levels through affiliations and professional stops—always chasing the chance that the next promotion would stick.
Over his career, Withrow played more than 1,100 games in the minor leagues, according to Misryoum’s baseball records perspective.. That figure captures the rhythm of a true journeyman: the everyday grind of developing skills. responding to new systems. and proving reliability to managers and scouts who are evaluating talent on tight windows.
His baseball life also included time with organizations beyond St.. Louis and Chicago.. Withrow spent years within the Milwaukee Braves system (1956–63. then again in 1965). with the Chicago White Sox (1966). the Detroit Tigers (1966). and the Los Angeles Angels organization (including 1961).. It reads like a map of mid-century baseball’s talent pipeline—where players often moved between leagues and affiliations as teams reshaped their rosters.
Yet Withrow’s story doesn’t begin with baseball at all.. He also had basketball ability strong enough to land him in the NBA draft out of Georgetown (Ky.) College.. Misryoum notes that he was drafted by the Philadelphia Warriors in 1961 and reportedly attended one training camp. crossing paths with the era’s biggest star-level talent before stepping away after about a week.. The decision wasn’t framed as a dramatic break—it looked more like a quick reassessment. followed by commitment to a sport where he’d found a durable rhythm.
That switch became a defining thread of a memoir he later published, “Uncorked!” in 2016.. In an interview. Withrow described one of his greatest joys as simply meeting Stan Musial. his hero—an example of how a brief major league appearance can still leave a permanent personal mark.. Even without a long MLB run, the emotional payoff of reaching the top tier of the sport never entirely faded.
Withrow is survived by his wife, Barbara; three children; five grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.. His death closes the book on a life that carried both promise and unpredictability—an athlete who earned his way to the majors. tasted the stage. and then spent the rest of his career chasing the next chance without letting the brief spotlight diminish the journey.