Whitey Herzog is doing one of the things he does best: regaling his audience with a baseball story. He’s sitting at a large table in a banquet room, but if you close your eyes, you can picture him wearing a Cardinals uniform and sitting in the manager’s office at Busch Stadium, his feet propped up on the desk.
As the story goes, former Cardinals outfielder Lonnie Smith once had a chance to become the first player to drive in 70 runs and steal 70 bases in the same season. Smith fell just shy—he finished with 69 runs batted in and 68 steals. Late in the season, with Smith desperate for steals, Herzog inserted him as a pinch runner in a game against the Cubs. Smith took off for second base…
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“He slides 6 feet past the bag, into left field,” Herzog says, delivering the punchline in his unique deadpan style.
Every Monday, a group of men gathers for lunch at the Pasta House in University City to hear anecdotes like that one and to hash over the latest sports news. They call themselves the 1-2-3 Club, and this nonpareil fraternity will turn 70 years old next year.
The club’s roots go back to a Monday in November 1946 when Leo Ward, traveling secretary of the Cardinals, and Bill Fairbairn, a sportswriter for the Globe-Democrat, met at 1 p.m. for lunch. By 3, they still hadn’t ordered their food—but they were having so much fun imbibing and talking sports, they scheduled an encore. The next week, Ward and Fairbairn each brought a friend. Then the group expanded to eight. And so on.
Today, the 1-2-3 Club boasts an active roster of 55 (that doesn’t include emeritus members or out-of-towners). Led by current president Bob Bunton, the executive director of the National Football Foundation, members discuss the fortunes of local sports teams over soup, salad, and pasta.
This isn’t your typical Monday-quarterback club. The 1-2-3 roster is full of heavy hitters, including Hall of Fame manager Herzog, Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Jackie Smith, two-time Super Bowl–winning assistant coach Jim Hanifan, and Cards president Bill DeWitt III, along with several other former athletes and announcers and, of course, restaurateur Kim Tucci.
You need more than an opinion to join the 1-2-3 Club, which, remarkably, has had only 127 members in its history. A prospect must have some affiliation with sports (past or present), attend three luncheons as the guest of a sponsor, and then be voted in by secret ballot.
Former St. Louis University High School and Washington University football coach Paul Martell, 91, is the oldest active member. Former St. Louis Hawks player Al Ferrari, 81, is the longest-tenured member, having joined in 1962. The late Jack Buck—who, ironically, was not a member—once joked that the average age of a 1-2-3 Club member was “deceased.” In fact, 67 members have died.
In addition to its regular Monday luncheons, the 1-2-3 Club raises money for charities, holds an annual Christmas luncheon, and hosts a Valentine’s Day dinner with spouses.
Adopting the attitude of “If you can’t join ’em, imitate ’em,” the wives have formed their own group. They call themselves the 4-5-6 Club.
Club Members Who’ve Died
Renowned Cardinals and Billikens trainer Bob Bauman
Sportswriter Bob Broeg, who covered the Cardinals for 40 years and coined the nickname “Stan the Man”
High school coaching legend Ray Cliffe
World Series–winning Cardinals general manager Bing Devine
NBA player Ed Macauley
U.S. Rep. Mel Price
Dennis Dillon has been a member of the 1-2-3 Club since 2012.
