St. Louis Cardinals History: Remembering Todd Zeile

Todd Zeile was a solid player, appearing with 11 different teams in his 16 year career, beginning with the St. Louis Cardinals. Let us take a look back at his travels through the game.

Born on this day in 1965, Todd Zeile had quite the interesting baseball career. Originally drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 30th round of the MLB Amateur Draft in 1983 out of high school, he decided against signing. Instead, Zeile went to the University of California, and became a second round draft pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1986.

It did not take long for Ziele to make his presence felt. In 1987, he was named the MVP of the Midwest League, posting a .292/.380/.511 batting line. he hit 25 homers and 24 doubles, driving in 106 runs. Although he was not listed as one of the top prospects in baseball until 1990, Zeile rocketed through the Cardinals system, making his debut on August 18, 1989.

Zeile quickly settled in as a solid player for St. Louis. He finished sixth in the Rookie of the Year balloting in 1990, posting a .244/.333/.398 batting line with 15 homers and 25 doubles. Zeile was the Cardinals primary catcher that season, and also spent time at first and third. After that year, he was primarily a third baseman,  leading to an increase in offensive production.

More from Call to the Pen

• Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
• Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
• Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
• Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
• 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals

He remained with the Cardinals until June 18, 1995, when he was traded to the Cubs. That began his baseball odyssey, where Zeile turned into quite the journeyman. After leaving Chicago as a free agent, he signed with the Phillies. His time in Philadelphia lasted for five months before he was traded to Baltimore. Leaving the Orioles as a free agent, Zeile then signed with the Dodgers. He was then part of the infamous Mike Piazza trade to the Marlins, and while he lasted longer in Florida than the Hall of Fame catcher, he was also traded away, this time to the Rangers. After a season and a half in Texas, he rejoined Piazza, this time with the Mets. The Mets then included Zeile as part of a three way trade in 2002, sending him to Colorado. A free agent after the year, he signed with the Yankees, only to be released in August 2003. He spent the rest of the season with the Expos, and returned to the Mets for the 2004 campaign before retiring.

Overall, Zeile posted a solid .265/.346/.423 batting line, hitting 253 homers and 397 doubles. He had four seasons with 20 or more homers, but was far more of a doubles hitter. Zeile was also quite adept at putting the bat on the ball, with only 1279 strikeouts in 8649 plate appearances. Although he never made an All Star Game, he was quite the decent player for quite a few teams.

Next: Interesting statistical quirks

Todd Zeile was quite the popular player around the game for his leadership and abilities on the diamond. Considering how many teams he played for, it is obvious that his skills were in demand.