Former Cardinals Pitcher, World Series Champion, Dies

Dick Hughes, who started two games for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1967 World Series and helped them defeat the Boston Red Sox in seven games, died May 6. He was 88.

Hughes started Games 2 and 6 of the 1967 World Series, allowing five runs over nine innings. Although the Cardinals lost both games Hughest started, they came back to win Game 7 to capture the championship.

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That was the highlight of Hughes’ brief but memorable baseball career. In three seasons with the Cardinals (1967-69), the right-hander went 20-9 with a 2.79 ERA across 307 innings. He pitched 68 regular-season games, started 34, and saved eight.

Despite his short time in MLB, Hughes was one of baseball‘s best pitchers when he debuted in 1967. He went 16-6 with a 2.67 ERA and 161 strikeouts in 222.1 innings. He finished fifth in wins, second in winning percentage, seventh in ERA, and led the NL in fewest hits per innings pitched.

After that season, Hughes collected downballot MVP votes and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting to New York Mets pitcher Tom Seaver.

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The Cardinals returned to the World Series in 1968, but lost to the Detroit Tigers. Hughes faced three batters in his only appearance of that series, a 13-1 loss in Game 6.

That proved to be Hughes’ final appearance on a major league mound. He made 15 appearances in the minor leagues in 1969 before retiring as a player.

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Hughes worked for the Cardinals in various capacities as a minor league coach, manager, and amateur scout through 1975. Hughes then went home to Arkansas and pursued a career in farming that lasted until his retirement in 2000.

On May 17, 2017, Hughes attended a pre-game ceremony at Busch Stadium in St. Louis to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Cardinals’ 1967 World Series championship team.

Hughes is survived by his wife, Anne, their three children, five grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

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This story was originally published May 9, 2026 at 9:25 AM.