St. Louis Men’s Group Against Cancer’s 46th Annual Men’s Dinner

The St. Louis Men’s Group Against Cancer held its 46th Annual Men’s Dinner at the Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis, Thursday, November 12, 2015. The evening included an open bar, hors d’oeuvres, dinner and a very special program featuring Cardinal Baseball legends Tim McCarver and Steve Carlton, moderated by Dan McLaughlin.

Tickets cost $375 per person with local cancer charities benefiting from funds raised by the dinner. Along with the splendid cuisine and an unforgettable program, guests had the opportunity to bid on some highly coveted auction items, motivated by auctioneer extraordinaire Kim Tucci: a Cabo San Lucas Getaway; a Golfer’s Dream for 2 to attend the final round of The 2016 Masters; a Dinner for 8 served at the home of Guy and Kim Phillips and prepared by Kim Tucci; a Suite Party for 40 to watch the Cardinals versus the Washington Nationals, April 29, 2016; and a New York Trip for 2 to “Watch What Happens Live” with Andy Cohen.

Between dinner, the auction, and the panel discussion, St. Louis Men’s Group Against Cancer presented J. Kim Tucci with “The Man of The Year Award” and Chairman Harold Price and Executive Director Margie Price with a Citation, recognizing them all for their dedicated service and commitment to the dinner and the cause.

The evening then turned to Cardinals Baseball Legends Tim McCarver and Steve Carlton, who conducted an informal conversation moderated by Fox Sports Midwest sportscaster Dan McLaughlin. Tim McCarver, a member of three Cardinals World Series teams, 1964, 1967, and 1968, partnered with Hall of Fame pitchers Bob Gibson and a young Steve Carlton, an eventual Hall of Famer, and later in his career became Carlton’s designated catcher. After McCarver’s baseball career ended, he entered broadcasting, where he worked on Monday Night Baseball, NBC, ABC, CBS, and Fox Sports Networks’ MLB telecasts with Joe Buck, 1996-2013. In 2012, he received the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting.

Steve “Lefty” Carlton compiled a 329-244 record, 3.22 ERA, and 4,136 strikeouts playing 1965-1988 with the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, and Minnesota Twins. He had the second-most lifetime strikeouts of any left-handed pitcher and held the career strikout record several times before Nolan Ryan surpassed him. He won four Cy Young Awards during his career, accounted for nearly half (46%) of his team’s victories in 1972, and became the last pitcher to throw 300 innings in a season. The Baseball Hall of Fame inducted him in 1994.

With some gentle nudging from McLaughlin, McCarver and Carlton shared many of the memories from the ’60’s Cardinals, Bob Gibson, and the infamous trade. McCarver pointed out that “Lefty” did not develop into an overpowering pitcher until Gibson taught him the slider, Carlton’s so-called out pitch. Carlton began to evolve as a pitcher and had his first 20 win season in 1971, followed by a salary dispute over $5,000. Cardinals owner Gussie Busch ordered Carlton traded, and the rest is considered history. Without Carlton, the Cardinals wasted the remaining peak years of Gibson’s career and fell short of several division championships, if not pennants and World Series. Carlton’s career, conversely, reversed the fortunes of the Philadelphia Phillies, making them perennial contenders from the mid-70’s to early ’80’s.

The St. Louis Men’s Group Against Cancer comprises a nonprofit, charitable organization whose purposes include raising funds for cancer research, prevention, and care. The Group has generated more than $4 million since 1969.

Funds are channeled through the various organizations and earmarked for specific programs in the community. Funding previously has gone to the following programs:

• Pediatric oncology research
• Support groups for cancer survivors and their families
• Free mammograms for indigent women
• Free camp stays for children with cancer
• Prostate cancer research
• Colon and breast cancer research
• Bone marrow programs
• Direct medical assistance for Catholic nuns
• Funding support for lodging of needy cancer patient families