On the Christmas Day edition of Card Central 365, Joe Roderick is joined by Randy Karriker for a nostalgic and lighthearted holiday conversation centered around one of the most memorable Christmas Eve moments in modern Cardinals history — the surprise free-agent signings of Andy Benes and Ron Gant in 1995. Karriker recounts how, while working at KMOX, he broke the news live on Christmas Eve and then hosted an open-line show that drew jam-packed phone lines for two straight hours, illustrating just how deeply Cardinals baseball resonates with St. Louis fans, even on the holidays. The two reflect on how shocking the moves were at the time, how different the economics of baseball were in the mid-90s compared to today, and how those signings signaled a turning point in the franchise’s direction under new ownership and Walt Jocketty’s leadership.

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