Robin Pauls - 1,001 Little Known Fun Facts About The St. Louis Cardinals

Copyright Robin Pauls & Dale Ratermann

Illustrations: Copyright Robert Jackson

Production: Blue River Press/Indianapolis USA

eBook ISBN: 978-1-935628-91-0

2012 First Edition

This is not an official publication.

DEDICATION:

To Bob, who taught us the game among other life lessons.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

* The Cardinals franchise was formed in 1882 and initially was a member of the American Association. The team was known as the St. Louis Brown Stockings. A year later, the team name was changed to the St. Louis Browns (and remained that way until 1898not to be confused with the St. Louis Browns franchise that was a member of the American League from 1902-54 before moving to Baltimore to become the Orioles).

* The St. Louis Browns won four consecutive American Association championships from 1885-88.

* The American Association went bankrupt, so the franchise joined the National League in 1892.

* The team changed its name to Perfectos in 1899. A year later, the name Cardinals was used. Legend has it that the name Cardinals was chosen when the team changed its uniform colors from brown to red. Since there already was a team called the Reds in Cincinnati, the St. Louis entry became known as the Cardinals.

* The Cardinals struggled upon joining the National League. Only once (in 1899) in the first 19 seasons did the team finish above .500.

* Branch Rickey moved from the American Leagues St. Louis Browns to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1919 as the general manager and established a farm system for developing players. The rewards were reaped for decades.

* The Cardinals won their first National League pennant in 1926, led by second baseman-manager Rogers Hornsby. St. Louis beat the New York Yankees for the teams first modern day World Series title. The Cardinals won the NL pennant again in 1928 and 30.

* The Cardinals championship team of 1934 was known as the Gashouse Gang. The Gang included Ripper Collins, Dizzy Dean, Leo Durocher, Frankie Frisch, Pepper Martin and Joe Medwick. The nicknamesupposedly coined by Durocher--was given to the team because of its shabby appearance and rough-and-tumble tactics. The team had five players hit +.300, the last NLs 30-game winner in Dean and four all-stars.

* The Redbirds dominated the 1940s with the emergence of Stan Musial. The Cardinals won the NL pennant in 1942, 43, 44 and 46 and won the World Series in each of those seasons, except for 1943.

* Branch Rickey left the Cardinals in 1942 to join the Brooklyn Dodgers and the team faded after the war under owner Sam Breadon. The team was sold to Fred Saigh and Robert Hannegan in 1947, and then sold again in 1953 to Anheuser-Busch. Gussie Busch, a hunting partner of Stan Musial and Red Schoendienst, became the team president.

* Busch wasnt much of a baseball fan when he took over the team. In one of the first home games he attended as the owner, the Cardinals were ahead after eight-and-a-half innings, and everyone headed for the exit gates. Busch reportedly asked why the Redbirds werent batting again.

* In his first year as the owner, Busch tried to upgrade the talent on the roster. He reportedly offered the Giants $1 million for Willie Mays and also attempted to purchase Ernie Banks from the Cubs.

* With the brewerys deep pockets taking control of the Cardinals, the Browns left St. Louis following the 1953 season.

* Despite the influx of cash, the Cardinals didnt return to championship form until the 1960s. The team won NL pennants in 1964, 67 and 68, and moved into a new stadium in 1966.

* After a slide in 1969, the Cardinals attempted to rebuild and traded Curt Flood (along with Tim McCarver, Byron Browne and Joe Hoerner) to the Philadelphia Phillies. Flood refused to accept the trade and challenged the long standing reserve clause in players contracts. Flood sat out the 1970 season and ultimately lost his case before the U.S. Supreme Court. But the players union united over the issue and ultimately gained free agency. (Flood never profited from the changes. He played 13 games for the Washington Senators in 1971, then retired.)

* The Cardinals slide continued through the 1970s, but Whitey Herzog was hired as the teams manager in 1980. Playing Whiteyballutilizing speed and defensethe Cardinals won three NL championships and the 1982 World Series in Herzogs 11 seasons.

* Gussie Busch died in 1989. The brewery sold the team in 1996 to a group led by Drew Baur, Fred Hanser and William DeWitt, Jr. In addition, Walt Jocketty was hired as the teams GM in 1995.

* Jocketty brought in Ton La Russa as the manager in 1996, and the team won the NL Central Division.

* The following year, Mark McGwire was obtained. He broke the MLB single season home run record in 1998 with 70 round trippers.

* Albert Pujols made the teams roster in 2001 and was an instant success, leading the team for 11 seasons.

* St. Louis got a new stadium in 2006 and won the World Series the same season.

* The Cardinals set their franchise record for most victories in a season (106) in 1942. The team has won 105 games three times, most recently in 2004.

* The franchises record for most losses in a season is 111, set in 1898. The last time the Cardinals finished last in their division was in 1990 (70-92 in Whitey Herzogs final season as manager).

* The Cardinals have had 16 players win 20 National League Most Valuable Player awards: Rogers Hornsby (1925), Bob OFarrell (1926), Jim Bottomley (1928), Frankie Frisch (1931), Dizzy Dean (1934), Joe Medwick (1937), Mort Cooper (1942), Stan Musial (1943, 46, 48), Marty Marion (1944), Ken Boyer (1964), Orlando Cepeda (1967), Bob Gibson (1968), Joe Torre (1971), Keith Hernandez (1979), Willie McGee (1985) and Albert Pujols (2005, 08, 09).

* The career hitting leader for the Cardinals is Jesse Burkett. The outfielder played in St. Louis in 1899-1901 and batted .378 in 424 games. No. 2 on the list is Rogers Hornsby (.359) and No. 3 is Tip ONeill (.344).

* Mark McGwire is the Cardinals all-time slugging percentage leader, besting Albert Pujols, .683 to .617.

* Stan Musial played more games in a Cardinals uniform (3,026) than anyone else. Lou Brock is second (2,289), Ozzie Smith is third (1,990).

* Only five men have had 2,000+ hits as a Redbirds player: Stan Musial (3,630), Lou Brock (2,713), Rogers Hornsby (2,110), Albert Pujols (2,073) and Enos Slaughter (2,064).

* But only two men have had more than 300 home runs for the Cardinals: Musial (475) and Pujols (445). Ken Boyer (255), Jim Edmonds (241) and Ray Lankford (228) round out the top five.

* The player who hit home runs the most often was Mark McGwire (once every 7.9 at bats while in St. Louis). Albert Pujols is the second most reliable HR hitter with a dinger once every 14.2 at bats.

* Bob Gibson holds the club single season ERA record at 1.12 (in 1968), but he isnt even in the teams top 10 list for a career. Ed Karger, who pitched in St. Louis from 1906-08, heads that list at 2.46. (Gibsons career ERA is 2.91.)

* Gibson (251) and Jesse Haines (210) are the only two Cardinals hurlers with more than 200 wins.

* Gibson also leads with 3,117 career strike outs, but the pitcher with the most strike outs per nine innings pitched is Todd Stottlemyre (7.97). No. 2 on that list is Jose DeLeon (7.48), No. 3 is Adam Wainwright (7.45), No. 4 is Chris Carpenter (7.25) and No. 5 is Gibson (7.22).