The
St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in
St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. They are members of the
Central DivisionThe National League Central Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was created in 1994, by moving two teams from the Western Division and three teams from the Eastern Division of the National League...
in the
National LeagueThe National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
of
Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. The Cardinals have won eleven
World SeriesThe World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to the
New York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, who have won twenty-seven. They have played in eighteen Fall Classics tying them with the
DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and
GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
for most World Series appearances among National League clubs and second overall to the Yankees' 40 appearances. They are the defending World Series champions, having won the
2011 World SeriesThe 2011 World Series was the 107th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion St...
in seven games over the
Texas RangersThe Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
.
The Cardinals were founded in the
American AssociationThe American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
in 1882 as the St. Louis Brown Stockings, taking the name from
an earlier National League teamThe St. Louis Brown Stockings were a professional baseball club based in St. Louis, Missouri from 1875 to 1877.-History:Joining the National Association in the final season of that league, the Brown Stockings were the first team to represent St. Louis in a professional baseball association . The...
. They joined the National League in 1892 and have been known as the Cardinals since 1900. The Cardinals began playing in the current
Busch StadiumBusch Stadium is the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, of MLB...
in 2006. The Cardinals have a long-standing rivalry with the
Chicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
.
1880s–1930s
The Cardinals were founded in as a member of the
American AssociationThe American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
called the St. Louis Brown Stockings. The club quickly achieved success, winning four AA pennants in a row in 1885–1888. St. Louis played in an early version of the
World SeriesThe World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, the first two times against the
National LeagueThe National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
's Chicago White Stockings, now named the
Chicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. The 1885 series ended in dispute, but St. Louis won the 1886 series outright, beginning a St. Louis-Chicago rivalry that continues to this day. The American Association went bankrupt in 1892, and the BrownsCategory:St. Louis Browns moved to the National League, leaving much of their success behind for the next three decades. The club changed its name to the "Perfectos" in 1899, before adopting the "Cardinals" name in 1900.
From 1902–1954, an American League team, the
St. Louis Browns, also played in St. Louis. The Browns moved to Baltimore in 1954 and became the
Baltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
.
The Cardinals' fortunes in the National League began to improve in
1920, when
Sam BreadonSamuel Breadon was an American executive who served as the president and majority owner of the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball from 1920 through 1947...
bought the club and named
Branch RickeyWesley Branch Rickey was an innovative Major League Baseball executive elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967...
his
general managerIn Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....
. Rickey immediately moved the Cardinals to
Sportsman's ParkSportsman's Park was the name of several former Major League Baseball ballpark structures in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, all but one of which were located on the same piece of land, the northwest corner of Grand Boulevard and Dodier Street on the north side of the city.- History :From...
to become tenants of their
American LeagueThe American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
rivals, the
St. Louis BrownsThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, and sold the Cardinals'
ballparkRobison Field is the best-known of several names given to a former Major League Baseball park in St. Louis, Missouri. It was the home of the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League from April 27, 1893 until June 6, 1920.-History:...
. Rickey used the money from the sale to invest in and pioneer the
minor leagueMinor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
farm systemIn sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team or nursery club, is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher level at a given point...
, which produced many great players and led to new success for the Cardinals.
Led by Rogers Hornsby, who won the
Triple CrownIn Major League Baseball, a player earns the Triple Crown when he leads a league in three specific statistical categories. For batters, a player must lead the league in home runs, run batted in , and batting average; pitchers must lead the league in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average...
in both
1922- External links :*...
and
1925- External links :*...
, the Cardinals improved dramatically during the 1920s. They won their first National League pennant in
1926- External links :*...
and then defeated the favored
New York YankeesThe New York Yankees season was the team's 24th season in New York, and its 26th season overall. The team finished with a record of 91-63, winning their fourth pennant, finishing three games ahead of the Cleveland Indians. New York was managed by Miller Huggins. The Yankees played at Yankee...
in seven games to win the
World SeriesThe 1926 World Series was the championship series of the 1926 Major League Baseball season, featuring the St. Louis Cardinals against the New York Yankees...
. In
1927-Regular season standings:-World series:-Award winners:-League leaders:-External links:*...
, now led by
Frankie FrischFrancis “Frankie” Frisch , nicknamed the "Fordham Flash" or "The Old Flash", was a German American Major League Baseball player of the early twentieth century....
, the Cardinals fell just short, before claiming another pennant in 1928.
The Cardinals kept winning in the next decade, claiming back-to-back pennants in
1930-American League final standings:-National League final standings:-MLB statistical leaders:-External links:*...
and
1931-MLB statistical leaders:-External links:*...
. The Cardinals matched up with the
Philadelphia AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
in both World Series, losing in
1930In the 1930 World Series, the Philadelphia Athletics defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in six games, 4–2. Philadelphia's pitching ace Lefty Grove won two games.The St...
but returning to win the
1931 seriesIn the 1931 World Series, the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Athletics in seven games, a rematch and reversal of fortunes of the 1930 World Series.The same two teams faced off during the 1930 World Series and the Athletics were victorious...
. In 1934 the team, nicknamed the "
Gashouse GangThe Gashouse Gang was a nickname applied to the St. Louis Cardinals Major League Baseball team of .The Cardinals, by most accounts, earned this nickname from the team's generally very shabby appearance and rough-and-tumble tactics...
" for their shabby appearance and rough tactics, again won the pennant and then the
World SeriesThe 1934 World Series matched the St. Louis Cardinals against the Detroit Tigers, with the Cardinals' "Gashouse Gang" winning in seven games for their third championship in nine years....
over the
Detroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers season was a season in American baseball. The season was the team's 34th since entering the American League in . The Tigers won the American League pennant with a record of 101-53, the best winning percentage in team history. The team made its fourth World Series appearance, but...
.
Dizzy DeanJay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the last National League pitcher to win 30 games in one season. Dean was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953....
won 30 games that season, the last National League pitcher to reach that mark.
Joe MedwickJoseph Michael Medwick , nicknamed "Ducky", was an American Major League Baseball player. A left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals during the "Gashouse Gang" era of the 1930s, he also played for the Brooklyn Dodgers , New York Giants , and Boston Braves...
won the Triple Crown in
1937- External links :*...
, the last National League hitter to achieve the feat, but the Cardinals failed to win a pennant in the second half of the decade.
1940s–1970s
Outfielder
Stan "the Man" MusialStanley Frank "Stan" Musial is a retired professional baseball player who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals . Nicknamed "Stan the Man", Musial was a record 24-time All-Star selection , and is widely considered to be one of the greatest hitters in baseball...
joined the Cardinals in 1941. Musial spent 22 years in a Cardinals uniform and won three NL MVP Awards. Led by Musial, the Cardinals dominated the National League during World War II, winning three straight pennants from 1942–1944. The
1942The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 61st season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 51st season in the National League. The Cardinals went 106-48 during the season and finished first in the National League. In the World Series, they met the New York Yankees...
"St. Louis Swifties" won a franchise record 105 games and defeated the Yankees in the
World SeriesThe 1942 World Series featured the defending champion New York Yankees against the St. Louis Cardinals, with the Cardinals winning the Series in five games for their first championship since and their fourth overall....
. The team then posted 105 wins in both
1943In order to conserve rail transport during World War II, the 1943 Spring Training was limited to an area east of the Mississippi River and north of the Ohio River. The Chicago White Sox held camp in French Lick, Indiana, the Washington Senators in College Park, Maryland, and the New York Yankees...
and
1944The St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series over the St. Louis Browns.- External links :*...
. The
CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 62nd season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 52nd season in the National League. The Cardinals went 105-49 during the season and finished 1st in the National League. In the World Series, they met the New York Yankees. They lost the series in 5...
fell to the
YankeesThe New York Yankees season was the team's 41st season in New York, and its 43rd season overall. The team finished with a record of 98-56, winning their 14th pennant, finishing 13.5 games ahead of the Washington Senators. Managed by Joe McCarthy, the Yankees played at Yankee Stadium. In the World...
in the
1943 World SeriesThe 1943 World Series matched the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals against the New York Yankees, in a rematch of the 1942 Series. The Yankees won the Series in five games for their tenth championship in 21 seasons. It was Yankees' manager Joe McCarthy's final Series win...
rematch. The
1944 World Series-Game 1:Wednesday, October 4, 1944 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, MissouriGeorge McQuinn hit the Brown's only home run of the series to put his team ahead in the fourth inning, while Denny Galehouse outpitched World Series veteran Mort Cooper to hold on for the win.-Game 2:Thursday, October 5,...
was particularly memorable, as the Cardinals met their crosstown rivals, the
St. Louis BrownsThe St. Louis Browns season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Browns finishing first in the American League with a record of 89 wins and 65 losses...
, in the "
StreetcarA tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
Series," with the Cardinals prevailing for their fifth title. In
1946Due to the end of World War II many drafted ballplayers returned to the majors and the quality of play greatly improved. The World Series began on October 6 and pitted the Boston Red Sox against the St. Louis Cardinals who won in 7 games.- External links :*...
the
CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals season was a season in American baseball. It was the team's 65th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 55th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 96-58 during the season and finished first in the National League. In the World Series, they won in 7 games over the...
finished the season tied with the
Brooklyn DodgersThe Brooklyn Dodgers finished the season tied for first place with the St. Louis Cardinals. The two teams played in the first ever playoff series to decide the pennant, and the Cardinals took two straight to win the title....
, but claimed the pennant in a best-of-3 playoff series (2 games to 0). The Cardinals then won the
World Series-Game 1:Sunday, October 6, 1946 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, MissouriThe Red Sox won Game 1 when Rudy York hit a home run into the left field bleachers.-Game 2:Monday, October 7, 1946 at Sportsman's Park in St...
in 7 games against the
Boston Red SoxDuring the 1946 Boston Red Sox season, the Red Sox won their sixth American League championship, with a record of 104 wins and 50 losses. In the World Series, the Sox lost in 7 games to the St. Louis Cardinals...
. In the bottom of the 8th inning in Game 7, with the score tied at 3–3,
Enos SlaughterEnos Bradsher Slaughter , nicknamed "Country", was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 19-year baseball career, he played from 1938–1942 and 1946-1959 for four different teams, but is noted primarily for his time with the St...
scored on a "
Mad DashThe Mad Dash, or Slaughter's Mad Dash, refers to an event in the eighth inning of the seventh game of the 1946 World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox.-Background:...
" from first on a double to left-center to win the game and the series.
Rickey had left the Cardinals to become general manager of the Dodgers in
1942- External links :*...
, and after their 1946 win, the Cardinals slid back to the middle of the National League. In
1953The 1953 Major League Baseball season marked the first relocation of an MLB franchise in fifty years, as the Boston Braves moved their NL franchise to Milwaukee, where they would play their home games at the new County Stadium.- External links :*...
the
Anheuser-BuschAnheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , is an American brewing company. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and 18 in other countries. It was, until December 2009, also one of America's largest theme park operators; operating ten theme parks across the United States through the...
brewery bought the Cardinals, and
August "Gussie" BuschAugust "Gussie" Anheuser Busch, Jr. was an American brewing magnate who built the Anheuser-Busch Companies into the largest brewery in the world as company chairman from 1946–75, and became a prominent sportsman as owner of the St...
became team president. He soon purchased Sportsman's Park from St. Louis Browns owner
Bill VeeckWilliam Louis Veeck, Jr. , also known as "Sport Shirt Bill", was a native of Chicago, Illinois, and a franchise owner and promoter in Major League Baseball. He was best known for his publicity stunts to raise attendance. Veeck was at various times the owner of the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis...
, renovated the ballpark, and renamed it
Busch StadiumSportsman's Park was the name of several former Major League Baseball ballpark structures in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, all but one of which were located on the same piece of land, the northwest corner of Grand Boulevard and Dodier Street on the north side of the city.- History :From...
. The Browns, who had not been as successful or popular as the Cardinals in three decades, realized they could not compete with the deep pockets of the brewery. After the
1953 seasonThe 1953 Major League Baseball season marked the first relocation of an MLB franchise in fifty years, as the Boston Braves moved their NL franchise to Milwaukee, where they would play their home games at the new County Stadium.- External links :*...
the Browns left St. Louis to become the
Baltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, and the Cardinals were left as the only major league team in town.
The Cardinals achieved another period of success in the 1960s with the help of a trade and a dominating pitcher. In
1964The 1964 Major League Baseball season is best remembered for the end of the New York Yankees' dynasty, as they won their 29th American League Championship in 44 seasons. However, the Yankees lost the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games...
the Cardinals traded pitcher
Ernie BroglioErnest Gilbert Broglio is a former right-handed pitcher in American Major League Baseball from 1959-66. Broglio signed with the independent Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League after he attended West Contra Costa Junior College. He was acquired by the New York Giants in 1956...
and two other players to the rival Cubs for outfielder
Lou BrockLouis Clark "Lou" Brock is an American former professional baseball player. He began his Major League Baseball career with the Chicago Cubs but, spent the majority of his career as the left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. Brock was best known for breaking Ty Cobb's all-time major league...
and two other players. The trade, since nicknamed "
Brock for BroglioThe phrase Brock for Broglio is sometimes used in the sport of baseball to signify a trade that in hindsight, turns out to be a ridicuously lopsided transaction....
," has become definitive of a trade which in retrospect is ridiculously lopsided. The Cardinals would prove to be on the good side of the trade, as Brock would successfully replace Musial, who had retired at the end of
1963The World Series winners were the Los Angeles Dodgers, who swept the New York Yankees in four straight games. The Dodgers' stellar pitching staff, anchored by left-hander Sandy Koufax and right-hander Don Drysdale, was so dominant that the vaunted Yankees, despite the presence of sluggers such as...
, in left field. Behind Brock and pitcher
Bob GibsonRobert "Bob" Gibson is a retired American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Hoot" and "Gibby", he was a right-handed pitcher who played his entire 17-year Major League Baseball career with St. Louis Cardinals...
, who won 20 games for the first time, the
CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 83rd season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 73rd season in the National League. The Cardinals went 93-69 during the season and finished first in the National League, edging the co-runner-ups Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies by one game each on...
won the
1964 World SeriesThe 1964 World Series pitted the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals against the American League champion New York Yankees, with the Cardinals prevailing in seven games. St...
over the
YankeesThe New York Yankees season was the 62nd season for the Yankees. The team finished with a record of 99-63, winning their 29th pennant, finishing 1 game ahead of the Chicago White Sox. New York was managed by Yogi Berra. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium. In the World Series, they were defeated...
, with Gibson named series MVP. In
1966The 1966 Major League Baseball season was held between the American and National Leagues. The Braves play their first season in Atlanta, following their relocation from Milwaukee. Three new stadiums opened that season. On April 12, the Braves ushered in Atlanta Stadium with the Pittsburgh...
the Cardinals moved to the new
Busch Memorial StadiumBusch Memorial Stadium, also known as Busch Stadium, was a multi-purpose sports facility in St. Louis, Missouri that operated from 1966 to 2005....
, where they hosted the
MLB All-Star GameThe 1966 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 37th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played on July 12, 1966 at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri...
that summer. The next year the
teamThe St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 86th season in St. Louis, Missouri, its 76th season in the National League, and its first full season at Busch Memorial Stadium. The Cardinals went 101-60 during the season and won the NL pennant by 10½ games over the San Francisco Giants...
reached and won the
1967 World SeriesThe 1967 World Series matched the St. Louis Cardinals against the Boston Red Sox in a rematch of the 1946 World Series, with the Cardinals winning in seven games for their second championship in four years and their eighth overall...
over the
Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox season, often referred to as The Impossible Dream, consisted of the Red Sox shocking New England and the rest of the baseball world by winning the American League Championship and reaching the World Series for the first time since 1946...
. Gibson pitched three complete-game wins, allowing only three earned runs, and was named World Series MVP for the second time. In
1968The Athletics played their first season in Oakland this year, following the team's relocation from Kansas City. It was also the last season of play before each of the two leagues were split into divisions for the following season.-The Year of the Pitcher:...
, nicknamed the "Year of the Pitcher" for the domination of pitching over hitting throughout the majors, the Cardinals'
Bob GibsonRobert "Bob" Gibson is a retired American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Hoot" and "Gibby", he was a right-handed pitcher who played his entire 17-year Major League Baseball career with St. Louis Cardinals...
proved to be the most dominant pitcher of all. Gibson's
earned run averageIn baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
of 1.12 is a
live-ball eraThe live-ball era, also referred to as the lively ball era, is the period in Major League Baseball beginning in , following the dead-ball era. During that year offensive statistics rose dramatically in what would be mistakenly attributed to the introduction of a new "lively" ball...
record, and he won both the NL
Cy Young AwardThe Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
and the NL MVP Award. Behind Gibson's season the
CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 87th season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 77th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 97-65 during the season, winning their second consecutive NL pennant, this time by nine games over the San Francisco Giants. They lost in 7 games to the...
reached the
1968 World SeriesThe 1968 World Series featured the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals against the Detroit Tigers, with the Tigers winning in seven games for their first championship since 1945, and the third in their history...
against the
Detroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers won the 1968 World Series, defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 4 games to 3. The 1968 baseball season, known as the "Year of the Pitcher," was the Tigers' 68th since they entered the American League in 1901, their eighth pennant, and third World Series championship...
. Gibson would pitch another three complete games and set a World Series record with 35 strikeouts, including a single-game record 17 in Game 1, though he ended up losing in a deciding Game 7. Gibson would win a second Cy Young Award in 1970, and
Joe TorreJoseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...
won the NL MVP Award in
1971The 1971 Major League Baseball season was also the final season for the Senators in Washington, D.C., before the team's relocation to the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb Arlington for the following season, as the Texas Rangers, leaving the Nation's capital without a baseball team of their own until...
, but the Cardinals would fail to win a pennant during the 1970s.
1980–1989
The
CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals 1981 season was the team's 100th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 90th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 59-43 during the season and finished second in the National League East in the first and second halves of the season...
returned to their winning ways in
1981-First half:-Second half:-Overall record:-Statistical leaders:-Postseason:NOTE: Due to a strike in mid-season, the season was divided into a first half and a second half...
, but were left out of the playoffs in the strike-affected season; despite posting the best overall record in the NL East, they finished in second place in each half of the split season. But just like in 1964, a trade would propel the Cardinals upward. Before the
1982The 1982 Major League Baseball season was held between the American and National Leagues. Making up for their playoff miss of the year before, the St...
season began the Cardinals acquired shortstop
Ozzie SmithOsborne Earl "Ozzie" Smith is an American former baseball shortstop who played in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals from 1978 to 1996...
from the
San Diego PadresThe San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
via a trade in exchange for
Garry TempletonGarry Lewis Templeton, nicknamed "Jumpsteady", is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, and New York Mets from 1976 to 1991...
. With Smith, and playing a form of baseball nicknamed
WhiteyballWhiteyball is a style of playing baseball that was developed by former Major League Baseball manager Whitey Herzog. The term was invented by the press during the 1982 World Series to describe the style of Herzog's St. Louis Cardinals. The team won the Series without a typical power hitter, instead...
after manager
Whitey HerzogDorrel Norman Elvert "Whitey" Herzog is a former Major League Baseball manager. Born in New Athens, Illinois, he made his debut as a player in 1956 with the Washington Senators. After his playing career ended in 1963, Herzog went on to perform a variety of roles in Major League Baseball, including...
, the
CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals' 1982 season was the team's 101st season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 91st season in the National League. Making up for the previous year's near-miss, the Cardinals went 92-70 during the season and won their first-ever National League East Division title by three games...
won the
1982 World Series-Game 1:Tuesday, October 12, 1982 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Brewers' left-hander Mike Caldwell pitched a complete game shutout, allowing only three hits. The Brewers' offense was led by Paul Molitor, who had a World Series-record five hits and two RBIs...
over the
Milwaukee BrewersThe 1982 Milwaukee Brewers season resulted in the team winning its first and only American League Championship.- Offseason :*October 23, 1981: Rickey Keeton was traded by the Brewers to the Houston Astros for Pete Ladd....
. Herzog's Cardinals then reached the
1985 World Series-Game 1:Saturday, October 19, 1985 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri-Game 2:Sunday, October 20, 1985 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri...
against the
Kansas City RoyalsThe 1985 Kansas City Royals season ended with the Royals' first world championship win over their intrastate rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals. The Royals won the Western Division of the American League for the second consecutive season and the sixth time in ten years...
. The series was nicknamed the "
I-70 Series-Game 1:Saturday, October 19, 1985 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri-Game 2:Sunday, October 20, 1985 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri...
" after the highway that connects the two in-state rivals. The Royals won in seven games, but the series is most remembered by Cardinals fans for a blown call by umpire
Don DenkingerDonald Anton Denkinger is a former Major League Baseball umpire who worked in the American League from 1969 to 1998. Denkinger wore uniform number 11, when the AL adopted uniform numbers in 1980. He is best remembered for an incorrect call he made at first base in Game 6 of the 1985 World...
in Game 6. The
CardinalsThe 1987 St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 106th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 96th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 95-67 during the season and finished first in the National League East Division for the third and last time before moving to the NL Central in 1994....
would also reach the
1987 World SeriesThe 1987 World Series pitted the Minnesota Twins versus the St. Louis Cardinals.Minnesota was victorious in a World Series that was the first in which the home team won every game...
, losing to the Minnesota Twins in seven games. The series against the Twins was noteworthy as being the first where the home team won every game (which happened again 4 years later when the Twins defeated the Atlanta Braves).
1990–1999
The Cardinals hit another period of little success in the early 1990s.
Joe TorreJoseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...
replaced Herzog as manager, but failed to make the playoffs despite several winning seasons. Before the
1996 season*American League Championship Series MVP: Bernie Williams**American League Division Series*National League Championship Series MVP: Javy López**National League Division Series*All-Star Game, July 9 at Veterans Stadium: National League, 6-0; Mike Piazza, MVP...
the Cardinals were purchased by new owners led by
William DeWitt, Jr.William O. DeWitt, Jr. is an American businessman and currently the managing partner and chairman of the St. Louis Cardinals. He served on the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board during the George W...
and hired
Tony La RussaAnthony "Tony" La Russa, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball manager and infielder, best known for his tenures as manager of the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals...
away from the
Oakland AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
. The team won the NL Central that season and defeated the
Padres-Offseason:* October 28, 1995: Rico Rossy was signed as a Free Agent with the San Diego Padres.* November 29, 1995: Mike Sharperson signed as a Free Agent with the San Diego Padres....
in the
NLDS-Atlanta Braves vs. Los Angeles Dodgers:-Game 1, October 1:Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Cardinals and Padres began their rivalry in this series. The Cardinals' first of three postseason victories against the Padres took place here. Their dominance is overwhelming to the tune of only one...
before falling to the
Atlanta Braves-Offseason:* January 3, 1996: Jerome Walton was signed as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves.* January 9, 1996: Mike Kelly was traded by the Atlanta Braves to the Cincinnati Reds for a player to be named later and Chad Fox...
in 7 games in the
NLCS-Game 1:Wednesday, October 9, 1996 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaGame 1 was played in Atlanta with 24-game winner John Smoltz on the mound for the Braves. Brian Jordan tripled and scored the first run of the series for St. Louis, but Mark Lemke singled in two runs in the...
. In , the
CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals 1998 season was the team's 117th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 107th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 83-79 during the season and finished 3rd in the National League Central division....
were the focus of the baseball world as slugging first baseman
Mark McGwireMark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
broke the single season home run record by hitting 70 home runs. McGwire's epic pursuit of
Roger MarisRoger Eugene Maris was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs...
' record along with the Cubs'
Sammy SosaSamuel Peralta "Sammy" Sosa is a Dominican former professional baseball right fielder. Sosa played with four Major League Baseball teams over his career which spanned from 1989-2007....
helped to re-popularize baseball after the 1994 strike.
2000–09
The new millennium brought new success. The new era began when shortly before the 2000 season the Cardinals traded for Jim Edmonds and later when McGwire went down to what turned out to be career ending injuries midseason. Jim Edmonds would help to lead the Cardinals to the playoffs for the first time since 1996. They would lose to the New York Mets 4-1 in the NLCS playoffs but would return to postseason play the following year with the help of 2001 rookie of the year Albert Pujols. Pujols would have arguably the best first 11 years in the history of the game. The Cardinals, led by a core that included
Albert PujolsJosé Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
,
Jim EdmondsJames Patrick "Jim" Edmonds is a former American Major League Baseball center fielder. He played for the California/Anaheim Angels, the St. Louis Cardinals, the San Diego Padres, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Chicago Cubs, and the Cincinnati Reds...
, and later
Scott RolenScott Bruce Rolen is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds. He is an eight-time Gold Glove winner and seven-time All-Star.-Philadelphia Phillies:...
, reached the playoffs in six of the next seven years. The Cardinals reached the playoffs in , , and , then missed in before advancing to the NLCS in each of the next three years, punctuated by two trips to the World Series in and .
2004
In , the Cardinals won 105 games, the best record in baseball, then defeated the
DodgersThe 2004 season brought change to the Dodgers as the sale of the franchise to developer Frank McCourt was finalized during spring training. McCourt promptly dismissed General Manager Dan Evans and hired Paul DePodesta to take over the team...
in the
NLDS-Atlanta Braves vs. Houston Astros:-Game 1, October 5:Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriOdalis Perez faced Woody Williams in Game 1. Albert Pujols got the Cardinals started with a solo homer to make it 1–0 in the first. Then in the third, Perez reached his limit after surrendering five two-out...
and the
Houston AstrosThe Houston Astros' 2004 season was a season in which the Astros endured various changes. The biggest change was at the managerial level. Despite a 44-44 record, Jimy Williams was replaced by Phil Garner. Roger Clemens would win the NL Cy Young Award and become the fourth pitcher to win the Cy...
in a seven-game
NLCS-Game 1:Wednesday, October 13, 2004 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe series opener at St. Louis' Busch Stadium was a slugfest involving four homers, 17 runs, and 22 hits, eventually won by St. Louis, 10–7. Houston struck the first blow of the series when Carlos Beltrán hit a two-run home...
to reach the
2004 World SeriesThe 2004 World Series was the Major League Baseball championship series for the 2004 season. It was the 100th World Series and featured the American League champions, the Boston Red Sox, against the National League champions, the St. Louis Cardinals...
against the
Boston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox 2004 season was the 103rd Major League Baseball season for the Boston Red Sox franchise. Managed under Terry Francona, the team finished with a 98–64 record...
, who swept the Cardinals. The Cardinals lost only 4 times in a
shutoutIn team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
in the regular season, but were shut out 3 times in the postseason, including 1 shutout loss in every series in the playoffs (4–0 to the Dodgers in Game 3 of the
NLDS-Atlanta Braves vs. Houston Astros:-Game 1, October 5:Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriOdalis Perez faced Woody Williams in Game 1. Albert Pujols got the Cardinals started with a solo homer to make it 1–0 in the first. Then in the third, Perez reached his limit after surrendering five two-out...
, 3–0 to the Astros in Game 5 of the
NLCS-Game 1:Wednesday, October 13, 2004 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe series opener at St. Louis' Busch Stadium was a slugfest involving four homers, 17 runs, and 22 hits, eventually won by St. Louis, 10–7. Houston struck the first blow of the series when Carlos Beltrán hit a two-run home...
, and 3–0 to the Red Sox in Game 4 of the
World SeriesThe 2004 World Series was the Major League Baseball championship series for the 2004 season. It was the 100th World Series and featured the American League champions, the Boston Red Sox, against the National League champions, the St. Louis Cardinals...
).
2005
The Cardinals won 100 games and another Central Division title in , but lost in an
NLCS-Game 1:Wednesday, October 12, 2005 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriIn the series opener, the Cardinals won 5–3 behind a strong pitching performance by Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter and a two-run home run by Reggie Sanders in the first inning...
rematch to the
AstrosThe Houston Astros' 2005 season was a season in which the Houston Astros qualified for the postseason for the second consecutive season. The Astros overcame a sluggish 15-30 start to claim the wild card playoff spot, and would go on to win the National League pennant to advance to the World Series...
. This was also the final season for
Busch Memorial StadiumBusch Memorial Stadium, also known as Busch Stadium, was a multi-purpose sports facility in St. Louis, Missouri that operated from 1966 to 2005....
. Albert Pujols won his first MVP award. He would later become the franchise's first 3 time MVP award winner since Stan Musial. Meanwhile, Chris Carpenter became the franchise's first Cy Young award winner since Bob Gibson.
2006
In , the Cardinals moved to the new
Busch StadiumBusch Stadium is the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, of MLB...
. Despite winning only 83 games during the season (The second lowest win total and winning percentage of a World Series team behind the
'73 MetsThe New York Mets season was the 12th regular season for the Mets, who played home games at Shea Stadium. Manager Yogi Berra led the team to a National League East title with an 82–79 record, the National League pennant and a defeat at the hands of the Oakland Athletics in the World Series...
), the Cardinals defeated the
San Diego PadresThe 2006 San Diego Padres season captured their second consecutive National League West crown, with a record of 88-74, and for the first time in franchise history back-to-back postseason appearances, and three consecutive winning seasons...
in the
NLDS-San Diego Padres vs. St. Louis Cardinals:-New York vs. Los Angeles:The series seemed over for the Mets before it even started, first by losing ace Pedro Martínez for the postseason and then losing probable Game 1 starter Orlando Hernández. Despite having a potent offense, many people didn't seem...
and the
New York MetsThe New York Mets' 2006 season was the 45th regular season for the Mets. They went 97-65 and won the NL East. They were managed by Willie Randolph. They played home games at Shea Stadium. They used the marketing slogan of "The Team. The Time...
in a seven game
NLCSThe National League Championship Series , the second round of the 2006 National League playoffs, began on October 12 and ended on October 19; it was scheduled to begin on October 11, but was postponed a day because of inclement weather. The St...
. In the
2006 World SeriesThe 2006 World Series, the 102nd edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, began on October 21 and ended on October 27, and matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals won the Series in five games, taking...
, the Cardinals faced the heavily-favored
Detroit TigersThe 2006 Detroit Tigers won the American League Pennant. They represented the AL in the World Series before falling to the St. Louis Cardinals 4 games to 1. The season was their 106th since they entered the AL in 1901.- Regular season :...
, but won in five games for the franchise's tenth World Series title. This also marked the first time since the 1923 New York Yankees that a Major League team opened up a new ballpark with a World Series Championship.
2009
On August 22, 2009, they defeated the
San Diego PadresThe San Diego Padres' 2009 season is a season in American baseball.-Roster:-Game log: During the Padres 6-5 win over the New York Mets at Citi Field on April 13, 2009, Jody Gerut became the first player to open a new ballpark with a leadoff home run, hitting the first base hit and home run on the...
for the 10,000th win in franchise history, becoming only the fourth team to accomplish the feat, after the
San Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
,
Chicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, and
Los Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
.
The Cardinals became the first Major League Baseball club to clinch a division title in
2009The 2009 Major League Baseball season began on Sunday, April 5, 2009 with the Atlanta Braves defeating the 2008 World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies 4–1. The regular season ended on October 6, extended two days for a one-game playoff between the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins to...
, beating the
Colorado RockiesThe Colorado Rockies' 2009 season is a season in American baseball, in which the Rockies won their third Wild Card title, and second in three years. The Rockies drew 2,665,080 fans for the season, their highest total since 2002...
on September 26. The Cardinals were considered strong contenders for the league pennant because of their strong starting pitching and offense, but were swept in three games by the
Los Angeles DodgersThe 2009 Los Angeles Dodgers season sees the team defend their National League West title while earning the best record in the National League, and marks the fiftieth anniversary of their 1959 World Series Championship...
in the best-of-five
NLDSThe National League Division Series consisted of two concurrent best-of-five game series that determined the participating teams in the 2009 National League Championship Series. Three divisional winners and a "wild card" team played in the two series. The NLDS began on Wednesday, October 7 and...
, despite having beaten the Dodgers five of seven times in the regular season.
The 2009 season also saw three Cardinal players lead the National League in three categories. Pujols's 47 home runs was tops in the majors, pitcher
Adam WainwrightAdam Parrish Wainwright is a right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was drafted 29th overall by the Atlanta Braves in the 2000 amateur draft. He made his major league debut for the St...
's 19 wins was the most in the National League (and tied for most in the majors with three American League pitchers), and
Chris CarpenterChristopher John Carpenter is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2003, and is currently signed with the team until the 2011 season, with a club option for 2012.Carpenter was 22 years old and a highly-regarded prospect when he broke into the...
's ERA of 2.24 was the best in the National League. Pujols won the MVP award, while Carpenter and Wainwright finished 2nd and 3rd in
Cy Young AwardThe Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
voting. Carpenter was also named the National League's
Comeback Player of the YearThe Major League Baseball Comeback Player of the Year Award is presented by Major League Baseball to the player who is judged to have "re-emerged on the baseball field during a given season." The award was developed in 2005, as part of a sponsorship agreement between MLB and Viagra...
.
Tragedy
The success of the 2000s were clouded by no small measure of tragedy. On June 18, 2002, long-time Cardinals radio broadcaster
Jack BuckJohn Francis "Jack" Buck was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals. Buck received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987, and is honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame...
died. Four days later, Cardinals starting pitcher
Darryl KileDarryl Andrew Kile was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1991-2002 for three different teams in his career. In his first season for the Cardinals, he won 20 games in 2000 as the team reached the postseason for the first time in four years. They advanced to the...
died in his sleep, apparently of heart failure, before a game in Chicago against the
Cubs-Offseason:* November 2, 2001: Mark Bellhorn was traded by the Oakland Athletics to the Chicago Cubs for Adam Morrissey .* January 16, 2002: Alan Benes was signed as a Free Agent with the Chicago Cubs....
. On April 29, 2007, also during a series with the
CubsThe Chicago Cubs' 2007 season began with the Cubs trying to rebound after a season in which they finished last in their division for the first time since .-Offseason:...
, Cardinals relief pitcher
Josh HancockJoshua Morgan Hancock was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals. Born in Cleveland, Mississippi, he lived in St. Louis during the off-season...
, 29, was killed in a car accident while driving drunk when his vehicle collided with a stopped tow truck that was aiding a disabled motorist on
Interstate 64Interstate 64 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. 40, and U.S. 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. As I-64 is concurrent with...
, not far from Busch Stadium.
2010–present
2011
The
2011 seasonThe 2011 Major League Baseball season began on Thursday, March 31, and ended on Wednesday, September 28. This marked the first time a season began on a Thursday since , and the first time a regular season ended on a Wednesday since...
will go down as one of baseball's most compelling
cinderella storiesIn American and Canadian sports, a Cinderella or "Cinderella Story" refers to a team or player who advances much further in a tournament or career than originally anticipated. Cinderellas tend to gain much media and fan attention as they move closer to the championship game at the end of the...
. On August 24, after the Cardinals played their 130th game of the season (only 32 remained), they were 10½ games behind the Wild Card leading
Atlanta BravesThe 2011 Atlanta Braves season was the Braves' 46th season in Atlanta, and the 136th of the franchise. For the first time since the 1990 season, Bobby Cox did not manage the club, having retired following the 2010 season. He was succeeded by Fredi González, the former third-base coach for the...
. They went 23-9 to finish 90-72, a game better than Atlanta's 89-73, to win the Wild Card on the final regular season game marking the largest comeback in history after 130 games. An impressive comeback as the Braves play in a different division, making it harder to gain games as head-to-head games are fewer.
2011 postseason
The Cardinals played the
Philadelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies 2011 season was the 129th season in the history of the franchise. The Phillies won their fifth consecutive National League East championship, and also finished with the best record in baseball for the second straight year. The Phillies, at 3-1 odds, were the heavy-favorite...
in the NLDS. The Phillies were heavily favored to win. However, the Cardinals defeated them 3-2. Game 5 was notable for the pitching duel between Phillies ace
Roy HalladayHarry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...
and Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter, both friends and former teammates. Halladay left after giving up just one earned run over eight innings. He was bested by Carpenter who threw a complete game 3 hit shutout, winning 1-0. The first National League playoff series to end in a 1-0 score.
In the
NLCSThe 2011 National League Championship Series was a best-of-seven playoff pitting the winners of the 2011 National League Division Series, the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers, against each other for the National League championship and the right to be the league's representative in the...
, the Cardinals defeated the favored
Milwaukee BrewersThe Milwaukee Brewers' 2011 season was their 42nd season for the franchise in Milwaukee, the 14th in the National League, and 43rd overall. The Brewers posted a franchise-best record of 96-66, winning their first-ever National League Central Division title...
4-2, to win their 18th National League pennant. This ranks them among the
DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and
GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
for most in the National League (the Cardinals, Dodgers, and Giants together account for approximately half of all NL pennants won). They are second overall to the 40 by the
YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
.
The Cardinals defeated the heavily favored American League champion
Texas RangersThe Texas Rangers’ 2011 season was the 51st season in the overall history of the franchise and the 40th since the team relocated to Arlington, Texas. Going into the season they were the defending American League champions....
4-3 in the
World SeriesThe 2011 World Series was the 107th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion St...
. Game 3 was memorable for the three home runs hit by Albert Pujols in their 16-7 win. The home runs tied him with
Reggie JacksonReginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
and
Babe RuthGeorge Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
as the only players to hit three home runs in a World Series game. In a 10-9 game 6 win, they became the first team to ever come back to win a World Series game after being down in both the ninth and in extra innings, as well as being the first to win being one strike away from elimination in two separate innings in the same game. They also became the first team to score runs in the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh innings of a World Series game. They won game 7 to win the series. Hometown player,
David FreeseDavid Richard Freese is a third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball. A star high school player, Freese chose not to play college baseball in his freshman year of college, but returned to the game a year later...
was named the Series' Most Valuable Player receiving a new
CorvetteThe Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
, and keys to the city of
St. LouisSt. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and
St. Louis CountySt. Louis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. Its county seat is Clayton. St. Louis County is part of the St. Louis Metro Area wherein the independent City of St. Louis and its suburbs in St. Louis County, as well as the surrounding counties in both Missouri and Illinois all...
. Freese set a new postseason record with 21 RBIs and became just the sixth player to win both the NLCS MVP and the World Series MVP. In Game 6, while down to his final strike he extended the game to extra innings with a game tying 2 run triple before winning it with a walk off homerun in extra innings. Game 7 winner Chris Carpenter became the first pitcher ever to win two winner take all games in MLB postseason history.
Ballpark
The Cardinals play their home games at Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis. Busch Stadium, also called Busch III, opened for the 2006 season at a cost of $346 million and can hold 46,861 people. but Game 7 of the 2011 World Series had a record 47,399 due to increased
standing room onlyAn event is described as standing room only when it is so well-attended that all of the chairs in the venue are occupied, leaving only flat spaces of pavement or flooring for other attendees to stand. Some venues issue standing-room-only tickets for a reduced cost since it can become very...
tickets. The Cardinals finished their inaugural season in the new Busch Stadium by winning the
2006 World SeriesThe 2006 World Series, the 102nd edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, began on October 21 and ended on October 27, and matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals won the Series in five games, taking...
, becoming the first team since the 1923
New York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
to win the World Series in their first season in a new ballpark. The ballpark has numerous statues of former Cardinal players who are hall of fame inductees outside, including the iconic statue of
Stan MusialStanley Frank "Stan" Musial is a retired professional baseball player who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals . Nicknamed "Stan the Man", Musial was a record 24-time All-Star selection , and is widely considered to be one of the greatest hitters in baseball...
in front of the third base entrance.
Busch Stadium is the Cardinals' fourth home ballpark and the third to be named Busch Stadium. The Cardinals' original home ballpark was
Sportsman's ParkSportsman's Park was the name of several former Major League Baseball ballpark structures in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, all but one of which were located on the same piece of land, the northwest corner of Grand Boulevard and Dodier Street on the north side of the city.- History :From...
from 1882–1892 when they were playing in the
American AssociationThe American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
and known as the Browns. To begin the 1893 season, the Cardinals moved to a new ballpark five-blocks to the northwest of Sportsman's Park originally called New Sportsman's Park but more commonly remembered as
Robison FieldRobison Field is the best-known of several names given to a former Major League Baseball park in St. Louis, Missouri. It was the home of the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League from April 27, 1893 until June 6, 1920.-History:...
which served as their home from 1893–1920. Midway through the 1920 season the Cardinals abandoned
Robison FieldRobison Field is the best-known of several names given to a former Major League Baseball park in St. Louis, Missouri. It was the home of the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League from April 27, 1893 until June 6, 1920.-History:...
and returned to the original Sportsman's Park and became tenants of their American League rivals, the
St. Louis BrownsThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. In 1953, the Cardinals were purchased by the
Anheuser-Busch BreweryAnheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , is an American brewing company. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and 18 in other countries. It was, until December 2009, also one of America's largest theme park operators; operating ten theme parks across the United States through the...
and the new owner subsequently purchased Sportsman's Park from the Browns and renamed it Busch Stadium, becoming Busch I. The Browns then left St. Louis for
BaltimoreBaltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
after the season. The Cardinals moved to
Busch Memorial StadiumBusch Memorial Stadium, also known as Busch Stadium, was a multi-purpose sports facility in St. Louis, Missouri that operated from 1966 to 2005....
, or Busch II, in downtown St. Louis during the 1966 season and played there until 2005. It was built as the
multi-purposeMulti-purpose stadiums are a type of stadium designed in such a way as to be easily used by multiple sports. While any stadium could potentially host more than one sport, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy that stresses multi-functionality over specificity...
home of both the baseball Cardinals and the St. Louis football Cardinals, now the
Arizona CardinalsThe Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The current Busch Stadium was constructed immediately south of and partly on top of the site of Busch Memorial Stadium.
The Cardinals hold
spring trainingIn Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
at
Roger Dean StadiumRoger Dean Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Abacoa community of the town of Jupiter, Florida. The stadium was built in 1998, holds 6,871 people, and features luxury sky-box seating, 2 levels of permanent seating, parking and concessions...
in
Jupiter, FloridaJupiter is a town located in Palm Beach County, Florida. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 39,328. The estimate population for 2009 is 50,606. As of 2006, the population had grown to 50,028, according to the University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research....
. They share the complex, which opened in 1998, with the
Florida MarlinsThe Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
. Before moving to Jupiter, the Cardinals hosted spring training at Al Lang Field in
St. Petersburg, FloridaSt. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
from 1937–1997.
Logos and uniforms
The Cardinals have had few logos throughout their history, although those logos have evolved over time. The first logo associated with the Cardinals was an interlocking "SL" that appeared on the team's caps and or sleeves as early as 1900. Those early uniforms usually featured the name "St. Louis" on white home and gray road uniforms which both had
cardinal redCardinal is a vivid red, which gets its name from the cassocks worn by Catholic cardinals...
accents. In 1920 the "SL" largely disappeared from the team's uniforms, and for the next 20 years the team wore caps that were white with red striping and a red bill. In 1922, the Cardinals wore uniforms for the first time that featured two
cardinalThe Northern Cardinal or Redbird or Common Cardinal is a North American bird in the genus Cardinalis. It can be found in southern Canada, through the eastern United States from Maine to Texas and south through Mexico...
birds perched on a
baseball batA baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the game of baseball to hit the ball after the ball is thrown by the pitcher. It is no more than 2.75 inches in diameter at the thickest part and no more than 42 inches in length. It typically weighs no more than 33 ounces , but it...
over the name "Cardinals" with the letter "C" of the word hooked over the bat. This logo, colloquially referred to as the "birds on the bat," originally had the birds perched on a black bat and "Cardinals" in printed letters. An alternate version of this logo with "St. Louis" replacing "Cardinals" appeared in 1930 and was the primary logo in 1931 and 1932 before "Cardinals" returned. In 1940 the now-familiar "StL" logo was introduced on the team's caps. The interlocking "StL" has undergone several slight modifications over the years but has appeared on the team's caps every year since. The first appearance of the "StL" in 1940 coincided with the introduction of navy blue as a uniform color. From 1940 until 1955 the team wore navy blue caps with red bills and a red interlocking "StL" while the jerseys featured both cardinal red and navy blue accents. In 1951 the "birds on the bat" logo was changed to feature a yellow baseball bat. In 1956 the Cardinals changed their caps to entirely navy with a red "StL," removing the red bill. Also, for that one season, the Cardinals wore a script "Cardinals" wordmark on the their uniforms without the "birds on the bat." However, an updated version of the "birds on the bat" logo would return in 1957 with the word "Cardinals" now written in cursive beneath the bat. In 1962, the Cardinals were the first National League team to display players' names on the back of their jerseys. In 1964 the Cardinals changed their caps to be all red with a white interlocking "StL." In 1967, the birds on the bat emblem on the jersey was again tweaked, making the birds more realistic and changing the position of their tails relative to the bat. This version would remain on all Cardinals game jerseys through 1997. In 1971, following the trend in baseball at the time, the Cardinals replaced their more traditional flannel front-button shirts and pants with belts with new pullover knit jerseys and elastic waist pants. Yet another trend in baseball led the Cardinals to change their road uniforms from gray to light blue from 1976–1984. In 1992 the Cardinals returned to wearing more traditional button-down shirts and pants with belts. That same year they also began wearing an all-navy cap with a red "StL" on the road only while wearing the same red and white cap at home games. In 1998 the "birds on the bat" was updated for the first time in 30 years with more detailed birds and bolder letters. In 1998 the Cardinals also introduced a cap featuring a single cardinal bird perched on a bat, which they wear only on Sunday home games. The new birds on the bat design was tweaked the very next year, with yellow beaks and white eyes replacing the red beaks and yellow eyes of the 1998 version. Uniform numbers also returned to the front of the jerseys in 1999 after a two year absence. Over the years the Cardinals have also used other marketing logos that never appeared on uniforms that showed anthropomorphized cardinals in a pitching stance, swinging a baseball bat, or wearing a baseball cap.
Team mascot
The team mascot is an anthropomorphic cardinal wearing the team's uniform named
FredbirdFredbird is the official mascot for the St. Louis Cardinals major league baseball team. He is an anthropomorphic cardinal wearing the team's uniform. Fredbird can always be found entertaining young children during baseball games at Busch Stadium...
. He is assisted by
Team Fredbird, a group of eleven women who entertain fans from the field and on top of the dugouts.
While unofficial, the Rally Squirrel gained popularity during the 2011 postseason. First making its appearance in Game 3 of the
NLDSThe 2011 National League Division Series were two best-of-five playoffs comprising the opening round of the Major League Baseball postseason, played to determine the participating teams in the 2011 National League Championship Series. Three divisional winners and a fourth team—a wild card—played...
on Oct. 4, the Rally Squirrel caused quite a stir in St. Louis. As the Cardinals were at-bat against the Phillies in Game 4 (Oct. 5) of the NLDS, a squirrel ran across home plate in the middle of a pitch from
Roy OswaltRoy Edward Oswalt is an American Major League Baseball pitcher and Olympic gold medalist who is currently a free agent. Oswalt, a slender six-foot right-handed starting pitcher, is currently in his eleventh major league season...
to
Skip SchumakerJared Michael "Skip" Schumaker is a Major League Baseball Outfielder and Second Baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals.-Biography:...
. The Cardinals would win Game 4 and subsequently Game 5 (Oct. 7) in Philadelphia to advance to the NLCS. Media and fans immediately fell in love with this new unofficial mascot, and it is widely believed that the Rally Squirrel was a major factor in the team's historical run to winning the World Series.
Chicago Cubs
The Cardinals–Cubs rivalry refers to games between the Cardinals and the
Chicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. The rivalry is also known as the I-55 series (or in earlier years the Route 66 series), deriving its name from the roadway connecting the two cities,
Interstate 55Interstate 55 is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Its odd number indicates that it is a north–south Interstate Highway. I-55 goes from LaPlace, Louisiana at Interstate 10 to Chicago at U.S. Route 41 , at McCormick Place. A common nickname for the highway is "double...
(which itself succeeded the famous
U.S. Route 66U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
). The Cubs lead the series 1,096–1,054 through , while the Cardinals lead in
National LeagueThe National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
pennants with 18 against the Cubs' 16. The Cardinals also have a clear edge when it comes to
World SeriesThe World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
successes, having won 11 championships to the Cubs' 2. Cardinals-Cubs games see numerous visiting fans in either St. Louis'
Busch StadiumBusch Stadium is the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, of MLB...
or Chicago's
Wrigley FieldWrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
. When the National League split into two, and then three divisions, the Cardinals and Cubs remained together. This has added excitement to several pennant races over the years, most recently in and ; both times the division title was won by the Cubs.
Kansas City Royals
Although both teams play in the state of
MissouriMissouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, they played each other for the first time in the
1985 World Series-Game 1:Saturday, October 19, 1985 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri-Game 2:Sunday, October 20, 1985 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri...
, which the Royals won in seven games, but which is perhaps best remembered for a controversial call from umpire
Don DenkingerDonald Anton Denkinger is a former Major League Baseball umpire who worked in the American League from 1969 to 1998. Denkinger wore uniform number 11, when the AL adopted uniform numbers in 1980. He is best remembered for an incorrect call he made at first base in Game 6 of the 1985 World...
in Game 6. Due to their geographical proximity, the teams face each other every regular season in interleague play. This is sometimes referred to as the I-70 Series.
Individual achievements and awards
- Darryl Kile Award: Two awards are presented each year, one to a St. Louis Cardinal and one to a Houston Astro, each of whom exemplifies Kile's virtues of being "a good teammate, a great friend, a fine father and a humble man." The winner is selected by each local chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America
The Baseball Writers' Association of America is a professional association for baseball journalists writing for daily newspapers, magazines and qualifying Web sites. The BBWAA was founded on October 14, 1908, to improve working conditions for sportswriters in the early part of the 20th century...
. See: St. Louis Cardinals award winners and league leaders#Darryl Kile Award.
- No-hitters: Cardinal pitchers have thrown ten no-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
s: Ted BreitensteinTheodore P. "Ted" Breitenstein was an American Major League Baseball player from St. Louis, Missouri who pitched from to for the St. Louis Browns/Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds...
(1891), Jesse HainesJesse Joseph "Pop" Haines, was a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher and knuckleballer. He played briefly in 1918, then from 1920 to 1937.-Career:...
(1924), Paul DeanPaul Dee "Daffy" Dean was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. Born in Lucas, Arkansas, he pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals , the New York Giants , and the St. Louis Browns ....
(1934), Lon WarnekeLonnie Warneke , nicknamed the "The Arkansas Hummingbird," was a Major League Baseball player, Major League umpire, county judge, U.S. Military serviceman, and businessman from Montgomery County, Arkansas whose career won-loss record as a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs and St...
(1941), Ray WashburnRay Clark Washburn is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Washburn, a right-hander, pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals from to and the Cincinnati Reds in ....
(1968), Bob GibsonRobert "Bob" Gibson is a retired American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Hoot" and "Gibby", he was a right-handed pitcher who played his entire 17-year Major League Baseball career with St. Louis Cardinals...
(1971), Bob ForschRobert Herbert Forsch was an American right-handed starting pitcher who spent most of his sixteen years in Major League Baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals before finishing his playing career with the Houston Astros...
(two, in 1978 and 1983), Jose Jimenez (1999), and Bud SmithRobert Allan "Bud" Smith is a retired American baseball player. Smith was active at the Major League level in 2001 and 2002, playing for the St. Louis Cardinals.- No-hitter and Major League career :...
(2001). The Cardinals have never been involved in a perfect gameA perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
, win or lose.
- Cy-Young Awards: Two Cardinal pitchers have won Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
s: Bob GibsonRobert "Bob" Gibson is a retired American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Hoot" and "Gibby", he was a right-handed pitcher who played his entire 17-year Major League Baseball career with St. Louis Cardinals...
in 1968 and 1970, and Chris CarpenterChristopher John Carpenter is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2003, and is currently signed with the team until the 2011 season, with a club option for 2012.Carpenter was 22 years old and a highly-regarded prospect when he broke into the...
in 2005.
- MVP Awards: 16 different Cardinal players have won a total of 20 Most Valuable Player awards, the most recent being Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
in 2009. Bob Gibson won both the Cy Young Award and the MVP award in 1968. The Cardinals are second only to the New York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in Most Valuable Player awards won (22).
- Rookie of the Year: Six Cardinals have won the Rookie of the Year award: Wally Moon
Wallace Wade Moon, known popularly as Wally Moon, is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. Moon played his 12-year career in the National League for the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers...
in 1954, Bill VirdonWilliam Charles Virdon is a former outfielder, manager and coach in Major League Baseball. A premier defensive outfielder during his playing days as a center fielder for the St...
in 1955, Bake McBrideArnold Ray "Bake" McBride , also nicknamed "Shake n' Bake" and "The Callaway Kid", is a former Major League Baseball outfielder, known primarily as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies' teams of the late 1970s and early 1980s. He made his major league debut for the St...
in 1974, Vince ColemanVincent Maurice Coleman is an American former Major League Baseball player, best known for his years with the St. Louis Cardinals. Primarily a left fielder, Coleman played from to and set a number of stolen base records. He was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed.-Biography:Coleman attended...
in 1985, Todd WorrellTodd Roland Worrell is a retired Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers from to ....
in 1986, and Albert PujolsJosé Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
in 2001.
- Hitting for the cycle: 20 Cardinal players have hit for the cycle
In baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...
, the most recent being Mark GrudzielanekMark James Grudzielanek is a retired Major League Baseball second baseman and shortstop. Grudzielanek played six different teams during his 15-season career. He batted and threw right-handed.-Early years:...
in 2005.
- Triple Crown: Four of the sixteen Triple Crown
In Major League Baseball, a player earns the Triple Crown when he leads a league in three specific statistical categories. For batters, a player must lead the league in home runs, run batted in , and batting average; pitchers must lead the league in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average...
of hitting in the major leagues (including three of only six in the National League) were by Cardinals. Tip O'Neill won the American Association Triple Crown in 1887. Rogers HornsbyRogers Hornsby, Sr. , nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball . He played for the St. Louis Cardinals , New York Giants , Boston Braves , Chicago Cubs , and St. Louis Browns...
became the only two-time Triple Crown winner in NL history when he did it in 1922 and 1925 (Ted WilliamsTheodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
won two AL Triple Crowns). Joe Medwick'sJoseph Michael Medwick , nicknamed "Ducky", was an American Major League Baseball player. A left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals during the "Gashouse Gang" era of the 1930s, he also played for the Brooklyn Dodgers , New York Giants , and Boston Braves...
Triple Crown in 1937 is the last in the history of the National League. Hornsby's 1925 numbers led the entire major leagues, making him one of only five players to have won this expanded Triple Crown.
- Home runs and RBI in a game: Jim Bottomley
James Leroy Bottomley was born in Oglesby, Illinois and grew up in Nokomis, Illinois. Nicknamed "Sunny Jim" because of his cheerful disposition, he was a left-handed Major League Baseball player. He also served as player-manager for the St. Louis Browns in 1937.-Career:As a first baseman for the...
drove in 12 runs for the Cardinals against Brooklyn on Sept. 16, 1924, an all-time MLB single-game record that still stands. Another Cardinal, Mark WhitenMark Anthony Whiten is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and switch-hitter batter who played for the Toronto Blue Jays , Cleveland Indians , St. Louis Cardinals , Boston Red Sox , Philadelphia Phillies , Atlanta Braves , Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees...
, tied that record on Sept. 7, 1993, and in the process tied another MLB single-game record by hitting four home runs in a game.
- 2 Grand Slams in a single inning: Fernando Tatis
Fernando Tatís, Jr. is a Major League Baseball utility player, who is currently a free agent. He previously played for the Texas Rangers , St. Louis Cardinals , Montreal Expos , Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets...
is the only player in Major League history to hit two Grand Slam Home Runs in the same inning, on April 23, 1999 both against Chan Ho Park of the Dodgers.
Hall of Famers
Ford C. Frick Award recipients
Names in
bold received the award based on their work as Cardinals broadcasters.
- Jack Buck
John Francis "Jack" Buck was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals. Buck received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987, and is honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame...
(1954–59, 1961–2001)
- Harry Caray
Harry Caray, born Harry Christopher Carabina, was an American baseball broadcaster on radio and television. He covered four Major League Baseball teams, beginning with a long tenure calling the games of the St...
(1945–69)
- Joe Garagiola (1955–62)*
- Milo Hamilton
Leland Milo Hamilton is an American sportscaster, best known for calling play-by-play for seven different Major League Baseball teams since 1953...
(1954)
* Played and broadcast for the Cardinals
Retired numbers
RogersRogers Hornsby, Sr. , nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball . He played for the St. Louis Cardinals , New York Giants , Boston Braves , Chicago Cubs , and St. Louis Browns...
HornsbyRogers Hornsby, Sr. , nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball . He played for the St. Louis Cardinals , New York Giants , Boston Braves , Chicago Cubs , and St. Louis Browns...
2B, Mgr
Honored 1937 |
Ozzie
SmithOsborne Earl "Ozzie" Smith is an American former baseball shortstop who played in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals from 1978 to 1996...
SS
Retired 1996 |
Red
SchoendienstAlbert Fred "Red" Schoendienst is an American Major League Baseball coach, former player and manager, and 10-time All-star. After a 19-year playing career with the St...
2B, Mgr, Coach
Retired 1996 |
Stan
MusialStanley Frank "Stan" Musial is a retired professional baseball player who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals . Nicknamed "Stan the Man", Musial was a record 24-time All-Star selection , and is widely considered to be one of the greatest hitters in baseball...
OF, 1B, GM
Retired 1963 |
Enos
SlaughterEnos Bradsher Slaughter , nicknamed "Country", was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 19-year baseball career, he played from 1938–1942 and 1946-1959 for four different teams, but is noted primarily for his time with the St...
RF
Retired 1996 |
Ken
BoyerKenton Lloyd Boyer was an American Major League Baseball third baseman and manager. During a 15-year baseball career, he played for 1955-1969 for four different teams, playing primarily for the St. Louis Cardinals...
3B, Mgr, Coach
Retired 1984 |
Dizzy
DeanJay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the last National League pitcher to win 30 games in one season. Dean was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953....
SP
Retired 1974
|
Lou
BrockLouis Clark "Lou" Brock is an American former professional baseball player. He began his Major League Baseball career with the Chicago Cubs but, spent the majority of his career as the left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. Brock was best known for breaking Ty Cobb's all-time major league...
LF, Coach
Retired 1979
|
Whitey
HerzogDorrel Norman Elvert "Whitey" Herzog is a former Major League Baseball manager. Born in New Athens, Illinois, he made his debut as a player in 1956 with the Washington Senators. After his playing career ended in 1963, Herzog went on to perform a variety of roles in Major League Baseball, including...
Mgr, GM
Retired 2010
|
Bruce
SutterHoward Bruce Sutter is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He was arguably the first pitcher to make effective use of the splitter....
RP
Retired 2006
Jackie
RobinsonJack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
Retired by MLB 1997 |
Bob
GibsonRobert "Bob" Gibson is a retired American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Hoot" and "Gibby", he was a right-handed pitcher who played his entire 17-year Major League Baseball career with St. Louis Cardinals...
SP, Coach
Retired 1975
|
Gussie
BuschAugust "Gussie" Anheuser Busch, Jr. was an American brewing magnate who built the Anheuser-Busch Companies into the largest brewery in the world as company chairman from 1946–75, and became a prominent sportsman as owner of the St...
Owner
Retired 1984
|
Jack
BuckJohn Francis "Jack" Buck was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals. Buck received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987, and is honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame...
Broadcaster
Honored 2002
|
When Rogers Hornsby was honored in 1937, "SL" was used in place of a number as he played mostly in an era without numbers.
Jackie RobinsonJack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
's number 42 was retired throughout baseball in 1997. The Cardinals 'retired' the number 42 a second time in Sept. 2006 as
Bruce SutterHoward Bruce Sutter is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He was arguably the first pitcher to make effective use of the splitter....
had been elected to the
Hall of FameThe National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
earlier in the year.
Cardinal stockholders honored Busch with the number 85 on his 85th birthday, in 1984. Also, while not officially retired, the number 25 of
Mark McGwireMark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
(1B, 1997–2001) was not reissued following his retirement and McGwire has resumed wearing it as the Cardinals hitting coach; the number 51 of
Willie McGeeWillie Dean McGee is a retired professional baseball player who won two batting titles and was named Major League Baseball's National League MVP. McGee primarily played center and right field, winning three Gold Glove Awards for defensive excellence. McGee spent the majority of his 18-year career...
(OF 1982–1990, 1996–1999) has not been reissued since late in the 2001 season; and the number 57 of
Darryl KileDarryl Andrew Kile was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1991-2002 for three different teams in his career. In his first season for the Cardinals, he won 20 games in 2000 as the team reached the postseason for the first time in four years. They advanced to the...
(P, 2000–02) has not been reissued since his death in the middle of the 2002 season. (Kile is honored with a small circular logo bearing his initials and number on the wall of the Cardinal bullpen, as is deceased pitcher
Josh HancockJoshua Morgan Hancock was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals. Born in Cleveland, Mississippi, he lived in St. Louis during the off-season...
. Hancock's number 32 also has not been reissued since his death in early 2007).
The team also honored longtime radio commentator
Jack BuckJohn Francis "Jack" Buck was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals. Buck received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987, and is honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame...
by placing a drawing of a microphone on the wall with the retired numbers.
The Cardinals have retired the second-most numbers in baseball with 11, behind only the
New York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
' 16.
Minor league affiliations
| Level |
Team |
League |
Location |
| AAA |
Memphis Redbirds The Memphis Redbirds are the Triple-A minor league baseball affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They play their home games at AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The stadium's capacity is 14,320. They entered the Pacific Coast League as an expansion team in 1998, and were owned as a...
|
Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
|
Memphis, TNMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
|
| AA |
Springfield CardinalsThe Springfield Cardinals are a minor league baseball team based in Springfield, Missouri. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals major-league club, and is owned by the Cardinals. The club plays at Hammons Field.The Springfield Cardinals...
|
Texas League The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
|
Springfield, MOSpringfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
|
| Advanced A |
Palm Beach Cardinals The Palm Beach Cardinals are a minor league baseball team based in Jupiter in Palm Beach County, Florida.The team, which plays in the Florida State League, is the High-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals major-league club....
|
Florida State LeagueThe Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
|
Jupiter, FL Jupiter is a town located in Palm Beach County, Florida. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 39,328. The estimate population for 2009 is 50,606. As of 2006, the population had grown to 50,028, according to the University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research....
|
| A |
Quad City River Bandits |
Midwest League The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...
|
Davenport, IADavenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
|
| Short Season A |
Batavia Muckdogs The Batavia Muckdogs are a minor league baseball team based in Batavia, a city in Genesee County, New York, United States. The Muckdogs are the current Short-Season A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals...
|
New York-Penn League |
Batavia, NY |
| Rookie |
Johnson City Cardinals The Johnson City Cardinals are a rookie league team based in Johnson City, Tennessee. The Cardinals are affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals organization and play with the Appalachian League, of which they are currently the two-time defending champions. The team plays its home games at Howard...
|
Appalachian League The Appalachian League is a Rookie-class minor league that began play in 1937 with one year of inactivity in 1956. From 1937 to 1962, it was a Class D League. Teams are located in the Appalachian regions of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Tennessee...
|
Johnson City, TN Johnson City is a city in Carter, Sullivan, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, with most of the city being in Washington County...
|
| GCL Cardinals |
Gulf Coast League The Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
|
Jupiter, FL Jupiter is a town located in Palm Beach County, Florida. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 39,328. The estimate population for 2009 is 50,606. As of 2006, the population had grown to 50,028, according to the University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research....
|
| DSL Cardinals The Dominican Summer Cardinals are a minor league baseball team in the Dominican Summer League. The team plays in the Santo Domingo North division and is affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals....
|
Dominican Summer League The Dominican Summer League is a branch of affiliated minor league baseball which is played in the Dominican Republic. The league was founded in 1985. The 2011 72-game season begins May 28 and ends August 20...
|
Santo Domingo Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
, Dominican RepublicThe Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
|
Radio and television
In St. Louis, Cardinals games on radio can be heard over KMOX (1120 AM), a
newsAll-news radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcast of news.All-news radio is available in both local and syndicated forms, and is carried in some form on both major US satellite radio networks...
-
talkTalk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
station owned by
CBS RadioCBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
.
Mike ShannonThomas Michael Shannon is an American-born former Major League Baseball player and current radio sportscaster.Shannon is a radio broadcaster for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was raised in St. Louis, Missouri and played with the Cardinals during some of the team's most successful years...
and
John RooneyJohn Rooney is an American sportscaster, currently best known for his role as a radio broadcaster for Major League Baseball's St. Louis Cardinals.-Early career:...
alternate as play-by-play announcers, with Mike Claiborne serving as
pre-gameA pre-game show or pregame show is a TV or radio presentation that occurs immediately before the live broadcast of a major sporting event.Contents may include:http://miniunis.com/pregame* replayed highlights of each teams previous games....
and
post-gameA post-game show or postgame show is a TV or radio presentation that occurs immediately after the live broadcast of a major sporting event.Contents may include:* replays of key moments in the game.* interviews with players, coaches and managers....
host. KMOX's 50,000-
wattThe watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
clear-channel signal covers much of the continental United States at night. KMOX also feeds the games to a network of 115 stations, covering all or portions of
MissouriMissouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
,
IllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
,
ArkansasArkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
,
IndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
,
IowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
,
KentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
,
MississippiMississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
,
OklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, and
TennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. At one time, owing to the Cardinals' status as a "regional" franchise, the Cardinals' radio network reached almost half of the country.
The 2011 season marks the Cardinals' return to KMOX following five seasons on
KTRSKTRS, located at 550 kHz, is an AM radio station in Maryland Heights, Missouri that carries a News/Talk format and is owned by the St. Louis Cardinals and CH Radio Holdings. It broadcasts with 5,000 watts of power during the day and 5,000 watts at night. The call letters KTRS stand for K Talk...
(550 AM), a talk station which is also 50-percent owned by the team. The Cardinals and KMOX had previously enjoyed a partnership that spanned over portions of seven decades, and continuously since 1954. But the relationship ended after the 2005 season when CBS Radio and the Cardinals failed to reach terms on a new rights agreement, resulting in the team leaving KMOX in favor of 5,000-watt KTRS.
Fox Sports Midwest (branded as FSCARDINALS during games) is the team's exclusive television broadcaster, airing all games with the exception of selected Saturday afternoon games on
FoxFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
(via its St. Louis affiliate,
KTVIKTVI, virtual channel 2, is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the St. Louis, Missouri, designated market area. The station is owned by Local TV LLC, the media arm of private equity firm Oak Hill Capital Partners, under a local marketing agreement with Tribune-owned CW affiliate KPLR...
) or Sunday Night Baseball on
ESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. In addition to Fox Sports Midwest, Cardinals games are also seen on Fox Sports Indiana, Fox Sports South, Fox Sports Tennessee, Fox Sports Oklahoma, and SportSouth for fans living within the Cardinals broadcast territory who do not receive the Fox Sports Midwest channel.
A weekly magazine program, Cardinal Nation, airs on St. Louis'
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate
KSDKKSDK, Channel 5, is the NBC-affiliated television station in St. Louis, Missouri. KSDK is owned and operated by Gannett Company, and the station's transmitter is located in Marlborough, Missouri. The station broadcasts a digital signal on UHF channel 35, using its former analog channel assignment...
. Cardinals games had been seen on KSDK (and its predecessor, KSD-TV) from 1947 through 1958, 1963 through 1987, and 2007 until 2010.
KPLR-TVKPLR-TV, channel 11, is a television station in St. Louis, Missouri. KPLR is owned by the Tribune Company, and is an affiliate of The CW Television Network. The station's studios are located in Maryland Heights, Missouri, in Northwest St. Louis County KPLR-TV, channel 11, is a television station...
was the Cardinals' other over-the-air broadcaster, carrying games from 1959 through 1962 and from 1988 until 2006.
Dan McLaughlinDan McLaughlin is a professional sports broadcaster who currently works on both St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Blues telecasts on the cable television channel Fox Sports Midwest.-Early life:...
is the lead play-by-play announcer on FS Midwest, with
Al HraboskyAlan Thomas "Al" Hrabosky is a former Major League Baseball player from - for the St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves and is currently the color commentator on Cardinals regular season broadcasts on FSN Midwest...
serving as color analyst and Rick Horton alternating between play-by-play and color. Jimmy "the Cat" Hayes serves as dugout reporter during the games, and appears with Pat Parris and
Cal EldredCalvin John Eldred is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for 14 seasons from to ....
on the Cardinals Live pre- and post-game show. (
Joe BuckJoseph Francis "Joe" Buck is an American sportscaster and the son of legendary sportscaster Jack Buck. He has won numerous Sports Emmy Awards for his play-by-play work with Fox Sports.-Education:...
, the son of legendary Cardinals announcer
Jack BuckJohn Francis "Jack" Buck was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals. Buck received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987, and is honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame...
, had previously teamed with Hrabosky; the younger Buck is currently the lead play-by-play caller for
Fox SportsFox Sports is a division of the Fox Broadcasting Company . It was formed in 1994 with Fox's acquisition of broadcast rights to National Football League games...
' national Major League Baseball and
National Football LeagueNFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
broadcasts.) All telecasts on FS Midwest are shown in
High-definition televisionHigh-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
.
Season-by-season results
Opening Day lineups
| Year |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
| 2011 The St. Louis Cardinals' 2011 season was the 130th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri, the 120th season in the National League, and the sixth season at Busch Stadium III. The Cardinals began their season at home against the San Diego Padres on March 31, coming off a 86-76 season and...
|
Ryan TheriotRyan Stewart Theriot is a Major League Baseball infielder for the St. Louis Cardinals.Theriot is the son of Randy and Mary Theriot, and has an older brother Wes and younger brother Austin. Both his father and older brother played baseball at Broadmoor High School.Theriot graduated from Broadmoor...
SS |
Colby Rasmus Colby Ryan Rasmus is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball.-Early years:...
CF |
Albert PujolsJosé Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
1B |
Matt Holliday Matthew Thomas Holliday , nicknamed "Big Daddy", is an American Major League Baseball left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. Holliday was originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the seventh round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft.Holliday is a five-time All-Star and Silver Slugger...
LF |
Lance Berkman William Lance Berkman is an American professional baseball outfielder and right fielder with the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball....
RF |
David Freese David Richard Freese is a third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball. A star high school player, Freese chose not to play college baseball in his freshman year of college, but returned to the game a year later...
3B |
Yadier Molina Yadier Benjamin Molina known affectionately by fans as "Yadi", is a Major League Baseball catcher who plays for the St. Louis Cardinals.Molina was the third catcher to play in two World Series before age 25, along with Johnny Bench and Yogi Berra. He is considered one of the best defensive...
C |
Skip Schumaker Jared Michael "Skip" Schumaker is a Major League Baseball Outfielder and Second Baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals.-Biography:...
2B |
Chris Carpenter Christopher John Carpenter is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2003, and is currently signed with the team until the 2011 season, with a club option for 2012.Carpenter was 22 years old and a highly-regarded prospect when he broke into the...
P |
| 2010 The St. Louis Cardinals' 2010 season was the 129th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri and the 119th season in the National League. The Cardinals began their season on the road against the Cincinnati Reds on April 5. St...
|
Skip Schumaker Jared Michael "Skip" Schumaker is a Major League Baseball Outfielder and Second Baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals.-Biography:...
2B |
Brendan Ryan Brendan Ryan is an Irish politician and former member of Seanad Éireann for the National University of Ireland constituency...
SS |
Albert PujolsJosé Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
1B |
Matt Holliday Matthew Thomas Holliday , nicknamed "Big Daddy", is an American Major League Baseball left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. Holliday was originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the seventh round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft.Holliday is a five-time All-Star and Silver Slugger...
LF |
Colby Rasmus Colby Ryan Rasmus is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball.-Early years:...
CF |
Ryan Ludwick Ryan Andrew Ludwick is a Major League Baseball right fielder. His brother Eric played four seasons in Major League Baseball as a pitcher.-High school, college, and minor leagues:Ludwick attended Durango High School in Las Vegas, Nevada....
RF |
Yadier Molina Yadier Benjamin Molina known affectionately by fans as "Yadi", is a Major League Baseball catcher who plays for the St. Louis Cardinals.Molina was the third catcher to play in two World Series before age 25, along with Johnny Bench and Yogi Berra. He is considered one of the best defensive...
C |
David Freese David Richard Freese is a third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball. A star high school player, Freese chose not to play college baseball in his freshman year of college, but returned to the game a year later...
3B |
Chris Carpenter Christopher John Carpenter is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2003, and is currently signed with the team until the 2011 season, with a club option for 2012.Carpenter was 22 years old and a highly-regarded prospect when he broke into the...
P |
| 2009 The St. Louis Cardinals' 2009 season was the 128th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri and the 118th season in the National League. The Cardinals, coming off a 86-76 season and fourth place in the NL Central, got off to a strong start in April before a team-wide offensive breakdown...
|
Brendan Ryan Brendan Ryan is an Irish politician and former member of Seanad Éireann for the National University of Ireland constituency...
2B |
Rick AnkielRichard Alexander Ankiel is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently with the Washington Nationals. He bats and throws left-handed....
CF |
Albert PujolsJosé Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
1B |
Khalil Greene Khalil Thabit Greene is a Major League Baseball shortstop who is currently a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed.-High school and college:...
SS |
Ryan Ludwick Ryan Andrew Ludwick is a Major League Baseball right fielder. His brother Eric played four seasons in Major League Baseball as a pitcher.-High school, college, and minor leagues:Ludwick attended Durango High School in Las Vegas, Nevada....
RF |
Yadier Molina Yadier Benjamin Molina known affectionately by fans as "Yadi", is a Major League Baseball catcher who plays for the St. Louis Cardinals.Molina was the third catcher to play in two World Series before age 25, along with Johnny Bench and Yogi Berra. He is considered one of the best defensive...
C |
Chris Duncan Christopher Edwin Duncan is a Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman who is currently a free agent.He is the youngest son of Dave Duncan, a former catcher and current pitching coach for the St. Louis Cardinals...
LF |
Brian BardenBrian David Barden is an American professional baseball infielder for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball. He has played as a second baseman, third baseman, and shortstop.-Early life:...
3B |
Adam Wainwright Adam Parrish Wainwright is a right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was drafted 29th overall by the Atlanta Braves in the 2000 amateur draft. He made his major league debut for the St...
P |
| 2008 The St. Louis Cardinals' 2008 season was the 127th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri and the 117th season in the National League. The Cardinals, coming off a 78-84 season that was their worst since 1999, improved by eight games, going 86-76 in 2008...
|
Skip Schumaker Jared Michael "Skip" Schumaker is a Major League Baseball Outfielder and Second Baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals.-Biography:...
RF |
Chris Duncan Christopher Edwin Duncan is a Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman who is currently a free agent.He is the youngest son of Dave Duncan, a former catcher and current pitching coach for the St. Louis Cardinals...
LF |
Albert PujolsJosé Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
1B |
Rick AnkielRichard Alexander Ankiel is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently with the Washington Nationals. He bats and throws left-handed....
CF |
Troy GlausTroy Edward Glaus is a Major League Baseball first baseman and third baseman who is currently a free agent. Previously, Glaus played with the Anaheim Angels , Arizona Diamondbacks , Toronto Blue Jays , St. Louis Cardinals , and the Atlanta Braves . Glaus lettered in baseball while attending UCLA...
3B |
Yadier Molina Yadier Benjamin Molina known affectionately by fans as "Yadi", is a Major League Baseball catcher who plays for the St. Louis Cardinals.Molina was the third catcher to play in two World Series before age 25, along with Johnny Bench and Yogi Berra. He is considered one of the best defensive...
C |
Adam Kennedy Adam Thomas Kennedy is an American Major League Baseball second baseman who plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He previously played for the Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Washington Nationals, Seattle Mariners and had two stints with the St. Louis Cardinals.-Early years:Kennedy...
2B |
Kyle Lohse Kyle Matthew Lohse is a right-handed starting pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. Originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs in , Lohse was traded to the Minnesota Twins in in a deal involving Rick Aguilera. Lohse made his MLB debut with the Twins on June 22, .Lohse is a member of the Nomlaki...
P |
Cesar Izturis César David Izturis is a Major League Baseball shortstop who is currently a free agent. He is the half-brother of shortstop Maicer Izturis, who plays for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Julio Izturis, who plays in the minor leagues in the San Francisco Giants organization.Izturis' greatest...
SS |
| 2007 The St. Louis Cardinals 2007 season was the team's 126th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 116th season in the National League. The season started with the team trying to defend their 2006 World Series championship. During the offseason, the Cardinals were faced with the challenge of handling...
|
David EcksteinDavid Mark Eckstein is a former American professional baseball player who was an infielder in Major League Baseball for ten seasons. He played college baseball for the University of Florida, and has played professionally for the Anaheim Angels, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona...
SS |
Preston WilsonPreston James Richard Wilson is a retired professional baseball outfielder. He played in the major leagues from 1998-2007. He is both the nephew and stepson of former New York Mets star Mookie Wilson...
RF |
Albert PujolsJosé Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
1B |
Scott Rolen Scott Bruce Rolen is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds. He is an eight-time Gold Glove winner and seven-time All-Star.-Philadelphia Phillies:...
3B |
Yadier Molina Yadier Benjamin Molina known affectionately by fans as "Yadi", is a Major League Baseball catcher who plays for the St. Louis Cardinals.Molina was the third catcher to play in two World Series before age 25, along with Johnny Bench and Yogi Berra. He is considered one of the best defensive...
C |
Jim EdmondsJames Patrick "Jim" Edmonds is a former American Major League Baseball center fielder. He played for the California/Anaheim Angels, the St. Louis Cardinals, the San Diego Padres, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Chicago Cubs, and the Cincinnati Reds...
CF |
So Taguchi is a Nippon Professional Baseball outfielder who is currently playing with the Orix Buffaloes. Previously, he has played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs in Major League Baseball, and with the Orix BlueWave in Nippon Professional Baseball.Taguchi is the first...
LF |
Adam Kennedy Adam Thomas Kennedy is an American Major League Baseball second baseman who plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He previously played for the Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Washington Nationals, Seattle Mariners and had two stints with the St. Louis Cardinals.-Early years:Kennedy...
2B |
Chris Carpenter Christopher John Carpenter is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2003, and is currently signed with the team until the 2011 season, with a club option for 2012.Carpenter was 22 years old and a highly-regarded prospect when he broke into the...
P |
2006The St. Louis Cardinals 2006 season was the team's 125th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 115th season in the National League. The season started out with a bang, as the team raced out to a 31-16 record by late May...
|
David EcksteinDavid Mark Eckstein is a former American professional baseball player who was an infielder in Major League Baseball for ten seasons. He played college baseball for the University of Florida, and has played professionally for the Anaheim Angels, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona...
SS |
Juan Encarnacion Juan De Dios Encarnación is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. His last major league team was the St. Louis Cardinals...
RF |
Albert PujolsJosé Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
1B |
Jim EdmondsJames Patrick "Jim" Edmonds is a former American Major League Baseball center fielder. He played for the California/Anaheim Angels, the St. Louis Cardinals, the San Diego Padres, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Chicago Cubs, and the Cincinnati Reds...
CF |
Scott Rolen Scott Bruce Rolen is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds. He is an eight-time Gold Glove winner and seven-time All-Star.-Philadelphia Phillies:...
3B |
So Taguchi is a Nippon Professional Baseball outfielder who is currently playing with the Orix Buffaloes. Previously, he has played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs in Major League Baseball, and with the Orix BlueWave in Nippon Professional Baseball.Taguchi is the first...
LF |
Yadier Molina Yadier Benjamin Molina known affectionately by fans as "Yadi", is a Major League Baseball catcher who plays for the St. Louis Cardinals.Molina was the third catcher to play in two World Series before age 25, along with Johnny Bench and Yogi Berra. He is considered one of the best defensive...
C |
Aaron Miles Aaron Wade Miles is a Major League Baseball infielder who is currently a free agent.-Houston Astros:Miles was originally drafted by the Houston Astros in the 19th round of the 1995 amateur draft...
2B |
Chris Carpenter Christopher John Carpenter is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2003, and is currently signed with the team until the 2011 season, with a club option for 2012.Carpenter was 22 years old and a highly-regarded prospect when he broke into the...
P |
| 2005 The St. Louis Cardinals 2005 season was the team's 124th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 114th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 100-62 during the season and won the National League Central division by 11 games over the NL Wild-Card Champion and eventual NL Champion Houston...
|
David EcksteinDavid Mark Eckstein is a former American professional baseball player who was an infielder in Major League Baseball for ten seasons. He played college baseball for the University of Florida, and has played professionally for the Anaheim Angels, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona...
SS |
Larry WalkerLarry Kenneth Robert Walker is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1989 through 2005, Walker played for the Montreal Expos , Colorado Rockies , and St. Louis Cardinals...
RF |
Albert PujolsJosé Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
1B |
Scott Rolen Scott Bruce Rolen is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds. He is an eight-time Gold Glove winner and seven-time All-Star.-Philadelphia Phillies:...
3B |
Jim EdmondsJames Patrick "Jim" Edmonds is a former American Major League Baseball center fielder. He played for the California/Anaheim Angels, the St. Louis Cardinals, the San Diego Padres, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Chicago Cubs, and the Cincinnati Reds...
CF |
Mark Grudzielanek Mark James Grudzielanek is a retired Major League Baseball second baseman and shortstop. Grudzielanek played six different teams during his 15-season career. He batted and threw right-handed.-Early years:...
2B |
Reggie SandersReginald Laverne Sanders is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball. He bats and throws right-handed. Sanders was 24 years old when he made his major league debut on August 22, , after being selected in the 7th round of the amateur draft by the Cincinnati Reds...
LF |
Yadier Molina Yadier Benjamin Molina known affectionately by fans as "Yadi", is a Major League Baseball catcher who plays for the St. Louis Cardinals.Molina was the third catcher to play in two World Series before age 25, along with Johnny Bench and Yogi Berra. He is considered one of the best defensive...
C |
Chris Carpenter Christopher John Carpenter is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2003, and is currently signed with the team until the 2011 season, with a club option for 2012.Carpenter was 22 years old and a highly-regarded prospect when he broke into the...
P |
| 2004 The St. Louis Cardinals 2004 season was the team's 123rd season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 113th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 105-57 during the season and won the National League Central division by 13 games over the NL Wild-Card Champion Houston Astros...
|
Tony Womack Anthony Darrell Womack is a former second baseman and shortstop in Major League Baseball who played most of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Arizona Diamondbacks, then with several other teams during his last four years...
2B |
Ray Lankford Raymond Lewis Lankford and grew up in Modesto, California where he attended Grace M. Davis High School. Ray was a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres from to . He was known for his combination of power, speed, and defensive...
LF |
Albert PujolsJosé Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
1B |
Jim EdmondsJames Patrick "Jim" Edmonds is a former American Major League Baseball center fielder. He played for the California/Anaheim Angels, the St. Louis Cardinals, the San Diego Padres, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Chicago Cubs, and the Cincinnati Reds...
CF |
Scott Rolen Scott Bruce Rolen is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds. He is an eight-time Gold Glove winner and seven-time All-Star.-Philadelphia Phillies:...
3B |
Edgar RenteriaEdgar Enrique Rentería Herazo , nicknamed "The Barranquilla Baby," is a Colombian professional baseball shortstop. He throws and bats right-handed. Previously, he has played for the Florida Marlins, the St...
SS |
Reggie SandersReginald Laverne Sanders is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball. He bats and throws right-handed. Sanders was 24 years old when he made his major league debut on August 22, , after being selected in the 7th round of the amateur draft by the Cincinnati Reds...
RF |
Mike MathenyMichael Scott Matheny is the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball. He is also a former baseball catcher, playing for four different teams during his thirteen years in the major leagues...
C |
Matt MorrisMatthew Christian Morris is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He retired on April 30, .Morris attended Valley Central High School in New York before starring at Seton Hall University in New Jersey, he was drafted 12th overall in the June free agent draft by the St....
P |
Home attendance at Busch Stadium
{| cellpadding="10"
|- style="text-align:left; vertical-align:top;"
|
|
{| cellpadding="1" style="width:300px; font-size:90%; border:2px solid red;"
|- style="text-align:center; font-size:larger;"
| colspan=5 | Home Attendance at Busch Stadium
|- style="background:#000;color:white;"
|
Year ||
Total Attendance ||
Game Average ||
League Rank
|-
|
1996The St. Louis Cardinals 1996 season was the team's 115th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 105th season in the National League. During the first year of the William DeWitt, Jr. era, the Cardinals went 88-74 during the season and won their first-ever National League Central division title by...
| 2,654,758
| 32,774
| 4th
|-
|
1997The St. Louis Cardinals 1997 season was the team's 116th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 106th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 73-89 during the season and finished 4th in the National League Central division.-Offseason:...
| 2,634,014
| 32,519
| 4th
|-
|
1998The St. Louis Cardinals 1998 season was the team's 117th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 107th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 83-79 during the season and finished 3rd in the National League Central division....
| 3,195,691
| 38,972
| 4th
|-
|
1999The St. Louis Cardinals 1999 season was the team's 118th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 108th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 75-86 during the season and finished 4th in the National League Central division.-Offseason:...
| 3,225,334
| 40,317
| 3rd
|-
|
2000The St. Louis Cardinals 2000 season was the team's 119th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 109th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 95-67 during the season and won the National League Central division by ten games over the Cincinnati Reds...
| 3,396,493
| 41,191
| 1st
|-
|
2001The St. Louis Cardinals 2001 season was the team's 120th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 110th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 93-69 during the season and finished tied for first in the National League Central division with the Houston Astros...
| 3,109,578
| 37,922
| 3rd
|-
|
2002The St. Louis Cardinals 2002 season was the team's 121st season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 111th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 97-65 during the season and won the National League Central division by 13 games over the Houston Astros...
| 3,011,756
| 37,182
| 4th
|-
|
2003The St. Louis Cardinals 2003 season was the team's 122nd season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 112th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 85-77 during the season and finished 3rd in the National League Central division...
| 2,910,386
| 35,931
| 4th
|-
|
2004The St. Louis Cardinals 2004 season was the team's 123rd season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 113th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 105-57 during the season and won the National League Central division by 13 games over the NL Wild-Card Champion Houston Astros...
| 3,048,427
| 37,635
| 6th
|-
|
2005The St. Louis Cardinals 2005 season was the team's 124th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 114th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 100-62 during the season and won the National League Central division by 11 games over the NL Wild-Card Champion and eventual NL Champion Houston...
| 3,538,988
| 43,691
| 2nd
|-
|
2006The St. Louis Cardinals 2006 season was the team's 125th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 115th season in the National League. The season started out with a bang, as the team raced out to a 31-16 record by late May...
| 3,407,104
| 42,589
| 2nd
|-
|
2007The St. Louis Cardinals 2007 season was the team's 126th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 116th season in the National League. The season started with the team trying to defend their 2006 World Series championship. During the offseason, the Cardinals were faced with the challenge of handling...
| 3,552,180
| 43,854
| 3rd
|-
|
2008The St. Louis Cardinals' 2008 season was the 127th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri and the 117th season in the National League. The Cardinals, coming off a 78-84 season that was their worst since 1999, improved by eight games, going 86-76 in 2008...
| 3,432,917
| 42,382
| 3rd
|-
|
2009The St. Louis Cardinals' 2009 season was the 128th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri and the 118th season in the National League. The Cardinals, coming off a 86-76 season and fourth place in the NL Central, got off to a strong start in April before a team-wide offensive breakdown...
| 3,343,252
| 41,275
| 3rd
|-
|
2010The St. Louis Cardinals' 2010 season was the 129th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri and the 119th season in the National League. The Cardinals began their season on the road against the Cincinnati Reds on April 5. St...
| 3,301,218
| 40,756
| 3rd
|-
|
2011The St. Louis Cardinals' 2011 season was the 130th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri, the 120th season in the National League, and the sixth season at Busch Stadium III. The Cardinals began their season at home against the San Diego Padres on March 31, coming off a 86-76 season and...
| 3,093,954
| 38,197
| 3rd
|}
Opening Day Salaries
Opening Day payrolls for 25-man roster (since 2000):
{| cellpadding="1" style="width:300px; font-size:90%; border:2px solid red;"
|- style="text-align:center; font-size:larger;"
| colspan=5 | Opening Day Salary
|- style="background:#000;color:white;"
| Year
|| Salary
|-
|
2000The St. Louis Cardinals 2000 season was the team's 119th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 109th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 95-67 during the season and won the National League Central division by ten games over the Cincinnati Reds...
| $ 63,900,000
|-
|
2001The St. Louis Cardinals 2001 season was the team's 120th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 110th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 93-69 during the season and finished tied for first in the National League Central division with the Houston Astros...
| $ 78,538,333
|-
|
2002The St. Louis Cardinals 2002 season was the team's 121st season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 111th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 97-65 during the season and won the National League Central division by 13 games over the Houston Astros...
| $ 74,660,875
|-
|
2003The St. Louis Cardinals 2003 season was the team's 122nd season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 112th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 85-77 during the season and finished 3rd in the National League Central division...
| $ 83,786,666
|-
|
2004The St. Louis Cardinals 2004 season was the team's 123rd season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 113th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 105-57 during the season and won the National League Central division by 13 games over the NL Wild-Card Champion Houston Astros...
| $ 83,228,333
|-
|
2005The St. Louis Cardinals 2005 season was the team's 124th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 114th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 100-62 during the season and won the National League Central division by 11 games over the NL Wild-Card Champion and eventual NL Champion Houston...
| $ 92,106,833
|-
|
2006The St. Louis Cardinals 2006 season was the team's 125th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 115th season in the National League. The season started out with a bang, as the team raced out to a 31-16 record by late May...
| $ 88,891,371
|-
|
2007The St. Louis Cardinals 2007 season was the team's 126th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 116th season in the National League. The season started with the team trying to defend their 2006 World Series championship. During the offseason, the Cardinals were faced with the challenge of handling...
| $ 90,286,823
|-
|
2008The St. Louis Cardinals' 2008 season was the 127th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri and the 117th season in the National League. The Cardinals, coming off a 78-84 season that was their worst since 1999, improved by eight games, going 86-76 in 2008...
| $ 99,624,449
|-
|
2009The St. Louis Cardinals' 2009 season was the 128th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri and the 118th season in the National League. The Cardinals, coming off a 86-76 season and fourth place in the NL Central, got off to a strong start in April before a team-wide offensive breakdown...
| $ 88,528,409
|-
|
2010The St. Louis Cardinals' 2010 season was the 129th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri and the 119th season in the National League. The Cardinals began their season on the road against the Cincinnati Reds on April 5. St...
| $ 94,220,500
|-
|
2011The St. Louis Cardinals' 2011 season was the 130th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri, the 120th season in the National League, and the sixth season at Busch Stadium III. The Cardinals began their season at home against the San Diego Padres on March 31, coming off a 86-76 season and...
| $ 109,048,000
|}
Annual financial records
The annual financial records of the St. Louis Cardinals according to
ForbesForbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
since 2009.
{| cellpadding="1" style="width:750px; font-size:90%; border:2px solid red;"
|- style="text-align:center; font-size:larger;"
| colspan=5 | Annual Snapshot of St. Louis Cardinals finance
|- style="background:#000;color:white;"
|
Year ||
$ Franchise Value (mil.) 1 ||
$ Revenue (mil.) 2 ||
$ Operating Income (mil.) 3 ||
$ Player Expenses (mil.) 4 ||
Wins-to-player cost ratio 5
|-
|
2009The St. Louis Cardinals' 2009 season was the 128th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri and the 118th season in the National League. The Cardinals, coming off a 86-76 season and fourth place in the NL Central, got off to a strong start in April before a team-wide offensive breakdown...
| $ 486
| $ 195
| $ 7
| $ 120
| 87
|-
|
2010The St. Louis Cardinals' 2010 season was the 129th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri and the 119th season in the National League. The Cardinals began their season on the road against the Cincinnati Reds on April 5. St...
| $ 488
| $ 195
| $ 12.8
| $ 111
| 100
|-
|
2011The St. Louis Cardinals' 2011 season was the 130th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri, the 120th season in the National League, and the sixth season at Busch Stadium III. The Cardinals began their season at home against the San Diego Padres on March 31, coming off a 86-76 season and...
| $ 518
| $ 207
| $ 19.8
| $ 110
| 94
|}
1 Based on current stadium deal (unless new stadium is pending) without deduction for debt, other than stadium debt.
(2011: Market $206 mil., Stadium $136 mil., Sport $111 mil., Brand Management $65 mil.)
2 Net of stadium revenues used for debt payments.
3 Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.
4 Includes benefits and bonuses.
5 Compares the number of wins per player payroll relative to the rest of MLB. Playoff wins count twice as much as regular season wins. A score of 120 means that the team achieved 20% more victories per dollar of payroll compared with the league average in 2010.
External links