St. Louis Cardinals
Established: 1882
Other Names:
St. Louis Brown Stockings (1882)
St. Louis Browns (1883-1898)
St. Louis Perfectos (1899)
2016 results: 86-76,
2nd in NL Central
2017 Prediction: 2nd
World Series Titles: 11
Most Recent: 2011
Last World Series
Appearance: 2013
Last Division Title: 2015
Ballpark: Busch
Stadium III
Est: 2006
Best Season: 1942
The Cardinals of the 1940s were
perhaps the most dominant National League team of the era. Between 1942 and
1946, they won four NL Pennants and three World Series. The 1942 team won 106
games (still the highest in team history) but only won the Pennant by a mere
two games as the second place Brooklyn Dodgers won 104 games. With no NLCS back
then, it was a direct route to the World Series and a meeting with the New York
Yankees. The “Murderers’ Row” Yankees featuring Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig were
no more, but a new crop of talent, led by Joe DiMaggio, strived to continue the
Yankee’s tradition of winning championships. But the Cards took care of them in
five games. St. Louis was led by Stan Musial, Enos Slaughter and Walker Cooper
at the plate, with 20-game winners Mort Cooper and Johnny Beazley leading the
charge from the mound. The Cardinals would follow up their 1942 performance
with 105 wins and the NL Pennant in 1943, 105 wins and the World Series
Championship in 1944, 95 wins but missing the playoffs in 1945 and 98 wins and
the World Series title in 1946. In five seasons, St. Louis won an amazing 509
games, averaging over a 100 wins per year.
Best All-time Player:
Stan Musial
Despite missing 1945 due to
military service in World War 2, Stan “The Man” Musial played 22 seasons with
the Cardinals, participating in 3026 games. His 3630 career hits puts him
fourth on the all-time list behind Pete Rose, Ty Cobb and Hank Aaron. Musial
also collected 725 doubles, 475 home runs, 1951 RBIs and had a batting average
of .331. He batted over .300 17 times (including 16 seasons in a row) and won
the batting title seven times. He was a 20-time All-Star, won the NL MVP Award
in 1943, 1946 and 1948, led the Cardinals to four World Series, winning three
of them (1942, 1944, 1946) and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1969.
Best Player on the
Current Roster: Dexter Fowler
Possibly the best free agent
signing of the offseason was the Cardinals getting Fowler from division and
arch rivals (and defending World Champions) Chicago Cubs. Fowler will provide a
solid defensive presence and an above-average leadoff hitter for the Cards. In
nine years in the Majors (stints with Colorado and Houston as well as the
Cubs), he has collected 1001 hits, posting a .268 batting average, 78 home
runs, 339 RBIs and 127 stolen bases. Fowler’s only All-Star Game appearance
came in 2016. In 17 postseason games last year, he collected 18 hits, scored 11
runs, drove in six while providing steady defense in centre field.
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