ST. LOUIS — Can I be honest with you? For a storied franchise like the St. Louis Cardinals, it wasn't easy picking four players out of a group that most baseball minds would call the Cadillac of baseball ballclubs.
But there I was, sitting at my desk thinking about the greatest Cardinals to ever wear the jersey. For me, these picks aren't comprised of my personal favorites, but the four players who are essential when discussing the history of this team. Four names that stand out. You don't just look at batting average or ERA; it's overall impact on the team and franchise fan base.
During a time where sports, and pretty much everything normal, are on hold, it was a good time to look back at the past 100+ years. Hat tip to an underrated Twitter, Mo's Algorithm, for initially planting the idea in my head.
Here are my four picks, the Mount Rushmore of Cardinals baseball:
Stan Musial
In short, he's the man. The guy who spent his entire career in St. Louis and did everything the right way. In 1944, Musial's on-base percentage was .440 and he had an OPS+ (100 is average) of 174. He left to fight in World War II and when he came back, Musial's bat was even better, putting up a 1.021 OPS. He smoked 50 doubles and 20 triples that season. 22 seasons with a lifetime .976 OPS. How about this? At 42 years of age, Musial managed to collect a couple triples and put up a .728 OPS. Some players can't even do that in their prime.
For his career, Musial provided the Cardinals with 128 wins above replacement, but here were the real goods: 24 time All Star, three time MVP, seven time batting champ, and three World Series titles. He never left, was a gem off the field, and even had the late age vigor to say the statue outside Busch Stadium wasn't that great. Again, he's the Man.
Bob Gibson
No other pitcher in Cardinals history is as revered as "Gibby." If you took a live account of the cancer currently waging war on his body, it would tell you the count is 0-2 and that Gibson might waste a pitch up by its ear. He was dominant in the 1960's but more importantly, he knew when to hang them up. One would be hard-pressed to find a more lethal pitcher from 1963-1970, where Gibson won 18 or more games in six of those seasons. In 1967, he broke his leg during the season, but still finished with 175 innings in 24 starts and won the Gold Glove. Oh, and he also went 3-0 against Boston in the World Series.
Gibson won nine Gold Gloves, the MVP once, two Cy Young awards, and a couple World Series rings. He never hesitated to throw inside and once put together back-to-back ERA of 1.12 and 2.18 in 67-68. Gibson's remarkable work made the league lower the pitching mound. The man was so good, a rule change was in order. He was magnificent and spent his entire career in St. Louis.
Albert Pujols
Please, don't actually produce the idea that he shouldn't be on this list because he left for free agency in 2011. Don't forget that players were team property until Curt Flood helped change that. If Musial and Gibson had the chance to explore the free agent market during their prime, we may be putting together a completely different list. If Musial was the Man, Pujols was the Machine. He put together arguably the greatest 11 year stretch of any right-handed hitter in baseball history. Let's break down what he did lifetime (1,705 regular season games) in St. Louis: .328 batting average, .420 on base percentage, .617 slugging percentage.
Pujols won three MVP awards and could have taken five if not for a freakish talent known as Barry Bonds. Pujols helped the Cardinals win two World Series championships. Remember, he cranked three home runs in one game in Texas and sparked the ninth inning rally in the famous Game 6 with a slicing double. Pujols' stance, swing, and stare are iconic around here. He was "stop what you're doing and watch" television for over a decade.
Remember how he broke Houston and gave Brad Lidge an infamous memory with one swing? "El Hombre" hit 37 home runs in his first season, a year he only made the roster due to Bobby Bonilla getting injured towards the end of spring.
If you need any evidence of Pujols' true impact around here, look at two things. First, the work he has done and continues to do off the field with kids afflicted with Down Syndrome. Second, the all weekend standing ovations he received last June when he finally returned to St. Louis. He's a legend, departure and all. He chose the bigger contract. It was messy, but nothing about his on-field action was messy. It was legendary.
Ozzie Smith
The fourth pick wasn't easy by any means, but for me, Smith gets it due to the longevity he had in St. Louis and the signature element he added to the field and position. They didn't call him "The Wizard" for nothing. Smith won 13 Gold Gloves during his time here, amounting 66 WAR and redefining what a shortstop could do.
While he wasn't a particularly strong hitter, Smith did put together a lifetime batting average of .262 and stole 580 bases. He also created playoff magic with his unforgettable home run against the Dodgers in 1985, winning the MVP for that series. He was a 15-time all star.
Like Pujols, Smith didn't spend his entire career in St. Louis, but made a dent here with the teams and the fans. Like Pujols, his exit wasn't exactly nicely cut and dry either. He clashed with Tony La Russa on playing time in 1996 and spent time away from the team as a result. However, that shouldn't deter fans from seeing his impact here.
In his 15 years in St. Louis, Smith created amazing plays and great moments. He made the toughest position in the league seem easy and did enough with the bat. You could place him more in the realm of Yadier Molina, someone who is mostly known for his defense and effect on the team. Smith epitomized Whitey Ball, leading the rest of the team on that mission to manufacture runs--while taking them away in the field with his glove.
Enos Slaughter and Rogers Hornsby certainly challenge for the 4th spot on plenty of lists, but Smith played in a tougher era and made a bigger overall dent.
That's my list. What is yours?
Thanks for reading and stay sane,