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The St. Louis Cardinals are the second most successful major league franchise of all time. The club has won 10 World Series, making them the most winning National League team and second behind the Yankees and their 26 World Series titles. The Cardinals began playing in 1882 in the American Association (AA) and moved over to the National League in 1892. The Cardinals were extremely successful in the AA as well, finishing with the best record in the league four times in the league’s ten years.
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About The St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals of the National League in the late 1800’s an the first quarter century would be unrecognizable to modern fans, never finishing above third and often finishing neat the end of the standings.
That all changed in 1926, when the Cardinals won their first NL pennant and their first World Series. Pitcher Dizzy Dean and outfielder Joe Medwick were the cornerstones of a team that went on to win two World Series in the ‘30s, three NL pennants, and contend every year but 1938 for the NL crown.
The ‘40s ushered in a similar dominance, with four pennants and three World Series. I any player is recognizable form that era, it’s Stan Musial. Musial, also known as “The Man” won three MVP awards. His 22 years as a Cardinal ended with 475 career home runs, a .331 average, and 3,630 hits.
A lopsided trade allowed Lou Brock to replace Stan Musial in 1964 and reignited the Cardinals club. With Brock in the outfield and the incredibly hard throwing Bob Gibson on the mound, the club won three NL pennants and two more World Series victories. Gibson won both the Cy Young and the MVP in the 1968 season with his 1.12 ERA and three complete games in the ’68 World Series.
The decline of the ‘70s ended when the Cardinals won the NL pennant and the World Series in 1982. The club, behind acrobatic shortstop Ozzie Smith and strong pitching, won three pennants and a World Series during the decade.
The club wavered on respectability and bottom feeders in the early ‘90s, but broke out of the funk with Mark McGwire and his run at the single season home record in the latter part of the ‘90s. The team would only win one NL Central title and would not make it back to the World Series.
The 21st century is a different story. The Cardinal rode Albert Pujos, Scott Rolen, and Jim Edmonds to five post season appearances, and two NL Pennants, and a World Series victory in 2006.
St. Louis Cardinals fans do not like to hear it, but this team is building for the future. In 2008 the team finished with an 86-76 record that was good for fourth place in a very competitive NL Central. Fearing that the team will become the next version of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the fans wanted action taken (or money spent) to make this team more competitive now.
Instead the new lineup announced at Busch Stadium will include underwhelming acquisitions like shortstop Khali Greene and a host of left handed relievers. The team still has plenty of quality players though. The Cards may have to start the year without Troy Glaus, but they still have All-World first baseman Albert Pujos, leftfielder Ryan Ludwick, power hitting ex-pitcher Rick Ankiel, and solid contact hitters like catcher Yadier Molina and centerfielder Skip Schumaker.
With regards to the starting rotation, Adam Wainwright, Todd Wellemeyer, and Kyle Lohse are far from bad. Joel Pineiro and Brad Thompson leave a lot to be desired, but the season schedule has a way of filling a couple holes in the rotation. The three lefties will be the very thing the almost all-righty bullpen needs. Chris Perez is the early choice to start the 2009 season as the closer.
The Cardinals are far from out of the playoff race, but they are also far from competing with the Chicago Cubs, much to the ire of Cardinals fans.
