St. Louis Cardinals (1892-Present)

Historical Moments:

1892: With the folding of the American Association the St. Louis Brown Stockings are among four teams that are accepted into the National League. In their first season in the NL the Brown Stockings struggle to finish with a 56-94 total record in a split season.

1893: In their second season the Brown Stockings settle on just one manager but continue to struggle finishing in 10th place with a 57-75 record.

1894: The Brown Stockings continue to struggle finishing in ninth place with a terrible record of 56-76.

1895: The Brown Stockings continue to struggle as they go through four managers on the way to finishing in 11th place with an awful 39-92 record.

1896: The Brown Stockings struggles continue as they finish in 11th place with an awful record of 40-90.

1897: The Brow Stockings suffer an embarrassing season with a 23-102 record, the team would not only finish in last, but more then 20 games worse then the 11th place Louisville Colonels.

1898: Owner Chris Von der Ahe and his corporation declare bankruptcy, as the Brown Stockings struggle again this time with a 39-111 record.

1899: With the National League planning on cutting down to eight teams following the season, the team from St. Louis is one of the candidates to be bounced, that is until Frank and Stanley Robison, who ran a fairly successful team in the Cleveland Spiders decided to step in and take over team the team. The Robisons took many of their stars including Cy Young from Cleveland with them letting the Spiders rot to a worst ever 20-134 record, before folding. The Robisons would also change the St. Louis teams name to Perfectos. The Perfectos would show immense improvement finishing in 5th place with a record of 84-67. They also changed the team's color to red, sportswriter Willie McHale, of the St. Louis Republic, heard a lady fan remark, "What a lovely shade of cardinal," the new nickname was used in his column, and struck a chord with St. Louis fans, and the team adopted it as the official nickname the following season.

1900: The Cardinals begin the 20th Century on a disappointing note falling to fifth place with a record of 65-75.

1901: The Cardinals rebound off a disappointing season to post their secondnd winning season in as many years with a 76-64 record good enough for fourth place.

1902: The Cardinals get company in St. Louis when the American League relocates a team to the gateway city. The team would even take the discarded name of the Browns.

1903: The Cards stumble to a last place finish with a woeful 43-94 record.

1904: The Cardinals would struggle to finish in fifth place with a record of 75-79.

1905: The Cardinals struggles continue as they finish in sixth place with a dreadful 58-96 record.

1906: The Cardinals have another dreadful season as they narrowly avoid 100 losses by finishing in seventh place with a record of 52-98.

1907: The Cardinals continue to struggle falling into last place with a miserable record of 52-101 record.

1908: The Cardinals long a National League whipping boy finish in last again with a 49-105 record, though the team would not improve for a few more years it would be the last 100-loss season for the franchise in the 20th Century.

1909: The Cardinals narrowly avoid their third straight 100-loss season placing seventh with a terrible 54-98 record.

1910: The Cardinals struggles continue as they finish in seventh place with a miserable 63-90 record.

1911: After nine straight losing seasons the Cardinals finally post a winning record finishing in fifth place with a record of 75-74.

1912: The Cardinals plunge back into sixth place posting a disappointing record of 63-99.

1913: The ownership of the club passed to Robison's daughter, Helene Hathaway Britton. Mrs. Britton bought out Manager Roger Bresnahan's contract and hired Miller Huggins. However in Huggins first season the Cards do not fair any better finish dead last with a 51-99 record.

1914: In Miller Huggins' second year, the Cardinals finished the season in third place with an 81-72 record. It was something of a sensation because it was the best season for the franchise since joining the National League.

1915: The Cardinals are not able to build of their third place finish and fall back to sixth Place with a 72-81 record.

1916: After another terrible 60-93 season the Cardinals are sold by Helene Hathaway Britton to her attorney, James C. Jones, and stockholders, including a St. Louis automobile dealer named Sam Breadon.

1917: The fan-controlled club needed a baseball man to run it. They found one in Branch Rickey, then business manager of the American League St. Louis Browns. Rickey was named president; however the club continued to struggle financially. However, the Cards show some promise placing third with a solid 82-70 record.

1918: With the departure of Manage Miller Huggins to the New York Yankees the Cardinals fall back into last place with a 54-83 record.

1919: The Cardinals struggles continue as they finish in sixth place with a woeful record of 54-83.

1920: Sam Breadon became president and majority stockholder of the Cardinals, and Branch Rickey moved to Vice President and General Manager. One of Breadon's first moves was to sell Robison Field and become tenants at Sportsman's Park. Branch Rickey would use proceeds from the sale of the ballpark to invest in the first Cardinals farm club affiliation at Houston, TX, a move that would single a new strategy in running the franchise.

1921: The Cardinals put together their finest season to date placing third with a solid 87-66 record, coming within seven games of first place.

1922: Rogers Hornsby wins the Triple Crown with 42 home runs , 152 RBI and a .401 average, as the Cards finish in third Place again with a solid 85-69 record.

1923: The Cardinals take a step backwards finishing in fifth place with a disappointing record of 79-74.

1924: Rogers Hornsby wins the batting title with a .424 average, the highest mark in the National League during the 20th century. However the Cards would struggle to finish in sixth place with a disappointing 65-89 record.

1925: Rogers Hornsby wins his second Triple Crown in four years with 39 home runs, 143 RBI and a .403 average. On Memorial Day, Hornsby was named manager of the club, succeeding Branch Rickey, who became strictly a front office man. The Cards would go on to finish with a 77-76 record only good enough for fourth Place. Rickey had begun building a reputation for an excellent eye for raw talent and thrifty dealings. The Cardinals had six farm teams in 1925, and that number increased over the next few years to help fuel their growing success story.

1926: Led by NL MVP Bob O'Farrell the Cardinals win their first ever National League Pennant with an 89-65 record edging out the Cincinnati Reds by 2 games. The team led the NL in eight offensive categories. Their 90 home runs led the league, while their 82 triples placed them second. They were not caught stealing once (83 SB). In their first World Series appearance, the Cardinals faced the New York Yankees. After taking a 2-1 series lead behind the stellar pitching of Jessie Haines. However, the Yanks would bounce back to take the next two games in Sportsmen's Park behind the bat of Babe Ruth who belted three homers in Game 4. The Cardinals were faced with a do or die situation heading back to the Bronx for Game 6. With their backs to the wall the Cards sent Grover Cleveland Alexander out to the mound and he came trough retiring the last 21 Yankees in a 10-2 victory. Alexander was then called upon again in Game 7 to protect a 3-2 lead in the seventh Inning with bases loaded. Alexander would strike out Tony Lazzeri to end the 7th, and after retiring the Yanks in order in the eighth. After setting down the first two Yanks in the ninth Alexander walked Babe Ruth, and put the tying run on first. However, Ruth, who had stolen second base in Game 6 tried to steal again. Catcher Bob O'Farrell's throw to Rogers Hornsby nailed the Yankees' slugger and ended the fall classic, and gave St. Louis its first World Championship.

1927: The Cardinals follow up their Championship with another solid 92-61 season, but fall one and a half games short of a return trip to the World Series.

1928: The Cardinals win the pennant with a 95-59 record, behind MVP Jim Bottomley's 93 extra base hits and a pitching staff that completed 83 games. However, in a World Series rematch with the New York Yankees, the Cards are swept in four games.

1929: The Cardinals suffer through a mediocre 78-74 season and finish in fourth Place, 20 games out of first place.

1930: On September 28th, the last game of the season, 19-year-old Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean made his big league debut, pitching a complete game three hitter in a Cardinals win. The Cardinals won the Natioanl League pennant a day earlier and finish with a 92-62 record, to narrowly edge out Chicago Cubs by two games. In the World Series the Red Birds were matched up against the Philadelphia Athletics. After losing the first two games in Philly the series shifts to St. Louis where Bill Hallahan pitches a 5-0 shutout. Jesse Haines would follow up with a 3-1 in the Game 4 to even the series. However, the A's would win the next two games to win the World Series in six games.

1931: Led by MVP 2B Frankie Frisch the Cardinals repeat as National League Champions with a 101-53 record. In the World Series the Cardinals find themselves in a rematch with Philadelphia Athletics. This time it was the Cardinals who took advantage of the first two games at home by getting of to a 2-0 series lead. After the A's won the next two games in Philadelphia, the Cardinals turned to Bill Hallahan who shut down the A's 5-1. However the A's would bounce back in Game 6 at Sportsman's Park to even the series and force a decisive seventh Game. In Game 7 the Cards jump out to a 4-0 lead and hold to a 4-2 series win thanks to a superb relief outing by Hallahan. The series' hitting star was Cards Rookie OF Pepper Martin who batted .500 with five RBI and five runs scored.

1932: The Cardinals follow up their second World Championship with a very disappointing 72-82 season which saw them finish tied for sixth Place. The bright spot of the season was an 18-win season from Dizzy Dean in his first full season in Majors.

1933: The Cardinals rebound nicely and finish with an 82-71 record. However the Cards still land in fifth Place, nine and half games out of first place.

1934: A team dubbed the "Gas House Gang" for their rough style of play wins the National League pennant on the final day of the season with a 95-58 record. Prior to the season Dizzy Dean predicted 45 wins between himself and his brother, Paul, a rookie. Dizzy won 30, and the National League MVP, while his brother won 19, for a total of 49. In the World Series the Cardinals face the Detroit Tigers. The series and was tied a three games apiece heading into a decisive Game 7. In the seventh game won by the Cardinals 11-0, a brawl erupted when Joe Medwick slid hard into third Base with the game out of reach 9-0. Detroit fans would begin throwing anything and everything at Medwick, which forced Commissioner Kennesaw Landis to order umpires to eject Joe Medwick from the game for his own safety and to halt the disturbance. Dizzy Dean who won his second series game in that seventh game to equal the effort of his brother Paul.

1935: The Cardinals follow up their rough and tumble Championship with another solid 96-58 season. However, they are edged out by four games by the Chicago Cubs for the National League Pennant.

1936: The Cardinals are in the thick of the National League Pennant Race again but fall five games short with an 87-67 record.

1937: Joe Medwick wins the Triple Crown, and the NL MVP with 31 homers, 154 RBI and a .374 average; it would be the last National League Triple Crown in the 20th Century. However, the Cardinals only manage to finish in fourth Place with an 83-71 record.

1938: The Cardinals fall to sixth place struggle all season to post a record of 71-80.

1939: After a disappointing season the Cardinals rebound to a second place 92-61 season, and miss the National League Pennant by a mere four and half games.

1940: After years of wrangling, the Browns and the Cardinals finally agreed to split the $150,000 cost of installing lights at Sportsman's Park. The Browns were given the honor of hosting the first night game in St. Louis on May 24th. The Cardinals first night game was on June 4th. Joe Medwick went 5-for-5, but the Brooklyn Dodgers trounced the Red Birds 10-1. The Cards would go on to finish in third Place with an 84-69 record, as Johnny Mize belted 43 home runs.

1941: The Cardinals battle the Brooklyn Dodgers down to the final week of the season but their 97-56 record leaves them two and half games short of the National League Pennant.

1942: Winning 43 out of their last 51 games, the Cardinals erased a ten and a half game deficit and passed Brooklyn Dodgers on September 13th on their way to a National League Pennant with a 106-48 record to edge the Dodgers by two games. In the World Series the Cardinals lost the first game to the New York Yankees 7-3, then roared back to win four straight games. In the fifth game finale at Yankee Stadium 3B Whitey Kurowski belted a two-run, ninth inning homer to clinch the crown.

1943: National League MVP Musial led the league in batting average (.357); hits (220); doubles (48); triples (20); total bases (347); on-base average (.425); and slugging percentage (.562). The Cardinals would go on to win their second straight NL Pennant with a 105-49 record. The Cardinals face the New York Yankees for the second straight season in the Fall Classic, and like the year before lose the opener and win the second game. However, the Yankees would win the next three games in St. Louis to take the series in five games.

1944: Led by Short Stop Marty Marion who wins the National League MVP the Cards win their third straight National League Championship with a 105-49 record. The Cardinals World Series opponent would be their Sportsmen's Park landlord St. Louis Browns, who won their first and only American League Pennant. The series was dubbed the "Streetcar Series", because of the mode of travel used to get to games. The Browns would take two of the first three games. However, stellar pitching by Harry Brecheen, turned the series around after Brecheen's Game 4 performance Mort Cooper helped the Cards take a series lead, which set them up for the kill in Game 6, as Cardinals win their second World Series in three years. The two teams combined to strike out six-game Series-record 92 batters, 49 by Cardinal pitchers and 43 by Browns hurlers.

1945: The Cardinals quest for a fourth straight National League Pennant falls three games short as the Chicago Cubs beat out the Cards who finish with another solid 95-59 record.

1946: The Cardinals and Brooklyn Dodgers finished the regular season in a tie for first in the National League with a 96-58 record, the first time that occurred in the major leagues. The Cardinals would take the first two games of a three game series with the Dodgers to decide the National League Championship. The Cardinals would go on to take on the Boston red Sox in a classic seven game World Series. With the score tied at three in the eighth Inning of Game 7 Enos Slaughter singled, then scored all the way from first on Harry Walker's double to short left-center. Slaughter's "Mad Dash" surprised Red Sox relay man Johnny Pesky, whose momentary hesitation allowed Slaughter to score the winning run. Harry Brecheen who was the victor in the decisive seventh game won three games during the Fall Classic.

1947: After a second Place 89-65 season, owner Sam Breadon, with his health failing, sold the Cardinals Robert E. Hannegan, who was then Postmaster General of the United States and Fred Saigh.

1948: Stan Musial won his third National League MVP award while leading the league in nearly every batting department - average (.376); runs (135); hits (230); total bases (429); doubles (46); triples (18); runs batted in (131); and slugging percentage (.702). However, the Cardinals finish six and half games behind the Boston Braves with an 85-69 record.

1949: The Cardinals battle the Brooklyn Dodgers until the final day of the season but fall one game shot of the National League Championship with a 96-58 record. Following the season Fred Saigh buys out Robert E. Hannegan to become sole owner of the Cardinals.

1950: The Cardinals play mediocre baseball all season finishing in fifth place with a disappointing record of 78-75.

1951: The Cardinals rebound climbing back up to third place posting a respectable record of 81-73.

1952: Fred Saigh announced his intentions to sell the Cardinals and the highest bidders looked to move the team out of St. Louis. However the Cards ignore the rumors and finish with a solid third place 88-66 record. Just before the team was sold and moved Anheuser-Busch, Inc., led by its president, August A. Busch Jr., stepped in and purchased the club to keep in the Gateway City.

1953: Shortly after the sale was completed Bill Veeck sold Sportsman's Park to the Cardinals. Following the season the Browns would move to Baltimore leaving the St. Louis to the more successful Cardinals. In the final season the Cards shared Sportsman's Park the team finishes in third place with a decent 83-71 record.

1954: Now the sole tenant of Sportsman's Park, the stadium is renovated and renamed Busch Stadium. However, the Cardinals would suffer a disappointing 72-82 season, which saw them finish in 6th Place.

1955: The Cardinals continue to fall in the standings landing in seventh place with a record of 68-86.

1956: In a controversial move the Cardinals take the twin cardinals on the ends of the bat off their uniforms. The uniform would now feature just the team name and an underscore. Playing without the famous Cardinals on their chest the team would finish in fourth place with a record of 76-78.

1957: Stan Musial established an National League endurance record by extending his streak of consecutive games played to 895 before being forced to the bench by injury. The mishap occurred at Philadelphia on August 22nd, when he tore a muscle and chipped a bone in his shoulder blade as he swung at and missed a high, outside pitch. However he would still win the batting title with a .351 average, as the Cards finished in 2nd Place with an 87-67 record.

1958: Stan Musial, pinch-hitting in the sixth inning, doubled against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on May 13th to collects his 3,000th career hit. The Cardinals who returned the Classic look to their jerseys would go on to finish with a fifth Palace 72-82 record.

1960: The Cardinals finish a solid third place with an 86-68 record, finishing just nine games out of first.

1961: Johnny Keane takes over as manager after the Cardinals get off to a disappointing 33-41 start. Under Keane the Cards would click and finish in strong fashion posting a record of 80-74.

1962: Stan Musial, nearing his 42nd birthday, made a bid for his eighth batting title by hitting .330, but Tommy Davis of the Los Angeles Dodgers won the crown with a .346 mark. The Cardinals would go on to finish in sixth place with an 84-78 record.

1963: Stan Musial, who won seven National League Batting Crowns in his 22-year career with the Cardinals and had a lifetime average of .331, announces his retirement. Musial ever the consistent player collected 3,630 career hits with an equal number 1,815 on the road and at home. His famous #6 became the first Cardinal number to be retired on September 29th. The Cards would go on to finish in second Place with a 93-69 record, just six games out of first.

1964: For the first two and half months of the season the Cardinals struggled mightily and sat in seventh place. On June 15th the Cardinals would acquire OF Lou Brock from the Chicago Cubs. In 103 games with the Cards he scored 81 runs, helping to catapult the team from, and into the Pennant Race. The Cardinals would then benefit from a Philadelphia Phillies collapse, by clinching the National League Championship on the last day of the season with a 93-69 record. Cardinals 3B Ken Boyer would go on to earn MVP honors. In the World Series the Cardinals were matched up against the New York Yankees. The tow teams would split the first two games. In Game 4 the Cards and Yanks battle into extra innings at Yankee Stadium. In the top of the tenth Catcher Tim McCarver belts a three run homer to help Bob Gibson who pitched all ten innings get his first World Series complete game win. After the Yankees won Game 6, Gibson came back to pitch on two days rest to win Game 7, and give the Cardinals their seventh World Series Championship.

1965: The Cardinals struggle coming off their World Championship, and finish a disappointing seventh Place with an 80-81 record.

1966: The Cardinals closed old Busch Stadium (formerly known as Sportsman's Park) on May 8 with a 10-5 loss to the San Francisco Giants. On May 12th, they opened new Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis by defeating the Atlanta Braves, 4-3, in 12 innings. Lou Brock singled with the bases loaded, driving in Curt Flood with the winning run. New Busch Stadium would also host that year's All-Star Game. The Cardinals would go to finish their first year in their new nest with an 83-79 record finishing in sixth Place.

1967: Despite losing ace pitcher Bob Gibson for a long stretch with a broken leg the Cardinals win the National League Pennant by ten and a half games with a 101-60 record. Dominating play by Latin stars Julian Javier and National League MVP Orlando Cepeda fueled the Cards pennant run. In the World Series the Cardinals would be matched up against the Boston Red Sox. By the time the series rolled around Bob Gibson had returned, and got the Cards off to a fast start wining Game 1 at Fenway Park. The Cardinals would jump out to a 3-1 lead as Gibson dominated the Sox again in Game 4. However, the Red Sox would battle back and would force a decisive seventh Game at historic Fenway Park. The Cards would turn to Gibson once again who out pitched Jim Lonborg to win his third game of the series to give the Cards another World Championship.

1968: In one of the most dominant season ever by a pitcher, Bob Gibson had a 22-9 record, which included a 15-game winning streak. Gibson would also hurl 13 shutouts, and allowed only 38 earned runs in 304 innings for a 1.12 ERA, the best since the dead ball era. Gibson would earn both the Cy Young and MVP as the Cardinals flew to the top of the National League again with a 97-65 record. Gibson's dominance would continue into the World Series as he struck a World Series record 17 Detroit Tigers in Game 1 of the Fall Classic. The Cardinals would once again race out to a 3-1 series lead as Gibson won his seventh straight series start in Game 4. However, the Tigers would battle back and force a seventh game. This time Gibson would not be able to bring it home as Curt Flood misplayed a fly ball into a triple allowing the Tigers to score the series winning runs. Gibson would still go on to set a series record with 35 strikeouts.

1969: On September 15th against the New York Mets, Steve Carlton struck out 19 batters, a major league record at the time. However, he lost the game, 4-3, as Ron Swoboda hit a pair of two-run homers. Carlton struck out at least one man in every inning and fanned the side in four different frames. The loss to the Mets would be symbolic of the Cardinals season as the Cards finished fourth in the first year of divisional play with an 87-75 record, finishing 13 games behind the surprising Mets.

1970: Following the 1969 season the Cardinals find themselves in the middle of a controversy after trading Outfielder Curt Flood to the Philadelphia Phillies. Flood, would refuse to go leading to a court battle that would make its way to the Supreme Court, to challenge baseball's reserve clause. Although Flood did not win his case it set the stage for Free Agency. Dick Allen who the Cards received in the trade was also not happy, upset that the Cardinals recently installed Artificial Turf. Allen would remark, "If a horse can't eat it I don't want to play in it." The Cards would struggle among out the turbulence and finish in fourth Place with a 76-86 record.

1971: Joe Torre won the National League batting title with a .363 average and was named MVP, as the Cardinals finished in second Place with a 90-72 record. Also enjoying individual success was Lou Brock, who became the first major league player to steal 50 or more bases in seven consecutive years.

1972: The Cardinals would play mediocre baseball all season finishing in fourth place with a disappointing record of 75-81.

1973: Lou Brock stole his 600th base, moving into ninth place on the all-time list, and extending his major league record for most consecutive seasons with 50 or more steals to nine. Meanwhile, Joe Torre collected his 2,000th hit and 1,000th RB. Amidst all the individual milestones the Cardinals finish in seconnd Place a game and half out of first with an 81-81 record in a mediocre NL East.

1974: Lou Brock steals 118 bases to break Maury Wills' single-season mark, moves from ninth to third on the all-time career stolen base list. Meanwhile, Bob Gibson strikes out the 3,000th batter of his career to become only the second pitcher in baseball history to reach that figure. The Cards would fall a game and a half short of the division title with a solid 86-75 record. The Cardinals also played in the longest night game in major league history and the longest game ever played to conclusion, beating the New York Mets in 25 innings as Bake McBride scores from first on two errors.

1975: Bob Gibson retires after a 17-year Cardinal career and 251 victories. A standing-room crowd would honor Gibby on Bob Gibson Day. The Cards would finish tied for third place with an 82-80 record.

1977: Lou Brock breaks Ty Cobb's 20th Century career stolen base mark with number 893 in San Diego, August 29th. The Cards would finish the season in third place with an 83-79 record.

1978: The Cardinals struggle all season finishing in fifth place with a terrible record of 69-93.

1979: In his final season Lou Brock collected his 3000th career hit against the Cubs on August 13 at Busch Stadium. On September 23rd, Brock stole his 938th base making him baseball's all-time stolen base leader surpassing William Hamilton. Keith Hernandez wins batting title with .344 average and is co-winner of National League MVP award with Pittsburgh Pirates Willie Stargelle by Hernandez and Brock the Cards finish in third place with an 86-76 record.

1980: The Cardinals have four different men serve as manager during a turbulent 74-88 season that sees them land in fourth Place. The Cardinals also see a change in General Manager, as Whitey Herzog assumes the roll shortly after being named field manager. Though Herzog would leave the field near the end of the season, he would return to the dugout in 1981, after not finishing a suitable replacement.

1981: The Cardinals finished the season with the best winning percentage in the Eastern Division, but missed the playoffs because they finished second in each of the two sections of the schedule, revised due to the mid-summer players' strike. In each half, the Cardinals played fewer games than the winners, and could have tied or won either half with the opportunity to play the same number of games. Bruce Sutter, one of several players obtained in winter trades by Whitey Herzog, won the Rolaids Relief Man award.

1982: In order to concentrate more on managing, Whitey Herzog stepped down as General Manager on Opening Day, turning the reins over to Joe McDonald. The move paid off as the Cardinals stayed in first place for only 48 days of the season and claimed their first ever National League East Championship with a 92-70 record. The team was characterized by an aggressive running style of baseball; seven players stole bases in double figures, led by team catalyst Lonnie Smith, who swiped 68. Which was needed since the Cards hit only 67 home runs, the fewest in the major leagues. The Cardinals would go on to sweep the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS to earn their 13th trip to the Fall Classic In what was known as the "Suds Series" the Cardinals face the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cardinals did not get off to a flying start losing Game 1 at home 10-0. In danger of falling behind 0-2 Darrell Porter hit a clutch two run double in the sixth Inning to tie the game 4-4, the Cards would go on to win the game 5-4 and tie the series at a game apiece. The Cards would take a 2-1 series lead in Game 3 as Willie McGee blasted two homers, but the Brewers would bounce back to take the next two games and send the series back to St. Louis up 3-2. The Cards would blow the Brewers away 13-2 in Game 6 setting up decisive seventh game. In Game 7 the Cardinals fell behind early, but rally for three runs in the sixth inning to win their ninth World Series. Darrell Porter, who won the NLCS MVP, would match his efforts being named World Series MVP.

1983: Despite the fact that the Cardinals finished in fourth place, 11 games out, the team was competitive and exciting, although inconsistent, throughout much of the season posting a record of 79-83, as the Cards stun their fans by trading 1B Keith Hernandez to the New York Mets for Rick Ownby and Neil Allen. The team climbed to within a half-game of the division lead on September 5th, before embarking on a 13-day road during which the starting rotation struggled.

1984: The Cardinals got off to a bad start, and dwelled in fifth place for much of the first half of the season before turning things around after the All-Star break to finish with a third Place 84-78 record.

1985: The Cardinals lost their first four games, bounced back to 7-7, only to lose the next four. The next time they reached .500 was at 20-20, before turning it on. They finally made it to first-place on June 21, where they remained for most of the season. Five defeats in six games early in September left the Cardinals a game behind the New York Mets with 25 to play. However, the Redbirds then won 14 of their next 15 and took the division title by three games with 101 wins. Willie McGee was the batting champion, and National League MVP. Vince Coleman was Rookie of the Year setting a rookie record with 110 steals. In the NLCS the Cardinals lose their first two games to the Dodgers but go on to win the next four games, as Ozzie Smith won Game 5 with a dramatic walk off homer off Tom Niedenfuer, his first ever homer batting left-handed. Down 5-4 with two out in the top of the ninth inning of Game 6, Jack Clark tagged Niedenfuer for a three run homer to take the game and the series. The Cardinals take a three games to one lead against their intrastate rival the Kansas City Royals in the World Series. After losing Game 5 at home the Cards hold a 1-0, ninth inning lead in Game 6. On a routine ground ball to first base Todd Worrell covers and appears to beat Jorge Orta but Umpire Don Deckinger misses the call and rules him safe. This will spark a two run rally and a force a Game 7 in which the Royals rock the Cardinals 11-0.

1986: A key four game series in April against the New York Mets at Busch Stadium would be the downfall of the Cardinals. Blowing a three run ninth inning lead in the first games the Cards never recover being swept by the Mets who cruise to the division title. After the sweep the Cards were sent reeling and had the worst record in the National League after May. However, the Cards would right themselves with winning record in the last four months to finish in third place with a 79-82 record.

1987: Sparked by a potent offense, the Cardinals slipped no further than two games back in the National League East standings and claimed sole possession of first place on May 22. Beset by injuries to several key players throughout the season, Manager Whitey Herzog made use of a mixture of experienced veterans and eager rookies to fill the voids created by injuries. The Cardinals extended their lead to nine and half games on July 23 but saw the lead shrink to one game as late as September 29th. However with a Double Header sweep of the Montreal Expos the Cards would fly into the playoffs with a 95-67 record. In the NLCS the Cards are dogged continually by Jeffrey Leonard of the San Francisco Giants, who help guide the Giants to a 3-2 series lead. However with final two games in St. Louis the Cardinals completely shut down the potent Giants offense winning the last two games 1-0, and 6-0 respectively to return to the World Series. In the World Series the Cardinals face the Minnesota Twins, in the first World Series games played in a dome. The Cardinals would not fair well in the dome losing the first two games before returning to St. Louis. Back in failure territory the Cards thrived winning all three games at Busch Stadium. However, the Cards would fall once again the dome losing the last games and the series as the home team won all seven games.

1988: Beset by injuries all season the Cardinals never get close to the National League Eastern Division title, and finish in fifth Place with a disappointing 76-86 record.

1989: Although the outlook was bleak when injuries crippled the pitching staff in spring training, the Cardinals remained in the race until the final week of the season. The Redbirds pulled within a half-game of the division-leading Chicago Cubs with a dramatic come-from-behind win on September 9th, but a six game losing streak followed and the Cards sunk to third place on the final day of the season with an 86-76 record.

1990: In the midst of a disappointing 70-92 last place. On July 5th, Manager Whitey Herzog resigned after more than ten years as the Cards' skipper. Interim manager Red Schoendienst took over until August 2nd when Joe Torre was named manager.

1991: The Cardinals rebound nicely off their last place season and put together a solid second Place season. However, with an 84-78 record the Cards finish 14 games out of the top perch.

1992: On June 1st the Cards sat in first place, but injuries would take their toll and the Cards dropped to third Place with an 83-79 record.

1993: Mark Whiten cracked a team-high 25 home runs, including four in the second game of a September 7th double-header against the Reds at Cincinnati, thus becoming only the 12th player to accomplish the feat. His 12 RBI in the game tied former Cardinal Jim Bottomley's major league record. The cards would go on to finish the season with an 87-75 record good enough for third Place.

1994: Under realignment the Cardinals are moved into the newly formed National League Central Division as the Majors add a third division in each league. However, the season would never be completed as the players went on strike August 12th. When the season was halted the Card were in third place with a record of 53-61.

1995: Despite finishing with a terrible 62-81 record the Cardinals get some great relief from Tom Henke who wins the fireman award. During the season the team's longtime association with Anheuser-Busch comes to an end as the club is sold to a group of long-time Cardinals fans led by Fred Hanser, William DeWitt Jr. and Andrew Baur.

1996: With Busch Stadium undergoing a dramatic makeover including a return to real grass, the Cardinals enter a new era. Taking over the reigns as manager is Tony LaRussa who led the Oakland Athletics to three World Series Appearances. The season would also see the return of long-time fan favorite Willie McGee, and the final season of Ozzie Smith at SS. Through Mid-May the Cards sat nine games below .500. They rebounded with a sweep of the division-rival Astros in Houston, went on to record a 17-10 mark in June and reached the All-Star break tied for the division lead. The race remained close until Labor Day weekend, when the Redbirds swept three games from the first-place Astros to take over the division lead for good, finishing with an 88-74 record. In their first playoff appearance in nine years, the Cards get off to fats start sweeping the San Diego Padres in the NLDS. In the NLCS the Cards get off to a fast start grabbing a 3-1 off the Atlanta Braves. However, the Cards would unravel and get blown out in the final three games of the series.

1997: After beginning the season with a six-game losing streak, the Cardinals never climbed above .500 and finished in fourth place with a 73-89 record. Slugger Mark McGwire arrived July 31st and belted 24 home runs as a Cardinal, including 15 in September (a club record for one month). He finished with 58 homers, tying the major league record for right-handed hitters. McGwire became just the fifth player to hit as many as 58 home runs and only the second, next to Babe Ruth, to record 50 or more in consecutive seasons. "Big Mac's" total of 110 homers in 1996 and '97 are the most ever back-to-back by a righty.

1998: Mark McGwire and Chicago Cubs Sammy Sosa battle for history all season long. Early on in the season it was apparent that 1998 would be the year someone would pass Roger Maris' record of 61 home runs. Sosa and McGwire would battle back and forth all through out the second half. On September 8th Mark McGwire would pass Roger Maris in front of a Nationwide TV audience, and a sellout crowd at Busch Stadium. Sosa would battle back to tie and take a brief lead. However McGwire would belt two home runs in each of the last two games to reach a grand total of 70 giving Big Mac the most prestigious single season record in sports. However, despite McGwire's record performance the Cards can only manage an 83-79 record good only for third Place.

1999: Early in the season the Cardinals were making history with the longball. However, this time it was not Big Mac, instead it was 3B Fernando Tatis who belts two Grand Slams in the same inning off Dodgers pitcher Chan Ho Park in an April 23rd game at Los Angeles. Mark McGwire would makes his noise later in the season smashing the 500th home run of his career, and making a late season surge to pass Sammy Sosa again in home run, and led the league with 65. However, the Cards still struggle and finish in fourth Place with a 75-86 record.

2000: The Cardinals win the Central Division with a 95-67 record, despite losing Mark McGwire for most of the second half to a nagging knee injury. The Cards Division Championship was bolstered by several key off-season moves to land pitchers like Darryl Kile. To fill the void for McGwire the Cards acquire Will Clark near the trade deadline. The acquisition of Clark would help in the NLDS, as he helped lead the Cards in a shocking three game sweep of the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS. However, the Cards run would end there as they lose the NLCS in five games to the New York Mets, while being blanked by Mike Hampton twice.

2001: Through most of the first half the Cardinals struggled just to keep their heads above water. However, it may have been worse if not for the hitting of rookie Albert Pujols. Pujols who played early in the season only because of Mark McGwire's continued injury problem, earned a spot on the All-Star team, and hit a team rookie record 37 home run on the way to the Rookie of the Year award. In the second half the Cardinals finally started to play solid baseball and made a push for the playoffs. Their push would finally pay off in September as they tied the Houston Astros for the Division Title with a 93-69 record. However since both teams were in the playoffs, and the Astros won the season series the Cardinals had to settle for the Wild Card. In the NLDS the Cards battle the Arizona Diamondbacks to a thrilling five games in a series dominated by outstanding pitching performances before losing 2-1 in the bottom of ninth of the finale. Following the season Mark McGwire frustrated by injuries would retire after a season in which he hit 29 home runs, but batted well below .200.

2002: Going into the season the Cardinals were among the favorites in the NL. However, injuries too almost the entire pitching caused the Cardinals to get off to a slow start. However, by June the Cardinals were starting to get healthy and on June 18th the Cardinals finally climbed in first place thanks to a stellar outing by Darryl Kile, who was the only starting pitcher to remain healthy early in the season. However the joy would be tempered a bit when long time Cardinals announcer Jack Buck dies after a battle with cancer. While the city remembered the longtime voice of the Cardinals no one was prepared for the tragedy that would strike just four days later. In Chicago to face the Cubs ten Cards were worried when Darryl Kile didn't show up for the game, sending someone back to the hotel they made the shocking discovery that Kile had died in his sleep. Though only 33 Kile had serve and undetected heart disease. Kile and Buck would not be the only loss in the Cardinal family later in the summer the team would see 1946 World Series hero Enos Slaughter and 1982 World Series hero Darryl Porter both pass away. The Cardinals would understandable struggle at first but dedicating the rest of the season to their fallen star the Cardinals would play inspired baseball winning the Central Division going away with a solid record of 97-65. Helping the Cardinals down the stretch is Scott Rolen who is acquired in a blockbuster deal around the trading deadline. In the NLDS the Cards would get revenge from the previous season by sweeping the defending World Champion Arizona Diamondbacks in three straight. However, with Rolen banged up the Cards would be knocked off by the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS in five games.

2003: Albert Pujols continued to establish himself as one of the true rising stars in all of baseball by challenging for the Triple Crown all season. Pujols would go on to win the batting crown with a solid .359 average, while finishing 4th in Homers and RBI with 43 and 124. Despite his spectacular season Pujols would have to settle for second in NL MVP voting. With Pujols leading the way the Cardinals entered the final month in a three team race for the National League Central crown, despite their entire pitching staff being it with a rash of injuries that limited ace starter Matt Morris to 27 games and closer Jason Isringhausen to just 40 appearances. The Cardinals would start September off on the wrong foot dropping four of five games to the Chicago Cubs. The Cards would never recover as they spent the final weeks of the season playing catch up finishing in third place with a record of 85-77.

2004: Armed with the best offense in the National League and a solid pitching staff the Cardinals were the class of the National League all season grabbing control of the Central Division with a 19-9 June and never looking back, as they established a double digit lead in July and cruised down the stretch posting a MLB best record of 105-57, which was the second highest win total in franchise history, as Albert Pujols, Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen each had 34 more or more homers, 111 or more RBI, and batted over .300, while starter Jeff Suppan, Chris Carpenter, Jason Marquis and Matt Morris all one at least 15 games, as the Cardinals 3.75 ERA was ranked second in all of baseball. As they entered the playoffs the Cardinals were a heavy favorite to get to the World Series as the offensive addition of Larry Walker who hit 11 homers in 44 games with the Cardinals after being acquired from the Colorado Rockies fit right into the Cardinals machine. In the NLDS the Cardinals faced the Los Angeles Dodgers and got off to a quick start winning the first two games at home 8-3. After being shutout 4-0 in Game 3 the Cardinals put the Dodgers away with a solid 6-2 win in Game 4 to advance to the NLCS for the third time in five years. In the NLCS the Cardinals faced a familiar foe in Central Division rival Houston Astros whom they beat by 13 games for the Central Division title in the regular season. In the first two games the Cardinals offense continued to roll as they won the first two games by scores of 10-7 and 6-4. However as the series shifted to Houston the Cardinals ran into a problem as they were handcuffed by Roger Clemens in Game 3. In Game 4 the Cards would jump out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning only to see the Astros rally and win 6-5 to even the series. Game 5 would be a classic pitcher's duel as Woody Williams and Brandon Backe each allowed just one hit. Jason Isringhausen would relieve Williams in the eighth and would give the game away in the ninth inning allowing a three-run homer to Jeff Kent in the ninth inning as the Astros took control of the series. As the series returned to Busch Stadium for Game 6 the Cardinals and Astros went into extra innings where Jim Edmonds homered in the 12th inning to give the Cards a 6-4 win to force a decisive seventh game. In Game 7 trailing Roger Clemens 2-1 in sixth inning Albert Pujols would deliver a game tying double, before Scott Rolen delivered a 2-run homer to give the Cardinals the lead for good as they went on to win the game 5-2 to advance to the World Series for the first time in 17 years, as Pujols earned MVP honors by batting .500 with four homers as the Cards and Astros combined for a postseason record 24 homers. In the World Series the Cardinals would face the Boston Red Sox who were flying off an ALCS victory over the New York Yankees in which they became the first team to rally from a 0-3 deficit. Game 1 was another slugfest, as the Red Sox won 11-9 with a Mark Bellhorn home run in the eighth inning. However that would be the last noise made by the Cardinals bats all series as the Sox took a 2-0 series lead behind Curt Schilling 6-2. Even Busch Stadium could not help get the Cardinals back into the series as the Sox were just too hot coming off their dramatic comeback. In Game 3 it would be Pedro Martinez who shut down the Cards allowing just three hits as the Red Sox won 4-1. The Red Sox would go on to complete the sweep with a 3-0 win in Game 4 as Derrick Lowe and Keith Foulke held the Cards to just four hits as the Red Sox won their first World Series in 86 years, holding the Cardinals powerful offense to a .190 average in the Fall Classic.

2005: In the final season of Busch Stadium II the Cardinals showed little hangover of their disappointing World Series as they once again got off to a strong start and established a big lead in the National League Central Division as they held a 33-18 record at the end of May. The Cardinals would hold a double digit division lead most of the season as the cruised to their fourth Division Title in six years with a tremendous 100-62 record. However, it was not without its bumps in the road as Scott Rolen was limited to just 56 games with five home runs before he was forced to undergo season ending shoulder surgery for a lingering injury from the 2004 playoffs. The loss of Rolen but more of the burden on Albert Pujols, who continued to be one of the most consistent hitters in baseball with a .330 average, 41 homers, and 117 RBI ranking second or third in the National League in each to earn his MVP honors. On the mound the Cardinals coming into the season had off-season acquisition Mark Mulder penciled in as the ace. However, it was Chris Carpenter who emerged as their best pitcher with a NL best 21-5 record and 2.83 ERA to capture the Cy Young Award. In the playoffs the Cardinals quickly dispatched an inferior San Diego Padres team in three straight as Reggie Sanders had 10 RBI in the 3-Game sweep. Facing the Houston Astros for the second straight year in the NLCS the Cardinals got off to a fast start winning Game 1 behind Chris Carpenter 5-3. However, in Game 2 the Cardinals would be frustrated by Roy Oswalt as the series shifted to Houston tied at a game a piece. In Houston the Cards experienced more frustration losing to Roger Clemens 4-3. Needing to win Game 3 to avoid falling behind 3-1 the Cardinals bats were silenced again trailing 2-1 in the ninth Inning as a frustrated Manager Tony LaRussa and Jim Edmonds were ejected for arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi. The Cardinals would not go down quietly as they had runners at first and thirrd nobody out in the ninth Inning. However Albert Pujols would be thrown out at home on a Reggie Sanders bouncer to 3rd then with first and third one out had the game suddenly end as John Mabry grounded into a Double Play. The stunned Cardinals continued to real in Game 5 as they trailed 4-2 in the ninth facing elimination, when suddenly they rallied again, and this time won the game on a long three run home run by Albert Pujols with two outs. However the Cardinals reprieve would not be carried over as they returned home for Game 6 as they were shut down by Roy Oswalt again losing 5-1 as the Astros went on to the World Series.

2006: Coming off their disappointing loss in the NLCS the Cardinals had a new nest to call home as a new Busch Stadium opened up next to where the old one had sat for nearly 40 years. After splitting the first six games on the road the Cardinals played the first game at new Busch Stadium with a 6-3 win as Albert Pujols and Mark Mulder both hit Home Runs. The Cardinals would quickly take over first place in the National League Central Divison as they held a 34-19 record at the end of May. However, as June arrived so did the injury bug with Albert Pujols missing a few weeks with a strained oblique muscle, as the Cardinals struggled through June with a 9-16 record. Injuries would also hurt the pitching staff as a Mark Mulder was limited to 17 games with a rotator cuff injury, while CF Jim Edmonds played sparingly in the second half after suffering a concussion following a diving catch, while a hip injury would end Closer Jason Isringhausen's season in August. Despite the injuries the Cardinals held a solid 58-42 record on July 26th and still were comfortably in first place. However, the Cardinals would play shaky baseball the next two months starting with an 8-game losing streak that started with an embarrassing four game sweep at the hands of the lowly Chicago Cubs, whom the Cards struggled with all season with an 8-11 record. However, through it all the Cardinals remained in first place as they held a seven game lead over the second place Cincinnati Reds and an eight and half game lead over the Houston Astros with 12 games to play. It was then that the Cardinals went on another dip, at the same time the Astros were surging as the Cardinals lead was trimmed to a half game by the Astros as the Cardinals lost eight of their next nine games. As the Cardinals felt the sudden pressure of what would have been the biggest collapse in baseball history they recovered to win three of four games as they finished the season with a record of 83-79, holding on by a narrow game and a half. Entering the playoffs as underdogs the Cardinals were suddenly without pressure, and it had a positive effect as they took Game 1 of the NLDS on the road against the San Diego Padres led by the pitching of Chris Carpenter. Game 2 would be more of the same as behind Jeff Weaver and, four relievers the Cardinals held the Padres to four hits in a 2-0 win. After losing Game 3 at home, Carpenter returned to the round and stifled the Padres again as the Cardinals won 6-2 and advanced to the NLCS in four games. Facing the New York Mets in the NLCS the Cardinals were heavy underdogs again, and after being blanked 2-0 in Game 1, they faced a 0-2 hole as they trailed 6-4 in the seventh Inning, when Scott Speizo delivered a game triple to tie the game as So Taguchi's home run in the ninth inning sparked a three-run ninth and a 9-6 win. As the series shifted to St. Louis Jeff Suppan was superb allowing just three hits over eight innings as the Cardinals won 5-0. The Mets would rebound to win Game 4, as rain postponed Game 5 for a day. In Game 5 it would be Jeff Weaver stepping up huge, as the player grabbed off the scrap heap in August out dueled Tom Glavine in a 4-2 win. Despite having Chris Carpenter on the mound the Cardinals could not close out the Mets in six games as they were frustrated all day by John Maine, losing 4-2. Game 7 would see Suppan be strong again as he held the Mets powerful lineup to two hits and one first inning run, as the game was tied 1-1 in the ninth inning, when Yadier Molina hit a two run home to give the Cardinals a 3-1 lead as Adam Wainright struck out Carlos Beltran with the bases loaded to send the Cardinals to the World Series.

2006: In the World Series the Cardinals continued to lavish in the role of underdog as they faced the Detroit Tigers, whom the Cardinals lost three straight to during their June swoon. However, this time things would be different as the Cardinals took advantage of the Tigers sloppy play and won the opener 7-2. After losing Game 2 to Kenny Rogers, who appeared to be scuffing the baseball, the series shifted to St. Louis, where Chris Carpenter held the Tigers to just three hits over eight innings, while the Cardinals continued to take advantage of Tigers fielding woes to win 5-0. After a rain postponed Game 4 a day the Cardinals were the ones who looked sloppy early, falling behind 3-0. However, led by David Eckstein who went 4-for-5 with three doubles and two RBI, the Cardinals came back to win 5-4 to take a 3-1 series lead. Eckstein would be the hero again in Game 5 as he had two more hits, and two RBI as the Cardinals won the World Series 4-2. The World Series Championship would be the first for the Cardinals since 1982, and the tenth overall in franchise history as Manager Tony LaRussa became just the second Manager to win World Championships in both leagues, cementing his Hall of Fame resume. The Cardinals 83-79 record was also the worst ever for a World Series winner. However, with 5'7" David Eckstein becoming the shortest player to win World Series MVP, and a minor league call up named Adam Wainwright not allowing a run in seven postseason appearances it did not matter for the fans of St. Louis, who just saw the words World Champion St. Louis Cardinals.

2007: The Cardinals began defense of their World Championship against the team they battled in the NLCS. This time it was the New York Mets who would emerge victorious as the Cardinals were swept at home. Making matters worse is that ace Chris Carpenter felt a pain in his elbow after losing on Opening Night; the pain would lead to season ending Tommy John surgery and left the Cardinals with a gapping hole in their rotation. Injuries were an issue elsewhere too, as Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds continued to deal with nagging injuries, while other starters like Adam Kennedy, and World Series David Eckstein also missed significant time, as the Cardinals had 15 regulars spend a part of the season on the Disabled List. As April came to a close the struggling Cardinals had to deal with tragedy as Reliever Josh Hancock was killed in the early morning hours of April 29th while driving drunk. Only a month earlier in Spring Training had the Cardinals had to deal with the drunken driving arrest of Manager Tony LaRussa. Through much of the first half the Cardinals had to do all they could from fading into oblivion as they held a 40-45 record heading into the All-Star Break. However, after the break the Cardinals made a run, closing to within one game in first place on September 7th. While the Cardinals were making their second half turnaround the Cardinals had an incredible comeback story of their own as Rick Ankiel returned to the majors. It had been a strange odyssey for Ankiel since 2001, as the 2000 Rookie phenom who stated Game 1 of the NLDS, had lost control of the plate, after being sent down to the minors in 2001, Ankiel had made just a brief cameo in St. Louis in 2004, as he dealt with injuries and the continued to have trouble throwing strikes. Eventual he gave up pitching and became an outfielder and worked his way back up through the Cardinals system returning in 2007 as a power hitter for the middle of the lineup. In just 47 games with the Cards, Ankiel hit 11 home runs and drove in 39 RBI. However, the story was tarnished a bit when Ankiel's name was linked to HGH use. The Cardinals would also suffer another key injury down the stretch as Juan Encarncaion was hit in the eye, by a ball fouled off from Aaron Miles while waiting in the on deck circle. The injury severely damaged Encarnacion's eye and put the rest of his career in jeopardy. With the news of Ankiel HGH use and the Encarncaion injury the air suddenly came out of the balloon, as the Cardinals faded down the stretch losing 13-of-15 games as they finished the season in third place with a record of 78-84.

2008: The Cardinals get off to a strong start winning 12 of their first 18 games as they were in first place with an 18-11 record at the end of April, as Albert Pujols hit safely in his first 34 games. However, May would see injuries take a toll on the pitching staff as they played mediocre baseball. Things would only get worse in June, as Albert Pujols spent time on the disabled list in June, where he was joined by Adam Wainwright, who was the Cards most reliable starting pitcher all season. Pujols, would return quickly but the Cardinals continued to scuffle as they dropped into third place. Despite a breakout season from Ryan Ludwick with 37 home runs, and 113 RBI, and another stellar season from Albert Pujols, who was named NL MVP with 37 home runs, 116 RBI, and a league best .357 batting average, the Cardinals were never a serious factor in the pennant race, finishing in fourth with an 86-76 record, that was aided by a season ending six game winning streak.