St. Louis Cardinals (1892-Present)

Historical Moments:
1892: With the folding of the American Association the St. Louis Brown Stockings are among 4 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 9th place with a terrible record of 56-76.

1895: The Brown Stockings continue to struggle as they go through 4 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 NL planning on cutting down to 8 teams following the season, the team from St. Louis is one of the candidates to be bounced, that is until Frank and Stanley Robinson, who ran a fairly successful team in the Cleveland Spiders decided to step in and take over team the team. The Robinsons 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 Robinsons 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 5th place with a record of 65-75.

1901: The Cardinals rebound off a disappointing season to post their 2nd winning season in 2 years with a 76-64 record good enough for 4th place.

1902: The Cardinals get company in St. Louis when the AL 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 5th place with a record of 75-79.

1905: The Cardinals struggles continue as they finish in 6th place with a dreadful 58-96 record.

1906: The Cardinals have another dreadful season as they narrowly avoid 100 losses by finishing in 7th 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 NL 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 3rd straight 100-loss season placing 7th with a terrible 54-98 record.

1910: The Cardinals struggles continue as they finish in 7th place with a miserable 63-90 record.

1911: After 9 straight losing seasons the Cardinals finally post a winning record finishing in 5th place with a record of 75-74.

1912: The Cardinals plunge back into 6th 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' 2nd year, the Cardinals finished the season in 3rd 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 3rd place finish and fall back to 6th 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 A.L. Browns. Rickey was named president; however the club continued to struggle financially. However, the Cards show some promise placing 3rd 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 6th 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 3rd with a solid 87-66 record, coming within 7 games of first place.

1922: Rogers Hornsby wins the Triple Crown with 42 homers , 152 RBI and a .401 average, as the Cards finish in 3rd Place again with a solid 85-69 record.

1923: The Cardinals take a step backwards finishing in 5th 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 6th place with a disappointing 65-89 record.

1925: Rogers Hornsby wins his 2nd Triple Crown in 4 years with 39 HR, 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 4th Place. Rickey had begun building a reputation for an excellent eye for raw talent and thrifty dealings. The Cardinals had 6 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 NL Pennant with an 89-65 record edging out the Cincinnati Reds by 2 games. The team led the N.L. 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 2 in Sportsmen's Park behind the bat of Babe Ruth who belted 3 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 7th Inning with bases loaded. Alexander would strike out Tony Lazzeri to end the 7th, and after retiring the Yanks in order in the 8th. After setting down the first 2 Yanks in the 9th 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 4 games.

1929: The Cardinals suffer through a mediocre 78-74 season and finish in 4th 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 3-hitter in a Cardinals win. The Cardinals won the NL pennant a day earlier and finish with a 92-62 record, to narrowly edge out Chicago Cubs by 2 games. In the World Series the Red Birds were matched up against the Philadelphia Athletics. After losing the first 2 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 2 to win the World Series in 6 Games.

1931: Led by MVP 2B Frankie Frisch the Cardinals repeat as NL 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 2 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 7th 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 5 RBI and 5 runs scored.

1932: The Cardinals follow up their 2nd World Championship with a very disappointing 72-82 season which saw them finish tied for 6th 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 5th 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 NL MVP, while his brother won 19, for a total of 4. In the World Series the Cardinals face the Detroit Tigers. The series and was tied a 3- heading into a decisive Game 7. In the 7th game won by the Cardinals 11-0, a brawl erupted when Joe Medwick slid hard into 3rd 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 2nd series game in that 7th 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 4 games by the Chicago Cubs for the NL Pennant.

1936: The Cardinals are in the thick of the NL Pennant Race again but fall 5 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 NL Triple Crown in the 20th Century. However, the Cardinals only manage to finish in 4th Place with an 83-71 record.

1938: The Cardinals fall to 6th 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 NL 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 3rd Place with an 84-69 record, as Johnny Mize belted 43 HRs.

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 NL Pennant.

1942: Winning 43 out of their last 51 games, the Cardinals erased a 10.5 game deficit and passed Brooklyn Dodgers on September 13th on their way to a NL Pennant with a 106-48 record to edge the Dodgers by 2 games. In the World Series the Cardinals lost the first game to the New York Yankees 7-3, then roared back to win 4 straight. In the 5th game at Yankee Stadium 3B Whitey Kurowski belted a two-run, 9th inning homer to clinch the finale.

1943: NL 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 2nd straight season in the Fall Classic, and like the year before lose the opener and win the 2nd game. However, the Yankees would win the nest 3 in St. Louis to take the series in 5 games.

1944: Led by SS Marty Marion who wins the NL MVP the Cards win their 4thstaright NL Championship with a 105-49 record. The Cardinals World Series opponent would be their Sportsmen Park landlord St. Louis Browns, who won their first and only AL Pennant. The series was dubbed the "Streetcar Series", because of the mode of travel used to get to games. The Browns would take 2 of the first 3 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 2nd World Series in 3 straight World Series appearances. 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 4th Straight NL Championship falls 3 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 season in a tie for first in the NL with a 96-58 record, the first time that occurred in the major leagues. . The Cardinals would take the first 2 of a 3 game series with the Dodgers to decide the NL Championship. The Cardinals would go on to take on the Boston red Sox in a classic 7 game World Series. With the score tied at 3 in the 8th 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 7th game won 3 games during the Fall Classic.

1947: After a 2nd 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 3rd NL 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 1 game shot of the NL 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 5th place with a disappointing record of 78-75.

1951: The Cardinals rebound climbing back up to 3rd 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. Lois. However the Cards ignore the rumors and finish with a solid 3rd 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 3rd 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 7th 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 4th place with a record of 76-78.

1957: Stan Musial established an NL 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 6th 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 5th Palace 72-82 record.

1960: The Cardinals finish a solid third place with an 86-68 record, finishing just 9 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 8th 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 6th Place with an 84-78 record.

1963: Stan Musial, who won 7 NL Batting titles in his 22-year career with the Cardinals and had a lifetime average of .331, announced 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 No. 6 became the first Cardinal number to be retired on September 29th. The Cards would go on to finish in 2nd Place with a 93-69 record, just 6 games out of first.

1964: For the first 2 and half months of the season the Cardinals struggled mightily and sat in 7th 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 NL 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 2 games. In Game the Cards and Yanks battle into extra innings at Yankee Stadium. In the top of the 10th Catcher Tim McCarver belts a 3-Run Homer to help Bob Gibson who pitched all 10 innings get his first World Series complete game win. After the Yankees won Game 6, Gibson came back to pitch on 2 days rest to win Game 7, and give the Cardinals their 7th World Series Championship.

1965: The Cardinals struggle coming off their World Championship, and finish a disappointing 7th 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 6th Place.

1967: Despite losing ace pitcher Bob Gibson for a long stretch with a broken leg the Cardinals win the NL Pennant by ten and a half games with a 101-60 record. Dominating play by Latin stars Julian Javier and NL 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 7th Game at historic Fenway Park. The Cards would turn to Gibson once again who out pitched Jim Lonborg to win his 3rd 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 s in Game 1 of the Fall Classic. The Cardinals would once again race out to a 3-1 series lead as Gibson won his 7th straight series start in Game 4. However, the Tigers would battle back and force a 7th 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 4 different frames. The loss to the Mets would be symbolic of the Cardinals season as the Cards finished 4th 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 OF 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 4th Place with a 76-86 record.

1971: Joe Torre won the NL batting title with a .363 average and was named league MVP, as the Cardinals finished in 2nd 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 7 consecutive years.

1972: The Cardinals would play mediocre baseball all season finishing in 4th place with a disappointing record of 75-81.

1973: Lou Brock stole his 600th base, moving into 9th place on the all-time list, and extending his major league record for most consecutive seasons with 50 or more steals to 9. Meanwhile, Joe Torre collected his 2,000th hit and 1,000th RB. Amidst all the individual milestones the Cardinals finish in 2nd 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 9th to 3rd 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 3rd 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 3rd place with an 83-79 record.

1978: The Cardinals struggle all season finishing in 5th 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 Stargell; ed by Hernandez and Brock the Cards finish in 3rd Place with an 86-76 record.

1980: The Cardinals have 4 different men serve as manager during a turbulent 74-88 season that sees them land in 4th Place. The Cardinals also see a change in GM, 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 2 run double in the 6th Inning to tie the game at 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 2 homers, but the Brewers would bounce back to take the next 2 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 7th game. In Game 7 the Cardinals fell behind early, but rally for 3 runs in the 6th to win their 9th 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 4th place, 11 games out, the team was competitive and exciting, although inconsistent, throughout much of the season posting a record of 79-83. 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 5th place for much of the first half of the season before turning things around after the All-Star break to finish with a 3rd 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 3 games with 101 wins. Willie McGee was the batting champion, and NL MVP. Vince Coleman was Rookie of the Year setting a rookie record with 110 steals. In the NLCS the Cardinals lose their first 2 games to the Dodgers but go on to win the nest 4. 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 9th of Game 6, Jack Clark tagged Niedenfuer for a 3-run homer to take the game and the series. The Cardinals take a 3 games to 1 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, 9th 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 2 run rally and a force a game 7 in which the Royals rock the Cardinals 11-0.

1986: A key 4-game series in April against the New York Mets at Busch Stadium would be the downfall of the Cardinals. Blowing a 3-run 9th 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 NL after May. However, the Cards would right themselves with winning record in the last 4 months to finish in 3rd place with a 79-82 record.

1987: Sparked by a potent offense, the Cardinals slipped no further than two games back in the N.L 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 9 and half games on July 23 but saw the lead shrink to 1 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 2 games in St. Louis the Cardinals completely shut down the potent Giants offense winning the last 2 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 2 games before returning to St. Louis. Back in failure territory the Cards thrived winning all 3 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 7 games.

1988: Beset by injuries all season the Cardinals never get close to the NL East title, and finish in 5th Place with a 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 6 game losing streak followed and the Cards sunk to 3rd 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 10 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 2nd 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 3rd 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 3rd Place.

1994: Under realignment the Cardinals are moved into the newly formed NL Central as the Majors add a 3rd 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 3rd 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 3 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 9 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 9 year, 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 3 of 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 31 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 HR. 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 2 HR 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 3rd 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 2 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 HR of his career, and making a late season surge to pass Sammy Sosa again in HR, and led the league with 65. However, the Cards still struggle and finish in 4th 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 Cads in a shocking 3 game sweep of the Atlanta Braves in the NLS. However, the Cards run would end there as they lose the NLCS in 5 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 HR 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 5 games in a series dominated by outstanding pitching performances before losing 2-1 in the bottom of 9th of the finale. Following the season Mark McGwire frustrated by injuries would retire after a season in which he hit 29 HR, 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 Car