St. Louis Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals Memorabilia

With 18 Pennants and eleven World Series Championships to their credit, the St. Louis Cardinals are the greatest team in National League history.  Many of baseball's most talented players and interesting characters have worn Cardinals™ uniforms, and their on-field performances and off-field exploits have kept St. Louis fans entertained through the decades. The team that would eventually be known as the Cardinals was organized in 1881.  The following year, this Brown Stockings ballclub (also known as the Browns) became a charter member of the American Association.  Among the squad's early stars were first baseman Charlie Comiskey, third baseman Arlie Latham and pitchers Jumbo McGinnis and Tony Mullane. By 1885, the Browns were clearly the class of the American Association, thanks to players such as outfielder Tip O'Neill and pitchers "Parisian Bob" Caruthers and Dave Foutz.  St. Louis won four consecutive league titles (1885-88), tied the Chicago White Stockings in the 1885 World Series and defeated the White Stockings in the 1886 World Series. Now known as the Cardinals, the team joined the National League in 1892. Following years of dominance by Rogers Hornsby, Jim Bottomley led the Cardinals to senior circuit Pennants in 1926 and 1928, with the '26 squad claiming the World Series Championship.  Chick Hafey, Frankie Frisch and Bill Hallahan guided the Cardinals to Pennants in 1930 and '31, and a Fall Classic triumph the latter year.  Dubbed the "Gashouse Gang" for their unruly behavior and daring play, the 1934 Cardinals featuring Pepper Martin, Joe "Ducky" Medwick, Rip Collins and Dizzy Dean captured another World Series title. The Cardinals won four Pennants and three World Series in a five-year span during the 1940s with stars such as Stan Musial and Enos Slaughter, then earned three Pennants and two Fall Classics in the 1960s with standouts including Bob Gibson and Lou Brock. Ozzie Smith and Willie McGee led the way to a ninth World Championship in 1982, while Albert Pujols and Chris Carpenter helped secure two more crowns in 2006 and 2011.