The Big 50 St Louis Cardinals

The Big 50: St. Louis Cardinals is an amazing, full-color look at the 50 men and moments that make the Cardinals the Cardinals. St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Benjamin Hochman recounts the living history of the team, counting down from No. 50 to No. 1. Learn about and revisit the remarkable stories, featuring greats like Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, Mark McGwire, Albert Pujols, and Yadier Molina.

The St. Louis Cardinals are perhaps the most popular and successful franchise in National League history, having won more world championships than any other club in the league. Baseball greats such as Stan Musial, Rogers Hornsby, and Albert Pujols have all worn the Cardinals uniform. But which Cardinals are the finest in franchise history? Examining every player who has donned the Redbird uniform since 1892, Robert W. Cohen ranks the best of the best in The 50 Greatest Players in St. Louis Cardinals History. This book carefully studies the careers of the players who made the greatest impact while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals. The ranking was determined based on such factors as the extent to which each player added to the Cardinals legacy, the degree to which he impacted the fortunes of his team, and the level of dominance he attained while wearing the Redbird uniform. Features of The 50 Greatest Players in St. Louis Cardinals History include: Each player’s notable achievements Recaps of the player’s most memorable performances Summaries of each player’s best season Quotes from opposing players and former teammates Including players such as Bob Gibson, Ozzie Smith, Lou Brock, and Mark McGwire, this book is sure to fuel debate among Cardinals fans. A fascinating collection of bios, stats, recaps, quotes, and more, The 50 Greatest Players in St. Louis Cardinals History is a must-read not only for die-hard Cardinals fans, but for all fans of baseball.

Explore over a century of Cardinals baseball in this illustrated tour of the players, teams, ballparks, and historic moments! With a legacy that goes back to the Brown Stockings of the old American Association, the St. Louis Cardinals have one of the longest and greatest traditions in the history of baseball. Winners of ten World Series titles (second only to the New York Yankees) and twenty-one pennants dating back to 1885, the Redbirds have established a dynasty across the decades—from Charlie Comiskey’s four-time AA champs, through the “Gashouse Gang” of the 1930s and the “Runnin’ Redbirds” in the 1980s, up to the 2006 World Champions. Front-office pioneers like Chris von der Ahe and Branch Rickey have put the Cardinals franchise at the forefront of innovation, while bringing in some of baseball’s greatest talent—pitchers Dizzy Dean to Bob Gibson, sluggers Johnny Mize to Mark McGwire, and all-around superstars like Rogers “Rajah” Hornsby, Stan “the Man” Musial, and Albert Pujols. Pairing historic black-and-white photos and contemporary images of the modern game, St. Louis Cardinals: Past & Present explores the ballparks and the fans, the players and the teams that have defined Cardinals baseball.

By 1964 the storied St. Louis Cardinals had gone seventeen years without so much as a pennant. Things began to turn around in 1953, when August A. Busch Jr. bought the team and famously asked where all the black players were. Under the leadership of men like Bing Devine and Johnny Keane, the Cardinals began signing talented players regardless of color, and slowly their star started to rise again. Drama and Pride in the Gateway City commemorates the team that Bing Devine built, the 1964 team that prevailed in one of the tightest three-way pennant races of all time and then went on to win the World Series, beating the New York Yankees in the full seven games. All the men come alive in these pages--pitchers Ray Sadecki and Bob Gibson, players Lou Brock, Curt Flood, and Bobby Shantz, manager Johnny Keane, his coaches, the Cardinals' broadcasters, and Bill White, who would one day run the entire National League--along with the dramatic events that made the 1964 Cardinals such a memorable club in a memorable year.

"This books details the last four years of the St. Louis Cardinals' playoff run"--

Chronicles the history and tradition of the St. Louis Cardinals, from the era when they were managed by Branch Rickey in the years following World War I to the present day.

Mark McGwire, Ozzie Smith, Lou Brock. These famous Cardinals are known by baseball fans around the world. But who and what were the predecessors of these modern-day players and their team? In Before They Were Cardinals, Jon David Cash examines the infancy of major-league baseball in St. Louis during the last quarter of the nineteenth century. His in-depth analysis begins with an exploration of the factors that motivated civic leaders to form the city's first major-league ball club. Cash delves into the economic trade rivalry between Chicago and St. Louis and examines how St. Louis's attempt to compete with Chicago led to the formation of the St. Louis Brown Stockings in 1875. He then explains why, three years later, despite its initial success, St. Louis baseball quickly vanished from the big-league map. St. Louis baseball was revived with the arrival of German immigrant saloon owner Chris Von der Ahe. Cash explains how Von der Ahe, originally only interested in concession rights, purchased a controlling interest in the Brown Stockings. His riveting account follows the team after Von der Ahe's purchase, from the formation of the American Association, to its merger in 1891 with the rival National League. He chronicles Von der Ahe's monetary downturn, and the club's decline as well, following the merger. Before They Were Cardinals provides vivid portraits of the ball players and the participants involved in the baseball war between the National League and the American Association. Cash points out significant differences, such as Sunday games and beer sales, between the two Leagues. In addition, excerpts taken from Chicago and St. Louis newspapers make the on-field contests and off-field rivalries come alive. Cash concludes this lively historical narrative with an appendix that traces the issue of race in baseball during this period. The excesses of modern-day baseball--players jumping contracts or holding out for more money, gambling on games, and drinking to excess; owners stealing players and breaking agreements--were all present in the nineteenth-century sport. Players were seen then, as they are now, as an embodiment of their community. This timely treatment of a fascinating period in St. Louis baseball history will appeal to both baseball aficionados and those who want to understand the history of baseball itself.

The St. Louis Cardinals, despite winning more World Series than any Major League franchise except for the New York Yankees, have seen their share of dry spells when they were shut out of the postseason. Like the American economy, the Cardinals have seen their fortunes cycle through prolonged ups and downs, with booms in 1885-1888, 1926-1946, 1964-1968, 1982-1987 and 1996-2011, and busts in 1889-1925, 1947-1963, 1969-1981 and 1988-1995. Drawing on years of research, this book chronicles the Cardinals' periods of success and failure and explains the reasons behind them.

Of the 11 World Series titles the St. Louis Cardinals have won in their formidable history, 2011's victory stands out as something different, something magical. It was the work of a team that seemingly had no business even playing in October yet one that stared down defeat over and over again, refusing to back down until the trophy was theirs. 11 in '11 is a thoroughly reported chronicle of an unparalleled season, packed with interviews with key players, team executives, broadcasters, and more. St. Louis Post Dispatch columnist Benjamin Hochman offers on-the-ground and behind-the-scenes perspective as he brings to life a cast of characters including Albert Pujols in his final year as a Card, team ace Chris Carpenter, Yadier Molina showing his might both behind and at the plate, and of course the unlikely hero David Freese. Go inside the front office to see how this roster was constructed; relive the blistering final stretch of the regular season which saw the team winning 20 of its last 28 games; experience the palpable energy of Busch Stadium during Game 6, where Hochman watched enthralled as a fan. This is the definitive account of a championship run no Cardinals fan will ever forget.

St. Louis Cardinals 101 is required reading for every Cardinals fan! Enos Slaughter's "Mad Dash" in 1946 to the 2011 World Series Championship, you'll share all the memories with the next generation. Enjoy all the traditions of your favorite team, learn the basics about playing baseball and share your passion for America's pastime! Die cut in the shape of a baseball. Officially licensed by Major League Baseball.