Considering the St. Louis Cardinals top the National League with 11 World Series titles and have been playing in the league since 1900, the problem with putting together an all-time Cardinals roster isn't finding players to include -- it's deciding what players don't make the cut.
Here's my take on the all-time St. Louis Cardinals:
Yadier Molina, Catcher, 2004-present - It's hard to pass over players like Ted Simmons and eight-time All-Star Walker Cooper, but we're going with Molina. Yadi has two World Series rings with the Cardinals and the last four Gold Glove Awards given to a catcher in the NL. This season, he is hitting .319 and seems set to go to his fourth All-Star game.
Albert Pujols, first base, 2001-2011 - Pujols moved to first base permanently in 2004 when Mark McGwire retired. Pujols' numbers as a Cardinal were staggering. He won three National League MVP Awards and made nine All-Star teams. His career 162-game averages include 121 runs scored, 42 home runs and 125 RBIs. His career average is .325. As bummed as Cards fans were when he left in December, there's no question he is an all-time great for the team.
Rogers Hornsby, second base, 1915-1926 - Hornsby is one of the greatest right-handed hitters to ever play. His .358 lifetime average is second only to Ty Cobb's .366. As player-manager of the 1926 Cardinals team, he drove in 93 runs to help lead the team to its first-ever World Series championship. The Rajah hit .424 in 1924, still the highest ever in the modern era. HOF 1942.
Ken Boyer, third base, 1955-1965 - Boyer made seven All-Star teams as a Cardinal, and he was the league MVP in 1964, helping the Cardinals to a World Series title over the Yankees. He was also an outstanding fielder, winning five Gold Glove Awards while with St. Louis.
Ozzie Smith, shortstop, 1981-1996 - The Wizard made 15 All-Star teams and won 13 Gold Gloves in his great career. He played on three pennant-winning Cardinals teams in the '80s, and the 1982 team took the title. HOF 2002.
Stan Musial, outfield, 1941-1963 - Stan the Man did it all for the Cardinals -- seven batting titles, three MVP Awards, three World Series titles, 24 All-Star teams. The list goes on. His 1948 season of 230 hits, 131 RBIs, .376 average and .702 slugging percentage is one of the greatest ever. HOF 1969.
Lou Brock, outfield, 1964-1979 - Brock-for-Broglio still brings a smile to the faces of Cardinals fans. Brock played on two title teams for the Cardinals, in 1964 and 1967, and he is one of two Cardinals (with Musial) in the 3000-hit club. Brock is still the all-time stolen base leader in the National League. HOF 1985.
Joe Medwick, outfield, 1932-1940, 1947-48 - Medwick spent his first nine seasons with the Cardinals and came back for two more at the end of his career. He led the league with 19 triples playing on the 1934 World Series championship team, and in 1937 he won the NL MVP with 237 hits, 154 RBIs, and a batting average of .374. Medwick made 10 All-Star teams in his career. HOF 1968
Mort Cooper, starting pitcher, 1938-1945 - Cooper was 105-50 with an ERA of 2.77 in his time with the Cardinals. He helped the team to World Series titles in 1942 and 1944. Cooper was the NL MVP in 1942 when he won 22 games, pitched 10 shutouts, and posted an ERA of 1.78.
Bob Gibson, starting pitcher, 1959-1975 - Gibby is the Cardinal I most wish I could have seen play. Gibson played on three pennant-winning teams and two World Series championship teams. He won at least 20 games five times for the Cardinals, including his incredible 1968 season when he won 22 games, pitched 13 shutouts, and posted a record ERA of 1.12. He won both the MVP and Cy Young awards for that year. HOF 1981
Chris Carpenter, starting pitcher, 2004-present - Carpenter, the 2005 NL Cy Young winner, has a record of 95-42 with the Cardinals, and thrust himself into St. Louis lore with postseason heroics in 2006 and 2011, both championship teams.
Dizzy Dean, starting pitcher, 1930-1937 - Ol' Diz is the last National League pitcher to win 30 games in a season, which he did in 1934 to lead the Cards to a World series title and win himself the MVP Award. HOF 1953.
Bob Forsch, starting pitcher, 1974-1988 - Forsch is third on the Cardinals' all-time wins list with 163. His best year was 1977 when he was 20-7. Forsch pitched on the World Series title team of 1982 and the pennant-winning teams of '85 and '87.
John Tudor, lefty specialist, 1985-1988, 1990 - Tudor was not with St. Louis all that long, and I include him mainly for his amazing 1985 season when he went 21-8 with and ERA of 1.93 and 10 shutouts. He won three World Series games for the Cardinals in 1985 and 1987.
Adam Wainwright, setup pitcher, 2005-present - Wainwright is now a top-flight starter, but he struck out Detroit's Brandon Inge to win the 2006 World Series, so he gets a spot on this list.
Bruce Sutter, closer, 1981-1984 - Hard to overlook Sutter as closer. A five-time All-Star, he led the league in saves in three of the four seasons he played in St. Louis, and he closed out the 1982 World Series title by striking out Gorman Thomas of Milwaukee. HOF 2006.
Red Schoendienst, utility, 1945-1956, 1961-1963 - The Redhead played with the Cardinals the first 11 years of his career and came back for three more staring in 1961. Schoendienst made nine of his 10 All-Star teams with the Cardinals. He played on the 1946 team that beat Boston for the World Series title and later guided the team to another title as manager of the 1967 team. HOF 1989.
Joe Torre, utility, 1969-1974 - Torre won the 1973 NL MVP while with St. Louis when he led the league with a .363 average and 137 RBIs.
Jim Edmonds, utility, 2000-2007 - Edmonds was part of two-pennant winning teams and he won a ring on the 2006 title team. Edmonds was glorious in center field, winning six straight Gold Gloves with the Cardinals. His best year was 2004 when he hit 42 home runs and knocked in 111.
A native of St. Louis, Brad Boeker has rooted for the Cardinals for over 40 years.
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