As baseball fans, we all love a good trade. There is something immediately compelling about the moment a deal is announced: the speculation that precedes it, the instant reactions it sparks, and the endless debates about who won and who lost. Trades invite imagination. They force us to project the future, reassess the past, and […]
Announcing “The Trades That Made the St. Louis Cardinals” Read More »
Matt Carpenter arrived in the major leagues as a little-known 13th-round pick. He left as a three-time All-Star, Silver Slugger winner, and one of the defining players of the St. Louis Cardinals’ success-filled 2010s. Over 14 MLB seasons, Carpenter evolved from organizational depth into a multi-position regular, postseason performer, and leadoff catalyst, anchoring St. Louis
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As a late-round draft pick who rose from NCAA Division II baseball to become a middle-of-the-order power threat, first baseman Matt Adams made his everlasting mark in Cardinals postseason history when he hit a three-run, game-winning homer off Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw to send the Cardinals to the NLCS. Born August 31, 1988, in Philipsburg,
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John Mabry occupies a distinctive place in Cardinals history as a versatile professional whose influence spanned two meaningful eras: first as a productive everyday player in the mid-1990s and later as a valuable pinch-hitter for the 2004 National League champions. Born October 17, 1970, in Chesapeake City, Maryland, Mabry graduated from Bohemia Manor High School
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Between 1999 and 2021, only three players could say that they were the starting catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals: Yadier Molina, Mike Matheny, and Eli Marrero. Though Matheny replaced Marrero as the starter in 2000, Marrero deserves to be remembered as more than one of the players included in the trade that acquired Adam
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By the time St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Danny Cox finished the 1985 regular season with 18 wins, his teammates knew that the 6-foot-4, 225-pounder was a fighter. As it turns out, they had no idea just how right they were. On October 3, 1985, Cox earned his 18th win of the season, holding the New
Why Danny Cox beat up his ex-brother-in-law in 1985 Read More »
When Todd Zeile began his first full big-league season in 1990, he was heralded as the Cardinals’ most promising catching prospect in years. By September, he was the team’s starting third baseman. A second-round draft pick out of UCLA in 1986, Zeile entered the 1990 season ranked as baseball’s No. 7 prospect by Baseball America.
Why Todd Zeile was converted to third base Read More »
The St. Louis Cardinals never doubted that Brian Jordan had the talent to become a middle-of-the-order bat. The question was whether Jordan would stick with baseball long enough to get that opportunity. A first-round pick (30th overall) in the 1988 MLB draft, Jordan found minor-league at-bats hard to come by, largely due to his professional
How the Cardinals convinced Brian Jordan to give up football Read More »
As a strong safety in the NFL, Brian Jordan built his game around speed and impact, so it’s no surprise that he wasted little time in making his MLB debut with the St. Louis Cardinals. After just 406 minor league at-bats, Jordan got his first big-league opportunity on April 8, 1992, going 2-for-5 with four
Brian Jordan makes his MLB debut: April 8, 1992 Read More »
When the St. Louis Cardinals signed Ryan Franklin to a one-year, $1 million deal in January 2007, they were seeking reinforcements for their depleted starting rotation. Instead, they discovered an All-Star closer who saved 84 games in five seasons with St. Louis. When Franklin signed with the club, the defending World Series champions’ rotation was
How Ryan Franklin became an All-Star Cardinals closer Read More »