I am voting Stan Musial (all time greatest Cardinal), Bob Gibson (all time greatest Cardinal hurler), Ozzie Smith (defense) and Pujols (offense).

I couldn’t argue with Brock, Red or George Kissell (whom the latter had arguably the biggest impact on the Cardinal organization).

If you had a Mount Rushmore for baseball and Barry Bonds’ head was one of those on it, you’d need a pretty big mountain. It might also have to be on a separate peak, since none of the others could stand to be that close to him.

This needs to be based on a full career- playing and there after. Pujols, if limited to active players, obvious choice, and well on the road to the full career I am looking for. Stan the Man is tops both for his playing career as well as what he has done for the team and the community in his post-playing years. Ozzie for his playing years yes, post playing years big minus- his silly on going feud with TLR does not reflect well upon him. Get over it, enjoy being a retired Cardinal.

The first one is easy: Stan the Man. 2nd, our best pitcher far and away, Gibson. The other 2 were tougher. If Albert keeps playing like this for 10 more years, he is definitely in. Should I pick him based on expected future achievement? My other thought was: who are the icons of the franchise? I thought of Red, Ozzie, Brock and Jack Buck. So now, out of these 5, I have to pick 2. I went with Albert and Jack.

I LOVE Jack, Red, Whitey and Albert - but how do you argue with a guy who hit over 400 for 5 straight years? Rogers need to be on there. No-one ever or will ever do that. He was the best right handed hitter (not slugger) of all time…….Ozzie is up there for about 3 more years that ole Albert will knock him off……

Enos Slaughter was missing from the list. He ranks high in my list of favorite Cardinals.

My votes are Musial, Ozzie, Gibson and Pujols.

4 different Cardinal teams, 4 different “golden” eras of Cardinal baseball

I only like players on Baseball’s Rushmore. You don’t see any VPs or Chief of Staffs on the real Rushmore? I like the 4 current leaders above and have no reservations about putting Pujols up there this early in his career. The more interesting discussion is Baseball’s all time Rushmore. Babe, Hank, Willie and ?, Tough. I think it almost has to be a pitcher. If you decide that it has to be a pitcher, then Cy Young is your man. If not, then it’s kind of wide open. Cobb? Williams? Interesting…

Stan, The Wizard, Albert, and Jack. The first 3 were easy to me. But, I was betwixt and between on the last. Gibby is the greatest Cardinal pitcher in my estimation. I was thinking though, without Jack Buck’s voice guiding every play for all of those years, it certainly would’ve been a lot different. You could almost make two different mount rushmores….one for players and one for execs/non players. Players - Stan, Wizard, Gibson, Pujols.
Execs/NP - Branch Rickey, LaRussa, Herzog, Jack Buck

This seemed entirely too difficult at first, but if you consider the actual Mt. Rushmore, the task is a bit easier. I limited my choices (Musial, Gibson, Smith, and Brock) to a “players only” list if you will. Though the other choices could be argued for, I just couldn’t bring myself to include a manager or a broadcaster. Players are far more important to a franchise.

Awesome work yet again in Bird Land!

Fantastic list and a great debate topic. I voted for Musial and Gibson, arguably, Dean for his pitching stats, but Gibby’s records are so seemingly untouchable and the fact that they changed the pitching mound because of him gives us an edge. Musial is obvious for his offensive stats, but you want to include Albert for that. No one can touch that he is the first to hit his accomplishments. It’s Stan’s longevity at the top that leaves him still in his own class. My other two votes go for longevity and what they mean to the team. Admittedly I didn’t much about Kissell until his passing and the articles since. But his longevity and the phrase, “Cardinal Way” attributed to him, make him my choice. When a positive style of accountibility is attributed to you, you play an awfully big factor. Lastly I chose Jack. For his reconizability to those all over baseball. His longevity and iconic moments. You can’t think of Ozzie without Jack’s, “Go Crazy” or Broc’s 3000 or Gibby’s No hitter. He is how people saw the Cardinals. The other names mentioned have too many arguements one way or the other. They are not individual enough to stand above the others. Ozzie - defense, Brock base stealing and hits, Herzog’s popularity vs. La Russa’s Numbers. Red’s time factors in too. Not to diminish anyone on the list. They are untouchable in my love of the Birds on the Bat but if I had to take 4 images that would spark the largest memories for the baseball world inside and out of Cards nation, it’s these 4. Though as crazy as it sounds. I think Fredbird would make a good 4th face. Stan, Jack, Gibby and Fred. - Sorry for the book.

Looking over the list Gibson and Musial are clearly on the mount. The tough choices come with the second two.

Hornsby hasn’t gotten much love so far, but it is impossible to argue with his production (even if many clearly found him offensive).

Ozzie is in a class by himself defensively.

Pre 2006 and Whitey was clearly the top of the managerial heap, but it is hard to argue with the sustained success of LaRussa lead team. He is probably the #1 guy now.

Red deserves credit as well both for being a quality manager and a good player, though I am not sure that the combined contribution adds up to placing him ahead of the others.

And if Albert keeps this up, he will guarantee himself place #3 on the list.

Heck, I will go offensive:
Hornsby and Pujols.

God love Pujols, but he’s got another ten years to go before he’s among the elite of the organization. TLR is the winningest manager in the organization’s history - do we not choose a player and include him? Gussie Busch kept the team here when we might have been in Milwaukee. Where is Dean? Hornsby? Schoendienst has done it all and a HOFer. Ozzie is still the Wizard. The top two - without question - are Stan and Gibby.

When I look at old pictures of the Cardinal legacy, there are a few people that just capture what it means to be a Cardinal fan and a baseball fan in St. Louis. I picked Stan the Man: the greatest Cardinal, one of the best of all time, and probably the most underrated. Bob Gibson: our best pitcher ever and again, one of the best ever. Jack Buck: the Cardinals are lucky because as the names change and the seasons go by, we had certain things that provide continuity from era to era, and Jack Buck calling a game is one of those things we could all reminisce about. And my final pick Gussie Busch: not a player, not an announcer, but his impact on the Cardinals is undeniable. Had A-B not bought the team back in the 1950’s, there’s a good chance Bill Veeck would have run them out of town, and we’d be a Browns town. Mr. Busch’s ownership of the team brought about the run of success and stability the team has seen over the last fifty years and made the Cardinals as much a symbol of St. Louis as the Clydesdales and the Arch.

I don’t see how Hornsby cannot be on the cliff. His numbers are simply astounding. He always seems to be forgotten amongst talk of the greatest Cardinals but he is #2 behind Stan on my list.

Tough choices! I would limit the list to former players in the hall of fame. That leaves Brock, Gibson, Hornsby, Musial, Schoendienst, & Smith. To pare down to four, I think the choice becomes those who had the most impact on the record books. On this basis I would choose Brock, Gibson, Musial and Hornsby.

I decided the four greatest icons would be the first four people who immediately come to my mind when I think of the St. Louis Cardinals. And Red actually came to me first, because the day after “ol’ Abner Doubleday” invented baseball, I believe Red took second base. I’m 47 years old and have never known the Cardinals without Red. And my mom used to tell me about seeing him play when she was young. Next came Jack Buck, for many of the reasons why Red did…they both have transcended decades upon decades as members of the Cardinals family.

Then came Bob Gibson, followed by Stan Musial, mainly because I was three when Stan retired but grew up watching Bob Gibson’s incredible presence on the mound. It’s not fair to include Pujols in the conversation yet. If he’s still playing…and for the Cardinals…in 10 years and generating the same ridiculous numbers, then he truly could become the greatest Cardinal ever. But that’s a discussion to be had in 2018.

Musial and Gibson. Obviously. I think Ozzie gets it next, as his major competition (Pujols) is still relatively young and it is not set in stone necessarily that Pujols will remain healthy, productive, or a franchise player. My controversial choice is TLR. I realize that the fact that he has the most wins as a Cardinals’ manager ignores the qualitative aspect of the role (is it fair to Red?), but TLR has done a lot of good for this team besides winning. First, I’d point to Dave Duncan, who I’d like to see acknowledged on this list. Duncan’s work has allowed us to keep a moderate pitching payroll while still competing with teams that sign the big-money veterans. TLR is also largely credited as bringing McGwire to St. Louis, which (like him or not) is largely responsible for the post-lockout comeback for MLB and the Cardinals. Many other good reasons for TLR, although I acknowledge that he still has many detractors and would be a controversial pick.

I went with 4 whom had the most impact upon the franchise over the course of Cardinal history…Musial, Gibson, Buck, & Kissell. My reasoning for each:

Musial…there isn’t a list related to Cardinal history that doesn’t start here. Stan is Cardinal baseball.

Gibson…if you’re in the conversation for greatest pitcher of all-time then good enough for me. When I think about Cardinal history this is the second name that comes to mind.

Buck…significant contribution to the development of Cardinal Nation. How many millions of fans did Jack have hanging on his every word before cable tv came along? Thanks to the wide reach of KMOX, and the talented play-by-play of this all-timer, Cardinal Nation continued to develop and maintained a fan base commonly described as the best in baseball.

Kissell…yes, others have contributed to eras of Cardinal baseball in more impactful ways (i.e. Ozzie & Willie, Albert, Lou), but none have consistently contributed through all eras like Kissell did…with the possible exception of Red…who I know deserves to be on this moutainside as well.

That’s my take - the four plus honorable mention for the Redhead. My mountainside would display the group most responsible for crafting what Cardinal baseball has become today…a place described as baseball heaven with baseball fans commonly regarded as the best there are.

I voted for Musial, Gibson, Pujols and Buck on the grounds that the players came up as Cardinals and played their whole career as Cardinals…(assuming of course Pujols does). I voted for Buck on the grounds of his long broadcast career as a Cardinal Broadcaster and that during that long career he called all their names over the air. It was a simple list for me to make given their was no other player or manager that I was aware of that spent their entire career with the same team he came up with. Given the bar graph that tallies the votes, it would appear others may have made their choice similar to the way I made mine.

What about Curt Flood? For those that didn’t have the opportunity to see him play all I can say is too bad. Unbelievable is what comes to mind most of all. Just Google him and “read em and weep” He’s got my vote as a write in.

Man, I could create TWO Rushmores from this list - one just for players (which I voted for), and the other for “influences” (my picks would be Jack Buck and George Kissell for sure, probably Whitey… and then, I dunno for the last - probably a toss up between TLR and Gussie).

curt flood affected baseball more than any other baseball player by introducing the concept of free agency into baseball. that is unbelievably significant. i might also argue for bob petit, dal maxvill, charley johnson, leon spinks defeated ali. so many st louis sports icons a four person mt rushmore is nearly impossible. but if monuments are to be built around st louis, how about those cut aways along i 44?

Kids! Tsk, tsk . . .

Everybody’s homework tonight is two-fold. First, find yourself a good website and look at the year-by-year for these Cardinals: Dizzy Dean, Frankie Frisch, Joe Medwick … and Willie McGee. MLB.com’s site will do. Use the “players” link and then simply type in the last name in the box under “historical search.” You want players who were Cardinals icons? You just found ‘em. You might want to look at Slaughter and Boyer, too.

Second, use your most polite “voice” and send an e-mail to Mr. Goold exhorting him to resubmit the poll with these names added. Or Willie’s name subtracted.

stan musial best all around player
bob gibson best pitcher
whitey herzog best manager
august a busch best owner

so many other players deserve it as well as jack buck

Ok, when I’m choosing a Cardinals’ Mt. Rushmore, I’m thinking of who epitomizes the St. Louis Cardinals … not just to me, but to all fans of the game. When you say St. Louis Cardinals baseball, who are the first 4 people who come to mind? Who are the icons of Cardinals baseball? I choose Stan Musial (of course – that is a no brainer - a pox on anyone who would exclude him!), Bob Gibson, Gussie Busch and Jack Buck.

Stan and Gibby are givens. My question is how could you leave out Hornsby and his hiiting achievements (not to mention — giving us our first World Series)?
The fourth choice is harder, so I took Gussy for saving us back in 1954.
Finally, Albert wasn’t picked because his career isn’t over.
BTW, I am one of the few who saw Dizzy pitch in the big leagues, albeit for the Browns.

My first three are up with the top five Musial, Gibson and Buck. I love Ozzie but since he’s not around very often for the club now he didn’t get my vote and Albert will have his day.

My fourth choice was Branch Rickey. Very under rated for what he did for the Cardinals. I include him because in my opinion, without Rickey the St. Louis Cardinals would never have built the organization and farm system that led them to the great teams in the 30’s, 40’s, 60’s and 80’s and that makes them the most relevant small market team in any major sport.

Musial and Gibson are in for sure. Musial gets in at #1 cuz he’s a great player, a true living legend and a genuinely nice man. Gibson gets #2 cuz he too was a great player, a living legend and would probably buzz me high and tight if I didn’t put him in. Hornsby must be on the mountain based on sheer numbers and reputation. Pujols is my fourth. He may move up in the future. He may fall off compeltely… but I doubt it. Dude has some serious cred. Yes, I’m assuming he can maintain his legendary consistency for a few more years. I believe he’s already ahead of, in no certain order; Jack Buck, Lou Brock, Whitey H and Curt Flood (who wasn’t on your list so I added him).

First two in my book were automatics - Stan Musial and Jack Buck. No contest. I went with Albert No. 3, my only reservation was longevity. No. 4 was REALLY hard. I couldn’t choose between Bob Gibson and Lou Brock - they were just too close in my book. So I went with Rogers Hornsby to round out my Mt. Rushmore.
Great question!

I tried to pick the 4 who put the best possible face on cardinal baseball and meant a great deal locally and being an ambassador for the city. They would be Musial, Smith, Buck, and Busch.

Stan will always be The Man, Gibby is the best competitor and pitcher ever to wear a uniform, and Albert is a magnificent combination of baseball player and humanitarian. The fourth was tough but here’s my call: Jack Buck brought the game alive in the pre-TV era, and made Cardinal fans loyal with his talent even when the on-field product was less than stellar.

If we just discuss players then Hornsby, Musial and Gibson are carved in stone. Brock or Smith can be on for awhile but soon the dynamite will replace one of their likenesses with that of Pujols. I am always amazed how even sportswriters often overlook Hornsby. He is the only Cardinals’ player who merits much discussion when picking an all time starting nine. Most people don’t include him because they never saw him play. Its is a shame he did not play his entire career for the Cardinals.

If we consider non-players then Branch Rickey joins Hornsby and Musial with Pujols likely to replace Gibson one day.

Rickey’s development of the farm system and his part in breaking baseball’s color barrier earn him a spot on the all time baseball Mt. Rushmore for executives and other leaders.

Mt. Rushmore is for people no longer active.

My vote is for Musial, Gibson, Schoendienst and Ozzie Smith. Each brought something special to the game which engaged the fans and their teammates.

My vote is for Stan, Bob, Lou, and Ozzie. I don’t think Albert is there just yet, but in another 5 or 6 years he would replace either Lou or Ozzie.

jmho

An even 1,400 voters as I check in here. Excellent response. Excellent comments. Clearly the work can begin to chisel the likenesses of Musial and Gibson into the monument. Completely agree. For the other two spots, I would probably go with Red Schoendienst for longevity and excellence — Hall of Fame player and until recently the winningest manager in franchise history. And Jack Buck. He was the Johnny Appleseed of Cardinals Nation, spreading the words that took root and grew several generations of Cardinals fans.

As for Pujols: There is little doubt he belongs in the conversation and potentially on the cliff. But here’s a question to ponder and debate:

If he retired today, would Albert Pujols be a Hall of Famer?

Send your answers to PostCards@post-dispatch.com. I’ll feature the best answers in the next mailbag.

dg
-30-

Obviously a tough decision after each person has their immediate first 2 choices. For me those were Hornsby(If you are unsure of the case for Hornsby, take a look at his career numbers and incrediable years of batting prowess) and Musial(The Man!, ‘nough said). With this being the Cardinals Mt Rushmore and not Cardinal Players, it was fairly easy to go with Red over Kissell. Great point of views for both, with Red I see Player, Manager, Coach, All-Around Great Cardinal, with a winning history. Pujols is the only tough choice for me, due to playing time. If he continues on this path, having already done something in .300/30/100, never seen before, he will end up in the discussion for best player in history, plus what if he cont. to win Gold Gloves?
Love the discussion Derrick.

First off for the Rockies Mount Rushmore, wouldn’t you place Matt Holiday on there instead of Eric Young? I think he’s definitly deserving to be on there already.

For my votes I put Musial, Gibson, Brock and Jack Buck

If the Cardinals’ Mount Rushmore is based on importants and impact to the St. Louis Cardinals then I feel that “Robert William Patrick Broeg, Bob Broeg” should be added to the list. With his gift in writing and what he did for the team, Cardinals history, and for individual players he deserves it.

I am following the historical analogy perhaps too far. Therefore, I am voting for Albert to go in the Roosevelt spot. The only reason TDR got on Mt. Rushmore was he was president when it was bulit. S0, I think it is fair we put the current star of the Cardinals on the wall. Luckily, our current star really has a shot to be one of the best ever.

Pujols should be an automatic. True, he hasn’t sustained his greatness as long as Musial and Gibson did over the course of their career’s. But, when looking at where he currently ranks from a stat standpoint he clearly belongs with the Cardinal greats:

HRs: Pujols ranks second

Runs: 8th in the history of the orgnization.

RBI: 6th in the history of the orgnization

total bases: 6th

He is only going to continue to improve. Also, his case grows even stronger when you consider what a big part of the community he has been over the course of his career.

So, I think, Musial, Gibson, and Pujols are givens. The fourth spot is tough. Even though, possibly, I think Ozzie has had some votes taken away for not being involved in the community, I didn’t take that into consideration when voting. I only took into consieration what they did in their playing careers. I’ll go with Ozzie.

I laugh at the love for Whitey over TLR. TLR has already had much greater success than Whitey ever did in St. Louis. Sure, Whitey has been to one more World Series. But TLR has won the division an astounding 7 times and has made the NLCS 6 times. Ironically, two of TLR’s best managing jobs have been in seasons in which he didn’t even win the division. Most importantly, I watched Whitey’s teams absolutely tank on him in 3 different seasons; by contrast, TLR has never had a team tank on him in St. Louis. I sure hope that history appreciates TLR’s run in St. Louis a lot more than the local fans do.

I believe the first 2 are easy. 3 and 4 a bit tougher.
1. Stan Musial - One of all time greatest.

2. Albert Pujols - MVP worthy numbers in each of his 8 years in his career. Absolutely mind boggling statistics.

3. Jack Buck - Painted a picture of Cardinal baseball in the minds of Cardinal fans throughout the midwest for decades, during an era when most games were not on TV.

4. Gussie Busch - Shaped Cardinal Baseball for 30-40 years. Maybe Cardinals are not here, without him.

To me, leaving Gibson off the list is very difficult, but if I must only select 4…

Our Grandfather’s would SCREAM
Rogers Hornsby!
He absolutely has to be on Mount Cardinals.
What he did with a bat will never be done again.
Not by a Cardinal. Not by anybody.
Gibson and Musial are definites.
After that its a fight between Ozzie and Pujols.
Very fun poll.

The Cards owned the NL in the 40s…MUSIAL.
We toppled the Dodgers dynasty in the 60s…GIBSON.
In the 80s, Ozzie stole the show, but our hearts belonged to…WILLIE. Today, maybe he’s not a media favorite, but he’s the real deal…PUJOLS.
Every 20 years, a new face on the mountain.

Stan Musial is not even open to debate. Neither is Bob Gibson. The others for me are: Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith, Dizzy Dean, Albert Pujols, Tony LaRussa and Jack Buck. Only 4 so I settled for: Musial, Pujols, Gibson and Brock.

Jack Buck I believe should definately be the Teddy Rosevelt of the Mount.

Why isn’t Dizzy Dean on the list? Have we forgotten what a feat it is to win 30 games in a season?

My Cards Rushmore would be the original four players whose numbers were retired: Musial, Gibson, Dean, and Brock.

Hornsby doesn’t get enough respect on this poll because no one here saw him play. But go back and look at his numbers (multiple .400 hitting seasons, modern record .424 season, etc.), read his biography by Charles Alexander, and then remember that he quite-literally carried the Cardinals to their FIRST EVER World Series title. Now, how can you leave him off this list???

Stan is obvious, and Gibby’s the other clear choice for me.
As great as Albert is, he’s only played 8 seasons so I can’t quite put him on this list yet. That leaves Ozzie holding the fourth spot, at least for another 3-5 years.

Its gotta be Musial, Gibson, Pujols and Hornsby. Representations from 4 different eras of GREAT Cardinal baseball. Can’t go wrong with this group.

Stan, Gibby, and Albert dominated the game like no others at their positions or during their era so they have to be there. My 4th choice, Rogers Hornsby, also dominated the game in his era and brought us our first of the 10 World Series titles we enjoy. He was probably the greatest pure right handed hitter in the history of baseball and deserves to be recognized as the great Cardinal that he was.

Very interesting project, but I’m astonished that Jack Buck is not on the voting list.

Stan, Gibby and Albert are pretty much no-brainers. It’s hard to pull a fourth name from such a competitive list, but think big picture. Branch Rickey not only launched this franchise into elite status, he invented the minor league baseball system. In my mine he has to be included.

How does this list include Willie McGee and George Kissell over Dizzy Dean. I put Albert Pujols on Mt. Rushmore, but he really hasn’t earned it yet. Musial, Gibson, and Dean are the no brainers - they the argument is Hornsby, Brock, Buck, Pujols, or Smith?

I went with Ozzie, Gibby,Stan, and Hornsby
(it was close between Hornsby and Pujols…and as great as Pujols is now…Hornsby is one of the greatest and has been for a long time)

but I must say you HAVE to have DIzzy Dean on that list…and Enos..Boyer too!
if they are up on our outfield wall then they should at least get a shot at someone picking them.

Where does one START with a franchise as tradition-rich as the Cardinals? As with the real Mt. Rushmore, I didn’t consider any active players… although Mr. Pujols certainly deserves consideration as the best player in baseball today.

That said, my five candidates are:
1) Stan the Man (the franchise’s All-Time Great)
2) Bob Gibson (by a hair over Lou Brock to represent the ’60s)
3) Ozzie Smith (The face and glove of the “Whiteyball” era)
4) Dizzy Dean/Pepper Martin (Because HOW can one have a Cards’ “Mt. Rushmore” without a member of the Gas House Gang?)

And look at the players NOT on my Final Five… Hornsby! Frankie Frisch, the Fordham Flash! Red! Tee Moore! Sunny Jim! Big Jawn! Kenny Boyer! Simba! Willie McGee! Big Mac! The Cards have been blessed with colorful and capable players throughout their history.

As I type this, one vote separates Jack Buck — who is on the voting list, contrary to one of the comments — and Lou Brock. While I don’t think it’s necessary for every era of Cardinals history to be represented, I understand the theory. As the offseason progresses, I think that is the way to go about building an MLB Rushmore. Start by era and shave the list down to finalists throughout the ages …

I really believe this should be about a combination of - overall body of work and influence and involvement in the community. I believe Pujols will ultimately make his way on….but not just yet.

Musial
Red
Gibson
Ozzie

Schoendienst to me is Mr. Cardinal. The man has been part of the organization longer than I have been alive. Musial needs no explanation. Gibson and Ozzie brought a style of play that their respective eras had really never seen. There both icons in the city and nationally.

JMO

All of the above are nice tries, but lets deal in reality here. Obviously any Cardinals Mt. Rushmore must start and end with the following players: C. Rasmus, B. Anderson, C. Perez, and A. Garcia. Anything else would be a vast overstatement of other players value relative to these four studs of baseball.

Luv,
J Lunhow

What about George Kissell? His stamp has been on Cardinal teams for decades. I omitted Pujols because Rushmore is a history thing, and Pujols isn’t done writing his.

If overall impact on the St. Louis Cardinal legacy tops the criteria, Red Schoendienst must top the list. Musial is also automatic. As Cardinal players, Gibson, Brock, Hornsby, Pujols, and Smith are icons. Kissel, Rickey, Herzog, Buck, Mike Shannon, LaRussa, and Gussie Busch have all made tremendous contributions to the Birds on The Bat and generations of fans.

Gibson, Gibson, Gibson! They had to lower the mound because he was too good folks! The only player in any sport to have the game changed because they were so good. Did they raise the height of the basket and narrow the hoop for Michael Jordan? . . . . .NO Come on people, think on this one.

rather pointless discussion, if you ask me….

JJM97… No doubt, you also find life rather pointless. Try having a little fun. Some day you’ll look back and wonder “is that all there is?”

Given the iconic nature of Mt. Rushmore, I think two additional faces need to be carved into the Cardinals Mt. Rushmore, one for Tony LaRussa and one for Albert Pujols after he retires in the far distant future. However, for sheer impact on the game, although not to be added to Rushmore, a nod (a plaque?) should be somewhere to recognize Curt Flood. His impact on the game overshadows it to this day.

I have Gibby, Stan, Wiz, and Hombre.

Much like Rushmore, it represents changes in eras within Cardinal lore. Stan takes us through the 40’s to early 60’s, making way for Gibby’s 60’s and 70’s teams. Ozzie represents 80’s and 90’s Cardinals baseball more than anyone, and Pujols has clearly defined the Birds since 2000.

All those not playing are HOFers, with the 4th going when he’s good and ready.

I chose Stan, Gibby, Albert and Jack. I see some commenting that it should be players only; I can’t disagree more. Through the reach of KMOX, Jack Buck was responsible for bringing millions of fans into the Cardinals’ fold.

I know I will open a can of worms here, but I think McGwire belongs on the list. He might not make it to the mountain, but he should be one from which to choose.

By the way…sisyphean? As Shannon would say, “that’s not a word they’d use in the dugout.”

Thanks for the Greek mythology reference!

I love Albert. He’s fantastic. I’ll never see anyone like him again. But not yet. And if anyone is going from the 80s it should be Whitey.

I like this, this is different then the best players discussion. It transends just the play on the field.

I don’t understand how Jack Buck, a cornerstone of this franchises history, is not in the top four. His career spans the length of time most of these guys played. We still her his voice in loving memory to this day. He deserves to jump past Albert and Ozzie.

Rogers deserves to be higher to. He was our first star. He won batting titles. Hit he over .400 a few times. Ted Williams counted Rogers as his model for hitting. He played for and managed our first World Champion team in 26, tagging out Babe Ruth attempting to steal second. I know no one remembers him and the average fan knows little about him, but he deserves more respect and more acknowledgement.

This vote should be from a list of players only. The real Mount Rushmore is only Presidents, not a random collection of Presidents, Generals, Explorers and other such patriots.

Man - this is tough. Stan is easy. I have to include Jack as the steady voice all those years - good years and bad. Albert has the best 8 yrs ever to start a career and is an excellent role model. The last one I am torn between Rogers and Bob. I will go with Rogers because he was the first great Cardinal — without him, maybe the team moves out of StL before all the great traditions (of course, you could say the same about Branch Rickey).

Joe Medwick should have serious consideration. The last national league player to win the triple crown. Plus the Cardinals should not retire any more numbers until they retire #7 to honor Medwick.

If you are looking at who had the greatest impact on the game, then this monument can’t exclude Branch Rickey whose contributions to baseball as a whole can’t be underestemated.

Not much of a conversationalist, are you, JJM?

Jack Buck is the reason I love Cardinal baseball more than any player. It didn’t matter what era or team, you always knew Jack would be there to lead you through the game. He taught me baseball, burned it in to my mind. No one else on this list will have their coffin rest on the field for us to pay our respects. He didn’t hit .300 or win the Series or even shag a flyball. He didn’t have to, he was THE Cardinals.

I don’t see how you can leave out Dizzy Dean.

Hornsby, Brock, Musial, and Gibson with Dizzy Dean, Frankie Frisch, Pujols and Ozzie on the other side of the mountain.

Cardinal greatness begins with Rogers Hornsby. Then of course you have to include Stan, Bob, and Albert, IMHO.

This is great fun.

I choose The Man first. What he did during his playing career and has done since as an ambassador for Cardinal baseball.

Hornsby is my second choice. He is, in my mind, the best representative of the early years of Cardinal Baseball.

I grew up outside of the St. Louis area, my dad was in the service, and only came to a game once every few years. For me Jack Buck was the Cardinals. He made me like was in the stadium with the team and all the fans.

Finally, I voted for Pujols. Albert is the present and future of this team. For what he does both on and off the field.

My first Cards team was the late 60’s team and it pains me not to include Gibby and Sweet Loy. Can we have 6 images on our monument. Just because the original has 4, do we have to follow suit?

That’s a tough choice. You’ve got to pick Stan The Man and Jack Buck is a must as well. Pujols has to be in there and how can you pass up the manager with the most wins as a Cardinal, Tony La Russa?

Those are my picks.

This should have been a Players-Only list and this is how I voted. However, are we not lucky to have such a long list of players that could have been put on the voting list? Where are The Dean Brothers, Mike Shannon, Bill White, Bruce Sutter, Ken Boyer, Enos Slaughter…you get it.

Have to start with Musial. Gibson is the best Cardinal pitcher ever, Everyone wants to vote on players they have seen. Too many old time players are left out. Hornsby is one of the best players of all time, let alone Cardinal players. Buck is my 4th for what he brought to all Cardinal fans. If Albert does what he has done for the next 10 years he takes Buck’s spot.

Where’s Shannon, Carey and Fredbird? And what about a St. Louis Browns’ Mt. Rushmore? Let’s remember: from the fans’ standpoint, the Cardinals were the ugly step-sister to the Browns until the Cardinals won their first World Series. And I vote for Bill Veeck to go on that one — you know, “Veeck — as in Wreck.”

Definitely should be, in this order: Musial, Brock, Smith and Auggie.

I question the validity of a poll of which 3% of the voters left Stan Musial off their list. Were these Cub fans? Lou and Hornsby are left out because they were at one time members of the Chicago Cubs. My votes (Stan, Gibby, Albert and Ozzie) spent their entire careers with the Birds. Ozzie played for SD but I think while he played for them they were a minor league franchise (PCL).

Wouldn’t have made my top 4, but ol’ Diz probably should be on the ballot.

Mysterio6

Scratch that: I wrote “Brock,” but meant to write “Gibson.” Brock was a personal favorite, but doesn’t deserve to be up there. Oh, now that I think about it: Where the heck is Flood? Lest we forget what he went through for everyone playing the game today?

Musial, Pujols, Gibson, Hornsby

Best Card, best modern card, best Cards pitcher, and best 2nd baseman of all time.

I have seen a lot of suggestions for players and people who belong on the list. From Dizzy Dean to Enos Slaughter to others. Bing Devine was a tough call, for example. The one who does belong and, man did I wrestle with this until the very end, is Mike Shannon. I should have put a 16th name …

I think there needs to be strong consideration for a player named Curt Flood as well. Not only was he a great center fielder, he revolutionized baseball by giving up his career and suing Major League baseball to destroy the reserve clause. I think there is something to be said for standing up for principals and civil rights as well as being a great St. Louis Cardinal.

your menu of Cardinal greats has some glaring omissions: where is Dizzy Dean? where is Country Slaughter?

What about that fifth vote? Who would you put in “Ronald Reagan’s” spot?

I vote for Curt Flood in Reagan’s place…

First, Bringback1120 makes a good point about choices being limited to those whose playing days are over. However, Pujols’s numbers already eclipse those of some players’ entire careers. So, he gets my vote. Second, although no one can doubt the impact Jack Buck had on the Cards, I tend to think the four spots should be reserved for players, which leads to my third point. Not sure how we can leave Hornsby off. This was fun. Thanks.

HI
If I could i would have one of the best first basemen, Keith Hernandez
and the very best second basemen the cardinals ever had Fernando Vina.
He did some great stuff while he was in saint louis he won two gold gloves.
and then there is the best centerfirlder Jimmy Edmonds.
Why do people forgett
debbie henry

Whatthetlr… Never liked that nickname for Pujols. Look at his stance in the box. He looks like a puma about to pounce. Albert “The Cat” Pujols. Or “The Puma.”

I think that they all should be “former” players. Although I think that Pujols is one of the best current players, I cannot forget the fact that we once put a guy by the name of Garry Templeton on a All-Time Cardinal list while he was still active. We all know how proud he made us after that.

Just looked “puma” up in the dictionary. Maybe should be in the Spanish — El Quechua?

I’m for Musial, Gibson, Pujols and Hornsby. Hornsby is really underappreciated 2 MVP’s, on the 1st WS squad and a career average of 113/22/114 .358/.434/.577 - as a middle infielder. Maybe he is overlooked because he played only 11 years as a Redbird and went on to earn an MVP with the Cubs?

McGwire in the spot of Teddy Roosevelt. Both are overrated even though most people think they were great.

Scratch that. Misunderstood the dictionary entry. Quechua is a linguistic family. Duh! So “El Puma” it should be.

Hornsby, it should be noted, also managed the team to its first World Series championship. He returned in 1925 to replace Branch Rickey as manager, and in 1926 was there to put in Grover “Old Pete” Alexander and strike out Tony Lazzeri and so on and so on …

Maybe it would be “La Puma.” Sheesh. I don’t know. They waterboarded me in college to convince me to take Spanish. I’m going back to bed…

It’s hard to exclude Jack Buck, the man who connected us with almost every person on that list.

I think we have to wait on Pujols. He probably will be one of the best Cardinals ever (is certainly on pace to be), but his last chapters have yet to be written (see Mark McGwire).

Unfortunately, our memory’s unfair weight on the recent will keep us from truly appreciating what Hornsby, Slaughter, and other Cardinals accomplished in early Cardinal history.

EJ, I appreciate the effort.

1. Stan Musial — The best player the Cardinals ever produced.
2. Bob Gibson — The best pitcher, and most dominate force, the Cardinals have ever produced.
3. Jack Buck — Still the voice of the Cardinals for most of Cardinal nation.
4. August A. Busch, Jr. — With out him, we are talking about the Detroit Cardinals. The brewery and the ballclub are still linked 13 years after they sold the team.

Debbie… No way Edmonds makes it up there — nowhere close. Not compared to the other options. Now, if there were a Mt. Rushmore for Cardinals who swung for the fence when another player was on second base and we needed only one run to tie the game up… You know, when a simple single would likely drive in that run… Well, then Edmonds would get my first vote.

The fourth on the overall Mt. Rushmore for baseball should be Robinson.

Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, Jack Buck and Red Schoendienst…. not a pick because of popularity, but because they are all icons in St. Louis baseball.

I went with Stan & Bob, obviously, but went the other way with my 2 other picks. I went with Jack Buck and August A. Busch, Jr. The 2 other people, not on the field, that had arguably the longest/largest impact on ‘Cardinal Baseball’ (other than the late Mr. Kissell, that is).

I think McGwire needs to be on this list. His accomplishments may be in question but his profound impacts on the organization are irrefutable. The Cards started drawing 3 million a season when Mac was in town. Thus, raising revenue and leading to the ability to make long term deals for Rolen, Edmonds, Pujols, etc.. Also, Mac raised this club from a small market team into the national spotlight. Yes, he may have used steroids (emphasis on may because nothing is conclusive) but there is no doubt that the organization is not where it is today without Mark McGwire.

where’s dizzy dean?

Musial is the greatest Cardinal so far. That’s easy. Gibson is the greatest Cardinal pitcher ever. Still easy. Rickey was the greatest innovator in baseball history. He brought the minor leagues into the picture. Buck was the face/voice of the franchise for so long, it is hard to think of the Cardinals without thinking of him. It is difficult to leave off Brock and Hornsby.

I like the idea of having only players to vote on. On that note, I went with Musial, Gibson, Smith, and Pujols.

And, on the Rockies “Mt. Rushmore”, I would’ve taken Dante Bichette over Eric Young.

THEY SHOULD ADD MORE HEADS TO THIS RUSHMORE, BECAUSE THERE ARE LOT OF GREAT PLAYER’S. BUT FOR SURE IT WOULD BE STAN MUSIAL AND ALBERT PUJOLS….

Grant,

An interesting argument for McGwire. For the same reasons that, say, Barry Bonds would be on MLB’s Rushmore. He was the face of the game, the face of change, etc., etc. … and the mitigating circumstances are reasons FOR his inclusion, not the case for his exclusion.

dg

A major ommission from your list - “The Captain’ - Ken Boyer

Matty Mo! circa 2001. Great pitcher before his shoulder problems, and a really gutsy pitcher even after he started getting hurt.

For the post stating that TLR has more playoff appearances then Whitey. Please note - TLR managed in a THREE Division/Wild Card playoff - Whitey managed in a 2 division NO Wildcard and went to the WS every time they were in the playoffs. 3 for 3 - AND should have went in 81 with the best overall record in the east. In a 3 division system - Cards have won the Central with 88 - 83 wins - which would have gotten the 80 cards NOWHERE in the NL EAST (METS/PHILLIES). The Central has also been won since 94 with these number of wins
2007 - 85
2006 - 83
2003 - 88
1997 - 84
1996 - 88
1995 - 85

Stan and Gibby are no-brainers. Pujols will be there, but has to finish the second half of his career as he started it. I love Whitey and TLR, but can’t put a manager on Rushmore. Same logic applies to Jack Buck. So, which two players join 6 and 45 — Hornsby, Brock, or Ozzie? For now, give me Hornsby and Brock.

We could put Pete Rose up there after he’s passed away, which is exactly what is being done with the Hall of Fame. They’re not going to give it to Rose while he’s alive. And for what reason? Simply to give the guy no enjoyment from his inclusion while he’s still around. So they’ll wait until he’s dead. At this point, with MLB’s greater doping scandal, and the coaches and managers and owners and commissioner having looked the other way for so long, the Rose issue now strikes me as pretty petty. Pete should be in.

Note: I’m speaking of the national mount, BTW. Don’t want to be accused of being a birdbrain.

My four choices are Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, Jack Buck & George Kissell.

Musial and Gibson are locks. Though loyalties would want to include Pujols, I think there is still a few years before he is a lock as a All-Time Cardinal great.

Jack Buck and George Kissell are choices of the heart. So many Cardinal players and fans lives were touched by these two legends. Jack Buck is the epitome of the “true Cardinal fan”. There was never a doubt who his team was - Ever. George Kissell - what else is there to say? 69 years in the same organization. How many Cardinals made history under his tutelage? Too many to even phantom.

Say what you will about the rest of the list. But these 4 are the legends of Cardinals’ History.

I grew up in the ’60’s in rural SE Missouri where the only Cardinals baseball we knew came over the radio and out of the mouth of Jack Buck. Because he lived with every win and died with every loss, so did we. He taught us how to play by discussing the managers’ options on each play. I love the Cardinals and baseball in general because of him. He has to be on the Cardinals’ Rushmore.

How could Rogers Hornsby not be included. He probably makes the all time major league team.

So many worthty choices, so few spots. I selected people from different eras so as to give an historical perspective (Roger Hornsby, Stan Musial, Bob Gibson and Albert Pujols). It could be argued that I skipped an era by not including Ozzie, and he is deserving, but there are only four spots. Alas. I would skip owners, managers and broadcasters and focus on the men who played the game but that is only my opinion.

Featured Comment

If you had a Mount Rushmore for baseball and Barry Bonds’ head was one of those on it, you’d need a pretty big mountain. It might also have to be on a separate peak, since none of the others could stand to be that close to him.
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Actually, it would work out just fine if we could just find a big enough bag to stick over it. Then the others wouldn’t have to worry

I voted Musial, Gibson, Brock, and Ozzie. This is a great discussion piece, and I hope it reminds Cardinal fans of their amazing history. You could easily double this to eight slots and still be leaving someone off.

I voted Musial, Pujols, Gibson, and Buck. I just can’t bring myself to vote for a .262 career hitter that only scored 100 runs once or twice as a Cardinal, no matter how good his defense was. And, I wanted to get Buck in there. Brock is Brock, but I didn’t feel it.

Alright, he’s doing ok in the poll, but I have to stick up for Rogers Hornsby. I know he suffers from playing in the early 1900’s (I think he started in 1915); however, he is still arguably the best right handed hitter in baseball history. Throw in that he played a defensive position, second base, and I think he absolutely deserves a place right next to Stan on any Cardinals Mt. Rushmore.

I think that the best approach is first to try and settle on one iconic player to represent each of the Cardinal eras in which we have fielded championship teams. After this is done we can winnow down those players to four who typify the spirit and history of the Cardinals franchise.

For the first Cardinals championship I choose Rogers Hornsby. For his hitting, his courage, and his management he is one of the greatest players of all time.

For the Gashouse Gang I take Dizzy Dean. There is a good argument to be made that Pepper Martin actually contributed more on the field but Dizz is the iconic player from that era.

For the champions of the late 40s, early 50s you have to take Stan Musial over Enos Slaughter, Red Schoendienst and others. Again, one of the greatest players in the history of baseball.

For the champions of the 60s I take Bob Gibson over Brock, Flood, Boyer, McCarver and many others, again on the grounds that Gibson was one of the greatest pitchers of all time.

For the 80s I would pick Ozzie Smith, again the iconic player and one of the greatest shortstops ever to play, over Hernandez, McGee and others.

For the most recent championship I would select Pujols as the best player and glue that held together a team of over achievers.

For the final selection I would take the first four, Hornsby, Dean, Musial, and Gibson, on the grounds that their achievements have stood the test of time, while admitting that in St. Louis, with our 10 championships, a monument with four players cannot do the team justice.

Where’s Dizzy?

Musial, Gibson, Dizzy, Hornsby

I hate to leave Brock off this list, but there are so many great Cardinal names. He was my 5th choice.

I’m surprised that Dizzy Dean isn’t on this list? Certainly ahead of Southworth, McGee, and La Russa.

Really, we ought to annex another cliff face for the Gas House Gang alone. That would be a motley monument, but a worthy one. Put the whole Mudcat gang up there.

I think Ozzie Smith already has a Mt. Rushmore in his backyard…with him in all four poses.

OMG! This is the hardest poll I’ve ever seen! How can we even narrow it to 4! Its not Fair! Stan, Gibby, and Ozzie! Pujols based on projections will be the greatest, but he needs to win more than one championship! That would put him ahead of Ozzie! Ozzie Played in 3 world series! Just a little more mountain to climb for El Hombre(pencil him in)!

Stan
Gibby
Hornsby
Lou

I don’t understand the man love for the player I consider the most over rated Cardinal ever and the least deserving in the HOF….Ozzie Smith. He was a nice player but this adoration really confounds me. People must love back flips.
He’s also been a real punk since retiring

Too bad we can only have 4 faces on this Cardinals Rushmore. The Cardinals don’t win anything without Hornsby in the 20’s and 30’s. Nothing without Musial in the 40’s. They don’t get close two the two World Series Championships in the 60’s without Gibson and Brock. Without Ozzie the 82 World series is not even close, not to mention the 85 and 87 series teams.

Then how do you discount what Kissell, Busch, Buck and Herzog bring to the table. You could almost have a Cardinals Rushmore of just those 4.

What struck me about my choices though was that Dizzy Dean, Joe Medwick, Mark McGwire, and Joe Torre were not listed as choices. Anyway, I voted for Musial, Gibson, Smith, and Hornsby, but feel bad for leaving Brock and Buck off of it.

Go Cardinals!

Not sure I would vote for him anyway, but how does Mike Shannon not even make the ballot?

Branch Rickey has got to be on there. The work done by him and Sam Breadon put Cardinals baseball on the map. The team wouldn’t even have been able to stay in St. Louis and Cardinals baseball would have died in the 1920s. The man created the first farm system and assembled winning team after winning team for over a decade, including the legendary Gashouse Gang. Ricky and Breadon created Cardinals baseball and changed business in the baseball world with what they did through the 20s and 30s.

Not sure how Ozzie is beating out Lou. If there were 5 spots than Ozzie for sure. But c’mon we’re talking Lou Brock here. Vote people

I like a lot of these guys, but the list really skews toward recent history. I’m going with Musial (duh), Gibby (best pitcher), Rickey (the architect of the dynasty), and Hornsby (who got the Cards over the top with the first WS.

If he keeps it up another 3-4 years, I’ll put Pujols up there and drop Hornsby.

Musial and Gibson are, I think, givens. I don’t think you could have the Cardinals Rushmore without them. After that, there’s room for debate. I chose Ozzie, though he was never my favorite player, as a symbol of the great 1980s teams. And Red Schoendienst because of his long and strong tenure with the team and his obvious love of the franchise. You could make good arguments for Jack Buck certainly, and for Mark McGwire. Pujols will no doubt be up there one day, but I decided not to consider active players for now.

Red did it as a manager and as a player. Hard to overlook that.

No Rogers Hornsby? Career .358 average. Second best all-time behind Ty cobb. Wow

The first two are simple. Musial and Gibson. After that, there are a number of worthy candidates. Pujols, Hornsby, Smith, Jack Buck, Branch Rickey, Gussie Busch. If Pujols were 2 or 3 years further along in his career, he would be a mortal lock. From a purely statistical point of view, only Musial can be compared to him. In addition, it’s his team. He is the undisputed face of the franchise. RIckey can probably be excluded because, in spite of his importance to the franchise for 30 years after he left it, he is more famous for his time with the Dodgers. I don’t believe you can have this list of candidates without including Dizzy Dean. In spite of the fact that the prime of his career was essentially 4 1/2 years, he is in the hall of fame. He is the Sandy Koufax of his time. Again, during that period of time, he was the undisputed face of the franchise, and his legend endured for decades after his career was over. He might not make the final cut, but he certainly deserves to be on this list.
Thanks for doing this, it’s fun.

Mine would be a bit different and would include players that were favorites but not of the ilk of those on the list. Mine would be Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, Ken Boyer and Mike Shannon.

What is up no Dizzy Dean. And Branch Rickey only recieving 2% of votes, if it wasn.t for him there might not be a Cardinals team today. Lets read on some history here!

You should use only players for this. There ought to be a Rushmore for non-players. How can Red not get enough votes to be a top 4?

Where the hell is Harry Carrey (sp)?

While I think Ozzie and Jack Buck are close to the 4th spot, I went with Musial, Gibson, Pujols and Brock

Gibby, Stan and Albert were no brainers. The fourth was tougher. I went with Jack Buck over Rogers, Willie and Ozzie.

what about Ducky Joe Medwick, Frankie Fritsch, Pepper Martin, Dizzy Dean, Ken Boyer and other great early Cardinals. Your list is very incomplete.

Musial, Gibson, Brock and Hornsby are the all-time greatest Cardinals. Ozzie is a distant 5th. If Albert has another great ten years,he’ll supplant Hornsby as the Rajah did some of his best work for other teams. Owners, general managers, managers, sportswriters and broadcasters should have their own division. And I loved Jack Buck quite a bit, but think if he’s on the list, Harry Caray should be too.

IMO there should be a rushmore of players then a rushmore A of those who contributed to the game in ways other that actually playing. How do you seperate TLR and his success (as a Cardinal) without Pujols/Smith? The RedHead without Brock/Gibson.

Were the nonplaying contributors success due to the players they were surrounded with or would they have been as successful without those players???

How about a Blues Mt. Rushmore?

Federko, Hull, Sutter & Plager for me.

or another group of former, perhaps forgotten Blues….Jorgen Peterson, Rick Meagher, Bob Hess & Ed Stanowski! :))

With everything Curt Flood brough to the game both on and off the field, if he isn’t on the Rushmore Project you may as well take Washingotn or Lincoln off Mt. Rushmore. Dizzy and all the rest are worthy, but were way before my time so can’t honestly comment other than they are all signifigant in the rich Cardinal history. The four most reflective on any such project would have to be Stan, Gibby, Curt and Ozzie. Roger Marris may need to be in the equation too. And the memories of Jack and Harry on KMOK bringing the play by play to us on those hot summer evening are a memory that is as fresh as if it were yesterday.

I voted for Musial, Gibson, Pujols, and Hornsby. The first two are no-brainers and should be unanimous. The only hesitation on Pujols is that he’s not even halfway through his career, but otherwise he’s a no-brainer, too. Hornsby is in the same class, as one of the top 25 players in the history of BASEBALL, not just the Cardinals. But Rajah did not play his entire career with the Cards, so that would knock him down slightly on this particular poll.

Smith is somewhat overrated. Great fielder, great baserunner, light offense, weak arm the last half of his career.

Some names you should or could have included in your list, who would rank ahead of, say, McGee or Kissell: Dizzy Dean, Frankie Frisch, Enos Slaughter, Johnny Mize, Joe Medwick, Ted Simmons, Ken Boyer.

My Mount Rushmore for BASEBALL history would be Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Honus Wagner, and Walter Johnson.

The floor was open for any and all suggestions for omissions from the list of players above. Just like the conversation is open on who would be on the MLB Rushmore.

Jackie Robinson would be a given.

dg
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DG: “Jackie Robinson would be a given.” He would?? I would rate FRANK Robinson and BROOKS Robinson ahead of Jackie on my list of the best players at their position of all time. Don’t get me wrong, Jackie Robinson was an excellent player, but not in the top two or three at his position all-time.

The only way you can rank J. Robinson higher is if you factor in his breakthrough socio-political contribution. And I admire him tremendously for his courage and class in how he handled that. But strictly as a player, he does not rate in the top 50 all-time. I also think, contrary to Bud Selig, that Robinson’s number should be retired as a Dodger but not all across baseball.

If there were one number that should be retired across baseball (and I don’t think there should be), it would have to be #3, Babe Ruth, by far the greatest baseball player and sports icon of all time.

Jack Buck and Lou Brock get more votes than Hornsby? And St. Louis fans are supposed to by informed.

If you’re talking about men who shaped the franchise through its entire history, as Mount Rushmore is presidents who shaped the country, you have to include, if not focus on non-players. Branch Rickey created its first round of dramatic success in the 1930s, Musial was the key to the second round of success in the 1940s, Schoendienst & Kissell were key to the latter successes of the 1960s & a strong bridge to maintaining the “Cardinal Way” in the 1980s & beyond. You could make a strong argument for Jack Buck communicating the tradition to the fans. But most of the players of the 60s & beyond were beneficiaries of what the Legends created.

BG… Concerning a Blues Mt. Rushmore, how is it that you overlook Hall, Berenson and the Iron Man, Unger? You should do your research.

BG… Barclay Plager definitely deserves to be on the list. But I’d argue againt Sutter. I’d also argue against Hull, but that’s mainly because I don’t care for him. But, ultimately, I have to admit Hull deserves to be on the list. But then I’d go with Berenson. The fourth gets kind of dicey. Hall would be a good choice (and you can’t rule out Pronger), but ultimately I’d have to go with Unger. From a media standpoint, Unger brought the Blues a lot of press and attention. So, there it is: Plager, Hull, Hall and Unger.

Football Cardinals? Definitely Hart, Dierdorf… Gotta put Conrad up there, vampire fangs and all. The fourth? Probably Wehrli. But you could also argue Larry Wilson and Mel Gray with credence. But I’d stick with Wehrli. Metcalf would definitely be a scratch.

Correction to post on Blues’ Mt. Rushmore: Berenson, Plager, Unger and Hull.

I tried to pick a player from each generation…Stan, Gibson, Pujols…and that left me with the 4th…Hornsby, Gussie, Buck…it asks for a Cardinals Rushmore, not Cardinals players Rushmore, so Buck got the nod.By the way, who are the 3% that DID NOT pick Musial????

The Mount Rushmore of the Cardinals.

Mount Rushmore represented the best presidents at different stages of the United States History. Clearly the best stages of Cardinals history are those that show Championship winning teams lead by a legendary player. First Era of Cardinals baseball would show the icon Rogers Hornsby.

Now I know he ended his career with the Cubs, but if the Cardinals aren’t winning a world series, then we look and make sure the Cubs sure as heck aren’t. Rogers mission accomplished.

Next candidate, easy… Stan the Man. Do I need to present an explanation? The third head, Bob Gibson. Arguably the greatest pitcher baseball let alone the Cardinals has ever witnessed. Just imagine that one-two punch of Gibson and Steve Carlton.

And the last candidate was a really tough one. Lou Brock should go up there, McGwire or Edmonds could make a case, but I have to give the final noggin to Albert Pujols. Pujols WILL win his second MVP and gold glove, has won a championship with the Cardinals, and represents the Cardinals in as many ways on the field as off.

The easier task for Rushmore would obviously be the managers.

Surprising to see Hornsby so low on the list. Tough to choose only 4. Who forgot to add Medwick to the list? tsk tsk.

Why is Big Mac not on the list?