The St. Louis Cardinals Mount Rushmore
TOWER GROVE — After more than 8,500 votes, 173 comments, dozens of spin-off threads, a few lively exchanges over at the Facebook page, and the hours of one talented Post-Dispatch illustrator, it is time to unveil the monument that you helped chisel:
The St. Louis Cardinals Mount Rushmore.
Back during the limbo between playoff series, Bird Land asked the simple question: What four members from Cardinals’ history would you carve into a Mount Rushmore of the franchise? We called it The Rushmore Project. There were no rules, though some demanded that it be kept to players only. There were no guidelines as far as time served, though some insisted that Albert Pujols not yet being eligible for the Hall of Fame should mean he not yet be eligible for Mount Cardsmore as well.
From Stan Musial to George Kissell to Branch Rickey — there was only a list of 15 candidates and the invitation to write in more. Dizzy Dean and Mike Shannon, who should have been No. 16, gained the most write-in votes.
Tom Borgman, a designer and graphic illustrator at the P-D, took the results of the poll, and crafted a photo illustration of what the four winners would look like, blasted into the rock of Rushmore. As a Thanksgiving Weekend treat for Bird Land readers, here is the debut of Bird Land’s Cardsmore:
Fab Four: The St. Louis Cardinals Mount Rushmore (illustration by Tom Borgman)
A total of 8,552 people voted, at least check, on the Rushmore Project, and each of the four faces above received at least 40 percent of the vote. Three of the players featured above are Hall of Famers, and the third is well on his way after just winning the second MVP of his career. Musial, of course, led the way, with 8,274 votes, begging the question who were the 3 percent of voters who left him off? Bob Gibson received 7,728 votes (90 percent). In a show of strength from the current generation of Cards Nation, Pujols received 5,087 votes (59 percent), and Ozzie Smith received 3,523 votes (41 percent).
It can be argued that the Cardinals’ Rushmore above features the franchise’s best player, best pitcher, best hitter and best fielder — the four very definitions of the disciplines it takes to play baseball.
Hall of Famers Lou Brock (34 percent), Jack Buck (32 percent), Rogers Hornsby (21 percent) and Red Schoendienst (11 percent) completed the top eight.
The Real Rushmore (Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, Lincoln)
With the exception of Mr. Buck, players did the best in the poll, as many voters wrestled with the definition of who belongs on a Rushmore. The most comment approach suggested that only Presidents appear on the real Mount Rushmore, so only players should appear on the Cardinals Rushmore. There’s no Ben Franklin carved into South Dakota, so why should there be a Branch Rickey carved into the Cardinals? Rickey, who helped build the Cardinals from approving the Redbird logo to establishing a farm system to even encouraging the growth of The Knothole Gang, received 164 votes. George Kissell who coached generations of Cardinal received 150 votes. Current manager Tony La Russa received 193 votes, and former owner August A. Busch Jr. received the most of any non-player save Mr. Buck.
The bios of the four members of Cardsmore (from Washington to Lincoln):
After the press conference to introduce Pujols as this year’s National League MVP, several of us — including Maurice Drummond of Fox 2 and P-D columnist Bryan Burwell — sat in the media room and talked about how Pujols has clearly become the face of the franchise. That spawned the question of who is “Mr. Cardinal”? There are really only a handful of candidates. For his play and his personality and his presence still in the public eye, Musial is the obvious answer. Schoendienst has a claim because he still wears the uniform before home games, is a annual visitor and attraction at spring training and was both a Hall of Fame player and one of the franchise’s winningest managers. Now, it’s Pujols. On TV. In video games. Featured in ads. On the field.
The vote above probably gives us the answer.
It certainly identified the cardinal Cardinals.
Let the debate resume once the turkey settles.
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Derrick Goold said he was going to Mizzou for capital-J journalism, but after growing up in the Time Zone Baseball Forgot he was really drawn to MU sitting between two major-league cities. Goold joined the Post-Dispatch in 2001 after working for The Times-Picayune and Rocky Mountain News, covering sports from LSU to NHL and every level of baseball in between. 
I argue that there should be consideration for Curt Flood due to his influence on free agency and the way he played center field. Ted Simmons was the face of the cards in the seventies and a great catcher, not skilled defensively but made up for it by hitting, toughness and the way he handled his pitchers. Lou Broke broke Ty Cobb’s stolen base record until a speedy Vince Coleman came along. How about Ken Boyer, Joe Torre, Tim McCarver, Orlando Cepeda, Roger Maris, Bob Forsch, John Tudor, Matty Mo, etc. etc. The way I figure it, you need room for at least twenty faces on that mountain. Cardinals are so rich in history.
I love them all. Four Great picks. But it bothers me that Lou Brock is not up there. I don’t know if you bump Ozzie or Albert, probably Ozzie. Lou is St. Louis. He’s definitely one of the top four… probably number 3 after Stan the Man and Gibby. Difficult choices. Maybe we expand Rushmore to 5 faces??? GO CARDS!!!!
From Wikipedia: Hornsby is among the greatest hitters in baseball history. He is the greatest hitter who regularly played a position other than outfield or first base, and he is arguably history’s best right-handed hitter. He is the only player to win the National League Triple Crown twice. His career batting average of .358 is the highest in National League history, and also the highest in major league history for any right-handed hitter. His batting average for the 1924 season was .424, a mark that no player since has matched. The Baseball Hall of Fame elected Hornsby in 1942. He has also been given a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
Hornsby MUST be on the Rushmore Mountain….
joel
This was a great poll. It wasn’t a question of which players deserve to be etched in stone … they all do. All I can say is our Mt. Rushmore can beat the Cubbies Mt. Rushless any day of the week!
It’s sad to see the quality of baseball/Cardinal fans go down. Come on fellas, Ozzie Smith over Rogers Hornsby? Let’s go now, it’s a jokr right. The greatest right handed hitter ever, only guy to hit for the triple crown over a decade. Seriously, it’s embarassing. Hornsby’s the greatest player to ever wear a Cardinal uniform, you can argue that he wasn’t the greatest Cardinal ever, but player manager on the ‘26 team and his complete dominance easily puts him on this little Rushmore thing.
how is it possible that Stanley Frank Musial wasn’t named #1 on every ballot? only 8274 out of 8550? how soon we forget.
I think the fans got it about right based on the limitations. While Horsby is cetainly deserving, it’s hard to argue about Ozzie who, afterall, played in three World Series as a Cardinal while earning a ticket to the Hall of Fame.
What about Uecker!!!
Stan the Man is rightfully at the forefront, but many others from days of yore have been forgotten, and that’s a shame. And how about a VERY honorable mention of John Tudor, who may not have been a lifelong Cardinal, but as I recall pitched 10 complete-game shutouts for us in a single season, and took several other games as shutouts into extra innings. Rather remarkable, and memorable, I’d say. And how the hell did Whitey get lost in this hasty shuffle?
Joe Medwick is not on the list .His achievements are legendary.He is in the hall of fame.About 15 or 20 years ago the Post had a vote for the greatest cardinal starting line-up of all time .He was one of the outfielders. Also Ken Boyer was voted the best 3rd basemen was not on the list.If you want a person who succeeded in making the Cardinals a national team you have to name Harry Carey to the list.
Ozzie Smith over Hornsby? Over Brock? Over Red as a player AND manager?
Ozzie was a nice player and alot of fun to watch. However, IMO, Ozzie is the most over rated and undeserving HOF player ever. He might have a roadside marker in the foothills but he’d never make it to my Rushmore mountain.
Should be Hornsby, Musial, Brock, Gibson.
It is a shame that Lou Brock is not on that Mt next to Gibby. I think that to solve this problem, we simply go out and find another Mountain that will allow for the expansion of all past and future faces of Cardinal greats. You could call it Mt. BIRD LAND. Not only would all the Cardinals be on it who deserve to be on it, but the name would also give tribute to the PD sportswriter who established/authored the idea of the Mt. Of course if DG’s own humble humility declined such an honor it could simply be called “THE CARDINAL MOUNT”, “THE MOUNT OF CARDINALS” or Mt. CARDINAL. What do ya say DG…Mt. BIRD LAND???
How lucky Cardinal Fans have been-Musial for the 40’s & 50’s. Gibson for the 60’s & 70’s. Ozzie for the 80’s & 90’s. And now Albert. I’ve been so lucky to have been able to see all four of them play-I hope future generations have the same Cardinal fever that I have had my entire life.
Some of my most memorable times were with my father at Cardinal games-Stan’s last game (we all cried all the way to St Louis and all the way
home), 2nd game of the 64 Series,last game at Sportsman Park in 66, 66 All Star Game. Taking my son to the 85 Series 4th game (Tuuudooor), taking my
mother to the last game at Busch Stadium (she was at last game of Sportsman
Park, First Game at Busch Stadium and the last Game at Busch Stadium-she
wasn’t able to attend the first game at the new stadium, but I have gotten
her there for her Birthday both years). Thanks for the memories.
I think we are lucky enough to be in this situation. Hornsby should be up on the Cardinals Rushmore!!
I have no problem with three of the four… However, it’s really loaded with players that many of us has seen. It indicates, to me, that contemporary fans need to learn Cardinal history: Hornsby belongs there– with Gibby, Albert, and Stan the Man. I love Lou– but come on– No Rajah?
4 great choices. That’s who I voted for.. there’s a very strong case for Hornsby, but he played just under half of his career elsewhere. But if we were just choosing from that list regardless Hornsby would be in the top 2.
When it is all said and done Pujols will rival the all-time greats of the game: Ruth, Gherig, Musial, Hornsby, Mays, etc. Hopefully I’m around when it happens but the Cardinals can start picking out the spot where his statue will be placed for generations of Cardinal fans to admire.
What a bunch of whiners!! There were over 8500 votes!! Popular vote won so obviouslly more people feel this way then they do you way…Get over it!
Should have been Hornsby over Smith, no question about it. Hornsby is probably one of the top 25 players in the entire history of baseball, maybe top 15. Smith is a HOFer, but certainly not in the upper tier. I think Smith-over-Hornsby is the result of people who don’t know anything about baseball history and are impressed by back flips.
We Cardinals’ fans live in a fool’s paradise. What a wealth of choices! Rather than a Mt. Rushmore, we need something more like the Disney World Hall of Presidents, to provide enough spots for all the great Cardinal players. Leave Mt. Rushmore for the Cubs.
I agree with those who complained that Hornsby was left out of the top 4. Hornsby was probably the best player to ever play for the Cards, and he led the team to its first World Series Championship as both star player and manager. His absence shows that Cardinal fans lack knowledge of their favorite team’s history.
A reasonable top four might be Musial, Hornsby, Pujols and Gibson.
Pujols is great and will be a HOF’er wearing the STL cap. Brock should have been on the MT in his place though.
Really? The Wizard over Hornsby? While the 85 NLCS walkoff (more notably Buck’s instructions to, “go crazy, folks! Go crazy!”) still gives me chills, Hornsby deserves a spot on our imaginary monument. Musial naturally makes it, Gibson, of course (they had to lower the mound because of him!) Pujols smashes prominent and obscure records alike everytime the man comes in contact with a baseball. What is most troubling, is the fact that none of these articles make mention of Joe Medwick. C’mon people, ten time all-star, MVP, triple crown winner, and a .324 lifetime batting average…that, to me, also warrants a spot among our illustrious.
It’s interesting the four who made it are all still alive. I must agree, Hornsby should be in Roosevelt’s spot. Cool poll and deptiction though! Don’t know where I was during the balloting? - Probably still dazed from the most recent national poll results! I say start chiseling this into the outfield wall or maybe the depressed section on I-70. kudos!
I’m sure Pujols will eventually deserve to be up there, but it’s too early to include him.
Let’s do a St. Louis Browns Mt. Rushmore next! Definitely Bill Veeck deserves to be up there. It should have midget Eddie Gaedel growing out of Veeck’s abdomen — like the mutant, resistance leader Kuato in the movie “Total Recall.” I’d have to research three other candidates, though. Not yet up enough on my Browns’ history.
Just don’t understand how Jack Buck isn’t somewhere on that mountain. That said, I contend that Herzog would of been a perfect candidate for the rock as well. As an ole timer who frequents local cafe’s and barbershops, I find myself in respected discussions about the Cardinals, so I can tell you from experience wh is talked about both young and old. Stan the Man will be the face long afte he is gone for my generation, can’t replace him, Bob Gibson is discussed by todays youth still and they didn’t even get a chance ot see him, Mr. phat Albert will probably go down as a top 3 or 4 player in the history of baseball, leaving only Ozzie Smith as the lone candidate that could be replaced. In my opinion and apparantly my opinion wouldn’t mean much because the people have voted, but Buck and or Herzog belong there long before Ozzie does. With only spot left, I say Buck would be a better fit than Ozzie Smith.
Wow, only 4. I agree with those 4 and the top 8 for that. Mike Shannon should be higher. Also, Hornsby was probably the first Cardinal Superstar.
Since we’re being nitpicky here, why not put Chris von der Ahe, the founder and original owner of the team(from 1882-1898) up there? Or Branch Rickey?
I certainly can’t complain about these choices. I suppose my greatest surprise is that Red Schoendienst didn’t garner more votes, given his combination of credentials and lengthy tenure as a representative of the team…I guess his career has been forgotten, which is kind of a shame but nevertheless tends to happen. As far as the number of choices goes, I look at Mt. Rushmore and think that even today, there are only 44 total presidents to choose from, compared to about 30 when the selections were made for Mt. Rushmore, and even then, I suspect Teddy Roosevelt would have been an unlikely candidate for inclusion except for his then-recent presidency and the fact that he was from North Dakota, the sibling state of South Dakota where the mountain is located. Likewise, there will naturally be those who question the historical significance of Pujols and Smith, but that’s the way these things go. More pertinent in seeing that there were only about 30 presidents at that point, there have been probably 1500 Cardinal players in history, along with 100 or so significant non-players (executives, managers, coaches, journalists, etc.), so drawing four presidents from a field of 30 is far less limiting than drawing four representatives from a field (very roughly) estimated at 1600. Nevertheless, I think it’s an interesting discussion and am glad to hear the results.
The way I see it Ozzie should not be on this list. Hornsby is George Washinton, the beginning of the Cardinal Tradition. Musial is Jefferson, an original that achieved more for the team than Hornsby. Gibson is a ground breaker like Lincoln. Lincoln kept the nation united and in the process started the path to equality, Gibson radically altered the state of pitching in the game. Pujols is Teddy Roosevelt, an achieving statesman that is perhaps being honored before things have been fleshed out. Ozzie is great, but he doesn’t belong. And as we all have emotional attachment to the list of players Roger listed none of them belong either. We do have a rich history but those for spots are for the top of the list. Hornsby and Musial are musts. Then its either Lou or Gibson and Ozzie and Pujols. I don’t know about you but Pujols is over Ozzie. Lou and Gibby is a tough choice. But Flood, Simmons, Torre, Boyer McCarver, Cepeda, Maris, Forsch, Morris (its a real joke to list him), or my personal hero Willie don’t even come close to making this list.
I still feel it should have been like this
best player stan musial
best pitcher bob gibson
best manager whitey herzog
best owner august a busch
Albert will get his due when he retires
I think the Cardinals need to work more on promotions to honor the earlier history of the team. Ozzies Gold gloves are great. But how many times did Hornsby hit over .400? How many Triple Crowns did he win? Do people know that he played and managed our first World Championship team over Ruth/Gherigs Yankees? Do people know that Ted Williams based his theory of hitting off what he learned from Hornsby? That sounds a lot more impressive than some Gold Gloves, one walk off homer and a World Title over the Brewers. If we are the best fans in baseball the younger generations need a firm grasp of our complete history and not just Musial on. Medwick should be celebrated as well as Dizzy Dean and the rest of the Gas House. Fans 21 and younger probably don’t know what the Gas House is. I’m 28 and I know, its not that hard to learn. I’m shocked Bruce Sutter didn’t show up higher on the list with the recent HOF name recognition. We’re better than that. I implore the Cards to honor the teams and stars of the 20’s and 30’s in the next few years so younger fans can know. Knowing is half the battle.
>>Let’s do a St. Louis Browns Mt. Rushmore next!<<
George Sisler would be the Stan Musial of that group, i.e., the most obvious choice.
i always wonder what hornsby has to do to get some respect from cardinals nation. my god the guy is a titan among ballplayers. look at his stats. theyre absolutely freakish. the guy only batted a lifetime .358 with 3 seasons of batting .400 or better.to me there is no way ozzie belongs on the monument. i love the wizard. his homerun is my greatest memory of my childhood. but he’s not a mt rushmore type player.and if it isnt hornsby than it has to be medwick.
Agreed that Hornsby is underestimated by this, although his greatness as a player has to be set against his basic personal cussedness. I’d put him in place of Pujols, not because he’s the greater player (by the time all is said and done, El Hombre will be), but because this kind of honor is normally reserved for those who’ve left us, and we do NOT want AP making a premature departure from this team, let alone this vale of tears…
I think LaRussa should have been on it as well
Please stop with the fallacy abuse.
Great idea! Can’t really argue with the results except for Ozzie over Hornsby. I grew up in the 80s, skipped school to watch Ozzie hit the homer off of Neidenfuer, went to his Hall of Fame induction and loved to watch him play but … I also just went and looked up Hornsby’s stats (http://www.baseball-reference.com/h/hornsro01.shtml). Wow, that was a career! The best news is the Cards are so rich with tradition many, many hall of famers HAVE to get left off if you’re only allowed four. Proud to be a Cards fan.
It would be great if the P-D sold this Mount Cardsmore poster! I’d love to give it to some of my friends as a Christmas gift!
Isn’t it great we can have such a debate with the rich history of the Cardinals!
Could Cubs fans do this?LOL(Just kidding)
I think the choices are very appropriate. And they represent four generations of ballplayers. My grandfather watched Musial. Dad watched Gibby. I was a die-hard Ozzie fan. And my son is crazy about Albert. Great choices — although I think Buck at least deserves a plaque somewhere on the mountain.
The four Cardinals selected are each very interesting. Brock and Ozzie are certainly close. Ozzie is recognized as the best defensive shortstop ever by many people - and that alone justifies perhaps an edge over Brock. This doesn’t seem to be a slight on Brock however. His era is represented by Gibson.
To compare Ted Simmons to Albert Pujols is not a valid comparison. Pujols each year belongs in discussion as the leagues MVP and Ted was just a really good switch hitter, and not in the Hall of Fame. Albert is doing things no one else has done and compares favorably to the likes of Williams and Musial - He is in that kind of company.
It is interesting that no one from the 1926 - 1934 era is represented. It would be interesting to reconsider that era - and maybe we need a fifth? Rogers Hornsby anyone? Just a thought - but I respect we were to limit this to four men.
Brock is certainly a great piece of the Cardinals history. We can’t compare Simmons to Pujols - even if Simmons was my favorite as a child - Simmons and Brock.
Why no Joe Medwick on the list? I’m not saying he should have been one of the four selected, but he certainly should have been a candidate. DG, why was Joe left off?
All right! What enterprising person would like to carve these on the Bluffs next to the Piasa Bird?
There are no good reasons why Joe Medwick, Dizzy Dean or Mike Shannon were left off the initial poll. Nor was the poll advertised as infallible. I sought a cross-section of Cardinals history but left the door open for more discussion and suggestions.
Love that somebody dropped a little Logic 101 on us. Very erudite.
dg
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I don’t know how you create a pantheon of the greatest Cardinals that leaves off Red Schoendienst and Lou Brock. As much as I love the Wizard of Ozz (greatest defensive shortstop EVER who also hit one of the biggest homers in Cards post-season history), I’m not sure about him getting the nod over Red - arguably the greatest all-around second basemen ever (with better offensive stats than Ozzie). And he then managed the Cards for more than 10 years, including getting them to the Series. And Lou was just the best base stealer ever (yes, including Henderson who just cared about getting his numbers, not whether it helped his team, and also got gunned down a ton), who also racked up 3000 hits in the NL.
(Of course, having said all of this, how could you NOT have Ozzie up there? This thing needs six faces. (with space to add Dizzy)
This was probably one of the hardest to do. We as Cardinal fans have been blessed with one of the greatest franchises in pro sports and vice versa. I think it is still too early for Albert. Don’t get me wrong. I am a 48 year old man who gets chills when he steps to the plate and I have a ridiculous number of bobbleheads in different forms so my love for him as a player has no question. I only wish he would be more visible and vocal in the community. Noone will ever top The Man but he could come close and be that next Ozzie. So many great people to consider. Buck,Shannon,Red etc. Think about it. We’ve been spoiled.BUT there is no doubt we appreciate it.Look at our history.There’s nothing better than being a St. Louis Cardinals fan.
The Redhead surely wasn’t the greatest 2B ever, Kurt; Hornsby played second for most of his glory years with the Cardinals, and guys like Joe Morgan and Eddie Collins certainly were significantly greater as well. (You didn’t specify greatest “Cardinals” 2B, but even if you had, Hornsby must win that argument.) However, you’re right that Cardinal red blood has flowed in that man’s veins for an extraordinarily long time, and he’s arguably second only to Stan the Man in terms of just plain being loved by the fans and team alike. I’d definitely make room for his plaque somewhere in the foothills of Mount Cardsmore.
Not one Gas House member. Bummer!
William Maxwell
Any chance the PD could get these four guys together for a photo in the same order, while it’s still possible?