TOWER GROVE — The first edition of this offseason’s PostCards mailbag begins with a favorite parlor game of the press box: Take the best player on the team. Put him on the trading block. Wonder just what it would take in return to make a deal happen. Stir and … Presto! Instant debate.

In the St. Louis Cardinals’ case, that’s Albert Pujols, the best hitter in the game, and a fine place to start when we peer…

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…

TOWER GROVE — This unfortunate news from St. Louis Cardinals media relations director Brian Bartow:

The St. Louis Cardinals organization was deeply saddened (Sunday) when it learned of the passing of Fred McAlister, the team’s long-time Scouting Director (1980-1993) who had most recently served as a Special Assignment Scout for the team. … McAlister was a part of the Cardinals’ organization since 1945, when he signed as a player out of high school. He played in…

Back in 2007, with the Cardinals fresh from the 10th World Series championship in team history, the Post-Dispatch, ahem, dispatched Gary Hairlson to Jupiter, Fla., to capture spring training on video and beam it back to the fans.

One morning, he caught up with the spring training fixture, the guru of fundamentals, George Kissell, whose death this week is being mourned across Cardinals Nation.

The following clip, is the interview Hairlson had with Kissell:

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