The Shelby Farmers were a minor league baseball team based in Shelby, North Carolina . From 1948 to 1952, the "Farmers" played exclusively as members of the Class D level Western Carolina League , winning the 1951 and 1952 league championships.
116-633: Preceding the Farmers, Shelby minor league teams played at members of the Class D level North Carolina State League (1937–1938), Tar Heel League (1939–1940) and the Tri-State League (1946), with Shelby teams serving as a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals (1937–1938), Washington Senators (1939–1940) and Chicago Cubs (1946). The Farmers were immediately succeeded by the 1953 and 1954 Shelby "Clippers" of
232-647: A Gold Glove -winning season) to replace Taveras. On June 16, 2015, the FBI and the Justice Department started an investigation on the Cardinals for possibly hacking the Houston Astros . The hacking incident was perpetrated by Scouting Director Chris Correa. For the first time since the 2007 – 2008 seasons , the Cardinals missed the playoffs in consecutive years, 2016 – 2017 . On July 14, 2018, following an 8–2 loss to
348-407: A battery , at 325 starts together going back to 2007. The previous record holding duo, Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan , had held the record since 1975. The Cardinals play their home games at Busch Stadium (also referred to as New Busch Stadium or Busch III ) in downtown St. Louis , straddling 7th and Clark near the intersection of Interstates 64 , 55 , and 44 . The stadium opened for
464-513: A 16–32 record when the Tar Heel League folded. The Clippers were managed by Harold Kollar, finishing 16.0 games behind the first place Hickory Rebels in the final standings of the partial season. Following the 1954 season, the Tar Heel League folded and did not return to play in 1955. Shelby next hosted minor league baseball in 1960 when the Shelby "Colonels" resumed minor league play as members of
580-469: A colorful cardboard arrangement featuring cardinal birds on a table in a Presbyterian church in Ferguson, Missouri , at which he was speaking. The arrangement's production was by a woman named Allie May Schmidt. Schmidt's father, a graphic designer , helped Rickey make the logo a familiar staple on Cardinals uniforms. While the team had been known as the Cardinals for over 20 years by then, this logo changed
696-490: A concert from their 360° Tour in 2011. Ballpark Village is a mixed-use development located across Clark Street from Busch Stadium. Phase 1 of the development, completed for the start of the 2014 season, includes entertainment venues, restaurants , and retail. Anchored by Cardinals Nation (which includes the Cardinals Hall of Fame , a two-story Cardinals-themed restaurant and rooftop seating for 300+ fans with views of
812-482: A heart attack at age 45. After playing the previous season with ten teams, the 1954 Tar Heel League began the season reduced to four teams; Shelby included. The Forest City Owls, Hickory Rebels, Marion Marauders and Shelby Clippers teams continued Tar Heel League play. Shelby became a minor league affiliate of the New York Giants. The Tar Heel League folded on June 21, 1954. The Shelby Clippers were in last place with
928-533: A history of animosity towards one another since the late 2000s as both teams often met frequently in the postseason. The Dodgers have not fared as well against the Cardinals in the postseason. In five prior postseason series matchups, the Cardinals have won four with the Dodgers winning only the 2009 NLDS and the 2021 National League Wild Card Game. The rivalry between the Cardinals and the New York Mets peaked during
1044-558: A record of 66–45, playing the season under manager George Silvey in both locations. Gastonia finished 9.0 games behind the Thomasville Tommies in the final regular season standings and qualified for the playoffs, where they were swept by the eventual champion Mooresville Moors in three games. Gastonia/Shelby Cardinal player Gene Nafie led the North Carolina State League both with 27 home runs and 120 runs scored, while
1160-650: A regular season record of 67–44 to place second in the regular season standings, playing under manager Coble. The Farmers ended the regular season 4.5 games behind the first place Morganton Aggies. In the Western Carolina League playoffs, Shelby defeated the Newton-Conover Twins 4 games to 2 to advance. In the Finals, the Shelby Farmers defeated Morganton Aggies 4 games to 3 in the seven-game series and claimed
1276-585: Is St. Louis' highest since the franchise joined the National League. Musial was considered the most consistent hitter of his era and most accomplished in team history, winning three MVPs and seven batting titles . St. Louis then won the 1946 World Series on Slaughter's Mad Dash in Game 7. Breadon was forced to sell the team in 1947 but won six World Series and nine NL pennants as Cardinals owner. They remained competitive, finishing .500 or better in thirteen of
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#17329017647191392-536: Is considered one of the most lopsided trades in Major League history, as St. Louis received outfielder Lou Brock from the Cubs for pitcher Ernie Broglio . MVP third baseman Ken Boyer and pitcher Bob Gibson led the club to a World Series win the same year and Curt Flood , Bill White , Curt Simmons , and Steve Carlton also made key contributions in this decade. In 1967 , new arrival Orlando Cepeda won
1508-547: Is generally considered to be the first year of existence for the franchise which would later become known as the St. Louis Cardinals. The next season , St. Louis shortened their name to the Browns . Soon thereafter they became the dominant team in the AA, as manager Charlie Comiskey guided St. Louis to four pennants in a row from 1885 to 1888 . Pitcher and outfielder Bob Caruthers led
1624-518: The 1985 World Series , which the Royals won 4–3, and which remains their only post-season meeting. Since interleague play began in 1997 , the Cardinals and Royals have met in four to six games each season, evenly split between the two cities. As of 2021, the Cardinals lead the overall series 71–50. The rivalry heated up in 2015, when both teams held the best records in their respective leagues when they opened each of their two series. The Royals advanced to
1740-538: The 2006 season at a cost of $ 411 million and holds a normal capacity of 46,861. The Cardinals finished their inaugural season in the new Busch Stadium by winning the 2006 World Series , the first team to do so since the New York Yankees in 1923. This open-air stadium emulates the HOK Sport (now Populous )-designed " retro-style " baseball-only parks built since the 1990s. The open panoramic perspective over
1856-597: The 2006 season , the Cardinals have played their home games at Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis. One of the nation's oldest and most successful professional baseball clubs, the Cardinals have won 11 World Series championships , the most of any NL team and second in MLB only to the New York Yankees . The team has won 19 National League pennants , third-most of any team behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants . St. Louis has also won 15 division titles in
1972-401: The 2011 World Series accommodated a baseball record of 47,399 by increasing the number of standing room only tickets. The attendance record for any sporting event is 48,263, in a 2013 association football (soccer) friendly match between Chelsea F.C. and Manchester City F.C. , made possible by on-field seating. The largest attendance (53,000) of any event at Busch belongs to U2 during
2088-493: The Cincinnati Reds , the St. Louis Cardinals announced they had dismissed manager Mike Matheny after 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 seasons. The team then named Mike Shildt interim manager, and he was made the permanent manager a month later. On November 19, 2018, the team announced that the "Victory Blue" uniforms, worn by the Cardinals during the late 1970s and 1980s, would be returning for the 2019 season. The uniforms, integrating
2204-603: The East and Central divisions. In 1881, entrepreneur Chris von der Ahe purchased the Brown Stockings barnstorming club, renamed it the St. Louis Browns , and made it a charter member of the American Association baseball league. The team won four league championships, qualifying them to play in the era's professional baseball championship series , a forerunner of the modern World Series . In two of these championships,
2320-567: The Gateway Arch , and a red "STL" wordmark, is placed on either sleeve. Caps are red and featured the aforementioned "STL" wordmark in white with navy blue trim. The team mascot is an anthropomorphic cardinal wearing the team's uniform named Fredbird . He is assisted by Team Fredbird , a group of eleven women who entertain fans from the field and on top of the dugouts. While unofficial, the Rally Squirrel became an unexpected phenomenon during
2436-480: The National League Central , and the rivalry faded soon after. The two teams would meet in the 2000 and 2006 National League Championship Series , briefly rekindling the rivalry. An investment group led by William DeWitt Jr. owns the St. Louis Cardinals, having bought the team from Anheuser-Busch (AB) in 1996. As with other periods of the Cardinals' transaction history, doubt loomed as to whether
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#17329017647192552-462: The Perfectos in 1899 would be the team's best finish between the AA era and Sam Breadon 's purchase of the team. As the "Perfectos", the team wore their jersey with a cardinal red trim and sock striping. Later that season, St. Louis Republic sportswriter Willie McHale included an account in a column of a female fan he heard remarking about the uniforms, "What a lovely shade of cardinal." Fans liked
2668-783: The Piedmont -region independent league, the Carolina League , and ran through 1953 when it combined with the Western Carolina League to form the Tar Heel League . St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis . The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central Division . Since
2784-799: The San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center in Texas. In April 1943, Staff Sergeant Coble was assigned to the Officer Candidate School in Miami Beach, Florida . He returned to San Antonio in July 1943 as a lieutenant and physical training instructor, and continued to play baseball at the Cadet Center, eventually becoming the manager of military baseball teams at Randolph Air Force Base in June 1945. Coble
2900-465: The Shelby High School teams in Shelby after his playing career ended. McKee died in his hometown of Shelby in 2014. The Shelby Farmers placed seventh in the 1949 Western Carolina League regular season standings. The Farmers ended the regular season with a record of 40–68, playing the season under managers Joe Borich, Harold Dedmon and Walt Dixon . Shelby ended the regular season 32.0 games behind
3016-463: The Texas Rangers later that game with a walk-off home run from Freese. After winning that Series, La Russa retired and became the only manager to do so after winning a title. He also finished with the most wins for managers in franchise history with 1,408. La Russa's successor, Mike Matheny , helped extend St. Louis' playoff run as he became the first manager in the division play era to guide
3132-895: The farm system , Rogers Hornsby 's two batting Triple Crowns , Dizzy Dean 's 30- win season in 1934, Stan Musial 's 17 MLB and 29 NL records, Bob Gibson 's 1.12 earned run average (ERA) in 1968, Whitey Herzog 's Whiteyball , Mark McGwire 's single-season home run record in 1998 , the 2011 championship team's unprecedented comebacks, and Albert Pujols ’ 700th home run . The Cardinals have won 105 or more games in four seasons and won 100 or more nine times. Cardinals players have won 21 league MVPs , four batting Triple Crowns, and three Cy Young Awards . Baseball Hall of Fame inductees include Lou Brock , Dizzy Dean , Bob Gibson , Whitey Herzog , Rogers Hornsby , Tony LaRussa , Joe Medwick , Stan Musial , Enos Slaughter , Branch Rickey , Red Schoendienst , Ozzie Smith , Ted Simmons , Bruce Sutter , and Scott Rolen . In 2018, Forbes valued
3248-484: The minor league farm system , filling the role of today's general manager . With Rogers Hornsby at second base, he claimed Triple Crowns in 1922 and 1925 , and the Cardinals won the 1926 World Series , their first. St. Louis then won the league in 1928 , 1930 , and 1931 and the 1931 World Series . The Gashouse Gang edition claimed the 1934 World Series and the Cardinals amassed new thresholds of popularity far outside St. Louis via radio, which led to
3364-470: The 1891 season and the Browns transferred to the National League. This time, the club entered an era of stark futility. Between 1892 and 1919 , St. Louis managed just five winning seasons, finished in last or next-to-last place sixteen times, and ended four seasons with 100 losses or more. The nadir was the 1897 season : a 29–102 record for a franchise-worst .221 winning percentage. St. Louis' 84–67 finish as
3480-489: The 1936 season as an eight-team league. In 1937, the Shelby "Cardinals" became charter members of the reformed the eight–team Class D level North Carolina State League . The Cooleemee Weavers , Landis Sens , Lexington Indians , Mooresville Moors , Newton-Conover Twins ( Cleveland Indians affiliate), Salisbury Bees ( Boston Bees affiliate) and Thomasville Chair Makers teams joined with Shelby in beginning league play on April 30, 1937. In their first season of play,
3596-421: The 1937 Shelby Cardinals played as a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals . In their first season of play the Cardinals advanced to the North Carolina State League finals. Shelby ended the 1937 regular season with a record of 55–52 to place fourth in the North Carolina State League regular season standings, qualifying for the playoffs under manager George Silvey. The Cardinals finished 18.0 games behind
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3712-519: The 1940 Tar Heel League remained with the original six teams, before the Washington Senators affiliated Shelby team folded during the season. On July 18, both the Shelby Colonels and the Newton-Conover Twins teams folded, leaving the Tar Heel League to complete the season with four teams. The Colonels ended their season with a 16–54 record, playing under managers Lou Haneles and Art Patchin as
3828-441: The 1953 Shelby Clippers at age 18. Brunet was signed by Detroit Tigers ' scout Cy Williams and received a $ 500 sighing bonus. "They gave me $ 500," Brunet said. "I bought a dining room set, a coat for my mother, and a night on the town." In an extensive career, Brunet would pitch for professional teams in the major leagues, minor leagues and Mexican leagues until 1989, when he was 54 years old, even continuing to pitch after suffering
3944-567: The 1980s when both teams contended for National League East supremacy. The rivalry began with the 1983 trade that brought Keith Hernandez from the Cardinals to the Mets, essentially turning the latter into contenders. Between 1985 and 1988, the division was dominated by either of the two teams, and in three of those years, the NL East winner went on to the World Series. In 1994, the Cardinals were moved to
4060-602: The 2011 postseason. Making its "debut" in Game 3 of the NLDS on October 4, a squirrel ran across home plate in the middle of a pitch from Roy Oswalt of the Phillies to the Cardinals' Skip Schumaker . The Cardinals would win Game 4 and subsequently Game 5 (October 7) in Philadelphia to advance to the NLCS, symbolizing the squirrel's "role" in the victory. The squirrel was popularized as "Buschie
4176-446: The 2013 season. The modified jersey, cream-colored with red trim on the sleeves and down the front, retains the "birds on the bat" but is the first since 1932 in which "St. Louis" is used instead of "Cardinals". 2013 also saw the team adopt their red caps as their main cap for both home and away games for the first time since 1991; the navy cap was retained as an alternate, used when visiting other teams with red home caps. Starting with
4292-463: The 2019 season, the Cardinals have worn updated powder blue alternate uniforms during Saturday road games. Like the Saturday home cream alternates, it features red piping and "St. Louis" below the "birds on the bat" logo. In 2020, the Cardinals introduced a slightly updated version of their " StL " cap logo, which was "soft launched" in 2019 via their social media accounts and game broadcasts. In 2023,
4408-469: The 2021 season, the Cardinals added a new helmet to match their home Sunday alternate caps. The new birds on the bat design was modified again the next year, with yellow beaks and white eyes replacing the red beaks and yellow eyes of the 1998 version. Uniform numbers also returned to the front of the jerseys in 1999 after a two-year absence. On November 16, 2012, the Cardinals unveiled a new alternate uniform to be worn at home games on Saturdays beginning with
4524-647: The Browns met the Chicago White Stockings, now the Chicago Cubs , launching the enduring Cardinals–Cubs rivalry . In 1892, the Browns – also called the Perfectos – joined the National League . In 1900, the team was renamed the Cardinals . (Two years later, an unrelated St. Louis Browns team joined the American League .) Notable Cardinals achievements include manager/owner Branch Rickey 's invention of
4640-471: The Cardinals abandoned Robison Field and returned to the original Sportsman's Park and became tenants of their American League rivals, the St. Louis Browns . In 1953, the Anheuser-Busch Brewery purchased the Cardinals and the new owner subsequently also purchased Sportsman's Park from the Browns and renamed it Busch Stadium, later becoming Busch I. The Browns then left St. Louis for Baltimore after
4756-744: The Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs . The rivalry is also known as the Downstate Illinois rivalry or the I-55 Series (in earlier years as the Route 66 Series ) as both cities are located along Interstate 55 (which itself succeeded the famous U.S. Route 66 ). The Cubs lead the series 1,253–1,196, through October 2021, while the Cardinals lead in National League pennants with 19 against the Cubs' 17. The Cubs have won 11 of those pennants in Major League Baseball's Modern Era (1901–present), while all 19 of
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4872-546: The Cardinals at $ 1.9 billion, the 7th-highest among MLB clubs and far more than the $ 147 million paid in 1995 by owner William DeWitt Jr. 's investment group. In 2017, the team took in revenue of $ 319 million on an operating income of $ 40.0 million. John Mozeliak is the President of Baseball Operations, Mike Girsch is the general manager , and Oliver Marmol is the manager . The Cardinals are renowned for their strong fan support: despite being in one of
4988-414: The Cardinals changed their caps to solid blue with a red " StL ", removing the red bill. Also, for that season only, the Cardinals wore a script "Cardinals" wordmark on their uniforms excluding the "birds on the bat". An updated version of the "birds on the bat" logo returned in 1957 with the word "Cardinals" written in cursive beneath the bat; this logo, with some incremental changes along the way, has been
5104-468: The Cardinals failed to repeat as World Series champions, blowing a 3–1 lead to the underdog Detroit Tigers . In the 1970s, catcher/third baseman Joe Torre and first baseman Keith Hernandez each won MVPs, but the team's best finishes were second place and 90 wins . The team found their way back to the World Series three times in the 1980s, starting with manager Whitey Herzog and his Whiteyball style of play and another trade that altered course of
5220-438: The Cardinals finished second among MLB franchises in home game attendance, surpassed only by the Los Angeles Dodgers each season. The Cardinals since 1987 , have surpassed 3 million in 25 years, with the 25th season on September 18, 2023 . The Cardinals have had few logos throughout their history, although those logos have evolved over time. The first logo associated with the Cardinals was an interlocking "SL" that appeared on
5336-401: The Cardinals introduced Stifel as its first uniform sponsor. The Stifel patch, which has red letters with the background color corresponding to the team's uniform, is placed on either sleeve depending on a player's handedness. In 2024, the Cardinals unveiled their City Connect uniform. The red-based uniform with white pants maintained the trademark "birds on the bat" logo in front, but with
5452-680: The Cardinals to the NLCS and playoffs in his first two seasons. In 2014 , the Cardinals extended their NLCS streak to 4, with their 3–1 series victory over the Dodgers , in the NLDS . Ten days after being eliminated from the postseason by the San Francisco Giants , rookie outfielder Oscar Taveras was killed in a car accident while traveling to his hometown Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic . On November 17, they acquired Atlanta Braves right-fielder Jason Heyward (who had just come off
5568-519: The Cardinals' pennants have been won since 1926. The Cardinals also have an edge when it comes to World Series successes, having won 11 championships to the Cubs' 3. Games featuring the Cardinals and Cubs see numerous visiting fans in either Busch Stadium in St. Louis or Wrigley Field in Chicago. When the National League split into two and then three divisions, the Cardinals and Cubs remained together. This has added excitement to several pennant races over
5684-532: The Cardinals' player/manager George Silvey topped the league with 80 stolen bases. In 1939, the Shelby "Nationals" resumed minor league play after the Shelby franchise had relocated during the previous season. The Nationals resumed play as a minor league affiliate of the Washington Senators , while joining a newly formed league. The 1939 Shelby Nationals became charter members of the six-team, Class D level Tar Heel League, which contained three former members of
5800-546: The Cardinals. The Cardinals' first 28 seasons in the NL were a complete reversal of their stay in the AA – with a .406 winning percentage, they compiled 1,632 wins, 2,425 losses and 74 ties. St. Louis baseball commenced a renaissance : since 1926 the Cardinals have won eleven World Series and nineteen NL pennants. Breadon spurred this revival when he bought out the majority stake in 1920 and appointed Rickey as business manager, who expanded scouting, player development, and pioneered
5916-410: The Class D level Western Carolina League . The Shelby Farmers and Shelby minor league teams hosted their home minor league games at Veterans Stadium. Today, the ballpark is still in use, now known as "Veterans Field at Keeter Stadium," hosting high school and youth teams. Since 2011, Keeter Stadium annually has hosted the youth American Legion World Series. Collegiate baseball has also been played at
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#17329017647196032-670: The Farmers, winning two league championships. Coble was a former major league player, who had his baseball playing career interrupted by his service in the United States Army . In 1942, Coble had worked during the off season at the Army aviation training base under construction at Metcalfe, Mississippi . In April 1942, he entered service with the Army Air Force and was stationed at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi, before transferring to
6148-533: The Forest City Owls, Hickory Rebels ( Chicago Cubs affiliate), High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms , Lexington Indians , Lincolnton Cardinals, Marion Marauders, Mooresville Moors, Salisbury Rocots ( Boston Red Sox affiliate) and Statesville Blues teams in beginning Tar Heel League play on April 24, 1953. The Shelby franchise continued play in the 1953, and the Clippers finished the 1953 season in third place in
6264-502: The MVP, helping to propel St. Louis to the World Series . The Cardinals won the league the following year behind their Major League-leading 2.49 staff ERA in what was an all-round record-breaking season of pitching dominance . Posting a modern-day record low ERA of 1.12 and striking out a one-game World Series -record of 17, Gibson won both the MVP and Cy Young awards that year. However,
6380-557: The New York Giants while Mays played in the Negro Leagues . His son, Ed Montague, Jr. served as a major league umpire for 35 years (1974 to 2009), working 4,369 games. In their first season of league play, the Shelby Nationals qualified for the Tar Heel League playoffs. The Nationals ended the Tar Heel League regular season with a record of 50–59, placing fourth in the final regular season standings. Shelby finished 22.5 games behind
6496-423: The North Carolina State League. The Gastonia Cardinals, Hickory Rebels , Lenoir Indians , Newton-Conover Twins and Statesville Owls teams joined with Shelby in beginning league play on April 28, 1939. Ed Montague became the Shelby player/manager in 1939 at age 33. Montague had a four-year major league career and later became a scout. He is best known for scouting Baseball Hall of Fame member Willie Mays for
6612-591: The Rally Squirrel". As a tribute to the popularity of the squirrel, a small depiction of the Rally Squirrel is also included on the official World Series rings the team received. It shows up under the "STL" logo on the side of the ring. Fredbird sparked controversy in May 2015, when he was asked by a fan for a photograph and handed him a sign that said "Police Lives Matter". The team later claimed that Fredbird should not be involved in any political activity or social commentary. The Cardinals–Cubs rivalry refers to games between
6728-581: The Shelby Cubs. Ed Musial hit .333 for the season in 115 games. Roy Smalley Jr. played for the Shelby Cubs in 1946, hitting .219 in 30 games at age 20. Smalley would eventually become the Chicago Cubs' regular shortstop from 1948 through 1953. Smalley was replaced as the Cubs shortstop by Baseball Hall of Fame member Ernie Banks in 1954 when he was traded by the Cubs to the Milwaukee Braves . In 1947,
6844-485: The Shelby Farmers won the 1952 Western Carolina League championship, as the league reduced franchises and become a six-team league. After the league began the season with six teams, on August 3, 1951, the Morganton Aggies franchise folded, leaving five remaining teams. The Farmers had a final regular season record of 71–39 and ended the season in second place, while playing under returning manager Dave Coble. Shelby ended
6960-472: The Tar Heel League, who were a minor league affiliate of the New York Giants (1954). Overall, Shelby teams in the era qualified for six playoff appearances. Shelby hosted minor league games in the era at Veterans Park in Shelby. Shelby, North Carolina first hosted minor league baseball in 1936, when the Shelby "Cee-Cees" played the season as members of the independent Carolina League . The league played
7076-634: The Tri-State League continued play expanding to become an eight-team league, but without the Shelby franchise. Shelby, North Carolina next hosted league baseball play in 1948, when the Shelby "Farmers" became charter members of the newly formed eight–team Class D level Western Carolina League . The Forest City Owls , Hendersonville Skylarks , Lenoir Red Sox , Lincolnton Cardinals , Marion Marauders , Morganton Aggies and Newton-Conover Twins teams joined Shelby as charter members beginning league play on April 30, 1948. In their first season of play in
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#17329017647197192-447: The Western Carolina League batting championship. Farmer pitcher Joe Sheppard led the league with both 24 wins and a 2.31 ERA. In 1953, the Western Carolina League did not return to play. After the 1952 season, the Western Carolina League combined with the North Carolina State League to form the ten–team Class D level Tar Heel League , which played in the 1953 and 1954 seasons before folding. The renamed Shelby "Clippers" partnered with
7308-406: The World Series, where they faced and ultimately defeated the New York Mets , while the Cardinals lost in the NLDS. Had the Cardinals made it to the World Series, they would have faced the Royals in a rematch of 1985. Primarily a playoff rivalry; since 1892, The Cardinals and Dodgers have met 6 times in the postseason with 2 meetings in the NLCS won by the Cardinals. Both teams have recently grown
7424-424: The ballpark. Keeter Stadium is located at 230 East Dixon Boulevard in Shelby, North Carolina. North Carolina State League The North Carolina State League was a Class D level league in Minor League Baseball . The original version of the league played from 1913 to 1917 as the successor to the Carolina Association . The second version of the league was established in 1937 in part in order to compete with
7540-422: The brewery took control and hired Joe Torre to manage late in 1990 , then sold the team to an investment group led by William DeWitt Jr. in 1996 . Tony La Russa replaced Torre in the spring of 1996. In 1998, Mark McGwire competed with the Cubs' Sammy Sosa for a barrage of home runs in their pursuit of the single-season home run record . From 2000 to 2013 , the Cardinals reestablished their way to
7656-406: The championship in the eight-team league. Shelby had notable player performances that contributed to their championship season. Shelby's Henry Miller hit .387 to win the Western Carolina League batting title. Teammate Charles Ballard led the league with both 137 runs scored and 179 total hits. Edward Bass of Shelby had 157 RBI to lead the league. In their final season of Western Carolina League play,
7772-506: The club in St. Louis. In March 1996, AB sold the team for $ 147 million to a partnership headed by Southwest Bank's Drew Baur , Hanser and DeWitt Jr. Civic Center Redevelopment, a subsidiary of AB, held the parking garages and adjacent property and also transferred them to the Baur ownership group. Baur's group then sold the garages to another investment group, lowering the net franchise purchase price to about $ 100 million, about $ 10 million less than Financial World 's value of
7888-598: The coining of the term " Cardinal Nation ". Dizzy Dean led the Gang, winning the 1934 MVP , and leading the NL multiple times in wins , strikeouts , innings , complete games and shutouts . Johnny Mize and Joe Medwick emerged as two power threats, with Medwick claiming the last Triple Crown for a Cardinal in 1937 . In the 1940s, a golden era emerged as Rickey's farm system became laden with such talent as Marty Marion , Enos Slaughter , Mort Cooper , Walker Cooper , Stan Musial , Max Lanier , Whitey Kurowski , Red Schoendienst and Johnny Beazley . It
8004-431: The crew-neck collar became a V-neck. Another trend in baseball led the Cardinals to change their road uniforms from gray to light blue from 1976 to 1984; the player numbers were worn on the sleeves in 1979 and 1980. In 1992, the Cardinals returned to wearing traditional button-down shirts and pants with belts. That same year, they also brought back the all-navy cap with a red " StL ", which were last worn in 1964, for use on
8120-411: The field across the street), a 20,000 sq ft (1,900 m ) Budweiser Brew House, FOX Sports Midwest Live! and PBR , the $ 100 million phase 1 development of Ballpark Village is intended to be a gathering space throughout the year, not just during the baseball season. Busch Stadium is the Cardinals' fourth home ballpark and the third to bear that name. The Cardinals' original home ballpark
8236-413: The first place Gastonia Cardinals as Ed Montague served as the Shelby manager. In the first round of the four-team Tar Heel League playoffs, Gastonia defeated the Shelby Nationals three games to none en-route to winning the Tar Heel League championship. James Guinn of Shelby had 161 total hits to lead the Tar Heel league in that category. The team was renamed as the Shelby "Colonels" and continued play as
8352-546: The first place Mooresville Moors. In the four-team playoffs, Shelby defeated the Thomasville Chair Makers 3 games to 2 in the first round to advance. In the finals, Mooresville defeated the Shelby Cardinals 4 games to 3 to capture the 1937 North Carolina State League Championship. Floyd Beal of Shelby led the North Carolina State League with both 21 home runs and 107 RBI. Teammate Jack Angie scored 109 runs, most in
8468-439: The first place Newton-Conover Twins and did not qualify for the four-team post season playoffs. The Rutherford County Owls defeated the Morganton Aggies in the finals to win the championship. In 1950, the Shelby Farmers again placed seventh in the eight-team Western Carolina League final regular season standings. Managed by the returning Walt Dixon, Shelby ended the regular season with a record of 47–63 to finish 22.0 games behind
8584-492: The first place Newton-Conover Twins in the final regular standings. With their seventh place finish in the eight–team league, Shelby again missed the playoffs, won by the Lenoir Red Sox over Newton-Conover in the finals. Shelby pitcher Carl Brown led the Western Carolina League with 236 strikeouts. Prior to the 1951 season Dave Coble was hired as the Shelby manager replacing Walt Dixon. Coble would spend three seasons managing
8700-466: The following season. In 1920, the "SL" largely disappeared from the team's uniforms, and for the next 20 years the team wore caps that were white with red striping and a red bill. In 1922, the Cardinals wore uniforms for the first time that featured two cardinal birds perched on a baseball bat over the name "Cardinals" with the letter "C" of the word hooked over the bat. The concept of the birds originated after general manager Branch Rickey noticed
8816-536: The four-team playoffs in the six-team Tri-State League. The Cubs ended the 1946 season with a final regular season record of 59–81 to finish in fourth place, playing the season under manager Clyde McDowell and ending the regular season 34.5 games behind first place Charlotte. In the playoffs, Shelby lost in the first round as the eventual champion Charlotte Hornets defeated the Cubs 4 games to 2. In his first professional season at age 21, Edward Musial, younger brother of Baseball Hall of Fame member Stan Musial played for
8932-486: The franchise relocated during the season. On July 22, 1938, the Shelby Cardinals franchise of the eight-team, Class D level North Carolina State League relocated to Gastonia, North Carolina and became the Gastonia Cardinals . Shelby had a record of 19-22 at the time of the move and remained as a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals . The Shelby/Gastonia team ended the regular season in second place with
9048-599: The franchise: in 1982 , shortstop Garry Templeton was shipped to the Padres for fellow shortstop Ozzie Smith . Widely regarded as one of the best defensive players in history, Smith ranks first all-time among shortstops in Gold Glove Awards (13), All-Star games (15), assists (8,375), and double plays (1,590). St. Louis won the 1982 World Series from the Milwaukee Brewers that fall. The Cardinals again won
9164-509: The largest games-won deficit after 130 games (at 10.5) to upstage the Atlanta Braves on the final day for the wild card playoff berth. In Game 3 of the World Series , Pujols became just the third player to hit three home runs in a World Series game. In Game 6, third baseman David Freese and outfielder Lance Berkman each tied the score on the Cardinals' final strike—the first such occurrence in any game in MLB history—and St. Louis defeated
9280-474: The league in 1985 and 1987 . In the 1985 Series , they faced-off with cross-state rivals Kansas City Royals for the first time in a non-exhibition game, but they lost the series after a controversial call in Game 6; the 1987 series saw them face off against the Minnesota Twins , but could only win all three of their games played at home in the seven-game series. After Gussie Busch died in 1989 ,
9396-500: The league in ERA (2.07) and wins (40) in 1885 and finished in the top six in both in each of the following two seasons. He also led the AA in OBP (.448) and OPS (.974) in 1886 and finished fourth in batting average in 1886 (.334) and fifth in 1887 (.357). Outfielder Tip O'Neill won the first batting triple crown in franchise history in 1887 and the only one in AA history. By winning
9512-475: The league. Frank Crespi played for the Selby Cardinals in 1937 in his first professional season at age 19, hitting .314 with 11 home runs. Crespi became the St. Louis Cardinals starting second basemen and was a key contributor on the 1942 World Series champion Cardinals before being drafted into military service. drafted into the United States Army in early 1943, Crespi qualified for a deferment as he
9628-513: The military hospital. The, while Crespi was recuperating at the hospital, a nurse accidentally applied 100 times the appropriate quantity of boric acid to his bandages, causing severe burns on Crespi's leg, with the burns leaving him with a permanent limp. it was reported that a total of 23 operations were performed on Crespi's leg and he was unable to return to his playing career following his honorable military discharge. The Shelby Cardinals continued North Carolina State League play in 1938, before
9744-515: The moniker "Cardinals" and, the next year in 1900, popularity for the nickname induced an official change to Cardinals . In 1902 , an American League team moved from Milwaukee into St. Louis, renamed themselves the St. Louis Browns and built a new park on the site of the Cardinals' old stadium , striking a rivalry that lasted five decades. Breadon bought a minority interest in the Cardinals in 1917 and in 1919 Browns manager Branch Rickey joined
9860-404: The new league, the Shelby Farmers placed fifth in Western Carolina League regular season standings. Ending the regular season with a record of 54–55, the Farmers ended the season in a tie for fourth place with the Forest City Owls, who had a 55–56 record and both teams had .495 winning percentages. However, Shelby refused to play a playoff game to break the fourth-place tie and the final playoff spot
9976-467: The next season , St. Louis joined the National League as a charter member, finishing in third place at 45–19. George Bradley hurled the first no-hitter in Major League history . The NL expelled St. Louis from the league after 1877 due to a game-fixing scandal and the team went bankrupt. Without a league, they continued play as a semi-professional barnstorming team through 1881. The magnitudes of
10092-514: The next seventeen seasons, but fell short of winning the league or World Series until 1964 . In 1953 the Anheuser-Busch brewery bought the Cardinals and August "Gussie" Busch became team president, spurring the Browns' departure in 1953 to Baltimore to become the Orioles , and making the Cardinals the only major league club in town. More success followed in the 1960s, starting with what
10208-539: The outfield wall offers a remarkable view of St. Louis' downtown skyline featuring the distinctive Gateway Arch . A replica of the Eads Bridge spans the entrance to the park on the third base side, while the statue of Stan Musial stands in front of that entrance. Other statues at the corner of 8th and Clark include Hall of Famers Rogers Hornsby , Ozzie Smith , George Sisler , Cool Papa Bell , Bob Gibson , Jack Buck , and others. Due to increased demand, Game 7 of
10324-650: The pennant, the Browns played the NL pennant winner in a predecessor of the World Series . The Browns twice met the Chicago White Stockings—the predecessor to the Chicago Cubs — tying one in a heated dispute and winning the other , thus spurring the vigorous St. Louis-Chicago rivalry that ensues to this day. During the franchise's ten seasons in the AA, they compiled an all-time league-high of 780 wins and .639 winning percentage. They lost just 432 contests while tying 21 others. The AA went bankrupt after
10440-488: The perception from the color to the bird. The now-famous "birds on the bat" design initially appeared with the birds perched on a black bat and "Cardinals" in printed letters. An alternate version of this logo with "St. Louis" replacing "Cardinals" appeared in 1930 and was the primary logo in 1931 and 1932 before "Cardinals" returned. In 1940, the now-familiar " StL " logo was introduced on the team's caps. The interlocking " StL " has undergone several slight modifications over
10556-543: The powder blue color with the team's current "Saturday alternate" jersey design, were to be worn 13 times on the road during the 2019 season. The Cardinals acquired Paul Goldschmidt in a trade from the Arizona Diamondbacks on December 5, 2018. On September 14, 2022, long-time starting pitcher Adam Wainwright and catcher Yadier Molina set the NL/AL record for most starts as pitcher and catcher duo, also referred to as
10672-411: The purchaser would keep the team in St. Louis, due to the city's status as a "small market", which appears to handicap a club's competitiveness. Such was the case when Sam Breadon put the Cardinals up for sale in 1947: then-NL President Ford Frick proposed moving the Cardinals to Chicago . When AB placed the Cardinals for sale in 1995, they publicly expressed intention to find a buyer who would keep
10788-509: The red caps were the only cap worn by the team full-time. In 1967, the birds on the bat emblem on the jersey was again tweaked, making the birds more realistic and changing the position of their tails relative to the bat and this version remained on all Cardinals game jerseys through 1997. In 1971, following the trend in baseball at the time, the Cardinals replaced the traditional flannel front-button shirts and pants with belts with new pullover knit jerseys and beltless elastic waist pants. In 1973,
10904-517: The regular season just 0.5 games ahead of the second place Lincolnton Cardinals (72–39) as the Western Carolina League completed the 1952 season with five teams in the final standings. In the four-team playoffs, Shelby swept the Rutherford County Owls in four games to advance to the final. In the final, the Farmers defeated Lincolnton in a seven-game series to win the Western Carolina League championship. Charles Ballard of Shelby hit. 352 to win
11020-404: The reorganizations, following the 1877 and 1881 seasons, are such that the 1875–1877 and 1878–1881 Brown Stockings teams are not generally considered to share continuity as a franchise with the current St. Louis Cardinals. For the 1882 season , Chris von der Ahe purchased the team, reorganized it, and made it a founding member of the American Association (AA), a league to rival the NL. 1882
11136-423: The road only while wearing the same red and white cap for home games. In 1998, the "birds on the bat" was updated for the first time in 30 years with more detailed birds and bolder letters. That year, St. Louis introduced a cap featuring a single cardinal bird perched on a bat worn for Sunday home games only. Up until 2020, the alternate "bird" caps were paired with their primary " StL " red batting helmets, but in
11252-469: The script "The Lou" in white trimmed in navy blue instead of either the city or team name. "The Lou" paid homage to rapper Nelly , a St. Louis native who once coined the city's nickname on his 2000 single Country Grammar . Darker red wavy pinstripes were an allusion to the Mississippi River where St. Louis is situated. A red circular patch containing a yellow fleur-de-lis , a navy blue illustration of
11368-669: The season, becoming the Orioles. The Cardinals built Busch Memorial Stadium , or Busch II, in downtown St. Louis, opened it during the 1966 season and played there until 2005. It was built as the multi-purpose stadium home of both the baseball Cardinals and the NFL football Cardinals , who are now the Arizona Cardinals ; the NFL's Rams also played the first four games of their home schedule upon their arrival in St. Louis in 1995. The current Busch Stadium
11484-552: The sport's mid-level markets, they routinely see attendances among the league's highest, and are consistently among the top three in MLB in local television ratings. Through 2024, the Cardinals' all-time win-loss record is 11,285–10,402–152 (.520). Professional baseball began in St. Louis with the inception of the Brown Stockings in the National Association (NA) in 1875 . The NA folded following that season, and
11600-577: The team at the time $ 110 million. Current Cincinnati Reds owners Bob Castellini and brothers Thomas Williams and W. Joseph Williams Jr. each once owned a stake in the Cardinals dating back to the Baur-DeWitt group's purchase of the team. To allow their purchase of the Reds in 2005, the rest of the group bought out Castellini's and the Williams brothers' shares, totaling an estimated 13 percent. At that time,
11716-679: The team disbanded July 19. The Statesville Owls were the eventual league champion. In 1941, the Tar Heel League did not return to play with the onset of World War II . In 1946, Shelby returned to minor league play following World War II as members of the six-team Class B level Tri-State League . The Shelby "Cubs" played the season as a minor league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs . The Anderson A's New York Giants affiliate, Asheville Tourists ( Brooklyn Dodgers ), Charlotte Hornets (Washington Senators), Knoxville Smokies and Spartanburg Spartans ( St. Louis Browns ) teams joined Shelby in beginning league play on April 24, 1946. Shelby qualified for
11832-479: The team to a major-league best 105 wins and take the NL pennant . In 2006 , beset with injuries and inconsistency, they won the World Series , beating Detroit in five games to set an all-time record-low of 83 wins for a World Series winner. In 2009 , the Cardinals reached 10,000 wins, dating to when they first played in the American Association (AA). St. Louis returned to the playoffs in 2011 , first surmounting
11948-458: The team's caps and or sleeves as early as 1899 or 1900 (depending on the source). Those early uniforms usually featured the name "St. Louis" on white home and gray road uniforms which both had cardinal red accents. During an 1899 road trip to Chicago, a girl in the stands remarked, "Oh, isn't that a lovely shade of cardinal." The team, known as the Perfectos at the time, changed its name to Cardinals
12064-463: The team's logo since. In 1962, the Cardinals became the first National League team (and the second in all of Major League Baseball after the Chicago White Sox in 1960) to display players' names on the back of their jerseys. In 1964, while retaining their blue caps for road games, the Cardinals changed their home caps to all red with first a blue, than a white, interlocking " StL ". The next year,
12180-570: The ten–team Tar Heel League. Shelby ended the season with a record of 60–49, playing under returning manager Dave Coble. The Clippers finished 14.0 games behind the first place Marion Marauders in the final regular season standings. In the first round of the league playoffs, the Marion Marauders defeated Shelby 4 games to 2. Pitcher Jose Nakamura of Shelby led the Tar Heel with a 2.40 ERA. George Brunet made his professional debut pitching briefly for
12296-555: The top with ten playoff appearances, four NL pennants , two World Series titles and 1,274 regular season wins against 993 losses for a .560 winning percentage, leading the National League and second in MLB only to the New York Yankees . With the addition of Jim Edmonds , Albert Pujols , and Scott Rolen , the Cardinals featured three prominent sluggers and defenders nicknamed "MV3;" Pujols won three MVPs and hit .328 with 445 home runs in his Cardinals career. In 2004 , playoff stalwart Chris Carpenter 's 3.09 ERA and 15 wins helped power
12412-432: The years but has appeared on the team's caps every year since. The first appearance of the "STL" in 1940 coincided with the introduction of navy blue as a uniform color. From 1940 until 1955, the team wore navy blue caps with red bills and a red interlocking " StL " while the jerseys featured both cardinal red and navy blue accents. In 1951, the "birds on the bat" logo was changed to feature a yellow baseball bat. In 1956,
12528-484: The years. The Cardinals and Cubs have played each other once in the postseason, 2015 National League Division Series , which the Cubs won 3–1. The Cardinals have an interleague and intrastate rivalry with the Kansas City Royals , dubbed the "Show-Me Series" after the nickname of the team's home state, Missouri ; or the "I–70 Series" after the interstate highway that connects the cities. The teams first met in
12644-507: The youngest pitcher in the 20th century to throw a nine-inning complete-game victory. McKee later gave up pitching and switched to outfield , spending nine seasons in the minor Leagues through 1957, with a batting average of .287 and 115 home runs in 1,173 minor league games. McKee had been a star player as a youth in American Legion baseball in Shelby, playing with Smokey Burgess . McKee later helped coach American Legion youth teams and
12760-402: Was Sportsman's Park from 1882 to 1892 when they played in the American Association and were known as the Browns. In 1893 , the Browns moved to a new ballpark five blocks northwest of Sportsman's Park which would serve as their home from 1893 to 1920. The new park was originally called New Sportsman's Park but became more commonly referred to as Robison Field . Midway through the 1920 season,
12876-553: Was a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and named his son Rogers Hornsby McKee after his favorite Cardinals player. At Age 16, McKee had made his major league debut with the Philadelphia Phillies as a pitcher in 1942. On October 3, 1943, the last day of the season, McKee started the second game of a doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field and pitched a complete game , winning 11–3. At 17, McKee became
12992-494: Was awarded to Forest City. Playing the season under manager Rube Wilson, Shelby finished 14.5 games behind the first place Lincolnton Cardinals in the Western Carolina League regular season standings. Shelby did not participate in the playoffs won by the Lincolnton Cardinals, who defeated Newton-Conover in the final. Shelby native Roger McKee played for the 1948 Shelby Farmers, returning to play in his hometown. His father
13108-592: Was constructed partly atop the site of Busch Memorial Stadium. The Cardinals home field in spring training is Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida . They share the complex, which opened in 1998, with the Miami Marlins . Before moving to Jupiter, the Cardinals hosted spring training at Al Lang Field in St. Petersburg, Florida from 1937 to 1997. The Cardinals have exceeded the attendance total of 3 million every season from 2004 to 2019. Every season from 2013 to 2019,
13224-578: Was honorably discharged from his military service at the end of 1945 at age 33. Coble resumed his baseball career in the minor leagues as a manager of the 1946 Gadsden Pilots . Coble had managed the Tifton Blue Sox of the Georgia State League in 1950, prior to being hired by Shelby. After two consecutive seventh place finishes, the 1951 Shelby Farmers won the Class D level Western Carolina League championship under Dave Coble. Shelby finished with
13340-414: Was one of the most successful decades in franchise history with 960 wins and 580 losses for a winning percentage higher than any other Major League team at .623. With Billy Southworth managing, they won the World Series in 1942 and 1944 (in the only all-St. Louis series against the Browns ), and won 105 or more games each in 1942 , 1943 , and 1944 . Southworth's managerial winning percentage (.642)
13456-493: Was the sole supporter of his elderly mother. He refused the military deferment, saying, "I don't think I'm too good to fight for the things I've always enjoyed." While playing in an Army baseball game in Kansas during his service, Crespi suffered a compound fracture of his left leg. Soon afterwards, he broke the same leg during a training accident, and then broke the same leg a third time during an impromptu wheelchair race while in
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