St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 2014 |
|---|---|
| Location | St. Louis, Missouri |
| Type | Professional sports hall of fame |
| Visitors | n/a |
| Public transit access |  MCT Red Blue At Stadium station |
The St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum is a special place in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. It celebrates the amazing history of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. This museum honors the players, coaches, and other important people who made the Cardinals famous. You can find it inside St. Louis Ballpark Village, which is right next to Busch Stadium, where the Cardinals play their home games. So far, 53 people have been honored in the Cardinals Hall of Fame.
Contents
History of the Museum
The St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum wasn't always in its current spot. It first opened in downtown St. Louis in the same building as the International Bowling Museum. This was near both the old and new Busch Stadiums.
In 2008, the International Bowling Museum moved to Texas. Because of this, the Cardinals Hall of Fame also closed for a while. But the museum staff worked hard to design a brand new hall of fame. In 2014, the new museum opened in St. Louis Ballpark Village. It's now part of a bigger area that includes the Cardinal Nation Restaurant, making it a great place for fans to visit.
How Players Get Chosen
In 2014, the Cardinals' chairman, William DeWitt, Jr., announced a new way to choose who gets into the Hall of Fame each year. This process includes a group of baseball experts, a fan vote, and a special ceremony in the summer.
All former Cardinals who are already in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (in Cooperstown, New York) were automatically part of the first group inducted in 2014. Also, players whose jersey numbers were retired by the team were included.
To be chosen for the Cardinals Hall of Fame, a player must have played for the Cardinals for at least three seasons. They also need to have been retired from Major League Baseball for at least three years. Players are split into two groups: "modern players" and "veteran players." Veteran players are those who retired 40 or more years ago.
Each year, a special group called the "Red Ribbon" committee picks one veteran player to be inducted. They also choose 6 to 10 other players for fans to vote on. Fans can vote online on the Cardinals' official website. The two players with the most votes from fans get inducted. Sometimes, the team might also choose people who weren't players, like a coach, a broadcaster, or someone from the team's front office.
For each person chosen, the team creates a special plaque. These plaques are made by the same company that makes the plaques for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Each new member also gets a red jacket to wear at team events. In 2014, 26 people were inducted in the first group. Starting in 2021, only one modern player will be chosen each year.
Some players have been nominated but not yet inducted, like Joaquín Andújar and Steve Carlton. In 2023, David Freese received the most fan votes but decided not to accept his induction.
Cardinals Hall of Fame Inductees
| Bold | Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame |
|---|---|
 |
Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame as a Cardinal |
| Bold | Recipient of the Hall of Fame's Ford C. Frick Award |
Positions listed are those played for a full season with the Cardinals.
| Name | Years with Cardinals Franchise | Position(s) | Year Elected | Committee Selection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Bottomley |
1922–1932, 1939 | 1B, Broadcaster | 2014 | Inaugural |
| Ken Boyer | 1955–1965, 1971–1972, 1978–1980 | 3B, CF, Manager, Coach | 2014 | Inaugural |
| Sam Breadon | 1917–1947 | Owner | 2016 | Team |
| Harry Brecheen | 1940, 1943–1952 | Pitcher | 2018 | Red Ribbon |
| Lou Brock |
1964–1979 | LF | 2014 | Inaugural |
| Jack Buck | 1954–1959, 1961–2001 | Broadcaster | 2014 | Inaugural |
| Gussie Busch | 1953–1989 | Owner | 2014 | Inaugural |
| Chris Carpenter | 2004–2012 | Pitcher | 2016 | Fan |
| Vince Coleman | 1985–1990 | LF | 2018 | Fan |
| Charles Comiskey | 1882–1889, 1891 | 1B, Manager | 2022 | Team |
| Mort Cooper | 1938–1945 | Pitcher | 2019 | Red Ribbon |
| Dizzy Dean |
1930, 1932–1937, 1941–1946 | Pitcher, Broadcaster | 2014 | Inaugural |
| Jim Edmonds | 2000–2007, 2016–present | CF, Broadcaster | 2014 | Fan |
| Curt Flood | 1958–1969 | CF | 2015 | Red Ribbon |
| Bob Forsch | 1974–1988 | Pitcher | 2015 | Fan |
| Frankie Frisch |
1927–1938 | 2B, 3B, Manager | 2014 | Inaugural |
| Bob Gibson |
1959–1975, 1995 | Pitcher, Coach | 2014 | Inaugural |
| Chick Hafey |
1924–1931 | LF, RF | 2014 | Inaugural |
| Jesse Haines |
1920–1937 | Pitcher | 2014 | Inaugural |
| Keith Hernandez | 1974–1983 | 1B | 2021 | Fan |
| Tom Herr | 1979–1988 | 2B | 2020 | Fan |
| Whitey Herzog |
1980–1990 | Manager, General Manager | 2014 | Inaugural |
| Matt Holliday | 2009–2016 | LF | 2022 | Fan |
| Rogers Hornsby |
1915–1926, 1933 | 2B, 3B, SS, Manager | 2014 | Inaugural |
| Jason Isringhausen | 2002–2008 | Pitcher | 2019 | Fan |
| Julián Javier | 1960–1971 | 2B | 2022 | Red Ribbon |
| George Kissell | 1940–1942, 1946–2008 | Coach, Instructor, Scout | 2015 | Team |
| Max Lanier | 1938–1946, 1949–1951 | Pitcher | 2023 | Red Ribbon |
| Ray Lankford | 1990–2001, 2004 | LF, CF | 2018 | Fan |
| Tony La Russa |
1996–2011 | Manager | 2014 | Inaugural |
| Marty Marion | 1940–1951 | SS, Manager, Coach | 2014 | Red Ribbon |
| Pepper Martin | 1928, 1930–1940, 1944 | 3B, CF, RF | 2017 | Red Ribbon |
| Tim McCarver | 1959–1969, 1973–1974, 2014–2019 | C, 1B, Broadcaster | 2017 | Fan |
| Willie McGee | 1982–1990, 1996–1999, 2018–present | LF, CF, RF, Coach | 2014 | Fan |
| Mark McGwire | 1997–2001, 2010–2012 | 1B, Coach | 2017 | Fan |
| Joe Medwick |
1932–1940, 1947–1948 | LF | 2014 | Inaugural |
| Johnny Mize |
1936–1941 | 1B | 2014 | Inaugural |
| Terry Moore | 1935–1942, 1946–1952, 1956–1958 | CF, Coach | 2016 | Red Ribbon |
| Stan Musial |
1941–1944, 1946–1963, 1967 | 1B, LF, CF, RF, General Manager | 2014 | Inaugural |
| José Oquendo | 1986–1995, 1997–2015, 2018 | 2B, SS, Coach | 2023 | Team |
| Branch Rickey | 1919–1942 | Manager, General Manager, President | 2014 | Inaugural |
| Scott Rolen |
2002–2007 | 3B | 2019 | Fan |
| Red Schoendienst |
1945–1956, 1961–1976, 1979–1995 | 2B, LF, Manager, Coach | 2014 | Inaugural |
| Mike Shannon | 1962–1970, 1972–2021 | 3B, RF, Broadcaster | 2014 | Team |
| Ted Simmons |
1968–1980 | C, 1B | 2015 | Fan |
| Enos Slaughter |
1938–1942, 1946–1953 | LF, RF | 2014 | Inaugural |
| Ozzie Smith |
1982–1999 | SS, Broadcaster | 2014 | Inaugural |
| Billy Southworth |
1926–1927, 1929, 1940–1945 | RF, Manager | 2014 | Inaugural |
| Bruce Sutter |
1981–1984 | Pitcher | 2014 | Inaugural |
| Joe Torre | 1969–1974, 1990–1995 | C, 1B, 3B, Manager | 2016 | Fan |
| John Tudor | 1985–1988, 1990 | Pitcher | 2020 | Fan |
| Bill White | 1959–1965, 1969 | 1B, LF | 2020 | Red Ribbon |
Cool Stuff to See
The Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum has a huge collection of over 15,000 items and 80,000 photos! It's the second largest collection of baseball history, right after the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Inside the museum, you'll find many cool displays. You can learn about the Cardinals' old baseball fields, and even about other St. Louis teams like the St. Louis Browns and the Negro League's St. Louis Stars. There are exhibits on championship teams, how uniforms have changed, and even about current players.
You can also try fun, interactive activities. Imagine recording your own broadcast call of a famous Cardinals play! Or, you could even hold a real bat used by a Cardinals star from the past. The museum also has a special area that changes its display every season. Past exhibits have shown the history of the Cardinals' farm system, the life of legendary player Stan Musial, and items from the 2011 World Series team. On home game weekends, the museum often has extra events like autograph sessions with former players or special talks about unique items from their collection.
- Championship Memorabilia
- A baseball signed by the 1926 World Series-winning team. It even has an autograph from Babe Ruth, who played for the opposing New York Yankees!
- A 1931 World Series championship ring in its original green box. This ring was given to player Sparky Adams.
- A program from the only World Series ever played entirely in St. Louis. This was the 1944 World Series between the Cardinals and the Browns (who are now the Baltimore Orioles).
- The real Commissioner's Trophy awarded to the 1967 championship team. The Cardinals won this when they beat the Boston Red Sox.
See also
- List of St. Louis Cardinals in the Baseball Hall of Fame
- St. Louis Cardinals award winners and league leaders § St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame
- List of St. Louis Cardinals team records
- History of the St. Louis Cardinals: 1875–1919 • 1920–52 • 1953–89 • 1990–present
- National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
- Missouri Sports Hall of Fame
- Monument Park (Yankee Stadium) for a similar dedication by the New York Yankees to honor its achieved players.
