Through the past century of Cardinals history, a span that links the right-left MVP combo of Rogers Hornsby and Stan Musial to the golden gloves of Ozzie Smith and Yadier Molina, decades can be defined by duos, a pair of Redbirds as synonymous with the club as the ones on the jersey.
As cornerstones Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado begin a decade they can shape, the Post-Dispatch looked back at the most influential tandems in Cardinals history, sorting them by Wins Above Replacement, and selecting, decade by decade, the leaders or top position player and pitcher to illustrate an era by the two birds perched atop it together.
1920s
Record: 822-712 (.536)
NL Pennants/World Series titles:聽2/1 (1926)
Rogers Hornsby, INF (63.9) & Jim Bottomley, 1B (28.9)
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RBI king 鈥淪unny Jim鈥 supplied the first run, Hornsby applied the final tag of the World Series Game 7 upset vs. Yankees. A ferocious hitter, Hornsby won the 搁辞补谤颈苍鈥 20s Triple Crown.
1930s
Record: 868-665 (.566)
NL Pennants/World Series titles:聽3/2 (1931, 1934)
Dizzy Dean, RHP (39.9) & Joe Medwick, OF (39.0)
Gas House Gang wasn鈥檛 braggin鈥 if they could back it up, as Dean would say. Righty went 134-75 with 2.99 ERA and MVP for Cardinals. Plucky 鈥淒ucky鈥 Medwick won 鈥37 Triple Crown.
1940s
Record: 960-580 (.623)
NL Pennants/World Series titles:聽4/3 (1942, 1944, 1946)
Stan Musial, OF/1B (59.0) & Enos Slaughter, OF (34.3)
Setting the pace for the Swifties and their war-era dominance was The Man from Donora, Pa., who won three MVPs. Slaughter had 500 RBIs, .314 average and one mad dash in the 40s.
1950s
Record: 776-762 (.505)
NL Pennants/World Series titles: 0/0
Stan Musial, 1B/OF (59.9) & Red Schoendienst, 2B (25.5)
A squandered decade for the Cardinals as integration fueled the Dodgers鈥 rise while Musial hit .330/.421/.568 with 972 RBIs in his 30s in the '50s. His pal Red was a six-time All-Star in this era.
1960s
Record: 884-718 (.552)
NL Pennants/World Series titles:聽3/2 (1964, 1967)
Bob Gibson, RHP (54.2) & Curt Flood, OF (39.1)
Feared pitcher and fleet outfielder elevated the Cardinals back to prominence and radically changed baseball by decade鈥檚 end: Gibson off the mound and Flood as crusader for free agency.
1970s
Record: 800-813 (.496)
NL Pennants/World Series titles: 0/0
Ted Simmons, C (39.9) & Bob Gibson, RHP (26.0)
Famed battery now reunited in Cooperstown. Gibson started 1970s with second Cy Young. Simmons finished decade leading all catchers with .297 average, second in homers (151).
1980s
Record: 825-734 (.529)
NL Pennants/World Series titles:聽3/1 (1982)
Ozzie Smith, SS (46.2) & Willie McGee, OF (22.8)
Willie and The Wizard gave Whiteyball its substance and style聽鈥 Smith won every NL Gold Glove given to a shortstop in the 1980s, and McGee debuted in 鈥82, hits leader and MVP by 鈥85.
1990s
Record: 758-794 (.488)
NL Pennants/World Series titles: 0/0
Ray Lankford, OF (36.1) & Brian Jordan, OF (20.1)
A down decade with new ownership, new leadership and underrated outfielder. During rock-鈥榚m, sock-鈥榚m 1990s, Lankford was almost a renaissance talent (181 homers, 239 steals, .847 OPS).
2000s
Record: 913-706 (.564)
NL Pennants/World Series titles: 2/1 (2006)
Albert Pujols, 1B (73.8) & Jim Edmonds, OF (37.9)
Not since Musial had a hitter elevated the Cardinals like Pujols, who spotted the NL a year and still won 2000s Triple Crown. Edmonds鈥 arrival, power and panache catalyzed winning era ahead.
2010s
Record: 899-721 (.555)
NL Pennants/World Series titles:聽2/1 (2011)
Yadier Molina, C (31.9) & Adam Wainwright, RHP (23.6)
Influencers for generations to come聽鈥 catchers already mimic Yadi, starters aim to lead like Waino聽鈥 codified the modern Cardinal Rules with no losing seasons, five NLCS appearances.
