Full Description
The St. Louis Cardinals, despite winning more World Series than any Major League franchise except for the New York Yankees, have seen their share of dry spells when they were shut out of the postseason. Like the American economy, the Cardinals have seen their fortunes cycle through prolonged ups and downs, with booms in 1885-1888, 1926-1946, 1964-1968, 1982-1987 and 1996-2011, and busts in 1889-1925, 1947-1963, 1969-1981 and 1988-1995. Drawing on years of research, this book chronicles the Cardinals' periods of success and failure and explains the reasons behind them.
Contents
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Foreword by Jeffrey Kittel: Roots of Early St. Louis Ball-Playing
Preface
Introduction: St. Louis and the Midwest and the Frontier of MLB
1. The Cardinals' Family Robison
2. Branch Rickey, Sam Breadon and Creation of the Farm System
3. The Rajah's Redbirds of 1926
4. Managerial Merry-Go-Round
5. Rise and Decline of the Gas House Gang
6. St Louis Swifties
7. Slicing the Baloney Too Thin
8. Bing Devine Ends a Pennant Drought
9. El Birdos
10. Vern Rapp, Ken Boyer and Whitey Herzog
11. Exit Anheuser-Busch, Enter Tony La Russa
Epilogue: St. Louis Cardinals Baseball, 2012-2019
Appendix A: St. Louis Cardinals Baseball Franchise Records, 1882-2019
Appendix B: Single-Season and Career Leaders for Cardinal Franchise, 1882-2019
Appendix C: Noteworthy Achievements
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
