In a television special on FOX Sports Midwest last night, the St. Louis Cardinals announced that Chris Carpenter, Joe Torre, Terry Moore and Sam Breadon will be inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame presented by Edward Jones on Saturday, August 27, at FOX Sports Midwest Live! in Ballpark Village. This is the third induction class since the team dedicated the Cardinals Hall of Fame with an Inaugural Class on Opening Day in St. Louis in 2014. The 2016 Induction Class was selected via a formal process which includes fans, baseball experts and the team.
“I look forward each year to seeing who our fans and the Red Ribbon panel will elect into the Cardinals Hall of Fame,” said Bill DeWitt Jr., Cardinals Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “These are truly outstanding individuals whose achievements have earned them the honor of being permanently recognized in our Hall of Fame, along with some of the greatest names in Cardinals history. We look forward to celebrating the achievements of these remarkable men in August during Induction Weekend.”
The St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame was established as a way to recognize the exceptional careers and significant achievements of the greatest players in Cardinals history, as well as those who have made exceptional contributions to the organization. To be eligible, players must have played for the Cardinals for at least three seasons and must be retired as a player from Major League Baseball for at least three years. The eligible pool of players is divided into two categories, ‘modern players’ and ‘veteran players.’ If a player retired more than 40 years prior to the induction year, he is classified as a veteran player.
Each member of the Cardinals Hall of Fame is permanently enshrined in the new Cardinals Hall of Fame Gallery presented by Edward Jones that is located on the second floor of Cardinals Nation in Ballpark Village, just outside the entrance to the team’s new museum. The Hall of Fame Gallery is free and open to the public.
Chosen by the fans, Carpenter and Torre were the top two vote-getters in the online Cardinals Hall of Fame balloting presented by Edward Jones. The ballot, which also included Cardinals legends Keith Hernandez, Jason Isringhausen, Mark McGwire, Matt Morris, Edgar Renteria, and Scott Rolen, was selected by a Red Ribbon Panel of Cardinals baseball experts through a secret ballot process. More than 33,000 votes were cast by Cardinals fans over the six-week voting period.
In addition to nominating modern players for fan balloting, the Red Ribbon Panel of Cardinals baseball experts also elected legendary outfielder Terry Moore, a veteran player, for induction using a secret ballot process. Moore played for the Cardinals from 1935 through 1942, and again from 1946 through 1948. His three year gap away from the club was due to his service in the military during World War II. A career Cardinal, Moore won World Series Championships with the club in both 1942 and 1946.
Independent of the Red Ribbon Panel selection process, the Cardinals organization retains the right to annually induct an individual who has been an important figure in Cardinals history. This year’s selection is Sam Breadon, who served as President and majority owner of the Cardinals from 1920 through 1947. Under his ownership, Cardinals teams won nine National League pennants and six World Series Championships.
The 2016 Cardinals Induction Class will be formally enshrined at a ceremony on Saturday, August 27 during the 2016 Cardinals Hall of Fame Induction Weekend.
Following is a description of each Inductee’s career as a Cardinal:
Chris Carpenter (Modern Era Player – Fan Selection)
Years: 2004 – 2012 95-44, 3.07 ERA, 1085 K’s (2005 NL Cy Young Award)
Chris Carpenter played nine seasons with the Cardinals, won the 2005 Cy Young award and was selected as a National League All Star three times: 2005, 2006 and 2010. He made 18 starts for St. Louis during the postseason, including a start in Game 3 of the 2006 World Series vs. Detroit pitching 8.0 shutout innings, allowing no runs on three hits and striking out six. The game that solidifies Carpenter into Cardinals fans hearts may be Game 5 of the 2011 Division Series vs. Philadelphia when he pitched a complete-game, three-hit shutout, clinching the Division Series on the way to the team’s 11th World Championship. He was the National League Cy Young award winner in 2005 after a 21-5 season, and National League Comeback Player of the year in 2009. Carpenter’s .683 winning percentage ranks 2nd on the Cardinals franchise All-Time list and his 1085 strikeouts rank 4th All-Time. He is also the Cardinals All-Time postseason wins leader with 10 and innings pitched leader (108.0).
Joe Torre (Modern Era Player – Fan Selection)
Years: 1969 – 1974 .308 AVG, 98 HR, 558 RBI (1971 NL MVP)
Joe Torre played six seasons with the Cardinals at catcher, first base and third base from 1969-74. He was the 1971 MVP and a four-time All-Star while playing for St. Louis, being named to the team in 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973. Torre was named the National League MVP in 1971, after leading the league with a .363 batting average, 137 RBI and 230 hits. His 230 hits in ’71 were the most since Stan Musial had 230 in 1948 and still rank as the 4th highest single season total in franchise history. He posted a career batting average with the Cardinals of .308, ranking 9th in Cardinals franchise history. During his six seasons with the Cardinals, Torre had over 100 RBI three times and never had less than 149 hits or a batting average lower than .282.
Terry Moore (Veteran Era Player – Red Ribbon Panel Selection)
Years: 1935 – 1942, 1946 – 1948 .280 AVG, 80 HR, 513 RBI
Terry Moore played for the Cardinals from 1935 through 1942, and again from 1946 through 1948. His three year gap away from the club during the prime of his career was due to his military service during World War II. Known as “Captain” to his various Hall of Fame teammates, Moore manned centerfield for the 1942 and 1946 World Series Championship clubs. A career Cardinal, Moore was a four-time All-Star from 1939 to 1942 while ranking in the National League’s top ten in stolen bases six times, doubles three times and homeruns twice. Moore also finished in the top 20 of National League MVP voting in five of his eleven total seasons. After his playing career concluded, Moore continued to work in major league baseball as a coach with the Cardinals through the 1950s.
Sam Breadon (Organization Selection)
Years: 1917 – 1947
Sam Breadon became a minority investor in the St. Louis Cardinals team in 1917 and by 1920 was majority owner. He became club President in 1920 and, along with Branch Rickey, helped to develop the modern day farm system. Under Breadon’s leadership, he helped to turn the St. Louis Cardinals from a struggling team into the successful franchise it is today. The Cardinals won their first World Championship in 1926 over the New York Yankees, and he would see his clubs win nine National League pennants and six World Championships during his time as owner.
World Championships: 1926 (NY Yankees), 1931 (Philadelphia), 1934 (Detroit), 1942 (NY Yankees),
1944 (St. Louis Browns), 1946 (Boston)
National League Pennants: 1926, 1928, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1946
The Cardinals Hall of Fame Members
Jim Bottomley, Ken Boyer, Lou Brock, Jack Buck, August A. “Gussie” Busch Jr., Dizzy Dean, Jim Edmonds, Curt Flood, Bob Forsch, Frank Frisch, Bob Gibson, Chick Hafey, Jesse Haines, Whitey Herzog, Rogers Hornsby, George Kissell, Tony La Russa, Marty Marion, Willie McGee, Joe Medwick, Johnny Mize, Stan Musial, Branch Rickey, Red Schoendienst, Mike Shannon, Ted Simmons, Enos Slaughter, Ozzie Smith, Billy Southworth and Bruce Sutter.
The 2016 Cardinals Hall of Fame “Red Ribbon” Selection Panel
Tom Ackerman, Frank Cusumano, Derrick Goold, Whitey Herzog, Rick Hummel, Randy Karraker, Martin Kilcoyne, Jenifer Langosch, Tony La Russa, Bernie Miklasz, Joe Ostermeier, Rob Rains, Red Schoendienst and Brian Walton.
Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum (#CardsMuseum)
The 8,000 square foot St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum on the second floor of Cardinals Nation in Ballpark Village celebrates the rich history of baseball in St. Louis and the legacy of one of baseball’s most storied franchises. The Cardinals’ museum collection is the largest team-held collection in baseball and is second only to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in terms of size with over 22,000 memorabilia items and hundreds of thousands of archival photographs. Fans can learn more about the museum at cardinals.com/museum.
