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5 Amazing Facts You Didn't Know About the St. Louis Cardinals

By Steven Kubitza

Several fun facts stand out when it comes to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Several fun facts stand out when it comes to the St. Louis Cardinals. / Eric Espada/Getty Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are a historic franchise dating back to the 1800s. Legends of baseball have passed through the organization and fans in the city have seen the team have success quite often. Yet there are some facts about the team that only some diehards may know. Let's take a look at five fun facts everyone should know about the historic Cardinals organization.

5. "The St. Louis Perfectos"

The St. Louis Cardinals had a different name in 1899.
The St. Louis Cardinals had a different name in 1899. / Mark Brown/Getty Images

The St. Louis Cardinals adopted their current name during the 1900 season. Before that, the team played a year as the Brown Stockings and several as the Browns. The best name in team history, howeever, came when St. Louis was known as the "Perfectos" during the 1899 season. The name is so legendary it was only used for one season, in which the team rebounded from a disastrous 39-111 year to go 84-67. That was quite the improvement for the Perfectos before becoming the Redbirds.

4. A Championship Tie

There was a tie in the 1885 MLB Championship Series.
There was a tie in the 1885 MLB Championship Series. / Jason Miller/Getty Images

The 1885 season saw the Browns win the pennant in the American Association and head to the "World's Championship" against the Chicago White Stockings. The series ended in a 3-3-1 disputed tie after Game 2 was a forfeited because St. Louis manager Charles Comiskey called his team off the field in protest. Ties in baseball just don't happen, and it is shocking to think a championship series ended without a true winner.

3. Success During World War II

St. Louis Cardinals legend and Baseball Hall of Famer Stan Musial
St. Louis Cardinals legend and Baseball Hall of Famer Stan Musial / Kidwiler Collection/Getty Images

A number of MLB players headed off to fight during World War II, but the league continued on, and the Cardinals had success while the fighting was going on. Stan Musial and St. Louis won the World Series in 1942 and 1944 and lost in the 1943 Fall Classic. After Stan the Man missed the '45 campaign to serve, in the Navy, the Cards also won the crown again in 1946 when the war was over and things like baseball could be back in the national spotlight once again.

2. All-Time Leader in Defensive WAR

Shortstop Ozzie Smith as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals
Shortstop Ozzie Smith as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals / BRIAN BAHR/Getty Images

Ozzie Smith is one of the legend's of the game due to his dazzling abilities on defense. The Hall of Famer joined the team in 1982 after starting his career in San Diego, and went on to set the all-time MLB record in defensive wins above replacement with a mark of 44.2. Next closest in defensive WAR is Baltimore Orioles great Mark Belanger with a mark of 39.5. The Wizard of Oz's defensive WAR of 35.2 specifically as a member of the Cardinals seems like an insurmountable record as well, as Yadier Molina is second with "only" a 25.0.

1. Retiring a Broadcaster's "Number"

Jack Buck was the voice of the Cardinals for decades.
Jack Buck was the voice of the Cardinals for decades. / Owen C. Shaw/Getty Images

Some absolute legends of the game have passed through St. Louis. One of the most famous didn't play on the field, but rather he was the voice of the team for decades. The franchise decided to honor the great Jack Buck by retiring his "number" in 2002, represented by a microphone. The Cardinals have a total of 15 retired numbers, with one being Jackie Robinson's No. 42 retired across the league. Buck was the voice of Cardinals baseball for multiple generations of fans, and remains a legend in the broadcasting game.