St. Louis Cardinals: 25 Greatest Big-Game Players in Franchise History

The Cardinals are the most successful franchise in the history of the National League as evidenced by their 11 World Series titles, second only to the New York Yankees in baseball history. 

The Cardinals have been blessed with many big time players who have helped bring home those 11 World Series trophies.  Here are the top 25 Best Big Game Players in Franchise History in no particular order:

Bob Gibson

Bob Gibson.  The name just instilled fear into opposing hitters.  Gibson owned the whole plate, and he let hitters know it. 

During the year of the pitcher in 1968, Gibson posted a paltry 1.12 ERA, and the guy pitched over 304 innings!  To go along with those numbers, Gibson led the league with 268 strikeouts.

Gibson owned the World Series in 1967 and 1968.  He pitched complete games in all three starts in 1967 and 1968 and struck out 92 batters in 81 innings pitched. 

While the Cards split World Series Championships during the 1967 and 1968 campaigns, without Gibby and his flame-throwing arm, the Cardinals would not have made the postseason.

Chris Carpenter

The above picture says it all.  When Carp takes the mound, especially in a game that has major implications, expect a dominant performance.  In three elimination games in 2011, Carpenter came up huge for the Cards. 

With everything on the line for a Cardinal postseason berth and needing some help, Carp took the mound in Houston and pitched a complete game shutout, striking out 11 Astros in the process.

Once the Cardinals got some help from the Phillies beating the Braves in game 162, the Cardinals slipped into the postseason.

In a game for the ages, Carpenter pitched an absolute gem in Game 5 of the NLDS against his buddy and fellow Cy Young Winner, Roy Halladay.  Carpenter again rose to the occasion by pitching a complete game 1-0 shutout against the Phillies.  This pitchers' duel ranks right up there with Game 7 of the 1991 World Series epic battle of John Smoltz and Jack Morris.

Finally, Carp took the ball on short rest in Game 7 of the 2011 World Series and pitched six strong innings in a 6-2 World Series-clinching win.

The guy loves the big stage and rose to the occasion in 2011.

Lance Berkman

The Big Puma delivered in a big way in 2011 for the Cardinals.  Not only did he win Comeback Player of the Year for the Cardinals, hit 31 home runs and bat .301, but he delivered one of the biggest hits in Cardinals history in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series. 

Down to what could have been the last strike of the season, Berkman delivered a single in the bottom of the 10th inning to tie the game and help set the stage for a teammate who also appears on this list in probably one of the greatest games in World Series history.

Berkman finished the 2011 World Series with a .423 batting average, but no hit was bigger than the single in Game 6.

Tim McCarver

While many in the baseball world may not appreciate Tim McCarver's analysis during his national baseball broadcasts, the guy was quite a catcher in his day.

The two-time All-Star, McCarver helped to pace the Cardinals at the plate in the 1964 World Series.  McCarver had a .478 batting average in a seven-game World Series championship over the Yankees.

Adam Wainwright

Adam Wainwright owned the postseason in 2006 as a rookie for the Cardinals in 2006 when he was called into duty to be the closer due to an injury to Jason Isringhausen.  Wainwright not only took the job and owned it, he also did not give up an earned run during the entire 2006 postseason while collecting four saves.

While it's six years later, many wonder how long it took Carlos Beltran to unbuckle his knees after Wainwright spun a curveball that had him looking at strike three and sent the Cardinals to the World Series.

David Freese

Mr. Freese broke out of an ice-cold slump in the middle of the NLDS against the Phillies and never looked back in the 2011 postseason.  Freese smacked the Brewers all over the park in the NLCS, posting a .545 batting average with three home runs.  That performance captured the 28-year old the MVP of the NLCS.

But Freese decided that wasn't enough and brought his hot hitting in the 2011 World Series.  Cardinals fans everywhere will remember Game 6 of the 2011 World Series for a variety of reasons.  It was truly one of the best World Series games in history.

It was a special moment for Cardinal fans when Freese stepped to the plate in the bottom of the 11th inning and took a 3-2 delivery from Mark Lowe and planted it into the center field grassy knoll. 

Not only did fans witness one of the greatest comebacks in postseason history, but they got to hear Joe Buck from Fox Sports give a tribute to his dad by saying, "We'll see you tomorrow night" as his father, Jack Buck, did when calling the 1991 World Series.

Oh, and by the way, Freese captured World Series MVP Honors as well.

Jim Edmonds

Jim Edmonds is one of the most beloved Cardinals in the last 20 years.  Not taking anything away from his over-the-shoulder, back-to-the-plate, wall-scaling grabs, many Cardinal fans will remember one swing Edmonds took in the 2004 NLCS against the Astros forever.

In the bottom of the 12th inning with one on and one out, Edmonds took Astros reliever Dan Miceli deep to send Cardinal nation home happy with a 6-4 win and propel them to Game 7, which they won to seal their first World Series appearance in over 20 years.

Stan Musial

Stan "The Man" Musial is a living legend in St. Louis and has a statue outside Busch Stadium symbolizing his greatness.  Musial was probably one of the best players in his generation and had a Hall of Fame career spent entirely with the Cardinals. 

He once hit five home runs in a double header.  He finished his career with a .331 average, 3630 hits and popped 475 homers.  But Stan also led the Cardinals to four World Series appearances in his career, with the Cards winning three times.

Musial's best series came in 1944 where he batted .304 in a six-game World Series victory against the crosstown St. Louis Browns.

Pepper Martin

It is in serious doubt that anyone reading this will know who Pepper Martin was, but the guy was a hard-nosed player back in the Gas House Gang era of Cardinals lore.  His Hall of Fame career finished with him batting just under the .300 mark.

During his time in St. Louis, Martin helped lead the Cardinals to two World Series championships in three tries.  His postseason stats speak for themselves.  He batted .418 in three World Series with an OPS of 1.103. In the 1931 World Series alone, he batted .500 in a seven-game victory over the Philadelphia Athletics.

Ozzie Smith

This was the man of my era in Cardinals history.  Ozzie captivated the hearts of Cardinal fans throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s.  The 15-time All-Star collected 13 Gold Gloves during his Hall of Fame career and helped lead the Cardinals to the postseason three times during the '80s.

But of all the great memories Smith created for Cardinal fans, the Game 5 bottom-of-the-ninth homer Ozzie plunked out against Tom Niedenfuer sent Cardinal Nation into a frenzy and cemented his legacy in St. Louis.  It was Smith's first left-handed home run of his career and couldn't have come at a better time.

Here's the video with Jack Buck's call.

Albert Pujols

While "El Hombre" officially left the building during the offseason, Albert Pujols is arguably the second best player in Cardinals history behind only Stan Musial. 

During his time in St. Louis, Pujols led the Cardinals to the playoffs eight times in eleven years.  During those playoff runs, the Cardinals played in the World Series three times and winning it all twice.

Albert put the Cardinals on his back during the postseason, posting a .330 batting average and smacking 18 home runs in 74 games.  Pujols put himself in a rare class this past postseason by mashing three home runs in a World Series game, joining the legendary Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as the only other players in history to accomplish the feat.

While his time as a Cardinal is complete, the fans of St. Louis will talk about Albert for generations to come.

Julian Javier

Julian Javier was a solid fixture on the Cardinals roster in the 1960s success of the St. Louis Cardinals.  A two-time All-Star second baseman, Javier seemed to light up during the postseason.  While he was only a .257 hitter during his career, Javier batted a combined .346 during the 1967 and 1968 World Series. 

Additionally, he hit 31-game winner Denny McLain very well during the Series, going 5-for-11 off him.

Will Clark

Many are wondering what in the heck Will Clark could be doing in this lineup of Big Game Players in Cardinals history, but the guy helped propel the Cardinals into the postseason in the 2000 season. 

Yes, this is the same Will Clark who got into a fist fight with Jose Oquendo and Ozzie Smith at second base back in his days with the Giants.

The Cardinals acquired Clark in the summer of 2000 to replace an injured Mark McGwire and lead them down the stretch.  Clark took the challenge and batted .345 with 12 home runs and 45 RBIs in 51 games. 

Clark's hot hitting continued into the postseason with him posting a .412 average in the NLCS.  It's too bad that he was one of the few who brought their bats to that NLCS as the Cardinals fell to the Mets four games to one.

Lonnie Smith

Lonnie Smith was a talented player who could have anchored the Cardinals outfield for years if not for the drug and alcohol issues that sent him packing from St. Louis. 

Smith was a perfect fit for the Whitey Ball era, using his speed to beat out hits by slapping the ball all around the artificial turf at Busch Stadium.

Smith led the NL with 120 runs scored in 1982 to go along with 68 stolen bases and a .307 batting average.  He was a key element in the Cardinals 1982 World Championship run, batting .321 in the Series and helping bring the title back to St. Louis for the first time in 15 years.

Lou Brock

Probably the best trade the Cardinals ever made was obtaining Lou Brock.  It was great for many reasons, but two of the best reasons is that Brock turned out to be a Hall of Famer and that the Cardinals acquired him from the Cubs.

Brock retired as the all-time stolen base king, a record later broken by Rickey Henderson.  He had 3023 hits and a lifetime .293 average.  But Brock turned it up an extra notch during the postseason.

Lou was instrumental in three World Series appearances by the Cardinals in the 1960s and posted a .391 average as the leadoff man during those series.

Danny Cox

Danny Cox sported the best mustache on the team during his time with the Cardinals, no question. But besides his talent for growing hair above his lip, Cox pitched extremely well in his first three postseason series for the Cards. 

His 1985 postseason performances set him up to pitch one of the Cardinals' biggest postseason games in 1987.  Facing a win-or-go-home game situation in the 1987 NLCS, Whitey Herzog turned to his 27-year-old right-hander to pitch the Cardinals into the World Series.

Cox delivered one of his finest performances, pitching a complete game shutout against Will Clark and the San Francisco Giants and sending the Cardinals to their third World Series in six seasons.

Jack Clark

It was a crying shame the way Jack Clark left St, Louis, but Cardinal fans will remember Jack "The Ripper" Clark for some big home runs during his time in a Cardinal uniform.

None of those home runs was bigger than his Game 6 blast in the 1985 NLCS against the Dodgers.  Clark's two-out, three-run home run gave the Cardinals a 7-5 victory and propelled them into the World Series.

One of the most memorable images of that home run is Dodgers' left fielder Pedro Guerrero throwing his glove down in disgust as soon as Clark uncorked the shot heard all the way back in St. Louis.

Rogers Hornsby

Largely regarded as one of the best second baseman in history, Rogers Hornsby put up some amazing numbers during his time as a St. Louis Cardinal. 

From 1920-1925, Hornsby had a .386 batting average, averaged 23 home runs and 112 RBIs.  During that stretch, Hornsby led the Cardinals to the 1926 World Series championship.

George Hendrick

George Hendrick supplied the power for the 1982 Cardinals.  He led the team with 19 home runs and 104 RBIs.  During his time in St. Louis, Hendrick won two Silver Slugger awards and received MVP votes from 1980-1983. 

Hendrick is often remembered for driving in the go-ahead run in Game 7 of the 1982 World Series with his RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Bob Forsch

Bob Forsch was a durable righty who was one of the core players that helped lead the Cardinals to three World Series appearances during the 1980s.  He pitched 233 innings for the 1982 squad that went on to win the World Series. 

Forsch helped lead the Cardinals through the 1982 NLCS sweep and set the tone of the Cardinals' postseason run that year by pitching a complete game shutout against the Atlanta Braves.

During his time in St. Louis, Forsch had a 20-win season, two Silver Slugger awards and threw two no-hitters.

Jim Bottomley

Jim Bottomley played the first 11 years of his Hall of Fame career with the St. Louis Cardinals.  During those 11 seasons, Bottomley posted a .325 batting average and averaged 16 home runs and 100 RBI's.  Also during that stretch, Bottomley was a key player in helping lead the Cardinals to four World Series appearances, winning the title twice.

Bottomley's best postseason came in 1926 when he paced the Cardinals with a .345 batting average, helping lead them to the World Series championship.

Dennis Eckersley

One of the key moves new Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa made in 1996 was bringing his closer with him from Oakland to St. Louis.  Dennis Eckersley was dominant in his time with the Oakland A's, helping them reach the World Series in three straight seasons from 1988-1990. 

Eck was known for his flare on the mound and stinginess in putting runners on base.  That trend followed him to St. Louis in 1996.  Eckersley led the Cardinals in saves with 30 that season.  But it was his postseason performance that year that led him to this list. 

Eckersley made six appearances that postseason and walked no one.  In the process, he racked up four saves. If the Cardinals starting staff hadn't gotten absolutely destroyed in the last three games of the NLCS that year, he would have most likely picked up a few more.

Billy Southworth

Once again dipping back to an earlier generation, Billy Southworth was a key player on the 1926 World Champion Cardinals team.  He batted .345 in the fall classic that year at the age of 33 as he rounded out his Hall of Fame career.

Willie McGee

Willie McGee was a staple in the Cardinals outfield in the 1980s.  He helped guide the team to three World Series appearances during his time in St. Louis.  McGee will be remembered for his long-neck, swing-at-anything approach at the plate and his Game 3 performance in the 1982 World Series.

McGee was a rookie center fielder for the Cardinals who fit in like many others on that team by using his speed to get on base by slapping balls all over the turf at Busch Stadium.  Not known for his power, McGee smacked two home runs and made an amazing wall-climbing catch in Game 3 of the 1982 World Series.

McGee went on to finish his career with a career .295 batting average and won two batting titles for the Cardinals (1985 and 1990) and an MVP (1985).

Dane Iorg

Again, readers will probably be wondering what Dane Iorg, a career utility man, would be doing on a list of many Hall of Fame players.  But Cardinal fans can't forget the performance Iorg delivered in the 1982 World Series.

Iorg delivered a spectacular performance in the 1982 World Series and was a key element to the Cardinals winning it all that year.  Iorg batted .529 and had 15 total bases in the five games he played in during the Series.  He had timely hits and an OPS of 1.412.

Not bad for a guy who was a career pinch hitter and late-inning defensive replacement.