Redbird Daily’s 100 Greatest Cardinals: #100 to #96

This series was originally published at the Redbird Daily, but is now proud to call Cards Conclave home. This installment was written by Allen Medlock.

If you haven’t, check out the Introductory Article to gain understanding of how these rankings were built. That article can be found by clicking here.

Incredibly proud to kick-off this awesome project. We here at the Redbird Daily are excited to roll-out this fun, informative, and conversation starting piece. The list of players will bring back memories, make you scratch your head, and may possibly piss you off. Let’s start off with a basestealer synonymous with the number 100.

#100 – Vince Coleman, OF (1985-1990, 2x All-Star, Rookie of the Year)

One of the most electric players from the 80’s, Vince Coleman ran into the hearts of Cardinals fans. Coleman, a former punter/kicker and centerfielder for Florida A&M, was drafted by St. Louis in 1982. After stealing 289 bases in three minor league seasons, Vince made the big league club out of Spring Training in 1985. While most inside the organization thought it would be a temporary major league stay, Coleman went on to steal 110 bases while winning the N.L. Rookie of the Year. The two-time All-Star lead the National League in stolen bases six times, and lead all of Major League baseball four times. In 1987, Coleman stole 109 bases making him the last player to eclipse the 100 steal plateau.

UPDATE: Since the original release of this article, Vince Coleman has been inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall-Of-Fame in the Class of 2018, along with Ray Lankford and Harry Brecheen.

#99 – Austin McHenry, OF (1918-1922)

The 1921 season saw Austin McHenry become one of the most promising outfielders in the game. McHenry finished the season with top five finishes in homers, RBI, doubles, extra base hits, and total bases. He was one of six players to finished the season with 200 hits. After a disappointing start to 1922, McHenry complained of vision problems which led Branch Rickey to send McHenry home to Ohio to rest. After being diagnosed with a brain tumor, McHenry lost his battle with cancer less than four months later.

#98 – Miller Huggins, 2B (1910-1916, HOF)

Miller Huggins was ahead of his time as a player. He consistently led the league in walks, totaling over 100 bases on balls in three different seasons. He was an outstanding second baseman and fundamental player, skills that would lead to a successful career as a manager. Huggins served as coach-manager for the Cardinals during the 1913 to 1916 seasons and was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964.

#97 – Tom Herr, 2B (1979-1988, All-Star)

One of my personal favorites on this list, Tommy Herr was an integral part of three pennant winning teams, winning the world series in 1982, finishing runner-up in 1985 and 1987. He earned an All Star bid in 1985 while compiling one of the more interesting statistical seasons in modern history. Taking advantage of speedy runners with high on-base percentage guys at the top of the lineup, Herr drove in 110 runs while only hitting eight homers. The infield of Terry Pendleton, Ozzie Smith, Herr, and Jack Clark is still recognized as the best defensive group of the 1980’s.

#96 – Wally Moon OF-1B (1954-1958, All-Star, Rookie of the Year)

In 1954, Wally Moon was initially told to report to minor league camp for spring training, but refused and reported to big league camp, telling the organization that he would quit if not given the chance to compete for the big league roster spot. Moon not only made the team, but also performed well enough to win the Rookie of the Year Award beating out the likes of Hank Aaron and Ernie Banks.

For questions regarding the scoring formula please refer to Rusty’s fantastic piece detailing the work he put in getting this project off the ground.

Plenty of great names to come this off-season.

Thank you for reading.

Allen Medlock

@amedlock1