St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals joined the National League in 1882 and spent their early decades as a struggling franchise. Everything changed when Branch Rickey, first as manager and then as general manager, revolutionized the sport by creating the farm system - a network of minor league teams that developed talent for the parent club. This innovation gave the Cardinals a competitive advantage that lasted decades and was eventually adopted by every team in baseball.

The 1926 Cardinals won the franchise's first World Series, with player-manager Rogers Hornsby leading the team past the Yankees. The 1930s Gashouse Gang - Dizzy Dean, Pepper Martin, Frankie Frisch, and Joe Medwick - were one of baseball's most colorful and combative teams, winning the 1934 World Series in a series famous for the "Ducky Wucky" incident involving Medwick and hostile Detroit fans.

Stan Musial arrived in 1941 and became one of the greatest players in baseball history. "Stan the Man" won three MVP awards, seven batting titles, and anchored championship teams in 1942, 1944, and 1946. His grace, consistency, and loyalty to St. Louis made him the perfect embodiment of the franchise's values. Musial played his entire 22-year career with the Cardinals.

Bob Gibson was the most intimidating pitcher of his era - possibly of any era. His 1968 season, in which he posted a 1.12 ERA (the lowest in the live-ball era), was so dominant that baseball lowered the pitching mound the following year. Gibson's fierce competitiveness and his World Series performance in 1967, when he won three complete games, are the stuff of legend.

Lou Brock, acquired from the Cubs in one of baseball's most lopsided trades, combined with Gibson to form the core of the 1964 and 1967 championship teams. Brock's stolen bases - he set the career record before Rickey Henderson surpassed it - gave the Cardinals a speed dimension that defined their style of play.

The Whitey Herzog era of the 1980s continued the speed-and-defense philosophy. The Cardinals won the 1982 World Series behind Ozzie Smith's wizardry at shortstop and reached the Fall Classic in 1985 and 1987. The 1985 World Series loss to the Royals - featuring the controversial Don Denkinger call at first base in Game 6 - remains one of the franchise's most painful memories.

Tony La Russa's arrival as manager in 1996 initiated one of the franchise's greatest stretches. Albert Pujols, signed as a 13th-round draft pick in 1999, debuted in 2001 and immediately established himself as the best hitter in baseball. His first decade with the Cardinals - three MVP awards, nine All-Star selections, and a .328/.420/.617 slash line - was one of the greatest sustained individual performances in history.

The 2006 Cardinals won the World Series despite winning just 83 games in the regular season, the fewest by a champion since the 1987 Twins. The 2011 title was even more dramatic: the Cardinals needed to win on the final day of the regular season to make the playoffs, then survived the greatest World Series Game 6 ever played. David Freese's walk-off home run, after the Cardinals had twice been one strike from elimination, capped a game that many consider the best in baseball history.

Pujols's departure to the Angels via free agency after the 2011 season was painful, but the franchise's organizational depth ensured the Cardinals would remain competitive.