Bernie’s Redbird Review: A Look At The 4 Finalists For Induction To The St. Louis Cardinals Hall Of Fame.

THE REDBIRD REVIEW

It’s that time of the year again. The St. Louis Cardinals recently announced their 2025 Hall of Fame ballot nominees, and now I get to write about it. I’ve been doing this for several years now, and I’m a member of the Red Ribbon Hall of Fame Committee, which means I’ve studied the cases of a few dozen players for the last 10 years or so. My scribing tradition of publicly evaluating the candidates continues, but fans get to make the final call.

The Cardinals Hall of Fame is a jewel – one of the best individual-team Hall of Fames in the United States. The history on display is stunning in its scope and prestige.

Up for election via fan vote this year – in alphabetical order – are Steve Carlton, George Hendrick, Brian Jordan and Edgar Renteria.

STEVE CARLTON

Overview: “Lefty” earned eternal baseball acclaim by building his Hall of Fame career in Philadelphia after being moved to the Phillies in 1972 because of a salary dispute. The Cards received starting pitcher Rick Wises trade after a salary dispute put him there before the 1972 season. But Carlton’s journey to Cooperstown began in St. Louis, and he was a very good pitcher during his time as a Cardinal.

From 1965 through 1971, Carlton posted a record of 77-62 with a 3.10 ERA, 66 complete games, and 16 shutouts over 1,265 and ⅓ innings.

Making the Case: During the expansion era, which began in 1961, here’s where Carlton ranks among St. Louis starting pitchers who amassed at least 1,000 innings.

+ Earned Run Average: Carlton’s 3.10 ERA is 3rd to only Bob Gibson (2.84) and Chris Carpenter (3.07)

+ Wins Above Replacement: 6th behind Gibson, Wainwright, Bob Forsch, Carpenter and Matt Morris. This is based on the FanGraphs version of WAR.

+ Strikeouts: among starting pitchers, Carlton is 7th behind Gibson, Wainwright, Carpenter, Forsch, Lance Lynn and Matt Morris.

+ Shutouts: Only Gibson (55) and Forsch (19) have more shutouts than Carlton since 1961.

+ Complete games: With 66, Carlton ranks third to Gibson (251) and Forsch (67.)

+ All-Star selections: During the expansion era Gibson leads with eight All-Star honors, and Carlton (3) is tied for second with Carpenter and Wainwright.

+ Cardinal career notable: Carlton is one of only two Cardinal pitchers to win 75+ games before the age of 27. The other was Dizzy Dean with 121.

Postseason: Lefty pitched in two World Series for the Cardinals (1967 and ‘68), making one start and two relief appearances, and had a 2.70 ERA in 10 innings. Even though the Cardinals lost Game 5 of the 1967 World Series to the Red Sox by a 3-1 score, Carlton was nicked for only one unearned run in his six innings of outstanding work. In ‘68, the Tigers got to Carlton for three earned runs and seven hits in four innings.

Peak years in St. Louis: From 1967 through 1969 — Carlton made two All-Star teams, pitched in two World Series, won 44 games, and sculpted a 2.69 ERA. During the three seasons Carlton ranked fourth among NL starting pitchers in fielding independent ERA (2.57), seventh in standard ERA (2.69), 10th in strikeouts, and was 21 percent above the league average per ERA+ And I should note that Carlton provided this elite pitching in his age 22, 23 and 24 seasons.

Summary: Based on what he did in St. Louis, Carlton is worthy of induction into the Cardinals Hall of Fame; he certainly meets the established standards. But he will always be known for his remarkable peak years with the Phillies. From 1972 through 1983, Carlton won three Cy Young awards, 208 games and was chosen for seven All-Star games. Because of his fame in Philadelphia, St. Louis fans understandably see him more as a Phillie than a Cardinal, and that works against him. Truthfully, how many of the younger (voting) fans even know who Carlton is?

GEORGE HENDRICK

Overview: The outfielder was known as “Silent George” because he declined to speak to the media. And ironically, Silent George and the late, great Rick Hummel were on very friendly terms; Hendrick just never wanted to talk on the record, and he respected Hummel for honoring that and treating him like a human being instead of an interview subject. Hummel, my friend and colleague, thought highly of Hendrick and advocated his induction into the Cardinals Hall Fame before passing away in the spring of 2023. Hummel always stressed the point: The Cardinals don’t have a World Series-winning 1982 season without the many contributions of George Hendrick. He spent seven seasons (1978-84) with the Cardinals.

A look back at 1982: Hendrick was an essential piece of Whitey Herzog’s of 1982 World Series champion. During the ‘82 regular season, Hendrick led the Cards in homers (19), RBIs (104) and generated the highest slugging percentage (.450) among the 10 Redbirds who played in at least 100 games that season.

Hendrick batted .308 in STL’s victory over Atlanta in the three-game 1982 NLCS. In the ‘82 World Series triumph over Milwaukee, Silent George and Lonnie Smith tied for the team lead with a .321 batting average – and Hendrick hurt the Brewers with five RBIs, five runs scored, and the single that drove home the go-ahead run in a stirring St. Louis comeback in the Game 7 victory.

Hendrick had a unique personality. When the Cardinals clinched the 1982 World Series at home, Silent George eschewed the normal post-game celebration. Still wearing the full uniform, he hustled to the players’ parking lot and drove home to beat the traffic.

Cardinal Career notables:

– As a Cardinal Hendrick had a batting line of .294 / .345 / .470 for a set of numbers that were well above the overall MLB offensive production by outfielders from 1978-1984. And Hendrick also took over at first base after Herzog traded Keith Hernandez to the Mets early on June 15, 1983.

– During his St. Louis career Hendrick won two silver slugger awards, was picked for two All-Star games, and received NL MVP votes in four consecutive seasons (1980-1983). That’s impressive stuff.

– From 1978-1984, Hendrick led the Cardinals with 122 homers, and no other Cardinal had more than 69 HR. That means Hendrick hit 53 more home runs than any other Cardinal over seven seasons. That tells us a lot about Hendricks’ value in the power department.

– Over the same seven seasons Hendrick not only led the Cardinals in home runs but was first with 782 RBIs. And he ranked second in WAR, onbase percentage, slugging percentage and OPS and was third in batting average.

– From the time Busch Stadium II opened in 1966 through Hendrick’s final season (1984) as a Cardinal Hendrick ranked second to Ted Simmons for most home runs slammed in the vast ballpark that was Death Valley for hitters. Simba launched 81, and Hendrick hit 55.

– Among Cardinal hitters that played at least 300 games at Busch II from 1966 through 1984, Hendrick was No. 1 in slugging percentage (.465), third in OPS (.808), and fourth in extra-base hits.

– Busch II was a very tough yard for power hitters. George Hendrick was Jack Clark – as in the team’s main power source – before Clark became a 1985.

– During his peak seasons as a Cardinal – 1980 through 1983 – Hendrick slugged .482, blasted 80 home runs, and drilled for 371 runs batted in. And based on adjusted OPS, Hendrick performed 30 percent above league average offensively. It was a strong four-year run.

– Also from 1980 through 1983, Hendrick had an average .845 OPS when hitting with runners in scoring position. “I don’t think you’ll find a better hitter in the National League with men on base than Hendrick,” Cards coach Red Schoendienst told reporters..

– When the Cardinals traded Hendrick to Pittsburgh before the 1985 season, the deal brought left-handed starting pitcher John Tudor to St. And Tudor, of course, is a member of the Cardinals Hall of Fame. So even in leaving, Hendrick provided exceptional value for the Cardinals.

Summary: During the expansion era, which began in 1961, Hendrick ranks eighth in WAR among St. Louis outfielders behind Jim Edmonds, Lou Brock, Ray Lankford, Curt Flood, Matt Holliday, Willie McGee and Brian Jordan. The first six names on that list have been inducted into the Cards Hall of Fame, and Brian Jordan has a chance to get there. As does Hendrick. I think Hendrick is worthy because of his individual numbers, awards and MVP votes as a Cardinal. But when Hendrick gave the Cardinals a push to go all the way in 1982, it was their first World Series championship since 1967. Hendrick was a substantial presence and talent in that unforgettable season.

BRIAN JORDAN

Overview: Full disclosure: Jordan is one of my personal favorites. Why? Because as a very young sportswriter, who covered prep sports in Baltimore, I watched Brian Jordan play baseball at Milford Mill High School and wrote about him. Just a really good man who played an entertaining, athletic and highly-skilled brand of baseball.

Jordan was gifted in two sports, starting at safety for the NFL Atlanta Falcons from 1991-1993. In two of those seasons (‘92-93) Jordan played 122 games in the outfield for the Cardinals. But in effect he couldn’t commit to a full-time baseball career because of the overlap between the two sports. But he made a choice after that, going all-in on a baseball career.

“BJ” was a Cardinal from 1992 through 1998 and had the kind of career that tends to get lost in other precious memories that fans keep in a special place. In his seven seasons Jordan batted .291 with a .339 onbase percentage and .474 slug. He had 122 doubles, 24 triples, 86 stolen bases, 84 homers and 367 RBIs.

Cardinal career notables:

– Jordan was one of the best Cardinal players of the 1990s. If we had to pick a franchise All-90s Decade Team, he would definitely be a starting outfielder along with Ray Lankford and Bernard Gilkey. For the decade, Lankford-Jordan-Gilkey ranked No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 (respectively) for most WAR by a St. Louis outfielder in the 1990s. Yes. Only 15 STL position players have done that over the last 64 seasons. And Jordan is on that list.

– In the 1990s, Jordan ranked among the top five Cardinals – at any position – in WAR (2nd), triples (2nd), RBIs (3rd), home runs (3rd), OPS (4th), stolen bases (3rd), batting average (4th), slugging (4th), and hits (4th). And let’s talk about defense. In the 1990s, Jordan was STL’s highest-rated outfielder defensively. Including all positions, only catcher Tom Pagnozzi and shortstop Ozie Smith had a higher FanGraphs defensive rating than Jordan.

– In his seven seasons as a Cardinal, Jordan ranked second on the team to Lankford in WAR, home runs, doubles, triples, RBIs, and stolen bases … and was third in slugging. Lankford is a Cardinal Hall of Famer.

– In his seven years as a Cardinal, Jordan had the sixth-best defensive rating among MLB outfielders.

Remembering 1996: Jordan played an important role in the Cardinals’ return to the postseason for the first time since 1987. During the regular season Jordan hit .310 with a .349 OBP and .483 slug. He led the ‘96 team in batting average, doubles and RBIs and played terrific outfield defense.

That’s not all; in ‘96 Jordan batted .422 with a 1.154 OPS when batting with runners in scoring position. In RISP spots he clubbed 17 homers and cracked pitchers for 93 RBIs. The money-time hitting included a .405 average, .703 slugging percentage and a 1.116 OPS in two-out RISO scenarios.

Accordingly, Jordan finished eighth in National League Most Valuable Player Award voting in 1996.

Remembering the 1996 postseason: The Cardinals advanced to the NLCS that year. In 10 games against the Padres and Braves, Jordan batted .270 with a .514 slug, .821 OPS, two homers, five RBIs, and seven runs scored. In a three-game sweep of the Padres in the 1996 NLDS, Jordan led the way with a .333 average, .385 onbase percentage, .583 slug, and .918 OPS.

Jordan was the baseball hero for the Cardinals in Game 3 of that NLDS. The Cardinals went to San Diego in search of a three-game sweep, and had to overcome early deficits. With the game tied 5-5 in the 8th inning, the Padres had the bases loaded and a runner on second and two outs. San Diego catcher Jody Reed plastered a pitch to the right-center gap in a bid for the go-ahead (and winning?) run. The catch probability there was slim, but Jordan made a spectacular diving catch to keep the game locked up. And in the top of the 9th, Jordan launched a two-run homer off future Baseball Hall of Fame reliever Trevor Hoffman. The missile landed among the palm trees over the left-field fence.

Moving on: The Cardinals made no real effort to retain Jordan when he became a free agent after the 1998 season. He accepted a generous offer from the Braves, and it was a great fit because Jordan and family had moved to Atlanta when he played for the Falcons. For some reason Jordan was booed at Busch Stadium II when he returned in 1999 as a Brave. It made no sense and was disappointing. But BJ has been treated very well by the fans in his subsequent returns to Busch Stadium (in any capacity) through the years.

Summary: Jordan is qualified for the Cardinals Hall of Fame because of his all-around excellence in the 1990s, and his role in lifting the Cardinals to the NLCS in Tony La Russa’s first season as manager in St. Louis. I believe An All-Decade type of player belongs in the Cardinals Hall, and Jordan qualifies on that end. Jordan was a high-value performer for the Cardinals in hitting, defense and baserunning. It’s his first time as a finalist on the fan ballot. And if Jordan doesn’t make it this time, he’ll have more chances.

EDGAR RENTERIA

Overview: I’ll come out swinging here. Edgar Renteria is one of the most underrated Cardinals of the expansion era. He was a vital piece of four successful  Cardinal teams that made the playoffs and won an NL pennant during his six seasons. Manager Tony La Russa thought so highly of Renteria that he called him “El Capitan.” And though shy with the media, Renteria was a strong leader in the clubhouse who pushed and helped his teammates.

OK, here’s why I believe Renteria is underrated.

– In franchise history, only three shortstops had more career FanGraphs WAR as a Cardinal than Renteria. The top three are Ozzie Smith, Marty Marion and Solly Hemus. That also makes Renteria second to The Wizard for most WAR by a Cardinals shortstop during the expansion era. And that’s not a team Hall of Famer? Goodness.

— In his six St. Louis seasons Renteria was selected for three All-Star teams, earned two Gold Gloves and two Silver Slugger trophies, and finished in the top-20 of National League MVP voting in both 2002 and 2003.

– Renteria is the only shortstop in franchise history to win both the Gold Glove award and the Silver Slugger award in two consecutive seasons. He did that in 2002-2003.

– Among shortstops that made at least 1,500 career plate appearances as a Cardinal, Renteria ranks second in OPS, home runs, stolen bases and slugging percentage and is third in hits, extra-base hits, runs batted in, runs scored, batting average and doubles. He ranks fourth among shortstops in onbase percentage

– For a three-season span, 2002-2004, Renteria was the National League’s best shortstop. I back that up with this: over the three seasons he led all NL shortstops in WAR, runs batted in, runs scored, Gold Gloves, and Silver Sluggers. And over the three seasons, Renteria and Philadelphia’s Jimmy Rollins were the only two NL shortstops to garner MVP votes in two different seasons.

– In 2003 Renteria had his best season as a major leaguer, hitting .330 with 13 home runs, 100 RBIs, and 34 stolen bases. That year tied for sixth among all major-league position players in WAR (calculated by FanGraphs.)

– In 2003 Renteria became the first Cardinals shortstop in the modern era (1900-present) to heap 100 RBIs in a season. And that year Renteria fell only six hits short of linking to the immortal Honus Wagner as the only NL shortstops to get 200 hits and 100 RBIs in a season.

– How great was Renteria’s 2003 campaign? I’m pleased to answer that. During the expansion era (1961-present) only one major-league shortstop put together this magnificent offensive profile in a season:

.330 average.
.394 OBP
.480 slug
130 OPS+
13 home runs
100 RBIs
34 steals

The shortstop’s name is Edgar Renteria. We could say that Renteria had the greatest all-around offensive season by an MLB shortstop over the last 64 seasons. Is that good?

– Two of the three-highest RBI totals in a season by a Cardinal shortstop were delivered by Renteria. He had 103 RBIs in 2003, knocked home 83 runs in 2002 ranks third.

– As mentioned, Renteria was the starting shortstop on four St. Louis postseason teams: 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004. The ‘04 Cardinals were the NL champs. Derek Jeter was the only major-league shortstop to play in more postseason games than Renteria from 2000 through 2004. In the final six games of STL’s 2004 postseason, Renteria batted .364 with a .417 onbase percentage and .500 slug. The Cardinals were swept by Boston in the 2004 World Series and had an embarrassingly weak offense – but don’t blame Renteria, who batted .333 with a .945 OPS. In the series sweep, the Cardinals had just 24 hits in four games. Renteria, Albert Pujols and Larry Walker combined for 15 of those hits and batted .341 as a threesome. The other Cardinals had nine hits in 82 at-bats for a .109 average.

Summary: Renteria has a slam-dunk case for the Cardinals Hall of Fame. I mean, seriously. The fact that he’s not there already is regrettable. Renteria’s credentials are more than enough to warrant induction.

Thanks for reading …

–Bernie

Fans can view the 2025 Cardinals Hall of Fame ballot and cast their selections online starting Saturday, February 22, at cardinals.com/HOF.