Fans to Select One Former Cardinals Great for Induction on August 20
ST. LOUIS, Mo., February 23, 2023 – The St. Louis Cardinals have revealed Joaquín Andújar, Steve Carlton, David Freese, Matt Morris, and Edgar Renteria as the modern players nominated for possible induction into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame, presented by Edward Jones. Fans can view the 2023 Cardinals Hall of Fame ballot and cast their selections at cardinals.com/HOF.
The modern player with the most votes after fan voting concludes on Friday, April 21, will be selected for induction into the Cardinals Hall of Fame during an enshrinement ceremony on Sunday, August 20. The full 2023 Cardinals Hall of Fame Induction Class, which will include a veteran player chosen by the Red Ribbon Committee and a Cardinals organization selection, will be announced during a televised special program on Bally Sports in early May.
“The annual Hall of Fame Induction process connects generations of Cardinals fans,” said Cardinals Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Bill DeWitt Jr. “I want to thank the Red Ribbon Committee for helping us navigate this process and for caring so much about Cardinals history.”
The St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame was established to recognize the exceptional careers and significant achievements of the greatest players in Cardinals history. To be eligible, the nominees must have played for the Cardinals for at least three seasons and be retired as a player from Major League Baseball for at least three years.
All 50 members of the Cardinals Hall of Fame are permanently enshrined in the Cardinals Hall of Fame Gallery presented by Edward Jones located on the second floor of Cardinals Nation in Ballpark Village, just outside the entrance to the team’s museum. The Hall of Fame Gallery is free and open to the public. A full list of Cardinals Hall of Famers can be found at cardinals.com/HOF. #CardsHOF
A description of each 2023 Cardinals Hall of Fame nominee’s career as a Cardinal follows:
Joaquín Andújar (RHP) Years on Ballot: 1
Years: 1981 – 1985 68-53, 3.33 ERA, 3.48 FIP, 1.19 WHIP, 37 CG, 13 SHO, 540 SO, 1077.0 IP (153 GS)
Joaquín Andújar was a back-to-back 20-game winner with the Cardinals. He tied for the major league lead with 20 victories in 1984 and ranked tied for second in the National League with 21 the following year. The right-hander was an All-Star selection and finished fourth in N.L. Cy Young Award voting both seasons, and he won a Gold Glove Award in 1984. Andújar won the 1982 pennant-clincher against Atlanta and Games 3 and 7 of the World Series against Milwaukee. He also pitched for the 1985 N.L. champions. Andújar averaged seven innings per start over his four-plus seasons with St. Louis.
Steve Carlton (LHP) Years on Ballot: 5
Years: 1965 – 1971 77-62, 3.10 ERA, 3.02 FIP, 1.28 WHIP, 66 CG, 16 SHO, 951 SO, 1265.1 IP (172 GS)
Steve Carlton began his National Baseball Hall of Fame career in St. Louis, capped with a 20-9 record and his third All-Star selection in 1971. He ranked second in the National League with a 2.17 ERA in 1969. The left-hander ranks eighth in franchise history with 951 strikeouts, tied for third with 13 games of 10+ strikeouts and is one of only two Cardinals pitchers to win 75 games before turning 27. In his five full seasons with the Cardinals, Carlton averaged 32 starts and 237 innings while working more than seven innings per start. He was a member of the 1967 World Series champions and for the 1968 N.L. pennant winners.
David Freese (3B) Years on Ballot: 1
Years: 2009 – 2013 .286/.356/.427/.783, 448 H, 81 2B, 44 HR, 237 RBI, 195 R (466 G)
Third baseman David Freese became a postseason legend with the Cardinals. In Game 6 of the 2011 World Series against Texas, the local from Wildwood, Missouri, hit a game-tying, two-out, two-run triple in the bottom of the ninth inning and a walk-off home run two innings later. St. Louis staved off elimination and went on to win Game 7. Freese was named World Series MVP on the heels of being the NLCS MVP, while setting MLB records for most RBI (21) and extra-base hits (14) in a single postseason. The following season, Freese posted career highs of 20 homers and 79 RBI while batting .293 and being selected to the All-Star team.
Matt Morris (RHP) Years on Ballot: 8
Years: 1997 – 2005 101-62, 3.61 ERA, 3.77 FIP, 1.27 WHIP, 18 CG, 8 SHO, 986 SO, 1377.1 IP (206 GS)
During his eight seasons with the Cardinals, Matt Morris achieved a .620 winning percentage to rank seventh in franchise history among pitchers with at least 750 innings. He won 11 or more games six times. The right-hander’s finest season came in 2001, when he went 22-8 (tied for the most wins in the Majors), earned the first of back-to-back All-Star Game selections and finished third in National League Cy Young Award voting. Morris ranks sixth on the Cardinals’ all-time strikeouts list with 986. He pitched for five N.L. Central Division championship teams and made 11 postseason starts (third-most in franchise annals).
Edgar Renteria (SS) Years on Ballot: 8
Years: 1999 – 2004 .290/.347/.420, 973 H, 207 2B, 71 HR, 451 RBI, 497 R, 148 SB (903 G)
Among shortstops, Edgar Renteria ranks second in Cardinals history in home runs and stolen bases and third in hits, extra-base hits, RBI and batting average (min. 1,500 plate appearances). He won three Silver Slugger Awards and two Gold Glove Awards in six seasons, including both in 2002 and 2003. In 2003, Renteria set franchise records for a shortstop with a .330 average and 47 doubles, to go with 13 homers, 100 RBI and 34 steals. A three-time All-Star with St. Louis, he played on four N.L. Central Division championship teams and batted .333 in the 2004 World Series against Boston.
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