By J.Y. Mortimer
Right-handed starting pitcher Matt Morris voted in by fans
May 17, 2024
ST. LOUIS, Mo., May 17, 2024 – The St. Louis Cardinals announced that Matt Morris, Whitey Kurowski and Dave Duncan will be inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame. It is the tenth induction ceremony since the team dedicated the Cardinals Hall of Fame with an inaugural class on Opening Day in 2014. An enshrinement ceremony will be held at Ballpark Village during Hall of Fame Weekend presented by Edward Jones on Saturday, September 7.
Chosen by the fans over an eight-week voting period, pitcher Matt Morris was the top vote-getter in the Cardinals Hall of Fame online balloting presented by Edward Jones. This year’s ballot also included Cardinals legends Steve Carlton, George Hendrick and Edgar Renteria. Morris, a former first round pick by the organization and two-time All-Star, won 11 or more games in six different seasons with St. Louis and ranks T-11th in franchise history with 101 wins.
The Red Ribbon Committee, a group comprised of 13 St. Louis baseball experts, elected Whitey Kurowski as a veteran player for induction using a secret ballot process. Kurowski, the team’s starting third baseman during their 1940’s dynasty, never played on a team that finished lower than second place. A three-time World Series champion, Kurowski played the fourth-most games in franchise history at the hot corner and was named a National League All-Star in five consecutive seasons from 1943-47.
The Cardinals also elected to make an organizational selection who has been an important figure in St. Louis baseball history, choosing former pitching coach Dave Duncan for induction. Duncan served as the team’s pitching coach for 16 seasons from 1996-2011, all alongside Hall of Fame Manager Tony La Russa. Under his watch, St. Louis ranked in the top half of the National League in pitching ERA in 12 seasons and made the postseason nine times, culminating in World Series titles in 2006 and 2011. While on staff, the Cardinals won the fourth-most regular season games and second-most postseason games in all of Major League Baseball.
“We take great pride in the selection process we use for electing new members of the Cardinals Hall of Fame,” said Bill DeWitt Jr., Cardinals Chairman and CEO. “I’d like to thank our fans as well as the Red Ribbon Committee who cast their votes for this year’s induction class. Congratulations to Matt Morris, Dave Duncan, and the late Whitey Kurowski on this tremendous honor. We look forward to celebrating the achievements of these players during our induction ceremony in September.”
All 52 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, outside the entrance to the Cardinals Museum. The Hall of Fame Gallery is free and open to the public. Fans can visit cardinals.com/HOF for more information. A description of each Inductee’s career as a Cardinal follows below. #CardsHOF
Matt Morris (Modern Era Player — Fan Selection)
Years: 1997 – 2005 101-62, 3.61 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 18 CG, 8 SHO, 986 SO, 1377.1 IP, 117 ERA+ (206 GS)
During his eight seasons with the Cardinals, Matt Morris achieved a .620 winning percentage to rank fourth in franchise history among pitchers with at least 1,000 innings. He won 11 or more games six times and his 101 wins with the Cardinals are tied for 11th-most. 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).
Whitey Kurowski (Veteran Era Player — Red Ribbon Selection)
Years: 1941–49 .286/.366/.455, 925 H, 106 HR, 162 2B, 32 3B, 518 R, 529 RBI, 125 OPS+ (916 Games)
Whitey Kurowski was the third baseman during the greatest regime of Cardinals history–playing for the 1942, 1944 and 1946 World Series champions, along with the 1943 National League pennant winners. He clinched the 1942 World Series with a ninth-inning home run in the decisive Game 5 against the New York Yankees. Kurowski was selected to the NL All-Star team five straight seasons from 1943-47. He played 868 games at the hot corner, the fourth-most in franchise annals. Kurowski overcame a childhood bone infection that resulted in his right arm being several inches shorter than his left.
Dave Duncan (Organizational Selection)
Years: 1996 – 2011 1,408 wins (4th-most in MLB), 4.07 ERA (3rd-lowest), 8 Division Championships
One of the most revered pitching coaches in baseball history, Dave Duncan worked in lockstep with Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa. His 16-year coaching tenure is tied for the fourth-longest in Cardinals history. Under Duncan, St. Louis ranked in the top half in the National League in ERA during 12 seasons. He mentored four Cardinals 20-game winners, including 2005 Cy Young Award recipient Chris Carpenter. The Cardinals made the playoffs nine times with Duncan on staff, highlighted by winning the 2006 and 2011 World Series. They also were NL champions in 2004 and captured eight Central Division crowns.
Cardinals Hall of Fame Members (52)
Jim Bottomley
Curt Flood
George Kissell
José Oquendo
Ken Boyer
Bob Forsch
Tony La Russa
Branch Rickey
Sam Breadon
Frank Frisch
Max Lanier
Scott Rolen
Harry Brecheen
Bob Gibson
Ray Lankford
Red Schoendienst
Lou Brock
Chick Hafey
Marty Marion
Mike Shannon
Jack Buck
Jesse Haines
Pepper Martin
Ted Simmons
August A. Busch Jr.
Keith Hernandez
Tim McCarver
Enos Slaughter
Chris Carpenter
Tom Herr
Willie McGee
Ozzie Smith
Vince Coleman
Whitey Herzog
Mark McGwire
Billy Southworth
Charles Comiskey
Matt Holliday
Joe Medwick
Bruce Sutter
Mort Cooper
Rogers Hornsby
Johnny Mize
Joe Torre
Dizzy Dean
Jason Isringhausen
Terry Moore
John Tudor
Jim Edmonds
Julián Javier
Stan Musial
Bill White
2024 Cardinals Hall of Fame Red Ribbon Panel (13)
Tom Ackerman
KMOX 1120 AM
Randy Karraker
WXOS 101 ESPN
Rob Rains
STL Sports Page
Frank Cusumano
KSDK NBC 5
Martin Kilcoyne
KTVI FOX 2
Joe Torre
Hall of Fame Manager
Derrick Goold
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Tony La Russa
Hall of Fame Manager
Brian Walton
The Cardinal Nation
Whitey Herzog
Hall of Fame Manager
Bernie Miklasz
KFNS 590 AM The Fan
Benjamin Hochman
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Joe Ostermeier
BBWAA
Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum
The 8,000-square-foot St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum on the second floor of Cardinals Nation in Ballpark Village celebrates the rich history of baseball in St. Louis and the legacy of one of baseball’s most storied franchises. Since its creation in 2014, the Cardinals Hall of Fame presented by Edward Jones, has inducted 50 former Cardinal players, coaches and executives. The Cardinals’ museum collection is the largest team-held collection in baseball and is second only to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in terms of size with over 22,000 memorabilia items and hundreds of thousands of archived photos. Fans can learn more about the museum at cardinals.com/museum.
COURTESY CARDINALS MEDIA RELATIONS
