St. Louis Cardinals - The Turn of the Century (1900-1909)
 
   
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      Yr P W L     Yr P W  L   Yr P W L               Decade  
      1900 5 63 75     1903 8 43 94   1907 8 52 101               Click  
      1901 4 76 64     1904 5 75 79   1908 8 49 105               on Logo  
      1902 6 56 78     1905 6 58 96   1909 7 54 98                  
                  1906 7 52 98                            
                                                       
                                                             
   
  Titles: Top Cardinals Players of the Oughts  
  None  
    Pitchers:  
  Ballpark: Jack Taylor (10.87) -   28  
  Robison Field Jack Powell (2.23) -   23  
    Fred Beebe (3.78) -   22  
  Team Name: Mike O'Neill (4.13) -   20   
  Cardinals Chappie McFarland (0.48) -   17  
    Johnny Lush (4.91) -   16  
  Owners:  Ed Karger (7.06) -   16  
  Frank Robison (1901-1905) Jack Harper (0.67) -   15  
  Stanley Robison (1905-1909) Cy Young (7.62) -  14  
    Kid Nichols (6.26) -   13  
  General Managers: Bugs Raymond (3.42) -   12  
  None Willie Sudhoff (3.28) -   12  
    Three Fingers Brown (2.68) -  6  
  Managers:    
  Patsy Donovan (1901-1903) Catchers:  
  Kid Nichols (1904-1905) Mike Grady (9.74) -   26  
  Jimmy Burke (1905)    
  Matt Robinson (1905) First Basemen:  
  John McCloskey (1906-1908) Ed Konetchy (9.96) -   26  
  Roger Bresnahan (1909) Jake Beckley (5.52) -   16  
       
  Hall of Famers: Second Basemen:  
  Jake Beckley John Farrell (6.12) -   21  
  Roger Bresnahan     
  Three Fingers Brown ShortStop:  
  Jesse Burkett Bobby Wallace (9.46) -   19  
  Kid Nichols    Dave Brain (3.26) -   12  
  Bobby Wallace    
    Third Base:  
  No Hitters: John McGraw (5.29) -   11  
  None Bobby Byrne (2.44) -   11  
       
  Notable Events: Outfield:  
    Homer Smoot (10.86) -   46  
  1899 - The Robisons, owners of the Cleveland Spiders of the National  Patsy Donovan (8.72) -   34  
  League take over the St. Louis club from bankrupt owner Jesse Burkett (12.4) -   27  
   Chris von der Ahe. They stockpile their new St. Louis club with the best players Emmet Heidrick (6.1) -   22  
  from their existing club, the Spiders. Red Murray (5.96) -   20  
  Spike Shannon (4.56) -   18  
  1900 - The decimated Cleveland Spiders are kicked out of the National League. Al Shaw (2.04) -   14  
   They were 20-134 in 1899 after losing all their top players to St. Louis. It was the era Joe Delahanty (0.97) -   8  
  of syndicate  baseball which means that the same owners could own multiple teams    
   in the league. The St. Louis / Cleveland debacle highlighted why multiple teams Notable Events:  
   owned by the same person was a bad idea.This collusive behavior was ruining the  
   sport and was the main impetus behind the creation of a second major league, the 1904 - The Redbirds pick up thirty four year old future Hall of Famer  
   American League, to bring competitive balance back to the sport. Kid Nichols from the equally hapless Boston Beaneaters by way of  
  Kansas City of the Western League. He wins 21 games and  
  1900 - The Cardinals get their knickname for the most boring of reasons - brings the Cards close to .500  
  their uniforms have cardinal red trim. Nothing interesting like the new    
  owners were really into birds or were dyed in the wool Christians.  1905 - Owner Frank Robison dies. His brother Stanley takes over the  
   club. Unfortunately for Cardinals fans, nothing changes on the field.  
  1901 - Despite losing Hall of Fame righthander Cy Young to the AL Boston Pilgrims,    
  St. Louis gains thirteen games in the standings as the rest of the NL loses a lot more. 1906 - The Cards trade away twenty five year old George McBride  
    who will end up one of the better shortstops in baseball with the  
  1901 - The American League forms and puts a team in Milwaukee. Senators thru 1920. They sent him to Kansas City of  
  the Western League where he got picked up later by Washington  
  1902 - The Milwaukee franchise moves to St.Louis and the AL    
  Browns raid the NL Cardinals of most of their best players: 1908 - Twenty six year old righthander Bugs Raymond is dealt  
  Outfielders Emmet Heidrick and Jesse Burkett; Second Baseman  to the Giants for aging future Hall of Fame catcher Roger Bresnahan.  
   Dick Padden; Shortstop Bobby Wallace; and Pitchers Wiliie   After winning 15  for St. Louis, Raymond was considered a big time  
  Sudhoff, Jack Powell and Jack Harper. The Cards also lose  pitching prospect. However, he ended up dirinking himself out of baseball  
  first baseman Dan McGann to Baltimore.The losses of these eight    
  players guts the team and the Cards drop twenty games in the standings. 1908 - Twenty Three year old righthander Slim Sallee is purchased  
  from Williamsport of the Tri State League  
  1903 - St. Louis ends up floundering for the rest of the decade.    
  The Robisons are not savvy baseball people and will let whatever few good 1909 - St. Louis deals twenty four year old third baseman Bobby  
   players who come into the organization slip thru their fingers. Byrne to Pittsburgh. He will go on to be one of the better third  
    basemen of the game throughout the next decade. The Cards got very  
  1903 - . The Cards deal twenty six year old future little in return for him   
   Hall of Fame righthander Three Fingers Brown to the Cubs in    
  a four player trade that brings them two mediocrities in return.    
  St. Louis must have felt that they got the better of the deal at the time     
  as they picked up an additional two fingers in the trade.