3 ways David Green impacted the 1980s St. Louis Cardinals

David Green of the St. Louis Cardinals circa 1983 bats against the Philadelphia Phillies at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Owen Shaw/Getty Images)
David Green of the St. Louis Cardinals circa 1983 bats against the Philadelphia Phillies at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Owen Shaw/Getty Images) /
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ST LOUIS, MO – APRIL 24: A general view of Busch Stadium during between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds on April 24, 2021 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
ST LOUIS, MO – APRIL 24: A general view of Busch Stadium during between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds on April 24, 2021 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /

3. The Jack Clark Trade

The third and final way David Green impacted the 1980s Cardinals was being part of the Jack Clark trade in 1985. The Clark trade help set the table for the 1985 run to the World Series.

After the 1984 season, with the departure of George Hendrix, the Cardinals were in need of a middle of the order bat. Jack Clark was unhappy in San Francisco. and David Green was still in his prime.

In 1983, Green had his best year with the Cardinals, hitting a slash line of .284/.325/.442 with 8 home runs, 69 RBI, 34 stolen bases and a 105 OPS+ 146 games. He was still relatively productive in 1984 hitting a slash line of .268/.297/.416 with 15 HR and 65 RBI in just 126 games.

However, Green’s injuries and some off-the-field issues had led the Cardinals to decide it was time to move on. On February 1st, the Cardinals traded Green, Dave LaPoint, Gary Rajsich, and Jose Uribe to the Giants for Clark.

Jack Clark’s right-handed bat would help lead the Cardinals to the 1985 and 1987 World Series.