9 Hall of Famers who you might have forgotten were Cardinals

The hallowed halls in Cooperstown have welcomed the plaques of 43 players who donned the St. Louis Cardinals uniform, along with 10 managers and three executives. Much of the Cardinals' success stems from a seemingly constant churn of elite talent over the past century. A remarkable bit of trivia regarding the Cardinals is that they have had a Hall of Fame player or manager on their roster every year since 1915 to at least 2022, assuming Yadier Molina is inducted, and perhaps into the present day if Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado receive Cooperstown calls.

When one thinks of Cardinals Hall of Fame inductees, a few spring to mind immediately: Lou Brock. Stan Musial. Bob Gibson. Players who spent most or all of their careers in St. Louis tend to receive the most reverence from fans, and rightfully so: They all enjoyed long, fruitful careers with the team and played essential roles in bringing championships to the franchise.

But the Gateway City wasn't the main stomping ground for every Hall of Fame inductee who played for the Cardinals. Many all-time greats only spent a modicum of time in St. Louis and have thus faded from the memories of most longtime fans.

You might not have remembered or been aware of the Cardinals tenure of these 10 Hall of Famers.

Dick Allen

The first black superstar for the Philadelphia Phillies, Dick Allen hit .302 from 1963 through 1968, an era dominated by pitching. He was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1964, but despite being far and away the best hitter on the Phillies throughout much of the 1960s, Allen was subjected to racial taunts and jeers during his first seven years in the City of Brotherly Love.

Allen found himself embroiled in many controversies during his Phillies tenure, with most of them exacerbated by his skin color. His subpar defense at third base, a new position for Allen, was a sticking point for fans, and a racially charged comment toward Allen from teammate Frank Thomas led to a physical altercation that many fans blamed Allen for. Eventually, Allen began wearing a batting helmet in the field to protect him from objects that fans tried to pelt him with.

Allen made it clear to executives that he wanted out of Philadelphia, and after a suspension for not showing up to a game that he was unaware had its start time moved up, Allen was granted his wish. Owner Bob Carpenter told Allen he would be dealt following the 1969 season, and the Phillies swung a trade with the Cardinals that included Tim McCarver and Curt Flood going to Philadelphia. (Flood would refuse to report, eventually leading to his challenge of the sport's reserve clause.)

Being in St. Louis after enduring the hatred in Philadelphia was like night and day for Allen. Fans gave him a standing ovation before his first game, and through the first half of 1970, Allen was hitting .286 with 25 home runs while being voted to start at third base in the All-Star Game. However, his only season with the Cardinals was a truncated one, as he tore a hamstring while sliding into second base.

Allen played in only five more games on the season, and rumors began swirling around St. Louis that the Cardinals were dissatisfied by Allen's slow recovery from the injury and wanted to trade him. Though the Cardinals denied the rumors, Allen was dealt five days after the season to the Los Angeles Dodgers for second baseman Ted Sizemore and catcher Bob Stinson.

Bing Devine, the general manager at the time, said the trade was made to improve the Cardinals' aging infield. With the grass at Busch Stadium having been replaced with AstroTurf at the beginning of 1970, it was crucial for the Cardinals to have fleet-footed infielders. Allen had been playing first base in St. Louis, with a 33-year-old Julian Javier at second, and Joe Hague, a natural first baseman, in right field. Devine cited the team's poor defense as the reason for the Cardinals' struggles in 1970 and believed Sizemore would massively improve the team's defense up the middle while Hague could switch to first base.

Allen continued to find success in the latter half of his career, including winning the MVP in 1972 with the Chicago White Sox. Had he not suffered an injury during his lone season in St. Louis, the Cardinals might have been willing to hold on to the 28-year-old. Instead, the Cardinals opted to deal him, and they proceeded to struggle throughout the 1970s. It leaves one to wonder how they might have fared if they had possessed a potent bat like Allen's in their lineup during those lean years.