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All-time St. Louis Cardinals World Series roster

The legends have shown out on baseball's biggest stage.
ByThomas Gauvain
Oct 22, 2011; Arlington, TX, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Lance Berkman (12) and third baseman David Freese (23) celebrate after both scoring in the fourth inning of game three of the 2011 World Series against the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark.  Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 22, 2011; Arlington, TX, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Lance Berkman (12) and third baseman David Freese (23) celebrate after both scoring in the fourth inning of game three of the 2011 World Series against the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Since 1926, the St. Louis Cardinals have appeared in the World Series 19 times, winning 11 of them. There have been some spectacular single-game moments and even better performances across many games. Several players have etched themselves in history. Let's put together a team with the best players for the St. Louis Cardinals based on World Series performances.

The All-time St. Louis Cardinals World Series team

C-Tim McCarver

Tim McCarver played in 21 total World Series games between 1963, 1967, and 1968. He has a career slash line of 311/.384/.500 in the World Series with two home runs, including one in the 1964 World Series when he gave the Cardinals a 5-2 lead in extra innings of Game 5. McCarver caught Bob Gibson and several other great pitchers during his time with the Cardinals.

Honorable Mention: Yadier Molina

1B-Albert Pujols

It had to be Albert Pujols here. He didn't win the World Series MVP in either 2006 or 2011, but he was still exceptional in both years. He has a career World Series slash line of .255/.423/.545 with four home runs and 12 total runs. His World Series walk rate exceeds his strikeout rate, and his three home run game in 2011 is one of the best single-game performances in World Series history.

Honorable mention: Allen Craig (see later)

2B-Julian Javier

The Cardinals don't have a ton of exceptional second base performances in the World Series, but that alone doesn't give Julian Javier the nod at the keystone. He has a career slash line of .346/.382/.481 with seven RBIs and a home run, one that helped clinch the 1967 World Series.

Honorable mention: Frankie Frisch

3B-David Freese

Few picks are as obvious as this one for the All-Time St. Louis Cardinals World Series team. He has a career .262/.380/.476 slash line with a home run and seven RBIs. While his numbers don't scream all-time, his performance in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series clinched his spot on this lineup. He deservedly earned the MVP nod in 2011 for his efforts in that series.

Honorable mention: Pepper Martin (see later)

SS-David Eckstein

Again, if you win a World Series MVP, you kind of have to be on this list. Eckstein's only World Series games came in 2006, and he made the most of them. He finished that series with a .364/.391/.500 slash line and 4 RBIs. He had an exceptional Game 4 that year, and his defensive efforts cemented his place in Cardinals World Series history.

Honorable mention: Tommy Thevenow

LF-Lou Brock

It's only fitting that one of the greatest Cardinals also performed well on baseball's biggest stage. Lou Brock has a career slash line of .391/.424/.655 with four home runs, 13 RBIs, 16 runs scored, and 14(!!) stolen bases in only 21 games. His 213 wRC+ is the highest mark for any player on this list. Brock was one of the best players in the World Series in MLB history.

Honorable mention: Allen Craig (again, see later)

CF-Pepper Martin

Pepper Martin split time between third base and center field during his time with the Cardinals. Call it a writer's bias, but I had to put Freese at third, thus opening up center field for Martin. Martin has a .418/.467/.636 career World Series slash line with 14 runs scored and seven stolen bases. He was a key member of the 1931 and 1934 World Series teams.

Honorable mention: Willie McGree

RF-Lance Berkman

Lance Berkman isn't often the first player mentioned when discussing the 2011 World Series. He's often over-shadowed by David Freese and Allen Craig (again, patience). However, that shouldn't belittle his showing that year. He posted a .423/.516/.577 slash line in 2011 with a home run and 11 hits in seven games. He was just as consequential as David Freese was in Game 6 that year. Berkman's 1.67 Win Probability Added figure places him third in all of MLB history during the World Series.

Honorable mention: Enos Slaughter

DH-Allen Craig

Yes, I'm aware that the designated hitter has been sparingly used in franchise history. However, I couldn't leave off Allen Craig. His bat was his calling card in the World Series, so it's his bat that will get him on the roster.

Craig has a career .314/.415/.600 slash line with three home runs across 13 World Series games. He was exceptional in 2011 when he hit all three of his home runs, and he even scored on an interference call in 2013. Few players were better as pinch hitters than Craig.

SP-Bob Gibson

From a pure volume perspective, it isn't even close. Bob Gibson has the most games started (9) and innings pitched (81) of any other Cardinals starter in World Series games. He averaged nine innings per outing with a 1.89 ERA and a franchise-best 29.5% K rate. His 17-strikeout showing in Game 1 of the 1968 World Series is one of the best single-game showings in MLB history.

Honorable mention: Chris Carpenter

Closer-Todd Worrell

Todd Worrell's three saves are the most in World Series franchise history for the Cardinals. He has a superb 2.31 ERA in the World Series across seven appearances and 11.2 innings of work. He struck out six straight players in Game 5 of the 1985 World Series which tied a World Series record.

Honorable mention: Ken Dayley

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