Cardinals' 5 all-time best first basemen in franchise history

#5 Bill White

Somehow, Bill White is not in the Baseball Hall of Fame but was inducted by the Red Ribbon Committee in the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2020.

White was a Cardinal from 1959-65 and returned for one more season in 1969. He was an All-Star in 1959-61 and 1963-64. He won the Gold Glove at first base for six consecutive seasons, including 1960-65 with the Cardinals. He played 8,146.1 innings for the Cardinals at first base. He had 610 assists and 750 double plays. He was a big part of the Cardinals' 1964 World Series championship.

White had an 18-year career as a broadcaster for the New York Yankees. He assisted on World Series broadcasts on CBS Radio. He worked on ABC's Monday Night Baseball broadcasts. He helped broadcast the Winter Olympics in 1980 and 84.

He became National League president in 1989, replacing Bart Giamatti when he became Commissioner that year. White served in the position through 1994.

It would be great to see him be more active with the Cardinals alumni just to hear some of his stories.

#4 Keith Hernandez

While he is more closely associated with the Mets, Keith Hernandez had a pretty incredible stretch with the Cardinals, who drafted him in 1971.

He began his career with the Cards from 1974-1983. He was an All-Star in 1979 and 1980 with the Cardinals and earned the Gold Glove at first base for the Cardinals in 1978 - 1983. He also won the Silver Slugger award in 1980. Hernandez was the National League MVP in 1979.

During his time with the Cardinals, Hernandez hit .299/.385/.488 with an OPS of .833. He had 265 doubles, 50 triples, 81 home runs, and 595 RBI In the 1982 World Series against the Brewers, and he hit .259/.355/.444 with an OPS of .799 with four walks, seven hits, two doubles, a home run four runs scored and eight RBI.

The Cardinals traded Hernandez to the Mets in 1983 for Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey. Hernandez had many disagreements with manager Whitey Herzog. He has since said that his drug use was part of why he was traded from the Cardinals. Imagine if he hadn't used illicit drugs and stayed with the Cardinals longer. What a legend he could have been for the team.

He was elected by the fans to the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2021.

#3 Jim Bottomley

Known as "Sunny Jim" for his cheerful disposition, Jim Bottomley was the Cardinals' first basemen from 1923-1932.

According to an incredible story about Bottomley from SABR.org, "On a mid-September afternoon in Brooklyn in 1924, Cardinals third–year first baseman Jim Bottomley came to bat six times and delivered six hits, including two home runs, a double, and three singles off the Robins’ pitchers. Bottomley drove in 12 runs that day, and set a major league record for most Runs Batted In (RBIs) in a single game that still stands (shared with the Cardinals’ Mark Whiten in 1993).'

Bottomley is an absolute legend, and rightly one of the Cardinals' organization's top first basemen.

He helped the Cardinals win the World Series championship in 1926 and 1931. In the 1928 season, Bottomley won the NL MVP after being one of the first players ever to go 20-20-20 in a season as he led the league with 42 doubles, 20 triples, 31 home runs, 123 runs scored, and 136 RBI. He had a 35.8 career WAR. He had a career of .310/.369/.500 and an OPS of .869. He had 219 home runs and 1,422 RBI.

He led the league in double plays turned by a first baseman with 133 in 1925 and 149 in 1927. He reportedly had eight unassisted double plays in one season.

Bottomley was traded from the Cardinals to the Reds in 1933 and then to the Browns in 1936.

The veteran's committee elected Bottomley to the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2014, it was announced he would be entered into the Cardinals Hall of Fame. Bottomley died of a heart attack in December 1959.

#2 Stan Musial

Stan Musial was known as The Man. He did a little bit of everything for the St. Louis Cardinals, the game of baseball, and the city of St. Louis. For many, with his jovial spirit and love for the game, the Cardinals, and St. Louis, Stan is the face of St. Louis Cardinals baseball.

Musial played first base for the Cardinals in 1946-47 and 1955-59. He was named the NL MVP in 1943, 1946, and 1948. He helped the Cardinals to World Series championships in 1942, 1944, and 1946. He was selected as an All-Star for the National League 24 times. He earned the batting title for the National League seven times.

He had a .992 fielding percentage at first base. He took part in 935 double plays. For his fantastic career, Musial hit .331/.417/.559 with an OPS of .976. He hit 475 home runs while getting 1,951 RBI.

After his retirement in September 1963, he became vice president of the St. Louis Cardinals through 1966. In 1967, he became the team's general manager and oversaw a World Series championship that season.

In 1968, the iconic statue of Musial was erected in August. On the statue is a quote attributed to former baseball commissioner Ford Frick, "Here stands baseball's perfect warrior. Here stands baseball's perfect knight." This statute has become a meeting spot for fans, friends, and family. In addition to honors from the city and state, Musial was also the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 from President Barack Obama.

Musial is a legend and synonymous with Cardinals baseball. He is an icon and, without a doubt, one of the top first basemen in the organization's history.

Musial was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969. He was named to the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2014. He passed away in January 2013. He last appeared at Busch Stadium in his golf card, doing a lap around the stadium before Game 4 of the 2012 NLCS against the Giants.

#1 Albert Pujols

Cardinal fans were lucky to see a decade of greatness from Albert Pujols as he patrolled first base while being a dynamic force at the plate. That decade received a cherry on top when Pujols returned to the Cardinals, after a decade away, to finish out his career in a Cardinals uniform.

While playing left field and first base between 2001-03, he took over as first basemen for the Cardinals in 2004 and stayed there through the 2011 season. He was an All-Star in 2001 and earned National League Rookie of the Year. From 2003-10 he earned All-Star honors. In 2005-2008 and 2009, he was the National League Most Valuable Player. In 2006 and 2010, he was a Gold Glove winner at first base. He was the Silver Slugger winner at first base for 2001, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, and 2010.

He was a pivotal piece to the Cardinals World Series championships in 2006 and 2011 while also significantly impacting the 2004 World Series. He had a three-home run game in the 2011 World Series against the Rangers. One of his most memorable moments came in the 2005 NLCS against the Houston Astros when he knocked a home run off of closer Brad Lidge, forcing a game six. While the Cardinals ultimately lost that series, it was still the most memorable moment.

After the 2011 season, Pujols left the Cardinals to sign a 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Angles worth $240 million. In May 2021, he was released by the Angels. Pujols got a second chance as he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers a week later. The deal allowed Pujols to compete but also act as a mentor to younger players. He said getting this second chance reinvigorated him and his love of baseball.

Before 2022, it was established that the designated hitter rule would expand to the National League. This led to the opportunity for a return to the Cardinals to finish out his career. In March 2022, Pujols sent a bolt through Cardinal nation when he signed a one-year deal worth $2.5 million. He took on a similar role he had with the Dodgers. He would assist Goldschmidt at first base and be a designated hitter while also being a mentor to the many youngsters on the Cardinals' roster.

Pujols's 2022 season with the Cardinals was a fairytale ending to his impressive career. It solidified his legendary status with the Cardinals organization. It healed wounds from when he exited the Cardinals organization. It was heartwarming to see him reconnect with the Cardinals' fan base. Seeing him with his friends, Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright, was excellent.

While it would have been fitting to see him win another World Series in his final season, it was satisfying to see him hit his 700th home run in a Cardinals uniform. While it would have been amazing to see him get it at Busch Stadium, he felt satisfaction at Dodger Stadium, where getting that 700th home run was made possible when his love of the game was rekindled with the Dodgers.

Yes, Pujols didn't spend his entire career with the Cardinals. But, he impacted the game of baseball and the Cardinals organization with his play at first base for over a decade.

Pujols is a Cardinals legend. Pujols's work over a decade, plus an incredible 2022 season, solidified that legendary status. It makes him the top first baseman in the Cardinals' history.