St. Louis Cardinals Mount Rushmore of pitchers and hitters

Forming a Mount Rushmore of players -- the four best in any organization -- has been a trial as old as sport itself. For decades, fans have been trying to identify the four best players for their respective franchises.

The Los Angeles Lakers have Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabar. The Boston Celtics have Larry Bird, John Havlicek, Bill Russell, and Bob Cousy. The New York Yankees have Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, and Mickey Mantle. While many fans can agree with these lists, there's still room for debate on who the four best players in any organization are regardless of the sport.

For the St. Louis Cardinals, considering they've been in existence since 1882, have a long list of "greatest" players spanning three centuries. It's challenging to identify a true Mount Rushmore of players: the four greatest to have donned the Birds on the Bat.

Let's start this list off with some honorable mentions who just missed the cut.

Yadier Molina

Yadi spent all 19 years of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals, and he finished with a total of 42.1 bWAR. He was a 10-time All-Star, a nine-time Gold Glove recipient, and a four-time Platinum Glove winner. He also won one Silver Slugger Award and won the Roberto Clemente Award in 2018. Molina was a Cardinal through and through, and he stuck with the organization that drafted him for his entire career.

Lou Brock

In the legendary trade with the Chicago Cubs, the St. Louis Cardinals acquired Lou outfielder Lou Brock in 1964. The St. Louis native Brock would go on to play 16 of his 19 seasons with the Cardinals, and he would accumulate 41.7 bWAR during his Cardinals tenure. Brock finished second in MVP voting in 1974, and he was voted into six All-Star Games while with St. Louis. Lou Brock was a member of the 1964 and 1967 World Series Champion teams, too.

Ken Boyer

Ken Boyer spent 11 of his 15 years in St. Louis. His lone MVP Award came in 1964 with the Cardinals, and he would rack up 48.4 bWAR while playing in St. Louis as well. Boyer was a seven-time All-Star with the Cardinals, and he received five Gold Glove Awards while in St. Louis.

Enos Slaughter

Enos Slaughter played 13 of his 19 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. While with the ballclub, Slaughter slashed .305/.384/.463 with a total of 2,064 hits. He walked nearly twice as many times as he struck out. He was voted to 10 All-Star Games while with the Cardinals, and he finished top seven in MVP voting five times.

Without further ado, here is the Mount Rushmore of players for the St. Louis Cardinals.