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.

Mount Rushmore of Pitchers

Bob Gibson

Bob Gibson may be the most obvious candidate on this list. Gibson spent his entire 17-year career with the Cardinals, and few pitchers in baseball history have been as dominant as he was. Gibson is a two-time Cy Young Award recipient, and he won the National League MVP in 1968 thanks to a 22-9 season with a sterling 1.12 ERA and an ERA+ of 258. Gibson was a part of the 1964 and 1967 World Series Championship teams.

Gibby attended nine All-Star games, he held the ERA title in 1968, and he won nine Gold Gloves. The Hall of Famer is the best pitcher in the St. Louis Cardinals' storied history, and he's also one of baseball's best pitchers.

Adam Wainwright

Adam Wainwright finished his career with 40.9 bWAR as a Cardinal, half of Bob Gibson's total. That shows just how dominant Gibson was. However, Waino was no slouch on the mound. He spent all 18 years of his career with the Cardinals, and he finished his career with a 3.53 ERA. Though Waino never won a Cy Young Award, he finished in the top-7 five times during his career in addition to winning two Gold Gloves in 2009 and 2013.

Waino finished his career with 2,202 strikeouts in 2,668.1 total innings. He was voted to three All-Star games as well. Waino, though he was injured all year, was with the 2011 World Series Championship team in addition to closing out the 2006 World Series victory.

Dizzy Dean

Born Jay Hanna Dean, Dizzy Dean played only seven seasons in St. Louis. However, he won the Most Valuable Player award in 1934, and he finished second in two other seasons. He was a four-time All Star with the Cardinals, and he finished his tenure in st. Louis with a 134-75 record and a 2.99 ERA.

Dean was inducted into Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame in 1953, and he racked up 39.9 bWAR as a Cardinal, third-most among pitchers in Cardinals' history. The crowning jewel on Dean's Mount Rushmore case is his 1934 World Series ring.

Jason Isringhausen

In my opinion, a franchise's pitching Mount Rushmore should include its best reliever when he was as impactful as Jason Isringhausen was for St. Louis. Isringhausen holds the franchise record for most career saves as a Cardinals with 217, and his 2.98 ERA is among the best for relievers in Cardinals history.

After starting his career with the New York Mets and Oakland Athletics, the Cardinals signed Izzy to a contract in the 2001-2002 offseason, and he would spend seven years in St. Louis. He led the National League in saves with 47 in 2004, and he was an All-Star in 2005. Izzy was also a part of the 2006 World Series ballclub.

Results

Position Players

1. Stan Musial
2. Rogers Hornsby
3. Albert Pujols
4. Ozzie Smith

Pitchers

1. Bob Gibson
2. Adam Wainwright
3. Dizzy Dean
4. Jason Isringhausen

Final Mount Rushmore

1. Stan Musial
2. Bob Gibson
3. Rogers Hornsby
4. Albert Pujols

My final Mount Rushmore includes three position players in Stan Musial, Rogers Hornsby, and Albert Pujols. I struggled with the decision between Albert Pujols and Ozzie Smith, but I settled on Pujols due to the milestones he reached and his career accomplishments. While The Wizard possessed elite defense, Pujols was a better all-around player for the bulk of his career.

Bob Gibson is the lone pitcher on my St. Louis Cardinals' Mount Rushmore, and he's deserving of that nomination. While Adam Wainwright had a wonderful career, and he's sure to be a St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer, he doesn't have the career accolades to dethrone Rogers Hornsby or Albert Pujols.

This Mount Rushmore spans several decades since the 1920's, and these four players stand up against some of the best in baseball. Each player mentioned here holds an argument to be the best at his position -- Stan the Man and Albert could even be the two best first basemen ever.

It's a shame to see great players like Yadier Molina, Ozzie Smith, Dizzy Dean, and Enos Slaughter left off this list, but that just goes to show how lengthy and historic the St. Louis Cardinals are as a franchise.

What is your St. Louis Cardinals Mount Rushmore? Do you agree with my list, or would you swap out some players for others?