The best aspects of the St. Louis Cardinals franchise

Few other organizations across Major League Baseball rival the St. Louis Cardinals when it comes to the history of the franchise. The franchise was founded in 1882 as the St. Louis Browns, and they've been known as the Cardinals since 1900.

It stands to reason that a franchise as long-standing as the Cardinals is full of historical and impactful figures in the sport. One would be correct in making that assumption.

I recently ran some polls on Twitter/X trying to get a feel from the fans on the best stadium, owner, general manager, manager, pitcher, and position player in franchise history. Since the Cardinals have been around for so long, the options were abundant. Here are the results.

Which stadium do St. Louis Cardinals fans consider the best in franchise history?

Winner: Busch Stadium II

Sportsman's Park gave both renditions of Busch Stadium a run for their money, and the organization's two most recent homes fought a close battle, but Busch Stadium II received 45% of the vote share, narrowly edging out its predecessor, which received 41% of the votes.

Busch Stadium II opened in 1966, and it served as the Cardinals' home until 2005. The 1966 All-Star game was held at Busch II, as well as six World Series (1967, '68, '82, '85, '87, 2004). The final game at Busch Stadium II was played on October 2, 2005.

Busch Stadium II was known for its arches throughout the upper deck, and it was one of the largest stadiums in MLB with a capacity of 49,676. For a time, the AstroTurf at Busch made the game faster, and the speedy teams of the 1980s took full advantage of this aspect. The teams of the '80s, along with Mark McGwire's heroics during the 1998 home run chase, made this stadium memorable.

Which owner of the St. Louis Cardinals do fans remember most fondly?

Winner: August "Gussie" Busch

On February 20, 1953, beer baron August "Gussie" Busch purchased the St. Louis Cardinals for a measly $3.75 million. Busch's purchase not only kept the franchise in St. Louis, but it also ushered in an era of immense success for the franchise.

Busch was a hands-on owner, and he made it a point to be present at the stadium with players, travel in a railcar with the team, and create an inclusive organization.

During Gussie's ownership, the Cardinals won three World Series, five National League pennants, and four division titles (divisions weren't established in Major League Baseball until the 1969 season).

Who do St. Louis Cardinals fans see as the franchise's best general manager?

Winner: Walt Jocketty

Well, isn't this bittersweet? On Saturday, April 26th, news spread that Walt Jocketty passed away. The long-time general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals was remembered fondly by fans throughout the sport, and his presence will be missed. Jocketty was 74 years old.

Jocketty started his career in the front office with the Oakland Athletics in 1980, and he joined the Cardinals as an assistant general manager following the 1994 season. Jocketty was key in the club's hiring of Tony La Russa as manager (more on him later), and the acquisitions of All-Stars like Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina, Mark McGwire, Adam Wainwright, and others were all players during Jocketty's tenure.

Under Jocketty's leadership, the Cardinals won seven division titles, two National League Championships, and a World Series trophy in 2006. He was relieved of his duties following the 2007 season.

Who was the best manager for the St. Louis Cardinals?

Winner: Tony La Russa

Tony La Russa's 1,408 wins are the most in franchise history. His .544 winning percentage is 12th in franchise history among managers who spent at least 2 years with the organization. He helped the Cardinals win three National League pennants and two World Series trophies during his time as manager. La Russa was voted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014 as a manager.

La Russa brought some of the best success the franchise has seen. The Cardinals won seven National League Central division titles while he was at the helm. La Russa was raved about by his players as one of the greatest minds they've ever played for. His final year with the Cardinals was the 2011 season, and he went out on top with a World Series championship.

Which pitcher was the best in St. Louis Cardinals history?

Winner: Bob Gibson

This poll was far and away the most obvious. Bob Gibson took home 130 of 137 votes in my online poll. The next closest pitcher was Adam Wainwright, who received 5 votes.

Bob Gibson spent his entire 17-year career with the Cardinals. He finished his career with a 251-174 record and a 2.91 ERA. he struck out 3,117 batters, and his 1.12 ERA was the best in baseball in 1968. He threw 255 complete games across 482 starts, and his 56 shutouts rank as the 13th most in baseball history.

Few pitchers in baseball, let alone St. Louis Cardinals franchise history, mirror Gibson's career. He will likely go down in history as the single greatest Cardinal pitcher to ever play, regardless of how long the franchise is around.

Which position player was known as the best in St. Louis Cardinals history?

Winner: Stan Musial

This poll was slightly closer than I imagined it would be. Stan Musial received 53% of the votes, and he beat out Albert Pujols by 10%. I think, had Pujols played his entire career with the Cardinals, the voting would have been essentially split between the two. Alas, Pujols left St. Louis for Los Angeles for 10 years, and Stan Musial remains the greatest Cardinal to ever don the Birds on the Bat.

Musial played every one of his 22 seasons with the Cardinals, and he accumulated 128.5 bWAR during his career. He won the NL MVP award three times, and he attended 24 All-Star Games, the second most in MLB history behind only Henry Aaron. Musial was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1969.

Stan the Man was a fantastic baseball players, but his off-field work was even greater. Musial served in the Navy during World War II. He was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States, by former president Barack Obama in 2011, and he has numerous buildings, bridges, awards, and even boats named after him.