This is part of an ongoing series chronicling the greatest teams in Cardinal history. If you’d like to see the others featured, please browse them all by CLICKING HERE.

In our fourth installment of the Cardinals greatest teams series, we take a look back at the very first Cardinals team to win the World Series.  The 1926 Cardinals featured many legendary players including two of the greatest players to ever wear a uniform, Hall of Famer’s Rogers Hornsby and Grover Cleveland “Pete” Alexander as well as one of our  STL Cardinal Baseball Cardinal legends Jim Bottomley (read more about Bottomley here.) Take a look at the very first of eleven World Series Champion teams in the great historic franchise that is the St. Louis Cardinals: 

Record: 89-65 World Series Champions

Roster:

Manager: Rogers Hornsby (HOF)

Rotation: Flint Rhem(20-7, 3.21 ERA, 72 K’s), Bill Sherdel (16-12, 3.49 ERA, 59 K’s), Jesse Haines (HOF, 13-4, 3.25 ERA, 46 K’s), Vic Keen (10-9, 4.56 ERA, 29 K’s), Grover Cleveland “Pete” Alexander (HOF, 9-7, 2.91 ERA, 35 K’s.)

Bullpen: Art Reinhart (10-5, 4.22 ERA, 26 K’s), Hi Bell (6-6, 3.18 ERA, 27 K’s), Bill Hallahan(1-4, 3.65 ERA, 28 K’s), Syl Johnson (0-3, 4.22 ERA, 10 K’s.)

Catchers: Bob O’Farrell (.293 AVG, 7 HR, 68 RBI’s), Ernie Vick (.196 AVG, 0 HR, 4 RBI.)

Infielders: Jim Bottomley(.299 AVG, 19 HR, 120 RBI’s), Rogers Hornsby (.317 AVG, 11 HR, 93 RBI’s), Tommy Thevenow (.256 AVG, 2 HR, 63 RBI’s), Les Bell (.325 AVG, 17 HR, 100 RBI’s), Specs Toporcer (.250 AVG, 0 HR, 9 RBI’s.)

Outfielders: Billy Southworth(HOF, .317 AVG, 11 HR, 69 RBI’s), Ray Blades (.305 AVG, 8 HR, 43 RBI’s), Taylor Douthit (.308 AVG, 3 HR, 52 RBI, 23 SB), Chick Hafey(HOF, .271 AVG, 4 HR, 38 RBI’s).

Awards won:

MVP- Bob O’Farrell

Player Highlights:

• Bob O’Farrell won the MVP, Tommy Thevanow finished fourth in the voting, Les Bell finished 6th in the voting.
• Jim Bottomley led the NL  with 120 RBI’s.
• Flint Rhem led the NL with his 20 wins.
• Grover Cleveland Alexander’s strikeout in the World Series of Tony Lazzeri is known worldwide as one of the greatest moments in baseball history.
• Six members of this team are in the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Southworth is in the Hall of Fame as a manager but the rest are all in their because of their playing careers.
  

  Rogers Hornsby one of the greatest to ever play the game.