In 1881, entrepreneur Chris von der Ahe purchased the Brown Stockings barnstorming club, renamed it the St. Louis Browns, and made it a charter member of the American Association baseball league. The team won four league championships, qualifying them to play in the era's professional baseball championship tournament, a forerunner of the modern World Series. In two of these championships, the Browns met the Chicago White Stockings, launching the enduring Cardinals–Cubs rivalry.
In 1892, the Browns – also called the Perfectos – joined the National League. In 1900, the team was renamed the Cardinals. (Two years later, an unrelated St. Louis Browns team joined the American League.)
Notable Cardinals achievements include manager/owner Branch Rickey's invention of the farm system, Rogers Hornsby's two batting Triple Crowns, Dizzy Dean's 30-win season in 1934, Stan Musial's 17 MLB and 29 NL records, Bob Gibson's 1.12 earned run average (ERA) in 1968, Whitey Herzog's Whiteyball, Mark McGwire's single-season home run record in 1998, and the 2011 championship team's unprecedented comebacks. The Cardinals have won 105 or more games in four seasons and won 100 or more nine times. Cardinals players have won 20 league MVPs, four batting Triple Crowns, and three Cy Young Awards. Baseball Hall of Fame inductees include Lou Brock, Dizzy Dean, Bob Gibson, Whitey Herzog, Rogers Hornsby, Joe Medwick, Stan Musial, Branch Rickey, Red Schoendienst, Ozzie Smith, and Bruce Sutter.
Year | Year2 | Years | Name | Wins | Losses | Games | Win % | Champs | Playoffs | Tenure | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | 2021 | 2019-2021 | Mike Shildt | 211 | 171 | 382 | .552 | 3 | 3 | ||
2018 | 2018 | 2018 | Mike Matheny Mike Shildt | 88 | 74 | 162 | .543 | 0 | 1 | ||
2012 | 2017 | 2012-2017 | Mike Matheny | 544 | 428 | 972 | .560 | 0 | 4 | 6 | |
1996 | 2011 | 1996-2011 | Tony La Russa | 1408 | 1182 | 2590 | .544 | 2 | 9 | 16 | |
1995 | 1995 | 1995 | Joe Torre Mike Jorgensen | 62 | 81 | 143 | .434 | 0 | 1 | ||
1991 | 1994 | 1991-1994 | Joe Torre | 307 | 293 | 600 | .512 | 0 | 4 | ||
1990 | 1990 | 1990 | Whitey Herzog Red Schoendienst Joe Torre | 70 | 92 | 162 | .432 | 0 | 1 | ||
1981 | 1989 | 1981-1989 | Whitey Herzog | 751 | 646 | 1397 | .538 | 1 | 3 | 9 | |
1980 | 1980 | 1980 | Ken Boyer Jack Krol Whitey Herzog Red Schoendienst | 74 | 88 | 162 | .457 | 0 | 1 | ||
1979 | 1979 | 1979 | Ken Boyer | 86 | 76 | 162 | .531 | 0 | 1 | ||
1978 | 1978 | 1978 | Vern Rapp Jack Krol Ken Boyer | 69 | 93 | 162 | .426 | 0 | 1 | ||
1977 | 1977 | 1977 | Vern Rapp | 83 | 79 | 162 | .512 | 0 | 1 | ||
1965 | 1976 | 1965-1976 | Red Schoendienst | 1010 | 925 | 1935 | .522 | 1 | 2 | 12 | |
1962 | 1964 | 1962-1964 | Johnny Keane | 270 | 216 | 486 | .556 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
1961 | 1961 | 1961 | Solly Hemus Johnny Keane | 80 | 74 | 154 | .520 | 0 | 1 | ||
1959 | 1960 | 1959-1960 | Solly Hemus | 157 | 151 | 308 | .510 | 0 | 2 | ||
1958 | 1958 | 1958 | Fred Hutchinson Stan Hack | 72 | 82 | 154 | .468 | 0 | 1 | ||
1956 | 1957 | 1956-1957 | Fred Hutchinson | 163 | 145 | 308 | .529 | 0 | 2 | ||
1955 | 1955 | 1955 | Eddie Stanky Harry Walker | 68 | 86 | 154 | .442 | 0 | 1 | ||
1952 | 1954 | 1952-1954 | Eddie Stanky | 243 | 219 | 462 | .526 | 0 | 3 | ||
1951 | 1951 | 1951 | Marty Marion | 81 | 73 | 154 | .526 | 0 | 1 | ||
1946 | 1950 | 1946-1950 | Eddie Dyer | 446 | 325 | 771 | .579 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |
1941 | 1945 | 1941-1945 | Billy Southworth | 508 | 261 | 769 | .661 | 2 | 3 | 5 | |
1940 | 1940 | 1940 | Ray Blades Mike Gonzalez Billy Southworth | 84 | 69 | 153 | .549 | 0 | 1 | ||
1939 | 1939 | 1939 | Ray Blades | 92 | 61 | 153 | .601 | 0 | 1 | ||
1938 | 1938 | 1938 | Frankie Frisch Mike Gonzalez | 71 | 80 | 151 | .470 | 0 | 1 | ||
1934 | 1937 | 1934-1937 | Frankie Frisch | 359 | 256 | 615 | .584 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
1933 | 1933 | 1933 | Gabby Street Frankie Frisch | 82 | 71 | 153 | .536 | 0 | 1 | ||
1930 | 1932 | 1930-1932 | Gabby Street | 265 | 197 | 462 | .574 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
1929 | 1929 | 1929 | Billy Southworth Gabby Street Bill McKechnie | 78 | 74 | 152 | .513 | 0 | 1 | ||
1928 | 1928 | 1928 | Bill McKechnie | 95 | 59 | 154 | .617 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
1927 | 1927 | 1927 | Bob O'Farrell | 92 | 61 | 153 | .601 | 0 | 1 | ||
1926 | 1926 | 1926 | Rogers Hornsby | 89 | 65 | 154 | .578 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
1925 | 1925 | 1925 | Branch Rickey Rogers Hornsby | 77 | 76 | 153 | .503 | 0 | 1 | ||
1919 | 1924 | 1919-1924 | Branch Rickey | 445 | 460 | 905 | .492 | 0 | 6 | ||
1918 | 1918 | 1918 | Jack Hendricks | 51 | 78 | 129 | .395 | 0 | 1 | ||
1913 | 1917 | 1913-1917 | Miller Huggins | 346 | 415 | 761 | .455 | 0 | 5 | ||
1909 | 1912 | 1909-1912 | Roger Bresnahan | 255 | 352 | 607 | .420 | 0 | 4 | ||
1906 | 1908 | 1906-1908 | John McCloskey | 153 | 304 | 457 | .335 | 0 | 3 | ||
1905 | 1905 | 1905 | Kid Nichols Jimmy Burke Stanley Robison | 58 | 96 | 154 | .377 | 0 | 1 | ||
1904 | 1904 | 1904 | Kid Nichols | 75 | 79 | 154 | .487 | 0 | 1 | ||
1901 | 1903 | 1901-1903 | Patsy Donovan | 175 | 236 | 411 | .426 | 0 | 3 | ||
1900 | 1900 | 1900 | Patsy Tebeau Louie Heilbroner | 65 | 75 | 140 | .464 | 0 | 1 | ||
1899 | 1899 | 1899 | Patsy Tebeau | 84 | 67 | 151 | .556 | 0 | 1 | ||
1898 | 1898 | 1898 | Tim Hurst | 39 | 111 | 150 | .260 | 0 | 1 | ||
1897 | 1897 | 1897 | Tommy Dowd Hugh Nicol Bill Hallman Chris Von Der Ahe | 29 | 102 | 131 | .221 | 0 | 1 | ||
1896 | 1896 | 1896 | Harry Diddlebock Arlie Latham Chris Von Der Ahe Roger Connor Tommy Dowd | 40 | 90 | 130 | .308 | 0 | 1 | ||
1895 | 1895 | 1895 | Al Buckenberger Chris Von Der Ahe Joe Quinn Lou Phelan | 39 | 92 | 131 | .298 | 0 | 1 | ||
1894 | 1894 | 1894 | Doggie Miller | 56 | 76 | 132 | .424 | 0 | 1 | ||
1893 | 1893 | 1893 | Bill Watkins | 57 | 75 | 132 | .432 | 0 | 1 | ||
1892 | 1892 | 1892 | Jack Glasscock Cub Stricker Jack Crooks George Gore Bob Caruthers | 56 | 94 | 150 | .373 | 0 | 1 | ||
1885 | 1891 | 1885-1891 | Charlie Comiskey | 534 | 258 | 792 | .674 | 4 | 4 | 6 | |
1890 | 1890 | 1890 | Tommy McCarthy John Kerins Chief Roseman Count Campau Joe Gerhardt | 77 | 58 | 135 | .570 | 0 | 1 | ||
1884 | 1884 | 1884 | Jimmy Williams Charlie Comiskey | 67 | 40 | 107 | .626 | 0 | 1 | ||
1883 | 1883 | 1883 | Ted Sullivan Charlie Comiskey | 65 | 33 | 98 | .663 | 0 | 1 | ||
1882 | 1882 | 1882 | Ned Cuthbert | 37 | 43 | 80 | .463 | 0 | 1 | ||