My first MLB game was when I moved to St. Louis in 1987. Thankfully, the Cardinals had a great team in the late 80’s. The Wizard of Oz was the fan-favorite and clubhouse leader for the Cardinals. This ball and card were obtained when Ozzie did a signing for a local car dealership and my dad got them signed for me back then. They will be a part of my forever collection.

Here is a special one for my mid to late 1980s St. Louis Cardinals fans. The “Runnin’ Red Birds” went to the World Series in 1987 and showcased the speed of the Cardinals outfield. Anchored by Vince Coleman and Willie McGee, who people forget was a National League most valuable player, this 1986 Donruss baseball card has been signed by both players and authenticated by PSADNA. Such a cool card for any Cardinals fan.

As a Cardinal fan, Albert Pujols has been my favorite player in the last 20 years. While I wish he would’ve stayed with the Cardinals for his entire career, I’m glad he had his late resurgence and got his flowers and reached 700 home runs. I have a couple of his rookie autograph cards. Nothing massive, but I do love this tops, finest refractor autograph from his rookie year.

I’ve been picking up Jordan Walker RCs on the cheap this winter. We all know about his struggles—two demotions in as many seasons—but he’s got a lot going for him:
• Universally acclaimed prospect with 80 power potential who touch 115.5 EV in September
• He’s only 22 years old and I think he’d be at the top of the pipeline if he hadn’t been called up in 2023
• The Cardinals seem to have embraced a rebuild mindset, which should mean a longer leash for Walker this season
• He’s hit .255/.317/.423 in 168 career MLB games, which doesn’t suggest he’s a bust
I doubt he’ll blow anyone away this season, but we’re gonna find out if Walker can make required adjustments at the plate (to say nothing of his glove). As much as the Reds fan in me doesn’t want the Cards to gain another weapon, I hope he does.

I’m just gonna teach the young ones about how good Stan “The Man” was: Stan Musial, one of the greatest hitters in baseball history, had an incredible career with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1941 to 1963. Here are some of his key highlights:
Career Achievements
• 3× MVP (1943, 1946, 1948)
• 24× All-Star (1943–1944, 1946–1963) (MLB held two All-Star Games per year from 1959-1962)
• 3× World Series champion (1942, 1944, 1946)
• 7× NL batting champion
• 2× NL RBI leader (1948, 1956)
• 6× NL doubles leader
• 5× NL triples leader
Career Stats
• .331 batting average
• 3,630 hits (4th all-time, tied with Hank Aaron)
• 475 home runs
• 1,951 RBIs
• 725 doubles (3rd all-time)
• 177 triples (19th all-time)
Notable Moments
• Had six seasons batting over .350
• 1948 season: Nearly won the Triple Crown, leading the league in batting average (.376), hits (230), doubles (46), triples (18), RBIs (131)—missed HR title by just one home run
• Hit 5 home runs in a doubleheader (1954)
• Finished top-10 in MVP voting 14 times
• Missed the 1945 season serving in the Navy during WWII
• Never struck out more than 50 times in a season
• Had exactly 1,815 hits at home and 1,815 on the road