Have you heard Red talk in the last few years. 90 something and mind still there. Not just platitudes. Sharp and clever. And deep in baseball for an incredible number of years.
I'm going Red.
Where does Red rank in the "Mr. Cardinal" category?
- lukethedrifter
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- JL21
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Re: Where does Red rank in the "Mr. Cardinal" category?
The best way I can describe seeing Musial at a game or on the jumbotron at a game or even on TV, or just generally involved at any Cardinal event... It made me feel the same way dopey housewives feel about British royalty.
Red, on the other hand, is more admiration for his loyalty to the organization. The thing with Red is that unless you were born before 1970 or so, your only exposure to the dude has been him standing in the dugout or hitting fungoes at spring training. Whereas Musial has been celebrated as the face of the organization no matter when you were born.
None of that's to take anything away from Schoendienst*. I love the hell out of the fact that he's always there no matter what- spring training, playoff games, winter warmups, etc... There's a lot to be said for that.
*I'd also like Red a lot more if his last name wasn't such a pain in the ass to spell properly
Red, on the other hand, is more admiration for his loyalty to the organization. The thing with Red is that unless you were born before 1970 or so, your only exposure to the dude has been him standing in the dugout or hitting fungoes at spring training. Whereas Musial has been celebrated as the face of the organization no matter when you were born.
None of that's to take anything away from Schoendienst*. I love the hell out of the fact that he's always there no matter what- spring training, playoff games, winter warmups, etc... There's a lot to be said for that.
*I'd also like Red a lot more if his last name wasn't such a pain in the ass to spell properly
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Re: Where does Red rank in the "Mr. Cardinal" category?
Pepper Martin deserves honorable mention having played his whole career as a Cardinal and being on two World Series champions in 1931 and 1934.
- sighyoung
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Re: Where does Red rank in the "Mr. Cardinal" category?
Red is a legacy in and of himself. I don't think the Cardinals impart anything to him, but I think the organization looks great because it maintains its ties to the likes of a Schoendienst. I think of Red the way many organizations thought of Don Zimmer--a Wise Old Man of the game, and a good guy, to boot. He's one of these characters that baseball seems to produce and is lucky to keep around--a consummate professional, a Hall of Famer, and World Series-winning manager, and an embodiment of knowledge and lore.
Even though he was the Cardinals' manager when I was growing up, I didn't think of him as THE Cardinal, but as someone who should ALWAYS BE a Cardinal. I'm glad he is.
Even though he was the Cardinals' manager when I was growing up, I didn't think of him as THE Cardinal, but as someone who should ALWAYS BE a Cardinal. I'm glad he is.