ST. LOUIS -- Beginning with Stan Musial's No. 6, which was retired in 1963, the Cardinals have recognized the franchise's top players and influential individuals by taking their uniform numbers out of circulation. Those names and numbers now adorn the left-field wall at Busch Stadium, and the numbers appear below the main scoreboard in right-center field.
For those who didn't wear a uniform number but have been deemed deserving of the organization's greatest individual honor, their names and a logo appear alongside the others.
In total this group includes 11 players, two managers, an owner and one broadcaster. The only Major League franchise to recognize more individuals in this way is the Yankees, who have retired 22 numbers.
Here is a snapshot of the career highlights that earned these 15 men such prestigious recognition:
Ozzie Smith, SS: No. 1
Number retired: 1996
Acquired from the Padres in February 1982, Smith went on to become arguably the best defensive shortstop of all time. A 13-time National League Gold Glove Award winner and 15-time All-Star, Smith helped lead the Cardinals to three World Series during his 15 seasons in St. Louis. Smith famously took reliever Tom Niedenfuer deep in the 1985 NLCS, prompting Jack Buck to exclaim: 'Go crazy, folks! Go crazy!' Smith, who dazzled fans with backflips and defensive gems, retired as baseball's career leader in assists and double plays by a shortstop. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002.
Red Schoendienst, 2B: No. 2
Number retired: 1996
Schoendienst spent 67 seasons with the Cardinals, first as a player, then as a coach, manager and executive. He began that tenure by filling in for Stan Musial when Musial left to serve in the U.S. Army. Schoendienst later settled in at second base, where he made 1,789 career starts. As a player, Schoendienst was the member of two World Series teams (1946 and '57). He later won two titles as a coach ('64 and '82), in addition to managing the Cardinals to a World Series title in '67. The 10-time All-Star earned induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in '89 and was the oldest living Hall of Famer at the time of his death in 2018.
Stan Musial, 1B/OF: No. 6
Number retired: 1963
Known affectionately as "The Man," Musial remains the greatest player in Cardinals history. He played 22 Major League seasons, all in St. Louis, where he retired as the franchise leader in almost every offensive category -- games played, at-bats, runs, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, RBIs, walks and total bases. He posted a .331 career average, won three NL MVP Awards, claimed seven batting titles and was a 24-time All-Star. A member of three World Series-winning teams, Musial also remarkably finished with an equal number of hits (1,815) at home and on the road. Musial was the first Cardinal to have his uniform number retired and was a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Enos Slaughter, RF: No. 9
Number retired: 1996
Still celebrated for his "mad dash" in Game 7 of the 1946 World Series, Slaughter won two of his four World Series titles during his 13 seasons in St. Louis. He batted .300 or better in eight seasons with the Cardinals and led the Majors with a career-high 130 RBIs in 1946. Slaughter, who was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1985, was a 10-time All-Star and finished in the top 3 in MVP voting three times during his time with the Cardinals. He also won two championships with the Yankees in '56 and '58.
Tony La Russa, manager: No. 10
Number retired: 2012
After managing the White Sox and A's, La Russa joined the Cardinals in 1996 as the club's 48th skipper. Over the next 17 seasons, La Russa led the Cardinals to three NL pennants and World Series championships in 2006 and 2011. At the time of his retirement, La Russa had managed more games (2,591) and tallied more wins (1,408) than any manager in franchise history. Under La Russa, the Cardinals had 14 winning seasons and won eight division titles. He retired as one of two managers in MLB history to win a World Series in both leagues and the second manager to win 500 games with three different teams.
Ken Boyer, 3B: No. 14
Number retired: 1984
Boyer played his first 11 seasons for the Cardinals, with whom he won the 1964 NL MVP Award and was a five-time NL Gold Glove winner at third base. During his MVP season, Boyer hit .295 with 24 homers and a Major League-leading 119 RBIs. He also helped the Cardinals defeat the Yankees in the World Series by knocking a grand slam in Game 4 and scoring three runs in a Game 7 victory. Boyer retired as the only player in franchise history to hit for the cycle twice. He later returned to the organization as a Minor League manager and Major League coach. Boyer served as manager of the Cardinals from '78-80.
Dizzy Dean, RHP: No. 17
Number retired: 1974
One of the more flamboyant characters in franchise history, Dean was a famed member of the Gashouse Gang, as well as one of the most dominant pitchers to ever wear a Cardinals uniform. Over seven seasons with the Cardinals, Dean led the Majors in strikeouts four times and posted a 2.99 ERA. He was named the NL's MVP after going 30-7 with a 2.66 ERA and 195 strikeouts over 311 2/3 innings in 1934. The Cardinals capped that season with a World Series win over the Tigers. Dean pitched the Cardinals to a Game 7 victory with a six-hit shutout. Dean, who later had a successful career as a broadcaster, earned induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in '53.
Lou Brock, LF: No. 20
Number retired: 1979
Famously acquired from the Cubs in one of the most lopsided trades in MLB history, Brock set the single-season stolen base record (118) in 1974 and retired with 938 career stolen bases at the end of his 16-year career. Brock registered 12 seasons with 50 or more steals and led the NL in stolen bases eight times and the Majors six times. He finished his career with 3,023 hits and batted .300 or higher seven times. In '67, Brock became the first player in MLB history with 20 homers and 50 steals in a season. Brock, who was a member of two World Series-winning teams in St. Louis, was enshrined into the Baseball Hall of Fame in '85.
Ted Simmons, C: No. 23
Number retired: 2021
An elusive and long-awaited induction to the National Hall of Fame came in tow with Simmons earning the retirement of his number. Better known as “Simba,” Simmons spent 13 years as a Cardinal, during which he earned six of his eight career All-Star nods, hit above .300 in a full season six times and captured his lone Silver Slugger Award in 1980. The shoes he filled were large, taking over for club Hall of Famer Tim McCarver in full during the 1970 season, and ultimately representing one of the best first-round Draft picks in franchise history. Simmons never found the postseason success of some of his fellow Cardinals legends (in fact, one of his few postseason experiences was falling to the Cards in the 1982 World Series as a member of the Brewers), but Simba remains a fan favorite. He still lives in St. Louis, and he can now find his likeness at the corner of Clarke Ave. and 8th Street outside Busch Stadium, as one of 12 statues erected by the club.
Whitey Herzog, manager: No. 24
Number retired: 2010
Nicknamed the "White Rat," Herzog took over as the Cardinals' manager in 1980 and remained in that post until '90. He also served as the club's general manager during some of that tenure. Herzog's clubs amassed 822 victories, three NL pennants and the 1982 World Series title. Those teams were often known for their speed and defense, a style of play termed "Whiteyball." Herzog also managed the Rangers, Angels and Royals. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010 by the Veterans Committee.
Bruce Sutter, RHP: No. 42
Number retired: 2006
Though his number had already been taken out of circulation as part of an MLB-wide honor for Jackie Robinson, Sutter was still honored by the Cardinals with a number-retirement ceremony at Busch Stadium. Sutter finished with 300 career saves, including 127 over four seasons with the Cardinals. He was the closer on the Cardinals' 1982 championship team and led the NL in saves during three of his four seasons in St. Louis. Sutter, a six-time All-Star, won the Cy Young Award while with the Cubs in '79. In 2006, Sutter became the 14th pitcher with ties to the Cardinals to be elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Bob Gibson, RHP: No. 45
Number retired: 1975
Gibson played his entire 17-year career in St. Louis, where he retired as the franchise leader in wins (251), games started (482), complete games (255), shutouts (56), innings pitched (3,885.1) and strikeouts (3,117). Gibson was the World Series MVP in both 1964 and 1967. He pitched in that '67 World Series after breaking his right leg and went 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA, three complete games and 26 strikeouts. A year later, Gibson was named the NL Cy Young Award winner and MVP for a season in which he posted a 1.12 ERA while striking out 268. His dominance led MLB to change the height of the pitcher's mound. Gibson won another Cy Young Award in 1970 and threw his first no-hitter one year later. The nine-time All-Star became a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 1981.
August A. Busch, Owner: No. 85
Number retired: 1984
Busch, president of Anheuser-Busch brewery, purchased the franchise in 1953 and remained the Cardinals' owner until his death in '89. During that time, the Cardinals won World Series championships in '64, '67 and '82, and secured three additional NL pennants ('68, '85 and '87). Busch was instrumental in the construction of Busch Stadium II, which was the team's home from 1966-2005. Under Busch's ownership, the Cardinals drew two million fans for the first time ('67) and reached the three-million plateau 20 years later. The franchise remained under the ownership of the Busch family until '96.
Rogers Hornsby, 2B
Year honored: 1997
Along with Ted Williams, Hornsby is one of two players in MLB history to win multiple Triple Crowns. He's also one of two players to hit .400 in three different seasons. All of those milestones came with the Cardinals, including his modern-day record .424 batting average in 1924. Hornsby played his first 12 years in St. Louis, where he led the NL in slugging percentage seven times, total bases six times, doubles and RBIs four times, and runs three times. He also served as a Cardinals player-manager from '25-26. In that role, he helped lead the Cardinals to their first World Series championship and tagged Babe Ruth out at second base to seal the Game 7 victory in '26. Hornsby, who did not wear a uniform number until he returned to the Cardinals for 46 games in '33, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in '42.
Jack Buck, Broadcaster
Year honored: 2002
The "Voice of the Cardinals" for 47 years, Jack Buck remains one of the most popular figures in franchise history. He called many iconic moments, including Gibson's no-hitter (1971), Brock's record-setting 105th stolen base (1974), Smith's game-winning homer in the 1985 NLCS and Mark McGwire's 61st home run (1998). Buck also famously delivered a piece he titled "For America" to the Busch Stadium crowd before the Cardinals' first game following the 9/11 attacks. He worked alongside Harry Caray, Mike Shannon and his son, Joe Buck, to bring listeners the action on KMOX. Buck was honored by the Baseball Hall of Fame with the Ford C. Frick Award in 1987.
Note: On April 15, 1997, the Cardinals joined every team in MLB in retiring No. 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson.