Cards set to announce '14 Hall of Fame class

ST. LOUIS -- Prior to Wednesday's afternoon series finale, the Cardinals will announce the members of their 2014 Hall of Fame class. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 12:32 p.m. CT and will be shown as part of the Cardinals' pregame show on FOX Sports Midwest.

The Cardinals' Hall of Fame, free to the public, recently opened on the second floor of Cardinals Nation inside Ballpark Village. The plaques of 22 inductees -- those whose numbers are retired by the organization and those who are enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame -- have already been hung in that gallery.

Three, and possibly four, other Cardinals will soon join them.

Two of those inductees will come from a modern-day ballot of eight players -- those who have played at least three years in St. Louis and are at least three years into retirement -- that was put together by members of a Red Ribbon committee that the organization formed. Fans began casting their votes for those players -- Jim Edmonds, Bob Forsch, Keith Hernandez, Willie McGee, Mark McGwire, Matt Morris, Ted Simmons and Joe Torre -- in March, and the seven-week voting period ended last week.

A veteran player will also be elected -- someone who has been retired for 40 or more years and who played at least three years for the Cardinals. This player was chosen through a secret balloting process by the committee members.

If the Cardinals see fit, they can also add a fourth member to the class by electing a non-player who has made substantial contributions to the organization. This could be a coach, broadcaster, front-office member or the like.

The Cardinals plan to hold the official induction ceremony on Aug. 16.