ST. LOUIS – While the Cardinals' fan base was certainly energized by the arrival of Mark McGwire in a July 1997 trade with the Athletics, quite possibly no one was happier about the superstar slugger’s looming presence in the St. Louis lineup than outfielder Ray Lankford.
Already a solid player who finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting in 1991 and became the first Cards rookie to record a cycle that same year, Lankford reached newfound heights when he had the good fortune to hit behind the record-setting McGwire in '97 and ‘98.
In a franchise that includes legendary names such as Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Enos Slaughter, Dizzy Dean, Rogers Hornsby, Ted Simmons, Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina and McGwire, Lankford often gets overlooked despite his all-around greatness. Lankford, now 58, has his named dotted all over the Cardinals’ all-time leaderboard, and he is still the only player in franchise history to record at least 200 home runs (228 of his 238 total) and 200 stolen bases (250 of his 258).
Those accomplishments helped Lankford earn induction into the Cardinals' Hall of Fame in 2018. Not bad for a player who nearly ended up with the rival Cubs while coming out of Modesto (Calif.) Junior College.
A native of Southern California, Lankford was selected by the Cubs in the third round of the 1986 MLB Draft. However, he chose to stay in school another year, and he turned pro the following season when the Cards selected him in the same round.
Lankford reached the Cardinals in August 1990 to much fanfare and with some big spikes to fill. At that time, Lankford was seen as the center field replacement for 1982 World Series hero and ‘85 MVP Willie McGee, who had been traded to the Athletics earlier that season. Lankford wasted no time in showing off his massive potential by delivering two hits, driving in a run, scoring a run and stealing a base in his MLB debut on Aug. 21, 1990.
As a rookie, Lankford showed off his rare blend of speed and power by running his way to an NL-best 15 triples and 44 stolen bases and mashing nine homers and 23 doubles. That earned him a third-place nod in the voting for the NL Rookie of the Year, an award won by eventual Hall of Fame first baseman Jeff Bagwell.
The Cardinals knew that they had a dynamic player in Lankford by 1992, when he stole 42 bases and smashed 20 home runs. It was the first of Lankford’s five seasons with at least 20 homers and 20 stolen bases – easily the most such occurrences in the rich history of the franchise.
The height of Lankford’s career came in 1997 and ’98 – sandwiched around McGwire’s arrival in St. Louis and his heyday as MLB’s most feared slugger. Lankford made his first NL All-Star team in '97 while posting an eye-popping 159 OPS+, meaning he produced 59% better than an average player. In addition to stealing 21 bases, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Lankford showed off the thunder in his bat by hitting 31 homers and 36 doubles.
Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty and manager Tony La Russa landed McGwire in a July 31, 1997, trade for Eric Ludwick, TJ Mathews and Blake Stein. When McGwire smashed 24 homers in his first 51 games with St. Louis, it gave Lankford – and the baseball world – a peek at what was about to happen in '98.
McGwire, of course, broke Roger Maris’ single-season record for home runs with his 62nd, and he pushed his total to a then-unthinkable 70. When teams walked McGwire an NL-most 162 times – including 28 times intentionally – Lankford was there to make teams pay. Even though he was hitting in McGwire’s enormous shadow, Lankford crafted the best WAR (6.2, per both FanGraphs and Baseball Reference) of his career. He swatted 31 homers and 37 doubles – numbers that mostly got mostly overshadowed by McGwire’s greatness.
Memories of players in St. Louis are often linked to the 11 World Series championships the team owns. However, Lankford was never a part of a title team, and he played in just 14 playoff games with the Cards.
After two seasons in San Diego, Lankford returned to St. Louis for his final MLB season in 2004 – one in which the Cardinals went 105-57 and won their first pennant since 1987. In his final at-bat, Lankford fittingly drilled a two-run pinch-hit homer.
While Lankford never won a World Series ring with St. Louis, he was the club's most dynamic player for a decade and someone who put up the kind of numbers that might even shock the most ardent of Cardinals fans.