History of the St. Louis Cardinals (1875–1919)

Lore & Background

The St. Louis Brown Stockings became the city's first fully professional baseball club when they gained accession in the National Association in 1875. After the NA folded, the Brown Stockings joined five other former NA teams to establish the National League in 1876. Despite early success, including George Bradley's no-hitter, the club was expelled from the NL after the 1877 season due to a game-fixing scandal known as the 'Muffin' affair, forcing bankruptcy. Some members continued as a semi-professional team, primarily operated by outfielder Ned Cuthbert, until 1881.

In 1881, Chris von der Ahe purchased the club and made it a charter member of the American Association in 1882. This Brown Stockings club became St. Louis' Major League mainstay, now competing as the Cardinals. During their time in the AA, the Cardinals established the first St. Louis professional sports dynasty, finishing with the best overall record in the league each year from 1885 to 1887, and placing second in 1888 behind the Brooklyn Bridegrooms. They also took their first interleague championship, defeating the Chicago White Stockings in the 1886 World Series.

After the American Association folded after the 1891 season, St. Louis rejoined the National League as the Browns. From 1892 to 1920, the club managed just five winning seasons and finished in last or next-to-last place on 17 occasions, with 31 managerial changes and two name changes, the last being to 'Cardinals' in 1900. Following this extended era of futility, the Cardinals emerged into a renaissance in the 1920s.

Reader's Guide

The St. Louis Cardinals' early history reflects the turbulent origins of professional baseball in the United States. The club began as the Brown Stockings in the National Association, then helped form the National League, only to be expelled for game-fixing. After a semi-professional period, the team was revived by Chris von der Ahe and became a charter member of the American Association, where it achieved the first St. Louis professional sports dynasty, winning the 1886 World Series precursor. The club's name evolved from Brown Stockings to Browns to Perfectos to Cardinals by 1900. After the American Association folded, the team rejoined the National League and endured nearly three decades of futility, with only five winning seasons from 1892 to 1920. This period established the franchise's resilience, setting the stage for a renaissance in the 1920s. The Cardinals' early years also illustrate the evolution of baseball rules, such as the shift from underhand pitching and the development of the shortstop position by early St. Louis player Dickey Pearce.

Did You Know?

• The St. Louis Brown Stockings were expelled from the National League after the 1877 season due to a game-fixing scandal known as the 'Muffin' affair.
• George Bradley pitched the first no-hitter in Major League history for the Brown Stockings in 1876.
• The Cardinals' earliest name, Brown Stockings, was the same as a disestablished Major League club that is loosely connected but does not fall within the scope of today's Cardinals.
• Dickey Pearce, an early St. Louis professional player, pioneered the modern shortstop position by moving into the infield gap between second and third base.