2019 Cardinals Hall of Fame Induction Class announced

ST. LOUIS, Mo., April 26, 2019 – In a television special on FOX Sports Midwest this evening, the St. Louis Cardinals announced that Scott Rolen, Jason Isringhausen and Mort Cooper will be inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame presented by Edward Jones on Saturday, August 24, at FOX Sports Midwest Live! in Ballpark Village. This is the sixth induction class since the team dedicated the Cardinals Hall of Fame with an Inaugural Class on Opening Day in 2014. The 2019 Induction Class was selected via a formal voting process, with input from fans and St. Louis baseball experts.

“Selecting the members of the Cardinals Hall of Fame Induction Class has become yet another beloved tradition in our organization,” said Bill DeWitt Jr., Cardinals Chairman and CEO. “We look forward to celebrating the achievements of these remarkable players selected by our fans and our Red Ribbon Committee each August during Induction Weekend.”

Chosen by the fans, Scott Rolen and Jason Isringhausen were the top two vote-getters in the Cardinals Hall of Fame online balloting presented by Edward Jones. The ballot, which also included Cardinals legends Keith Hernandez, Matt Morris, Edgar Renteria and John Tudor, was selected by a Red Ribbon committee of Cardinals baseball experts through a secret ballot process. Cardinals fans cast nearly 75,000 votes over the six-week voting period, the second highest total since the inaugural fan vote in 2014.

In addition to nominating modern players for fan balloting, the Red Ribbon Committee also elected Mort Cooper, a veteran player, for induction using a secret ballot process. Cooper, a right-handed pitcher and MVP award winner, played for the Cardinals from 1938-1945 and anchored the team’s starting rotation during St. Louis’ three consecutive trips to the World Series from 1942 through 1944.

The St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame was established as a way to recognize the exceptional careers and significant achievements of the greatest players in Cardinals history, as well as those who have made exceptional contributions to the organization. To be eligible, players must have played for the Cardinals for at least three seasons and must be retired as a player from Major League Baseball for at least three years. The eligible pool of players is divided into two categories of “modern players” and “veteran players”. If a player retired more than 40 years prior to the induction year, he is classified as a veteran player.

Each member of the Cardinals Hall of Fame is permanently enshrined in the Cardinals Hall of Fame Gallery presented by Edward Jones that is located on the second floor of Cardinals Nation in Ballpark Village, just outside the entrance to the Cardinals Museum. The Hall of Fame Gallery is free and open to the public.

The 2019 Cardinals Induction Class will be formally enshrined at a ceremony on Saturday, August 24, during the 2019 Cardinals Hall of Fame Induction Weekend. Fans can visit cardinals.com/HOF for more information. #CardsHOF

The following is a description of each Inductee’s career as a Cardinal:

Scott Rolen (Modern Era Player — Fan Selection)

Years: 2002 – 2007 .286/.370/.510, 678 H, 421 R, 173 2Bs, 111 HR, 453 RBI (661 Games)

In his five plus seasons with the Cardinals, Scott Rolen dominated the hot corner winning Gold Gloves in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006. He was named a National League All-Star in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, and captured a Silver Slugger award in 2002. In 2004, Rolen slashed .314/.409/.598 with 34 home runs and 124 RBI. His stellar 2004 campaign continued during the postseason with his pennant-clinching, two-run homer off Roger Clemens in the 6th inning of Game 7 of the National League Championship Series vs. Houston. During Busch Stadium II’s final season in 2005, Rolen was voted by Cardinals fans as the third baseman to the All-Busch Stadium team. In 2006, Rolen helped the club to its 10th World Championship, closing out the postseason with a 10-game hitting streak.

Jason Isringhausen (Modern Era Player — Fan Selection)

Years: 2002 – 2008 217 Saves, 2.98 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 373 SO, 408.0 IP (401 Games)

Jason Isringhausen spent seven seasons as the Cardinals closer. During his tenure, the Cardinals won the Central Division four times, capturing the pennant in 2004 and 2006 and winning the World Series in 2006. He registered a National League-best 47 saves in 2004, tying Lee Smith’s franchise record, until Trevor Rosenthal saved 48 in 2015. An All-Star in 2005, “Izzy” holds the franchise record for saves with 217 and ranks third among Cardinals relief pitchers with 373 strikeouts. His 401 appearances, all in relief, are the sixth most in club history.

Mort Cooper (Veteran Era Player — Red Ribbon Panel Selection)

Years: 1938 – 1945 105-50, 2.77 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 105 CG, 28 SHO, 1480.1 IP (228 Games)

A big, burly right-hander known for his blazing fastball, Mort Cooper came up through the Cardinals farm system and made his debut at the end of 1938 season with a three-hit, complete game win in Philadelphia. Cooper would go on to anchor the Cardinals pitching staff during the most successful three-year stretch in franchise history (1942-44), winning at least 20 games in each of those years (one of just three players in Cardinals history to achieve such a feat). A two-time All-Star, Mort won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1942 after leading the league in wins (22), ERA (1.78) and shutouts (10). A two-time champion, Cooper ranks second in franchise history in World Series games started (6) and innings pitched (45.0).

2019 Cardinals Hall of Fame Red Ribbon Selection Committee (14)

Tom Ackerman, Frank Cusumano, Derrick Goold, Whitey Herzog, Benjamin Hochman, Rick Hummel, Randy Karraker, Martin Kilcoyne, Jenifer Langosch, Tony La Russa, Bernie Miklasz, Joe Ostermeier, Rob Rains and Brian Walton.

Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum

The 8,000-square-foot St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum on the second floor of Cardinals Nation in Ballpark Village celebrates the rich history of baseball in St. Louis and the legacy of one of baseball’s most storied franchises. Since its creation in 2014, the Cardinals Hall of Fame, presented by Edward Jones, has inducted 40 former Cardinal players, coaches and executives. The Cardinals’ museum collection is the largest team-held collection in baseball and is second only to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in terms of size with over 22,000 memorabilia items and hundreds of thousands of archived photos. Fans can learn more about the museum at cardinals.com/museum.