World Series MVP & St. Louis Native David Freese Voted In By Fans

Two-Time World Series Champion & 12-Year Cardinals Pitcher Max Lanier Also To Be Enshrined;

Longtime Cardinals Player/Coach/Instructor José Oquendo Selected for Induction by Organization

ST. LOUIS, Mo., May 3, 2023 – The St. Louis Cardinals announced that David Freese, Max Lanier and José Oquendo will be inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame. It is the ninth induction class since the team dedicated the Cardinals Hall of Fame with an inaugural class on Opening Day in 2014. An enshrinement ceremony will be held at Ballpark Village during Hall of Fame Weekend presented by Edward Jones on Sunday, August 20.

Chosen by the fans, David Freese was the top vote-getter in the Cardinals Hall of Fame online balloting presented by Edward Jones. This year’s ballot also included Cardinals legends Joaquín Andújar, Steve Carlton, Matt Morris and Edgar Renteria. Cardinals fans cast over 40,000 votes over the eight-week voting period.

The Red Ribbon Committee, a group comprised of 14 St. Louis baseball experts, elected pitcher Max Lanier as a veteran player for induction using a secret ballot process. Lanier, a six-time 10-game winner, made 187 starts for the organization across 12 seasons between 1938-46 & 1949-51 and pitched in seven World Series games. The two-time World Series champion and two-time All-Star won 101 games in his Cardinals career, T11th-most in franchise history.

The Cardinals also elected to make an organizational selection who has been an important figure in St. Louis baseball history, choosing former Cardinals player, coach and current minor league instructor José Oquendo for induction. Known as “The Secret Weapon”, Oquendo has spent nearly 40 years in the Cardinals organization, the first 10 as a player and later for 18 seasons as a Major League Coach, primarily as the team’s third base coach. Affectionally referred to as “Cheo” by players and coaches, the Puerto Rico native currently serves as a Cardinals minor league instructor and was honored as the club’s George Kissell Award winner in 2022 for excellence in player development.

“We take great pride in the selection process we use for electing new members of the Cardinals Hall of Fame,” said Bill DeWitt Jr., Cardinals Chairman and CEO. “I’d like to thank our fans as well as the Red Ribbon Committee who cast their votes for this year’s induction class. Congratulations to David Freese, José Oquendo, and the late Max Lanier on this tremendous honor. We look forward to celebrating the achievements of these players during our induction ceremony in August.”

All 50 members of the Cardinals Hall of Fame are permanently enshrined in the Cardinals Hall of Fame Gallery presented by Edward Jones located on the second floor of Cardinals Nation in Ballpark Village, outside the entrance to the Cardinals Museum. The Hall of Fame Gallery is free and open to the public. Fans can visit cardinals.com/HOF for more information. A description of each Inductee’s career as a Cardinal follows below. #CardsHOF

David Freese (Modern Era Player — Fan Selection)

Years: 2009 – 2013                              .286/.356/.427/.783, 448 H, 81 2B, 44 HR, 237 RBI, 195 R (466 Games)

Third baseman David Freese became a postseason legend with the Cardinals.  In Game 6 of the 2011 World Series against Texas, the local from Wildwood, Missouri, hit a game-tying, two-out, two-run triple in the bottom of the ninth inning and a walk-off home run two innings later.  St. Louis staved off elimination and went on to win Game 7.  Freese was named World Series MVP on the heels of being the NLCS MVP, while setting MLB records for most RBI (21) and extra-base hits (14) in a single postseason.  The following season, Freese posted career highs of 20 homers and 79 RBI while batting .293 and being selected to the All-Star team.

Max Lanier (Veteran Era Player — Red Ribbon Selection)

Years: 1938–46,  1949–51     101-69, 2.84 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 85 CG, 20 SHO, 764 SO, 1454.2 IP (277 Games)

Left-handed pitcher Max Lanier won 45 games from 1942-44 as the Cardinals captured three consecutive National League pennants and two World Championships.  He led the NL with a 1.90 ERA in 1943.  Lanier was the winning pitcher in the decisive 1944 Streetcar Series Game 6 victory over the St. Louis Browns, and his 1.71 ERA in Fall Classic games is fourth-best in Cardinals history.  A two-time NL All-Star, Lanier ranks fifth in franchise annals with a 2.84 ERA among pitchers with at least 750 innings, tied for seventh with 20 shutouts and tied for 11^th with 101 wins.

José Oquendo (Organizational Selection)

Playing Years: 1986 – 1995                 .264/.359/.331, 709 H, 129 XBH, 287 R, 227 RBI, 414 BB (989 Games)

Coaching Years: 1997 – present                       MLB Bench Coach (1999) & Third Base Coach (2000-15, 2018)

_             Minor League Manager (1998) & Instructor (1997, 2019-present)_

José Oquendo has been synonymous with the Cardinals for nearly four decades—as a player, coach and instructor.  Nicknamed “The Secret Weapon” during his playing days, he played all nine positions during the 1988 season.  Oquendo set a major league record for second basemen with a .996 fielding percentage in 1990.  He was the third base coach for the 2006 and 2011 World Championship teams and the 2004 and 2013 National League pennant winners.  Over the last five years, Oquendo has become highly regarded as a minor league instructor.  He received the franchise’s George Kissell Award in 2022 for excellence in player development.