More on the 1991 Cardinals. See also Parts 1 and 2.

Ozzie Smith

There's not a lot you have to say about Ozzie Smith. In 1991 Ozzie was a titan of Cardinals baseball who had been an all star and gold glove winner every year for the last decade. He was 36 years old and had one of the best years of his career at the plate(.285/.380/.367/.747). Using win shares he was the best player the Cardinals had (tied for win shares with Felix Jose but played a much more valuable defensive position).

Ozzie is such a transcendant figure in Cardinal history that I really don't have to say much about him, everybody who was even dimly aware of the Cardinals at this time knew who Ozzie was and has their own memories of him. At this point his hall of fame induction was pretty much sewn up and he was literally a living legend.

Looking back at that time know it's incredible to think that Ozzie's memory has been tarnished so much. Everybody knows the gist of the story: La Russa replaced Ozzie with Royce Clayton and the two fueded bitterly. Smith has been distant from the Cardinals organization ever since. At the time it seemed clear that La Russa was the interloper pushing a Cardinal great aside. I fully expected Tony to get the boot in a few years and find Ozzie ascendent again.

Instead Tony is in his 10th year as Cardinal Manager, he's taken the team to the World Series and to the playoffs 5 chances out of 9. He was instrumental in bringing beloved Cardinal Mark McGwire to St. Louis and guided the team through the death of Daryl Kile. When La Russa goes to the hall of fame (and he will, make no mistake) it's very possible that he will wear Cardinal red.

Now Ozzies legacy is cloudy, he's still a beloved Cardinal, but his self imposed exile has removed him from a generation of fans consciousness. The more Cardinals fans embrace Tony La Russa and the further into the distance the 82 series victory fades the hazier and hazier our memories of Ozzie become. If Tony wins a world series with the Cardinals much will be forgiven, and the other parties to his various petty disputes will suffer in the court of public opinion.

It's amazing to think that Ozzie Smith might not be revered and worshipped as a Cardinal, but he's really not. Sure his numbers up, and he's got the statue, but he's absent from the pomp and pagentry that would keep his name in the forefront of fand minds. Call it a cautionary tale of office politics: Even those you think would be above reproach can find themselves marginalized. Ozzie is one of my favorite players of all time, and I hope he can reinsert himself into Cardinality, but it seems less and less likely every year.

Sad.