ST. LOUIS — While the 1980s brought constant change to Major League Baseball, four names stood firm in St. Louis, anchoring an era that defined the Cardinals’ golden decade. Ozzie Smith, Bob Forsch, Willie McGee, and Tom Herr — the only four players to appear in all three of the Cardinals’ postseason runs in the 1980s — became living symbols of grit, loyalty, and legacy.
A tweet by baseball historian Eric Vickrey reignited nostalgia among Redbird Nation this week:
“Only four players played in all three #STLCards postseasons in the 1980s: Ozzie Smith, Bob Forsch, Willie McGee, and Tom Herr. Quite a bit of turnover between 1982 and 1987.”
Those years — 1982, 1985, and 1987 — remain etched into Cardinals lore. Three World Series appearances in just six years. One championship. Countless unforgettable moments. But what truly set this group apart wasn’t just the winning; it was their unwavering presence through chaos and change.
As the front office retooled, lineups shifted, and rosters evolved, these four stood as the emotional core. Ozzie Smith, “The Wizard of Oz,” dazzled fans with his acrobatics and infectious charisma. Bob Forsch, the reliable right-hander, delivered consistency from the mound when the team needed it most. Tom Herr, with his sharp instincts and clutch hitting, embodied the team’s unspoken heart. And Willie McGee — quiet, relentless, beloved — became the face of the franchise’s fighting spirit.
Their bond represented more than just baseball. It was about identity — the Cardinals’ way. Hard work. Humility. Hustle.
“We didn’t need to talk about leadership,” one former teammate recalled. “You just watched Ozzie, Willie, Herr, and Forsch go about their business, and you understood what being a Cardinal meant.”
From the miracle of ’82 — when the Cardinals captured the World Series crown — to the heartbreak of ’85’s infamous missed call, and the gritty fight of ’87, these men carried a franchise and a city on their backs.
Bob Forsch, who spent 15 seasons with St. Louis, remains one of only a handful of pitchers in MLB history to throw two no-hitters for the same team. Ozzie Smith, a Hall of Famer, won 11 Gold Gloves and became synonymous with defensive perfection. McGee claimed the 1985 NL MVP, while Herr’s leadership was the glue that kept everything together.
In an age where player loyalty is fleeting and franchise turnover constant, their achievement feels almost mythic. The four Cardinals didn’t just play together — they built a dynasty, brick by brick, inning by inning.
“When you think of the 1980s Cardinals, you think of energy, defense, speed — and those four guys were at the heart of it all,” said longtime Cardinals broadcaster Mike Shannon in a retrospective interview before his passing.
Today, their legacy stands not just in record books, but in the very culture of St. Louis baseball — a reminder of what happens when talent meets tenacity, and when a team becomes a family.
As modern-day Cardinals chase their own postseason dreams, fans still whisper those names like a prayer: Ozzie. Forsch. McGee. Herr.
Four men. One heartbeat. One unforgettable era in Cardinals history.
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