1945 St. Louis Cardinals season


The 1945 St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 64th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 54th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 95–59 during the season and finished 2nd in the National League. The Cardinals set a Major League record which still stands, for the fewest double plays grounded into during a season, with only 75.

Offseason

An almost incredible place in baseball history was at stake. Billy Southworth and his Cardinals had a chance to become only the second ball club after the 1921-24 Giants to win four consecutive NL pennants.
However, the war finally drained the Redbirds of the talent needed to win a championship.
Stan Musial, Walker Cooper, Max Lanier and pitcher Mort Cooper, who experienced elbow problems later in the season, got into a contract squabble with Harry Breadon during the spring. They signed contracts for $12,000 apiece, then balked at reporting for opening day after learning Marion had been upped to $15,000.
On May 23, the Cards sent Mort Cooper to the Boston Braves for pitcher Red Barrett, who compiled a league-high total of 23 wins, and $60,000. However, the Redbirds did not have enough pitching depth to keep up with the faster pace of a Chicago Cubs team filled with veteran pitchers such as Paul Derringer.
The Cardinals actually won 16 of their 22 meetings with The Cubs.
Only Whitey Kurowski batted.300 among the regulars. He was one of the few Cardinals were able to keep their jobs once the boys marched home from Europe and the Pacific.
Red Schoendienst stole 26 bases but batted just.278 and drove in only 47 runs.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Notable transactions

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
PosPlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
C10030778.254443
1B143537148.276878
2B155597166.278072
SS123430119.277159
3B133511165.32321102
OF140578169.29220101
OF124446129.289344
OF137565157.278147

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
PlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
9430496.316344
8325366.261128
7414649.336018
267225.34705
195713.22816
245513.23607
244712.25501
27477.14914
134310.23305
4187.38901
6121.08301
430.00000
230.00000
110.00000

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGIPWLERASO
36246.22192.7463
31166.18103.5276
24157.11542.5263
1898.1472.9328
426221.7316
423.2201.5214

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGIPWLERASO
42217.11882.9067
31126.1863.2133
3395454.7439
2687544.1434
2771.2335.1542
1754.2313.2920
813.1006.086
411.2101.545

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGWLSVERASO
61003.384

Farm system