Cardenal started his major league career with the San Francisco Giants in 1963 and was sent to the California Angels before the 1965 season. He finished second in the American League with 37 stolen bases, then was dealt to the Cleveland Indians for Chuck Hinton on November 29, 1967. He led the Indians twice in steals twice with a career-high 40 in 1968. In that season, he tied a major league record for outfielders by making two unassisted double plays. Traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1970, he hit.293 with 74 RBI. In a 1971 season split between the Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers, he collected a career-high 80 RBI. He was traded by the Brewers to the Cubs for Jim Colborn, Brock Davis and Earl Stephenson on December 3, 1971. In 1973 as a right fielder for the Cubs, Cardenal led the team in batting average, doubles and stolen bases, being named Cubs Player of the Year by the Chicago baseball writers. Famously temperamental, in 1974 Cardenal was at odds with the Cubs management, and notoriously refused to play the season opener claiming that he was injured because the eyelids of one eye were stuck open. In 1975 he posted career-highs in average and hits. He had another good season in 1976, batting.299 with 8 home runs and 47 RBI. On May 2, Cardenal went 6-for-7 in a 6-5 win over San Francisco in 14 innings at Candlestick Park. He slumped in 1977, batting only.239 with just 3 home runs and 18 RBI in 100 games played. Cardenal played with the Philadelphia Phillies during the 1978 and 1979 seasons. He was the last player to wear uniform number 1 for the team, which retired the number in honor of Richie Ashburn during the 1979 season. The Phillies sent Cardenal to the New York Mets on August 2, 1979, between games of a twi-night double header featuring the two teams. Cardenal was a member of the Phillies for the first game and switched uniforms and dugouts to join the Mets for the second. He played for the New York Mets for the balance of the 1979 season and was there for most of the 1980 campaign. He was released by the Mets in August of that year. He later signed with the Kansas City Royals, ending his major league career with the Royals during the 1980 World Series. In an 18-season career, Cardenal was a.275 hitter with 138 home runs and 775 RBI in 2017 games played. In addition, he collected 1913 hits, 936 runs, 333 doubles, 46 triples, 329 stolen bases and 608 bases on balls. Defensively, he recorded an overall.978 fielding percentage.
First Lady Michelle Obama hugged Cardenal during the Chicago Cubs January, 2017 visit to the White House. The team and some veterans were invited there to celebrate their 2016 World Series victory. Native Chicagaon Obama said she wore her Cubs hat on top of her oversized Afro the same way Cardenal had during his career, as seen above in the photograph of his baseball card.
