Home Baseball Cardinals to induct 2015 Hall of Fame Class during ceremony on Saturday

Cardinals to induct 2015 Hall of Fame Class during ceremony on Saturday

by Press Release

The St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame presented by Edward Jones will celebrate the second annual induction ceremony at 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 15, 2015, in Fox Sports Midwest Live! at Ballpark Village. Four Cardinals greats – Ted Simmons, Bob Forsch, Curt Flood and George Kissell will be formally enshrined, joining the 26 current members. The event is free and open to the public.

WHAT:                 2015 Cardinals Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Edward Jones

WHEN:                 Saturday, August 15, 2015 at 2 p.m. Doors open at 11 a.m.

WHO:                   2015 Inductees Ted Simmons and family members of posthumous inductees Bob Forsch, Curt Flood and George Kissell; Cardinals Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr.; Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III;Cardinals Hall of Famers Ozzie Smith, Whitey Herzog, Red Schoendienst, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Bruce Sutter, Mike Shannon, Jim Edmonds and Willie McGee; and Cardinals broadcaster Dan McLaughlin

WHERE:               FOX Sports Midwest Live! in Ballpark Village. Media should enter through the South doors on Clark Street (across from Busch Stadium Gate 5).

COVERAGE:        Media interested in covering the 2015 Hall of Fame Induction ceremony at Ballpark Village should RSVP to [email protected]  no later than 3 p.m. on Friday, August 14th.

Event credentials may be picked up beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday at a check-in table at the South entrance of Ballpark Village.

INTERVIEWS:     The Cardinals newest Hall of Famers will be available for interviews to those media members credentialed for Saturday night’s game from 5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. in the Cardinals dugout at Busch Stadium. Credentialed media members should enter Busch Stadium through the Media/VIP entrance near Gate 2.

CONNECT:           #CardsHOF

The St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Presented By Edward Jones

The St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame was established as a way to recognize the exceptional careers and significant achievements of the greatest players in Cardinals history, as well as those who have made extraordinary contributions to the organization. Each member of the Cardinals Hall of Fame is permanently enshrined in the new Cardinals Hall of Fame Gallery presented by Edward Jones that is located on the second floor of Cardinals Nation in Ballpark Village, just outside the entrance to the team’s museum. The Hall of Fame Gallery is free and open to the public. On Opening Day 2014, the Cardinals dedicated the Hall of Fame with an Inaugural Class, consisting of 22 Cardinals who are either enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame as Cardinals or whose number has been retired by the club. Each year, a new class is inducted into the Hall of Fame selected via a formal process which includes fans, a Red Ribbon Panel of baseball experts and the team.

Ted Simmons (Modern Era Player – Fan Selection)

Years: 1968 – 1980  |  .298 AVG, 172 HR, 929 RBIs

Ted Simmons played 13 seasons with the Cardinals, making his Major League debut at 18-years old in 1968. He was a six-time All-Star and won the Silver Slugger in 1980. In 1975, Simmons set the National League record for hits by a catcher with 188. He posted six seasons of 20 or more home runs and 10 consecutive seasons from 1971-80 with 75 or more RBI.  His 172 HR rank 9th and 929 RBI are 7th all-time in Cardinals franchise history.

Bob Forsch (Modern Era Player – Fan Selection)

Years: 1974 – 1988  |  163-127, 3.67 ERA, 1079 K’s

Bob Forsch played 15 seasons with the Cardinals, making 401 starts, ranking 2nd all-time to franchise history. He threw two no-hitters, coming in 1978 and again in 1983, becoming the only pitcher in Cardinals history to throw two. He played in three World Series (1982, 1985 & 1987), winning in 1982, a year in which he threw a three-hit shutout in the Cardinals first ever NLCS game. The two-time Silver Slugger Award winner won 163 games for the Cardinals, ranking third in franchise history.

Curt Flood (Veteran Era Player – Red Ribbon Panel Selection)

Years: 1958 – 1969  |  .293 AVG, 85 HR, 636 RBI

Curt Flood was a standout defensive center fielder who helped the Cardinals to three World Series appearances (1964, 1967 & 1968) and two World Championships (1964 & 1967) during his 12 season in St. Louis.  Flood won seven consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove awards and was named to the NL All-Star team three times.  Flood’s refusal to accept a trade following the 1969 season led to a lawsuit against MLB challenging the reserve clause, which allowed owners to renew players’ contracts in perpetuity.  While Flood’s case was unsuccessful, it paved the way for other players to unify and ultimately defeat the reserve clause, leading to free agency.

George Kissell (Organizational Selection)

Years: 1940 – 1942, 1946 – 2008

A lifetime Cardinal, Kissell spent 65 years in the organization as a player, coach, scout and instructor. Kissell’s only time away from the team was when he served in the United States Navy. Kissell’s techniques and methods made an impact at every level of the organization and defined what is now known as “the Cardinal Way.” Kissell’s knowledge of the game’s fundamentals, innovative drills to reinforce skills and techniques, and his down-to-earth demeanor transformed the careers of many players.

The Cardinals Hall of Fame Members

Jim Bottomley, Ken Boyer, Lou Brock, Jack Buck, August A. “Gussie” Busch Jr., Dizzy Dean, Jim Edmonds, Frank Frisch, Bob Gibson, Chick Hafey, Jesse Haines, Whitey Herzog, Rogers Hornsby, Tony La Russa, Marty Marion, Willie McGee, Joe Medwick, Johnny Mize, Stan Musial, Branch Rickey, Red Schoendienst, Mike Shannon, Enos Slaughter, Ozzie Smith, Billy Southworth and Bruce Sutter.

The 2015 Cardinals Hall of Fame “Red Ribbon” Selection Panel

Tom Ackerman,  Frank Cusumano,  Derrick Goold, Whitey Herzog, Rick Hummel, Randy Karraker,  Martin Kilcoyne, Jenifer Langosch,  Tony La Russa, Bernie Miklasz, Joe Ostermeier, Rob Rains, Red Schoendienst, Joe Strauss and Brian Walton.

Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum (#CardsMuseum)

The 8,000 square foot state-of-the art St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum, which is on the second floor of Cardinals Nation in Ballpark Village, celebrates the rich history of baseball in St. Louis and the legacy of one of baseball’s most storied franchises. The Cardinals’ museum collection is the largest team-held collection in baseball and is second only to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in terms of size with over 20,000 memorabilia items and hundreds of thousands of archival photographs. Fans can learn more about the museum, hours of operation and admission at cardinals.com/museum.

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