St Louis Cardinals: The Franchise All-Time Bracket
No. 2 vs. 7 seed
This matchup pits two championship teams divided chronologically by nearly a full century.
Perhaps the best team of the 19th Century, the 1886 Browns featured legendary names of the caliber of Charles Comiskey, Tip O’Neill, and Curt Welch. Aside from O’Neill’s .328 average, this was not a great offensive team, but it knew how to manufacture runs. Third baseman Arlie Latham scored 152 times in just 139 games.
Pitchers worked harder in those days. Still, Dave Foutz’s 41-16 record in 57 starts has to impress. He worked 504 innings with a 2.11 ERA. The team’s 2.49 staff ERA was nearly a full point below the Association’s 3.44 average ERA.
The 1982 World Series winners built their reputation on speed and opportunism. The club stole 200 bases, led by Lonnie Smith (68). Second baseman Tom Herr, shortstop Ozzie Smith, and outfielder Willie McGee also topped 20 steals.
Smith batted .307 while outfielder George Hendrick drove in 104 runs. On the mound, Joaquin Andujar and Bob Forsch both won 15 games, while closer Bruce Sutter nailed down 36.
Game 1: The 1886 club’s 93-46 record translates to a .669 winning percentage. In 1982, the Cardinals won 92 games but lost 70. That’s a .568 winning percentage, 101 points inferior.
Game 2: The 1982 Cards preceded their seven-game World Series victory over the Brewers with a three-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves. That gives them a.700 post-season percentage. The 1886 Browns beat the Cubs but needed six games to do it, a .667 percentage. This series is even.
Game 3: Based on OPS+, the 1886 Browns had substantially the better offense. Their score of 114 was nearly 20 points better than the 1982 team’s 95 OPS+.
Game 4: Led by Foutz, the Browns’ stifling pitching ran up a 137 OPS+. That remains a franchise-best, 28 points better than the 1982 team’s 109.
Game 5: the 1982 Cardinals amassed a 40.1 WAR. But the 1886 team despite playing fewer games, again has its pitchers to thank for a decisive advantage. Foutz piled up a 9.7 WAR, fellow moundsman Bob Caruthers measured 7.6, and the team as a whole got to 42.6.
Result: 1886 Cardinals in five games