1987 St. Louis Cardinals season


The 1987 St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 106th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 96th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 95-67 during the season and finished first in the National League East Division for the third and last time before moving to the NL Central in 1994. They went on to win the NLCS in seven games over the San Francisco Giants. In the World Series against the Minnesota Twins, after having fallen behind 2-0 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, they won their next three games at home. However, back at the Metrodome, they lost the last two and fell one game short of a World Series title. It would be the Cardinals' last World Series appearance until 2004.

Offseason

September highlights included a Terry Pendleton home run on a September 11 game against the contending Mets as well as a Tom Herr walk-off grand slam against the Mets on Seat Cushion Night. As St. Louis proceeded into the post-season, they found themselves without clean-up hitter Jack Clark, the team's number-one offensive threat. He damaged his ankle when he caught a cleat in the artificial turf at Montreal's Olympic Stadium. Nonetheless, the Redbirds won 95 games to capture the NL East title.

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
C11638482.214544
1B131419120.28635106
2B141510134.263283
3B159583167.2861296
SS158600182.303075
LF151623180.289343
CF153620177.28511105
RF8922865.285326

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
PlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
11624871.286124
7520743.208828
7417945.251219
10115741.261323
246014.233111
635913.22007
305010.20006
444713.27708
27489.18829
14308.26711
17294.13814
19252.08000
492.22201
441.25013

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGIPWLERASO
31199.11193.88101
32197.211113.73108
331791174.3289
27170.1973.54101
16961023.8454

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGIPWLERASO
67125833.8255
3274.1444.8449
1040.2325.5322
616116.758

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGWLSVERASO
7586332.6692
605824.4765
539542.6663
454214.3933
121006.469
120011.8011
110003.389
10001.804
100027.000

Postseason

NLCS

Despite the Cardinals prevailing over the San Francisco Giants in 7 games, it was the Giants' Jeffrey Leonard who won the NLCS MVP award.

Game 1

October 6, Busch Stadium

Game 2

October 7, Busch Stadium

Game 3

October 9, Candlestick Park

Game 4

October 10, Candlestick Park

Game 5

October 11, Candlestick Park

Game 6

October 13, Busch Stadium

Game 7

October 14, Busch Stadium

World Series

The Minnesota Twins defeated the Cardinals in seven games. This Series was the first in which the home team won each of the seven games. The Cardinals held their own at Busch Stadium, but the electronically enhanced crowd noise and the "Homer Hankies" in the Metrodome appeared to give the Twins an edge. The booming bats of the Twins were too much for the Cardinals' "inside baseball" style of offense in Games 1, 2, and 6. In Game 7 it was the Twins' pitching that shut down the Cardinals.

Awards and honors