Bob Forsch, Ted Simmons, Curt Flood and George Kissell were inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame on August 15th. This was the second induction class for the Cardinals Hall, following the inaugural class in 2014. Simmons is the only one of the four 2015 inductees still living.
Catcher Simmons (St. Louis 1969-1980) and right-handed pitcher Forsch (1974-1988) were the top two vote-getters in fan online balloting for modern era players. Simmons was a six-time All-Star and won the NL Silver Slugger Award for catchers in 1980. Forsch’s 163 wins is third all-time in franchise history. He played in three World Series (1982, 1985 & 1987) and is only Cardinals pitcher ever to throw two no-hitters.
The modern era ballot, which also included Cardinals legends Steve Carlton, Keith Hernandez, Mark McGwire, Matt Morris, Edgar Renteria and Joe Torre, was selected by a Red Ribbon Panel of Cardinals baseball experts of which I am a member.
The Panel also elected outfielder Curt Flood (1958-1969) as the 2015 veteran era inductee. Flood was a standout defensive center fielder who helped the Cardinals to three World Series appearances and two World Series Championships in his 12 seasons with the club. Later, Flood’s refusal to accept a trade following the 1969 season was important step toward modern player free agency.
The Cardinals organization also reserves the right to annually induct an important figure in team history. The 2015 choice is George Kissell (1940–1942, 1946–2008), a lifetime Cardinal, who spent 65 years as a player, coach, scout and instructor. Kissell’s teaching techniques and methods impacted generations while defining what is now known as “The Cardinal Way.”
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