The St. Louis Cardinals have announced the nominees for the 2024 Cardinals Hall of Fame ballot. Fans can vote for one Hall of Fame nominee from February 24 through April 26. In addition to a player selected by fans, both the Red Ribbon Committee and the Cardinals organization will have their own selections. An announcement will be made on Bally Sports Midwest in May, prior to the enshrinement ceremony itself on September 7, likely to be held on the Busch II Infield Stage outside of Cardinals Nation. Additionally, the team has extended its partnership with Edward Jones for ten years through 2033. Edward Jones is currently the title sponsor of the team’s Hall of Fame.
“The annual Hall of Fame Induction process connects generations of Cardinals fans,” said Cardinals Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Bill DeWitt Jr. “I want to thank the Red Ribbon Committee for helping us navigate this process and for caring so much about Cardinals history.”
Fans can choose from left-handed Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton (1965-71), outfielder George Hendrick (1978-84), right-handed pitcher Matt Morris (1997-2005), and shortstop Edgar Renteria (1999-2004).
It’ll be interesting to see which players that fans decide upon. They are all worthy candidates. Both Morris and Renteria have been up for consideration going back to at least 2016. Carlton, Morris, and Renteria were all up for consideration in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, which saw fans vote for both John Tudor and Tom Herr, and again in 2021 when fans voted for Keith Hernandez. All four of this year’s nominees were on the ballot in 2022, which saw Matt Holliday elected by the fans for induction. Carlton, Morris, and Renteria were again on the ballot in 2023, only to lose out to David Freese.
While Carlton already has a plaque in Cooperstown, his time as a Cardinals pitcher came to an end because of a salary dispute. The team traded him for Rick Wise in one of the worst-ever trades in both team and MLB history. Carlton’s conspiracy theory comments during a 1994 interview have not helped his reputation.
Previously, fans could choose up to two former Cardinals players upon voting for the Cardinals Hall of Fame. Starting with the 2021 ballot, fans could only vote for one player to induct, and it’s been this way ever since.
There are currently 52 members—players, coaches, and executives—in the Cardinals Hall of Fame since the inaugural class was announced on Opening Day in 2014. Last year’s class included David Freese, José Oquendo and Max Lanier. The Cardinals Hall of Fame Gallery, presented by Edward Jones, is free to visit on the second floor of Cardinals Nation in Ballpark Village. Cardinals Museum costs extra but admission is included with the purchase of a Busch Stadium Classic Tour ticket. Speaking from personal experience, both the stadium tour and Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum are worth the price of admission. If timing prevents someone from taking a stadium tour, the museum artifacts alone would be baseball heaven for any St. Louis Cardinals fan.
All St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame nominees must play with the Cardinals for at least three seasons and unlike the Baseball Hall of Fame requirements, players must be officially retired from Major League Baseball for at least three years.
