On August 3rd, the St. Louis Cardinals are hosting another legendary speaker night as the television voice of the Cardinals, Dan McLaughlin, will speak to legends Ozzie Smith and Willie McGee and fans can be right there for the action. When I heard about this event, I started thinking about what made these two players so indelible and defiant to Cardinal nation. It’s easy. They were people’s champs. In the 1980’s, when you talked about Cardinals baseball, these two were always a part of the conversation.

Smith’s nickname, The Wizard, was made famous by the fans who adored his defense and all around play. Smith made 15 appearances in the All Star Game, and was well respected around the league. He redefined what great defense looked like. When a modern shortstop like Andrelton Simmons makes an insane play at short, people instantly compare him to Ozzie and think of the Wizard’s work back in the day. While Smith’s lifetime average was only .262, he stole 580 bases over his career and cranked 69 triples. He has speed to kill and was old fashioned on the basepaths. He didn’t have much power but everyone and their grandchildren know he made St. Louis go crazy in 1985 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was a people’s champ. He also won 13 consecutive gold gloves. (more…)