Jenifer Langosch

ST. LOUIS -- Beginning with Stan Musial's No. 6, which was retired in 1963, the Cardinals have recognized the franchise's top players and influential individuals by taking their uniform numbers out of circulation. Those names and numbers now adorn the left-field wall at Busch Stadium, and the numbers appear below the main scoreboard in right-center field.

Here’s a subjective ranking of the top five for Sept. 12. 1) Freddie Freeman (1989) Freeman followed Chipper Jones as the face of the Braves' franchise and is building a resume that may land him in Cooperstown one day. A nine-time All-Star, Freeman had four top-eight finishes in the NL MVP voting before winning the award in 2020 with a .341/.462/.640 slash line during a pandemic-shortened 60-game season. A year later, he helped lead the Braves to a World Series championship, their first in 26 years.

Curt Flood was an outstanding player, but his biggest impact came off the field. (AP) A version of this story originally ran in February 2017. ST. LOUIS -- There's likely no one in Cardinals history with a legacy more complex than Curt Flood, who sacrificed his standout career for a greater good from which he never personally benefited. Flood remains one of the finest center fielders in franchise history.