What four players/coaches/managers would be featured on a Mt. Rushmore of Cardinals history?

Hint: Start with Musial.

Musial, obviously. Depending on how representative you want to go, you'd take him as a hitter, Gibson as a pitcher, Branch Rickey as a front office and maybe TLR as the manager. (Or Ozzie as a fielder.)

Personally, it'd be Musial, Gibson, Pujols, Ozzie, but that's personal bias talking.

Branch Rickey ... good call. Thinking about putting a poll up over at the blog tomorrow to get the ball rolling. There may be an offseason project in this topic.

If you're going with a player, front office, manager, and a person that really means something, I'd go with:
Musial, Rickey, La Russa or Whitey (hard toss up), and Kile.

I'd personally go with: Musial, Pujols, Gibson, and either Ozzie or Dizzy.

I would go w/ Musial, Rickey, LaRussa & Jack Buck

No mention of Red Schoendienst ... Isn't he a shoo-in for this?

You'd think. Ozzie, Dizzy, and Red are kind of in the same group. Amazing players who did wonders with the organization. Hard to pick who.

And good call on Jack Buck Barrett. Player, Exectutive, Manager, Announcer. I like it.

The poll is up over at the blog, and it is linked to in the clips below.

I think you have at least three shoo-ins (Musial, Gibson, Pujols), but this debate could easily be very generational.

For instance, my father (61) would say Musial, Gibson, Dean and probably Brock.

People my age (30s) would be more inclined to add players they grew up with, so that's where Ozzie, Whitey, Willie, and for the fun of it, Joaquin Andujar would come into play.

Kids, teenagers and college-aged adults will look at the recent teams and want to include Wainwright and Carpenter.

But for my TR space, you have to take the voice of the Cardinals for generations of fans...Jack Buck. He is the very definition of an icon in St. Louis.

I just voted in the P-D poll...Stan the Man, Gibson, Pujols, Jack Buck...in that order. Musial and Gibson were easy. Pujols will go down as one of the greatest ever. The fourth spot was the toughest. Ozzie and Brock definitely deserve strong consideration, but Buck is connected with so much of Cardinals' history that I felt I had to include him. If Rushmore was limited to players, I think I'd have to go with Brock.

I voted for Stan, Gibson, Jack, and Ozzie. I was really torn between Ozzie and Albert. Five years from now I might say Albert over Ozzie. Ozzie had such an impact on me being a cardinal die-hard as well as my love for baseball. I had to go for Jack Buck also because growing up in rural Arkansas, we didn't get to watch games. We saw them though Jack's eyes. I was married before I got to regularly watch Cardinal games.

I can't shake the sense that, if limited to four, it would be: Musial, Gibson, Red and Jack Buck. Though, the argument that it should be players only -- because Rushmore is presidents only -- is compelling. It's all academic. The rules say as much as the rules authors in these discussions ...

This seems like one of the best arguments you could ever start. No matter who you vote for and for whatever reason you can argue the exact point for someone that you left off your list. I still voted for Musial, Gibson, Ozzie, and Pujols

It's difficult to do as a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals but it could be infinitely worse if this was about the Yankees

Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle ... Steinbrenner?

I voted for Stan, Lou, Bob, and Red. It's so hard to vote in this as some players or coaches will be left out but not out of error but because it's hard!

Stan, Gibby, Ozzie and Lou. Once Albert finishes his career I think he will replace Lou but until a couple more years those are my guys.

I think each guy pretty much defines a generation of Cards players. It's a tough but fun process thinking about all the past greats. Stan and Gibson are in no doubt whatsoever. Ozzie redefined the SS position and was the constant and definitive player on those great 80's teams. Who doesn't know the Wizard of Oz and his flip, let alone his phenomenal defense. Lou in my opinion is just one of the definitive members of the cards franchise and was a great player. But the one who is also replaceable if Pujols continues his historic career. I hope he does continue his path of greatness because he is fantastic to watch.

This is possibly the best debate ever. My choices are Hornsby, Musial, Gibby and Ozzie. These four span a large cross section of Birdnal history and would rep the club quite well