Ray Lanford

BASEBALL

Position: Center Field
Born: June 5, 1967; Los Angeles, California
Played For: St. Louis Cardinals (1990-2001, 2004), San  Diego Padres (2001-2002)

By Ed Wheatley

St. Louis is called the best baseball town in America. Throughout the Cardinal’s 14-decade history, there have been many special teams and players. Each decade has its own identity shaped by one or more-star players. Even though the Cardinals have won more Championships than any other National League team, they didn’t win in every decade.

Despite annually drawing around three million fans each year, the 1990s was not a winning decade for the League’s winningest team. They weren’t even a .500 team (.487) with just one Division title (1996). It marked a decade of transition wedged between the multiple pennants of Whitey-ball and new ownership’s pennant and Championship hopes. Ray Lankford became the one player who was there throughout the 1990s and became the face of the team with his bat, speed, and defense.

When drafted in the third round of the 1986 draft by the Cubs, Ray didn’t sign. He continued playing junior college ball in his hometown of Modesto, California.  The next year, he was again drafted in the third round, but this time by the Cardinals.  Ray accepted their offer and began his journey to a 14-year big league career that began on August 21, 1990. It was a home game against the Atlanta Braves and Ray batted sixth. He went two for four at the plate while playing center field in a 7 – 2 loss. In a sign of things to come, Ray drove in one of the Cardinals two runs that night while scoring the other.  He was on his way, but he had some big shoes (spikes) to fill. He took over center field, a position previously patrolled by former National League MVP and fan favorite Willie McGee.

In his first full season in 1991, Ray proved his worth. He led the league with 15 triples, while stealing 44 bases, scoring 83 runs, and finishing third in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. On September 15, 1991, Ray became the first Cardinal rookie to hit for the cycle. The next year he showed his power; batting .293 along with 20 home runs, and 42 stolen bases. Ray was becoming one of the best all-around outfielders in the game.

He would post five seasons of 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases with the Cardinals (1992, 1995–1998), making him the only player in franchise history to accomplish the feat more than once. He also was an impressive fielder committing only one error in 1996 when he led the league with a fielding percentage of .997, yet never won a Gold Glove. Ray got off to another great start in 1997 and was selected as the starting center fielder for that year’s All-Star game. The next year he hit .293 with 31 home runs, 105 RBIs and 26 stolen bases while batting fourth behind Mark McGwire. Some say Ray’s hitting prowess contributed to McGwire setting the single season home run record that year?  Following that season, Ray had knee surgery and was moved to left field and wound up hitting a career high .306 with 15 home runs in an injury-shortened season.

Traded to the Padres in 2001 and playing there in 2002, Ray returned to the Cardinals in 2004 to be a part of their first pennant winning season since 1987.  He ended his career with a bang in his final at bat on October 3, 2004 – a pinch-hit home run cementing the record for home runs (123) at Busch Stadium II. When he retired, he was third in franchise home runs, fourth in walks, fifth in steals, and eighth in RBIs and Runs scored. It was a career that put Ray in the Cardinals HOF in 2018 and ours tonight.  Congratulations.