The St. Louis Cardinals do a fantastic job of honoring the players, executives, and broadcasters who have contributed to the franchise’s rich history of success. To date, the Cardinals have enshrined 52 members into its Hall of Fame. The group includes a number of players from Whitey Herzog’s successful teams of the 1980s: Willie McGee, Ozzie Smith, Vince Coleman, Bob Forsch, Tom Herr, Bruce Sutter, John Tudor, and Keith Hernandez. However, one early 80s Cardinal who has yet to don a red jacket, but arguably should, is George Hendrick.
The Cardinals acquired Hendrick in a midseason trade with the San Diego Padres in 1978 for pitcher Eric Rasmussen. Hendrick, 28 at the time, had already earned a World Series ring for his contributions to the 1972 Oakland Athletics and was a two-time All-Star with the Cleveland Indians. He had hit between 19 and 25 home runs in five straight seasons, adding much-needed power to the Redbird lineup.
Hendrick was a model of consistency for the Cards during his tenure wearing the birds on the bat. He maintained batting averages between .277 and .318 and hit between 16 and 25 home runs in six of his seven seasons as a Cardinal. In four of those campaigns, he received MVP votes. Hendrick possessed a strong right-field arm and led the 1982 World Champion Cards in home runs and runs batted in.
George Hendrick’s Production with the Cardinals
| YEAR | BA | HR | RBI | OPS |
| 1978 | .288 | 17 | 67 | .834 |
| 1979 | .300 | 16 | 75 | .816 |
| 1980 | .302 | 25 | 109 | .840 |
| 1981 | .284 | 18 | 61 | .841 |
| 1982 | .282 | 19 | 104 | .773 |
| 1983 | .318 | 18 | 97 | .866 |
| 1984 | .277 | 9 | 69 | .729 |
What the Analytics Say About George Hendrick
Hendrick’s offensive value to the late 70s and early 80s Cardinals is as evident in advanced statistics as it is in counting numbers. During his seven seasons, he produced a WAR of 18 and an OPS+ of 125. By comparison, Cardinals Hall of Famer Vince Coleman compiled a WAR of 10.4 and OPS+ of 85 in six seasons in St. Louis. Hendrick’s numbers are closer to Matt Holiday (26.6 WAR, 138 OPS+ in eight seasons as a Cardinal).
Hendrick’s game was not as flashy as Coleman or Jim Edmonds and he lacked the St. Louis longevity of Ray Lankford and Willie McGee. Perhaps his low profile and tight-lipped approach to the media has factored in his falling short in the fan ballot. But given his on-field production during a memorable and successful period of St. Louis baseball, I hope that fans vote for Silent George the next time he appears on the Cardinals Hall of Fame ballot.
You can read more about George Hendrick in Runnin’ Redbirds, my book on the 1982 Cardinals.
