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Battle of the uniforms: 1969 vs 2000

By lil_scooter93
New York Mets v St. Louis Cardinals Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

A few weeks ago I posited the question: What is the best Cardinals uniform ever?

Well friends, there is only one way to find out: Battle Royale.

So, to determine the best Cardinals uniform ever, I have, with your gracious assistance, created a bracket where each uniform will duke it out until we have a winner.

(Many of you have asked about the alternate jersey the Cardinals debuted in 2013. Don't worry, folks. I have a plan. Trust the system.)

Here is the bracket, updated to reflect the winner of the previous matchup:

If you are paying attention closely, you might notice that we have reseeded. I thought this to be the most fair way.

As expected, the 1940 uniform put the hurt on the 1971 uni, receiving four times the votes at 200 votes to 50 to advance to the next round.

We are now to the final four. This week the voting continues with...

What is particularly interesting about this matchup is that despite the fact that nearly fourty years separate these two uniforms (the 1969 uni was truly adopted in 1962 while 2000 uniform is still worn today), there really is not much different about them at all. Both are button-ups displaying the iconic Birds on the Bat. The birds differ just a bit, as the modern birds are a big larger and have the much reviled "googly-eyes, but much a remained the same, even the player’s number sits just below. The logo on the cap is even the same. Besides the birds size, the only major difference between these uniforms is the material, where the more modern uniform, shown above worn byLance Lynn, is made from cotton and other materials, the 1969 uni, modeled above by Steve Carlton, was made from wool, which, while possibly less comfortable for the players, ascetically creates a wonderfully rugged and durable look. With the 1969 uni simplicity was key - it doesn’t try to do too much, there is no piping or gimmicks. It is the perfect combination of white space and design, which is why it is a classic uniform that has truly stood the test of time.

Notable achievements for 1969:

  • 1964 was the year the Cardinals acquired Lou Brock. The Cardinals would go on to face the Yankees in the World Series that year. Bob Gibson pitched three games of that series with thirty-one strikeouts across those games. He earned the MVP. His battery mate, Tim McCarver, also put up good numbers with a .478 series average with a double, triple, homer, and five RBI
  • The next two years belonged the Dodgers until 1967 when the Cardinals returned to the series, besting the Red Sox in seven games
  • The Cardinals repeated as National League Champions in 1968, but lost the series to the Tigers in seven games
  • 1969 was one of the final years in this uniform and the last year before AstroTurf was added to the stadium
  • Harry Caray was also fired in 1969, marking what truly was an end of an era
  • Bob Gibson and Curt Flood won Gold Gloves in 1969

Notable achievements for 2000:

  • Since 2000, the Birdos have made the postseason twelve times, winning the World Series twice in that span
  • The team leader in fWAR from 2000 - present is Albert Pujols at 81.4, in second place is Jim Edmonds at 42.4, and in third place and the active leader is Adam Wainwright at 38.2. Yadier Molina follows closely behind at 33.3
  • Jim Edmonds led the 2000 club in fWAR at 6.5

Vote below for the best!

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