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Despite a very respectable win-loss record, it barley got the Perfectos into the top half of the league standings. They finished 18.5 games out of first place behind the league champs, the Brooklyn Superbas. The Perfectos benefited from a raid of the Cleveland Spiders roster, as both clubs were owned by the Robison brothers, and asa result the Cleveland club finished the 1899 season with an all-time worst record of 20-134 record and an astounding 84 games out of first place.
The Perfectos, today’s St Louis Cardinals, were lead with the bat by outfielder Jesse Burkett and shortstop Bobby Wallace – both Hall of Famers. Burkett lead the team in batting with a .396 average, he also hit seven home runs and drove in 71 runs. Wallace led the team with 12 home runs and 108 RBIs. Other stars included rookie Emmet Heidrick, who batted .328 and stole 55 bases, and Lave Cross (.303 avg).
On the pitchers mound the Perfectos had two aces, first there was Jack Powell, this Illinois-native won 23 games and posted a 3.52 ERA. But he did give up 433 hits over 373 innings work and struck out only 87 batters. The true stud on the staff was none other than the great Cy Young, who at 32 years old won 26 games against only 16 defeats and had a team-low ERA of 2.58. Young started 42 games and finished all but two of his starts and had four shutouts.
The following season the St Louis club changed their name from the Perfectos to what we know them as today, the Cardinals.
