Cardinals great Red Schoendienst dies at 95

Former St. Louis Cardinals great and Hall of Famer Red Schoendienst died Wednesday at the age of 95.

The Cardinals announced Schoendienst’s death before the third inning of their Wednesday night game against the Miami Marlins, according to The Associated Press.

“Red Schoendienst was one of the most beloved figures in the rich history of the St. Louis Cardinals, the franchise he served for 67 years,” Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “He was a wonderful ambassador for our game.”

In a statement issued by the Cardinals, Schoendienst’s family said he died surrounded by loved ones.

“He had a life full of happiness for 95 years,” his family said in the statement. “He inspired all that knew him to always do their best. Red was a great ball player, but his legacy is that of a great gentleman who had respect for all. He loved his family, friends, teammates, the community and his country. He will be greatly missed.”

The former second baseman played for the Cardinals from 1945 to 1956 and again from 1961 to 1963. He also played for the New York Giants and Milwaukee Braves in between those stints.

He won World Series titles as a player with the Cardinals in 1946 and with the Giants in 1957 and then went on to manage St. Louis to two pennants and a World Series championship in 1967.

All together, he spent 45 seasons in a Cardinals uniform as either a player, coach or manager. As a coach, he was part of two more Cardinals’ championships in 1964 and 1982.

Born Alfred Fred Schoendienst on Feb. 2, 1923, in Germantown, Illinois, he was a 10-time All-Star and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989 by the Veterans Committee and was the oldest living Hall of Famer.

He compiled career stats of .289 batting average, 2,449 hits, 84 home runs and 773 RBIs, with his best season coming in 1953 when he batted .342 with 15 homer runs and 79 RBIs. He was second in the NL in batting average that year and led the league with 200 hits in 1957.

His 1,041 wins as a manager ranks second all-time in Cardinals history.