Record 83–79 (.512) Start date 1998 | Divisional place 3rd Owner William O. DeWitt Jr. | |
People also search for 1999 St. Louis Cardinals season |
The St. Louis Cardinals 1998 season was the team's 117th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 107th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 83-79 during the season and finished 3rd in the National League Central division, 18 games behind the Houston Astros. First baseman Mark McGwire broke Roger Maris' single-season home run record this season by hitting 70 home runs, battling with the Chicago Cubs' Sammy Sosa, who finished runner-up in the National League with 66.
Contents
Offseason
Regular season
Opening Day Lineup
Notable Transactions
Scorecard for McGwire's 70th
Entering the game on September 27 against the Montreal Expos, McGwire had 68 Home Runs. In the third inning, McGwire hit a home run off of Mike Thurman, and in the seventh, he got number 70 off of Carl Pavano. The ball was caught by Philip Ozersky. In January 1999, Todd McFarlane purchased Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball from the 1998 season for a record $3 million.
September 27, Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
Aftermath of the 1998 home run chase
A section of Interstate 70 running through downtown St. Louis was renamed "The Mark McGwire Highway." His record stood until Barry Bonds hit 73 in 2001. In years following, revelations of the anabolic steroids scandals have possibly tainted these records, but at the time it was great theater and was largely responsible for drawing many fans back to the game after the 1994 players' strike, which had angered and alienated many of them.
Starters by position
Note: Pos = position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; Avg. = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games played; IP = Innings Pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO. = Strikeouts; BB = Bases on Balls
Awards and honors
All-Star Game