[Clovidequano Dovatha]

Yes, Pujols did play third, at least during his rookie year with McGwire on the Cardinals. McGwire played first, Pujols at third and the outfield, at least, during his rookie year. Marty needs to stay to back up Smith at short. Whitey fits best with STL. Musial has the ability to play first and all three outfield positions. So that helps the first base situation here. When Musial is at first, that allows Medwick and/or Brock and/or Slaughter and/or McGee and/or Martin and/or Pujols to play the outfield, and then Pujols or Martin can play third when Boyer sits. Sure Rolen can play with the Phillies when Schmidt sits, too, I think, if you configure that roster to make room for him. As for Pujols, you have positional flexibility in that he can play the corner infield and corner outfield positions and be the DH. That gives him the edge over Mize, and he played longer with the Cardinals than did Mize and/or Goldschmidt.

Herzog has more wins with the Cardinals than Southworth by over 140 wins and served longer than Southworth did. Plus Herzog managed the Cardinals longer than he did Kansas City. Which most likely then makes Herzog a much better fit for the Cardinals over Southworth. Herzog never actually took the Royals to the World Series, while he took the Cardinals to the World Series three times, which tilts the balance towards STL here in that regard. Compare the records of Southworth and Herzog, and you will likely see that the balance favors Herzog, when it comes to Cardinals manager history. However, if you still want Southworth on the Cardinals, perhaps he could compare favorably in certain ways to McCarver, when it comes to Cardinals catchers, to pair with Molina. Molina most definitely has to stay on the Cardinals if you have Wainwright and Pujols on the team. But Billy Southworth still doesn't really fit well here with the Cardinals as well as other potential players or managers for the Cardinals, in truth. Even if he had a higher winning percentage in nearly six hundred fewer games with the Cardinals than Herzog. Herzog had 822 wins with the Cardinals, while Southworth had 680 with them. Herzog loses on winning percentage, but that's countered by more games managed and more games won for Herzog with the Cardinals than Southworth had.

In terms of Cardinals managers, as far as wins go, Tony La Russa is number one, Red Schoendienst number two, Whitey Herzog number three, Billy Southworth number four, Mike Matheny number five, Charlie Comiskey number six, Branch Rickey and Frankie Frisch tied at number seven, Eddie Dyer number nine, and Joe Torre number ten, with Miller Huggins and Oliver Marmol and Johnny Keane not far behind. Marmol should pass Torre this season, I think, if the Cardinals play well enough this year.

So if you don't have Red as a manager who possibly might play at the same time, then you should have him as a player, logically speaking here. In any case, Red HAS to be on the Cardinals, or it's not a sufficiently credible roster. Marty Marion has to stay too, because without him, the Cardinals don't win in the 1940's, most likely. Pepper Martin has positional flexibility, which might be useful if one of the outfielders on the team goes down, or if Boyer goes down.

Willie McGee is an excellent pick for speed and defense with the Cardinals, too. Many stolen bases, I believe, when he was still with the Cardinals under Whitey Herzog. The Cardinals need that speed and defense here, for sure. The other outfielder picks are good too. But the pitching staff almost certainly doesn't really need Trevor Rosenthal, Jason Isringhausen, and possibly John Tudor. Vinegar Bend Mizell, besides the other suggested pitchers, might fit the Cardinals well, too. All Hrabosky may quite possibly be a stretch, but he might still fit this proposed Cardinals team well, if at least one of the other pitchers I've suggested isn't on the Cardinals for this scenario. Harvey Haddix is probably a better fit for the Pirates over someone else for them, too, I think. Maybe you can find a spot for him on Pittsburgh, somehow? CD out.