51

In St. Louis, the number 51 means a few things. It means hustle, hard work, and humility. It means talent, competitiveness, and all out effort. It means Willie McGee.

Let's be honest: There have been many Cardinals who were better baseball players than Willie. The list of Cardinals more beloved by the fans, however, is short indeed.

In St. Louis, we're not all that hard on our ballplayers. We want to know that you're giving your best effort, and we want to be able to like you as a person. If you're a good ballplayer, well, that's a plus too. The list of fan favorites in St. Louis includes incomparables like Ozzie Smith, Bob Gibson, and Stan Musial. It also includes the likes of Bo Hart, Fernando Vina, and "Super" Joe McEwing. Consider as further evidence, the case of JD Drew. Drew may be the most naturally talented baseball player ever, but his apathy for the game landed him in the St. Louis fan doghouse.

The one ballplayer everyone can point to in Cardinal history as the embodyment of all the things we as fans appreciate, is Willie McGee. With Willie, it wasn't about trying hard, or trying harder. It was about trying your hardest. All the time, no exceptions, no matter what the score, or the inning, or the number of games back. Willie was never the most talented guy on the field, but NO ONE in the HISTORY of the game ever got so much out of so little. God didn't need to give Willie great talent. He gave Willie a great heart instead.

You would think an MVP and Gold Glove winning star athlete would carry himself above the rest of us meager folks. He would strut in his bling and his fancy car, and look down his nose at the little people. Not Willie McGee. Willie is shy. He hates the spotlight. All he wanted was to do his best when he took the field. The fan's adoration always embarassed Willie just a bit, and that was one of his most endearing qualities.

The movement is on to retire Willie's #51, not because his achievements on the field were otherworldy, but because there may be no more beloved Cardinal in the team's history, and because a man of Willie's quality deserves all the adoration and accolade that he humbly and shyly accepts.

Follow this link and sign the petition:

http://www.insidestl.com/retire51/