St. Louis in 1921 was a bustling city with a population of around 772,897 people. It was a major transportation hub, located on the Mississippi River and serving as a gateway to the West.
A beloved pastime in St. Louis during this period was baseball. The city was home to three professional teams: the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League, the St. Louis Browns of the American League, and the St. Louis Giants of the newly formed Negro National League.
The Cardinals that year were led by manager Branch Rickey. Overall, they had had a passing season. They finished in third place in the National League with a record of 87 wins and 66 losses.
The team was known for its powerful offense, with players such as Rogers Hornsby, who was the league leader in batting average at .397 with 235 hits and 126 RBIs.
The other major team in town, the Browns also struggled in 1921. They finished in third place in the American League with a record of 81 wins and 73. Despite this, the team had a few bright spots, including first baseman George Sisler who hit .371 with 216 hits and a league leading 35 stolen bases and 18 triples.
The third major professional club, the Giants (later renamed the Stars) played in the Negro National League. The team had a solid season, finishing third among eight teams with a 47-32-1 record. The team had a powerful offense, acquiring outfielder Oscar Charleston from the Indianapolis ABCs.
At the time, Charleston was considered one of the best players of his era. In 1921, his only year with the Giants/Stars he led the Negro National League (NNL) in batting, home runs, triples, and stolen bases.
Beyond baseball, the city was a cultural center. It was home to several major cultural institutions, including the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the St. Louis Art Museum, and the Missouri Botanical Garden. The city also hosted the 1904 World’s Fair, which had left behind many impressive buildings and structures.
Coming on to Chouteau Street
None of the teams present in the city won a championships in 1921, but the residents of the city were blessed with an abundance of riches in baseball talent that year. In their own neighborhood on almost any St. Louis summer day of 1921 they could witness the best players in their respective leagues during the 1920s.
Rogers Hornsby was an American baseball player who is considered one of the greatest second basemen in Major League Baseball history. Born in Texas in 1896, Hornsby began his professional baseball career in 1915 with the St. Louis Cardinals. He would play in the Major Leagues from 1915 to 1937. He was known for his exceptional hitting and fielding abilities, and is widely regarded as the greatest right handed hitter of all time. He won two National League MVP awards, and finished his career with a batting average of .358, which is the second highest in Major League history. Hornsby was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1942.
George Sisler born on March 24, 1893, in Ohio and played in the Major Leagues from 1915 to 1930. He won two batting titles, in 1920 and 1922, and had a career batting average of .340. He was also a skilled base runner and stole over 250 bases in his career.
Sisler is perhaps best known for his 1920 season, during which he set the all-time record for hits in a season with 257. That record stood for over 80 years. Sisler also led the league in stolen bases that season with 42. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.
Oscar Charleston was one of the greatest baseball players of all time, known for his exceptional skills both as a hitter and a fielder. Born in 1896, Charleston began his professional baseball career in the Negro Leagues in the early 1920s and quickly established himself as a dominant player.
He was known for his powerful swing, excellent speed, and exceptional fielding abilities. He was also a great leader on the field and often served as a player-manager for his teams.
He is estimated to have a career batting average of .364 and to have stolen over 500 bases. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976.
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