1967 marks the year that Stan Musial served as the Cardinals general manager, and it's no wonder that the Redbirds had one of their best ever seasons with a record of 101 - 60, finishing 10 1/2 games in front of the surprising second place Cubs.

Any champion has to overcome adversity, and the Cardinals had their share in 1967. Ray Washburn, Mike Shannon, and Curt Flood all spent time on the disabled list, but the worst blow came on July 15 when a Roberto Clemente line drive broke Bob Gibson's right leg. Gibby was out of the lineup for 56 games, but held on to first place with a stellar stand in performance by Nelson Briles, who won nine consecutive games at the end of the season.

The enthusiastic team leader and deserved winner of the MVP trophy was Orlando Cepeda, who gave the team its nickname of "El Birdos."