Fox Sports Midwest beat writer B.J. Rains has broken what could well be the last story of a St. Louis Cardinals offseason that has been, in its defense, glutted to this point by actual stories: Carlos Beltran will wear number three, ending a week of odd and not-especially-urgent speculation on the topic following Rafael Furcal's confirmation that he would continue to wear the number 15.
Notwithstanding the fact that the number 15 should clearly be retired, I'm glad this has been worked out so that I can sleep until pitchers and catchers report next month. The last Cardinal to wear 3 was Felipe Lopez, in 2010; before that there was Khalil Greene, in 2009; Cesar Izturis, in 2008; Miguel Cairo in 2007 (we'll run out of utility infielders eventually); Preston Wilson in 2006 and 2007; Abraham Nunez, in 2005 (but not yet); Edgar Renteria, from 1999 to 2004... and what's say I put the rest of this past the jump, where it can't hurt anybody.
- Brian Jordan: 1992-1998
- Keith Smith: 1979-1980
- Tom Grieve: 1979
- Lee Richard: 1976
- Don Blasingame: 1955-1958
- Virgil Stallcup: 1952-1953
- Eddie Kazak: 1952
- Nippy Jones: 1948-1951
- Jeff Cross: 1947-1948
- Emil Verban: 1944-1946
- Jimmy Brown: 1939-1943
- Frankie Frisch: 1932-1937