The Cardinals went 86-75 during the season and finished second in the National League East, a game and-a-half behind the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Lou Brock led the NL with 118 stolen bases, breaking the modern-era (post-1898) MLB single-season mark of 104, set by Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Maury Wills in 1962. He also broke the all-time National League record of 111 set by John Montgomery Ward in 1887, when stolen bases were counted differently. Brock broke Wills’ record on September 10 in a game against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. Brock’s record still stands as the NL record, but Rickey Henderson of the Oakland Athletics broke the modern MLB mark in 1982, with 130 steals. The all-time MLB record was, and still is, held by Hugh Nicol, who stole 138, also in 1887, while playing in the American Association.
Outfielder Bake McBride won the Rookie of the Year Award this year, batting .309, with 6 home runs and 56 RBIs.
Dealings in 1974
October 26, 1973: Eddie Fisher was released by the St. Louis Cardinals
December 5, 1973: Tommie Agee was traded by the Cardinals to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Pete Richert
December 7, 1973: Diego Seguí, Reggie Cleveland and Terry Hughes were traded by the Cardinals to the Boston Red Sox for Lynn McGlothen, John Curtis, and Mike Garman
- June 5, 1974: Major League Baseball Draft
- Bill Caudill was drafted by the Cardinals in the 8th round. Player signed June 15, 1974
- Paul Molitor was drafted by the Cardinals in the 28th round, but did not sign
- August 11, 1974: Steve Barber was signed as a free agent by the Cardinals
- August 15, 1974: Ron Selak (minors) and a player to be named later were traded by the Cardinals to the Houston Astros for Claude Osteen. The Cardinals completed the trade by sending Dan Larson to the Astros on October 14
- September 5, 1974: Ron Hunt was selected off waivers by the Cardinals from the Montreal Expos