Kissell, Simmons, Forsch and Flood selected for Cardinals Hall of Fame

Published May. 4, 2015 7:30 p.m. ET

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One was a sturdy rock behind the plate. One was a fixture in the starting rotation. One was a defensive wizard in center field. One was a lifelong Cardinal.

All four will be inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame presented by Edward Jones.

Ted Simmons, Bob Forsch, Curt Flood and George Kissell comprise the second induction class into the Cardinals Hall of Fame, the club announced Monday in a special broadcast on FOX Sports Midwest. They will be officially enshrined Aug. 15 at FOX Sports Midwest Live! in Ballpark Village.

The Cardinals Hall of Fame, which opened last year, currently has 26 members.

"We are proud to enshrine this elite group of Cardinals whose outstanding achievements have earned them the honor of permanently joining the greatest names in Cardinals history in our Hall of Fame," chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said. "We look forward to celebrating the achievements of these remarkable men in August during Induction Weekend."

Ted Simmons.

Simmons, a six-time All-Star catcher, debuted for the Cardinals in 1968 at 18 years old and spent the next 13 seasons with St. Louis. His batting average eclipsed .300 in six of his 13 seasons with the club, including 1975, when he set a National League record for hits by a catcher with 188. He ranks ninth in franchise history in home runs and seventh in RBIs.

Bob Forsch.

Forsch started 401 games for the Cardinals throughout his 15 seasons with the organization, ranking second in club history behind only Bob Gibson. He threw two no-hitters (in 1978 and 1983) and won 163 games with St. Louis. He was a 20-game winner in 1977 and also a two-time Silver Slugger honoree.

Curt Flood.

Flood spent 12 seasons with the Cardinals, winning championships with St. Louis in 1964 and 1967. He won seven straight Gold Gloves from 1963 to 1969, accruing three All-Star appearances during that span. Flood became instrumental in the formulation of modern-day free agency when he refused a trade in 1969.

George Kissell.

Kissell, widely regarded as the man responsible for the Cardinals Way, spent 65 years in the organization as a player, coach, scout and instructor. The only time he spent away from the Cardinals was when he served in the Navy. Kissell passed away in 2008.

Simmons and Forsch were selected through a fan vote, beating out other Cardinal greats such as Steve Carlton, Keith Hernandez, Mark McGwire, Matt Morris, Edgar Renteria and Joe Torre. In a six-week voting period, Cardinals fans cast over 45,000 ballots.

Flood was selected by the Red Ribbon Panel, a group of 15 Cardinals experts who also narrowed the options available for the fan vote. Kissell was picked by the club as its annual choice as "an individual who has been an important figure in Cardinals history."

To be eligible for the Hall of Fame, players must have spent at least three seasons with the Cardinals and must have retired as a player at least three years ago.