Albert "Red" Schoendienst, an all-time great major league baseball player, was born in Germantown, Illinois, on February 2, 1923, to Joseph and Mary F. (Schlarmann) Schoendiest. In 1942 he signed a contract with the Cardinals for a monthly salary of $75.00. He played in the minor leagues until 1944, compiling a batting average of .329, and established himself as an all-time great second baseman with a Major League average of .290. He played with the Cardinals from 1945 to 1956, the N.Y. Giants during 1956, the Milwaukee Braves from 1957 to 1960, and the Cardinals from 1960 to 1963, when he joined the Cardinals coaching staff until 1965. He was then named manager of the Cardinals, a position he served successfully through the 1976 season, and Red joined the coaching staff of the Oakland A's in 1977. As a major league player, he collected 2,449 hits, played in 2,216 games, played in the World Series of 1946, 1957, and 1958, played 10 All-Star games, and hit the 14th-inning home run that won the 1950 All-Star game. As a major league manager, he managed pennant-winning teams in 1967 and 1968, managed the team that won the World Series in 1967, and was named manager of the year in 1967 and 1968. He wore the unforgettable No. 2 during his entire career and throughout his many outstanding years in professional baseball always brought credit and was at all times a source of great pride to his family, his team, his community, and his hometown, Germantown, Illinois.