Now that the smoke from the fireworks has cleared and the last out has been squeezed into a glove, I can take a lot of time to reflect on just how special this 2011 Major League Baseball season was, especially for me and others like me --- i.e. St. Louis Cardinals fans.
Growing up just north of Charlotte, N.C. many ask me all the time "How are you a Cards fan?" Well, allow me to enlighten you. My grandfather and father were and still are huge Cardinals fans and growing up playing Little League, I was a 2nd baseman and admired Ryne Sandberg and had an affinity for the Chicago Cubs.
I was very good at baseball, making All-Star teams and such all through middle school. As I got older, and Sandberg and my other favorite players: Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire and Ozzie Smith all retired, I found myself following McGwire to the Redbirds.
Now I always liked the Cardinals and pulled for them even when I pulled for Ryno and the Cubs. Point is that the Cardinals were always just okay throughout my childhood and high school years, never winning a World Series in that span, but had several solid teams.
All that changed in 2006, when St. Louis defeated the Detroit Tigers and my favorite player since his rookie year in 2001, Albert Pujols had his hardware.
After that season I didn't think that I could experience a better baseball high from success of my favorite team, but then 2011 came.
2011 started off terribly for my birds as one of the best pitchers in the league, Adam Wainwright threw out his arm and had to have Tommy John surgery and done for the year.
The Cardinals, without Adam, had a depleted staff with only Chris Carpenter and the young Jaime Garcia and unproven Kyle Lohse leading the way. Throughout the regular season and all the way up until the beginning of September, the Cards were up and down and found themselves 8.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central and 8 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL Wild Card.
The playoffs seemed like a pipe dream for us Cards fans, but then IT began. September saw the Cardinals win and win a lot. Meanwhile, while the Cards won, Atlanta struggled and by the last day of the regular season, there was a tie for the NL Wild Card between the Braves and Cards.
Atlanta was playing host to the best team in baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Cardinals were playing the worst in the Houston Astros. The Braves lost first and all St. Louis had to do was win and they were in. The Cardinals did it later that night and earned themselves a shot at the Phillies.
While myself and many other Cards fans thought "no chance," against the Phils, the first four games went back-and-forth and then game a decisive game five. All the cards (no pun intended) were stacked against St. Louis as the fifth game was in Philadelphia and they would have to beat the best regular season pitcher in baseball, Roy "Doc" Halladay.
The Cardinals scored in the first inning as Skip Schumacher doubled home Rafael Furcal to score first. Then, Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter went inning-for-inning against Halladay. Carpenter hurled a complete game, 1-0 shutout victory and the Cards shocked the world and were headed to the National League Championship Series against their divisional rival Brewers.
The Cards still didn't have home-field advantage against the "Brew Crew" but they didn't care and didn't need it, defeating the Brewers 4-2 in six games and earning an unbelieveable trip to the 2011 World Series.
In the American League, the Texas Rangers steamrolled the Tampa Rays and Detroit Tigers to earn their shot at the 2011 title.
Many fans, I'm sure, including myself would have been more than happy beating the Phillies and I honestly expected Texas to beat St. Louis. I believe that this Phillies team is the greatest on paper, ever assembled in baseball. I know that is a big statement, but it was the best team I have seen.
The World Series started off great with both teams splitting the first four games and the Series tied 2-2 and a historic Game 3 in which Albert Pujols became the third player in MLB history to hit 3 home runs in a World Series game, joining Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson. Pujols also set the record for total bases in a World Series game with 14.
Texas then won Game 5 in Arlington, taking a 3-2 series lead and heading to St. Louis to try and win the series on the road. I had a feeling that if we could somehow get it done in Game 6, that we would have a good chance. Game 6 was delayed one day longer by mother nature and what proved to me that God has to be a Cardinals fan because the rainout made it possible for the ace, Carpenter to pitch in Game 7, if it came that far.
Garcia started Game 6 and had nothing and he and Texas starter Colby Lewis were both betrayed by terrible, sloppy defense that caused a 4-4 tie after 6 innings. Texas battered Cardinal reliever Lance Lynn, as Nelson Cruz and Adrian Beltre hit back-to-back homers and the Rangers plated one more for a 7-4 lead.
Things began looking bleak, as the Cards, down 7-5 in the bottom of the ninth and down to their last strike, had one last hope. His name --- was David Freese. Albert Pujols had doubled and Lance Berkman walked to put the winning run at the plate in person of Freese.
Feared Texas closer Neftali Feliz, who had been one of the best closers in baseball all year long, was on the mound had Freese 2-2, when David flew a long shot to right field and Rangers outfielder Cruz misplayed it and reached out for the ball only to see hit elude his glove and clang off the wall for a Freese triple, scoring Albert and Lance and tying the game.
This moment provided a historic image of Freese sliding head-first into third safely and slapping his hands together in triumph. Feliz retired Yadier Molina and the game was heading to extra innings.
At this point I sat in my University of Tennessee room in the chair with my redbird hat on. One of my personal heroes and inspirations, Josh Hamilton then launched a two-run shot off of Cardinal closer Jason Motte into the right center field seats giving Texas another lead 9-7.
The Cards came to bat in the bottom of the tenth and manufactured a run with two outs and had one on with the red-hot Berkman at the plate. Texas brought in Scott Feldman to try and save the game for the second time. Once again Berkman and the Cards were down to their last strike.
Berkman delivered a single to right center and Jon Jay raced home to tie the game yet again. Also, yet again, Texas got the final out and forced an eleventh inning.
Motte shut down the Rangers in order in the top of the 11th and I sat in the chair and just had a feeling that someone for St. Louis was going to go yard for a walk-off homerun.
Though I had no clue who would be the hero, I had a good feeling, mainly because Texas was out of relievers and only had sparingly-used Mark Lowe. Lowe's first batter faced in the bottom of the 11th was Freese. Freese worked a 2-1 count and then blasted a deep rocket to straight center field and the series was going to Game
7 and the game was over.
Freese rounded first base and threw up one finger in the air and as he rounded third, removed his helmet and slammed it on the ground between his legs before jumping and stomping on home plate. Freese's teammates mobbed him and literally ripped his jersey off of him in celebration.
I felt great and as Joe Buck said "the pitch to Freese... and we will see you tomorrow night," I lept off the chair and yelled at the top of my lungs "you sure as hell will." Then I called my best friend and biggest Cards fan I know, my dad, and shared the joy with him.
I had huge hopes for Game 7 and with Carpenter on the hill, who wouldn't? Game seven didn't start the way I would have liked as Texas scored two runs off Carp in the first inning. They wouldn't score again. St. Louis scored six runs as Allen Craig delivered a bomb of a homerun and the glove that last out came crashing into belonged to Craig.
They had done it, the unthinkable, a team not even supposed to be here, was World Champions. They weren't just a team --- they were MY team. Once again I find myself never being able to imagine a better baseball season the rest of my life.
For if I never get to see another season of the game that I love, it will be okay because this 2011 season will last my lifetime. Go Cards!
