On the world’s greatest stage, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers delivered one of the greatest sports series of all time.
While there’s never been a more improbable champion than this year’s Cardinals team, fans of baseball cannot forget the 2011 World Series. It’s one of the most memorable championship bouts and is one of, if not the most, competitive battles in the history of athletics.
Although it’s certainly no consolation to the Rangers, who walk away from the Fall Classic empty-handed for the second consecutive season, fans of baseball can revel in the fact we may never see a series like this again.
Almost more importantly, we may never see more of an underdog than the Cardinals, a team that overcame an eight-and-a-half game deficit in September to claim the National League wild card.
The Cardinals made the most of their postseason spot, knocking off the World Series favorites, the Philadelphia Phillies, in a shocking five-game series before edging out their Central Division rival, the Milwaukee Brewers.
At one point this season, it looked as if the Cardinals wouldn’t even finish in the top half of their division, let alone make the postseason; however, the team overcame a devastating season-ending injury to pitcher Adam Wainwright in the preseason and continued to persevere behind the bats of three-time MVP Albert Pujols, St. Louis native David Freese and the championship-seeking Lance Berkman.
All three played an integral part in extending St. Louis’ season to October and all three played a vital role in the fate of the World Series.
Whether it was Pujols’ remarkable explosion in game three that included five hits, six RBIs and three home runs, or Freese and Berkman’s colossal clutch hitting in a classic game six, the trio of hitters were absolutely dominant in a way that hasn’t been seen in quite some time.
Freese, the MVP of both the World Series and the National League Championship series, will forever be the face of the Cardiac Cardinals; however, the unsung hero was pitcher Chris Carpenter, whose playoff performance would have gone unnoticed and unappreciated if St. Louis hadn’t taken home the title.
The 36-year-old right-hander was sheer brilliance throughout the postseason, recording an unblemished 4-0 record in his six starts. He would have never had the opportunity to close out the series, though, if it weren’t for game six, where the Cardinals escaped defeat twice with two outs and two strikes.
That will be remembered as the single greatest game in World Series history, and because of it, this series will never leave the minds of baseball fans.
It doesn’t matter where your alliances lie; this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all fans of the game.
While baseball’s finest hours may have just passed us by, it’s no reason to complain; rather, we should celebrate. After all, America’s pastime is more alive than ever.
