RetroSimba

In participation with a United Cardinal Bloggers project, here are my picks for the top five Cardinals stories of 2011:

1. Cardinals win 11th World Series championship

Winning a World Series title remains a rare and special achievement. So even in a year of major personnel news for the Cardinals (manager Tony La Russa retiring. Mike Matheny replacing him, Albert Pujols leaving, Colby Rasmus being traded, the resurgence of Lance Berkman, Adam Wainwright missing all season because of an injury and closer Ryan Franklin imploding), the clinching of their 11th World Series title tops all other stories.

I’m 55 and this is the fifth Cardinals World Series championship in my lifetime. I feel blessed to have experienced that many. Even though an average of one every 11 years doesn’t seem, at times, to be enough, it’s an impressive total.

Since 1956, the year I was born, only the Yankees (11) and the Dodgers (five) have won as many or more World Series titles as the Cardinals. And the Dodgers haven’t won one since 1988.

All the Cardinals’ World Series championships are cherished and unique. The 2011 title always will stand out for the monumental obstacles the Cardinals had to overcome:

_ The injury to Wainwright.

_ The meltdown by Franklin.

_ The flameout by Rasmus.

_ The 10.5-game deficit for a postseason spot with 31 to play.

_ The 8.5-game deficit in September.

_ The three-game deficit with five to play.

_ Losing two of the first three games and then eliminating the Phillies in the best-of-five National League Division Series.

_ Chris Carpenter outdueling Roy Halladay as the Cardinals beat the Phillies, 1-0, in a Game 5 masterpiece at Philadelphia. Boxscore

_ Losing the opener 9-6 to a cocky Brewers club and then eliminating them by winning four of the next five in the National League Championship Series.

_ Eliminating the Rangers in the first seven-game World Series since 2002 by winning the last two games, including the drama-filled Game 6.

In short, a championship to savor for a lifetime.

2. The David Freese Game becomes an all-time classic

This game is so historic it rates its own mention among the top five stories. For as long as baseball is played, it will be remembered and analyzed for being one of the most significant and most dramatic games.

The Cardinals rallied from deficits of 1-0, 3-2, 4-3, 7-4 and 9-7 against Texas to win 10-9 in 11 innings and keep their World Series championship hopes alive. Boxscore

St. Louis became the first team to score in the eighth, ninth, 10th and 11th innings of a World Series game. The Cardinals were within one strike of elimination in the ninth and 10th innings, and survived.

Many Cardinals performed magnificently in this game, but the best was third baseman David Freese, whose two-out, two-run triple in the bottom of the ninth tied the score, 7-7, and who delivered the game-winning home run to lead off the 11th.

Like the Carlton Fisk Game in the 1975 World Series and the Kirk Gibson Game in the 1988 World Series, Game 6 of the 2011 World Series will be known as the David Freese Game.

3. Cardinals stage stunning comeback to earn wild-card berth

Throughout my lifetime, the standard for greatest Cardinals comeback was established by the 1964 club that overcame a 6.5-game deficit with 13 to play and won the National League pennant on the season’s final day, then defeated the Yankees in a seven-game World Series.

I never figured to see another Cardinals team match or top that feat. But the comeback by the 2011 Cardinals rates every bit as amazing as what the 1964 team accomplished. For that reason, it must be included as one of the top five Cardinals stories of the year. 

4. Tony La Russa retires; Mike Matheny replaces him

The Cardinals have produced many great managers. La Russa is the greatest. He has the most wins, two World Series championships and, most impressive of all, nine postseason appearances in 16 years. Because his personality and methods were lightning rods for controversy, La Russa is a manager who likely will become more appreciated with time _ a veritable treasure trove for a Cardinals history blog such as this.

Matheny is an intriguing choice to replace La Russa. A leader as a Cardinals catcher, he appears to be smart and likeable, but although he has no managerial experience, he’ll be expected to produce postseason contenders immediately.

5. Albert Pujols snubs Cardinals, signs with Angels

The Self-Absorbed One, who showed he valued  money and ego-stroking ahead of loyalty and Cardinals legacy, did have one thing right all along. When he said he didn’t deserve to be called “El Hombre” because Stan Musial was the only Cardinal worthy of being called “The Man,” Pujols wasn’t joking.

Previously: Power personifies 2011 World Series champions