RetroSimba

(Updated March 6, 2022)

David Freese always will belong to an exclusive Cardinals club: starting third basemen for World Series champions.

The feat is so rare that only one Cardinals third baseman, Whitey Kurowski, has done it more than once for St. Louis.

The list:

LES BELL, 1926

_ Season performance: Bell, 24, had 189 hits, 33 doubles, 14 triples, 17 home runs, 100 RBI and batted .325 for the 1926 Cardinals. He became the first Cardinals third baseman to achieve 100 RBI in a season. Bell’s 301 total bases in 1926 ranked second in the National League behind teammate Jim Bottomley (305).

_ World Series performance: In Game 6, with the Cardinals facing elimination, Bell had three hits and four RBI in St. Louis’ 10-2 victory at Yankee Stadium. Bell hit a two-run single off Bob Shawkey in the first inning and a two-run home run off 19-game winner Urban Shocker in the Cardinals’ five-run seventh. In seven games, Bell had six RBI and batted .259 (7-for-27). Boxscore

SPARKY ADAMS, 1931

_ Season performance: Just 5 feet 5 and 150 pounds, Adams, 37, led the National League in doubles (46), scored 97 runs, had 16 steals and batted .293 for the 1931 Cardinals. He also led National League third basemen in fielding percentage (.963) and in double plays turned (29).

_ World Series performance: Hobbled by a leg injury, Adams was limited to four at-bats and a single in the seven-game Series versus the Athletics. Andy High, 33, was the primary replacement for Adams. In Game 7, High, batting leadoff, had three of the Cardinals’ five hits and scored twice in a 4-2 St. Louis victory. Boxscore

PEPPER MARTIN, 1934

_ Season performance: Martin, 30, led the National League in stolen bases (23) and batted .289 with 25 doubles and 11 triples for the 1934 Cardinals.

_ World Series performance: He hit .355 (11-for-31) in the seven games against the Tigers and scored eight runs. In Game 7, an 11-0 St. Louis victory, Martin batted leadoff and scored three times. Boxscore

WHITEY KUROWSKI, 1942, 1944, 1946

_ Season performances: Kurowski, 24, hit .254 as a rookie in 1942, .270 with 20 home runs in 1944 and .301 with 89 RBI in 1946.

_ World Series performances: His only World Series home run, a two-run shot off Red Ruffing in the ninth inning, snapped a 2-2 tie and carried the Cardinals to a 4-2 victory in the decisive Game 5 at Yankee Stadium. Boxscore

Kurowski had five hits in six games in the 1944 Series versus the Browns. He scored five runs and had eight hits, including four in the Cardinals’ 12-3 Game 4 triumph, against the Red Sox in 1946. Boxscore

KEN BOYER, 1964

_ Season performance: Boyer, 33, earned the National League Most Valuable Player Award, batting .295 with 30 doubles, 10 triples, 24 home runs and a league-leading 119 RBI for the 1964 Cardinals.

_ World Series performance: His sixth-inning grand slam off Al Downing in Game 4 lifted the Cardinals to a 4-3 victory at Yankee Stadium, tying the Series. He had two home runs and six RBI in the seven games. Boxscore

Ken Boyer’s younger brother, Clete Boyer, was the Yankees’ third baseman in that World Series. Recalling his brother’s grand slam that kept the Yankees from taking a three games-to-one advantage, Clete told Dave Anderson of the New York Times, “When he hit that homer, I loved it. In my heart, I think I was pulling for him that year because it was his first Series.”

MIKE SHANNON, 1967

_ Season performance: In his first season as a third baseman after converting from outfielder, Shannon, 28, produced 77 RBI (second on the team, behind Orlando Cepeda) and committed 29 errors (second-most among National League third basemen. Only Richie Allen of the Phillies had more, with 35).

_ World Series performance: Shannon had five hits in seven games, including a two-run home run off Gary Bell in the Cardinals’ 5-2 victory over the Red Sox in Game 3. Boxscore

KEN OBERKFELL, 1982

_ Season performance: Oberkfell, 26, led National League third basemen in fielding percentage (.972) and ranked third in assists (304). He also hit .289 with 136 hits in 137 games.

_ World Series performance: He had seven hits in seven games versus the Brewers and batted .292.

SCOTT ROLEN, 2006

_ Season performance: Rolen, 31, won his seventh Gold Glove Award and batted .296 with 48 doubles, 22 home runs and 95 RBI.

_ World Series performance: He hit safely in all five games against the Tigers and batted .421 (8-for-19) with three doubles and a Game 1 home run off Justin Verlander. Boxscore

DAVID FREESE, 2011

_ Season performance: Freese, 28, led National League third basemen in double plays turned (23) and batted .297 with 99 hits in 97 games.

_ World Series performance: His two-run, two-out triple off Neftali Feliz in the ninth tied the score at 7-7 and his walkoff home run against Mark Lowe leading off the 11th lifted the Cardinals to an epic 10-9 victory in Game 6. Freese hit .348 (8-for-23) for the Series with seven RBI. Boxscore

Previously: Stan Musial and the Cardinals’ most iconic moment

Previously: 4 Series aces for Cards: Gibson, Porter, Eckstein, Freese