In his 11 seasons with the Braves and Dodgers, shortstop Rafael Furcal reached the playoffs nine times, but never got to a World Series. When the chance came to join the Cardinals, Furcal sensed they might get him where he wanted to go.
On July 31, 2011, the Cardinals acquired Furcal from the Dodgers for outfielder Alex Castellanos. As a player with 10 years or more of big-league service, including at least five with the same team, Furcal’s permission was needed to make the deal.
Furcal gave his approval, and both he and the Cardinals benefitted. Taking over the leadoff spot in the batting order and providing consistent defense, Furcal reached the World Series for the only time, helping the 2011 Cardinals win the championship.
Premier player
Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Furcal was 22 when he debuted in the majors with the Braves in 2000. He won the National League Rookie of the Year Award, finishing ahead of Cardinals pitcher Rick Ankiel.
In 2003, Furcal turned an unassisted triple play against the Cardinals. He also achieved double-digit totals that season in doubles (35), triples (10) and home runs (15) and was named to the National League all-star team for the first time.
Furcal had a career-high 46 steals in 2005 and again got to double digits in doubles (31), triples (11) and home runs (12).
After six seasons (2000-2005) with the Braves, he became a free agent and joined the Dodgers. In 2006, Furcal had a career-high 196 hits and scored 100 runs for the fourth consecutive year.
Furcal twice opposed the Cardinals in the playoffs, with dissimilar results. He hit .091 against them in the 2000 National League Division Series and .500 in the 2009 Division Series.
Time is right
In 2008, Furcal had back surgery. He twice was on the disabled list in 2010 and spent two more stints there with the Dodgers in 2011.
Soon after he came off the disabled list for the second time in July 2011, the Cardinals sent scouts Marty Keough and Bill Gayton to follow him for a week.
“One of the more animated players in the clubhouse, Furcal also was the Dodgers’ offensive spark when healthy,” the Los Angeles Times noted.
The Cardinals were in the market for a shortstop to replace Ryan Theriot, who went into a batting slump in July 2011.
The scouts liked what they saw from Furcal. The Dodgers, who wanted to create an opening for shortstop prospect Dee Gordon, were willing to deal.
Furcal told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “It’s part of my dream to win a World Series ring. I think it’s time to do it.”
Contributing to the cause
Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz endorsed the trade, calling Furcal a “winning player.”
The Cardinals hoped Furcal would play as well for them as he had against them. He hit .344 versus the Cardinals in his career.
On the day of the deal, the Cardinals (57-50) were in second place in their division, 1.5 games behind the Brewers. With Furcal’s arrival, Theriot shifted to second and shared playing time with Skip Schumaker.
In September, Furcal contributed to the Cardinals’ successful surge.
On Sept. 9, in the opener of a three-game series versus the Braves at St. Louis, Furcal had three walks, a hit and scored two runs, including the tying one in the ninth, in a 4-3 Cardinals victory. Boxscore
Two weeks later, on Sept. 19, Furcal had three hits, including two doubles, and scored a run, helping the Cardinals beat Phillies ace Roy Halladay for the first time. The 4-3 win moved the Cardinals to within 2.5 games of the Braves for the wild-card spot. Boxscore
The Cardinals were 18-8 in September and got into the playoffs. Furcal had 50 hits in 50 regular-season games for them and scored 29 runs.
“You saw how much better our club was when he was on our team,” Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said to the Post-Dispatch. “He really solidified our defense up the middle.”
In a January 2012 interview, Cardinals broadcaster and former pitcher Rick Horton told me, “Defense matters. It’s an absolute fact that if you can’t catch the ball better than the rest, you’re going to lose games you shouldn’t lose … The Cardinals became better up the middle when they had Furcal at shortstop.”
Making an impact
Furcal had a prominent role in each of the Cardinals’ decisive games of the 2011 postseason.
In the finale of the National League Division Series versus the Phillies, Furcal led off the game with a triple against Roy Halladay and scored on Skip Schumacher’s double. Chris Carpenter pitched a shutout and the Cardinals won, 1-0. Boxscore
When the Cardinals clinched the pennant with a win in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against the Brewers, Furcal hit a home run. Boxscore
Furcal batted leadoff in every game of the Division Series and League Championship Series, and in the first six games of the World Series versus the Rangers.
For Game 7 of the World Series, manager Tony La Russa put Theriot in the leadoff spot and dropped Furcal to seventh. Furcal responded with two hits. He also was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fifth, scoring Albert Pujols from third.
The Cardinals won, 6-2, and were World Series champions. Boxscore
Knockout blow
Eligible to become a free agent, Furcal signed a two-year, $14 million contract with the Cardinals in December 2011.
He was selected to the National League all-star team in 2012 and was the starting shortstop. In the fourth inning against the Rangers’ Matt Harrison, Furcal tripled and scored on Matt Holliday’s single. Boxscore
Furcal’s season ended on Aug. 30, 2012, when he suffered a ligament tear in his right elbow. Pete Kozma replaced him and helped the Cardinals return to the playoffs.
At spring training in 2013, Furcal injured the elbow again while making a sidearm throw. He had Tommy John surgery to repair the torn ligament and was sidelined the entire season.
Furcal briefly played for the Marlins in 2014.
In 14 big-league seasons, Furcal batted .281 with 1,817 hits and 314 stolen bases. Highlights video
RetroSimba 
Without this trade and the one that was made four days earlier there would have never been a 2011 World Series Championship. Rafael Furcal was a very good and exciting player. I’ve always thought that he was a Whiteyball type of player.
Thanks, Phillip. In addition to his playing skills, Rafael Furcal seemed to bring an energy to the clubhouse. Some remember him as much for his “Happy Flight” bonding after wins that preceded team plane trips.
Nice little player. A player with his skills could definitely help a team (the A’s *cough *cough) who have that “feast or famine” playing style that doesn’t seem to be working as we enter the home stretch. I believe the Mariners are batting a collective .215 and they have an outside playoff shot which should tell you something. If I was to compare him to another player I’d say Brett Butler with a little more pop?
Thanks, Gary. I like the Brett Butler comparison. When I checked Rafael Furcal’s similarity rating on baseball-reference.com, I was surprised to find that as a hitter the player they liken Furcal most to is your old buddy, Elvis Andrus: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/furcara02.shtml
I wondered whether Furcal might be compared favorably with a more laudable A’s shortstop, Bert Campaneris, but according to at least one metrics system, Campaneris was the far superior player: https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/jaws_SS.shtml
I am pulling for your A’s in the home stretch. I like their grit and underdog style.
Gary, the A’s haven’t been the same since they got rid of Shooty Babbitt.