What a run! Cardinals are champions of the baseball world
Allen Craig soaks it all in. The Cardinals are World Series champs. (Photo: Reuters/Sarah Conard)
After Allen Craig caught the final out of Game 7, the St. Louis Cardinals left-fielder thrust his arms into the air, ran towards center-fielder Jon Jay, jumped into his arms, then sprinted with him towards the celebratory dog-pile. The two looked at each other as they ran in, and talked along the way, trying to comprehend what had just taken place. It was a beautiful moment. They were just a couple of baby-faced kids, 27 and 26 years of age but looking much younger, living a dream. They were World Series Champions.
Chris Carpenter pitched a gem after a rough start to the game, hometown hero David Freese came up clutch again, the offense’s patience paid off in the pivotal fifth, and the bearded bullpen shut the door, creating that scene Jay and Craig won’t soon forget.
The Cardinals, a team that was 10 1/2 games back of the Wild Card on August 25th, is on top of the baseball world. Twice they were one strike away from watching the Texas Rangers celebrate a Game 6 clincher, and they just never gave up. Everyone contributed to a cause that, not long ago, was hard to fathom.
Notably, the gray-bearded Berkman delivered, while Freese, the World Series MVP, was also outstanding. The former has waited 12 years for this moment. The latter is soaking in his first championship as well, 10 years after he thought about giving up baseball for good.
At this time last year, Berkman’s career appeared to be nearing an end. He had just finished an unproductive season spent with the Houston Astros and New York Yankees. Seemingly on his last legs, the 34-year-old was given a chance by the Cardinals, became their starting right-fielder, and looked as if new life was breathed into him. The result? Thirty-one homers, 94 rbi’s, and a .301 batting average during the regular season, then a .311 postseason average, helping his new team to their 11th title.
“It’s hard to put into words,” Berkman said, his teammates blanketing him, with the World Series trophy by his side. “It’s exhilarating. …This team is the greatest I’ve ever played on. …We had a great postseason and here we are.”
St. Louis traded for Freese in 2007, sending longtime star Jim Edmonds to San Diego. He hit extremely well in the Cardinals minor-league system, but couldn’t stay healthy. He needed surgery on both ankles, robbing him of whatever speed he had. The injuries halted his progress, too, but he didn’t stop hitting. He was St. Louis’s clutchest hitter this season, and continued his success on the biggest of stages as a laid-back, humorous 28-year-old, with ice in his veins.
“The Cardinals seeing something in me … getting traded over here … this team deserves this,” Freese said, holding his second MVP trophy of the postseason. “This organization is top-notch. … This is why you keep battling. Sometimes things don’t work out, you get injured, you do stupid stuff, but you try to stay on path. You surround yourself with guys like we have on this team. I’m so glad to be part of this.”
Carpenter battled through injuries just like Freese, losing both the 2007 and 2008 seasons due to shoulder problems that led to Tommy John Surgery. And there he was, helping the Cardinals win the World Series for the second time in six years as their unquestionable ace.
“Different guys were coming up huge … and here we are, World Series champions,” Carpenter said, his daughter hoisted onto his shoulders. “You people do not even know what kind of amazing people we have on this ballclub, and I love them.”
So many great stories; these three are just a slice of St. Louis’s pie. And so many great moments, like Craig’s with Jay. Once left for dead, the Cardinals snuck in, shocked the Phillies, fended off the Brewers, amazingly pulled out Game 6, and came away as champions after one of the most thrilling World Series in history. Unbelievable. What an amazing ride.
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