Great World Series Video Compilation
If this video doesn’t make you smile, you’re either dead inside or a Cubs fan. Which, I suppose, is redundant. Kudos to the producer of this gem:
Some nights you win the World Series… from Matt Shead on Vimeo.
The 2012 Opening Day Running Blog
Well here we are again…sitting in a garage in the heart of Belleville, IL with a smoking grill, a counter full of sides, and cold beer everywhere. Technically, it could be damn near any day of the week once the winter weather breaks. But in late March or early April, I’m definitely talking about the St. Louis Cardinals Home Opener. And this is my third installment of the Opening Day Running Blog.
The rain delay gave us all ample opportunity to eat, play some cards, and have a beer or six. We’re at my buddy Ken’s again, and we’re joined by Joe, Shane, Zac, and Scot the Cubs Fan. He’s all decked out in Cubbie Blue. We look at him with scorn. We started off with breakfast at the Hy Ho Restaurant in Belleville, and they weren’t impressed with him either. And that’s really saying something; the Hy Ho is a greasy spoon of the highest—and lowest—order.
The game was pushed back to a 3:45-ish start, with the pregame pomp and circumstance kicking off around 3. But we have word from sources at the ballpark that the Budweiser Clydesdales will not be making their traditional laps around the Busch Stadium turf. Could this be an omen of bad things to come? Wait, there’s Tony La Russa and Dave Duncan. And Dunc has a beard. All is right with the world again.
3:45 – We’re getting ready for the Star Spangled Banner but the bald eagle brought in to make an avian patriotic display has yet to land. Normally, the majestic bird leaves its cage somewhere in the outfield, makes a few passes around the stadium, and goes right to its handler in the middle of the diamond. This thing has been circling for at least five minutes, and does not even look like it’s interested in landing. We’re beginning to wonder if it might pick up National Anthem singer Shannon Magrane in its talons and carry her away.
4:01 – Darwin Barney: one of the goofiest names in Major League Baseball.
4:04 – The Cubs have taken the lead 1-0 on two seeing-eye singles through the hole at short. Heh heh…through the hole…
4:07 – Ian Stewart parks one into the seats in right field. Cubs up 4-0. Scott the Cubs Fan looks pleased.
4:08 – Scott the Cubs Fan gets a text and guesses it must be a “F-you” from someone. He checks and says, “oh, it’s from my mother.” We’re all guessing it’s still a “F-you.”
4:10 – The top of the 1st finally ends…Cubs 4, Cards coming up.
4:12 – Taking the mound for the Cubs, Jeff Samardz…samma…Jeff. Jeff is pitching.
4:18 – The first two Cardinal hitters go quietly, but Holliday and Carpenter get on in front of David Freese. Excitement is at an all-time high around the patio table.
4:19 – A likely strike is called a ball on Freese. Scott the Cubs Fan is disgusted. I believe it’s the new strike zone Freese will see, like the Atlanta Braves pitchers of the mid-90s enjoyed. I could be wrong.
4:21 – Al Hrabosky offers some broadcast gold: “David Freese has holes.”
4:22 – Freese strikes out swinging. Cubs 4, Cards 0 after one.
At this break in the action, we decide to make things a little interesting. It’s the “Cup Game;” not to be confused with “2 Girls, 1 Cup” (DO NOT GOOGLE IT…TRUST ME). Basically, everyone puts a buck in a cup and it gets passed around; each time a new batter comes up, a new person gets the cup. While you’re holding the cup, if your hitter strikes out or hits into a double play, you must pay a dollar into the cup. If your hitter gets an extra base hit of any kind, you win what’s in the cup and everyone re-antes. If your hitter does anything else, you pass the cup on as is.
4:30 – The Cubs go quietly in the top of the second. No one wins any money, but no one loses any either.
4:35 – After a Yadier Molina strikeout, the pot grows by one. I have Matt Carpenter, who gets a base hit, but that does nothing for my monetary status. Dammit.
4:38 – Scott the Cubs Fan has drawn both pitchers early in our little game. Karma is indeed a bitch.
4:44 – Rick Hummel sighting in the Press Box, chatting with Dave Duncan and Tony La Russa.
4:48 – La Hair hits a Grand Slam, putting the Cubs up 8-0. More importantly, that was Scott the Cubs Fan’s batter. This pretty much seals the deal: he will die today, because we will be forced to kill him.
4:50 – Wainwright gives up a hit to Marlon Byrd. His curveball is hanging, and everything is hittable. This is not a good return for Waino, but he should have plenty of opportunities to bounce back. Then I remembered he’s on my fantasy team and I’m even sadder.
4:52 – Samard…z…i…j…a strikes out, and I owe a dollar. FML. After TWO AND A HALF INNINGS, the Cubs lead 8-0.
4:56 – Victor Marte is warming up in the bullpen, and by warming up I mean eating an entire turkey.
5:05 – After three innings, the Cubs still lead 8-0.
5:06 – You know what never gets old? Pronouncing David DeJesus’s name as “De-Jesus,” like THAT Jesus. We’re idiots.
5:10 – The bases are loaded AGAIN for the Cubs, and there’s nobody out. This is beyond ugly.
5:11 – Fortunately Alphonso Soriano grounds into a double play, but a run still scores. Ken pays a dollar. Cubs lead 9-0.
5:14 – in probably the play of the game for the Cardinals, Matt Carpenter makes a stumbling, bumbling play and flips to Marte covering 1st for the final out of the inning. It looked so bad, it looked great. Another friend, Jeff, has popped in momentarily. He likes the Cards’ gold jerseys. Yep…he’s the one.
(Break in the action: Scott the Cubs Fan has to leave to pick up his son, and we all have to move our cars to let him out. I think he’s used that excuse to get out of a beat-down multiple times. His time will come.)
5:28 – We’re all just buzzed and distracted enough that we forgot what the order was in our little dollar game. Scott the Cubs Fan leaving the rotation didn’t help either. Time to re-draw and re-ante.
5:29 – Jon Jay drives home the first run of the game for the Cardinals with a single. Shane Robinson scores. I do not earn any money on that one.
5:30 – Carlos Beltran knocks a single up the middle and Jay takes third. Joe says, “The comeback is on!” We all shoot him a disapproving look and keep drinking.
5:33 – David Freese with an RBI single, Cards now down 9-2. Jeff claims it’s the jerseys. Ugh.
5:35 – Yadier Molina with an RBI single, Cards now trail 9-3. We may be getting close to starting to think we might believe.
5:37 – Matt Carpenter with a triple! The Cardinals are now down 9-5. Ken takes the pot; time to re-ante. And, we have a game on our hands.
5:40 – “Disco” Descalso strikes out to squelch the rally. Cubs’ lead is cut to 9-5 after five innings.
5:43 – Joe Mather makes his triumphant return to Busch Stadium as a Cub for the first time, and no one cares.
5:47 – Ladies and Gentlemen, Darwin Barney is batting. I love you, you love me, we are blah blah blah…
5:49 – The wife’s home! Everybody hide! Damn rain delays…
5:53 – Jon Jay legs out a lucky double, and I collect the pot! But the other guys are out of dollars so we’re done for now. Oh well. I think I made $2 today.
5:56 – David De-Jesus robs Matt Holliday’s bid for an RBI with a diving catch in right. Still 9-5 Cubs after six innings.
6:10 – “Ken, quit fingering the meat!” It’s getting late, folks.
6:11 – Alphonso Soriano makes a diving catch. It’s a big deal when he does something right.
6:14 – Kyle McClellan in for his second inning of work. Why do I get the feeling this isn’t a great idea? And, of course, as I’m typing this, he hits Marlon Byrd.
6:15 – Blake DeWitt bounces into a double play. You may get away with this yet, Kyle.
6:16 – Groundout, and the Cards are out of the inning. But they’re running out of chances; it’s still 9-5 and we’re headed to the bottom of the 8th inning.
6:21 – Disco with a one-out double. Time for a rally, hopefully before the rain kills this game.
6:24 – Tyler Greene with a predictable strikeout. Why are the Cardinals still giving him a chance again? Oh yeah…he can run. That would really come in handy if he ever got on base. Kerry Wood coming into the game, so the Cards still have a shot.
6:28 – Rafael Furcal bounces out to first. Cards still down 9-5.
6:32 – “Did Jeff leave?” Yeah, Shane…about 20 minutes ago.
6:34 – Fernando Salas mows down the Cubs in the top of the 9th. The Cardinals are down to their last chance, and I’ve got a lot of beer left. Maybe I’m slipping in my old age.
6:35 – Wait! I’m not old! Give me another beer!
6:42 – And after an uneventful bottom of the 9th, Carlos Beltran strikes out to end the game. The Cardinals fall to the Cubs 9-5.
Well…that kind of sucked. But, as always it was a good time with good food and good friends. We watched a little playoff hockey as the evening wound down, chatting and joking and telling stories. Really, that’s what Opening Day is all about: getting together with friends and fellow fans to watch some baseball and have fun. Whether you go to the game, enjoy it with a group, or enjoy it from the comfort of your own couch, you know everything seems a little better once baseball is back. Now I have to get ready to go to my first game of the year, Saturday—when the Cardinals are presented with their 2011 World Championship rings. Should be a great day at Busch Stadium.
One final note…At about 8:30, I received a text from Scott the Cubs Fan: “I think I just saw that eagle fly past my house.” Perfect.
UCB Roundtable Question–NL Central Predictions!
Last week, I participated in the United Cardinal Bloggers’ first roundtable discussion of the year. Here’s the drill: Each day, a member of the UCB forwards a Cardinals-related question to the rest of the group and posts the answers in his/her blog. Well, true to form, I’m a little late with my post. But I also didn’t receive as many replies as I expected. I think maybe I picked a question that preempted a post that most of the bloggers out there plan for a more in-depth look later in the preseason. But the responses I did receive were good ones. Here’s my original question:
With Spring Training games under way, it’s officially prediction season. The Cardinals are in the unique position of being defending World Champs without being defending Division Champs. The Reds and Brewers underwent significant changes in the offseason. Ryan Braun–perhaps now the best overall player in the division–won’t miss 50 games after all. And the Pirates could be a dark horse for even longer in 2012. But the NL also gets an additional playoff spot this season. What are your predictions for the NL Central’s representation in the postseason in 2012? You can go so far as to give detailed write-ups on each team’s chances 
or simply list your 1-6 positioning with an X next to the team you think will make the playoffs. Does only one NL Central team get in? Two? Three? Who’s in, and who’s out?
Cardinals – Division winners with around 95 wins
Brewers – NL Wild Card 2 with 91 wins
Reds – 85 wins
Pirates – 76 wins
Cubs – tied with the Astros with a record of 0-162
Astros – see Cubs
–Dennis Lawson, Pitchers Hit Eighth
I still think the Cardinals are the team to beat this season. The addition of Wainwright, a good bullpen instead of Franklin/Batista, all of that makes me think they can finish first. I’m not sure between the Reds and Brewers who comes next.
At the bottom, I’m wondering if Pittsburgh can’t make a move into fourth, with the rebuilding Cubs and the struggling Astros bringing up the rear.
Would not be surprised to see the NL Central provide the wild card again, either.
–Daniel Shoptaw, C70 At The Bat
Either the Cardinals or Reds will win the NL Central championship. Either also could qualify as a wild-card team. Reds seem to have the pitching and lineup to give the Cardinals plenty of competition. Cubs, Pirates and Astros likely are non-factors. Something seems off about the Brewers.
–Mark Tomasik, RetroSimba
Cardinals will win the division. I could see both wild cards coming out of NL East or one from NL East and one from NL West. Reds have an outside shot, but I wouldn’t give anyone else from the division much of a chance.
Three years from now though, I think the division is going to look completely different. The Pirates spent 17 million on last year’s draft before the new CBA agreement kicked into effect. The Cubs will be a team to contend with under Epstein leadership. The Reds will stay competitive if Jocketty keeps buying veterans that produce.
We could see a power shift in the NL from East to Central, it just won’t be in 2012.
–Chris Mallonee, Birds on the Bat 82
Cardinals get second place with 88 wins but get a Wild Card.
–Tom Knuppel, Cardinals GM
Predictions? Ah, nothing better than making predictions and being completely wrong at the end of the season. Hey – I guess we could always deny it right? Oh wait, you guys keep all this stuff 
Uh oh!
Here we go:
1st – St. Louis Cardinals
I just see the Cardinals pitching being the key. Wainwright and Carpenter stay healthy and St. Louis wins 90 games. 90-72 wins the division.
2nd – Cincinnati Reds
The Reds have a nice staff, and their offense is solid. They are coming at the Cardinals this year, but I think they will fall a bit short. Though, I think they get the wildcard, because I have no faith in Atlanta, and not sure Miami is ready quite yet. Reds finish 86-76
3rd – Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers finish above .500, but not enough to make the playoffs. Milwaukee gets another good year out of Braun, but Marcum falls apart and Gallardo gets hurt. Milwaukee comes away with 83 wins. 83-79.
4th – Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates feel like they are going to be able to compete. They come up short again, and once again finish under .500. Of course, in August we hear about how they may get to .500 for the year. The Pirates win 77 games. 77-87.
5th – Chicago Cubs
The Cubs go young and do not win the World Series in 2012. That’s nothing new. Chicago competes early in the season and gives some teams some problems. Including the Cardinals. In the end, Chicago wins 75 games. 75-89
6th – Houston Astros
The new GM has a positive attitude, but a bad team in his first season. The Astros come away with 69 wins. Houston goes 69-93.
Let’s play BALL!
–Rodney Knuppel, Saint Louis Sports
I think the Cards will win the division and the Reds will get a wild card. The Brewers are not quite as good without Fielder and I don’t think Mr. Technicality will have another MVP season. The Pirates will be a little improved from last year and the Cubs and Houston will battle for the division championship…er, I mean the cellar championship.
–JE Powell, STL Fear the Red
Always easy to be optimistic at this time of year, but I do think the Cardinals will win the NL Central. The Reds will be much improved over last year, in my opinion, and I think they’ll make it as a wild card—hopefully losing their one-game play-in.
And, maybe this is just wishful thinking on my part, but I see the Cubs finishing last in the Central and the Astros fifth. (Could just be hoping that Jeff Luhnow does well in his first year as a GM too — and that all the Cub fans and their “Yeah, but we have Theo now” talk will finally just shut up.)
–Christine Coleman, Aaron Miles’ Fastball
The NL has even more parity this year. I’ll predict a close 1-3 finish, which won’t be as exciting as it should be, of course, given not one but two wild cards. As long as Mike Matheny doesn’t bunt or try to steal too much, the Cardinals and the Brewers will flip last-year’s places:
1. STL-x
2. MIL-y
3. CIN
4. PIT
5. CHI
6. HOU
With the Marlins and Braves, I don’t think that the Central will be able to provide two wild-card teams.
–Pip, Fungoes
Via Twitter:
“Pretty conventional: STL-CIN-MIL-PIT-CHC-HOU…(regarding the number of playoff teams that come from the Central) 1.5? Seriously, very hard question. I think one WC comes from East. No, honestly, I’d guess two…I think the softer underbelly of the division will help, relative to teams trying to make it from the east.” –Matthew Leach
“in order Cards-Reds-Pirates-Brewers-Cubs-Astros” –Jeff White
Not surprisingly, almost everyone picks the Cards to win the division. I can’t break away from the pack on this one; top to bottom, I believe the Cardinals are the best team in the NL Central and should win the division if everyone stays healthy and plays the way they should. Of course, all of these opinions were formed before Chris Carpenter’s neck issue surfaced, so that could throw a wrench in the works. But it appears that injury isn’t as bad as it could be. Second place in the division is up for grabs between Cincinnati and Milwaukee. The 2012 Reds should be improved over last season, and the Brewers probably lost a little steam compared to their Prince Fielder-led 2011 squad. I expect both to be in the 84-88 win range, with one of them claiming a Wild Card spot. If Carpenter’s injury develops into something that lingers or other injuries plague the Cards, it would not be surprising to see this division race turn into a 3-team battle royal. The Pittsburgh Pirates appear to be headed in the right direction—meaning not backwards—for the first time in years. I said it last year and they fell about 10 games short, so I don’t have a problem going out on a limb again and predicting a .500 finish for the Bucs. The Cubs and Astros will still flounder around near the 95-loss abyss, give or take a few for either team. But the Cubs are on the right track with dumping their old, bad contracts and re-stocking with young talent. This year is not their year…but they could be a team that overachieves from time to time and proves to be a tough beat.
That will do it for my contribution to this UCB Roundtable. For all the questions and answers from the project this time around, check out all the posts here.
–Chris R.
My Top 5 Iconic Moments in Cardinal History
It’s time for another United Cardinal Bloggers project, and this may be one of the hardest yet. The St. Louis Cardinals franchise and its fans have been on the right side of so much success over the years it’s really tough to pick favorites. But I’ll give it a try.
First I want to talk about how I’m defining this list. To me, an “Iconic Moment” is a singular play on the field—therefore, major accomplishments like Albert Pujols’ 3 HR game in the 2011 World Series or Bob Gibson’s 17-strikeout performance in the 1968 World Series aren’t eligible. Not that those events are anything less than iconic, but they’re really a series of moments that together make up an historic accomplishment. That’s not what this list is about. Second, this list takes into account the stakes of the game in which they occurred as well as the situation at hand. For instance, Pujols (2005) and Yadier Molina (2006) both have iconic postseason home runs in their careers. Pujols’ home run gave the Cardinals the lead when they were down to their last strike against the Houston Astros in an NLCS the Cards eventually lost; Molina’s untied Game 7 in an NLCS the Cardinals went on to win against the New York Mets. The biggest in-game situation had to be Pujols’ bomb, but Molina’s ultimately led the Cards to the World Series. So…coin flip? Finally, in light of the moments I just mentioned, I’m reserving the right to name a moment that several Cardinals accomplished, even if it was in different games, seasons, or eras. If the Cards had another player that broke the single season stolen base record, that moment could be paired with Lou Brock’s 105th steal back in 1974 as one iconic moment accomplished by two Cardinal greats. Maybe that violates the spirit of a list of five, but I don’t really care—it’s my list, not yours.
5. Home Run #62 – The cloud of scandal will always overshadow damn near every home run hit between 1990-2003. But throw that out the window for a moment and go back to 1998. Baseball was still recovering from a labor-related stoppage and cancellation of the World Series in 1994, and the sport was revitalized by the home run chase between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. Maybe it was an artificially generated feat, but at the time it defined baseball in the 90s. In some ways it still does. And when McGwire squeaked #62 over the left field wall at Busch Memorial, the entire world was watching. How many regular season moments in baseball can claim that…maybe a dozen?
4. The Mad Dash – Most people reading this weren’t around for it—hell, my parents weren’t even born yet—but Hall of Famer Enos Slaughter has to make the list for his “Mad Dash” in the 1946 World Series against the Boston Red Sox. Game 7 was tied in the bottom of the 8th inning at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis…talk about dramatic. Slaughter took off from first with the pitch and scrambled all the way home on what was essentially a long single by Harry Walker. The run Slaughter scored turned out to be the game-winner and gave the Cards their third World Series title in five seasons.
3. The Home Run Heroes: NLCS edition – Since MLB introduced a playoff system in 1969, the Cardinals have participated in the NLCS 10 times and won six of them. As with any playoff series, the stakes are high for every game. But late-inning and walk-off home runs are some of the most dramatic moments in the sport; in a playoff game where a trip to the World Series is at stake, those moments become legendary. In 1985, it was light-hitting Ozzie Smith giving the Cards a 3-2 series lead against the LA Dodgers by sending his first career left-handed home run over the wall in extra innings with the iconic Jack Buck telling the Busch Stadium crowd to “Go Crazy, Folks” (as an aside, which is more iconic: the hit itself or Buck’s call?). In 2004, Jim Edmonds sent another Busch Stadium crowd over the edge with a 12th inning blast to force Game 7 against the Astros. The next year, the Cards were down two runs and down to their final strike before David Eckstein and Edmonds both found their way on base ahead of Pujols—who momentarily broke the prematurely celebrating Astros’ hearts again by destroying a ball over the wall in Houston. And in 2006, Molina stunned a Shea Stadium crowd by breaking a 1-1 tie in the 9th inning of Game 7. Not all of these hits led to a series win, but they did all lead to goosebumps and everlasting memories.
2. The 3000th Hit – Only 28 players in MLB history have reached the 3000 hit plateau, and only a handful of teams have more than one player achieve the feat in their uniform. The Cardinals are one of those teams: Stan Musial collected his 3000th hit on May 13, 1958 and Lou Brock joined the 3000 hit club on August 13, 1979. Musial continued to play for several more years, of course, finishing his career in 1963 with 3630 hits—still to this day good for fourth all-time. Brock’s achievement came near the end of his final season in the Majors; the speedy runner finished with 3023 hits for his career. But the rarity of the feat alone deserves mention on this list, and the fact that it was accomplished by two of the most iconic figures in the franchise’s history makes it even more special. Plus, with Pujols now gone for the second half of his career, it could be the last time a Cardinal makes it to 3000 for quite some time. Interesting but not shocking tidbit: Both milestones came against the Chicago Cubs.
1. The Ultimate World Series Hero – The St. Louis Cardinals’ 2011 season had so many heroes and moments, starting with the unprecedented comeback run to clinch the Wild Card in Game 162 and ending with Allen Craig’s catch for the final out of Game 7 of the World Series. There are literally a dozen or more moments in that nine week span that will stick out in the minds of Cardinal fans for years and years to come. But the biggest game of them all only needs to be identified by two little words: Game Six. Everyone on the planet knows the story: down to their last strike in two different innings, but they wouldn’t quit. You got the feeling that if the Cards could just get to their half of an inning without a deficit, they’d win the game. And that’s exactly what happened when Freese stepped to the plate in the bottom of the 11th. Home Run. Game over. Series tied: “We will see you tomorrow night.” Down to their final strike twice; now celebrating at home plate. Factoring in the entire game—called the greatest ever played by more than a few in the know—as well as the World Series circumstances; the fact that it happened at home; the fact that it was a native St. Louisan who did it; and that it led to the Cards’ 11th World Series title…David Freese’s 2011 World Series Game 6 walk-off home run is my most iconic moment in St. Louis Cardinals history. Admittedly, Freese is no Musial, Gibson, Smith, or Brock. He may never make the Hall of Fame, and he may never hit milestones like some of the guys above. But he cemented his name into both Cardinals and Major League baseball lore as first tying and then winning one of the greatest baseball games ever played. That’s hard to beat.
–Chris
The Nooner #24: Winter Warm Up
This weekend, the St. Louis Cardinals gather team and fans in downtown St. Louis for the annual Winter Warm Up. For the second year in a row, the folks at I-70 Baseball (where you can read a column my yours truly every Saturday morning) have managed to obtain a media credential for me to attend and cover the event! Look for updates throughout the three-day event on Twitter (@birdbrained) and in various write-ups over the weekend and next week at I-70 Baseball. Additionally, I may do a phone interview or two to be broadcast at a later date.
This year, the Cards have granted a number of other bloggers access to credentials for the event. That means I won’t be the only newbie in the interview room (which is nice). So check back here and my Twitter account for some links supporting those folks as well.
And one last thing: if you see me milling around the main exhibition halls, come say hello!
–Chris
Programming Alert: Me on the radio, again!
I will be doing a quick radio hit with The Balance/The Gary Snyder Show today at 4:07 CST to talk about Albert Pujols signing with the LA Angels and, presumably, what the Cardinals may do going forward. Tune in via the link below!
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-balance
Thanks!
–Chris
The Nooner #23: Albert Pujols is No Longer a Cardinal
Surreal.
Albert Pujols leaving the Cardinals via free agency was always a possibility, however unlikely it seemed. I thought the Cards would be in on the dollars side, but would balk at the years. Turns out the opposite was true. But before 2011 I was hoping for 7 years guaranteed +2 or 3 option years. In the NL, it is really, really hard to justify paying a 40+ player $20 million or more when he has to play in the field every day. But there are so many unknown details here, starting with AAV. If the Cards said they’d signed him for 10 years, $250 million starting with $30 million next year, a declining AAV, and the last two were $15 million options, I think I’d be on board. He’d still get the same amount of money; they wouldn’t be paying him as much in his last few years. Apparently the Marlins had the highest bid, which means that no trade clause was a really big deal. I can get behind that, too. Security is important. But that’s not all it was.
I think what really stings is the smoke he blew up all our asses: “I have money; it’s not about the money”…“Why would I want to play anywhere else?”…“I want to be like Stan Musial and be a Cardinal for life.” When you invoke the name of Stan Musial and phrases like “it’s not about the money” and “Cardinal for life” you’d better mean it. Clearly he
didn’t. Today does not erase the last 11 seasons, either for his individual accomplishments or the team’s success. But some of that integrity and persona has been diminished with this news. He really was about the money. That in itself isn’t terrible; just be honest about it. Maybe the Marlins offered the most zeroes in front of the decimal, but if we’re comparing apples to apples, the Angels and Cards offered the same contract terms. The Angels’ trump card was more cash. The Cardinals’ trump card was baseball legacy/immortality. He took the bread.
I’m not really sure how to describe my feelings beyond the above. Maybe it will set in once I see Pujols 5 on the back of a LA Angels jersey. Maybe it will set in during the Winter Warm up or Spring Training when, for the first time in over a decade, Albert Pujols is nowhere to be found. But I didn’t really go into convulsions when Tony LaRussa retired, either. At the time I chalked it up to World Series Hangover. But that was over a month ago. An era has truly ended in St. Louis. Let’s hope the Cardinals don’t lapse into another odd-decade Dark Age. Looking at the rest of the roster, though, I really think they’re going to be OK. We all are.
–Chris
REVIEW: The 2011 World Series Film DVD
Less than a month ago, the St. Louis Cardinals capped off one of the greatest comebacks in baseball history by defeating the Texas Rangers in an epic World Series. In this day and age, finding video and audio replays of any baseball game is as easy as pulling up an internet browser on the nearest online device. But for an expertly assembled package of storytelling, highlights, interviews and emotion, the only true option is Major League Baseball Productions’ presentation of The 2011 World Series Film, which is now available in a two-DVD set (the Blu-Ray version is available December 6).
Disc one features the official film, narrated by actor and St. Louisan John Hamm. The film starts on the St. Louis Riverfront, with the iconic Gateway Arch making an immediate appearance as the stage is set for the telling of the ups and downs of the Cardinals’ 2011 season. Obviously, early in the year, there were more downs than ups as Hamm guides the viewer through the Adam Wainwright injury and Albert Pujols contract drama that overshadowed the team from the beginning of Spring Training. Next is footage of Ryan Franklin giving up a late-game home run and Colby Rasmus bobbling a fly ball that turns out to be the game-winning hit for the opposition. Seems like eons ago, doesn’t it?
But these nasty memories are merely part of the set up. The film briefly covers the big trade with Toronto, the Rafael Furcal acquisition, and the sweep by the Dodgers—the last low point of the season. From there, the chasing down of the Atlanta Braves over the regular season’s final five weeks culminates in the Cards celebrating their NL Wild Card clincher after Chris Carpenter’s gem in Houston and the Braves’ loss in Philadelphia while the Cardinal players watched in the Minute Maid Park visitor’s clubhouse.
From there, the film summarizes the Cards’ NLDS win over the Philadelphia Phillies and NLCS win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Throughout the show, broadcasts from TV and radio are seamlessly merged with Hamm’s narration so the story feels like it’s told from multiple angles. When significant records were tied or broken throughout the year and the postseason, a graphic appears illustrating the feat. The editing and production on this film is nothing short of superb, and it adds an element of dramatic flair not found in straight highlights and replays from the games themselves.
But the real story here is the World Series, and not surprisingly, that’s where the detail in the story explodes. Each of the series’ seven games gets a long segment, and each game’s story is built up with a relevant introduction. For instance, after the segment featuring the Cards’ Game 1 win, the footage shifts to Jason Motte enjoying some pre-Game 2 BBQ at Pappy’s in St. Louis with his family and, obviously, a room full of restaurant customers who happen to be Cardinals fans. Before Game 3 and Game 6, the footage shows the perspective of rolling into the home team’s city as the series shifted to a new ballpark.
This series had so many side stories and subtexts, and each was covered brilliantly in this film. The on-paper match-ups and how similar the Cardinals and Rangers were…the Allen Craig-Alexei Ogando battles…the offensive powerhouses and their pitchers duels in the first two games…The Albert Pujols Game…The Derek Holland Game…Game 5 shenanigans, including the Pujols-Craig hit and run fiascos and “Phonegate”…it’s all here. And it’s all great.
Then there’s Game 6, perhaps one of the greatest in World Series history. From the start, with the Rangers putting up early runs, to the errors and misplays on both sides, the game unfolds as one of the sloppiest anyone has ever seen. And then the Cardinals mount their comeback. David Freese’s game-tying triple in the 9th, Lance Berkman’s game-tying single in the 10th, and the game-winning homer by Freese in the 11th are all highlighted in their amazing baseball glory. “We will see you tomorrow night.” Smiles, chills, and tears are included free of charge.
And the Game 7 segment puts an exclamation point on a tale that wouldn’t be believed if it wasn’t captured on film. After the teams exchanged two run frames in the 1st inning, the Cards took charge of the game. But one of the most poignant moments of the film was when Motte came out of the bullpen in the 9th–in his interview, he said he took a couple of slow steps down the ramp to look around and take in the scene at Busch Stadium. It was yet another moment of profound reality, like David Freese becoming the hero for the team he grew up rooting for or Chris Carpenter re-assuming the role of Ace after Wainwright went down. The only thing missing from the film—curiously—is Joe Buck’s “What a team…what a ride” call as Craig caught the final out. The omission is probably only noticeable by those with the St. Louis bias, and it doesn’t ruin the film. But it is somewhat conspicuous.
The film also captures some of the parade through Downtown St. Louis as well as the announcement the next day of Tony La Russa’s retirement. This comprehensive look at the 2011 World Champion St. Louis Cardinals covers all the bases and does so beautifully. It should be enough to get even the most die-hard fan through the cold winter until the next Spring Training.
2011 World Series Film DVD Bonus Features
This Week in Baseball: Lance Berkman
Prime 9: Tony La Russa
Cardinals Clinch Wild Card (team watching PHI beat ATL from visitor’s clubhouse in HOU)
NLDS Game 5: Last Out and Celebration
NLCS Game 6: Last Out and Celebration
World Series Game 3: Albert Pujols 3 Home Runs
World Series Game 6: David Freese Triple to Tie
World Series Game 6: Lance Berkman Single to Tie
World Series Game 6: David Freese Walk-Off Home Run
World Series Game 6: Lance Berkman/David Freese Presser (funny exchange between the two as Freese recalls Jim Edmonds’ 2004 NLCS walk-off)
World Series Game 7: David Freese Double to Tie
World Series Game 7: Last Out and Celebration
WS Parade (brief ride-along with Freese)
Want More? (Nick Punto mic’ed for final play of World Series; MLB Productions Social Media links)
Disc Two contains the complete Game 5 of the NLDS between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies, with a menu to start the game from any half-inning or the pre-game show on TBS. Overall, both discs comprise about four hours of video. Order your copy here or check your local retailer.
–Chris
The St. Louis Cardinals 2011 World Series Film
If you’re like me, you find yourself constantly revisiting the Cardinals’ website for video highlights from this past season, or maybe you check the channel guide every day hoping MLB Network will air something from those magical days in October.
Well, soon you’ll have to go no further than your own DVD collection to get your 2011 World Champion St. Louis Cardinals fix. And Tuesday, you can get a sneak peak in downtown St. Louis.
Major League Baseball Productions’ presentation of the 2011 World Series Film is showing at the Peabody Opera House tonight. Details and instructions for ordering tickets or your very own copy of the DVD can be found here.
Additionally, I have secured a copy of the DVD to review on this site. As soon as it arrives–literally within minutes–I will crack that baby open and post a review of what I find inside. And even if you don’t necessarily want to know my particular thoughts about the film, you’ll still want to check back because I will also have a few copies to give away FREE!
More to come!
–Chris
Never Say Die
The St. Louis Cardinals battled the Texas Rangers from the brink of elimination to the apex of jubilation to force Game 7 of the 2011 World Series. This improbable journey that started way back in August finally culminates in Major League Baseball’s ultimate clash Friday night at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
And yours truly will be there.
What can you day about the 2011 Cardinals? They started off slow, looked ugly at times, found ways to hang around, and at the end muscled up to show the world that not only were they still alive; they were well and able to kick the ass of the best teams in the league. And this description covers the entirety of the 2011 season as much as it covers Game 6 on Thursday night. Microcosm? You bet, brother. But once again, the Cardinals came out on top when, by all accounts, they probably shouldn’t have.
It’s hard to put into words how I feel about what will go down over the next 24 hours. Through sheer luck of the draw, I have been able to see three potential “final games” at Busch this season: the last home game of the regular season vs. the Chicago Cubs; Game 4 of the NLDS vs. the Philadelphia Phillies; and Game 5 of the NLCS vs. the Milwaukee Brewers. And I sat on tickets for Game 7 of the World Series for a week and a half knowing the odds weren’t necessarily in my favor. There hasn’t been a Game 7 in the World Series since 2002. The Cardinals were not favored by most of the so-called experts. And I’ve never been very lucky at anything at all. It almost doesn’t quite register that this World Series is happening the way it is.
But this Cardinals team is not one to lay down in front of a challenge. They’ve had their backs against the wall since sometime in late August; every game has felt like a must-win. So why on earth would anyone ever doubt this team? How can even the most seasoned and numbers-conscious tactician look at the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals over the last two months and say “There’s no way these guys can pull this off?”
It’s a ridiculous notion, now. Down to the last strike? Pfft. No problem for this team. How about two 2-run comebacks? Where does that fit in on your Sabermetric spreadsheet?
This is what baseball is truly all about. It’s about impossible comebacks and stellar series and two teams pushing each other to the brink. It’s baseball’s version of Mecca, and it all goes down at Busch Stadium. Remarkable.
If the Cardinals lose Game 7 it will be disappointing. But the season will not be a failure. The Texas Rangers should feel the same way. These teams have given baseball something special to this point, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Friday night.
–Chris
