A few other teams in other years have done some of the same preposterous hanging-by-a-rope-over-a-waterfall feats that the Cardinals have accomplished. Some, like the 1914 Boston Braves, ’51 Giants, ‘78 Yankees and 2007 Rockies, have made up huge deficits late in the season. But some didn’t finish the job by winning the World Series. Some didn’t play in eras when they had to win three postseason rounds of play. Some didn’t enter as on-the-merits underdogs with humble stats — like a mere plus-70 run differential, compared to the Rangers whopping plus-178.
And none of them were down to their last strike twice in Game 6.
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Behind series MVP David Freese the St. Louis Cardinals clinched the World Series with a win over Texas in Game 7, 6-2. (Oct. 28)
To add to the sense of almost blissful completeness that this night encompassed, baseball has, almost certainly, just completed the most exciting, improbable, dramatic and all-around wonderful month in the game’s history. Oh, yes, we’re sitting on another “best.”
This divine madness began after midnight on September 28th as Boston and Atlanta collapsed on the last night of the regular season, letting the Rays and Cards into the October party. The unexpected thrills continued as the Yankees and their $200 million-plus payroll were knocked out in Game 5 of their American League Division Series by the Tigers, while the Cards did the same to the Phillies and their Four Aces.
So, between Sept. 28th and this final night of October 28th, baseball has produced so many superior games it would be silly to list them all.
“Last night, after Game 6, I told several friends, ‘I’m really proud to be the commissioner of a sport that can produce what just happened,’ ” Bud Selig said before Friday’s game.
Now, as one last tasty morsel, that amazing Game 6 can now get its full due. The team that wouldn’t die erased every bleak memory from its embarrassing Phone Follies Fiasco in Game 5. Seems like years ago already. Why, Tony La Russa can probably laugh about it. Okay, maybe not.
But he and his Cards, and every baseball fan, maybe including a few in Texas with especially broad minds, can all join in the last laugh, the last grin and the final glow of a two-month St. Louis drive from irrelevance to a title the like of which has never been seen since the World Series began in 1903.
It was worth the wait.
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