Here & There Column 11-8-11

Unforgettable Postseason & Series

I'm one of those avid baseball fans who has been around this great game for some 59 years when I first started playing competitive high school baseball on the JV team at Liberty High School in 1952.
We didn't have little league and such back then so I learned the game at our neighborhood field on Wawanda Avenue near the former late Joe Fersch property in Liberty.
When I was old enough I tried out for the school junior varsity team where I pitched and played third base.
In all I have played and coached the sport for 41 years but was still amazed at the most recent World Series which saw the St. Louis Cardinals cap off a postseason nobody figured they'd be part of by defeating the Texas Rangers 6-2 in game 7.
Each night the Series was played I would comment to Shirley (also a great fan of the game) that I did not think the Cardinals could stand up against the talent laden Rangers.
But, the resilient Redbirds proved me wrong and following the completion of the historic game 6 win I said St. Louis will win game 7 with ease.
Who would have ever figured that in the waning days of August St. Louis had a 0.2 chance of getting into the playoffs. They got in on the last day of the regular season after the Atlanta Braves folded, beat a very talented Philadelphia Phillies team in five division series games and the Milwaukee Brewers in six championship series games.
In the World Series they were behind three games to two and were on the brink of elimination.
Twice in game 6 they were down to their last strike, only to rally with David Freese's triple off the right field wall to score two runs and tie the game.
This series had everything including Albert Pujols record three homers in game 3 and a Cardinal team that just refused to fold.
Kudos to the great Cardinal coach Tony LaRussa who announced his retirement and retires third on the all-time wins list.
Can't wait for spring training and wonder where the National League batting champion Jose Reyes will be playing?