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For this holiday season, Lou Roesch recalls his top three memories in St. Louis Cardinals history and encourages you to share your own favorites.
1. Jack Clark HR 1985 NLC Game 6
2. David Freese Triple 2011 WS Game 6
3. Albert Pujols 3HR game at Wrigley Field 2004 (I was at that game)
Man, when you get to be an old guy there are so many. Let’s see:
1. Ken Boyer’s grand slam in game four of the 1964 World Series.
– I was 11 years old and that was such a big moment, that it really makes an impression to a kid. You can tell that just by looking at my avatar.2. Bob Gibson’s 17 strike outs in game one of the 1968 World Series.
– At the time I thought no way anyone could beat Gibson in a big game. I loved the pre-game quote by someone, I do not recall but a journalist I believe, when asked about how the big Gibson vs McLain match-up would go. He said, “Gibson will tear him up.”, or something to that effect. Willie Horton said he never faced anyone in his career who had as much stuff as Gibson did that day.3. David Freese’s game six in the 2011 World Series. I was watching the end of the game, or so I thought, and my wife was busy doing things in the kitchen. I was yelling out to her, “And the Cardinals are down to their last out.” Then I would say, “The Cardinals are down to their last two strikes.” Then it was down to their last strike, and then Bingo! Freese hits one that sails over Nellie Cruz’ outstretched glove and we are tied! Then the 12th inning bomb where Joe Buck paraphrased his dad with “We will see you tomorrow night!”
Just pure magic.
In 1982 we had last been in a WS when I was a schoolboy. Since then, I had finished growing up, finished my education, gotten married and welcomed our first child that June. And here we were in my first world series experience since childhood. So that was big for me, and stands out amongst a lifetime of baseball memories.
1. Game 7, bottom of the 6th down 3-1. Keith Hernandez singled home Lonnie and Ozzie Smith to draw even. The world was not about to end after all.
2. Later that game, with it still on the line and us up by 1 in the 8th, with the heart of the Brewers order due up in the 9th, Darrell Porter drove home Lonnie Smith to give us an insurance run, followed by Steve Braun driving in Porter and we were up 6-3 heading to the 9th with Bruce Sutter coming on to close it. At that point it was really going to happen, a world championship playing out right before my eyes.
3. My third most memorable moment was the Rick Ankiel two throw game. I’ve seen a lot of highlight reel stuff take place on a baseball field, but that was the most astonishing thing I have ever seen happen on the field in real time.
For me, my best memory is the entire 1964 season.
After suffering through a whole childhood, all my personal playing days, college and then the army without a whiff of a championship, came 1964! Gibson, Boyer, White, Flood…
And what made it even better, my best friend was a Philadelphia native, which made that pennant run even juicier!
Boy oh boy…This could be a rewrite of “War and Peace”…I’ll condense it down to ’67…’82…and ’11…Haha!
I’ve been thinking about this thread for less than 5 minutes and I’m already up to about my top 50 memories…Three just don’t seem fair…Hha!
Easily the 1982 world series win. I just absolutely loved that team. I followed them all season on the radio. Being at a game the last season pujols was there late in the season with my son when he hit a homerun.mcguires 70 homerun was another. A 4th one would be 2006 when the Cardinals won the world series.
1. Jack Clark’s game 6 game winning 3 run homer, wit the Cards down to their last out. The above posted did not mention that first base was open (runners on 2nd and 3rd.) Lasorda deliberately went after Clark to settle a personal score. Oops.
2. Wainwright’s unhittable cureball strike three pitch to close out game seven against the Mets in the 2006 NL Championship series.
3. Cards down by one run. Bottom of the 9th, in 67 or 68, against the Reds. Cards have the bases loaded, nobody out, and the batter hits a made to order double play grounder. Oh well, at least Orlando Cepeda will score the tying run from 3rd, right? Wrong. Cepeda lolly gags it home and gets thrown out at the plate on a peg from the 1st sacker, completing the triple play, and ending the game in the Red’s favor.
The NLCS vs. the Mets stand out to me more than the WS from that ’06 season. Molina’s 2 run tater and Wainwright’s K to close it out were outstanding. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a better 7th game involving the Cardinals. And it was that much sweeter because it was the Mets who were victimized!
1. Ozzie Smith HR “Go crazy folks!”
2. Glenn Brummer stealing home in 12th inning (1982) was listening live on the radio
3. Mark Whitten 4 home runs in one game (1993)
BrockLou wrote:
3. Cards down by one run. Bottom of the 9th, in 67 or 68, against the Reds. Cards have the bases loaded, nobody out, and the batter hits a made to order double play grounder. Oh well, at least Orlando Cepeda will score the tying run from 3rd, right? Wrong. Cepeda lolly gags it home and gets thrown out at the plate on a peg from the 1st sacker, completing the triple play, and ending the game in the Red’s favor.
I checked Retrosheet to try and find this game. Didn’t see it in either ’67 or ’68 but I guess it’s possible I missed it.
That game that ended on a triple play in Cincinnati was in 1967. It was one of the “lo-lites” on the 1967 highlight record.
The Cards were down 4-3 I believe, but had the bases loaded and no outs in the top of the 9th. We pick up Harry Caray…”…..ground ball to the shortstop – he’s gonna go for the double-play – here’s a man trying to score.. and he is…..OUT, TRIPLE PLAY! THE BALL GAME IS OVER…….. Cepeda didn’t break right away – a ground ball to the shortstop…..” and the clip continues for a bit more as Harry recapped the play.
My apologies to BrockLou. I finally found it on Retrosheet. Tuesday, May 30th, 1967. Here’s the link:
3) Willie McGee game 3 1982
2) Bruce Sutter 123 dp against Mike Schmidt September 1982 to put Cards in first
1) David Freeze HRHonorable mention Jack Clark 1985 home run against Dodgers and Waino strikeout of Carlos Beltran 2006 playoffs.
I was at the game in 1998 when McGWire hit his 63rd hr. But I hated that season with all the focus on an individual record while the team pretty much sucked.
The Thomas Edward Niedenfuer Game for me. I remember it being a weekday. I was fresh out of college and working as a sales rep for the now defunct Ponca Wholesale in Phoenix. While writing up an order in an Osco store on east Indian School road, I somehow found myself not in my usual area, but rather in the electronics section watching tv, when Jack launched his historic bomb.
Another thing about Jack Clark’s 1985 championship winning shot is that, although it was in game 6, I remember Vin Scully or some other Dodger spokesperson saying the game seven pitching matchup greatly favored the Dodgers.
Of course with Tommy Lasorda’s gift to the Cards, game 7 never happened. GrinThat Clark homer for me is a similar situation Pugs was in – very ironic. I was in San Diego sort of testing out the area for a potential move from Colorado, as I had earned my Bachelor’s the year before.
But accounting/finance jobs were tough to find and I was working a temp job helping in a department store as they were moving the electronics department to a different area. As luck would have it, while we were moving things a television had the game on, and I saw the Clark home run. I still remember Vin Scully saying he could read Lasorda’s lips as he was contemplating “..pitching to Clark or walk him and face that blankety-blank Van Slyke.” Glad he decided to go after Jack and not that blankety-blank Van Slyke. 😀
As I recall Niedenfuer gave up two famous HR’s in that series. Ozzie’s “Go Crazy Folks” HR in Game 5 then Jack’s epic blast in Game 6.
3 – Pujols home run off Lidge. That was absolutely one of the most exciting moments I’ve ever had as a Cardinals fan. It’s too bad we then lost the next game and it ultimately didn’t matter except to Pujols and Lidge.
2 – The Freese triple and then home run of the 2011 WS. This is the only time I was more excited than #3.
1 – The final 3 games of the 2006 WS were personal for me. I had my newborn son in my arms at the hospital and the first 4 days of his life he got to seek 3 Cardinals WS wins. He was literally born into the fraternity of Redbird fans.
Mine are probably not going to be the absolute most popular ones among people here, but they were very enjoyable moments nonetheless..I’ll number them, but they’re in no particular order.
1. McGwire’s 62nd in 1998. After the NLCS disappointment in 1996, I was really becoming a Cardinals fan and this year certainly cemented it for me. As a 15 year old who had just started my first real job, I’d race home in the evenings (or more appropriately, hope my mom raced me home) to catch the games. This dinger wasn’t the most majestic, but it was classic for me. Time may have tainted the feat, but not the memory for me.
2. Waino getting Inge to finish off the series in 2006. The first World Series for the Cards in my lifetime was a bit of a surprise, but felt like a makeup for the two juggernauts that fell short in 2004 and 2005. I was glued to the TV in my dorm room those years and felt like life and death hung on every pitch. I was graduated for 2006, starting my life in the world for real now. I’ll admit that I jumped so high that my head nearly hit the ceiling when that final out was recorded.
3. Albert and Yadi walking off with Waino one final time in 2022. That season may have ended with a thud, but these guys gave us some real magic. Watching the heroes of my early adult years turn back the clock made me feel like anything was possible as well.
Honorable mentions that I don’t think have been mentioned here yet: Jack Buck’s poem to open things back up in St Louis following 9/11, 2004 NLCS game 6 (an underrated classic), Carpenter’s battles with Kershaw in the mid ’10s playoffs, Oscar Taveras’ 1st HR, Holliday’s sendoff in 2016, the massive 1st inning in game 5 of the 2019 NLDS against Atlanta, Albert 700…and many more…
We’ve been blessed as Cards fans.
Top 3 memories
David Freese 2011 post season. Dude was amazing.
Waino 2006 closer in National League Series and World Series
Jack Clark in 85. (Pedro Guerrero turning towards the fence and slamming his glove down.)Honorable mention: Any Jim Edmonds spectacular catch.
Most fun in person memory: Ted Simmons giving one to Bill Madlock in 1974 in one of the weirdest brawls of all time. I was in the right field bleachers.
Also in 2011, Carp’s incredible 3-hit shutout of the Phillies in the deciding game 5 of the division series. Chris beat his friend, the great Roy Halladay, 1-0. On the last play of the game, Phillies slugger Ryan Howard tapped back to Carp weakly, and injured himself badly with a follow through on his swing to his achilles, I think.
Carp started 2011 1-7, I think, but finished strong to go 11-9 for the year, with 237.1 IP, a career high, and an era of 3.45.
The reason Carpenter got off to such a poor start is that TLR’s managing ability really fell off a cliff. If memory serves me right, he left Carp in there too long several times. Maybe it was Tony’s shingles, or something else.
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