David Freese's 2011 World Series home run

Last updated

David Freese's 2011 World Series home run was a baseball play that occurred in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series on October 27, 2011, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. After the Texas Rangers [1] had taken the lead in the ninth and tenth innings by two runs each, the St. Louis Cardinals rallied twice to keep the score tied. Jake Westbrook pitched a scoreless 11th inning to set up a walk-off home run by Freese off of Mark Lowe to tie the series and force Game 7, which the Cardinals won.

Contents

Background

Freese was projected to start the 2011 season, [2] and he was named the starter on Opening Day, despite suffering minor ailments during spring training. [2] He started off the year batting over .320, but he missed 51 games after being hit by a pitch that fractured his left hand. After returning to the starting lineup, he finished the season with a .297 batting average, 10 home runs, and 55 RBIs. He recorded hits in eight of the final nine regular-season games. Freese credited his improvement in power hitting to hitting coach Mark McGwire, who helped him refine his stroke. [3] [4]

Postseason

The Cardinals returned to the playoffs in 2011 by usurping the Wild Card spot on the final day from the Atlanta Braves after falling 10+1⁄2 games behind on the 130th game. Thus they completed the largest comeback in history with 32 left to play. [5] [6] [7] Due to their fixtures in different divisions, they played fewer head-to-head games, further lowering Cardinals' odds of catching the Braves. [8]

In the NLDS, the Cardinals defeated the Phillies. Freese drove in four runs against Philadelphia in Game 4 to force a fifth game. [9] Game 5 featured a pitching duel between Chris Carpenter and Phillies ace Roy Halladay that became the first NL playoff series to end in a 1–0 score and Carpenter's second complete game shutout clincher of the season. [10] In the National League Championship Series (NLCS) against Milwaukee, Freese had a .545 batting average, hit 3 home runs, drove in 9 runs, and scored 7 runs. He was named the NLCS Most Valuable Player. [11]

Because the National League had won the 2011 MLB All-Star Game, home field advantage went to the Cardinals as the National League champions, thus allowing the team to host the Texas Rangers for Games 1, 2, 6 and 7. Game 1 was won by the Cardinals on October 1. Through Game 3 of the World Series, Freese had a 13-game postseason hitting streak, a Cardinals record and just two short of matching the all-time National League record. The hitting streak was snapped in Game 4. [12]

Meanwhile, Albert Pujols tied a World Series record in Game 3 by smashing three home runs, joining only Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson. [13] "Mr. Octo-bert" also tied World Series single-game records for hits, total bases, RBIs, and runs scored. [14] [15]

The setup

The game

Nelson Cruz hit a solo home run to put the Rangers up 6-4 against the Cardinals in Game 6. [16] The home run allowed Cruz to tie the record for most postseason home runs in a season at 8; he shares the achievement with Carlos Beltrán and Barry Bonds. [17] Game 6 nearly saw the Rangers win the Series, but after twice being one strike away from elimination, St. Louis tied both times –– the first such occurrence in MLB history.

Besides David Freese, Lance Berkman made key contributions for the Cardinals in Game 6 against the Rangers. He hit his first home run in a World Series game in the 1st inning and in the 9th, with St. Louis down to their final strike before elimination, Berkman was driven home followed by Albert Pujols after a game-tying 2-run triple by Freese. [18] [19] After Texas scored two runs in the top of the 10th and Ryan Theriot hit a run-scoring groundout, Berkman hit a two-out two-strike RBI single scoring Jon Jay to tie the game.

The play

Leading off the 11th, Freese hit a walk-off home run to deep center field (420 feet), [20] [21] to send the World Series to its first Game 7 since 2002. [22] [23] [24] Freese joined Jim Edmonds, the man for whom he was traded, as the only players in Cardinals history to hit an extra-inning walk-off home run in the postseason. He joined Aaron Boone (2003), David Ortiz (2004) and Hall of Famers Carlton Fisk (1975) and Kirby Puckett (1991) as the only players to hit an extra-inning walk-off home run when their team was facing postseason elimination. [24] The fan that retrieved the home run ball was subsequently given an autographed bat and ball by Freese after the former returned it to him. [25] [26]

In Game 6, Freese posted the best win probability added in Major League Baseball postseason history, with a 0.969, which is 0.099 better than the Los Angeles Dodgers' Kirk Gibson in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. The third- and fourth-best WPAs are .854 (by the San Diego Padres' Steve Garvey in Game 4 of the 1984 National League Championship Series) and 0.832 (by the Cardinals' Lance Berkman in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series). [27]

The calls

Joe Buck

Fox play-by-play commentator Joe Buck echoed his late father Jack's call of Kirby Puckett's home run from the 1991 World Series, saying, "...we will see you tomorrow night!" Puckett's and Freese's home runs occurred under similar circumstances: both happened during Game 6 of a World Series, and both Freese and Puckett were the first batter of the eleventh inning. The home runs were hit twenty years and a day apart from each other.

Aftermath

Game 7

In Game 7 of the World Series, Freese hit a two-run double in the bottom of the first inning, bringing his 2011 postseason RBI total to 21, an MLB record. [28] [29] The Cardinals went on to win the game and the series, [30] making Freese a World Series champion for the first time. For his efforts, Freese was named the World Series MVP. [31] He became the sixth player to win the LCS and World Series MVP awards in the same year. [32] Freese also won the Babe Ruth Award as the postseason MVP. [33]

Offseason

Three days after the Series ended, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa announced his retirement, making him the first manager to end his career with a World Series win and with the most managerial victories (1,408) in franchise history. [34] [35] Pujols declared free agency on October 31. [36] On December 7, the Houston Astros hired Jeff Luhnow as their general manager, culminating his rise through the Cardinals ranks as a top player developer. [37] The next day, Pujols signed with the Los Angeles Angels for $254 million, the second-highest valued sports contract in history at the time. [38]

One week later, Baseball America bestowed the Cardinals with their Organization of the Year award for the first time, an award given since 1982. It was given in part to recognize the increased productivity of the Cardinals farm system. Seventeen of the 25 players on the Cardinals' 2011 postseason roster were drafted and developed by the Cardinals. Along with Luhnow, John Mozeliak helped fulfill owner Bill DeWitt, Jr.'s mission to make Cardinals' farm system a consistent producer of prospects who would be key in the club's success. [39] [40]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Pujols</span> Dominican-American baseball player (born 1980)

José Alberto Pujols Alcántara is a Dominican-American former professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter. He played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim / Los Angeles Angels, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Nicknamed "The Machine", Pujols is considered to be one of the greatest baseball players of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 National League Championship Series</span> Major League Baseball playoff series

The 2004 National League Championship Series (NLCS) was a Major League Baseball playoff series played from October 13 to 21 to determine the champion of the National League, between the Central Division champion St. Louis Cardinals and the wild-card qualifying Houston Astros. This marked the first time in either Major League that two teams from the Central Division met in a Championship Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2005 National League Championship Series</span> Major League Baseball playoff series

The 2005 National League Championship Series (NLCS), the second round of the 2005 National League playoffs, matched the Central Division champion and defending league champion St. Louis Cardinals against the wild card qualifier Houston Astros, a rematch of the 2004 NLCS. The Cardinals, by virtue of having the best record in the NL during the 2005 season, had the home-field advantage. The Astros won the series four games to two, and became the National League champions; they faced the American League champion Chicago White Sox in the 2005 World Series, where the Astros lost to the White Sox in a sweep in four games.

The 2006 National League Championship Series (NLCS), the second round of the 2006 National League playoffs, began on October 12 and ended on October 19; it was scheduled to begin on October 11, but was postponed a day because of inclement weather. The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the heavily favored New York Mets in seven games to advance to the 2006 World Series against the Detroit Tigers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 St. Louis Cardinals season</span> Major League Baseball season

The St. Louis Cardinals 2004 season was the team's 123rd season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 113th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 105-57 during the season, the most wins of any Cardinals team since 1944, and the first Cardinal team to win 100 or more games since 1985, and won the National League Central division by 13 games over the NL Wild-Card Champion Houston Astros. In the playoffs the Cardinals defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 3 games to 1 in the NLDS and the Astros 4 games to 3 in the NLCS to reach their first World Series since 1987. In the World Series the Cardinals faced the Boston Red Sox and were swept 4 games to 0. It was the final World Series played at Busch Memorial Stadium. Because the American League had home-field advantage as a result of winning the All-Star Game, Busch Memorial Stadium was where the Curse of the Bambino died.

The 2005 Houston Astros season was the 44th season for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise in Houston, Texas. They qualified for the postseason for the second consecutive season and it was the sixth time they had done so in a span of nine seasons. Expectations had been raised since the Astros had come one win away from a pennant the previous year. However, they got to a sluggish 15–30 start. They then went on to win 74 of the next 117 games to claim the wild card playoff spot, and would go on to win the National League pennant to advance to the World Series for the first time in franchise history, which gave them the privilege of hosting the first World Series game in the state of Texas. However, they were swept by the Chicago White Sox in the World Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Mozeliak</span> American baseball executive

John Mozeliak is an American baseball executive who is the president of baseball operations of the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Never a professional baseball player, Mozeliak came to the Cardinals as Walt Jocketty's assistant in 1995 and became the organization's twelfth General Manager after the 2007 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Freese</span> American baseball player (born 1983)

David Richard Freese is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He began his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he was a key player during the 2011 postseason, batting .545 with 12 hits in the 2011 National League Championship Series (NLCS). He also set an MLB postseason record of 21 runs batted in (RBIs), earning the NLCS MVP Award and World Series MVP Award. In addition, Freese won the Babe Ruth Award, naming him the MVP of the 2011 MLB postseason. He also played for the Los Angeles Angels, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Los Angeles Dodgers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 St. Louis Cardinals season</span> Major League Baseball season

The St. Louis Cardinals' 2010 season was the 129th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri and the 119th season in the National League. The Cardinals began their season on the road against the Cincinnati Reds on April 5. St. Louis was coming off a 91–71 (.562) season and first place in the NL Central, followed by a quick playoff exit when they were swept in the NLDS versus Los Angeles. In 2010, however, the Cardinals fell back to the same record of 2008 (86–76), finishing second in the NL Central to the Reds by five games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 World Series</span> Major League Baseball championship

The 2011 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2011 season. The 107th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Texas Rangers and the National League (NL) champion St. Louis Cardinals; the Cardinals defeated the Rangers in seven games to win their 11th World Series championship and their second in six seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 St. Louis Cardinals season</span> Major League Baseball season

The St. Louis Cardinals' 2011 season was the team's 130th season in St. Louis, Missouri, its 120th season in the National League, and its sixth season at Busch Stadium III. The Cardinals began their season at home against the San Diego Padres on March 31, following an 86–76 (.531) record and second-place finish in the NL Central in 2010. The team returned to postseason play in 2011 as the Wild Card team, after finishing second in the NL Central to the Milwaukee Brewers by six games. The Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Phillies in five games in the Division Series and the Milwaukee Brewers in six games in the National League Championship Series. They defeated the Texas Rangers in the 2011 World Series in seven games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 National League Championship Series</span>

The 2011 National League Championship Series was a best-of-seven playoff pitting the winners of the 2011 National League Division Series, the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers, against each other for the National League championship and the right to be the league's representative in the 2011 World Series. The series was the 42nd NLCS in league history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 National League Division Series</span> Review of the series

The 2011 National League Division Series were two best-of-five playoffs comprising the opening round of the Major League Baseball postseason, played to determine the participating teams in the 2011 National League Championship Series. Three divisional winners and a fourth team—a wild card—played in two series. TBS televised all games in the United States. The regular season finished on September 28, with the National League playoffs beginning October 1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 St. Louis Cardinals season</span> Major League Baseball season

The St. Louis Cardinals 2012 season was the 131st season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri, the 121st season in the National League, and the seventh at Busch Stadium III. The Cardinals made their 25th trip to the postseason in 2012 after taking the NL Wild Card title by one game over the Atlanta Braves on the last day of the regular season in 2011. They began the 2012 season away against the Miami Marlins on April 4. St. Louis was coming off a 90–72 (.556) season, a second-place finish in the NL Central, the aforementioned wild card berth, and their National League-leading 11th World Series championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 National League Division Series</span>

The 2012 National League Division Series were two best-of-five-game series to determine the participating teams in the 2012 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners and a fourth team—the winner of a one-game Wild Card playoff—played in two separate series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 National League Championship Series</span>

The 2012 National League Championship Series was a best-of-seven playoff pitting the San Francisco Giants against the St. Louis Cardinals for the National League pennant and the right to play in the 2012 World Series. The series, the 43rd NLCS in league history, began Sunday, October 14, and ended Monday, October 22, with Fox airing all games in the United States. In shades of the 1996 NLCS, a series where the Cardinals blew a 3–1 series lead where they were outscored 32–1 over the final three games, the Giants came back from a 3–1 deficit and outscored the Cardinals, 20–1, over the final three games to win the series, 4–3.

The St. Louis Cardinals, a professional baseball franchise based in St. Louis, Missouri, compete in the National League (NL) of Major League Baseball (MLB). Brewing magnate Gussie Busch's 37-year-long ownership of the club ended with his death in 1989, and his brewery, Anheuser-Busch (AB) took over. In 1995, an investment group led by Drew Baur and William DeWitt, Jr., purchased the team and have owned the club since. Shortstop Ozzie Smith – nicknamed "The Wizard" – collected a staggering array of defensive records and awards while performing acrobatic spectacles such as somersaults and flips that mesmerized Cardinal and non-Cardinal fans alike. In 1998, Mark McGwire and the Chicago Cubs' Sammy Sosa collocated national attention with their chase of Roger Maris' single-season home run record of 61. In addition, McGwire also set numerous team home run records. For the 1990s, the Cardinals captured one division title and finished above .500 five times for a .488 winning percentage

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 National League Division Series</span>

The 2013 National League Division Series were two best-of-five-game series to determine the baseball teams to participate in the 2013 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners and a fourth team — the winner of a one-game Wild Card playoff — played in two series. TBS carried most of the games, with some on MLB Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 National League Championship Series</span>

The 2013 National League Championship Series, the 44th NLCS, was a best-of-seven playoff pitting the St. Louis Cardinals against the Los Angeles Dodgers for Major League Baseball's National League pennant. The Cardinals beat the Dodgers in six games.

The 2022 National League Wild Card Series were two best-of-three playoff series in Major League Baseball (MLB) to determine the participating teams of the 2022 National League Division Series. Both Wild Card Series began on October 7, with Game 2s scheduled for October 8 and Game 3s, if necessary, scheduled for October 9. ESPN broadcast both Wild Card Series together with ESPN Radio.

References

  1. ↑ DiComo, Anthony (October 28, 2011). "'Unbelievable' Game 6 ranks among the best". MLB.com. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  2. 1 2 Strauss, Joe (February 25, 2011). "Freese uncertain for exhibition opener". Stltoday.com. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
  3. ↑ Wilhelm, David (October 13, 2011). "Freese earning rave reviews for postseason performance — St. Louis Cardinals". Belleville News-Democrat . Retrieved October 22, 2011. 'I've been a top-hand guy my whole life, basically,' the right-handed-hitting Freese said. 'I rarely use strength in my left hand, which is what you really can do damage with. So that's what I'm working on—trying to use my left arm as strength.'[ permanent dead link ]
  4. ↑ Carpenter, Les (October 11, 2011). "Mark McGwire's Quiet Comeback". ThePostGame. Yahoo! Sports . Retrieved October 22, 2011.
  5. ↑ "Wild Card Standings | MLB.com: Standings". Mlb.mlb.com. 2011-08-24. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
  6. ↑ "Wild Card Standings | MLB.com: Standings". Mlb.mlb.com. September 29, 2011. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
  7. ↑ Miklasz, Bernie (2011-10-29). "Cardinals win like never before". St Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
  8. ↑ "Braves, Cardinals fight for NL Wild Card – Stats & Info Blog – ESPN". Espn.go.com. 2005-09-03. Retrieved 2012-12-13.
  9. ↑ "David Freese's 4 RBIs help Cardinals even series with Phillies". ESPN.com. Associated Press. October 5, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2011. David Freese, shut down by Phillies aces the first three games, became a hometown star ....
  10. ↑ "Cards, Phillies make history with 1–0 Game 5". Mlb.mlb.com. 2011-10-08. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
  11. ↑ Gardner, Charles F. (October 16, 2011). "Freese wins NLCS MVP award". JSOnline. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel . Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  12. ↑ Langosch, Jenifer (October 23, 2011). "Freese held hitless, ending club-record streak: Third baseman records knocks in 13 straight playoff games". MLB.com. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  13. ↑ Strauss, Joe (Oct 22, 2011). "Pujols puts on historic display of power". St. Louis Post-Dispatch . Retrieved Aug 5, 2011.
  14. ↑ Leach, Matthew (Oct 23, 2011). "Mr. Octo'bert: Pujols' 3 HRs answer critics". Cardinals.MLB.com . Retrieved Aug 5, 2011.
  15. ↑ Miklasz, Bernie (Oct 23, 2011). "Bernie: Pujols' performance is one for the ages". St. Louis Post-Dispatch . Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Blog: Freese homer lifts Cardinals to victory in 11 innings". Content.usatoday.com. October 28, 2011. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  17. ↑ "All-time and Single-Season Postseason Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. January 1, 2009. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  18. ↑ Wojciechowski, Gene (October 28, 2011). "2011 World Series: Game 6 defines what baseball history looks like". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
  19. ↑ Sheinin, Dave (October 28, 2011). "2011 World Series Game 6: St. Louis Cardinals beat Texas Rangers, force Game 7 on David Freese homer in 11th". Washington Post . Archived from the original on June 20, 2013. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Freese powers Cardinals past Rangers". FOXSports.com . Associated Press. October 28, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2011. It was as great a game as the sport has ever witnessed, rivaling the Carlton Fisk homer in Game 6 of the 1975 Series and Bill Buckner's error in Game 6 of the 1986 Series. … This was just the third time that a team one out from elimination in the World Series came back to win the game, according to STATS LLC. … Freese had already written himself into St. Louis lore with [the] tying … triple.
  21. ↑ Verducci, Tom (February 13, 2012). "The New Man In St. Louis: Nobody, least of all David Freese, saw this coming: The World Series MVP is a hero in his hometown—and, after the departure of Albert Pujols, the Cardinals' cornerstone". Sports Illustrated . SI.com. Retrieved 2012-03-17. One of the greatest months of postseason hitting was complete …
  22. ↑ "Freese powers Cardinals past Rangers". FOXSports.com. Associated Press. October 28, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2011. It was as great a game as the sport has ever witnessed, rivaling the Carlton Fisk homer in Game 6 of the 1975 Series and Bill Buckner's error in Game 6 of the 1986 Series. … This was just the third time that a team one out from elimination in the World Series came back to win the game, according to STATS LLC. … Freese had already written himself into St. Louis lore with [the] tying … triple.
  23. ↑ In Game 6 of the World Series, Freese posted the best "win probability added" (WPA) in MLB postseason history, with a 0.969. "David Freese: now THAT was the best World Series performance in history". Baseball-Reference.com. October 28, 2011. Retrieved October 30, 2011.
  24. 1 2 Verducci, Tom (February 13, 2012). "The New Man In St. Louis: Nobody, least of all David Freese, saw this coming: The World Series MVP is a hero in his hometown—and, after the departure of Albert Pujols, the Cardinals' cornerstone". Sports Illustrated. SI.com. Retrieved March 17, 2012. One of the greatest months of postseason hitting was complete …
  25. ↑ "Fan happy to return ball to Cardinals". ESPN. Associated Press. October 30, 2011. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  26. ↑ Roberts, Mark (October 28, 2011). "Super Fan Gives The Home Run Ball Back". WFGR. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  27. ↑ "David Freese: now THAT was the best World Series performance in history". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. October 28, 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-30.
  28. ↑ "David Freese sets postseason RBI record, wins World Series MVP — MLB — Sporting News". Aol.sportingnews.com. October 28, 2011. Archived from the original on July 1, 2012. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
  29. ↑ See also: Run batted in#Postseason (single season).
  30. ↑ "Cardinals complete improbable run, win 11th World Series title". ESPN. Associated Press. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
  31. ↑ "Hometown boy David Freese wins MVP". ESPN. Associated Press. October 29, 2011. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
  32. ↑ "Freese sets postseason RBI record, named MVP". Sports Illustrated. Associated Press. October 28, 2011. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
  33. ↑ Goold, Derrick (November 7, 2011). "Freese to receive Babe Ruth Award as postseason MVP". St. Louis Post-Dispatch . Retrieved November 8, 2011.
  34. ↑ Jenkins, Bruce (October 12, 2012). "Cardinals carry on winning tradition". San Francisco Chronicle . Retrieved November 5, 2012.
  35. ↑ "Cardinals to retire Tony La Russa's No. 10 jersey". USATODAY.com (AP). May 1, 2012. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
  36. ↑ Goold, Derrick (October 31, 2011). "Pujols hits free agent market for first time". St. Louis Post-Dispatch . Retrieved October 19, 2013.
  37. ↑ Levine, Zachary (December 8, 2011). "Astros hire Cards' Luhnow as GM". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved October 19, 2013.
  38. ↑ Strauss, Joe (December 8, 2011). "Pujols signs with Angels: 10 years, $254 million". St. Louis Post-Dispatch . Retrieved October 10, 2013.
  39. ↑ McTaggert, Brian (Dec 16, 2011). "Cards named Organization of the Year: Club takes home prestigious award from Baseball America". www.stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com . Retrieved December 16, 2011. The Cardinals' Minor League system ranked fourth overall with a .530 winning percentage (401–355), and Double-A Springfield first baseman Matt Adams was named Texas League Player of the Year. Adams and pitcher Shelby Miller were named the Cardinals' Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively.
  40. ↑ Noles, Corey (February 25, 2013). "3 reasons the St. Louis Cardinals have had so much homegrown success". Bleacher Report .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.