This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Oct. 29, 2011 - St. Louis exhaled. Then it cheered. Its never-say-die Cardinals had completed what once seemed improbable, if not impossible.
Given the power of the Texas Ranger lineup, the 6-2 lead never seemed comfortable. But it turned out to be more than enough.
St. Louis native David Freese continued clutch hitting and was rewarded by being named the Series MVP.
Pitcher Chris Carpenter proved that he could channel his talent to work on short rest and earn a victory.
Manager Tony La Russa once again shuffled the deck in the bullpen and the relievers -- Arthur Rhodes, Octavio Dotel, Lance Lynn, Jason Motte -- did their job.
The game is won by the men on the field -- and the brains in the dugout -- but the celebration is the city's. Electronic banners at Busch have long proclaimed it to be baseball heaven. And this year, this post-season, this night, it was.
Prior to the game, the Beacon reached out to readers, including sources in the Public Insight Network, and asked them to comment on the season and the future. Here is what they had to say:
Tom and Fran Horace of Dardenne Prairie said this was the most exciting World Series they have experienced: "And we have watched them all for the 46 years we have been married! Reminds us of the 1934 Gas House Gang (country in a depression). Chris Carpenter personified Dizzy and Paul Dean, David Freese equates to Pepper Martin, Alan Craig hit homers like Joe Medwick, Rafael Furcal played like Frankie Frisch. It was truly the Gas House Gang all over again -- it lifted up the country, especially St. Louis!
Connie Wagner of Maryville, Ill.: "The last series win was right after my mother died in 2006. She is the reason I'm in nursing school. What an amazing night. Feeling so much love tonight. Couldn't be happier. Thank you my Cardinals. You are the best!"
Dick Elicker, 80, of north St. Louis County: "The late season and postseason effort shows what can happen when a person becomes serious about any endeavor. I believe the team was not really dedicated to winning each game before they had the players-only meeting in August. Subsequent to that, each man took it upon himself to play to the best of his ability, and the result was the string of wins that put them into the championship series. During the run to the pennant, they truly began to believe in themselves and what could be accomplished with a serious effort."
Regarding Albert Pujols: "I think that Albert is more than a good batsman. He has demonstrated a very human side of himself and shown a tribute to some higher power in his actions and interviews without being overtly religious. He is already a wealthy man and I don't believe that money, per se, is his top consideration. The St. Louis fan base, the community and the Cardinal baseball organization are important to him. He would have to start over in some other organization and city."
Regarding Tony La Russa: "Tony should stay. With Tony, you also get a proven coaching team, in Dave Duncan and other coaches. They have been with him for a long time and traveled with him from team to team. Lose Tony, you probably will also lose much of the remaining coaching staff and thus will have to start from scratch. Not a good thing."
Roger Power, 68, of St. Louis' Soulard neighborhood: "Sports require discipline. An athlete or a team needs as much dedication to a goal as raw physical talent. The Cardinals have caught a wave since late August and are navigating their way along the troughs and dips. They have exhibited fortitude, but have been entirely wanting in timely hitting. Yet, they're still alive."
Regarding La Russa: "Time for a change at the top."
Anne Miller, of Fenton: Regarding Pujols: "We should not pay more for Pujols over 10 years; maybe two to three years. He's on the downside of his career at his age."
Regarding La Russa: "I think he should stay, but feel he's going to announce his retirement."
Carla Baranauckas, of Weehawken, N.J., wrote that in 1987 she attended World Series games both at home and away. "I was in Minneapolis to see Game 7, when the Twins won. This year I watched on TV from New Jersey."
"What a team! What a ride!" she wrote a the Cardinal's post-season performance.
Regarding Pujols: "The Cardinals should do whatever they can to keep him in St. Louis. He's an outstanding player, and more important, he's an outstanding human being."
Regarding La Russa: "La Russa should stay. I mean, what more could he have done this season? Perhaps speak more clearly on the phone to the bullpen?"
"I'm a former season ticket holder and the Cardinals are my No. 1 National League team, Barnauckas wrote. "The only team I favor over the Cardinals is the Minnesota Twins. 1987 was my favorite year!"
Elia Powers, former Beacon staffer: "Living now on the East Coast, the punditry seems to forget there's a World Series going on unless it involves the Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies or Mets. But I'm here to tell you that this is the most memorable series in a generation. What an amazing comeback this season. Wish I was there to help celebrate. Go Cards!!!"
Puneet Kollipara, a Cleveland Indian fan and former Beacon intern who began following the Cardinals as a Washington University student: "For Game 7, I joined a number of St. Louisans at a pub in D.C., where I saw Chris Carpenter pitch the Cards to their 11th World Series title on three days rest. When Allen Craig squeezed his glove for the last out, all the Redbird fans in the house went crazy. For an hour, I felt like I was best friends with dozens of people I had never met. That's what Redbird baseball can do.
"The Cardinals had done it. I wish I were still in St. Louis to witness the celebrations, but nonetheless technology and TV enabled me to witness the dramatic comeback of this team against what some considered to be 1,000-to-1 odds. This may go down as the most memorable and exciting playoff runs and World Series I've witnessed in my (admittedly brief) life.
¨I do feel for the Rangers, who fought hard for their first-ever World Series title. They were one strike away twice, after all. Their fans are hungry for their first title, and I can't imagine how they must have felt after Game 6 (and after Game 7, knowing what happened in Game 6). But the Cardinals deserve so much credit for not giving up. Congrats Cards, and hope to see you back in the playoffs again next year!"
This article contains information gathered with the help of the Public Insight Network.