2011 World Series Championship

Lore & Background

The Series was noted for its back-and-forth Game 6, in which the Cardinals erased a two-run deficit in the bottom of the 9th inning, then did it again in the 10th. In both innings, the Rangers were one strike away from their first World Series championship. The Cardinals won the game in the 11th inning on a walk-off home run by David Freese, who was named World Series MVP. The Rangers’ collapse in Game 6 has been cited as a manifestation of the Curse of Bob Short by Rangers fans and Dallas-Fort Worth media. The Series was also known for the blowout Game 3, in which Cardinals player Albert Pujols hit three home runs, a World Series feat previously accomplished only by Reggie Jackson and Babe Ruth, and subsequently by Pablo Sandoval in 2012. In 2020, ESPN named the 2011 World Series the fifth greatest of all time.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Busch Stadium was thick with anticipation on that late October night. The lights hummed overhead, casting long shadows across the diamond where two teams stood ready for history. David Freese stepped into the batter's box in the ninth inning of Game 7, his eyes fixed on the pitcher's mound. The crowd roared, a deafening wall of sound that seemed to shake the very foundations of the stadium. As the pitch crossed the plate, time seemed to slow; the crack of the bat echoed like thunder. A single ball rolled toward right field, and suddenly, chaos erupted. Confetti rained down as players embraced in the dirt, knowing they had just secured an eternal place in St. Louis lore.

Reader's Guide

The Series began on October 19, earlier than the previous season, so that no games would be played in November. The Cardinals enjoyed home-field advantage for the series because the NL won the 2011 All-Star Game 5–1 on July 12. The 2011 World Series was the first World Series to go all seven games since the 2002 Series, and the last one where Game 7 was won by the home team. As of the source, this is St. Louis’ last World Series victory.

Did You Know?

• The Cardinals erased a two-run deficit in the bottom of the 9th and again in the 10th of Game 6, with the Rangers one strike away from their first championship both times.
• David Freese hit a walk-off home run in the 11th inning of Game 6 and was named World Series MVP.
• Albert Pujols hit three home runs in Game 3, a feat previously accomplished only by Reggie Jackson and Babe Ruth.
• The 2011 World Series was the first to go all seven games since 2002, and the last where Game 7 was won by the home team.