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Congratulations to the St. Louis Cardinals, the 2011 World Series champions.
The storied franchise won its 11th championship and first since 2006 by beating the Texas Rangers, 6-2, in Game 7 Friday night in St. Louis.
St. Louis third baseman David Freese, who graduated from nearby Lafayette High School in Wildwood, Mo., was named the World Series Most Valuable Player after hitting .348 and driving in a postseason-record 21 runs.
During his senior season in high school, Freese was offered a scholarship to play baseball for the University of Missouri, but decided to quit because he felt burned out with baseball.
After taking some time off and realizing that he missed the game of baseball, Freese enrolled in St. Louis Community College–Meramec and later transferred to University of South Alabama.
In 2006, Freese was drafted in the ninth round by the San Diego Padres.
In 2008, he came over to the Cardinals in a trade that sent outfielder Jim Edmonds to San Diego.
Now, Freese is the hometown hero and World Series MVP.
The Cardinals won the title in dramatic fashion.
St. Louis was 10 1/2 game back for the National league Wild Card on Aug. 25, and ended up winning the NL Wild Card spot on the final day of the regular season.
The Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 3-2, in the National League Division Series, and then beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 4-2, in the National League Championship Series.
After splitting the first two games of the World Series, the Cardinals had a 16-run offensive outburst in Game 3. St. Louis first baseman Albert Pujols hit three home runs to join Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson for most home runs hit in a World Series game.
In Game 6 of the World Series, the Cardinals were the only team in postseason history to come back from two runs down in the ninth and 10th innings, and they were the first team to come back from a two-run deficit in the ninth inning or later.
Twice in Game 6 the Cardinals were down to their last strike only to come up with a clutch hit that tied the game on both occasion before Freese's walk-off homer won it in the 11th.
In Game 7, the Cardinals turned to their ace pitcher Chris Carpenter, who pitched on short rest. He went six innings allowing two earned runs while striking out five.
The Rangers were in the World Series for the second straight season losing last season to the San Francisco Giants.
The Rangers were established in 1961 as the Washington Senators. In 1972, they moved to Arlington and became the Texas Rangers. The Rangers are one of eight franchises to have never won the World Series.
The World Series went to a Game 7 for the first time since 2002. The 2011 postseason saw 38 of a possible 41 games.
The Cardinals can thank Brewers' first baseman Prince Fielder for their home-field advantage in the World Series because he hit the game-winning home run for the National League in the All-Star game, giving the NL team the home-field advantage in the World Series.
