The 2006 St. Louis Cardinals brought the fanbase something it had not experienced since 1982. That October, the Cardinals won their 10th World Series title in franchise history led by some spectacular players who had a lot of big moments. Now, 20 years later, the team is reuniting for a big weekend at Busch Stadium to celebrate their success.
Plenty of moments defined just how magical that season was for the Cardinals and the city of St. Louis . David Eckstein was the World Series MVP while Jeff Suppan took home the honors for the NLCS. Albert Pujols , Scott Rolen, Jim Edmonds, Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina all had some unforgettable moments, as did some lesser known players.
Here are three things that defined the 2006 season for the Cardinals.
Sept 7, 2006; Phoenix, AZ, USA; St Louis Cardinals pitcher (36) Jeff Weaver against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-US Presswire Copyright Rick Scuteri | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
After Jeff Weaver posted a 6.29 ERA in the first half of the season, the Los Angeles Angels cut ties with him, but the Cardinals had interest and picked him up to fill a hole in their rotation. Still, his regular season numbers in St. Louis weren't anything to write home about. He went 5-4 in 15 starts with a 5.18 ERA after joining the team, but things began to click in the playoffs.
He pitched three gems in the NLDS and NLCS and also had put together a solid start in Game 2 of the World Series. But Game 5 was when he shined the most.
Due to a rainout, Games 4 and 5 were pushed back a day, and so, Weaver was able to start the clincher on full rest. Beyond any shadow of a doubt, Weaver pitched the game of his life in front of a sold out crowd at Busch Stadium, allowing just two runs over eight innings and striking out nine batters to set up Wainwright to close the series out.
May 3, 2008; St, Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Anthony Reyes (23) delivers a pitch in the eighth inning to a Chicago Cubs batter at Busch Stadium. Chicago defeated St. Louis 9-3. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Because the NLCS went the full seven games and the Cardinals had to use Carpenter and Suppan in the final two against the New York Mets , they were forced to start Anthony Reyes in Game 1 of the World Series. His opponent was none other than Justin Verlander .
As such, the Tigers were expected to pull away with Game 1 and finish off the Cardinals relatively quickly. But Reyes quickly set the tone, and not unlike Weaver in Game 5, pitched the game of his life, pitching into the ninth inning and easily outdueling Verlander to give the Cardinals a win in Game 1.
Oct 2, 2022; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina (4) and starting pitcher Adam Wainwright (50) fist bump as they walk in from the bullpen before their record breaking 328th career battery start in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports
In Game 7 of the NLCS, the Cardinals were tied with the New York Mets entering the top of the ninth inning. The Cardinals were up against a lot of momentum, especially as the underdog of the series, who had lost Game 6 and missed its first chance to clinch.
But the tide turned in the ninth inning when Molina took Aaron Heilman deep to put St. Louis ahead 3-1. However, while the Cardinals had momentarily quieted the crowd, they weren't out of the woods just yet. Now, it was Wainwright's turn to shine.
The collective blood pressure of Cardinal Nation was ratcheted up noticeably in the bottom of the ninth when Wainwright loaded the bases and had to deal with Carlos Beltran , who had terrorized the Cardinals in the postseason over the past several years, but would one day become a Cardinal in 2012.
With the count 0-2, Wainwright introduced the world to his signature curveball, and it buckled Beltran at the knees, freezing him for strike three to send St. Louis to the World Series. One week later, Wainwright and Molina shared another memorable moment when Wainwright struck out Brandon Inge to clinch the World Series at Busch Stadium.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/cardinals/onsi as 3 Moments that Defined 2006 Season for Cardinals as Club Reunites .
