It will forever be impossible to talk about the St. Louis Cardinals' 2011 World Series Championship without invoking the name of Cardinals 3B and World Series MVP David Freese. Sure Albert Pujols and his impending free agency is a big deal in the long-term, but Freese owns this moment and this World Series forever.
His performance in a Game 6 comeback against the Texas Rangers was particularly sweet. In that game alone he smashed a two-out, two-run extra-base hit in the bottom of the ninth inning to save the Cardinals from elimination, and then won the game with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning. For the entire series, Freese hit .348 with seven RBIs and five extra-base hits, including that magical walk-off home run from Game 6. For the entire postseason he drove in an astounding 21 runs, which is a new record for a single player in a single postseason.
In other words, awarding Freese the title of 2011 World Series MVP was an absolute no-brainer. Here's what the man himself had to say:
"I've had plenty of days of my life where I thought I wouldn't be even close to being a big leaguer. I'm here because of everybody around me. They've put so much trust in me to accomplish not only baseball but just stuff in life, and to do this is - I'm just full of joy, finally." Via CBS.
Perhaps MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said it best as he presented the MVP trophy to Freese. "Your Game 6 performance, David, will turn out to be one for the ages. I'm sure this is a dream come true for a St. Louis native." The celebration of Freese and the 2011 World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals continues today with their victory parade through the city of St. Louis.
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