Cardinals 10, Rangers 9: David Freese Walks Off One of the Best. Games. Ever.

by Jesse on Oct 28, 2011 1:00 AM EDT in Game Threads

ST LOUIS, MO - OCTOBER 27: David Freese #23 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits a walk off solo home run in the 11th inning to win Game Six of the MLB World Series against the Texas Rangers at Busch Stadium on October 27, 2011 in St Louis, Missouri. The Cardinals won 10-9. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

I simply cannot put into words how amazing this game was. A run by the Rangers in the first before the Cardinals answer with two in the bottom half, but the Rangers tied it in the top of the seventh and never trailed again.

Until David Freese hit one over the fence in dead center field. Game over. Bring on Game 7.

Errors early in the game. The Cardinals clawing their way back to within one. Blown scoring chances. Mike Napoli twisting his ankle sliding into second base, then throwing, from his knees, Matt Holliday out at third base. A pair of solo home runs from Adrian Beltre and Nelson Cruz during a three-run inning for Texas that looked to put the game on ice. Two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the ninth before Freese triples into the corner to tie it up. Josh Hamilton's two-run homer in the tenth. Albert Pujols doubling in the tenth to kick off a rally, and then Lance Berkman's single with two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the frame to tie it up again.

And Freese. Leading off the eleventh after his team had been left for dead no less than three times in the game, working a full count, and then taking Mark Lowe deep.

I'm exhausted. This game was just. So. Amazing.

Go crazy, folks. Go crazy. (Is what Joe Buck said instead of what he did say.)

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I don't really care who won anymore

Joe Buck botching that call pisses me off..completely ruined the greatest call in Twins history.

by TonyO on Oct 28, 2011 1:02 AM EDT reply actions

I've heard

a few different people saying what he should have done. Which is fair enough.

On some level I understand the homage to his father. I can’t say I wouldn’t want to do the same thing. But it’s a sacred call in the history of baseball, and above anything else history is part of what makes baseball so special. Simply saying “As my father said…” before he quoted him would have made it better.

by Jesse on Oct 28, 2011 1:08 AM EDT up reply actions

I'm trying to think objectively about this

Last season there was a talk of whether or not they’d re-use “The Giants win the pennant!” and San Franciscans were generally in favor of using it. The difference… it’s the same team’s legacy on that call. The problem in this case, is that he’s taking something that is sacred in Twins land and applying it to the Cardinals — the Cardinals, the enemy in ‘87. It might be a Buck family tradition, but it’s our legend he’s trying to share with someone else. Make your own magic, Joe!

by ColossusOfRhode on Oct 28, 2011 1:18 AM EDT up reply actions

Oh, yeah, and the fact that he deadpanned it as archie2227 said below is also part of the problem

Show a little excitement, why don’t you!

by ColossusOfRhode on Oct 28, 2011 1:19 AM EDT up reply actions

not to mention he had to stop half way through and think about what to say...

by TonyO on Oct 28, 2011 1:22 AM EDT up reply actions

I think he was just waiting for the ball to land.

But that doesn’t make it any easier to digest.

by Jesse on Oct 28, 2011 1:23 AM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, to be fair, I sort of remember his father pausing slightly midway too

by ColossusOfRhode on Oct 28, 2011 1:24 AM EDT up reply actions

That's because

He did. Watched a video on Yahoo that compares the two and they are almost identical in the pause.

by TC Mooch on Oct 28, 2011 8:30 AM EDT up reply actions

Found that video

The swap the audio which just confirms which is the copy and which is the original. But like I said below, the original is so ingrained in my head, that anything else just sounds wrong.

http://vimeo.com/31245245

by ColossusOfRhode on Oct 28, 2011 2:17 PM EDT up reply actions

EXACTLY Jesse

when Freese hit that shot, i was thiniking the same think…..As my late father before me…..“And We’ll see you tommorrow night” .

would be perfectly appropriate.

by SteveHoffmanSlowey on Oct 28, 2011 5:30 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't mean to sound like a grinch, but...

…it wasn’t that good of a game. The bad defence and bad management ruined it for me.

by funnytrain on Oct 28, 2011 1:03 AM EDT reply actions

Seriously????

Just because it wasn’t picture perfect baseball, doesn’t mean it wasn’t one of the greatest World Series games of all time.

by Jesse on Oct 28, 2011 1:05 AM EDT up reply actions

Really!

I thought it was just ugly to watch Ron Washington immolate himself, as Keith Law described it. If it weren’t an elimination game, I don’t think that a lot of people would call this a particularly great game.

by funnytrain on Oct 28, 2011 1:08 AM EDT up reply actions

But it was an elimination game.

And that drama is what made it so great. Not the mis-management.

It’s like someone you love. You don’t love them because of their foibles, you love them in spite of their foibles. Wash and TLR both made mistakes tonight, but that didn’t stop this from being a game that kept me on the edge of my seat for at least the last hour.

by Jesse on Oct 28, 2011 1:10 AM EDT up reply actions

I'd put it with game 163 in 2009.

Not with Game 6 1991.

As I said in the game thread, there was no Kirby doing a Lebron-style vert and then hitting a walk off.

by spanspanspan on Oct 28, 2011 2:37 AM EDT up reply actions

All right, now that you've said this twice...

Kirby can’t have been doing a Lebron-style vert because Kirby pre-dates Lebron. Lebron does a Kirby style vert.

by ColossusOfRhode on Oct 28, 2011 3:35 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Good point.

by spanspanspan on Oct 28, 2011 4:48 AM EDT up reply actions

Best games ever? HELL NO.

Most dramatic ever? Certainly.

Let loose the hogs of war!
Dogs of war..
Whatever farm animal of war, Lana...

by darren004 on Oct 28, 2011 10:44 AM EDT up reply actions

OR at least certainly up there with game 7 in '91 and those Yankee/DBack games in 2001.

Let loose the hogs of war!
Dogs of war..
Whatever farm animal of war, Lana...

by darren004 on Oct 28, 2011 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions

I'm just exhausted...

…every time you thought the Rangers had it in the bag, the Cardinals drew it back in. Game saving hits with two outs and two strikes, twice. Great plays by others, quite simply because of that poor management.

I loved it!

by Jesse on Oct 28, 2011 1:07 AM EDT up reply actions

+1 to this

From a sports-as-a-narrative perspective, this game had it all. Except for Kirby Puckett… that game still wins.

by ColossusOfRhode on Oct 28, 2011 1:09 AM EDT up reply actions

True

I doubt game six of the 1991 World Series had a lot of errors.

I'm a proud fan of the Minnesota Twins and Dallas Cowboys!
"Life is precious and time is a key element. Let’s make every moment count and help those who have a greater need than our own." – Harmon Killebrew
Champagne SuperTolbert Saves the day!!!

by Jessy S on Oct 28, 2011 1:10 AM EDT up reply actions

Braves had one.

by Jesse on Oct 28, 2011 1:11 AM EDT up reply actions

It was an absolute blast to watch

but that doesn’t make it the best game ever.

by archie2227 on Oct 28, 2011 1:12 AM EDT up reply actions

It was one of the best games ever.

It doesn’t touch game 7 of ’91. But when it comes to elimination games in a World Series, this is definitely one of the better games on the list.

by Jesse on Oct 28, 2011 1:14 AM EDT up reply actions

Alright

With the ‘one of’ qualify I’m on board. Probably more mad about Joe Buck’s deadpan than anything.

by archie2227 on Oct 28, 2011 1:18 AM EDT up reply actions

Absolutely.

I’d never say it was THE best game ever.

And yeah, still not happy about the Joe Buck call.

by Jesse on Oct 28, 2011 1:20 AM EDT up reply actions

Damn

after a second look it wasn’t even as deadpanned as I originally thought. IRRATIONAL DISLIKE STILL WINS OUT.

by archie2227 on Oct 28, 2011 1:46 AM EDT up reply actions

To compare for yourselves

1991
2011

by archie2227 on Oct 28, 2011 1:49 AM EDT up reply actions

Having listened to them back to back now

Jack’s call sounds truly off the cuff and brilliant and excited and… yeah, I can’t be unbiased on that one. Excuse me, my contacts need adjusting.

By contrast, Joe’s call sounds like William Shatner reciting a line.

by ColossusOfRhode on Oct 28, 2011 2:01 AM EDT up reply actions

And we'll... see you... tomorrow...night!

by spanspanspan on Oct 28, 2011 2:47 AM EDT up reply actions

I thought about this again

Joe sounds like Shatner because Jack’s cadence is so burned in my brain and Joe is doing it wrong.

I concede that I cannot be unbiased on either of these.

by ColossusOfRhode on Oct 28, 2011 3:38 AM EDT up reply actions

Best games ever

don’t feature that defense. It was exciting, but the defense played like Game 53 Twins v Royals.

by archie2227 on Oct 28, 2011 1:03 AM EDT reply actions

putting the Joe Buck thing aside. my thought on the ending is kinda spoiled

I really think Nelson Cruz dogged it on that triple by Freese. It was almost Buckner like.

by TonyO on Oct 28, 2011 1:18 AM EDT reply actions

I'll have to watch that again.

Without the replay, I did wonder if he could have made the catch if he’d judged the ball/fence better.

by Jesse on Oct 28, 2011 1:20 AM EDT up reply actions

For sure.

The guy is a major league outfielder not named Delmon. He was playing back, so I think he had the impression that he was closer to the wall.

I don’t know much about Cruz, but I remember him douching it up vs. the Twins one night, so I got a special chuckle out of that misplay.

by fastfred on Oct 28, 2011 9:33 AM EDT up reply actions

"Dogging it"

That implies a lack of hustle. He didn’t fail to hustle – he just misjudged the ball (and quite badly).

"There are only two things that are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein

by BeefMaster on Oct 28, 2011 10:28 AM EDT up reply actions

Making it even better..Buck used more emotion when he called Randy Moss mooning the Lambeau Field crowd...wow

by TonyO on Oct 28, 2011 1:27 AM EDT reply actions

This game isn't even close to Game 6 in 1991

But I thought it was an exciting game anyway!

"Don't take life for granted, because tomorrow isn't promised to any one of us." -Kirby Puckett
"Millar nice shirt lol my god awesome lol only u can do that lol" -Ozzie Guillen

by less cowbell, more 'neau on Oct 28, 2011 1:29 AM EDT reply actions

The Onion's take on the game

Link

"Don't take life for granted, because tomorrow isn't promised to any one of us." -Kirby Puckett
"Millar nice shirt lol my god awesome lol only u can do that lol" -Ozzie Guillen

by less cowbell, more 'neau on Oct 28, 2011 1:39 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs

According to some on LSB

Fox4 sent out text messages saying the Rangers had won. They seem pretty riled up over there about the outcome in general though.

"Don't take life for granted, because tomorrow isn't promised to any one of us." -Kirby Puckett
"Millar nice shirt lol my god awesome lol only u can do that lol" -Ozzie Guillen

by less cowbell, more 'neau on Oct 28, 2011 2:00 AM EDT reply actions

ya think?

They seem pretty riled up over there about the outcome

by pdx_twins_fan on Oct 28, 2011 2:52 AM EDT up reply actions

One of the best games ever

Bar none. I am still exhausted from it…and I’m not super invested in either team. This game was just unreal. I even thought it was an all-time great BEFORE the two-strike rallies. Words fail me.

When I was a kid, I would cover a blue futon with a white blanket, prop it up with a fan set on high, and pretend it was the Metrodome. That should tell you a lot.

by MarshalltheIrish on Oct 28, 2011 3:22 AM EDT reply actions

One of the best World Series games ever

I wouldn’t expect a bunch of Twins fans (myself included) to rank it along side Game 6 of the 91 series but as a baseball fan…you have to admit this was ONE OF the best World Series games played. The series as a whole is one of the best as well at least in the last 20 years. I can’t remember being this excited to see two teams in the series I didnt have a rooting interest for since the 2001 Diamondbacks/Yankees series in which I always root for the “Team that isn’t the Yankees”.

by TC Mooch on Oct 28, 2011 8:35 AM EDT reply actions

puckett should have been mvp of 91 ws.

blackjack was 2-1 in the ws puck was in all 7 games and doing it doing it and doing it well.pregame 6 puck saying hop on my back and then delivering. blows this game 6 away. puck did it on both sides batting and fielding . that chubby guy with the big grin so sad hes gone . we believe ! to any kid thats a cards fan though would say this game six was the best but thats how baseball works everyone has valid reason for saying this one that one due to our love of our teams.

by skol viking on Oct 28, 2011 10:03 AM EDT up reply actions

I thought Puck was pretty quiet in the series pre-game 6...

by Purpledork on Oct 28, 2011 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions

He had a HR in game 3 too

"Don't take life for granted, because tomorrow isn't promised to any one of us." -Kirby Puckett
"Millar nice shirt lol my god awesome lol only u can do that lol" -Ozzie Guillen

by less cowbell, more 'neau on Oct 28, 2011 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions

A complete game 10 inning shut out in Game 7 is kind of a big deal too.

"Don't take life for granted, because tomorrow isn't promised to any one of us." -Kirby Puckett
"Millar nice shirt lol my god awesome lol only u can do that lol" -Ozzie Guillen

by less cowbell, more 'neau on Oct 28, 2011 10:48 AM EDT up reply actions

And something very unlikely to happen again

by twinscrazy_german on Oct 28, 2011 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions

I think it's a fairly common thought that if you switch the order of game 6 and game 7, Puckett wins MVP

Kirby was the man, but Black Jack was clutch as hell.

by ColossusOfRhode on Oct 28, 2011 1:08 PM EDT up reply actions

This is what baseball is all about!

I wouldn’t call it one of the greatest games because of the sloppy play, but it was one of the most exciting!

And Joe Buck should be ashamed of himself. Let’s use one of HIS famous calls against him -

“That’s the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen.”

The other teams could make trouble for us if they win. — Yogi Berra

by Twnzfan on Oct 28, 2011 10:19 AM EDT reply actions

It appears I am in the minority here

I thought Buck’s homage to his father was really cool – seriously, what are the odds that he would get to call a game with the same ending in the same situation? Yeah, he worded it slightly differently… big deal. It was a great game, and I thought the call fit perfectly.

"There are only two things that are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein

by BeefMaster on Oct 28, 2011 10:31 AM EDT reply actions

Like I said over on DN

One of the biggest problems is that it cheapens Freese’s moment. Now he’ll never have his unique “And we’ll see you tomorrow night”-esque call that causes you to recall that moment in time instantly.

The sad thing is is that Buck had to have been thinking about how he’d call certain situations at the end of the game. That means he planned this ahead and thought it was a great idea. Stupid call, Joe. Stupid call.

by Purpledork on Oct 28, 2011 10:44 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

This is assuming

That an original call would have been worth remembering at all.

by TC Mooch on Oct 28, 2011 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions

Exactly

Do you remember what they said when Jeter homered to win a Series game in ‘01? Do you remember what they said when Joe Carter ended the Series with a homer? I certainly don’t. But I remember “And we’ll see you tomorrow night!”, and I’ll remember “We will see you tomorrow night”.

If anyone can get away with a homage to Jack Buck, it should be Joe Buck.

"There are only two things that are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein

by BeefMaster on Oct 28, 2011 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions