Freese Frame!

I was wrong. I admit it. I truly thought that the Texas Rangers were the superior team going into this series. On paper, certainly I was correct. The problem with that theory was, you can't measure heart, determination and momentum in quantifiable sums on paper. The 2011 St. Louis Cardinals had all three in their corner, and it showed.

Game 7 lived up to the hype set forth by Game 6, a game many are calling the greatest World Series game ever played. It was hard to argue. The Rangers were one pitch away not once, but twice, from winning the grand prize, only to let it slip away in an extra inning gem as played by the Cardinals. That brought forth a seventh game that started eerily similar to game 6.

In the top of the first, Ian Kinsler singled off of Chris Carpenter and it seemed as though Texas was about to begin another offensive show early on. That was when I saw one of the finer catching plays in recent memory made by Yadier Molina. While Carpenter was dealing to Elvis Andrus, Molina caught Kinsler sleeping at first and made a snap thrown down to Albert Pujols. Kinsler was sent back to the dugout.

Though Carpenter would go on to give up 2 runs in that first inning, again, eerily similar to game 6, he would not give up another run in his next five innings of service. In fact, he would only surrender 1 more hit, completely shutting down the Texas Ranger offense that has been so powerful throughout the season. Carpenter looked like a man on a mission. It is worth mentioning that had game 6 not been rained out on Wednesday, Carpenter would not have started that game last night.

With the Cardinals down 2 runs going into the bottom of the first, it appeared as though they would be set down in order. Ryan Theriot grounded out to lead things off. Allen Craig then flied out for the second out of the inning. Then, things turned around. Albert Pujols drew a walk. So did Lance Berkman. That brought up the hometown hero. The "MAN" from game 6, David Freese.

He lived up to the hype again.

Freese doubled to left field, scoring both Pujols and Berkman. Game tied. Momentum starting to shift. The Cards would come out of the first inning no worse off than when the game started, all things being equal. Allan Craig would go on to hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 3rd inning that would prove to be the game winner. However, the Rangers still had heart, until they gave away the game in the bottom of the 5th, walking in a run with the bases loaded, followed up by hitting a batter with the bases loaded to give the Cardinals a 5-2 lead.

The eyeball test proved accurate at this point. You could see that the Cardinals had the "eye of the tiger" in them, while the Rangers looked to be a team defeated.

David Freese, the hometown boy, had come up big in Game 6 with 2 hits and 3 RBI's helping his team force game 7. He added his 2 run double in game 7 to even everything up early on and give the Cards a chance. But what Freese did extended beyond the paper numbers. His hits came in pressure packed situations. He came through for his team when they needed him the most. He proved that on a team with so many great players, Albert Pujols, Lance Berkman, Rafael Furcal - that the player with the most heart, grit, and determination often times proves to be the most valuable.

Congratulations to the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals. Well done.

Congratulations to David Freese, a player that exemplified Most Valuable Player throughout the entire post season.