Cards Came Up Short in '04, But Edmonds Proved Clutch in NLCS

Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa is usually unable to hide his raw emotions when the topic turns to the 20024 St. Louis Cardinals, a dominant team that won 105 games, featured the famed “MV3” of Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds, but failed to win the World Series when the Red Sox stormed past them.

While the 2004 World Series crown is still considered to be the one that got away by Cardinals fans, it was Edmonds who at least put the Cardinals in position to reach the championship round with one of the most dramatic home runs in the storied history of the franchise.

Some 22 years ago this week – Oct. 20, to be exact – Edmonds hit a two-run, game-winning homer in the 12th inning of Game 6 of the 2004 NLCS. That majestic blast off Dan Miceli not only caused Busch Stadium II to quake with noise, but it also set the stage for a Game 7 where the Cards beat Roger Clemens to reach the World Series.

In that Game 7, the Astros jumped to a 2-0 lead against Jeff Suppan, and it might have gotten even bigger had Edmonds not made a diving catch to blunt a Houston rally.

The Cards rallied for a run in the third inning and three more in the seventh to make Clemens the loser in the deciding game. Pujols tied the game with an RBI double, and Rolen gave the Cards the lead for good with a two-run blast off Clemens.

Cardinals’ Hall of Fame closer Jason Isringhausen closed out the game in the ninth inning and St. Louis won its first National League pennant since 1987.

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None of that would have been possible without the Game 6 exploits of Edmonds, who was so late in the first pitch of his at bat in the 12th inning, he fouled the pitch off over the Astros dugout. On the next pitch, Edmonds was more than ready for the letter-high fastball and sent it into the bleachers in right field.

Knowing the ball was long gone as soon as it left the barrel of his bat, Edmonds triumphantly raised both fists into the air in celebration and left them there until right before he touched first base. With the crowd roaring and throwing drinks and seat cushions into the air, Edmonds practically sprinted around the bases and didn’t look up until he rounded third and was heading for home where he was mobbed by teammates.

“I don’t even remember,” Edmonds said to Fox Sports’ Chris Meyers on the field after his walk-off blast. “It was fastball up and I was just trying to be shorts and quick and finally hit the barrel. After about two weeks of struggling, I’m just trying to put the ball in play, man.

“When you’re at home, you’ve always got the last at bat. And now we’ve got a Game 7.”

Thinking it would be the New York Yankees in the World Series if they survived Games 6 and 7, the Boston Red Sox instead pulled off a comeback for the ages. They became the first team in MLB history to rally back from 0-3 in the series and win in seven games.

Ultimately, the runaway Red Sox used the momentum built in the comeback to sweep the Cardinals, 4-0 in the World Series. Even though 11 World Series banners fly high above Busch Stadium, the one most painfully missing is the one the Cardinals thought they were destined to win in 2004 – especially after Edmonds’ epic 12th inning blast in Game 6 of the NLCS.