I was at the Cardinals game on the last day of the '06 season. The end of Braves/Astros game was shown on the scoreboard between pitches, and Cardinals fans were doing the tomahawk chop. The Braves won, clinching the division for the Cardinals. A few innings later, the Cardinals lost and the fans began celebrating the division title. It was a strange experience.
2006 as painful as it was at times, is a special season for me. Three different seven game losing streaks, this one being the most stressful. I watched or listened to every inning that year. Watched a lot of those with my Grandfather who was having some health issues at the time. I lost count of the times we had to rush him to the ER and him spending 2-3 days in the hospital. I wanted this season so bad because I didn't know if we would have another one together. I was in college during this stretch and talked with him about everyday. I don't think Spiezio had made it to 3rd when I jumped on the phone to call him. That was our first championship together and sadly our last. Grandpa was alive for 2011 but dementia took so much from him, it wasn't the same. 2006 was ours. I have the Championship hat I gave him for Christmas on the top of my dresser. Always bring it out, set it next to the TV when we need luck.
I remember that season. Houston was really excited because they were closing in on the Cardinals and were like "we're going to catch them and pass them anyday now. I think they got within two games before the Cardinals were able to secure the division and clinch that last spot.
The 1964 Phillies had a 6.5 game lead with 12 left to play and then proceeded to lose 10 in a row and wound up tied for 2nd place with Cincinnati, one game behind St. Louis. Since this was back when only the champions of the two leagues met in the World Series (there were no division champions and no wild card teams), the Phillies were SOL.
They weren’t the weakest team in World Series history as the team was virtually unchanged from the last two seasons that won 100+ games both years, but the huge difference was that the stars that carried the Cardinals in 2004 and 2005 were hurt most of the year outside of Albert Pujols who was the only healthy star throughout the season. That is why the Cardinals limped into the playoffs with 83 wins and as all of their stars got healthy when the playoffs started, the Cardinals not surprisingly caught fire and finally got their World Series trophy that eluded them the two seasons prior.
Yep I'm a die hard cardinals fan and we should have never been in the playoffs that year. Never should have beat the Astros either. That said in 2004 Stl should have never been swept in the W.S. but they were. Baseball is crazy like that.
As a Cardinal fan that nightly watched the games in 2006....when the Cardinals bullpen suddenly become good in the post-season, we were all STUNNED and didn't understand where this was coming from because we SUFFERED a lot during the season losing too many games late. 2006 season was a wild ride for Cardinal fans after those excellent (but disappointing finishes) in 2004 and 2005.
The New York Mets went to the World Series in 1973 after having a regular season record of 83-78….the same record of the 2006 Cardinals, but nobody ever talks about how “weak” they were. I guess when you are from New York things like that don’t matter.
Sounds like sour grapes to me written by an Astros fan 😂 at least at this point in time, the Astros were a team you could respect. The Killer B’s were great. Now the Astros are a laughing stock to everybody besides their fans. Trash cans and buzzers and cheaters, oh my!
I was at the Cardinals game on the last day of the '06 season. The end of Braves/Astros game was shown on the scoreboard between pitches, and Cardinals fans were doing the tomahawk chop. The Braves won, clinching the division for the Cardinals. A few innings later, the Cardinals lost and the fans began celebrating the division title. It was a strange experience.
2006 as painful as it was at times, is a special season for me. Three different seven game losing streaks, this one being the most stressful. I watched or listened to every inning that year. Watched a lot of those with my Grandfather who was having some health issues at the time. I lost count of the times we had to rush him to the ER and him spending 2-3 days in the hospital. I wanted this season so bad because I didn't know if we would have another one together. I was in college during this stretch and talked with him about everyday. I don't think Spiezio had made it to 3rd when I jumped on the phone to call him. That was our first championship together and sadly our last. Grandpa was alive for 2011 but dementia took so much from him, it wasn't the same. 2006 was ours. I have the Championship hat I gave him for Christmas on the top of my dresser. Always bring it out, set it next to the TV when we need luck.
The lowest win total ever for a WS Champ @ 83 wins.
All they had to do was win 3 games in the last 2 weeks. 🤣 That is the messed up part though - they won the World Series. Sheesh!
I remember that season. Houston was really excited because they were closing in on the Cardinals and were like "we're going to catch them and pass them anyday now. I think they got within two games before the Cardinals were able to secure the division and clinch that last spot.
The Astros trailed by just a 1/2 game with 3 games to go
The 1964 Phillies had a 6.5 game lead with 12 left to play and then proceeded to lose 10 in a row and wound up tied for 2nd place with Cincinnati, one game behind St. Louis. Since this was back when only the champions of the two leagues met in the World Series (there were no division champions and no wild card teams), the Phillies were SOL.
I always knew they were considered the weakest World Series champions of all-time, but I never knew about this near collapse!
They weren’t the weakest team in World Series history as the team was virtually unchanged from the last two seasons that won 100+ games both years, but the huge difference was that the stars that carried the Cardinals in 2004 and 2005 were hurt most of the year outside of Albert Pujols who was the only healthy star throughout the season. That is why the Cardinals limped into the playoffs with 83 wins and as all of their stars got healthy when the playoffs started, the Cardinals not surprisingly caught fire and finally got their World Series trophy that eluded them the two seasons prior.
Yep I'm a die hard cardinals fan and we should have never been in the playoffs that year. Never should have beat the Astros either. That said in 2004 Stl should have never been swept in the W.S. but they were. Baseball is crazy like that.
As a Houston Astros fan, I am very familiar with this near collapse lol.
@@schlootle sorry not sorry lol. In retrospect of your recent success
@@TheRenster500 Lol, I was just a 12 year old kid who watched just about every game that year. I remember being so devastated when they lost lol
As a Cardinal fan that nightly watched the games in 2006....when the Cardinals bullpen suddenly become good in the post-season, we were all STUNNED and didn't understand where this was coming from because we SUFFERED a lot during the season losing too many games late. 2006 season was a wild ride for Cardinal fans after those excellent (but disappointing finishes) in 2004 and 2005.
Yeah, that bullpen gave about as many heart problems in Cardinal Nation as hydrogenated oils did lol
The New York Mets went to the World Series in 1973 after having a regular season record of 83-78….the same record of the 2006 Cardinals, but nobody ever talks about how “weak” they were. I guess when you are from New York things like that don’t matter.
Well they lost the world series so history doesn't care about them as much
My takeaway, Let's Go O's!!!
Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades…….and only sometimes in horseshoes.
Sounds like sour grapes to me written by an Astros fan 😂 at least at this point in time, the Astros were a team you could respect. The Killer B’s were great. Now the Astros are a laughing stock to everybody besides their fans. Trash cans and buzzers and cheaters, oh my!
Bang! Bang! Bang!