The 2011 St. Louis Cardinals season was the 130th season for the St. Louis Cardinals, a Major League Baseball franchise in St. Louis, Missouri. It was the 120th season for the Cardinals in the National League and their 6th at Busch Stadium III.
This was Tony La Russa's final season as Cardinals manager.
The Cardinals began their season at home against the San Diego Padres on March 31, following an 86–76 (.531) record and second-place finish in the National League Central in 2010. The team returned to postseason play in 2011 as the Wild Card team, after finishing second in the NL Central to the Milwaukee Brewers by six games. The Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Phillies in five games in the NLDSCarpenter's gem sends Cardinals into NLCS: Game 1 against Brewers on Sunday in Milwaukee, MLB.com (October 7, 2011) and the Milwaukee Brewers in six games in the NLCS. They defeated the Texas Rangers in the World Series in seven games.
Offseason departures and acquisitions Cardinals co-owner, team treasurer, and member of the board of directors Andrew N. "Drew" Baur died suddenly at his home at 66, in Gulf Stream, Florida on February 20, 2011.Cardinals co-owner Baur passes away at 66, MLB.com (February 20, 2011)Cardinals co-owner, local banker Drew Baur dies, St. Louis Post-Dispatch (February 21, 2011)
Management On October 18, 2010, manager Tony La Russa decided to return for his 16th season with the Cardinals after agreeing to terms for a new one-year contract, and a mutual option for a second year. Bullpen coach Marty Mason was not retained, but all the other coaches returned with extended contracts.
On November 2, 2010, the team named a bullpen coach to replace Mason: Derek Lilliquist, the team's pitching coordinator for the last three seasons. Also announced that day: Greg Hauck was promoted to head athletic trainer, while longtime head trainer Barry Weinberg assumed duties as assistant athletic trainer.
Hitters On October 6, 2010, the Cardinals picked up the $16 million option on Albert Pujols.Cardinals exercise Pujols' one-year option St. Louis Post-Dispatch
On November 30, 2010, the Cardinals traded pitcher Blake Hawksworth for middle-infielder Ryan Theriot in a trade with Dodgers. They also signed free agent left-handed relief pitcher Brian Tallet. On December 12 the Cardinals cleared a space for Theriot at shortstop by trading incumbent shortstop Brendan Ryan to the Seattle Mariners for Class-A prospect Maikel Cleto.Cardinals deal Ryan for hard-throwing Cleto MLB.com
On December 4, 2010, the Cardinals signed 34-year-old Lance Berkman (formerly with the Houston Astros and then Yankees in 2010) to a 1-year, $8 million deal. Berkman, who was slated to play right field regularly for the first time since 2004, had slumped to a .248 average in 2010Lance Berkman career stats and had hit particularly poorly after his midseason trade to the New York Yankees. As a Cardinal in 2011, he hit 31 home runs and was named NL Comeback Player of the Year.
On December 14, 2010, the Cardinals signed catcher Gerald Laird to a one-year contract.
On January 15, 2011, Albert Pujols, through his agent Dan Lozano, told the Cardinals that the date to report to spring training (February 18) was the deadline to reach a deal on a new contract.Albert Pujols sets Spring Training contract deadline, MLB.com (January 15, 2011) Negotiations failed to produce a deal, and on February 16 Pujols suspended negotiations, citing an unwillingness to be distracted during the season, including spring training. Pujols received $16 million in 2011 and $111 million over his previous eight seasons. Pujols had asked for a 10-year deal, worth up to $300 million, averaging $30 million per year.Pujols-Cards contract talks end without deal: Teams intends to honor slugger's wish, wait until season's end, MLB.com (February 16, 2011)
On January 21, 2011, the Cardinals signed backup infielder Nick Punto to a one-year contract for $750,000.Cards sign infielder Punto, St. Louis Post-Dispatch (January 21, 2011)
In a surprise announcement on February 4, the Cardinals signed former Cardinal Jim Edmonds (2000–07) to a minor-league contract, and an invitation to Spring training as a non-roster invitee. He hit 241 home runs (4th in rank) as a Cardinal in his eight years, made three All-Star teams (2000, 2003, 2005), and won six Gold Gloves (2000–05). He needed seven home runs to reach 400.Edmonds returns to Cards on Minors deal: Veteran to be in club's Major League camp for first time since '07, MLB.com (February 4, 2011)Cardinals sign Edmonds to minor-league deal, St. Louis Post-Dispatch (February 4, 2011) On February 18, Edmonds announced his retirement from baseball, citing the risk of permanent damage in his comeback from Achilles tendon surgery.Jim Edmonds brings 17-year career to a close, MLB.com (February 18, 2011)
Pitchers On October 6, 2010, the Cardinals picked up the option on LH relief specialist Trever Miller after he vested his option with his 45th appearance in 2010 (57 G), and finished the season healthy.
On November 16, 2010, the Cardinals signed starter Jake Westbrook to a two-year deal through 2012 for $16.5 million, with a mutual option for 2013, and a full no-trade clause. The Cardinals had acquired Westbrook in a 2010 trade that sent Ryan Ludwick to the Padres.
On January 15, 2011, the Cardinals agreed to a one-year contract with reliever Kyle McClellan in avoiding arbitration. Salary was not announced.Cardinals avoid arbitration with McClellan, MLB.com (January 15, 2011)
The Cardinals suffered a severe setback at the beginning of spring training. On February 24, 2011, it was confirmed that ace pitcher Adam Wainwright needed Tommy John surgery on his right elbow after experiencing discomfort in throwing batting practice on February 21. It meant missing, at a minimum, the entirety of the 2011 season.Cards GM: Wainwright needs Tommy John, MLB.com (February 24, 2011) Wainwright was coming off a 2010 season in which he won a career-high 20 games, made the All-Star game, and finished second in National League Cy Young Award voting. The February 28 surgery on Wainwright in St. Louis was described as 'successful.'Wainwright surgery deemed a success, MLB.com (February 28, 2011)
Other offseason developments: "Stand for Stan" Starting in 2010, the Cardinals started a campaign to award longtime hero Stan Musial the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The initiative was nicknamed Stand for Stan. On February 15, 2011, the program came to fruition, as President Barack Obama awarded Musial the medal.
Spring training The Cardinals released their 2011 spring training schedule on December 3, 2010.St. Louis Cardinals Spring Training Schedule
The scheduled exhibition game on March 29, vs. their AA-level Springfield Cardinals team, was canceled the day before because bad weather was expected.Cards' exhibition game in Springfield canceled, MLB.com (March 28, 2011)
Regular season
March–April The Cardinals opened 2011 with a loss at home against the San Diego Padres on March 31, after leading 3–2 with two outs in the 9th inning. Matt Holliday hit what looked to be the game-winning home run in the bottom of the 8th, but closer Ryan Franklin gave up a game-tying home run in that 9th inning, sending the game to extra innings. The Padres scored twice in the 11th to win 5–3.Opening Day doesn't go Cardinals' way, St. Louis Post-Dispatch (April 1, 2011) It was a sign of things to come for Franklin in 2011.
That evening, Holliday complained of pains, leading to an emergency appendectomy the next day. After missing only seven games while recuperating from surgery, Holliday returned to the lineup on April 10, singling and drawing two walks in a 6–1 victory over the Giants.
Lance Berkman received the NL Player of the Week award on April 18, batting .417 (10-for-24), leading the majors with six HRs, 12 RBIs, and 1.167 Slugging percentage, and also having two multi-homer games.Powerful week nets Berkman NL honor: Outfielder led bigs in homers, RBIs and slugging last week, MLB.com (April 18, 2011)
Matt Holliday (.408) and Lance Berkman (.393) were 1–3 respectively in the NL batting lead after the first month of the season ended, April 30. Holliday also led the NL in OBP (.511), and Berkman led the NL in both slugging (.753) and OPS (1.207).
The Cardinals recovered from a 2–6 start to finish in first place (16–11) by two games over the Reds at the end of April, and the entire team was also No. 1 in sweeping all three NL hitting percentages at .295/.362/.451, having a .812 OPS and also leading in hits (281), runs (144) total bases (429), and also struck out the fewest times (168). All those base runners led to them also leading in grounding into the most double plays (36), with Albert Pujols (.245/.305/.453, .758 OPS) owning the NL lead with nine.
The Cardinals rose to first place in the standings despite major problems in the bullpen. Ryan Franklin blew four of his first five save opportunities and the Cardinals lost all four of those games. Franklin never got another save opportunity after blowing a save against the Dodgers on April 17, and finished the month with a 10.12 ERA. Mitchell Boggs got the call as closer and recorded three saves before blowing another save (leading to another Cardinals blown-save loss) against Houston on April 26. Left-handed reliever Trever Miller was hit for an .899 OPS by opposition batters in April.
May Third baseman David Freese suffered a broken bone in his left hand on May 1 from being hit by a pitch. Freese did not return until the end of June.
The Cardinals continued to search for an effective closer in May. Rookie Eduardo Sanchez filled the role for a while in early May, then Fernando Salas took the job and recorded seven saves in seven chances in the second half of the month.
Jaime García flirted with history on May 6, pitching 7 innings of perfect baseball against the Milwaukee Brewers at home, bidding for the first perfect game in Cardinals' history, and the first no-hitter since Bud Smith on September 3, 2001.Garcia flirts with history, settles for shutout, MLB.com (May 6, 2011) He ended with a 2-hit, complete-game shutout (his 2nd of 2011), after losing his perfect bid with a walk and a hit in the 8th inning. He later gave up a double in the 9th, the only runner to reach second base. He walked one and struck out eight, and a double play in the eighth helped preserve his shutout, the third of his career.
The Cardinals were a strong 17–12 in May and finished the month 2 games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central despite numerous injuries to key players. Albert Pujols struggled through a most uncharacteristic slump at the start of the season, going a career-worst 105 at-bats without a home run and finishing May with an unusually low .755 OPS for the first two months. Tony La Russa, suffering from a severe case of shingles, missed six games, with bench coach Joe Pettini serving as acting manager.
June Albert Pujols broke out of his season-long slump in style, hitting five home runs in the week that ended June 5 and winning NL Player of the Week honors.
Tony La Russa managed his 5,000th major league game (2,676–2,320–4, 0.536 winning percentage) on June 10, but the milestone was marred by a shutout loss at Milwaukee. He joins Connie Mack as the only manager or coach in American sports history to reach 5,000 games.Cards blanked as La Russa manages 5,000th, MLB.com (June 10, 2011)La Russa on threshold of historic milestone, MLB.com (June 10, 2011)