On August 17, 2011, the St. Louis Cardinals were 66–58, trailing the 72–52 Atlanta Braves by 8.5 games in the Wild Card race. And that wasn’t even the low-water mark. Over the next ten days, the Cardinals slipped further, falling 10.5 games back by August 25.

But that wasn’t how the season ended, as most of us know…

There are moments in baseball that feel like folklore before the final out is even recorded. The 2011 Cardinals weren’t supposed to be there—10.5 games back in late August, stitched together with castoffs and quiet veterans, clinging to a season that had already been eulogized. And yet, by October, they were champions. Not just winners, but legends. David Freese’s Game 6 heroics didn’t just save a season—they etched a story into the soul of St. Louis.

What came next wasn’t j

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