I interviewed the three baseball coaches at RHS about their favorite MLB postseason moment. Including a bonus question on their thoughts on who would get to say ¨That’s a winner! That’s a winner! That’s a World Series winner!¨ (to quote the famous Jack Buck).
Coach Hohe (head coach)
1 What is your favorite MLB postseason moment that you have witnessed?
While there are so many great memories that I remember watching on TV (Ozzie’s Home Run off of Niedenfuer in 1985, Albert Pujols Home Run off of Brad Lidge in 2005, Yadier Molina’s Home Run in 2006, David Freeze game against the Rangers in 2011), my favorite moment came in 1996 in Game 4 of the NLCS. I was at the game as the Cardinals defeated the Atlanta Braves 4-3. The win gave the Cardinals a commanding 3 – 1 lead in the series. Unfortunately the Braves came back to win the series in 7 games and advance to the World Series, where they lost to the Yankees 4 games to 2. I remember how much fun the game was sitting in the upper deck with my brother and my mom and the amazing comeback. The Cardinals were down 3-0 in the 7th when Dmitri Young tripled home two runs and then later scored on Royce Clayton’s infield single to tie the game. They then won the game in the 8th off of a home run by Brian Jordan. Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley closed out the 9th for the Cardinals victory.
2 Why is this your favorite?
This is my favorite postseason memory because I was actually in the stadium and at the game. It was the fall of my senior year and it was such a great experience.
3 Can you describe the situation leading up to your moment?
The Cardinals lost game 1 in Atlanta and then won game 2 on the road and game 3 at home to have the 2-1 lead going into game 4.
4 Did the moment have a big impact on the series?
I would say the moment that had the most impact was Dmitri Young’s triple to bring the Cardinals within 1 run. The stadium was so loud, it was shaking, everyone was so excited and into the game. When Brian Jordan hit his home run the stadium exploded again, but how often does a guy hit a 2-run triple in the playoffs?
5 Who do you think will win this year’s World Series and why?
As much as it pains me to say it, I think the Yankees are the favorites right now because they have the healthiest pitching staff. Pitching is the key in the playoffs and the Yankees have more healthy arms right now (more than the Dodgers).
Coach Studdard (assistant coach)
1 What is your favorite MLB postseason moment that you have witnessed?
I was able to be at both game 6 and game 7 of the 2011 World Series (Cardinals vs. Rangers)
- 9th inning: The Rangers led 7-5, but David Freese hit a game-tying triple to score two runs and send the game into extra innings.
- 10th inning: Josh Hamilton hit a two-run home run to put the Rangers back on top.
- Bottom of the 10th: Lance Berkman hit a game-tying RBI single to tie the game again.
- 11th inning: David Freese hit a walk-off home run to win the game and force a Game 7. Freese was named the Series MVP.
2 Why is this your favorite?
This was my favorite moment because it will go down as one of the greatest postseason games to ever go down. The Cardinals were down 3-2 in the series and were down to their final strike multiple times. The back and forth environment where you had over 40 thousand people in the stands and just as soon as Freese hit the triple everyone was going crazy just for one half inning later Hamilton hit a 2 run homerun and you could hear a pin drop. Then when Berkman tied it up and Freese hit the game winning walk off homerun it was a roller coaster of emotion.
3 Can you describe the situation leading up to your moment?
The Cardinals were down 3-2 in the series and were down to their final strike multiple times.Roller coaster of emotions.
4 Did the moment have a big impact on the series?
Yes, without winning this game the cardinals would have lost the series.
5 Who do you think will win this year’s World Series and why?
The Dodgers will win because that is who Shohei Ohtani’s manager/bookie bet on.
Coach Noellsch (assistant coach)
1 What is your favorite MLB postseason moment that you have witnessed?
- My favorite moment is the David Freese triple in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series. I know this is probably a common answer, but it is the most exciting play I have ever seen and it was the biggest hit in what I believe might be the best playoff game ever.
2 Why is this your favorite?
- My second favorite moment is probably the Adam Wainwright strikeout of Carlos Beltran to win the 2006 NLCS. What makes the Freese triple better is that I was watching the game with my wife. She was out of town for that 2006 moment, so it was a little bit more exciting to have someone else going crazy instead of me just jumping around our living room by myself. My son was almost a year old and was asleep in his room. I’m always surprised we didn’t wake him up when the hit happened.
3 Can you describe the situation leading up to your moment?
- What came before the triple is what makes it such a special moment. Most people are aware that the Cardinals were a strike away from losing the World Series. A lot of people probably forget how frustrating that game was before that moment as well as 5 minutes after. Not only was that game frustrating, the entire 2011 season was probably the most frustrating I have ever seen. Matt Holliday alone had to leave the game on Opening Day so he could have emergency surgery to remove his appendix, he had to miss games to a quad injury, he had to leave a game because a bug flew into his ear, and he had been picked off 3rd earlier in Game 6 with the bases loaded and 2 outs. He had to leave the game after that because he injured his hand on the tag. To make that more frustrating, 2011 was before MLB had instant replay. I think the call would have been reversed if that system had been in place at that time. The David Freese triple came at a moment where it felt like all that frustration was going to end with the team being so close and so capable of winning a championship but coming up just a little bit short.
4 Did the moment have a big impact on the series?
- That moment obviously had a huge impact on the series. The Rangers were about to win the World Series and this moment changed things dramatically.
5 Who do you think will win this year’s World Series and why?
- My answer Friday was going to be the Yankees. I have to stick with that prediction now, even though they are already down 2-0 in the series. Both teams are really good offensively, but highly flawed with their pitching staffs. I don’t have a great answer for why I chose the Yankees. I think I have seen them win so many championships that I expect them to win when they make it to the World Series.
I just want to thank the coaches for their time to answer my questions, and to finish things off I am going to tell my World Series prediction. I think that the Yankees will win in four games.
