My Thoughts About the Texas Rangers' Loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2011 World Series

2011 was a good and bad year for the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. The Dallas Mavericks had won their first NBA championship that summer and now, everyone's attention was on the Texas Rangers, because they were headed to the World Series to face the St. Louis Cardinals. Everyone was hopeful that the Rangers would accomplish the second half of two firsts happening in the area in the same year: both teams winning a championship. Unfortunately for the Rangers, this accomplishment fell short.

The night of October 27, 2011 would be forever etched in the minds of Texas Rangers fans. The location: Busch Stadium. It was Game 6 of the 2011 World Series. I've avoided talking about this particular game publicly for years, but had done so recently in one of my last stories. However, this will be the first time I share my thoughts and feelings about that night. I was deciding whether or not I wanted to talk about this and I feel like now is the right time to do just that, because so much time had passed.

Fast forward to the bottom of the ninth inning: Rangers closer Neftalí Feliz approached the mound to deliver the team their first ever World Series title. The Rangers were leading 7-4 with the Cardinals down to their final strike. Rangers fans were feeling good about what was going to happen. However, those feelings of joy were soon flipped upside down. David Freese hit a fly ball towards Nelson Cruz, which would've clinched a World Series title for the Rangers, had he caught it. Instead, the ball went past Cruz for a triple, tying the game at seven. Heading into extra innings, Elvis Andrus hit a single, then Josh Hamilton hit a two-run homer to make the score 9-7. Facing elimination once again, the Cardinals cut the Rangers' lead to one, 9-8. Rangers were one strike away from a World Series title yet again, but Lance Berkman hit a single to center field, bringing John Jay home to tie the game. The Rangers didn't score in the top of the 11th inning. David Freese delivered the game-winning home run, forcing a Game 7. The final score was 10-9. The Cardinals ended up winning the final game and the World Series, their second title in six years. Their last World Series title before this was back in 2006. David Freese was named World Series MVP. This was considered one of the best games in Postseason history and World Series history.

I and many Rangers fans were in utter disbelief and shock. The loss to the Cardinals in the World Series left a horrible taste in our mouths. If you were to read different comment sections of different videos regarding this game, many people would say that the Rangers choked it away. I agree with them: the Rangers had a golden opportunity to bring a World Series title back to Arlington but failed miserably. Rangers had to live with that disappointment for the next decade. Fans didn't want to talk about it or have it brought up in any conversations.

My feelings about the St. Louis Cardinals winning the 2011 World Series in 2025

It's been 13 years since that game took place and as a Rangers fan, I give the Cardinals high praise for winning a World Series title. Why, you ask? They were the better team and deserved it more than the Rangers. It sounds ridiculous and hard to hear, but it's true. The Rangers had two opportunities to clinch a championship, but they failed to deliver. Nelson Cruz missing that fly ball was the turning point for the team. The Cardinals had some of the best players on that World Series team, such as Albert Pujols, the recently retired Lance Lynn, Lance Berkman, Yadier Molina, Adam Wainwright, and David Freese. I held somewhat of a grudge towards David Freese for years, because he broke my team's heart that October night, but now, I decided to let bygones be bygones. Why did I decide to go this route? It's because I'm not going to be petty. He deserved that World Series MVP award, because he not only made a statement, but he was the star of that entire World Series. Many Rangers fans wouldn't offer this kind of gesture, but here on Vocal and as a die-hard Rangers fan of nearly 25 years, I'm doing exactly that towards the St. Louis Cardinals and David Freese. If you're a Cardinals fan who happens to run into this story, I just want to tell you that your fanbase is wonderful. The Cardinals are one of the most iconic teams in Major League Baseball. Recently, Ozzie Smith was inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame. This team hasn't had a lot of winning seasons since winning their last World Series title, but hopefully one day, they'll return to the Fall Classic.

Forgiving Nelson Cruz

November 1, 2023, was a night that I'll never forget. 12 years after they lost the World Series to the Cardinals, the Texas Rangers finally won a World Series title, their first in franchise history. I recorded a reaction video, which I later posted on my social media pages, of me screaming with excitement. I had never thought that I'd see my favorite team win a championship. I was crying happy tears for over an hour. I was in shock, yet excited. This win lifted a huge weight off the shoulders of the Rangers, the organization, and fans. That meant no one would ever bring up that night in 2011 ever again. The evening of November 1, 2023 was also when I decided to forgive Nelson Cruz. Sure, he was heavily blamed the most for that blunder in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series, but now, I believed that he was punished enough. He's since retired, but I'm still a fan of his. Always have and always will.

If the Rangers and Cardinals were to face each other again in the World Series in the near future, it would be a game that fans wouldn't stop talking about for years. It would be the talk of the town. I didn't give the Cardinals any credit way back in 2011, but I'm doing that right now as a way to show my gratitude towards them and their fans. I know it's long overdue, but it's a positive gesture I can offer to them.

My fellow Rangers fans. I pose the following questions to you: Now that the Rangers have won a World Series title back to 2023, are you willing to give the St. Louis Cardinals credit for their 2011 World Series title and forgive them, or do you still resent them over it? Plus, do you forgive or have forgiven Nelson Cruz? Finally, would you want to see a Rangers-Cardinals World Series rematch in the future?