The ultimate reward, and two reasons the Cardinals won it: Chris Carpenter and Lance Berkman

We’ve heard this repeated thousands of times by now: on Aug. 25, the Cardinals were 10 1/2 games back in the wild card standings. And, of course, we happily know how the story ends: the Cardinals are 2011 World Series champions.

Of course it was a team effort to get there. The 34 wins between Aug. 25 and Oct. 28 had contributions from every guy on the roster. But who stood out above the others? We know the postseason stars — what about the historic run as a whole?

Who was the most valuable Cardinal during the entire stretch run, from late August to late October? That was our question for the United Cardinal Bloggers postseason roundtable. And here’s what everyone had to say.

Aaron, El Maquino

Pujols went ballistic (back to normal) and, if he hadn’t, the Cards wouldn’t have been close to making the playoffs.

It took a whole team, no doubt, but he was the key.

Daniel Solzman, Redbirds Fun

Pujols. In the month of September, he hit .355 with 18 runs and 20 RBI.

Mark, RetroSimba

Yadier Molina, because he provided both run production and Gold Glove-caliber defense while handling the pitching staff with iron-man consistency. Molina batted .341 with 14 RBI in September. In the postseason, he hit .299 with 12 RBI. In the World Series, his on-base percentage was .414.

Nick, Pitchers Hit Eighth

Well, since you left me an out by asking for most valuable Cardinal and not specifically a player, I’ll say Derek Lilliquist.

Sure the pitchers still have to perform, and guys like Chris Carpenter and Kyle Lohse were excellent in September — but they ALL were. Cards starters only lost twice in September. (Actually, just Jake Westbrook did.)

I can’t quantify it, so I’m sure this will sound quaint and hyperbolic to some of you, but I don’t think Lilliquist’s fill-in role should be overlooked.

Mary Clausen, MLB Voice

That’s easy — it’s Lance Berkman. He contributed greatly with his bat throughout the playoffs, what was his average — something like .421. More importantly, he is that personality we have learned to love. Whether it was joking with the guys in the dugout or his antics in the clubhouse, it added to that closeness we all heard about. He’s a blast to watch with that Big Puma smile of his.

Daniel Shoptaw, C70 At the Bat

I’ll go in a slightly different direction and say Chris Carpenter.

He posted a 2.15 ERA in September and that included giving up six runs to Cincinnati in his first start of the month. He had two complete shutouts and threw eight scoreless innings in another outing. Then we all know about October, with his shutout against Roy Halladay (who, incidentally, is a friend of his and they will have much to talk about during their off-season fishing trip to Brazil) and his coming back on three days rest for Game Seven to give the Cardinals everything that they needed and more to get the victory.

All that would be worthy enough, I think, to give a good answer to the question.  Add to it, though, that by all accounts his team meeting before the Aug. 25 game was the catalyst to the September run. He was the one who got the team focused and motivated and, well, it worked.

Mary Clausen

He [Carpenter] spearheaded the whole postseason and we all know that.

The thing that amazes me about Carp is how he “fell down” in the first half and came back in the second half  and the postseason like the ‘ol Carp we all know and love.  He’s a horse — an amazing catalyst in our club.

Ray, STLCardinalBaseball.com

It’s difficult to pinpoint, because it truly seemed like a team-wide effort. One could make the argument that Pujols heating up helped, although I didn’t see many signs of leadership from him throughout that run. I’m inclined to give some of the credit to Lance Berkman; can it really be a coincidence that we just experienced a recovery run like those Berkman-led Astros of the early Aughts?

In the end, I think I give it to Chris Carpenter. He led the meeting on Aug. 24 that inspired this team to start playing like they care. His own performance during that time (combined with Lohse and Jackson) really helped buoy the team after two miserable months of bad starting pitching. And, unlike Pujols, Carpenter was playing every inning of every game with a fiery intensity, even when he was on the bench. I sure am glad he’s on our side.

Bob Netherton, On the Outside Corner

Chris Carpenter. You can make a good case for just about every player on the Cardinals roster, as nearly every one of them picked up their game during that amazing run. I also like Nick’s comments about Derek Lilliquist, both as the bullpen coach and as a fill-in for Dave Duncan. His contributions should not be forgotten.

Using 1964 one more time as a guide, everybody picked up their game in August too. It seemed every night, there was a different player in the spotlight — Bill White, Ken Boyer, Lou Brock, Tim McCarver, Mike Shannon, just as Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina, Lance Berkman, David Freese and Matt Holliday this year. Both groups of pitchers were excellent as well, the curious exception being Roger Craig and Jake Westbrook. It is fascinating that both were winners in the most important games of their respective series, in relief appearances.

There was one player back in 1964 who stood above them all, and it was Bob Gibson. It wasn’t that he pitched badly during the other parts of the season, but there was no sense of “we are going to win this.” That all changed in early August, and the rest of the team fed off that. It was as if they knew they were going to win all of his starts, just because he was on the mound. They relaxed and good things started happening, and that flowed down to the other starters.

The exact same thing happened with Chris Carpenter in early August of 2011. In his last 11 starts, his ERA dropped nearly a run per game. He posted a 5-1 record, but only had two bad starts in that stretch. The bullpen failed to hold some very close games, and that was the difference between Carpenter’s recent run and Gibson’s historic ’64 finish. Carpenter threw two shutouts and left one more game without surrendering a run. He went deep into games, saving the bullpen for the other starters who needed them. And on the final day of the season, when the team needed a big performance, Carpenter delivered — just like Gibson.

If you want to single out one player, it was Chris Carpenter, the Bob Gibson of this generation.

Aaron Hooks, Cards Diaspora

You guys are all way, way off.

Chris Carpenter? Albert Pujols? Yadier Molina? Pfffft. Get real. All child’s play compared to one Ms. Molly Radcliffe.

Don’t believe me?

Watch this.

Bob Netherton

Don’t laugh, Aaron. I actually considered that. Seriously. Torty treats and Squirrel snacks FTW (or should that be FTWS).

Daniel Shoptaw

I hope Molly gets a big postseason bonus. At least enough to pay for all the food she made!

Kevin Reynolds, Cards ‘N Stuff

I have to go with Lance Berkman. The dude hit .339 with an OBP of .446 between Aug. 25 and the end of the season. He went hitless in only four September games (all games we won anyway), and if not for an 0-3 with a BB performance against the Cubs on Sept. 25, would have turned in a 16-game hitting streak to finish the season.

It may be easy to undervalue what Berkman did at the end of the season because of his lack of HRs (only one) and low number of doubles (five — Holliday equaled that number despite missing several games due to injury), but we have to remember the context. Holliday was hurting and we needed Lance to step up (Matt didn’t appear in a game between Sept. 13 and the 24, a time in which Lance went 15 for 31 and recorded at least one hit in every game!) A person could perhaps make the argument that Albert was able to do what he did in part due to the contributions by Berkman, who provided production in the cleanup spot.

Honestly, Lance’s hit in Game Six of the World Series was perhaps indicative of his stretch run at the end of the season. Gritty, focused and just determined to provide SOMETHING to help this team win. He wasn’t trying for doubles, triples, homers, etc. … he was just trying to produce something. That approach from a guy who was arguably “all or nothing/home run or nothing” earlier in the season provided much needed stability in the middle of this lineup to keep the carousel moving.

Also, Berkman’s leadership can’t be overlooked. This is a guy who was a key part in keeping this team focused, consistent and loose during a historic comeback. And his experience as a central part of those comeback Astros teams must have helped at least a bit.

And now, I may be breaking round table protocol by responding twice … but what the hey…

Okay … I was going to give an honorable mention to Carp and my reasoning for not making him the MVP of the run in my initial response, but now I MUST add an addendum considering all the Carp love I’m reading now.

First, I’m focusing on the regular season in my choice — just … because — and Carp’s leadership in the team meeting, throughout the run, and his performances against the Brewers and Astros were huge! But …

After that now famous meeting, Carp came out and laid an egg … pitching five innings and allowing six earned runs in a loss to the Pirates on Aug. 27. Seeing that happen to The Ace after the team meeting could have severely demoralized this team. In his very next start against the Reds, he pitched six innings and allowed six earned runs again! It wasn’t until after that, in his complete game shutout against the Brewers on Sept. 7, he found his stride.

Carp started this party … but he arrived nearly two weeks late to it while his team picked him up in the meantime. He gets an honorable mention from me … but Berk wins it.

And I say this as a rabid Carpenter fan!

Tara Wellman, Aaron Miles’ Fastball

I’ve been thinking this one through, and could probably make an argument for just about anyone of the guys mentioned, as well as guys like Allen Craig — without his clutch hits, this run could have ended much earlier.

I also like where Nick was headed with Derek Lilliquist. And Aaron, I thought about Ms. Molly all postseason long! I bet she dreams in cupcakes these days. Now that’s commitment!

That said, I’m going to have to say Chris Carpenter. We’ve all said it, his teammates and coaches have said it — there’s no one we’d rather have on the mound (or even in the dugout!) when his team needs a boost. To start the way he did this year and battle away until that mid-August stalemate, and morph back into the ace we anticipated he would be is incredible in and of itself. But there’s also no denying the impact his leadership had on this club. That meeting he called — we may never know exactly what he said there. But we do know that it resonated with enough of his teammates that they remembered it. They bought into his plan. And they then went out, following his lead, and executed.

This is a team game, and a team win in every aspect. But Chris Carpenter may have been the spark plug (sure, aided by a goofy tortoise and a heroic squirrel!) that got this ride kicked into high gear!

Bob Netherton

I know that Christine had framed her question around Aug. 25, but when you look back, things changed for the Cardinals in the four game sweep at Florida.

If you are looking for a moment, it was Carpenter’s start, a 2-1 win on Aug. 6. Look at the bullpen sequence: Dotel, Motte, Rzepczynski and Salas — 0 runs, just one hit (the three walks weren’t so great). If that wasn’t a foreshadowing of things to come …

I think you are right, Kevin, about what could have happened after Carpenter’s team meeting and his subsequent poor outings, but he had been leading by example for the previous three weeks and that gave him a free pass for those two boo-boos. In no way am I trying to talk you out of your choice; it was a good one. Just trying to put Carpenter post-Aug. 6 in the discussion.

Erika, Cardinal Diamond Diaries

OK, I’ve gone round and round (and round and round and round …), have read everyone’s nominations so far and cannot disagree with any of the nuggets of baseball statistics used to back up your choices. However, my sentimentality is crippling me! I’m finding it mentally exhausting to pick just one MVP from this team of awesome. The last two months of UNBELIEVABLE baseball we have been gifted by this cohesive team of rookies and veterans has proven one thing about this club: everyone contributes. I adore the fact there isn’t just one superstar who is a shoe-in for this vote. It really is best summed up by something Lance Berkman remarked in an interview during the World Series Championship celebration. Berkman said (and I paraphrase because my memory stinks) “Every guy on this team can say ‘If I hadn’t done ____, then this team wouldn’t be here today.’”

Chris Carpenter, Albert Pujols, Lance Berkman — sure. Allen Craig? Rafael Furcal? Yadier Molina? Jon Jay? How about La Russa?

Big bats and big plays win MVP titles, but there were just too many cumulative “little” MVP moments along the way for me to narrow it down. My initial reaction was “Just as long as we don’t give it to any squirrels, turtles, donuts or happy airplanes, I’m good.” However, that just may be the MVP right there: CLUBHOUSE CHEMISTRY. What was once missing, is now found; and I hope we can hold on to that elusive MVP chemistry through 2012 (and beyond).

… and I wholeheartedly agree that Molly’s rally baking deserves honorable mention.

Kevin Reynolds

Hmmm … you know, I’m hearing us all refer to the August meeting as “the one Carp called” … does it matter that at least one report had it as a “team meeting in which Tony asked Carp to convey some thoughts and sentiments”? In other words … was it Carp who called the meeting, and if so, was it all his thoughts? Does any of that change the perception of that meeting?

Love me some Carp.

Dathan Brooks, Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Night

I think it’s worth noting that no one answer here is really “wrong.” One of the hallmarks of a World Series Championship team is that there is no one person who’s easy to point to, and say “it was him.” That’s been true of World Champion teams throughout history. There’s no Michael Jordan on a baseball team — it takes everyone pulling together. Carp is a legit nomination, as are Albert, Berkman, Freeser … etc. Without the defensive plays made by Craig, Punto, Fucal, Yadi and others, this championship doesn’t happen. Without the bullpen coming through and being so clutch in every game, this doesn’t happen. Without Holliday, Westbrook, etc. — the list goes on, and everyone contributed in some way, shape or form.

Tara Wellman

Since we’re all adding second thoughts … My nomination of Carp has as much to do with the intangibles he showed that aren’t measures in wins or losses, innings pitched or earned runs. When the guys on the team point back to that meeting and what Carp said, it obviously did something to inspire the then brilliant (dare I say, MVP-worthy) play from all these guys. Fact is, they likely wouldn’t be World Champs without every single one of these guys … That’s what makes this a tough call, and legitimate no matter which way you go!

Dathan Brooks

OK, Bob. Zero chance I’m letting “he said Patterson” start floating around out there. I’m gonna go with Carp. For the game in Houston (on the best night of baseball in the history of the world), he was wire-to-wire dominant. His performance in Game Five of the NLDS against Halladay was truly historic, only the third 1-0 complete game shutout in an elimination game ever (if I recall correctly). Then, going out and pitching Game Seven of the World Series on short rest? Gibson-esque. That’s the stuff legends are made of! And while yes, it’s true, everyone contributed, I’d like to grab some Frank’s Red Hot Sauce and eat the words I spoke and wrote earlier in the season, and praise Carp for stepping up and pitching like the 29 we all know and love.

Chris Mallonee, Birds on the Bat 82

Hands down Chris Carpenter for all the reasons mentioned above. I was at the Sept. 28th game in Houston and you could see the team feeding off his energy. Pujols carried the team statistically on the offensive, but Carp was hands down the leader who wouldn’t let the team quit.

Motte was a somewhat close second in my mind. His energy out of the pen and finally giving the Cards a true shut-down closer down the stretch was HUGE! But, I don’t see how you can pick anyone besides Chris Carpenter.

Jon Doble, RedbirdDugout.com

I have to go with Lance Berkman, and I think he is very deserving of the NL MVP too. To me it was Berkman who really brought this team together this season and it paid dividends when the team had its back against the wall in late August and through the remainder of the season. It’s not really a statistics thing, though that was needed. Berkman really gave the Cardinals that “rally-type” leader who is sociable with everyone in the locker room and really makes everyone feel accepted. That creates a team atmosphere and, if a team has the talent level, it can make or break an amazing season.

Other guys may have brought better performance to the table, but Berkman’s contribution went beyond his statistics on the field.

Tom Knuppel, Cardinals GM

I gave this a lot of thought and talked it over with two of my adult sons at Buffalo Wild Wings today. They went with me to Game Seven and have a good grasp on the goings-on for the Cardinals and we unanimously, after volleyball-ing it around, thought Carpenter deserves the credit. From start to finish (Aug 25-on) he had the most profound, positive impact on the team.

Malcolm, The Redbird Menace

At first I thought that the answer would be easy: Chris Carpenter or Albert Pujols. Pujols was Pujols (for maybe only the second month this season) and Carpenter stepped up his efforts remarkably.

However, looking at the numbers I have to give this to Yadier Molina. From Aug. 25 until the end of the regular season, Molina hit .353/.407/.520. That compares favorably with Pujols, who in the same period put up a .336/.403/.549 line. Pujols slugged a bit more, but Molina did all of this from behind the plate instead of at first base.

It didn’t matter that he’d caught over 1,100 innings. Molina didn’t wear down during the season. He just got better.

Miranda Remaklus, Aaron Miles’ Fastball

Lance Berkman, Chris Carpenter, Allen Craig, David Freese and Albert Pujols. Yeah, sorry … you know I can’t pick one! Here’s why!

Berkman: What a leader and teammate he has been this entire season. But especially during this time. Playing where he is needed. Making excellent, timely hits. Being a good teammate and leader to the young guys. Making them relax and giving them confidence.

Carpenter: Stepping up big in all the important games. Despite all that crap at the first of the season, he was Chris Carpenter when the Cardinals needed him the most.

Craig: Again, playing where he is needed. Always stepping up to make great plays like the homer he robbed in Game Seven of the World Series. And making great hits. I can’t cite just one there. Just look at his performance in the World Series!

Freese: Did you really think I’d leave him out? He was the MVP in the NLCS and World Series for a reason. The guy had a MONSTER postseason. Other than a few bad moments at third, he came up big at the plate. Every game that mattered! Remember his walk off in Game Six of the World Series?!

Pujols: Game Three of the World Series. Three homers. The game against Philly where he backed off the sure out at first to nail Chase Utley at third.

Honorable mention: Jason Motte. The Not-The-Closer! He may have had a couple of bad moments but otherwise he was big in the ninth inning for the Cardinals from Aug. 25 on.

Dustin McClure, Welcome to Baseball Heaven

I’m going to cheat a little bit and go with two guys I feel really helped lead the team both on and off the field. I’ll start with Carp. His bulldog mentality helped carry this team from start to finish. The Sept. 7 game against Milwaukee really stands out for me (The Nyjer Morgan Game). A complete game shutout that really set the tone for the stretch run. I was actually sitting about 10 rows behind the Brewers on-deck circle and for whatever reason I just felt an uneasiness in the Brewer’s approach that night. It’s almost like they could feel the run coming. And then of course his playoff performance is something I’ll remember forever.

I’d also like to give a roundtable shout out to Lance Berkman. Not only did he help the cause on the field, he always seemed to be the voice of reason all season. (I didn’t mean to rhyme, I promise). There were countless times after a loss or during a rough stretch where he’d always have a quote that would be the calming force. At least he was for me anyway. Remember the devastating Sept. 22 loss to the Mets in which we blew a four-run ninth inning lead that threw many of us into a blinding rage that could fill a cuss jar by itself? Lance’s interview after that game is what restored my confidence that this team could still pull it off.

Like Dathan said, it was a total team effort. I know that sounds a little cliché but it was one guy stepping up after another during the run of September and October. You could make an argument for a lot of different players, squirrels and turtles including Molly and her cupcakes.

JE Powell, STL: Fear the Red

I am going with Yadier Molina. Yadi did a superb job handling the pitching staff and was excellent at in game management. La Russa and Dave Duncan rarely ever told Yadi what pitch to call. In fact, I heard today that Lohse said he only shook Yadi off twice all year. Yadi is always well prepared and I feel he stepped it up even more during this historic run.

Pip (Matt Phillip), Fungoes

Hear, hear, Kevin, Mary and Jon. As much as Chris Carpenter rallied the club with his indomitable spirit, Big Puma provided an unflappable, calm performance in leading the team after Aug. 25 with a .446 OBP. More contextually, though, he led with an incredible 1.879 WPA (Pujols had 1.332; Carp 0.396) — his hits mattered most. As Kevin noted, Berkman’s Game Six plate appearance epitomized what he brings to the club, both tangible — he knocked “only” a single, but it (.468 WPA) was worth more than all three of Pujols’s Game Three home runs combined — and intangible — he approached the at-bat with the near-insouciance of a spring-training appearance.

Which brings me to my second point. Unlike in years past, when Tony La Russa’s high-performing teams tensed up in the absence of an easygoing veteran presence  (as helpful as they are, one imagines that it’s difficult to relax around La Russa and Pujols), the 2011 Cardinals came back to win because they played with a free and easy spirit. I credit Berkman in large part for that.

And, finally, my answer

You can’t disagree with what anyone has said so far (and I’ve read all 4,000 words). You also can’t disagree with two things: leaders lead, and actions speak louder than words. With that, my two most valuable Cardinals down the stretch are Lance Berkman and Chris Carpenter.

The stats have already been mentioned, as have the intangibles. Actions? Just look at what each did in the final two games of the World Series. I love Pip’s description of Berkman in the 10th inning of Game Six: “he approached the at-bat with the near-insouciance of a spring-training appearance.” Then, of course, Carpenter in Game Seven. What more needs to be said?

Another names bears mentioning for me: Tony La Russa. Leaders lead … and make the right moves at the right times to allow the players to respond.

Finally, I agree with all the recognition for Molly Radcliffe and her baking — although she might have gotten her payback for her tremendous efforts already. Game Seven was on her birthday! But is everyone mentioning her in hopes she’ll make us all champagne cupcakes for the next social media night? Although, come to think of it, the last social media night was Aug. 25. Some of us were there. The whole turnaround began that night …

Hmmm.

Christine Coleman is the senior St. Louis Cardinals reporter for Aaron Miles’ Fastball. Follow her on Twitter, @CColeman802, or email aaronmilesfastball@gmail.com. Also follow @AMilesFastball for the latest updates.

Also on Aerys

We’ve Found Strasburg’s Kryptonite!

Denver Dailies: Broncos Roundup (I’m Back Edition)

Donald Driver Dances To The Finals