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Ozzie, Clark, and Pujols

© Harold Friend

Ozzie Smith, Jack Clark, and now Albert Pujols. The Cardinals have been there before but never had it been more critical. Facing elimination in the second playoff round to the Astros and down to their twenty seventh out, David Eckstein hit a two strike single, Jim Edmonds walked, and Albert Pujols hit a home run to put the Cardinals in front, 5-4. Jason Isringhausen retired the last three Astros in the bottom of the ninth, and the Cardinals did not die that night, just as they did not die in the playoffs twenty years ago.

In the 1985 playoffs, the Cardinals and Dodgers were tied at two games apiece and were tied at two runs each going to the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 5 in St. Louis. Fernando Valenzuela had started for the Dodgers but with a tie score, Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda brought in Tom Niedenfuer to relieve Valenzuela.

Niedenfuer was a twenty six year old fireballer who had 19 saves with 102 strikeouts in 106 innings during the regular season. He was in his fifth major league season and had been the Dodgers closer since 1983, when he took over for Steve Howe.

Dangerous Willie McGee, the National League batting champion, led off. Niedenfuer retired him on a pop fly to third, bringing up Ozzie Smith. The 1985 Cardinals were not a power team, hitting only 87 home runs during the season, but led by Vince Coleman and McGee, they stole an incredible 314 bases.

Facing the right handed Niedenfuer, the switch hitting Ozzie batted from the left side of the plate. He had not hit a home run in 3,009 at bats left handed, so what happened? Ozzie hit a game winning home run.

The series moved back to Los Angeles for Game 6. With the Dodgers leading 4-1 going to the Cardinals half of the seventh inning, Darrell Porter led off with a single and Tito Landrum singled him to second. Steve Braun hit for starting pitcher Joaquin Andujar and grounded out to first, moving the runners to second and third. McGee singled them home, cutting the Dodgers lead to 4-3. In came Niedenfuer to relieve Orel Hershiser.

Ozzie was Niedenfuer's first batter. He tripled home the tying run, bringing up Tommy Herr, who was intentionally walked. Niedenfuer then struck out the dangerous Jack Clark and the even more dangerous Andy Van Slyke to keep the score tied until Mike Marshall (the outfielder, not the pitcher with the same name) put the Dodgers ahead again with a lead off eighth inning home run.