[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 16853-16855]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   COMMENDING THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

  Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 315, introduced earlier 
today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 315) commending the St. Louis 
     Cardinals on their hard-fought World Series victory.


[[Page 16854]]


  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mrs. McCASKILL. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed 
to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon 
the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any related 
statements be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 315) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 315

       Whereas, on October 28, 2011, the St. Louis Cardinals won 
     the 2011 World Series with a 6-2 victory over the Texas 
     Rangers in Game 7 of the series at Busch Stadium in St. 
     Louis, Missouri;
       Whereas the Cardinals earned a postseason berth by 
     clinching the National League Wild Card on the last day of 
     the regular season;
       Whereas the Cardinals defeated the heavily favored 
     Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers to advance to the 
     World Series;
       Whereas the Cardinals celebrated an incredible come-from-
     behind victory in Game 6 of the World Series, which will long 
     be remembered as one of the most dramatic games in the 
     history of the World Series;
       Whereas Cardinals All-Star Albert Pujols put on a historic 
     hitting display in Game 3 of the World Series, with 5 hits, 3 
     home runs, and 6 runs batted in;
       Whereas Cardinals star pitcher Chris Carpenter started 3 
     games in the World Series, allowing only 2 runs in Game 7 
     after only 3 days of rest and earning the win in the decisive 
     game;
       Whereas David Freese, a native of St. Louis, won the World 
     Series Most Valuable Player Award;
       Whereas Manager Tony LaRussa won his second World Series 
     title with the Cardinals, his third overall, and remains one 
     of only 2 managers to win World Series titles as the manager 
     of a National League and an American League team;
       Whereas the Cardinals won the 11th World Series 
     championship in the 129-year history of the team;
       Whereas the Cardinals have won more World Series 
     championships than any other team in the National League;
       Whereas the Cardinals once again proved to be an 
     organization of great character, dedication, and heart, a 
     reflection of the city of St. Louis and the State of 
     Missouri; and
       Whereas the St. Louis Cardinals are the 2011 World Series 
     champions: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) commends the St. Louis Cardinals on their 2011 World 
     Series title and outstanding performance during the 2011 
     Major League Baseball season;
       (2) recognizes the achievement of the players, coaches, 
     management, and support staff, whose dedication and 
     resiliency made victory possible;
       (3) congratulates the city of St. Louis, Missouri, and St. 
     Louis Cardinals fans everywhere; and
       (4) respectfully requests the Secretary of the Senate to 
     transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to--
       (A) the Honorable Francis Slay, Mayor of the city of St. 
     Louis, Missouri;
       (B) Mr. William Dewitt, President, St. Louis Cardinals; and
       (C) Mr. Tony LaRussa, Manager, St. Louis Cardinals.

  Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, in St. Louis this fall, we had much 
that was special and different. We had the rally squirrel that ran 
through one of the playoff games. We had the saying ``happy flight,'' 
and ``happy flight'' became synonymous with a team that was chocking up 
improbable victories night after night, day after day.
  I am going to term this speech a ``happy speech.'' I have had to give 
a number of speeches on the floor of the Senate since I have been 
blessed enough to be given this opportunity to serve my State. 
Sometimes I come to the floor angry. Sometimes I come to the floor 
frustrated or upset. Sometimes I come with a passion for a piece of 
policy that I think is essential in terms of our government operating 
the way we would want it to operate. Today, I just come happy. I just 
come happy with the notion that our team provided the kinds of thrills 
that baseball yearns for in this country--especially at these moments 
when many families are faced with long days and tough decisions as they 
try to right the ship as we travel through a very difficult economy.
  The 2011 World Series was an unlikely one for our Cardinals. It 
wasn't supposed to happen. Bookies made a lot of money off the World 
Series this year because the Cardinals weren't supposed to be in it. 
The Cardinals were 10\1/2\ games out with 30 days to go. In fact, the 
Cardinals secured their wild card berth on the last day of the season 
at the eleventh hour. As a wild card team, they weren't supposed to do 
well. They weren't supposed to defeat Philadelphia. That just wasn't 
going to happen. Philadelphia has one of the top three payrolls in 
baseball, right? That wasn't going to happen.
  Well, it did. We won against Philadelphia and then took on the mighty 
Brewers, the winner of our division, and, of course, we won that also. 
Then it was on to the Texas Rangers, who were supposed to win this year 
because they had won last year, and we weren't supposed to be able to 
compete with the depth and breadth of the Texas lineup. Well, as 
everyone now knows, that is not how the story ended.
  This was a special World Series. It was a unique World Series. It was 
competitive. It was fun. And I was lucky enough to be at some of the 
games. In fact, I was at game 3 when Albert Pujols put on a show for 
the world. He showed everyone why he is the best player in baseball--
three towering home runs in one World Series game. All of a sudden his 
name was being used in the same sentence as Lou Gehrig.
  It was a special night to watch the Cardinals pound the Rangers in 
Arlington, TX, but the Rangers came back the next night to win and the 
next night after that. So the Cardinals returned to St. Louis once 
again with their backs against the wall. Once again, everyone assumed 
it was over because all the Rangers had to do was win one game. And 
that is when game 6 occurred. I was fortunate enough to be at game 6, 
and I am saving my ticket stub for generations to come. People in St. 
Louis are going to claim they were at game 6, so I am going to save the 
proof. None of us will ever forget game 6.
  At our eleventh hour, trying to win our 11th world championship, in 
the year 2011, our hometown guy--right from St. Louis, graduated from 
Lafayette High School--walked to the plate in the 11th inning, after 
the Cardinals twice, with two outs and two strikes, saved the game by 
getting a hit--twice; not once but twice--so there we were in the 
bottom of the 11th with the score tied, and our hometown guy, at the 
eleventh hour, in the 11th inning, in the year 2011, cracked the bat, 
and that ball sailed out for a home run, and suddenly we had secured 
the most improbable and exciting victory in World Series history. Now, 
maybe that is hyperbole, but, honestly, I don't think so. Find someone 
who watched that game who knows baseball, and they will tell you that 
was among one of the very best World Series games in the history of 
American baseball. And what a history that is. With that one crack of 
the bat, Cardinal Nation became Cardinal World, and all of the world 
stood in amazement as we cheered like crazy for our Cardinals.
  What did this team do this year? We had a masterful manager whom we 
will miss very much. We had David Freese, our hometown guy, who rose to 
the occasion when we needed him. We had Albert Pujols. We had Carp, who 
was amazing as a pitcher. We had a bullpen that rose to the occasion 
when necessary, after they had been maligned through most of the 
season. We had Yadi, we had Craig, and we had so many of our players 
who did what had to be done when it had to be done to deliver a World 
Series championship to a city that loves them more than we love the 
arch and more than we love our beer.
  For years now, young people will hear over and over that old cliche 
about refusing to quit. You can never give up. And I have to tell you 
the truth, it is a cliche I have used with my kids when they were 
moping around and grumbling: Oh my life is horrible. You say to them: 
You can't quit. You can't give up. Well, this team is going to allow 
parents in St. Louis and beyond for many years to say: See. See what 
happens when you don't give up. See what happens when you refuse to 
quit. You can win a championship if you just refuse to die. And that is 
exactly what our Cardinals did.

[[Page 16855]]

  On behalf of Cardinal Nation and thousands of people around this 
country who were proud of what St. Louis represented--a fall classic 
with our classic Cardinals bringing home the victory for a city that 
loves them--God bless them all. And God bless the fans who understand 
it is okay to cheer for a sac fly, who understand baseball better than 
most fans around the country. They will now wait anxiously for spring 
training so we can begin once again our love affair with the St. Louis 
Cardinals.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a 
quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant editor of the Daily Digest proceeded to call the roll.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maine.
  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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