End of an era: Cards ship Edmonds to San Diego
December 15th, 2007
The St. Louis Cardinals have traded Jim Edmonds to San Diego for prospect David Freese, a third baseman.
It’s the end of Edmonds’ eight-year tenure patrolling center field for the Cardinals, and what an eight years it was. Walt Jocketty stole Edmonds from the Angels prior to the 2000 season, and Edmonds became a key part of a team that made the playoffs in six of his eight years in St. Louis.
I probably can’t count how many times I jumped off my couch and yelled after watching Edmonds make some spectacular catch in the outfield. He was a defensive wizard, and in my book is certainly one of the best defensive center fielders of all time. We previously have discussed Edmonds’ Hall of Fame credentials.
He’s obviously on the downside of his career, and I’m happy that the Cardinals were able to get something in exchange for him. Jocketty was ill-advised to sign him to a two-year contract before last season. I’m not sure Jim has much left in the tank, but I wish him well in San Diego. I’ll always recall with fondness his time in St. Louis.
You have expressed my feelings as well. This is one year overdue, but Jim was a valuable piece of the Cardinals success in this decade and a pleasure to watch.
Funny. Jim just opened a restaurant in STL. What happens now?
I hated hearing this. I think it’s a step in the right direction for the Cardinals… as long as they don’t use that new payroll flexibility to sign someone like Kyle Lohse.
He supplied by far the greatest live baseball moment of my lifetime when he knocked that ball into the bullpen and sent us to Game 7 back in the ‘04 NLCS… I don’t know if I’ll ever hear a stadium explode like it did that night.
Thanks for the memories, Jim.
I second Tim’s emotion.
I hate to see how well the outfield is going to be patrolled a scary thought now we have Ankeil and Duncan how many errord this year.
A Jim Edmonds story to share -
Once on a school trip, after a meeting, a few of us walked over to Busch Stadium to see if we could catch the last part of the game. The attendant at the gate told us to go on in, it was already the 7th inning and the game was a blowout. So we walked down to the lower levels and found some great seats. Edmonds comes up to bat and hits a foul ball that lands literally in the row and the seat right behind me and just sticks there. All of us were all sorta frozen for a second and I just stared at it. Once I realized there was a ball laying basically 2 feet from me, we all lunged at it and knocked it down the row where some other guy dove on it from the aisle next to us. The greatest night of baseball ever. Except watching Pujols hit a homer at Coors Field.
Jimmy was fun to watch, that’s for sure! He made some of the best catches I’ve ever seen, and he also had a flair for the dramatic at the plate. Bon voyage!
I hate seeing Edmonds leave the Cards. He is greatness.