The Cardinals used 46 players on their way to a World Series victory, and given recent precedent, every single one of them will be getting some bling.
Of course, some will deserve it more than others. Here’s a glimpse at a few of the lesser lights on the 2011 Cardinals...
Ryan Franklin: An effective, if underpowered, closer the previous couple of years, Franklin was the main culprit in an astoundingly awful bullpen early on, racking up an 8.46 ERA in 21 appearances. He was eventually released having converted just one of his five save chances.
Corey Patterson: The Cards felt they needed some extra outfield depth when they traded Colby Rasmus to Toronto, so the Blue Jays gave up Patterson as a throw-in. Patterson went on to hit .157 in 51 at-bats, and he nearly lost the Cardinals a key game with a ninth-inning drop against the Phillies on Sept. 16. Needless to say, he wasn’t included on the postseason roster.
Pete Kozma: At 23, Kozma was the youngest position player to appear for the Cardinals this season. The former first-round pick went 3-for-17 in a pair of first-half callups and was never heard from again. The Cards didn’t bother giving him another look in September after he hit just .214 in Triple-A.
Trever Miller: A formerly reliable lefty specialist, Miller had more walks (10) than strikeouts (nine) in his 39 appearances before being sent packing.
Miguel Batista: Also had more walks than strikeouts in his 26 appearances for the Cardinals. The 40-year-old Batista went on to finish the season with the Mets, but he’ll be getting his second World Series ring anyway.
