Matt Adams ceremony highlights Cardinals’ decade-long lack of playoff moments

When the St. Louis Cardinals celebrate Matt Adams’ accomplishments on Sept. 18 after signing him to a one-day contract to retire him from the team, it will be a joyous occasion for the former first baseman affectionately known as “Big City.” Adams famously homered off Clayton Kershaw in Game 4 of the 2014 NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the ceremony also highlights the troubling thought that it’s been 11 years since Adams last delivered the Cardinals’ last notable playoff moment.

Adams was a decent player for St. Louis, posting a Baseball Reference WAR of 3.3 in seven seasons with the team, but if it weren’t for his heroics in that game, it’s hard to believe this event would be happening. With the Cardinals in deep trouble and looking to finish 2024 with a .500-plus record, they’re clearly hoping this farewell celebration will bring fans to Busch Stadium.

Adams represents the latest in what can be considered postseason success stories for the Cardinals, and the team knows it will likely be a long time before the next player comes along and becomes etched into team lore. The only active players left from the 2013 Cardinals are Matt Carpenter, Lance Lynn, Michael Wacha and Joe Kelly, and none of them have made a mark on the postseason the way Adams did.

David Freese was the perfect story as the homegrown product who became a World Series hero in 2011 and was elected to the Cardinals Hall of Fame despite declining induction. Adams’ playoff performance clearly pales in comparison to Freese’s, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Cardinals tried to enshrine him in their Hall of Fame as well, and the team scrambled to find more worthy candidates for induction.

This celebration isn’t about Adams’ career. It’s about one defining moment, and while that might have drawn fans to the stadium if that moment had been as historic as Freese’s, the main message the Cardinals want the ceremony to convey is that the choices are getting narrower when it comes to players the team can bring to the table for nostalgic postseason memories.

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