The Chris Moeller Archives

Diamond Jim

Goodbye to the baseball prince of St. Louis, Jim Edmonds, traded to the San Diego Padres on Friday night. The longest-tenured Cardinal, James always had a flair for the dramatic. His game-winning home run in Game 6 of the 2004 NLCS (one of 13 career postseason home runs), and his diving catch in Game 7 helped to deliver the city's first pennant in 17 years, but it was night in and night out during the season that he could be most appreciated, providing highlight reel defensive plays on a pace almost to match the Wizard of Oz. I loved watching the 3-time All-Star and 6-time Gold Glover air out his throws to the plate from center, and he always played a shallow field defying a slugger to chase him back to the wall (or over it) or to cheat a man at the plate.

At bat, he provided the left-handed protection in the lineup first for Mark McGwire, then for Albert Pujols, slugging above the .55o plateau five times. During Edmonds' eight seasons with the club, the Cards posted a combined regular-season record of 736-559, reaching the postseason six times, the World Series twice, and winning it all in 2006. I saw him play in person 52 times, saw him lace 52 hits and drive 16 home runs.

What say you, Bernie Miklasz?:

We're going to miss the ballet in center field, the Jimnastics, the swan dives for the baseball. We'll miss the way he'd jump to his feet to proudly display the grass stains and the dirt that were smeared across his uniform.

We'll miss the theater, and his actor's sense of timing as he tracked that elusive fly ball. The way he envisioned and marked the landing spot ahead of time, knowing just how far he had to go, and arriving just in time to deliver that extra suspense, that extra drama. All of the web gems, the web Jims, he created.

And after crashing to the turf, or into a wall, he'd milk the moment by immediately sinking to his knees, roll over and writhe in pain, going down as if he had just been smacked on the forehead by a wrecking ball. Miraculously, he would rise, and slowly trot back to the Cardinals' dugout, taking a little extra time to let the applause wash over him and heal his bruises, his psyche.

And then there was the swing: so fluid and sweet and so smooth that it did not disturb the summer breeze.


And so the centerfielder leaves for Southern California, where he'll play through the final aches and pains of his career in the warm sun near his birthplace of Fullerton in Orange County. It's not easy for one man to tell another that he loves him, but I love you, Jim Edmonds, and I'm going to miss you terribly.

posted by CM @ 8:45 PM