In the history of the franchise, no St. Louis Cardinals player has ever hit three walk-off home runs in the same season.
A single player had two game-ending long balls in one year two dozen different times over the years. Stan Musial did it in three different seasons, Jim Edmonds did too. So has Albert Pujols.
Mark McGwire managed the feat only once. Now, Colby Rasmus has joined them.
Of the now 25 occurrences, Rasmus is the youngest in terms of calendar years at the age of 22 and tied for youngest in terms of Major League Baseball experience. Bill Virdon was also a rookie when he hit two walk-off home runs for the 1955 Cardinals.
Rasmus’ second walk-off in his first season was also the most recent appearance by the San Diego Padres Friday’s starting pitcher Clayton Richard. Last Sunday in St. Louis, the Cardinals outfielder homered with one out in the bottom of the ninth against Padres closer Heath Bell, ending the game and cementing the series sweep.
There is still time for Rasmus to hit his third in 2009 and re-write the record book in his very first season. Who knows? Maybe he will do it against Richard or Bell on Friday.
Two walk-off home runs in a season, Cardinals history
| Age | Yrs | Game 1 | Inn | Opp | Score | BI | Final | Game 2 | Inn | Opp | Score | BI | Final | ||
| Pepper | Martin | 29 | 5 | 5/22/1933 | 10 | Bos | 0-0 | 3 | 3-0 | 7/29/1933 | 10 | ChC | 6-6 | 3 | 9-6 |
| Joe | Medwick | 25 | 6 | 6/19/1937 | 9 | Bos | 4-5 | 3 | 7-5 | 7/27/1937 | 9 | NYG | 8-8 | 1 | 9-8 |
| Stan | Musial | 25 | 5 | 7/14/1946 | 12 | Bro | 1-1 | 1 | 2-1 | 8/22/1946 | 12 | Phi | 6-6 | 1 | 7-6 |
| Erv | Dusak | 25 | 3 | 7/16/1946 | 9 | Bro | 2-4 | 3 | 5-4 | 9/24/1946 | 10 | Cin | 1-1 | 1 | 2-1 |
| Stan | Musial | 27 | 7 | 8/26/1948 | 9 | NYG | 5-5 | 2 | 7-5 | 8/28/1948 | 12 | NYG | 4-4 | 1 | 5-4 |
| Enos | Slaughter | 36 | 12 | 6/1/1952 | 9 | NYG | 7-7 | 1 | 8-7 | 9/6/1952 | 10 | Pit | 4-4 | 3 | 7-4 |
| Bill | Virdon | 24 | R | 4/14/1955 | 11 | Mil | 7-7 | 1 | 8-7 | 5/10/1955 | 10 | Phi | 3-3 | 2 | 5-3 |
| Joe | Cunningham | 25 | 3 | 7/28/1957 | 11 | Pit | 8-8 | 1 | 9-8 | 7/30/1957 | 9 | SF | 3-3 | 4 | 7-3 |
| Ken | Boyer | 27 | 4 | 5/31/1958 | 12 | SF | 9-9 | 1 | 10-9 | 6/11/1958 | 12 | Cin | 2-2 | 1 | 3-2 |
| Stan | Musial | 38 | 18 | 5/7/1959 | 9 | ChC | 3-3 | 1 | 4-3 | 8/7/1959 | 9 | Phi | 1-1 | 2 | 3-1 |
| Ken | Boyer | 30 | 7 | 8/8/1961 | 9 | Cin | 5-5 | 1 | 6-5 | 9/14/1961 | 11 | ChC | 5-5 | 1 | 6-5 |
| Darrell | Porter | 32 | 14 | 5/20/1984 | 9 | Cin | 1-2 | 2 | 3-2 | 7/18/1984 | 11 | SF | 4-4 | 4 | 8-4 |
| Jack | Clark | 31 | 13 | 6/18/1987 | 10 | Pit | 6-6 | 2 | 8-6 | 7/10/1987 | 13 | SF | 3-3 | 2 | 7-5 |
| Ray | Lankford | 27 | 5 | 5/10/1994 | 11 | ChC | 6-6 | 1 | 7-6 | 6/4/1994 | 9 | SF | 1-1 | 1 | 2-1 |
| Tom | Pagnozzi | 33 | 10 | 6/1/1996 | 10 | Hou | 4-4 | 1 | 5-4 | 7/21/1996 | 10 | ChC | 5-5 | 1 | 6-5 |
| Willie | McGee | 38 | 16 | 4/8/1997 | 9 | Mon | 1-1 | 1 | 2-1 | 7/2/1997 | 10 | Min | 1-1 | 1 | 2-1 |
| Mark | McGwire | 34 | 14 | 4/2/1998 | 12 | LA | 5-5 | 3 | 8-5 | 7/11/1998 | 11 | Hou | 2-3 | 2 | 4-3 |
| Jim | Edmonds | 30 | 8 | 9/1/2000 | 9 | NYM | 5-5 | 1 | 6-5 | 9/3/2000 | 9 | NYM | 3-3 | 1 | 4-3 |
| Jim | Edmonds | 33 | 11 | 5/1/2003 | 10 | NYM | 5-5 | 1 | 6-5 | 8/21/2003 | 9 | Pit | 3-3 | 3 | 6-3 |
| Albert | Pujols | 23 | 3 | 7/12/2003 | 11 | Pit | 7-7 | 2 | 9-7 | 9/20/2003 | 13 | Hou | 2-2 | 1 | 3-2 |
| Albert | Pujols | 24 | 4 | 6/18/2004 | 10 | Cin | 3-3 | 1 | 4-3 | 8/4/2004 | 9 | Mon | 4-4 | 1 | 5-4 |
| Jim | Edmonds | 34 | 12 | 4/29/2004 | 13 | Phi | 4-4 | 1 | 5-4 | 10/20/2004* | 12 | Hou | 4-4 | 2 | 6-4 |
| Albert | Pujols | 26 | 6 | 4/16/2006 | 9 | Cin | 6-7 | 2 | 8-7 | 7/13/2006 | 14 | LA | 2-2 | 1 | 3-2 |
| Ryan | Ludwick | 29 | 6 | 5/17/2008 | 10 | TB | 8-8 | 1 | 9-8 | 8/5/2008 | 11 | LA | 4-4 | 2 | 6-4 |
| Colby | Rasmus | 22 | R | 7/1/2009 | 10 | SF | 1-1 | 1 | 2-1 | 8/16/2009 | 9 | SD | 4-5 | 2 | 7-5 |
* Post-season
Thanks to Tom Orf for the base stats above.
