It's time for the Cardinals to put this World Series hero in the Hall of Fame

The St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame is getting quite full. For a franchise as storied as St. Louis's, it's reasonable to expect several players being enshrined in organizational history. There is still one player who isn't a Red Jacket recipient who is more than deserving of that honor.

David Eckstein wasn't a household name for people outside of St. Louis and the surrounding area prior to the 2006 World Series. He had been with the Cardinals for only two seasons, and despite being an All-Star in each, he was an underrated player across the league. He had a cumulative batting average of .293 in his first two years in St. Louis, but his .373 slugging percentage and 91 OPS+ are indicators of his below-average offensive output.

However, fewer players worked harder than Eckstein, and his defensive abilities and tendency to draw the walk and not strike out made him a local fan favorite and a glue guy in the clubhouse.

David Eckstein deserves to be in the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame.

David Eckstein was a hero during the 2006 World Series, and his nomination as the Most Valuable Player that year proves his efforts. The diminutive infielder's gritty mentality made him a vital part of the team that year.

Eckstein went 0-11 in the first two games of the series, but he very quickly turned it around after that. He would finish the series with a .364 batting average, three doubles, and four runs batted in. Eckstein would go 8-for-13 in his final three games for a .615 batting average. Being at Busch Stadium was certainly comforting for Eckstein.

His most impressive game in the 2006 World Series was Game 4 when he went 4-for-5 with three doubles and two RBIs to help the Cardinals defeat the Detroit Tigers 5-4.

Eckstein became a cult hero and fan favorite for the Cardinals during his short tenure in St. Louis. He's still popular to this day, and he's beloved by Cardinal Nation.

In 2023, third baseman a different World Series hero declined induction into the Cardinals Hall of Fame. David Freese, a local to St. Louis, was elected to the Hall of Fame, but he declined this honor. "This is something that I have given an extreme amount of thought to, humbly, even before the voting process began," said Freese. "I'm especially sorry to the fans that took the time to cast their votes. Cardinals Nation is basically the reason why I've unfortunately waited so long for this decision and made it more of a headache for so many people."

While Eckstein doesn't have the singular moment that Freese had, he was still a World Series hero in the same vein. He hasn't been nominated for the Cardinals Hall of Fame yet, but hopefully he gets the nod in the near future.

The next round of players to be inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame will include Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols. These two greats will be inducted on September 12th this year. Hopefully, David Eckstein will get his chance to don a Red Jacket in the near future.

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