Matt Adams ceremony points to Cardinals' decade-long dearth of playoff moments

When the St. Louis Cardinals celebrate the accomplishments of Matt Adams on Sept. 18 after signing him to a one-day contract to have him retire with the team, it will be a joyous occasion for the former first baseman affectionately deemed "Big City." Adams socked a memorable home run against Clayton Kershaw in Game 4 of the 2014 NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the ceremony hammers home the troubling thought that it has been 11 years since Adams delivered the Cardinals' last noteworthy postseason moment.

Adams was a decent player with St. Louis, holding a Baseball Reference WAR of 3.3 in seven seasons with the team, but were it not for his heroics in that game, it's difficult to believe that this event would be taking place. With the Cardinals deep in the doldrums as they strive to finish 2024 with a record over .500, they are clearly hoping that this retirement celebration will lure fans to Busch Stadium. 

Adams represents the last of who could be considered postseason success stories for the Cardinals, and the team knows that it's likely to be a long wait for the next player to come along and be etched in team lore. The only active players remaining from the 2013 Cardinals are Matt Carpenter, Lance Lynn, Michael Wacha and Joe Kelly, and none of them left a mark in the postseason the way Adams did.

David Freese was the perfect story as the local product who emerged as a World Series hero in 2011, and he was voted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame, although he declined the induction. Adams' playoff accomplishments obviously pale in comparison to those of Freese, but it wouldn't be a shock to see the Cardinals attempt to enshrine him in their Hall of Fame as well as the team scrambles to find more worthy candidates for induction.

This celebration is not a result of Adams' career. It's because of one signature moment, and while that may have enticed fans to flock to the ballpark if that moment were historic like Freese's, the main message the Cardinals are delivering with the ceremony is that the pickings are becoming increasingly slim when it comes to players whom the team can trot out for nostalgic postseason memories.