Top 10 postseason moments etched in St. Louis Cardinals lore

4. Bob Gibson fans 17 batters in World Series Game 1 (1968)

In the Year of the Pitcher, Bob Gibson stood above everyone else as the premier hurler in the sport. His infinitesimal 1.12 ERA was the best in the game, as were his 13 shutouts. He would add another to his ledger in Game 1, as he squared off against the Detroit Tigers' ace, the 31-6 Denny McLain.

Gibson proceeded to pitch one of the most masterful games in postseason history. He blanked the Tigers, surrendering no runs on five hits, and his 17 strikeouts still stands as an all-time postseason record, breaking that of Sandy Koufax's 16 in the 1963 World Series.

The Cardinals would unfortunately lose the series in seven games, in large part because of Tigers pitcher Mickey Lolich's three complete-game victories, but Gibson's performance in Game 1 and over the entire season remains one of the most dominant in history.

3. Ozzie Smith's walk-off NLCS Game 5 blast (1985)

Ozzie Smith was incomparable in the field, winning 13 consecutive Gold Glove Awards in his career at shortstop. He was less apt at the plate, although he turned himself into a respectable hitter over time. However, power was never a part of Smith's game, which makes his clutch moment in the 1985 NLCS even more remarkable.

With the score tied at two apiece in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 5, the Los Angeles Dodgers brought in the closer, Tom Niedenfuer. After a popout from Willie McGee, the Wizard of Oz, one of the 13 career home runs in eight seasons to that point, dug into the batter's box.

Since Niedenfuer was a right-handed pitcher, the switch-hitting Smith batted from the left side — the side he had never hit a home run from. But Smith laced a fastball down the right field line to send the Cardinals to Game 6. Perhaps the only moment from that game more memorable than the home run was the call from KMOX radio broadcaster Jack Buck: "Go crazy, folks! Go crazy!"