This overlooked player's historic season deserves a spot in Cardinals lore

Much as the existence of Santa Claus is a matter of fierce debate in the schoolyard, there has long been similarly lively discussion about whether clutch hitting is a trait that actually exists within a baseball player. The general consensus over the years is that while clutch hitting is a feature one can exhibit, it is not a consistently repeatable skill from season to season.

But when a batter has a season where he consistently comes through in the clutch — and even more so, when multiple hitters on the same team have a season where they execute in high-pressure situations — it's easy to get lost in the magic of what one is witnessing, and it makes for an incredibly enjoyable viewing experience.

I am 30 years old. I was not alive to see the still-mentioned "Whiteyball" St. Louis Cardinals of the 1980s, and my memories of the offensive juggernaut that was the 2004 Cardinals are fuzzy. But a team I remember in vivid detail as the most exciting club I've ever witnessed is the 2013 Cardinals.

The clutch that the Cardinals showcased in 2013 is impossible to overstate. The team set the all-time record for batting average with runners in scoring position since the stat began being calculated in 1974, at an astronomical .330 on the season. Matt Carpenter hit a blistering .388 on the season with runners in scoring position. Matt Holliday eclipsed that, hitting .390. But the motor of the Cardinals' incredibly clutch offense in 2013 hit .454 in those situations, owning 59 hits in 130 at-bats. It's the third-highest average with runners in scoring position in recorded history, behind Hall of Famer George Brett's .469 average in 1980 and fellow Cooperstown inductee Tony Gwynn's .458 average in 1997. So one would assume this season also comes from a player who has or will soon possess a Hall of Fame plaque, right? Not so fast.

Gather 'round, children, and let me tell you the story of Allen Craig.

At the start of the 2013 season, Craig had entrenched himself as the Cardinals' starting first baseman after the departure of Lance Berkman in free agency. Craig was coming off of a solid 2012 season, where he hit .307 with an .876 OPS and finished 19th in MVP voting. During spring training of 2013, the Cardinals announced that they had signed Craig to a five-year contract with a team option for a sixth season. It seemed that his long-term contract was going to bear boundless fruit, as Craig proceeded to embark on his historic season while batting in the cleanup spot until a foot injury on Sept. 4 ended his season prematurely.

The question in fans' minds was whether Craig would return at some point in the postseason. He was unable to play in the NLDS against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he was also inactive for the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He returned for the World Series, serving as a pinch-hitter and road-game designated hitter only, as his injury had not healed enough for him to play in the field. In the Fall Classic, Craig was a solid 6-for-16, although he might be most remembered for scoring the winning run in Game 3 on an obstruction call.

Craig's attempt to hurry back from his injury in time for the World Series may have cost him his career. He hit just .237 with the Cardinals in 2014 before being shipped off to the Boston Red Sox at the trade deadline, and a week later, he fell victim to a foot sprain that was likely a result of the previous injury not healing completely. In his time with Boston that season, Craig hit an anemic .128 with a .425 OPS, and he hit just .152 in 36 games in 2015.

Craig latched on with the San Diego Padres in 2018 and played a year with their Triple-A squad before being released and choosing to retire. It was a disappointing end to a career that held so much promise.

The illustrious past of the Cardinals includes legends such as Rogers Hornsby, Stan Musial, Ozzie Smith and Albert Pujols. Their accomplishments rightly receive praise and adoration around Cardinal Nation, but Craig's ability in 2013 to come through in pressure situations time and time again on the road to finishing with the third-best mark in recorded baseball history should be remembered as one of the craziest and most impressive accomplishments that a Cardinals player has ever boasted.