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On Monday, we kicked off the 2015 SB Nation MLB Awards with the voting for the hitter of the year and continued the festivities on Tuesday with the pitcher of the year voting. Feel free to submit your vote if you have not already. Today we get into the team specific stuff with the Cardinals defensive play of the year.
Are great defensive plays born or made? A spectacular play can boggle the mind and induce feelings of wonder and awe, but if it occurs in the eighth inning of a 9-0 game, is it really that special? This is the question I had to face when selecting some of these nominees. It was not an easy process.
My search began at MLB Video with "Cardinals defense". From there, I examined all the videos that featured some sort of defensive excellence. Then I had to limit the number of Jason Heyward plays, which was difficult. I ended up with six total entries instead of five, and then included some honorable mentions at the bottom for fun.
If you think I happened to miss some, well...
that is just too damn bad.
To the nominees!
Carlos Martinez defies logic, gravity
The Situation:
El Gallo had been cruising until he ran into trouble. The game is knotted at one with two on and none out in the bottom of the sixth. Then this happens.
Jason Heyward saves the day
The Situation:
The Cardinals are in a dogfight down the stretch for the NL Central title. They lead the Cubs by one in the bottom of the eighth with the bases loaded and no outs.
Tony Cruz throws someone out
The Situation:
Unfortunately when Heyward saved the day Yadier Molina was injured in the process. An inning later, with the Birdos still clinging to a one-run lead, his replacement is tested by Quintin Berry,
Kolten Wong's nice stop
The Situation:
The Cardinals are up 5-0 in the third, but this is just a damn good play by Kolten Wong.
The Jason Heyward Slip-N-Slide Catch
The Situation:
There is one out in the top of the first, but, oh, come on, you knew this one was going to be here.
Yadier Molina finally nabs Billy Hamilton
The Situation:
The Cardinals are up on the Reds 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh. Billy Hamilton is on first. Yadier Molina is behind the plate. Hamilton has four steals on Yadi. Yadi has caught him zero times. That changes here.
The Most Honorable Mentions:
Carlos Martinez knocks down the grounder, spins, backhands, gets Brandon Phillips out at second.
Stephen Piscotty robs Jean Segura
Randal Grichuk robs Michael McKenry
Jason Heyward with the no-look catch
Greg Garcia makes a great diving stop to beat a DIVING SKIP SCHUMAKER to first:
The Least Honorable Mention:
Good grief I still cannot believe this happened.
Vote below!