<Li> The Cardinals finished the 1946 regular season tied for first place in the National League with the Brooklyn Dodgers . However, the Cardinals claimed the pennant by winning the first two games in a best - of - three playoff series . </Li> <Li> The 1946 World Series is best remembered for Enos Slaughter's Mad Dash to score the go - ahead run in the 8th inning of Game 7 . </Li> <Ul> <Li> In 1953 the Cardinals were bought by Anheuser - Busch and Gussie Busch became team president, which he would remain until his death in 1989 . Busch then purchased Sportsman's Park from the rival St. Louis Browns and renamed it Busch Stadium . The Browns would leave St. Louis after the season for Baltimore, Maryland . </Li> <Li> In 1962 the National League increased the schedule from 154 games, which had been established since 1904, to 162 games, where it remains today . </Li> <Li> During the season the Cardinals moved from Busch Stadium I, where they had played since 1920 to Busch Memorial Stadium . </Li> <Li> In 1969 MLB expanded by 4 teams to 12 in each league and split each league into an East and West division, the Cardinals were placed in the National League East . </Li> <Li> The 1972 Major League Baseball strike forced the cancellation of the first seven games (thirteen game - days) of the season . </Li> <Li> The 1981 season was shortened by a player's strike . MLB decided to split the season into two halves with the division winner of each half playing in a Divisional Round of the playoffs . The Cardinals finished with the best overall record in the NL East at 59--43, but they finished in second place in both halves of the season and did not make the playoffs . </Li> <Li> The 1985 World Series, nicknamed the "Show - Me Series" or "I - 70 Series" because it featured two Missouri teams in St. Louis and the Kansas City Royals, is most remembered for The Call in Game 6 . With the Cardinals leading the series 3--2 and Game 6 1--0, they took the field in the 9th inning to claim the championship . Pitcher Todd Worrell faced the Royals Jorge Orta first, Orta hit a slow ground ball to first baseman Jack Clark, who flipped the ball to Worrell at first for the apparent out . However, umpire Don Denkinger called Orta safe and the Cardinals unraveled to lose Game 6 and got blown out in Game 7 . </Li> <Li> The 1994--95 Major League Baseball strike ended the season on August 11 and caused the entire postseason to be cancelled . </Li> <Li> In 1994 MLB split each league into 3 divisions . The Cardinals were placed in the newly created National League Central . </Li> <Li> In 2001 the Cardinals and the Houston Astros tied for first place in the NL Central . Since both teams were assured of a place in the playoffs, MLB declared it a shared championship . Houston was granted the NL Central's position in the playoff bracket by way of a better head - to - head record and St. Louis was given the Wild Card spot . </Li> <Li> The Cardinals began play in the new Busch Stadium in 2006 after 40 years at Busch Memorial Stadium . They became the first team since the 1923 New York Yankees to win the World Series in their first season in a ballpark . </Li> <Li> Major League Baseball considers this to be the Cardinals' official all - time record . MLB does not count the years played in the American Association or post-season games towards the official record . </Li> </Ul> <Li> In 1953 the Cardinals were bought by Anheuser - Busch and Gussie Busch became team president, which he would remain until his death in 1989 . Busch then purchased Sportsman's Park from the rival St. Louis Browns and renamed it Busch Stadium . The Browns would leave St. Louis after the season for Baltimore, Maryland . </Li>

When was the last time the cardinals went to the playoffs