OT - MLB - Cardinals Get Their 2011 World Series Rings w/Memorable Critter as Bonus

Cardinals Add 'Rally Squirrel' To World Series Rings

St. Louis' championship rings were released this past weekend, and the squirrel wasn't the only unique feature.

http://www.craveonline.com/sports/articles/186897-cardinals-add-ral...

April 17, 2012

If you followed the Cardinals' unlikely, magical championship run last October, then you're well aware of the emergence of the rally squirrel; the furry little critter that not only appeared pre-game, but ran across home plate during a Roy Oswalt vs. Skip Schumaker face-off at the plate during the NLDS series.

Because the Cardinals seemingly won every game in which their little bushy tailed friend made an appearance in-game, fans and players alike embraced their good luck charm.

Signs of the rally squirrel were made by fans throughout the stadium, pitcher Octavio Dotel wore a stuffed version of their friend on his hat during the championship parade in downtown St. Louis, and even Topps' baseball card of Skip Schumaker features the squirrel hoping across home plate while the second baseman is at-bat, instead of featuring the second baseman himself (image below).

Well now the rally squirrel is forever engraved into Cardinals folklore in their World Series rings -- rings that were also given out to fans in replica fashion this past weekend.

You can see the furry guy wedged between the "STL" logo and the crest of the bats and home plate featuring Chris Carpenter's No. 29.

But the uniqueness of the Cardinals' 2011 World Series rings doesn't stop there.

On the inside of the ring, the words "Happy Flight" are engraved. The term was coined by shortstop Rafael Furcal around the time of the beginning of the playoffs because St. Louis had a knack for winning games in which they had an immediate flight out of town afterwards -- therefore, while boarding, they wanted to be in a good mood coming off a win, thus having a 'happy flight.'

You can also see where there is detail on the inside of the ring where the logos of the Phillies, Brewers and Rangers are all engraved with the results from each series.

Photo Credits: Jostens via JoeSportsFan, St. Louis Cardinals

Josh Helmuth is the sports editor and lead baseball writer for CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @JHelmuth or subscribe at Facebook.com/CraveOnlineSports.