Ludwick fulfills lifelong goal, seeks more

LOS ANGELES -- A season ago, Ryan Ludwick achieved just about everything a ballplayer in his shoes could want. He established himself as a Major Leaguer, in an organization where he felt valued. He earned his first seven-figure payday. A former hot-shot prospect, Ludwick was thrilled to have arrived after trying for six years to get a foothold.

Cardinals at a glance 2009 record: 91-71 2008 record: 86-76 NL Central champs WHO ARE THESE GUYS? • McClellan: Hometown boy • Cards: Shaking off walk-off • Ludwick: Dream fulfilled • Hawksworth: On way up • Ryan: Playing it cool • Pujols: Ready for fun stuff • Wainwright: Proud, durable • Holliday: Kids' play • Pujols: Triple Crown? • La Russa: 14th postseason • Carpenter: Heart of staff • Pujols: Eschewing rest • Holliday: A perfect fit • Carpenter: Ready to go • La Russa: Getting proactive • Wainwright: Apt pupil • Pujols: His place in history? • Pujols: The evolution • Holliday: Offensive spark • La Russa: Controls fate • Pujols: MVP No. 3? • Wainwright: Mr. Consistent • La Russa: Winning cures all • Carpenter: A go Game 1 • Holliday: Big impact • Wainwright: Cy in cards? More Cardinals coverage • After going all-in, Cards mull 2010 Cards outperformed by robust foe Postseason comes to abrupt end Holliday welcomed warmly despite gaffe Cards look to '04 for motivation Miscue doesn't diminish Holliday's value Holliday joins long line of 'goats' Cards must cash in to save season Wainwright's gem spoiled in errant ninth Under radar, Pineiro a rock for Cards Cards focused, but history against them Wainwright's outing inspires awe Cards' stars frustrated in LA opener Short turnaround awaits Cards, Dodgers Clubs set left-on-base mark in Game 1 Wainwright has experience on his side Rookie relievers fill out roster Carpenter takes long road back to NLDS A whole new season for Cards, Dodgers La Russa, Torre collide in postseason Stability breeds chances for Cardinals NLDS is Pujols' first step toward goal With loss, Cards must pack bags for NLDS Wainwright denied 20th victory Carpenter's grand slam helps rout Reds Smoltz struggles in Cincy Homer bug bites Pineiro against Reds Dinged Ryan, Molina get night off Glaus returns; at-bats could be sparse Cards drop series finale to Rockies NL Central crown secured Wainwright wins 19th in clincher Cards look beyond Central title Cards can't nail down clinch, fall to Rox Pujols is TSN's Player of the Decade Magic number drops to one, despite loss Rout of Astros puts magic number at two DeRosa helps Cards trim magic number La Russa shuffles rotation for weekend Cards appear built for deep playoff run Bats, bullpen pick up Wellemeyer Lohse OK, set for return Smoltz says shoulder feels better

One thing was still missing, though, and he reached it this week. Ludwick is in his first Major League postseason, 10 years after he signed a professional contract as a second-round Draft pick of the A's.

"It took me a long time, even getting to the big leagues," Ludwick said. "It's been a wild ride since I came here to St. Louis. A lot of things have happened in a positive direction. And getting to the postseason I always said was kind of going to be the icing on the cake. Well, obviously we're here now and no one wants to go home. I think the icing on the cake obviously now would be getting to the World Series."

Now he wants more. Ludwick had two hits in his first playoff game, and he was inches -- if that -- from what would have been a huge hit. Except for a frustrating outcome in the 5-3 Game 1 loss to the Dodgers, his postseason debut was everything he hoped it would be.

"It was an unbelievable atmosphere," he said. "I was extremely excited. I think if you're not a little bit nervous there's something wrong. But I think you can obviously take that nervousness and turn it into a positive. There's no doubt I was ready to play, and there's no doubt in my mind that everyone on our team was ready to play. Obviously, the end result wasn't what we wanted, but here we are, Game 2, with a chance to even things up and go back to St. Louis."

As for that almost, Ludwick isn't dwelling on it. His line drive into the left-field corner in the fourth inning was ruled to have landed barely foul, depriving him of what would have been a two- or three-run double. Replays were hard to find, and Ludwick said he never got a really conclusive view of whether the ball clipped the foul line.

"When I hit it, I came out of the box fairly slowly, kind of watching it," he admitted. "I knew Manny [Ramirez] wasn't going to get there. But when I hit it, it was one of those balls kind of where I knew I had gotten around the ball a little bit. I was out in front. It seemed to be hooking quite a bit. I thought it was going to be a lot further foul than it was. It ended up straightening up. That's when I started taking off running a little bit more."

He and manager Tony La Russa both acknowledged the play could have been a turning point, but focused instead on what's ahead rather than what has already happened.

"I know it was close," La Russa said.

"What if? I mean, that's just that's baseball."