The Memphis Redbirds, AAA minor league baseball team affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals, had a memorable 2009 season. The team finished the regular season with a record of 77-67 and earned their first playoff berth in ten years. The Redbirds flew into the playoffs on the strength of a strong finish to the regular season, and their hot streak continued with a three-game sweep of Albuquerque in the semifinals; clinching the American Conference division title. They advanced as underdogs to face the Sacramento River Cats (a perennial powerhouse defending their consecutive PCL titles). The Redbirds rose to the occasion, completing a series sweep to become the 2009 Pacific Coast League Champions. It was the second PCL Championship since the team’s inception in 1998. On another impressive note, the Redbirds donated more than $5 million to charity in their first eight years and remains one of the only professional sports franchises to be recognized as a charity by the Internal Revenue Service.
