ST. LOUIS — Those massive home runs that Albert Pujols hit at Rangers Ballpark, they’ll be rattling around for years to come. Same goes for those long drives that Mike Napoli delivered.

A huge swing or two or three, a masterful job on the mound, a sparkling play in the field can do more than win a World Series game. They can create a legacy that lasts forever.

Just ask “Mr. October.”

“It absolutely can define a career,” Reggie Jackson said by telephone this week. “I’m not saying whether that’s right or wrong, but that’s how it happens.”

Every fall, in fact. Someone steps up — maybe a monster talent like Pujols, perhaps a good player like Napoli given a chance when the stars align. Might even be a fringe guy — Allen Craig for St. Louis this year, Cody Ross for San Francisco the last time around.

Napoli and the Texas Rangers can close out the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 6 at Busch Stadium on Wednesday night.