St. Louis first baseman Albert Pujols, left, with his son, A.J. Alberto Jr., on his shoulders, holds the World Series trophy with Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, right, and general manager Walt Jocketty, center. The Cards won their 10th Series title Friday night in St. Louis.

St. Louis ? David Eckstein took his mom to dinner at the White House, made a believer of Barry Bonds and got married at Walt Disney World.

To Tigers manager Jim Leyland, the 5-foot-7 shortstop looks like a “cute, little kid.”

Make that a World Series MVP, too.

Call Eckstein lucky or charmed or whatever, the St. Louis Cardinals were glad that baseball’s biggest little man was on their side.

“It was unreal out there,” he told the roaring crowd Friday night. “We got ourselves a championship.”

Eckstein struggled to an 0-for-11 start in the Series. But showing the true spirit of St. Louis, the blond wonder boy came on strong.

He hit three doubles and a single to win Game 4, then singled twice and drove in two runs in Game 5 as St. Louis beat Detroit, 4-2, to clinch the title.

Eckstein finished 8-for-22, driving in four runs and scoring three.

“When you suit up in spring training, your main goal is to win a world championship. That’s all you play for,” he said. “All the little things that you do to get to this situation are well worth it.”

St. Louis' Scott Spiezio (26) and Series MVP David Eckstein celebrate the Cardinals' victory. The Cards defeated the Detroit Tigers, 4-2, on Friday night in St. Louis to win the Series, 4-1.

When the game ended, he hugged every player in the middle of the diamond – and got hoisted off the ground by manager Tony La Russa and most of his teammates.

Then it was Eckstein’s turn to lift the MVP trophy and get the prize that comes with it: keys to a spanking new, bright yellow Corvette. When the car was wheeled onto the field, it came to a stop right near the spot where Eckstein plays.

“This is my first car I can call my own from the beginning,” he told the fans.

A fairy tale, maybe, and fitting. He married actress Ashley Drane – she’s been on “That ’70s Show” and “That’s So Raven” – last November and their wedding reception featured an Alice in Wonderland theme.

A real-life whirlybird, Eckstein is a perpetual-motion machine when he comes to the plate. Waving the bat over his head and around his back, he never stops in the on-deck circle.

In the field, he’s always moving around, too. And it seems to take every ounce of his energy to make the throw from deep in the hole.

“Whenever David is playing, there is absolutely no doubt that our club responds to how hard he plays,” La Russa said. “He is a wonderful leader.”