St. Louis Cardinals Comfort Zone

The St. Louis Cardinals are in their third round of the National League playoffs. They are in their third elimination game. They have had their opponent one game away from elimination three different times and failed to advance. Should the defending World Series champions trail in the ninth inning or later of tonight’s Game 7 of the National League Championship Series and be down to their final strike, it would be the third time in the past year the Cards have had their backs against the wall.

THE CARDINALS ARE DOOMED, OR ARE THEY?

In a vacuum, the Cardinals journey in the National League Championship Series looks like wasted opportunities and an omen of doom. St. Louis takes advantage of a light hitting Giants lineup and puts San Francisco into a 3-1 hole with their two best career postseason pitchers, Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter, on the hill for Games 5 and 6.

Barry Zito and Ryan Vogelsong, taking the hill for the Giants in those games, respectively, have their best outings of the postseason at a time when they could ill-afford anything but their absolute best. Now the Giants have their ace, Matt Cain, at home matching wits against the Cardinals best starting pitcher in 2012, Kyle Lohse. Lohse has pitched well in the 2012 playoffs, but has been frequently touched up prior to this year.

Don't get too excited! 3

NINE LIVES

Baseball is not played in a vacuum. Regarding the St. Louis Cardinals recent postseason performances, they appear to have an advantage when their backs are against the wall. Being on the edge of the postseason cliff is beginning to appear like a walk in the park for this team, like they don’t wake up until their season is about to be ended.

This is the same Cardinals team, last season, that was 8½ games back of the Atlanta Braves for the (only) Wild Card spot at the beginning of September. This is the same Cardinals team that trailed the heavily favored Philadelphia Phillies two games to one in the best-of-five 2011 National League Division Series only to rally and win Game 4 at home then go on the road to nip the Phillies, 1-0, in the decisive Game 5. This is the same Cardinals team that was down to its final strike of the season twice in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series, trailing the Texas Rangers three games to two, only to win in extra innings and rout the Rangers in Game 7.

The good fortune extended to 2012, beating the Atlanta Braves in Atlanta in the Wild Card game then coming back from a 6-0 deficit in the deciding Game 5 of the NLDS to beat the Washington Nationals. In short, during the past two postseasons the Cardinals have played in five playoff rounds prior to this NLCS, been one game away from elimination six times, down to their final strike in four at bats, and have safely reached base, survived the elimination game, and won the series each time.



Ask Jayson Werth of the Washington Nationals about dancing on the Cardinals' grave prematurely. 2

WHAT’S PAST IS PAST

While the Cardinals have a track record of surviving the pressure cooker, the only relevant performance, right now, is their performance tonight. Matt Cain vs. Kyle Lohse at AT&T Park in San Francisco is a matchup that would appear to ever so slightly favor the Cain and the Giants. Cain has not been lights out in the playoffs while Lohse (by and large) has been, but Cain has never been rocked while Lohse has only made it to the seventh inning once in his three starts. This means the Cardinals touch and go bullpen will have to come into play.

These dynamics play into the hands of the home team, which gets the final at bat if necessary and has, from top-to-bottom, a better pitching staff. The Giants bats, often flaccid during the regular season, have risen to the occasion this postseason. The Giants know about having their backs against the wall as this will be their sixth game during this postseason in which the Giants have had to win or go home. The scales are very close, but the tipping factors all appear to tip the Giants’ way.

That’s why they play the games. The Cardinals have a longer and deeper recent history of bending in the postseason. Until they break, I expect the Cardinals to win this battle of the last two World Series champions.

Advantage: Cardinals

1

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“I DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT I JUST SAW” - Part 1

October 15, 1988 – The late, great MLB play by play commentator Jack Buck exclaimed these words following the pinch hit, walk off homerun by 1988 National League MVP and current Arizona Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series against the Oakland Athletics. These are simple words. Anyone who understands English knows what they mean. Any English speaker knows that those words express disbelief.

These words were perfect for capturing the moment. Gibson did not have another at bat during the ’88 World Series. He wasn’t expected to appear at all due to a knee injury. Yet there he was, producing one of the iconic moments in baseball history. The crowd at Dodger Stadium was in disbelief out of joy. Fans of the A’s were in disbelief out of shock and disappointment. Remember that 1988 American League MVP Jose Canseco had hit a grand slam earlier in that game to put Oakland in the driver’s seat. Canseco’s Granny was an historical footnote instead of a great moment frozen in time.

DISBELIEF OF JOY

On Friday the St. Louis Cardinals pulled off the most improbable of postseason comebacks ever. I used the word “improbable” as opposed to “unbelievable”. Since September of 2011, the Cardinals have rallied from more than eight games back to snatch the Wild Card berth from the Atlanta Braves, followed by beating the Philadelphia Phillies, with baseball’s best record, in the deciding Game 5 of the National League Divisional Series, followed by being down to their final strike, twice, against the Texas Rangers in the 2011World Series – before a relatively unknown third baseman named David Freese in his second full MLB season pulled the Cards out of the fire. The Cardinals would go on to win in seven games. This was followed up in 2012 by repeating a similar albeit slightly less dramatic path to reach the 2012 NLDS against the Washington Nationals, who also possessed baseball’s best regular season record.

In the deciding Game 5, the Nationals jumped out to a 6-0 lead at home against the Cardinals after three innings. The Cards chipped in a run in the fourth, no big deal. They tacked on two in the fifth, time for Washington to bring in some relief of starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez. It is still a good lead, but the game is not over. Another run scored in the seventh inning; it is starting to become “déjà vu all over again” as Hall of Famer Yogi Berra once said. Daniel Descalso, a relatively unknown second baseman in his second full MLB season, hit a solo homerun to cut it to one. It is written in the cards, pun intended.  

Bryce Harper homered in the 3rd inning of Game 5. The rout appeared to be on. 1

The Nationals answered with an insurance run in the eighth inning to extend their once insurmountable lead to 7-5. In enters relief pitcher Drew Storen. In enters the next footnote in the history of postseason Major League Baseball. Storen allowed a runner to second base, but followed the effort up by picking up a pair of easy outs. The Cardinals trail by two on the road and are down to their final out; things are lining up perfectly for…the Cardinals.

In steps Cardinals All-Star catcher Yadier Molina. Ball…strike…ball…strike…the Cardinals are down to their final strike in defense of their 2011 World Series championship. Molina walks. Last year’s World Series hero David Freese steps up and falls behind 1-2. Freese and the Cardinals are down to their last strike for the second time; they have the Nationals right where they want them. Freese walks. Descalso comes up to bat; the Cardinals travel staff may as well have begun booking their flight to San Francisco for the National League Championship Series. Descalso, in the spirit of Freese in 2011 drives in the tying runs before two more runs are driven in to put the Cardinals ahead for good. The Nationals went out with a whimper, 1-2-3, in the bottom of the 9^th inning.

The Cardinals pulled off the most improbable victory, though with less shock value than would have been expected in the past. Such close calls are becoming a Cardinals trademark. Nationals reliever Drew Storen became a footnote in the historic comeback, as did the Nationals MLB best regular season record in their first playoff series, ever, since moving to Washington, D.C. from Montreal (as the Expos). A great moment in the history of baseball happened that night.

Daniel Descalso assumed the role of previously unknown hero for the Cardinals in 2012. 2

Tuesday: Disbelief of Disgust

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Retweet of the Day - July 18, 2012

The New York Yankees appear to have blown the American League East race wide open. Last night, the Yankees hammered the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-1. This extends their lead in the East over the second place Tampa Bay Rays to a daunting 9.5 games. While the 2011 Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves may beg to differ, it is extremely difficult to overtake a team with a lead of eight or more games (two full, four game series) in a playoff race after the All-Star break.

That said, the 2011 season taught us that no lead is safe until the magic number is reached and a playoff berth is actually clinched. Today's very pragmatic Retweet is from De©epti©on™ (‏@LyfeOfLeone) in response to a very (understandably) excited Yankees fan.


"Its July... U know it dont count til September! RT @MATT_est1987: Best record in baseball #Yankees !!!"

Past American League East leaders are all too familiar with how quickly a big lead can go up in smoke.

Image from www.thediamondsedge.com

One for the Ages

The 2011 World Series was a treat to baseball fans, which have been in need of more treats and fewer tricks. The Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals took their series to seven games, the first time in nine years the World Series was extended to seven games, with more dramatic twists and turns than any viewer could have asked for. For a sport that has suffered from declining playoff television rating and declining interest in its regular season over the past decade, this series is just what the doctor ordered.


MAGIC CARDINALS RIDE

The St. Louis Cardinals path to their 11th World Series Championship looks like it came directly out of a movie script. The Cardinals trailed the Atlanta Braves by more than nine games in September for the final spot in the National League playoffs. They took the lead on the final night of the season on the same night that the Braves were one out away from beating the Philadelphia Phillies and forcing a one game playoff for the Wild Card berth. The Braves would lose in extra innings, sending the Redbirds to the playoffs.

What did the Cardinals get for their valiant effort? The booby prize: a trip to Philadelphia to face the team with baseball’s best record in a best of five series. What was the prize for matching blows with the Phillies to force a fifth game? A return trip to Philadelphia to face Roy Halladay, the best pitcher in the National League…. And how much success would the Cardinals have? They would only score one run. And what good would one run do on the road against baseball’s only hundred-plus win team? Send the Cardinals to the National League Championship Series on the strength of Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter’s complete game shutout.

After disposing the favored Milwaukee Brewers in six games in the NLCS, what is the Cards’ next prize? They get to face the two time American League Champion Texas Rangers, who were either in or near the top 5 in Major League Baseball in almost every major team statistical category for pitching and hitting. After being down to their final strike two times in Game 6, trailing the Rangers three games to two, the Cardinals came back to tie the score not once, but twice before David Freese’s walk-off home run in the 11th inning. The Cards capitalized on their second chance with a 6-2 series clinching victory in Game 7.

Freese-ing a moment in time 1

LONE RANGERS

What of the Texas Rangers? The crushing defeat in Game 6 will be a bitter pill for Rangers manager Ron Washington and his team to swallow and digest over the offseason. However, the Rangers are one of the most talented teams in MLB, with a young core that is expected to remain intact for several years. The Rangers will have as good a chance as any team of winning the American League pennant and becoming three time league champions. They may be one ace pitcher, such as free agent C.C. Sabathia, from being a clear front runner to win the A.L. in 2012. They will have ample opportunities to win the World Series in the future.

Rangers catcher and would-be World Series MVP Mike Napoli's expression after Game 6 was an omen of things to come for the Rangers the following day. 2

SCORE ONE FOR BASEBALL

Baseball has been in need of real, competitive, positive publicity. A dramatic, hyper-competitive seven game signature event, the World Series, provided just that. In the wake of the Cardinals victory on Friday, their manager, Tony LaRussa, announced his retirement from baseball after 33 years in the dugout. The Game 7 win was a fitting send off and a perfect way to mark “The End” of a spectacular World Series script.

Going out on top 3

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A Cardinals Fan's Greatest Night Ever

Here at The Daily Hat Trick, our crack team (which is usually just my half-dozen loyal readers and myself) is constantly trying to monitor what the public thinks. Last night's World Series game was something special. We went to the source of real Cardinals fans to find out what last night meant to them.

No, we didn't fly to St. Louis. We utilized 21st century technology, the Internet! Cardnials fans have a forum at http://www.gatewayredbirds.com/ with a bastion of passionate and informed Cardinals fans. One post, in particular, caught my attention. I felt compelled to share the following, posted by a Gateway Redbirds member using the handle, "longhornbaseball".

FROM "longhornbaseball"

Think of the one event you've always dreamed of attending. Then think of what it would be like if everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, went as perfectly as you could have possibly hoped it would go. I got to experience that last night.

Before Game 6 was canceled, the anticipation of a stormy night caused ticket prices to drop to around $150 on online ticket broker Stubhub, so I called my cousin to see if he could get off work to go to the game that night. He said he couldn't, but that he would see if he could get off for Thursday in the event the game was canceled. It was, and I anxiously anticipated my cousin's call as I watched prices go from a very reasonable $150 to $175...then to $200...then $250 (the Thursday forecast was clear so there was a dramatic increase in demand), until finally he called. He had gotten off, so I bought tickets for around $275 after fees. That night, I was having some buyer's remorse and wondering if spending so much on tickets to one baseball game would really be worth it. I would have that feeling many more times last night.


ARRIVING AT BUSCH

So, we got down to the stadium at around 6:50 and found ourselves amongst literally hundreds of people trying to get inside. For some reason, they don't open all of the entry gates for playoff games, so it takes quite a while to get in. While in line, we met a very intoxicated gentleman from Iowa who enjoyed talking to pretty much anyone who would listen to him. It was entertaining/annoying. Off to the side of the crowd, there were some girls selling Cardinals hats with stuffed animal squirrels glued on to them. My cousin commented that this squirrel [expletive] was getting embarrassing. I agreed. A man in front of us had bought one of the hats, and the drunkard from Iowa asked how much it cost. The guy said "Twenty dollars. Seems like a lot, but I like supporting entrepreneurs." I thought that was funny.


BAD NEWS/GOOD NEWS

After around 20 minutes, we finally got into the stadium and raced up the stairs to our seats in section 429. They were awful. They were on the right field side, directly behind the foul pole, and part of the field was cutoff from view because of the steepness of the stadium. We watched for the first half inning (around 15 minutes) until this guy in a black jacket came walking through the row in front of us and stopped. "Are you My Name?" he asked. "Uh, yeah," I said. At that moment a million thoughts raced through my head, because I thought he was security. Were we in the right seats? Is someone I know hurt? Did I do something wrong? "Come with me, it's something good," he said.

So, we followed him out to the concourse and he said he was from Stubhub, and that because I was such a good customer, he had lower level seats for me. What? Was he serious? "Do you know the stadium well?" he asked. "Which section would you like? I have 135, 139, 147..." Which section would I like? Is this really happening? "Anything with a 1 is good with me," I said. He said, "Great, how about 135?" My cousin started going crazy because he was so happy. At one point he grabbed Mr. Stubhub and hugged him, which was hilarious. So off we went, down to section 135, 12 rows from the field, just in time to see Lance Berkman bat in the bottom of the first inning. Boom. Berkman took the first pitch he saw and crushed it over the left field wall to give the Cards a 2-1 lead. At that moment, I turned to my cousin and said tonight was going to be a good night.


LAST NAME "EVER", FIRST NAME "GREATEST", MIDDLE NAME, "NIGHT"

Never in my life have I been so up, and then so down, and then so up once again, only to face the cold, hard reality that something I loved was probably going to come to an end that night. Then David Freese hit a triple. Unbelievable. Did the Cardinals really just rally to score two runs and tie the game after being down to their last strike in a World Series elimination game? Yes. It was destiny. We were going to win this game. Then Josh Hamilton hit a two run home run. Once again, unbelievable. The air was completely sucked out of the stadium. It was literally the most silent I have ever heard Busch. Complete nothingness. Cold, hard reality smacked me in the face and made me feel stupid for believing in such a silly thing as destiny. Then it happened again. Something that has never occurred before in the entire 107 year history of the World Series. The Cardinals twice came back from a two run deficit to tie the score and extend the game. At this point I had that awful feeling again. Hope. The Cardinals were going to win this game.

Then it happened. The kid who went to high school literally seven miles from my house got to live the dream every boy who has ever picked up a baseball in St. Louis has wished for. David Freese. Bottom of the 11th inning. Game 6 of the World Series. Walk-off home run. Unbelievable.

From a Cards fan's point of view....*

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* Original message board posting used with permission from Gateway Redbirds member, longhornbaseball.

We Will See You Tomorrow Night!

I don’t even know where to begin, Hat Trick Fam. I had originally planned to name this article, “Comedy of Errors” if the Cardinals won. I thought I would include photos of all of the slapstick defensive plays by both teams. Had the Rangers won, the tone of today’s piece would have been more congratulatory. Well, the Cardinals tied the series, 3-3, to force a deciding Game 7 tonight. It...was...epic!

THE UGLY

There were a total of five errors in the game, three by the Cardinals and two by the Rangers. Misplayed ground balls, dropped routine flies, slapstick throws…the score was inflated due to incompetence. There were four unearned runs scored in Game 6, two by each team. Through the early and middle innings, the only factor that stood out was the error factor.

Freese was the Game 6 hero, but he was shaping up into the goat earlier. 1

THE GOOD

The St. Louis Cardinals demonstrated that they had nine lives. Much like their 11th hour clinching of a playoff berth, on the season’s final day, and much like their Game 5 effort against the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Divisional Series, the Cardinals demonstrated that the only time details like the score count is after the game is over. The Cardinals have to be proverbially shot to be killed.

The Cards were (proverbially) stabbed, drawn-and-quartered, and poisoned. The Hat Trick ran an article last month called “Rays-putin”, comparing the Tampa Bay Rays, who were often left for dead in the American League playoff race, to early 20th century Russian monk Grigori Rasputin (see article for further details). I picked the wrong horse. I could re-write that same piece today and insert the Cardinals and their players where I mention the Rays and their players.

The score in this game was either tied or had a lead change hands seven times. The final lead change was third baseman David Freese’s walk-off solo home run. It wasn’t the first.

Once the aforementioned comedy of errors ended, heading into the late innings, Rangers playoff standouts Adrian Beltre, Nelson Cruz, and Ian Kinsler drove in the runs that extended the Rangers lead to (what would normally be) a comfortable three run lead. David Freese, who would finish the evening with seven total bases and three RBIs, drove in the two runs that the Cardinals needed in the bottom of the ninth inning to stay alive.

The Rangers scored two runs in the top of the 10th. The Cardinals answered with two runs in the bottom of the 10th. Back-and-forth…forth-and-back until Freese ended Game 6 in the bottom of the 11th with his homer for the 10-9 victory.

 

Freese redeemed himself. 2

THE BAD

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. For the Cardinals to deliver such a dramatic finish, in victory, to the sporting world, someone has to suffer a similarly heart-wrenching loss. The Rangers blew three save opportunities in Game 6 (Ogando, Feliz, Feldman), a World Series record for a single team in a single game. The Rangers were one strike away from winning the game, and therefore the World Series, twice, in the ninth and tenth innings.

Texas has been the best team in the American League, two years running. They went from upstart in 2010 to primary contender during the 2011 regular season to back-to-back American League champions. The Rangers sought to finish what they started in the World Series last year. Twice, they were on the brink, with champagne on ice in their locker room and plastic sheeting covering the locker stalls and television equipment. All Texas needed was one final strike. It never came.

Scott Feldman after blowing a save in the 10th inning. 3

SEE YOU TONIGHT!

For people who are sports enthusiasts, memories of memorable moments may fade, but never completely disappear. A similar moment in the present may evoke special happenings from the past.

The 1991 World Series between the Atlanta Braves and Minnesota Twins, in which there was no score at the end of the ninth inning of Game 7 and Twins pitcher Jack Morris continued pitching into the 10th en route to a Twins victory, is still (for the moment) the best World Series I have watched in my lifetime. Fox aired a clip of the late Kirby Puckett’s series tying, walk off homerun in Game 6 of that series. As the ball sailed over the outfield wall at the Metrodome, the late Jack Buck, father of last night’s play-by-play announcer Joe Buck, exclaimed, “We will see you tomorrow night!”

That happened 20 years ago, almost to the day. I had forgotten about that little detail, Jack Buck’s call of Puckett’s homer, until the clip was aired last night. It came back to me vividly. As Freese’s homerun was in the process of landing, I knew that Joe Buck was going to copy the sendoff of his father from 20 years earlier. As Joe Buck said, “We will,” he paused, to be sure the hit would be a homer. Then the ball landed. “See you tomorrow night!” said Joe Buck.

History often repeats itself. History often passes from one generation to the next. Often, the repetition of history is regarded as a negative. If you are a fan of baseball…if you are a fan of sports, be thankful for this repeat of history.

"We will see you tomorrow night!" (That would be tonight.) 4

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1) Image from sacbee.com
2, 3, 4) Imgaes from photos.oregonlive.com

1-800-DISCONNECTED

The St. Louis Cardinals fell to the Texas Rangers in Game 5 of the World Series. Nothing odd about that…. It has been a competitive, back-and-forth series. What is odd is the series of events that led to Texas taking the lead for good.

If you did not see the game, the Rangers had two runners on with one out in a 2-2 tie game in the bottom of the 8th inning. Conventional wisdom would dictate that Cardinals closer Jason Motte would be likely to enter the game in such a critical situation. Instead, the Cardinals sent reliever Marc Rzepczynski to the mound.


THIS CALL TO THE BULLPEN SPONSORED BY….

Tony LaRussa has been known throughout his career to micromanage late game situations, especially those involving the bullpen. The red flag has yet to go up in the minds of Cardinals fans. Rzepczynski gave up a go-ahead 2 RBI double to Rangers catcher (and series MVP to date) Mike Napoli. LaRussa signals to the bullpen again. Certainly Motte is on his way out to stop the bleeding and give the Cards their best chance in the 9th. Out from the bullpen trots Lance Lynn…LANCE LYNN????

The seldom used reliever, who only pitched 34.2 innings in the regular season, was not scheduled to pitch last night. What is LaRussa thinking? This must be one of those “gut instincts” by the manager, right?

WRONG! Lynn intentionally walked the first batter he faced and was removed from the game for Motte, who finished the inning. LaRussa’s explanation for the head-scratching chain of events in the Cardinals’ bullpen? The instructions to bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist could not be heard properly over the bullpen phone due to the crowd noise. REALLY?

LaRussa: Lance Lynn?
Lynn: HEY...!
LaRussa: What the f%$& are you doing here?!? 1

THERE’S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING

I’ve been watching baseball for over a quarter century. I thought I had seen every imaginable unusual happenstance in the game. I have seen nothing like this.

I’ve seen the George Brett pine tar incident. I’ve seen the ball rolling through Bill Buckner’s legs. I’ve seen Chuck Knoblauch fake a throw to second base, without having the ball, and make Lonnie Smith hesitate and likely prevent a winning run in a World Series game. I’ve seen Joe Carter’s walk-off. I’ve seen the Steve Bartman fiasco. I’ve seen a team blow a 3-0 series lead in a league championship series. I’ve seen a rainy game halted and resumed the next day (in the rain, again) just to play less than half of a close out World Series game. The wrong reliever was sent out...twice...because the bullpen coach couldn't hear the manager? Baby, I’ve seen everything!

I don't think LaRussa believes his explanation himself. 2

WHAT IF THAT HAPPENED WHEN….

We’ve put a man on the moon. It’s a good thing LaRussa and Lilliquist were not in mission control that day. Neil Armstrong may have been given instructions to head on over to Mars after the moon landing.

God forbid we are ever on the brink of a nuclear act of war. But if we were, how much trouble would we be in with the LaRussa-Lilliquist connection to the red telephone in the President’s office? We may have instructions to bomb Iran and end up wiping out Iraq!

Capital punishment? I guess it depends on your political views. If you are against the death penalty, the Cardinals crack management team could be your heroes! If the governor calls at the last minute, with that caliber of communication, it could be the wrongful execution that ends all executions, because the guy in the chair is gonna get cooked!



LaRussa is not allowed near the red telephone. 3

ALTERNATE SOLUTIONS

In the 19th century and early 20th century, there were no telephones in the bullpen. Managers communicated the old fashioned way: face-to-face. We have some other alternatives like cell phones, text messaging, computers, laptops, iPads, bullhorns, carrier pigeons, American Sign Language and the old message in the bottle. If the instructions seemed unclear or questionable, any of these alternatives could have cleared this up nicely.

But the Cardinals did not get the correct message down to the pen. Now they head back to St. Louis needing back to back wins against a team that hasn’t suffered back to back losses since August. If you are the sponsor of the Cardinals Call to the Bullpen, will you renew the deal next season?

If you can understand this imperfect message, you'd think that Lilliquist could decipher "Motte" from "Lynn". 4

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1) Image from stltoday.com
2) Image from espn.com
3) Image from en.wikipedia.org
4) Image from lowercasel.blogspot.com

2011 World Series Preview

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Another October…another Fall Classic is upon us. This year gives us two very different, almost opposite teams. One team is in the National League, the other is in the American League. One team won its division, leading for most of the season and pulling away in the final two weeks of September. The other was a Wild Card team, mounting a record September comeback and defying seemingly insurmountable odds just to reach the post season, clinching on the most dramatic final regular season day in the history of baseball.

One team is loaded with pitching talent and explosive hitters, from top to bottom. The other is loaded with experienced, reliable hitters, but pitchers who, collectively, did not appear to come to life until the final six weeks of the season. One team has just clinched its second consecutive pennant*; the other had not won a playoff game in 5 years, prior to this postseason. One team has won 10 World Championships. The other team only had one playoff win in its history before 2010. One team is a legacy franchise, in operation since 1882. The other team came into existence in 1961 as the Washington Senators, only to move 11 years later.


ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

Unless you have had zero interest in baseball during the past 20 years, you know that the underdog team with the lasting legacy is the St. Louis Cardinals. The Redbirds story of reaching the playoffs after being more than 10 games back of the Wild Card in August is historic and incredible, to the point where the story sounds like something from a movie script.

Often lost in that story is how the Cardinals took the heavily favored National League East Division champion Philadelphia Phillies to a decisive fifth game in the best-of-five National League Divisional Series. The Phillies, with 102 wins, had the best regular season record in baseball. The Cardinals could only muster a single run against the Phillies, with their ace, Roy Halladay (19-6, 2.35 ERA), on the mound. However, one run was enough as Chris Carpenter, who pitched only four complete games all season, threw a shutout.

One other story that will not go unnoticed is that future Hall of Fame first baseman Albert Pujols (.299, 37 HR, 99 RBI) is in the final year of his contract. With an asking price of $300 million, we may be seeing the last of Prince Albert on his St. Louis throne. The Cardinals success or failure will depend heavily on how consistently Albert can produce in key situations.

Another story is the “Mr. October” story. Every season, one player rises up and is exceptional in the postseason. A journeyman becomes household name, a good player plays like a great player, or a great player becomes legendary. With only two years of service, Cardinals third baseman David Freese (.297, 10 HR, 55 RBI) has been that story in the National League playoffs. Freese is the Cardinals leading hitter in the postseason, with a .425 batting average, 4 home runs, and 14 RBIs in October, including 4 multi-RBI games.

"FREESE IT!" David Freese is emerging as a star in the postseason. 2

TEXAS RANGERS

The Rangers, of course, are the favorites. As underdogs against the New York Yankees in the 2010 American League Championship Series, the Rangers were able to conquer the then-defending world Series champions with smothering pitching and defense. In their four wins over the Detroit Tigers in this year's ALCS, they held the Tigers down with pitching, then beat Detroit senseless with their bats.

Texas is no underdog. They proved, convincingly, that 2010 was no fluke. When challenged by a late season run from the Los Angeles Angels in the American League West Division race, the Rangers stayed with their core strengths and tightened up their loose ends. The Rangers were in the top 6 in the majors for team totals in runs scored, batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage, quality starts, walks and hits per innings pitched, and batting average against. Texas is solid, top-to-bottom and across-the-board.

The Rangers' Mr. October, unequivocally, has been right fielder Nelson Cruz (.263, 29 HR, 87 RBI). Cruz hit 6 home runs and 13 RBIs in the ALCS (including a walk-off grand slam in Game 2), after going 1 for 15 against the Rays in the ALDS. In spite of nearly going 0 for the first round, Cruz's on base plus slugging percentage is over 1.000.

The Rangers have had two heroes out of the bullpen in the postseason. Closer Neftali Feliz (32 saves, 2.74 ERA) has four postseason saves and a postseason ERA barely north of 1.17. Alexi Ogando (13-8, 3.51 ERA) has received relatively little fanfare, but has been the quiet champion of the Rangers' bullpen. Ogando recorded two wins in the ALCS, has a postseason ERA of 0.87 and 12 postseason strikeouts over 10.1 innings pitched.

Cruz hit a walk off grand slam, the first, ever in MLB postseason history in Game 2 of the ALCS.

PLAY BALL!

Because the National League won this year's All-Star Game, the St. Louis Cardinals, champions of the National League, have home field advantage in the best-of-seven World Series. Still, in spite of a valiant effort to come back from a historic deficit in September and clutch performances, thus far, in October, I think the Cardinals may have finally met their match. With a Cinderella storyline, the clock may finally strike midnight as they face a hot Texas team that has no glaring weaknesses.

Still, the games are played for a reason. The stage is set. Someone will go down as World Series Champions and someone will go down as the pennant winning footnote.

Hat Trick Projection: Rangers in 5 games
 
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*Statistics from espn.com and baseballreference.com
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Must See Sports – Second Weekend of October 2011

October is often the busiest month in sports. Major League Baseball’s playoffs are in full swing. The story lines in the NFL season begin to unfold. The NBA season typically starts in October or, minimally, preseason wraps up. October is a great time of the year in sports!


Thursday, October 6

MLB
American League Divisional Series

Detroit Tigers at New York Yankees – Game 5
Doug Fister (11-13, 2.83 ERA) vs Ivan Nova (16-4, 3.70 ERA)

The Yankees survived an elimination game, and a start by A.J. Burnett, in Game 4 to force a deciding Game 5 and move the series back to Yankee Stadium. Frankly, if the Yankees could survive a hostile crowd and Burnett’s pitching contributions, a home game with, who in my opinion is, their second best starting pitcher in Ivan Nova, should be a walk in the park. However, as demonstrated by Burnett’s more than “quality” start on Tuesday night, that is why they play the games.

Fister got off to a horrific start, this season, but then became a lock down starter, winning seven consecutive decisions, in 8 starts, after a 4-13 start to the season. Miguel Cabrera’s bat (.340, 30 HR, 105 RBI) has to wake up if the Tigers are to go on the road and pull of the minor upset. Other than an impressive 3 for 4 performance in the Tigers’ win in

Game 2, Cabrera is hitting .000 in this series. All hands are on deck and Cabrera needs to clean up to give the Tigers an advantage.

Advantages – Game: Yankees, Series: Yankees

The big fella is hungry. Let's just hope he doesn't get "thirsty" before game time. 1

Friday, October 7

MLB
National League Divisional Series

Arizona Diamondbacks at Milwaukee Brewers – Game 5
Ian Kennedy (21-4, 2.88 ERA) - Diamondbacks vs Yovani Gallardo (17-10, 3.52 ERA) - Brewers

Arizona avoided a sweep on Tuesday, in large part due to the heroics of rookie Paul Goldschmidt’s grand slam, butting the Snakes up by six runs and putting Game 3 out of reach of the Brewers. Wednesday was deja vu, with a Ryan Roberts grand slam.

The D-Backs have mounted an impressive recovery from an 0-2 start in the series. Furthermore, they could not be in a better position for a deciding game than to have their ace, Kennedy, on the mound. That said, I simply do not see Milwaukee dropping a Game 5 at home after going up two games to none.

Advantages – Game: Brewers, Series: Brewers

Ryan Roberts of the Diamondbacks celebrates with his team after a grand slam, the second for the Diamondbacks in two nights. 2

St. Louis Cardinals at Philadelphia Phillies – Game 5
Chris Carpenter (11-9, 3.45 ERA) vs Roy Halladay (19-6, 2.35 ERA)

The St. Louis Cardinals made a Cinderella like run to the playoffs with a miraculous September comeback to clinch the Wild Card. Dave Freese hit 4 RBI to help the Cards rally from an early deficit and tie the series, 2-2. They are to be commended for taking the Phillies to the brink. However, “Doc” Halladay gets the ball, so midnight comes on Friday for the Cinderella Cardinals.

Did Cardinals fans get their final look at Albert Pujols at home in Busch Stadium? 3

Saturday, October 8

NCAA Football

#3 Oklahoma Sooners at #11 Texas Longhorns

The Sooners fell two spots in the AP poll through no fault of their own over the past two weeks. It is of minimal consequence, however. As long as Oklahoma continues to win, it will have the opportunity to take the #1 ranking when it counts, at the end of the season.

The Longhorns have reestablished themselves as being among college football's elite. The Horns are surrendering fewer than 15 points per game, earning three of their four wins through four game by more than three touchdowns. Texas will face its toughest test of the year, though, against their Big XII rivals, the Sooners.

The Longhorns have pounded their opponents into submission, averaging 206 rushing yards per game. Texas has a three headed monster of Malcolm Brown (327 yards, 4.9 avg., 1 TD), Foswhitt Whittaker (141 yards, 5.0 avg., 4 TD), and D.J. Monroe (188 yards, 7.9 avg.). Brown is the workhorse and the team's leading rusher. Whittaker has been effective as the Longhorns near the goal line, while Monroe has scattered for big gains in the relatively limited number of opportunities he has had to run the ball.

The Sooners have dominated all of their opponents in all aspects of the game. Their trio of quarterback Landry Jones (1447 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT, 71.6% comp.), running back Dominique Whaley (379 yards, 7 TD, 5.4 avg.), and Heisman hopeful Ryan Broyles (38 rec., 476 yards, 6 TD) has torched opposing defenses to the tune of over 500 yards per game while scoring 43 points per game.

The Red River Rivalry and all of its significance and intensity is back. So are the Longhorns. However, I don't think the Horns or anyone else in the Big XII has what it takes to slow down the Sooners.

Advantage: Oklahoma

Ryan Broyles hopes to duplicate past success against the Longhorns. 4

#17 Florida Gators at #1 LSU Tigers

No Jonathan Brantley plus recovery from Bama ass whoopin' divided by over 90,000 rowdy fans in Tiger Stadium equals no love for the Gators.

Advantage: LSU



#15 Auburn Tigers at #10 Arkansas Razorbacks

This could be a trap game for Arkansas. I personally think that Auburn is overrated and that they are very lucky to only have one loss on the season and still be unbeaten in conference play. To Auburn's credit, it has found ways to win close games, no matter how unimpressive the opponent is. However, lady luck in close games will eventually run out when playing a Southeastern Conference schedule.

The only blemish on Arkansas' record is a loss to (then) #3 Alabama, whom nobody has been able to solve thus far. Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson (1517 yards, 10 TD, 3 INT, 64.5% comp.) leads an offense averaging 472 yards per game, predominantly from the air attack. Wilson's favorite target has been wide receiver Jarius Wright (28 rec., 478 yards, 5 TD), though 15 different Razorbacks have gotten in on the receiving action this season, with six touching pay dirt.

Advantage: Arkansas


MLB
American League Championship Series – Game 1
Texas Rangers vs winner of Yankees/Tigers


Sunday, October 9

NFL

New York Jets (2-2) at New England Patriots (3-1)
This is one of the NFL's more intense rivalries, but both participants are a step behind where many expected them to be, entering week 5. The Patriots have come under criticism for their porous defense. Meanwhile, the Jets have come under fire for, well, everything.

Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez has not been immune from the criticism. His opposing defenses, however, appear to be immune to blocking. Sanchez has been running for his life for much of this season and that came to light, intensely, last Sunday night against the Baltimore Ravens, in an abysmal 11 for 35 performance, in which he was sacked twice and constantly hurried.

The Patriots have been getting absolutely torched defensively. New England is dead last against the pass with a defense that surrenders close to 500 total yards per game. This has to change if the Patriots expect to contend in the AFC East. Still, the Patriots defense was porous last year, coughing up 385 yards per game, and they finished with the best regular season record in the AFC. Given the Jets troubles, and the venue, Foxboro, I expect the Patriots to have the edge.

Advantage: Patriots



CAN'T WAIT! 5

 Green Bay Packers (4-0) at Atlanta Falcons (2-2)

Aaron Rodgers vs Matt Ryan. It sounds great on paper. What transpires on the field may be different. Both teams have good quarterbacks who put up gaudy numbers. Both me are facing defenses that have been susceptible to the pass, especially the Packers, who are dead last in the NFC in pass defense. Still, you have to knock out the champs and the Falcons have not played at a championship level this season.

Advantage: Packers

MLB

National League Championship Series – Game 1
Winner of Brewers/Diamondbacks vs winner of Phillies/Cardinals


American League Championship Series – Game 2
Texas Rangers vs winner of Yankees/Tigers


Monday, October 10

NFL

Chicago Bears (2-2) at Detroit Lions (4-0)

I cannot recall the last time this game was meaningful nor can I recall the last time the Lions were on Monday Night Football. There is a renewed confidence in the Lions that I have not seen since Barry Sanders was there in the 1990s. I don't think I have ever seen a Lions team with this much potential in my entire life.

The Bears woke up and realized that instead of serving quarterback Jay Cutler up as an appetizer for opposing defenses to plow into the ground, it may be a better idea to put the ball in the hands of stud running back Matt Forte. Forte ran for 205 yards and a touchdown last week in a close win over the Carolina Panthers. With Lions defensive tackle Ndomukong Suh functioning as a pass block destroying landmine in the middle, the Bears would be wise to pound and grind against the Lions.

Detroit is finding ways to win, while I am completely unclear on the Bears' offensive identity. I think this game will be low scoring, but ultimately favor the home team at Ford Field.

Advantage: Lions

Here's a little poetry. Ahem.... Jay Cutler wants no deja vu. Can't say the same for Ndomukong Suh. I'll be here all week! 6

MLB

National League Championship Series – Game 2
Winner of Brewers/Diamondbacks vs winner of Phillies/Cardinals


Tuesday, October 11

American League Championship Series – Game 3
Texas Rangers vs winner of Yankees/Tigers


Wednesday, October 12

National League Championship Series – Game 3
Winner of Brewers/Diamondbacks vs winner of Phillies/Cardinals


American League Championship Series – Game 4
Texas Rangers vs winner of Yankees/Tigers

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Baseball’s Greatest Night Ever

The title may appear to be hyperbole. After all, major league baseball is in its 143rd season of existence in America. There have been over 200,000 games played in the history of the major leagues.

Baseball, unlike any other major American sport, has fans and historians who follow the game and know its origins with an academic-like precision. Like many, I was glued to my television set before, during, and after the pivotal ball games. There were many occurrences, on the same night (concluding within the span of a few minutes) that happened for either the first time or had not happened in over a half century. Without question, Wednesday night was the greatest evening of regular season baseball in the history of the sport.

"You don't believe in curses? We'll see about that!" 1

WIN AND LIVE ON

There were four games played that would determine which team would clinch the final Wild Card spot in both the National and American League. The Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox were tied in the AL while the St. Louis Cardinals had rallied to tie Atlanta Braves in the NL heading into the final day of the season. The New York Yankees at Tampa, the Red Sox at the Baltimore Orioles, the Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta, and the Cardinals at the Houston Astros would decide who would and who would not play on after the evening.

The Cardinals took care of business first, then sat back and watched the mayhem. 2

FREE BASEBALL

The walk off hit, in which the game is ended during the final plate appearance, is the most exciting play in a baseball game. They do not happen very often, and they always leave the home crowd with a thrill. Three of the four aforementioned, crucial games ended either with walk off hits or in extra innings. Only the game between the Cardinals and Astros, which the Cards won 8-0, was in the bag before the final swings were taken in the 9th inning.

The Philles nipped the Braves by tying the score in the 9th then taking the lead, 4-3, in the 13th inning. The Orioles beat the Red Sox with a walk off hit to cap a two run 9th inning. The Tampa Bays Rays finished off a historic, miraculous comeback against the Yankees in front of their fans with a walk off home run by Rays third baseman Evan Longoria in the bottom of the 12th inning.

Evan Longoria sends the Rays to the playoffs! 3

MLB HEIMLICH NIGHT

The choke jobs pulled off by multiple teams in one night, resulting in the two biggest September collapses in the history of baseball, taking place in the same season, is unprecedented. I stand to be corrected if anyone can provide evidence to the contrary, but I have yet to see it or hear it from anyone in our modern-day 24 hour news cycle. The Yankees, Braves, and Red Sox all led their opponents with two outs in the opponent’s half of the 9th. The Rays and Orioles were down to their final strike. All three teams on ICU would end up winning.

The most unlikely ending was between the Yankees and Rays. The Rays trailed the Bronx Bombers 7-0 at the start of the 8th inning and the Red Sox appeared to be playing with house money for most of the evening. A Rays loss would ensure the Red Sox no worse than a one game playoff in Tampa yesterday.

In case you didn’t pay your cable bill and just don’t believe in getting your sports news from the Internet, the Rays ripped off a 6 run 8th inning, sparked by a three run home run by Evan Longoria, then, down to their final strike, pinch hitter Dan Johnson (.119, 2 HR, 4 RBI) hit a solo home run to send the game into extra frames. Longoria would cap off the historic comeback with a walk off solo shot in the 12th.

The Yankees, a franchise whose history dates back to the turn of the 20th century, have only allowed two losses, ever, after leading by seven runs in the 8th inning, the last time being in 1953, according to MLB Network. Major League Baseball only had one instance in which a walk off home run in a regular season game clinched a playoff berth, the legendary “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” by Bobby Thomson of the New York Giants in 1951. Baseball fans witnessed sports history last night.

Of course, in the broader scope the bigger historic event was the totality of the Braves and Red Sox surrendering 8.5 and 9 game Wild Card leads, respectively, in a single month of play. No team had ever surrendered a 9 game lead for a playoff spot in the history of baseball. Yet the Red Sox meltdown and the Braves September choke, similar in scope, happened in the same season and concluded within less than an hour of one another.

The Orioles acted like they won the World Series. This was their World Series. A Red Sox player looks on (left). For the Sox, there won't be any World Series this year. 4

FOUR…THREE…TWO…ONE

There were four playoff-deciding games played on Wednesday night. There were three games decided in the bottom of the 9th inning or later. There were two historic September collapses. Wednesday was the one, single greatest night in the history of Major League Baseball.

These fans left Tropicana field early. BOY did they screw up! 5

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The Finish Line

September baseball is often associated with dramatic division races coming down the final week. Managers use every player on their 40 man roster and every trick in the book to win every game…every inning…every pitch. Often, teams that start the month behind the playoff pack by 5 or more games are planning for next year, packing it in and often experimenting with younger players called up from the minors for the month of September.


TALE OF TWO SEPTEMBERS

Instead of the great two way battles in which a half game lead swaps hands multiple times, we have witnessed two brands of playoff chase baseball in the major leagues. One brand is a furious, desperate, never-say-die fight to the bitter end of the regular season by teams that “should” have no chance at reaching the playoffs at the beginning of the month. The other brand is an uninspired, winded run out of gas by teams that appeared to be running away with a playoff spot, only to sputter in September and breathe life into teams left for dead.

Which of these will be put in the closet in October? 1

ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD AND RAYS OF LIGHT

The Los Angeles Angels and Tampa Bay Rays have played themselves into the American League Wild Card race. At the beginning of September, it appeared to be all but certain that the A.L. Wild Card team would be the loser, between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, in the American League East division race. Since then, the Yankees have clinched the A.L. East and the Red Sox began an epic collapse, having lost 16 of their last 21 games as of Thursday morning.

The Red Sox, having just dropped 3 games in a 4 game series with the last place Baltimore Orioles, take on a Yankees team, in a three game weekend series, trying to lock up the best record in the A.L. The Tampa Bays Rays, having just lost a four game series with the Yankees, face a .500-caliber Toronto Blue Jays team this weekend.

The Angeles, who appeared to be on the losing end of the American League West race when the month started, won 7 of 9 to start September and have played themselves to within striking distance of a playoff spot. Unless the Red Sox suddenly discover some divine inspiration in the final week of the season, the Wild Card spot appears highly likely to change hands.

Jered Weaver and the Angels have quietly injected themselves into the Wild Card picture. 2

CARDINAL RULES, GIANT RALLY

When September began, the Atlanta Braves were hopelessly out of the National League East division race, as the Philadelphia Phillies were comfortably ahead of the entire National League. However, the Braves also appeared to be running away with the National League Wild Card, with an 8.5 game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals and a 9.5 game lead over the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants.

After a tailspin that defied logic, losing series to the then sub-.500 Los Angeles Dodgers, the fourth place New York Mets, the last place Florida Marlins and being swept in 3 games by the pursuing Cardinals, the Braves have rolled out a Wild Card road map to the previously stranded Cardinals and Giants. The Braves pitching went from “good” to “mediocre” during the month and its bats, which were below average all season, lost some of the power that it had. The result is a team that cannot put together a winning run at a time when it needs one the most.

The Cardinals, on the other hand, struggled with pitching woes all year long. Having lost ace starting pitcher Adam Wainwright for the season before the season started the Cards struggled with overly generous pitching performances all season long. The expression “better late than never” applies to the Cardinals pitchers, as their ERA is just over 3.00 in September, with a 1.97 ERA in their last seven games, as of Thursday morning. Starters Jaime Garcia and Kyle Lohse have led the September charge with a combined 5-0 record over 7 starts with an ERA under 1.70 and a combined 33 strikeouts as of Thursday morning.

The San Francisco Giants seemingly played themselves out of the playoff race with a complete absence of batting consistency at any level. Trying to make a push, the Giants traded for Carlos Beltran (.304, 20 HR, 82 RBI) from the New York Mets. After missing 13 games in August with an injury, the investment began to pay dividends. Beltran has hit .340 with the Giants. Riding a nine game hitting streak as of Thursday morning, Beltran has helped the defending champs win 9 of their last 10 games and have a chance, albeit a long shot, to return to the postseason.

Carlos Beltran, hitting .340 since coming to San Francisco, is holding up his end of the bargain.  3

A MARATHON WITH A SPRINT TO THE END

It has often been said that Major League Baseball, with its 162 game schedule, is a marathon and not a sprint. I agree with that, except with the proviso that September, necessarily, must be a sprint for any team involved in a pennant race. Major League Baseball, which expands big league rosters to 40 men, recognizes this pivotal and exciting point in the season, giving clubs all of the tools they need for the ultimate chess matches leading into October.

The Angels, Rays, Cardinals, and Giants all appeared to be prepared for their September runs, knowing it would be their only chance to reach the playoffs. It appears that the Red Sox and Braves prepared for marathons from April through August, assuming it would be enough to get them to October. It also appears that they either failed to prepare for or weren’t built for the September sprint.

The goal is to finish first, not lead most of the way. 4

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