"It’s All In The Cards"

Congratulations to the Cardinals of St. Louis for knocking off the Tigers in five. Lest no one forget, St. Louis won a paltry 83 regular season games, the lowest of any World Series champion in history. The Red Sox had a better record and finished in third place in their division. Perhaps this trivializes the effect of the long schedule, or it speaks of a team that persevered and got hot at exactly the right time. Perhaps there’s a lesson for everyone in the value of simply hanging in there.

Maybe déja vu really exists. In Game 7 of the ’68 Series, the game turned in Detroit’s favor when (in a scoreless tie in the seventh) Curt Flood slipped and fell trying to chase a fly to deep center. The seminal moment for this Series came in Game 4 when Curtis Granderson slipped and fell while chasing after Eckstein’s fly to center. The similarities were eerie indeed. Other than that, the tale of this Series was the Tigers’ dreadful fielding. Eight errors (and every once came back to haunt) in five games suggests that the pressure of being on the Big Stage may have been too much for the mostly young Tigers. They didn’t hit at all. Polanco (a guy that’s an integral cog to the offense) was 0-16. If your team can’t hit or field in the clutch, game’s over.

The core group of the Cards has been here before and know how to win. Baseball fans should be happy for Pujols, Edmonds, Rolen and Eckstein. The first three now have a ring to go along with their tremendous accomplishments. Eckstein now has two rings and a Series MVP. Not bad for a kid who the infamous Duquette allowed to slip out of the Red Sox system. Had "Dauntless Dan" not foolishly placed him on waivers in August, 2000 (where the Angels scooped him from the wire in about eight seconds), it’s hard to say whether the Red Sox would’ve gone through a merry-go-round at shortstop. The way Eckstein plays, he would’ve been beloved in Boston.
Congratulations to the Tigers as well. The rest of the American League ought to be afraid, very afraid of what the Tigers will do in ’07. With a pitching staff that is the envy of baseball, great management and veteran every day players, they have to be considered favorites coming out of the gate.

Last of all, congratulations to the good folk of St. Louis. Having recently been classified as America’s "Most Dangerous City" the populace is surely in need of some cheer. The Cardinals are the class of the National League. Throughout the 20th Century and now into the next, their all-time great players are legends in the history of baseball, and their fans are legion throughout America. This is their 10th World Championship, second only to the Yankees. This year’s edition is synonymous with perseverance.

…the GM meetings are in two weeks, so as the temperatures are starting to drop, the Hot Stove is getting warm. Go Red Sox!