Game 1

Okay, I officially declare this week to be 'World Series' week on my blog. I'll finish up my Disney Trip Report next week... Considering that I've had more comments on my congratulatory post to the Cards than I have on just about any other post I've written... I thought I'd go this direction for awhile.

Here are just a few thoughts from last night's game: First... to Keith Law and that idiot that wrote the Tigers would win in three and that the hardest thing for the Tigers to accomplish in this series is to keep a straight face:

Were the Cardinals bad in regular season? Yes and No. They had two eight game losing streaks and one seven game losing streak. That is a total of 0-23. They finished five games above .500... which means that if you take those prolonged streaks out of the equation, they played 28 games above .500.

The core of this team is still intact from the last two seasons when they won 100 games or more. Yes, they won 83 games all year... yes, that is pathetic... but it was enough... and it is irritating to hear media guys pass the Cards off as some minor league team. Last time I checked we had the reigning MVP and the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner. Last I checked, we had glove glovers in center and third... and probably future gold glovers at first and catcher.

I'm not saying that the Cards are going to win this series. But they will, at very least, put up a fight.

Last night's game was fun for me to watch. Rolen's homer was a good sign. The Tigers actually pitching to Pujols is a good sign... though I don't expect it to last. Edmonds got a couple of hits. Anthony Reyes was stellar. He was supposed to be a 'throw away' starter... only starting game one because every one else had taken a turn in the NLCS. Coming into the series... I wanted the Cards to steal one in Detroit... and I thought their best chance would be game two... so now I'm greedy would love to take both.

One observation I made about the Tigers last night... their line up is deeper than the Mets... but the Mets had scarier hitters. I wasn't near as nervous when the middle of the Tigers order came up than I was with the Mets. Of course that might have been because none of the Tigers' hitters were patient last night... and most of them had the whole infield pop fly down pretty good.

However, the Cards have big time trouble with hitting finesse left handers. Rogers is among the best of those. I predict that we'll score less runs than last night and the Tigers will score more. We'll see what happens...