Another season in the books. Congrats to the Cards, the unlikely champs in what proved to be an exciting season. And what an October.
But we do this 365 around these parts and cover so much more than baseball. We’ll have Hot Stove and all sorts of goodness for you. Keep comin’ back.
[Photo Credit: Joe Martz]
Congrats to whoever predicted an unlikely World Series MVP as well.
I'm with Cult, I dislike just about everything about Texas, so this was the fun outcome.
Congrats to the Cards, but screw them too. Any franchise that's beaten the Yankees, and rolled over for the Red Sox in the WS is not one that I can root for. Would have rather seen a team that's never won it before get it done.
I was pulling for Texas, but it really annoys me that the 2011 Cardinals will forever be remembered as champions. They had the 4th best record in the NL, finished 6 back in their own division, and were 12 games behind the Phillies. A team like that doesn't belong in the postseason to begin with. I hate the wildcard.
[3] I dont mind a wild card team winning the WS but I think home field advantage should go to the team with the better record. The Cards benefitted being home for games 6 & 7, and that doesn't seem right to me.
It's the NHL-ization of the playoffs, which we're already several years into. It makes for a very exciting post-season, but you're going to see the best team win it all infrequently. It does happen though - look at the '09 Yanks or the '07 Bosox.
[4] and [5] Agreed.
The All-Star Game winner deciding home-field advantage for the Series is horse puckey. As Buck pointed out last night, Fielder was to thank for that, hitting a HR off Wilson (I didn't see it). Kind of amusing. If it were me, I'd change everything: No Wild Cards, all best of 7 series, hf advantage to the teams with the best records. I'd also change the current scheduling and have more interleague play and do away with the DH. I live between St. Louis and Dallas and get really tired of watching the crap AL West teams, or worse, seeing the Cards play the Astros or Pirates about 35 times. The Pirates were slightly less embarrassing this year. It would be really cool to see the Cards, Cubs, or Reds play the Yankees or Red Sox more often, either home or away.
Bottom line, Texas would have won had they played at home for the first and last games. And Cruz should have been replaced before the end of Game 6. Freese's ball caught, game over.
I know he was hurtin', but Cruz blew the play that cost them the series. Even Freese said he thought the ball was caught. The replay shows Cruz going back casually. I don't think it was his injury, but just mis-judgement. A guy with 2 broken legs will still run full-out when you are talking about that situation... the out that wins the WS, as opposed to letting the other team tie it.
You guys watch the replay.
Seems to me he thought he had it.