World Series time!

[scatman77]

OK - enough of the bashing football. It's World Series time!

It comes down to the Cardinals from St. Louis versus the Red Sox of Boston.

Who takes another rings this year and why?

Being a National League man I will root for the Cardinals. Good thing Da Bums didn't make it or I'd be in a quandry. I can still remember my 4th grade teacher in 1964. Mrs. Jane Gill, and at 2:00 all class stopped to gather around her transistor radio to listen to the Cardinals and Yankees. Gibson vs. Ford or Bouton, McCarver, Yogi... Listening to Jack Buck or Phil Rizzuto call the game. That was fun.....

[havefunkc]

Welp - Game #1 tosses first pitch tomorrow night at 8:07 pm on FOX. Fenway will present a great background for the Series as it always does. Say what you will, but baseball in October at Fenway - I would love to be there.

As for the game, and the series itself, this will be as evenly matched as they have been in a while. Boston is favored, but only so slightly. No one is predicting a 4 or 5 game series this year. It could very well go the full 7 and even then, I could see extra innings to decide this year's champs.

How St Louis go here: after taking the NL Central pennant and due to a strong push at the end of the season, they won home-field advantage with the best record in the NL this year. Actually, a nice accomplishment there given three teams out of the Central made the playoffs this year.
In the Divisional Series, the Cardinals (after a small scare from the much-improved Pirates) took the series in 5 games with some strong pitching and timely hitting. Michael Wacha had a statement game in game #4 that changed the momentum around for a groggy Cardinals lineup that finally woke up game 5.
NLCS: Talk about pitching - the Red Birds threw three - yep! Three shutouts against the Dodgers. Think about that for a minute - THREE shutouts in the League Series! Go find out how many times that has been done in the last - forever. Impressive indeed... Has St Louis found their next all-world pitcher in Wacha?

BoSox had it a little easier once they setup shop in first place in the AL East. You have to give credit to a team that didn't win 70 games last year (last place in the East) to Divisional champs the this year. Amazing what impact a manager can have on a team (thank you Bobby V...).
While Boston also won the home-field team with the best record in the AL, you could argue that the RedSox had a little bit of respite in the final week as much of the drama was locked up before the final weekend.
With all the dramatics of paint drying, Boston took the depleted and heavily traveled Rays out in 4 games. The Red Sox scored 26 runs in 4 games (as compared to only 18 in 6 in the ALCS). So you could say the BoSox feasted somewhat on the Rays' pitching.
As for the ALCS: Almost the direct opposite. Boston takes the AL crown in 6 games on timely hitting. Specifically - timely Grand Slams... The Tigers starting pitchers appeared to have the Red Sox betwixt by giving up only 8 runs in the 6 games. But - starters don't last 9 innings too often anymore and the BoSox took advantage of a ragged bullpen to take the AL Pennant. (So long Jim Leyland - your style of managing will be missed indeed...)

World Series: So now we come the end of a long 2013 season. Will the Michael Wacha show dominate the bearded wonders of Beantown? Or will the late inning Grand Slam magic continue for the Red Sox? While I can see this World Series going either way, me thinks the BoSox have a bigger chip on their shoulder. 2012 was a HUGE motivator for this team and while I agree 1000% that the Cardinals had something to prove this year, they didn't come from where the Red Sox did (last year to this year). This team has a lot of hangover from the Bobby V experiment. They want to finish what they started.

Red Sox in 7 games in a closely contested series that could be one of the best in the last 20 years...

Qualifier: I am a NL homer (damnit - the Reds lost again)...

[Apptiger]

OK - enough of the bashing football. It's World Series time!

It comes down to the Cardinals from St. Louis versus the Red Sox of Boston.

Who takes another rings this year and why?

Being a National League man I will root for the Cardinals. Good thing Da Bums didn't make it or I'd be in a quandry. I can still remember my 4th grade teacher in 1964. Mrs. Jane Gill, and at 2:00 all class stopped to gather around her transistor radio to listen to the Cardinals and Yankees. Gibson vs. Ford or Bouton, McCarver, Yogi... Listening to Jack Buck or Phil Rizzuto call the game. That was fun.....

Thanks for the flashback. Head down on desk hiding the earphone wire

[scatman77]

OK - enough of the bashing football. It's World Series time!

It comes down to the Cardinals from St. Louis versus the Red Sox of Boston.

Who takes another rings this year and why?

Being a National League man I will root for the Cardinals. Good thing Da Bums didn't make it or I'd be in a quandry. I can still remember my 4th grade teacher in 1964. Mrs. Jane Gill, and at 2:00 all class stopped to gather around her transistor radio to listen to the Cardinals and Yankees. Gibson vs. Ford or Bouton, McCarver, Yogi... Listening to Jack Buck or Phil Rizzuto call the game. That was fun.....

Thanks for the flashback. Head down on desk hiding the earphone wire

No doubt! Did that myself at times!!

[havefunkc]

In case you missed it... BoSox take game 1 behind an impressive pitching performance by Jon Lester and (surprisingly) sloppy play by the Red Birds... Boston 8 - Cardinals 1

http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=331023102

[havefunkc]

That was weird...

http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=331026124

Cardinals take game 3 and are now up 2 games to 1. Sloppy Series so far. Let's see if the bats and defense start playing like it's the World Series.

[havefunkc]

All tied up at 2 games apiece. Looks like Fenway Park will be the field champs celebrate this year...

http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=331027124

Pitching continues to shine in game 4 except for one 'just missed' pitch Johnny Gomes in the 6th inning that turned into a 3-run home run. (Buchholz was looking like his old self as well. 1-1 going into the 6th.) With the sole exception of Big Papi, Boston bats have been stunningly absent. The Cardinals pitching (6th inning to Gomes the exception) has been impressive. Will it continue for a Red Bird title in Boston or will the Gillete anti-bodies wake up and bring another title to Beantown? Three games left to find out...

[havefunkc]

WHA??? No crazy errors or wachy interference or whatever to win again? Is this the World Series???

Game 4 to the BoSox! Hitting takes another rest to great pitching...

http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=331028124