Red October

“They just…won’t…go…away.” – Joe Buck, Game 6, 2011 World Series

Sports fans, when I think about this years MLB Division series, only one word comes to mind.

EPIC.

Postseason baseball is full of stories. You had the Moneyball Athletics fighting for a chance to advance. The Nationals bringing DC it’s first posteason baseball in decades. The Yankees pulling A-Rod for Ibanez which may go down as the best decision they made this postseason. The San Franciscio Giants losing 2 in a row at home, only to go into Cincinnati and win 3 in a row on the road to advance to the NLCS.

And then…there was Friday night.

I’m still in shock. Did last night really happen? I think most people are asking that question, especially Nationals fans.

The Cardinals had ace Wainwright on the mound for game 5. Cardinals fans felt pretty good about this...until he gave up 3 home runs in the first 2 innings and the Cardinals went down 6-0. You could hear the hearts of Cardinals fans across the country sinking fast. How in the world could the Cardinals come back from this deficit? 

Nationals fans didn't think they could. The stadium was absolutely thunderous as fans thought they had it. There was no way the Cardinals would come back and win this game.

Now way? Don't tell the Cardinals that. I was out with some friends and one of them said to me “wow, this must really hurt.” I said, “It’s only the 2^nd inning. Don’t count them out yet.”

This Cardinals team never quits. They do not give up until the last out of the game. I don’t know why I should have been surprised that they would come back and do what they did Friday night. Look what they did in Game 6 of the World Series last year.But...it seemed rather unrealistic that they could pull that off again.

But they did. Bernie Miklasz wrote this excellent piece in which the team describes the comeback. Chris Carpenter took the lead and energized this Cardinals team to not give up. They fought and chipped their way throughout the game, and then in true Disney-like fashion, scored 4 runs in the 9^th inning to take the lead 9-7 and never looked back. Closer Jason Motte stepped up to the plate to close it out and the Nats didn’t even have a chance to think about trying to score a run in the 9^th to get back in the game. The Cardinals, had done it again and stunned the world.

I do feel for Nationals fans because that is a heartbreaking loss. Those of us who love sports have all been there before. It’s not fun. And I’m sure there are a lot of people who are going to run around saying “if only they had started Strasburg…”

Perhaps. But you really don’t know. No one expected Adam Wainwright to give up 3 home runs  No one expected the Cincinnati Reds to lose 3 games at home when all they had to do was win 1 game to advance. Nothing is ever a guarantee in sports. To Nationals fans, I would say be proud of the fact that the team kept you in it. They got to game 5. They had a chance to win it.

They got beat by a tough team. The Cardinals may not have had the best record this season. They lucked out by winning the 2^nd wild card spot, and of course there will be continued speculation about the bad infield fly call in the Braves-Cards wild card game. The Cardinals have now won 6 elimination games in a row in the past 2 postseasons. The mental toughness of this team is astounding. This is why they are dangerous, and why you can never ever count this team out.

So the ALCS and the NLCS are officially underway.  Before game 1 of the ALCS started, I thought the Yankees would win this series. The excitement in how they won the ALDS and Ibanez wearing the Mr. October title, I thought the momentum would be in their favor. 

But, after the first 2 games the Yanks are down 2-0 and to make matter even more devastating, Derek Jeter broke his ankle in game 2 of the ALCS and is done for the season. Yikes.

They can still come back. I know better. No one thought the Giants could come back in the NLDS after going behind 2-0 and we know what happened there. But, at this point, especially with the Jeter injury, I think Detroit is in a good place right now to take this series.

As for the NLCS, both the SF Giants and StL Cardinals are amped after both pulling off the impossible to advance. This will not be an easy series for either team as well. The Cardinals took game 1 last night, but neither team scored any runs after the 4th inning. The bull pens, on both sides, are tough. And after the Cardinals went up 6-0 last night did the Giants give up? Of course not. I think we can expect these games to be close and both teams will fight until last out.

Prediction? The Cardinals win this in 7. Why not? They seem to like playing in potential elimination games so why would this series be any different? And even though I’m being a homer because I’m a fan, even if I wasn’t? Not so sure I can go against the Cardinals after what I saw last night. As Joe Buck said in Game 6 of the World Series last year, they just won’t go away.

So my World Series prediction is a Cardinals-Tigers match up which could be interesting since the Cardinals won against the Tigers in 2006. I would imagine the Tigers are still a bit bitter about that one since they were expected to win. But again, this could just as easily end up being a Giants-Yankees World Series. Or Cardinals-Yankees. Or Giants-Tigers. The way this postseason has turned out, you really just can't predict anything.

Fasten your seats baseball fans. It’s going to be a fun, nail biting ride. Can’t wait.

Go Cardinals. #12in12