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Cardinals Win World Series

By Aaron Goldstein on 10.29.11 @ 12:57AM

The St. Louis Cardinals won their 11th World Series in franchise history with a 6-2 victory over the Texas Rangers in Game 7.

The Rangers got off to a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first on back to back doubles by Josh Hamilton and Michael Young. But the Cards quickly tied the game in the bottom of the first on a double by David Freese who would be named World Series MVP. Freese was of course also the recipient of the NLCS MVP. This hometown boy made good.

Allen Craig hit a solo homerun in the bottom of the third to give the Cardinals the lead never to look back. The look of defeat quickly set in on the normally effusive Rangers manager Ron Washington. Of course, the Rangers were plenty deflated after being a strike away from winning the World Series not once but twice only to be unable to seal the deal. The Rangers become the first team to lose back to back World Series since the Atlanta Braves in 1991 and 1992. Texas fans now understand how Red Sox Nation feels. I feel sorry for Washington, Rangers owner Nolan Ryan and especially Rangers catcher Mike Napoli who had a sterling series with both the bat and the glove and would have been named World Series MVP if the Rangers had got that final strike.

But make no mistake. The Cardinals earned this championship. They overcame a ten and a half game deficit in the NL Wild Card and the Atlanta Braves spent this October at home. They then overcame both the Philadelphia Phillies (with a little help from a squirrel) and the Milwaukee Brewers before finally overcoming a 3-2 deficit (and a bad bullpen phone in Texas) against the Rangers.

What was it with MLB Commissioner Bud Selig reading from a script in presenting the World Series trophy and the Series MVP to Freese? It's almost as bad as Obama reading from a teleprompter.

The $250 million question is whether Albert Pujols returns. I am sure a lot of teams see him in their future plans including the Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays (according to my Dad.) But if Tony La Russa stays in St. Louis so does Pujols. La Russa has now earned his second World Series title with the Cardinals and third overall (he led the Oakland Athletics to a World Series title in 1989.) At this point he can write his own ticket.

Well, whatever happens next year, the Cardinals are the champions of baseball in 2011. It was one hell of a season and the Cardinals exemplified baseball at its very best.

View all comments (15) | Leave a comment

Dixie Pixie| 10.29.11 @ 1:15AM

Go Squirrels for the Birds.

Sean| 10.29.11 @ 1:50AM

Ranger pitching gave the Card hitters way too much respect. All those walks hurt them in the end. I am an Angel fan, but Michael Young went to the same high school and a lot of my friends know him and his wife so I was rooting for the Rangers.

albert constantine jr.| 10.29.11 @ 9:39AM

A tip of the ball cap to you, Aaron Goldstein. You called the Cards as taking it all. I didn't think you were anywhere close, but you've got some bragging rights coming, as I noted elsewhere..

Clint| 10.29.11 @ 9:43AM

Craig did the job.

Bob Grant| 10.29.11 @ 10:13AM

The Rangers pitching, once again, collapsed after the 5th inning making it difficult to win games. The only pitcher who could find the strike zone was C.J. Wilson who was mysteriously yanked after one good inning.

I like Washington but I question some of his moves.

Paul McGrath| 10.29.11 @ 12:24PM

One of his moves I question was leaving the dugout to go smoke a cigarette in the bottom of the ninth during game 6, as reported by Bruce Jenkins in the S. F. Chronicle today.

Ron Washington is a doofus.

Willy| 10.29.11 @ 5:04PM

It is always easy to find reasons that the favorites lost. How about some kudos for the Cards playing the best baseball of the season when it counted the most.

Bob K.| 10.29.11 @ 7:42PM

Nah! Teams that can't win their division after a 161 game season should not be contending in the World Series.

Clint| 10.30.11 @ 7:11PM

For the record, it's a 162 game season.

Richard Baker| 10.30.11 @ 3:43AM

Bob K:
Remember, the Cardinals went to the end because MLB wants more drama which translates to more filled seats. They played by the rules as they exist. Pretty soon we'll have so many Wild Card competitors that, you should excuse the expression, you'll need a scorecard to keep up. Go Cards!

Bob K.| 10.30.11 @ 9:22AM

What they make in filled seats they will lose in TV revenue if they keep playing games that compete against College and Pro Football on the weekends and games that go into midnight and later with 10 pitching changes in the last 3 innings that last 10 minutes each and 10 commercials each. They probably had good ratings in Texas and the mid west but elsewhere you could hear the TV's turning off in the ether.

Clint| 10.30.11 @ 9:55AM

The Cards made a great late season /post season run.
They earned that World Series Championship.

Bob K.| 10.30.11 @ 5:00PM

It is being run like your local softball league. A team comes in first place after a 30 game season and then they have a playoff and some 3rd or 4th place team wins the playoffs and is crowned champion. Big deal! Why have league competition to begin with. It has been dumbed down like a grade school recess where everybody is supposed to be a winner. Just like we are doing it with our wars in the Near East, and Viet Nam and Korea. You beat the crap out of someone for a few years and then let them walk away as winners. A "Liberal" World Series philosophy!

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