World Series: Rangers vs. Cardinals

[Judge Jude]

Rangers pitchers rattled, and not getting strike calls on the road in that key inning.

Game is in St Louis because CJ Wilson served up a jack to Prince Fielder in the All-Star Game.

So the Cardinals got in to the playoffs thanks to the disinterested Phillies sweeping the Braves, and got home-field thanks to a Brewers batter three months ago.

[Grinch]

The Rangers (and their fans) are gonna have nightmares this whole off-season.

[Erik]

Interesting question: Two-time (and three-time) World Series losers, back-to-back(-to-back)

Any comparisons from way long ago aren't really all that valid IMO. It's one thing to get back to the WS when you're in a league with 8 teams and one playoff round, quite another when you're in a league with 14 or 16 teams and three playoff rounds.

[Erik]

So the Cardinals got in to the playoffs thanks to the disinterested Phillies sweeping the Braves

And the Braves making some horrendous decisions in the final game of the season, notably pitching to Hunter Pence with the go-ahead run on third and first base open when Michael Martinez was on deck.

[Judge Jude]

Well, there are two different issues.
One is the one you cited - degree of difficulty.

The other is what I thought was the larger point - can a team get to the edge of the promised land two years in a row, then lose, and still bounce back? For that question, it's not about how hard it was to get there, I don't think.

[Erik]

The other is what I thought was the larger point - can a team get to the edge of the promised land two years in a row, then lose, and still bounce back? For that question, it's not about how hard it was to get there, I don't think.

In baseball, I think it is. As day-to-day momentum is only as good as your next day's starting pitcher, year-to-year momentum is only as good as your roster (and your luck with injuries.)

In football or hockey, I think your point is more germane.

[revo]

I feel terrible for Ron Washington & Nolan Ryan. The Cards are starting to creep into my "Yankee dislike." Congrats on #11, but two losses in a row is a tough row to hoe.

[onejayhawk]

My wife came bouncing into the bedroom last night, to tell me the Cardinals had won. This is a woman, who had owners box tickets, to game 6 of the 1968 WS, and did not go (she was 14 and would have been suspended from school).

J

[dannahann]

Got it right but I sure didn't want to be right. How can Washington stand at the railing along the 3rd baseline, looking directly out to RF and not see how badly out of position Cruz was during that key 9th inning Freese AB?? Ugh!!