Ok so my cousin ryan thinks that the Cardinals were the worst World Series Champ ever! So I must respond.
Seriously? you really think that this was just one big fluke?
Lets look at the evidence:
1. The previous 2 years the cardinals won over 200 games. And easilymade it to the playoffs.
2. The team lost a few bench players, Grudzelanik, and Sanders (walker didn't play much last year s ohe doesn't matter)
other wise I'd say they kept thier core and thier entire starting rotation.
3. Injuries, the team battled not only losing it's #2 starter for most of the year, but also for key stretches:
Eckstien (the Worldseries MVP), Edmonds, Rolen (who wasn't right until the end ot the LCS) and it's Super star (Pujols) who was hobbeled the second half and missed a month of the season (on a side note look at his #'s and then remember he misses a MONTH, scary stuff)
Those 8 game losing stretches don't happen if everythindg is right with the team.
The team got healthy right before and during the playoffs.
4. The Cardinals won in 5 games. Meaning they virtually dominated a team that was supposed to beat them easily.
I know they had thier issues, but dave duncan has been able to take guys like Jeff Weaver and get them to realize thier potential for decades (dave stewart, Daryl Kile, Woody Williams, to name a few) . This series shouldn't be a suprise!
They aren't the 27 yankees, but they are deserving champions!
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1 comment:
You know, I told Jeff when I was going upstairs to create that blog entry, I was about to lose a couple friends. :-D
I'll say this, the Cardinals have been worthy opponents for the past 3 years. Of the 3 years, this year just wasn't magical. Injuries are a part of the game and a good team has to have the depth to handle it. They seemed to ride on the back of Pujols through the whole season. When he was good, the team was good.
In response to the winning in only 5 games... I think this year proved anything can happen in the playoffs. Its a very small sample size. I don't think a 7-game series definitively determines the best team.
Ultimately, no matter how I feel, the Cardinals are the World Champs. Enjoy it! You never know when the next one will happen. I've been waiting since 1990.
Looking forward to you and Beth coming down here later this month. Maybe we can schedule a tour of Great American Ballpark while you're here.
- ryan
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