The Texas Rangers have done something a team has not done in a long time. Make it back to the World Series one year after being there and losing. The representatives for the National League are the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals were an afterthought who made it in partly because they had a decent run at the end and partly because the Braves disintegrated.The league championship series continued on the unpredictable track that defined the division series.Will the World Series do the same?
Quick Summary
Last year, the Rangers had the bats but lacked the pitching. This year they still have the bat and not they also have the pitching. They’ve had it pretty easy to far beating Tampa Bay 3-1 and Detroit 4-2. The Cards went the distance against Philadelphia 3-2 and then beat Milwaukee 4-2. St. Louis is a very fine situational ball club as manager Tony LaRussa continues to prove that he has one of the best baseball minds around.
Pitching Matchups
The pitching is fairly even and the Cards would have an edge of this were a five game series, but it’s not. Texas has the best road ERA in the majors and they are well stocked in the bullpen. They made some late additions through trades that have helped a lot. That makes the Rangers a bit better in the pen than the Cards. This part is close to a draw but Texas has a slight edge, especially because Cardinal pitchers tend to be liberal in the manner they give up hits.
Hitting
Both teams have dynamic bats. Which puts the focus back on pitching. Don’t expect either team to be shut down totally by opponent hurlers. For the Cardinals, Pujols, Berkman and Holliday are a premium trio. There’s not a better triad of hitters anywhere and the Cards are the top hitting club on the road in the majors. Allen Craig could be a factor at DH when on the road. However, the Rangers have an amazingly deep group of hitters from the top of the lineup to the bottom. They can hit the long ball and are able to put crooked numbers on the board numerous times each game. This edge goes to the Rangers.
Manager
Tony LaRussa has a lot of smarts and experience. He’s made 14 playoff appearance, has a record of 62-53 and two World Series rings. The Rangers Ron Washington is in his second Series in two years. He’s darn good, but LaRussa has the experience and a lot of it. This edge goes to the Cards.
Home Field
It is considered to be one of the stupidest sports decisions made in recent years. It’s the decision the make the MLB’s All-Star game the determining factor in which league gets home field in the World Series. The National League won the All-Star game and that means the Wild Card team and the one with the worst record that made the playoffs and survived gets home field. What a bad idea. But there it is, giving the Cards that advantage but a small one considering the Rangers have the best road ERA in all of baseball.
Seven Games?
This has the chance to go the distance due to the fact that both teams are so explosive. Six to seven games looks promising. The longer it goes, the more likely the Texas Rangers will win their first World Series ever. For baseball bettors a seven game series would offer the best value.
