Um...What?

By JP

What the hell just happened? I watched game 3 of the 2013 World Series, watched the replays of how the game ended, rewound my DVR and watched it again. I get how the game ended, I understand why the call was made, but it still feels kind of...hollow? Is that the right word?

Bottom of the 9th, 1 out and Yadier Molina up to bat. He gets a single to bring in Allen Craig as a pinch hitter. Craig doubles to left field, putting Molina on 3rd, Craig on 2nd. Jon Jay comes up to bat and his right to Dustin Pedroia who throws the ball to home and throws Molina out by a mile. But then Craig heads for third and Boston catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia throws to Will Middlebrook at 3rd base. Craig was going to be safe, there was no way Salty was going to throw him out. However, the throw was wide and Craig ran home. Except, he tripped over Middlebrook (who may have been trying to get out of the way) as Middlebrook lifted his feet up. The throw from Johnny Gomes just barely beat Craig to home as it was, even with the unintentional trip, so Craig would have been safe and the game would have been over regardless. But the 3rd base umpire made the obstruction call. All the umpires conferred and agreed it was an obstruction. According to the rule, it was clearly obstruction and Craig should have been awarded home plate.

But as a Cardinal fan, I don't feel good about it. For several reasons. First, it feels like a tainted victory because Craig was "awarded" home plate. Had there been no obstruction, Craig probably would have scored and the game would have been over on a bad throw by Saltalamacchia. This will  give Boston fans, Cubs fans, TBS, and others something to complain about and say that it wasn't a "real" victory or some such nonsense. At least Yankee fans are probably cheering. Secondly, This may give a fuel to Boston players to play even harder. Lance Lynn pitches Sunday and that scares the hell out of me. A Boston win on Sunday means going back to Boston on Wednesday.

The Cardinals DIDN'T DESERVE THIS WIN! Yes, I said it. The real kick in the ass is that, really, the Cardinals should have NEVER been in this position. Bases loaded no outs in the fourth inning and Jake Peavy strikes out Pete Kozma and gets Joe Kelly and Matt Carpenter to pop out to the infield. Inning over, no runs. I am guessing here (I don't feel like doing the research), but it seems like that was the millionth time this post-season that the Cardinals have had bases loaded and one or no outs and failed to score. A weak pop up or grounding into a double play and the inning is over. I don't know how the Cardinals are winning these games, but if they don't start getting hits with the bases loaded it WILL come back and bite them in the ass. This Boston team is to dangerous to play it close like this in a long series. I honestly feel like if the Cardinals don't close it out at home, Boston will win it all.

There are still two more games to win and some times it's extremely difficult to win one game. 1968, 1985, 1996, and 2012 are just a few examples. In all four of those post-season series, the Cardinals had a 3-1 series lead and lost.

I know I come across as negative in most of my blog posts, but it's, honestly, a defense mechanism. If I expect the Cardinals to lose and it happens I am less disappointed than if I didn't expect the loss. However, if I expect a loss and they win, then I am even happier. Maybe I should change my name from JP to Negative Nelly. We shall see.

Go Cards

A Tale of Two Cities

By JP

I know, I know, my genius at creating titles for my posts is over whelming. I bet NO ONE has to use that title. Ever. Yeah, right. While it is decidedly NOT an original title, I do believe it is apropos given the fact that the two teams that will start battling for the World Series Wednesday night a so very similar this season.

Let's start with the obvious:

• Both teams finished the season with a 97-65 record, tied for the best in baseball. 
• Both teams have won two World Series championships the last ten years
• Both teams have a red based color scheme (that one is stretching, although true, but I needed a third thing)

Now for the slightly less obvious:

MLB To Give Dodgers Mulligan on Game 6

By JP

In a stunning development, Major League Baseball, at the urging of TBS, has decided to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a mulligan on Game 6 and have it replayed Sunday afternoon. According to a source who wished to remain anonymous, "TBS felt that Clayton Kershaw wasn't feeling well during game 6 and therefore it wasn't a fair game."

Obviously the entire previous paragraph was bullshit. In watching most of the NLCS on TBS, I felt that the analysts and announcers really wanted the Dodgers to win. But that's not the fault of the Dodgers.

So, just for the hell of it, let me tell you about some observations that I made about the 2013 National League Championship Series. Follow me down the Yellow Brick Road and I will lead you to the Emerald City where we will meet the Wizard (NOT Ozzie Smith) and he will grant us three wishes. Sorry, I never really finished watching The Wizard of Oz, so that's how I assume it ended.

Game 6 "Live" Blog

By JP

This will be a "live" blog in the sense that I will update the blog after each half inning.

Just a quick note: I am literally updating this as the game goes on. I changed tenses (sometimes past tense, sometimes present tense) throughout and I apologize for that. However, due to the extreme length of this post, I am not going to go back through and make changes. Again, I apologize for this.

Pre-game
The game hasn't even started yet, but I feel, outside of Pedro Martinez, the TBS crew has basically handed the game to LA. Hanley Ramirez is playing in the game now and Clayton Kershaw is pitching, so it's game over, LA wins.

They seem to be making a big deal about the Cardinals not liking Yasiel Puig acting like an immature rookie and Keith Olbermann made some ignorant comment about Cardinals fans revering Ozzie Smith and Smith did back flips when running onto the field. which is basically a celebration. Uh, no, Olbermann, it isn't the same thing. Smith didn't do a back flip after getting a big hit or hitting a home run. It was between innings.

Right Where They Want Them

By JP

That's right. LA has St. Louis right where LA wants them. According to MLB.com, LA is in very good shape to win the series. In fact, even in an article about Joe Kelly and the St. Louis Cardinals, MLB.com cannot help but reiterate that LA is in great shape. The aforementioned article, again may I remind you ostensibly about Kelly and the Cards, seems more like a piece trying to encourage the Dodgers than just report the news. Sure, it's just fine to write an article pointing out that LA has Zack Greinke going tonight in game 5 and Clayton Kershaw going game 6. But, if the article professes to be about the Cardinals (based on the title of the article), then please be about the Cardinals.

Self Admiration and a Fist Pump

By JP

Don Mattingly, manager of the LA Dodgers, recently responded to Carlos Beltran's assertion that Yasiel Puig was irksome in his celebration. Jayson Stark of ESPN basically said that it's OK for Yasiel Puig to celebrate like that because he's...just...that...good. With all due respect to Mr. Stark (since he makes a living talking a baseball and I do this blog in my spare time at midnight and often from the bathroom because that's the only place that I can get any peace and quiet), I disagree. To an extent. 

I, too, will let Yasiel Puig off the hook. But based on logical reasons, not reasons that have to do with a players talent. I am not upset at Puig simply because he's young, immature, and has only been playing half a season at the Major League level. He got overly excited and made a dumb mistake. A mistake you ask? He hit a standup triple! That he did, that he did. Except, if Puig hadn't stood there admiring the ball, he could have had an inside the park home run. There is no doubt he has natural ability and will be a superstar within the next year or two. 

ALDS and Some NFL

By JP

It's Sunday so that means two things: NFL football and game 2 of the ALDS. Last night the Detroit Tigers beat the Boston Red Sox in game 1 in Boston for a 1-0 series lead. Anibal Sanchez, Al Alburquerque, Jose Veras, Drew Smyly, and Joaquin Benoit combined for a 1 hitter and took a no-hit bid into the bottom of the 9th. The final score was 1-0, just like game 2 of the Cardinals' series. It was the first time, if I remember the stat correctly, that two games ended 1-0 on the same day in LCS history. I could look it up, but I am not going to do that. 

Game 2 is tonight as Max Scherzer vs. Clay Buchholz is what could be another pitcher's duel. So, do I watch the game or do I watch NFL football? It's like that old short story, The Lady or the Tiger. And if it's like that, then I guess I cannot tell you what I am going to choose. 

Halfway There, BUT...

By JP

Would you like to see my but? Allow me to be the Cardinals Nay-sayer for a few paragraphs. Yes, the Cardinals are 2-0 in the 2013 NCLS after a 13 inning 3-2 win in game 1 and a 1-0 win in game 2.

BUT...

That's only halfway there. The Cardinals still need to win two games. So, to all Cardinals fans DON'T GET COCKY AND PULL YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS. Yes, Cardinals fans are among the most knowledgeable in baseball and Cardinal fans are some of the nicest in baseball. However, I know several fans that don't pay attention until the playoffs and then go around bragging to anyone who will listen about the win the Cardinals just had. To them I say, COOL IT!

And the Winner Is...

Posted by JP

Dizzy Dean's Ghost recently visited me in the night and bestowed upon me the gift of prognostication, but with the caveat that it's based on the collective consciousness of all baseball pundits. So, I  now have the ability to gaze into the future through the eyes of all baseball experts and I will grant you the insight to know all about the NLCS between your St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Since I now have the combined expertise of every sports writer, talk show host, and former player please allow me to point out a few things about the teams that the hive-mind has told me, before the prediction: