And now we know who the Cardinals will face in the World Series: those WACKY BEARD Boston Red Sox.
It’s a rare kind of match-up in the World Series also: the two teams with the best regular season records — both finished 97-65 — are actually meeting in the Series. It’s the first time since the Braves-Yankees World Series in 1999 this has happened.
This will be the fourth World Series between the two teams. The Cardinals won in 1946, thanks to Enos Slaughter’s “Mad Dash” to score the go-ahead run in Game Seven. In 1967, the Cardinals also won in seven games with Bob Gibson starting — and winning — three of them.
Then, of course, there was 2004. I’ll need to readjust my happy memory that the season ended with the Cards winning the pennant in that thrilling NLCS against the Astros to recall that, oh yes, there were four more games after that as the Sawx swept and it was terrible and painful and I still hate every guy who was on that team except Tim Wakefield (and he’s only an exception because we share a birthdate).
But it’s nine years later and obviously both teams are much different — as is the schedule. Remember back to 2004 (now that I’m forcing myself to do so)? Game Seven of the NLCS was on Thursday, Oct. 21. Game One of the World Series was on Saturday, Oct. 23. Now, of course, the Cardinals have the luxury to rest up and set their starting rotation as they want it, as we just wait and wait for more baseball.
This Series will be compelling baseball-wise. Though with time and stories to fill between now and Wednesday night, we likely won’t hear much about real baseball for a while — it will be storylines on WACKY BEARDS and “Boston Strong” for sure. Hopefully the Cards will get a little attention in all the hype too, because they certainly deserve it — and for more than just how the 2004 World Series played out. This is a team that also has overcome a lot injury-wise and had some truly amazing performances to reach the World Series. But, as we learned from the NLCS coverage, the sports media sets its own course for hype and storylines … fairly or unfairly.
In the end, it is about the baseball and the outcome of those games on the field. And here’s hoping the real story of the 2013 World Series is the Cardinals avenging 2004.
Because now that I’ve made myself remember what really happened, that memory needs to be replaced with a great one.
Christine Coleman is the lead writer for Aaron Miles’ Fastball. Follow her on Twitter, @CColeman802, or email aaronmilesfastball@gmail.com. Also follow @AMilesFastball for the latest updates.
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I loved your words on this upcoming series! I cover a bit of the World Series in my latest post called The Beauty of October and I would love your feedback! http://dishnerdevin.wordpress.com
I do expect Boston to get all the attention–but that’s OK as long as the media gets off it’s dead horse about the Fun-Hater Cardinals that they kept on and on about in the NLCS. It should be a good Series–so far I only dislike Napoli [the Woulda-Been MVP of the 2011 Series if not for David Freese and Company], and Lackey.
It’s funny — even though I also expect Boston to get all the attention, it’s kind of startling when you actually hear it. During yesterday’s Bears-Redskins game on FOX, twice the play-by-play guy gave a promo about the World Series — Cards vs. Sox, starting Wednesday, etc. And twice he finished with “The Red Sox are in the World Series for the third time in the past decade.” That was it — no four times in the last 10 years for Cards, two of last three, just three times for the Red Sox.