Game 5 Thread!

None, MLB, FSN | NOW! | Me, of course

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

Let's GO! Baseball fans!!!!! Verlander v. Weaver and "The Gambler" in G6!

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

Get started now and stay with it through the night.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

Here we go!

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

I have a church function tonite (the burning of the Bul!). I'll be back around 8 or 830.

Ping the usual suspects and lets GET IT ON!

[Charles Henrickson]

There has been a lot of talk in the East-Coast-biased national media disparaging the St. Louis Cardinals and dismissing their accomplishments. "83 wins," "Worst Series," "only winning because of Tiger miscues," and so on.

So this is for all the national disrespecters out there. I will make the case that the St. Louis Cardinals--no, not the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox, but rather the ST. LOUIS CARDINALS--have been the BEST TEAM IN BASEBALL over the past three years, 2004-06.

Here are the 2004-06 cumulative regular-season standings for teams that have averaged 90 wins or more:

New York Yankees 293-193
St. Louis Cardinals 288-197
Boston Red Sox 279-207
Los Anaheim Angels 276-210
Chicago White Sox 272-214
Oakland Athletics 272-214
Minnesota Twins 271-215

So the Yankees and the Cards are the two best regular-season teams over these three years, with the Yankees 4.5 games ahead.

But then add in post-seasons. The Yankees have been 9-12, the Cards have been 22-17. That puts the Yankees at 302-205 and the Cards 310-214, i.e., only a half-game behind (the Cards had an unmade-up rainout this year). If the Cards win this next game, they pull even with the Yanks in the total three-year standings.

But NOW factor in how many pennants and World Series the Yankees have won over these three years. Answer: None. Zero.

The ST. LOUIS CARDINALS, though, are the ONLY team to win TWO (2) pennants in the last three years and, with one more win, will join the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox as the World Series winners.

The most wins, 310, over the past three years (seasons plus post-seasons). The only team with two pennants. The best player in baseball (Prince Albert). The best pitcher in baseball (Carp). Now they're a win away from the world championship. Hmmmm. . . .

Yes, the Cardinals stumbled a bit this regular season. They got banged up and lost significant time from big players: Pujols, Rolen, Edmonds, Eckstein, not to mention losing ENTIRELY their #2 starter (Mulder) and closer (Izzy). But now those banged-up guys are all in the line-up and producing, and guys have stepped up to fill the holes of the missing pieces. The Cards have OVERCOME their injuries and now are playing LIKE THEY'RE CAPABLE OF. The point is, this was a ONE-HUNDRED WIN team the last two years, when more guys were healthy. So this is not some fluke now, that when they're finally healthy again, the Cards could win the championship.

Oh, and one more thing, you East Coast media types: The last two World Series have featured ALL Central Division teams!!

Conclusion: If they win one more game in this Series, the ST. LOUIS CARDINALS will become the overall BEST TEAM IN BASEBALL over the past three years, 2004-06.

[Cyclopean Squid]

Hard to argue with winning the division 3 years in a row and making the WS twice in 3 years. As long as you have Carpenter and Pujols you'll be perennial playoff contenders.

I bet Special K (Preston Wilson)thanks God every night that he was released by the 'Stros and signed by the Cards.

[LA Woman3]

Go Cardinals!

[MOgirl]

Hello,

Will be here in spirit, but hubby and I decided to head downtown with friends tonight, to check it all out. It's REALLY cold, we are breaking out the heavy coats!!

If it is not too late, I'll check in after we get home, GO CARDS!!!!!

Glad to be here, even when I'm not, MOgirl

[GeorgiaDawg32]

I haven't followed baseball since the last strike (ex-braves fan..question: how do you know it's fall in atlanta?? a) the leaves change color, the humidity goes away, the weather cools off, the braves choke..) with ONE exception and that's the potential game 4 winner for EITHER team..I don't care who wins or loses, but it's the pressure and how teams handle it I watch in series winning games (basketball, baseball etc..)

I'm an old school guy..I think the best two teams should go to the series..best record over a season and the heck with playoffs..

[TravisBickle]

That was an exciting inning!

Verlander dodged a bullet.

[hole_n_one]

Nicely done!

[TankerKC]

Verlander dodged a bullet.

Understatement.

[BluesDuke]

My takes on Thursday's doings:

The Little Big Show
Strapped For Cashing In

[BluesDuke]

I'll bet my Los Angeles Angels still wonder what they could possibly have been thinking when they let David Eckstein walk in favour of signing the overrated Orlando Cabrera. (And I'll bet my Boston Red Sox were laughing their heads off when the Angels proved only too glad to take a flyer on Cabrera---didn't the Angels even think about asking themselves why a world champion wasn't that anxious to keep the shortstop for whom they dealt after letting battered Nomar Garciaparra go?---who isn't the defencive shortstop Eckstein is, who doesn't reach base as often as Eckstein does, and who uses up more outs to get on base than Eckstein does.)

[TravisBickle]

I really thought 2002 was their year, then I thought 2004 was their year. And just when I had little or no expectations, here they are, right on the edge of clinching.

So, your analysis was really good. It shows that over the long haul, they have consistently been a top notch team.(With a few cold streaks thrown in.)

[La Enchiladita]

Well, I found the thread in spite of not being pinged to it.

And pinging those who have posted on WS2006 threads thus far.

[BluesDuke]

The Cardinals' resident pest strikes again! Broken-bat up the third base line, Inge throws offline, home comes Molina, 1-0 Cardinals, and Eckstein on second . . .

[fatima]

Thanks La Enchiladita,let's go Cards:)

[TravisBickle]

Eckstein has to be the favorite for WS MVP.

[TankerKC]

Good thinking Weaver...get the lead runner and leave the pitcher out there on base!

[BluesDuke]

He's making himself a terrific case. And if the Cardinals finish the job tonight and he does any more mischief in the field or at the plate or on the bases, he'll probably need to make some room for the hardware.