MLB Postseason 2011: The World Series and my thoughts

By: Evan Troxel

This article will be about my thoughts on the remainder of the 2011 Major League Baseball Postseason and adding onto and clarifying my thoughts from my previous article (earlier this year) “Major League Baseball (MLB) Postseason 2011: The St. Louis Cardinals are in the World Series! GO RANGERS!”  

I was pleased with this year’s World Series matchup.  There was not a better matchup in my opinion out of this year’s playoff teams.  Another interesting matchup would have been the Detroit Tigers and the St. Louis Cardinals.  Still to present day, out of this year’s playoff teams the Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, and Milwaukee Brewers have never won the World Series.

I knew before this year’s World Series started that the St. Louis Cardinals were the “more talented” team.  Well, I guess I was wrong in that the Rangers would win the World Series…this year.  It was worth going on a limb for them to see if they actually could “get it done.”  Ultimately and “morally” my main reason for picking the Rangers was that I thought they had the edge over St. Louis in how they celebrated after winning each postseason series in 2010 and 2011.

I am going to be critical now of the Cardinals.  In the 2006 World Series, Games 3, 4, and 5 were played in St. Louis.  Game 4 got postponed (via weather obviously) by an extra day.  And what happened three days later after Game 3, the Cardinals won the World Series.  Here in 2011, Games 1, 2, 6, and 7 were played in St. Louis.  Game 6 got postponed by an extra day.  And what happened this year?  The Cardinals won the World Series.

Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington had his uniform on when he talked to the press about the postponement of Game 6 of this year’s World Series.  On the other hand, St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa didn’t even have his uniform on when he talked to the press.  I’m critical of who decided to postpone Game 6.  I thought (whoever it was) postponed Game 6 way too early.  They didn’t even try to play.

I like the rule implemented after the 2008 World Series that a World Series game must be played from start to finish without going home or back to the motel/hotel (if you’re the away team).  I think though that if it doesn’t stop raining for a long time (let’s say 100 minutes) then they should pick up where the left off the next night or early morning at whatever time it was that the game was stopped.  For example, if Game 1 starts at 7:00 p.m. on October 15th and is stopped because of weather at 8:18 p.m. then Game 1 I think should start up again at 8:18 p.m. on October 16^th of that same year.

What do I have to say about this year’s World Series going to all seven possible games?  SHAME!  Both teams played well (and didn’t play well) and I think a good World Series is decided in six games.  This year’s World Series was not a classic one in my opinion.  Game 6 was not the greatest baseball game ever (unless you’re a Cardinals fan).

If I had to blame the Rangers players themselves for losing the World Series I would have to go with Adrian Beltre and Nelson Cruz as my top two choices.  Beltre wanted to “win” with the Rangers and all Cruz thinks about every time he steps up to the plate is…“Home Run.”  Cruz also played horrible and embarrassing defense.  I also think Alexi Ogando needs to get blamed.  Neftali Feliz showed through his actions that he was the more humble than out of any of the other three I mentioned before him and he gets blamed for blowing the save in Game 6.

What was Rangers manager Ron Washington thinking?  Die-hard Rangers fans are asking: Why didn’t Ron Washington start C.J. Wilson against the Cardinals starting pitcher Chris Carpenter in Game 7 of the World Series?  I want to ask: Why didn’t Ron Washington start Colby Lewis in Game 7?  Colby Lewis is “the guy” in my opinion.  He helped Texas win its first World Series game.

As for next year’s World Series, I don’t think the Cardinals will be in it.  I don’t know if Texas will be back but they played better this year than the Cardinals in the regular season.  Whatever ends up happening, I think a National League team will win it and it will end in a city with an American and a National League team.

I wonder what team Cardinals first basemen Albert Pujols will go to next season if he doesn’t go back to the Cardinals.  I got a feeling he’s going to stay on the National League side and not go to an American League team.  I actually think he will stay with the Cardinals.