It's finally over. The Red Sox are world champs. Good for them. Of course it's disappointing for all Cards fans, but hey, at least the Yankees didn't win it again. Boy oh boy, it sure would have been nice to have SOME kind of success though. To get absolutely steamrolled was kind of embarrassing. They scored two runs in the last 28 innings. Rolen was o-fer. Pujols, Rolen, and Edmonds, who essentially got us here, had 2 RBI's combined. It was just plain ugly. I suppose that two of baseball's oldest adages came true once again. Good pitching beats good hitting, and power pitching teams (i.e. pedro and schilling) are built better for the postseason. Period. But I guess we can use that old phrase that Red Sox fans have been camping on for years...wait till next year.
I'll be honest. The Cards are getting absolutely stampeded. They look like a completely different team. In this series, their starting pitching has gotten shellacked, their bullpen hammered, and their lineup looks absolutely terrible...even at home. You know thing are bad when Scott Rolen is 0-11. Now it's just time to save some face. We need to at least get the next two wins at home and make Boston win it on their turf. But wouldn't it be ironic if St. Louis duplicates the BoSox feat and comes back to win, down 3-0? It would really give some people pause to contemplate that curse. But I don't hold out much hope. Of course that doesn't mean I won't be rooting as hard as ever for my Cards. Speaking of that, I need to vent a little. I really am getting sick of these fairweather Red Sox fans. You know the type. The ones who claim they "love" the sox and can't wait for them to break the curse. Who go out and purchase their merchandise because they've been behind Boston for a whole two weeks. It's one thing to cheer for Boston because you pick them and that's who you want to win, but I'm talking about those people who claim Boston's their team and then show up wearing a Ramirez jersey or some such nonsense. Maybe I'm just bitter, but I prefer the fans who are behind their teams through thick and thin and don't just jump on the nearest bandwagon. harumph.
If you had told me a week ago that the Cards would be in the world series, I'd be ecstatic. But if you had told me they'd be down 0-2, going against Pedro in game three, I'd be pretty bummed. Their chances look slim, but then again, Suppan is on the mound, and he's looked spectacular lately. And their offense can only get better. The middle of the lineup has been terrible, tonight is the night to break out. I think they have a legitimate shot to sweep in St. Louis if they can get one under their belt tonight. So keep your fingers crossed and Go Cards!
Wow. What a night. Cards to the world series. It's beautiful. Sure was a heck of a comeback against Clemens last night. Pujols deserves MVP, that's for sure, but what a clutch homer by Rolen. Now if we can just muster 4 wins against a tough Bosox team, I'll be complete. I just hate it that the best team in baseball doesn't have homefield advantage in the WS. It's total bs that a nothing game in the middle of July can have this much impact. Anyway, I believe in my Cards, and I think they can do it. Long live the Curse! Go Cards!
Wow. What a night of baseball. For Red Sox/Yankees updates, see Booth's blog. But what a heart attack last night! Izzy gives up the tying run in the ninth, and then Edmonds wins it in the 12th...what a game! This sure has been a crazy postseason all the way around. Tonight should be interesting. Houston is in good shape with Clemens on the mound, but Suppan has pitched well this series. And Lidge went three innings last night, along with Wheeler going a couple. Then again, so did Isringhausen and Tavarez. So we'll see what happens. Should be a great game. Go Cards!
As I feared, the Cards have almost folded. Their once invulnerable bullpen has looked downright bad. Starting pitching is still mediocre (sans Woody Williams...man he pitched great). The middle of the Astros lineup looks invincible. And the rest of the Cards lineup (outside the obvious four) couldn't get a hit if there were no fielders. I'm hoping coming back home will be the shot of adrenaline we're looking for, but I'm not too optimistic. However, no matter what, I'll be there rooting with all my might for my beloved St. Louis Cardinals.
Well, they won again last night. A great come-from-behind effort. First the good news: Only 2 more wins from the World series. Plus, it looks like Rolen is finally waking from his slumber. Two home runs last night including a back-to-back attack with Pujols in the decisive 8th (the first time the Cards have ever gone back to back in the postseason)...I think Scotty is back. Now the bad news: Morris didn't pitch great. That continues the trend of only mediocre starting pitching. And you normally don't win an LCS or WS without outstanding starting pitching. The Astros have Clemens and Oswalt going in Houston, but if we can just steal one of those, the series is over. So it's looking good. But I'm still cautious. Houston is a dangerous team, especially at home. We are going to have to play great baseball. But the newest version of Murderers Row should be able to pull through. Go Cards!
Game One of the NLCS: Cards win. Only three more to go. I'm definitely encouraged by the offensive output, but their pitching effort is something that worries me. Their starting pitching has been shaky the last few weeks of the season and this part of the playoffs. And the bullpen has looked as vulnerable as they have all season. I still think they'll win this series and go play the Yanks, but the pitching is cause for concern. With Clemens and Oswalt going in games 3 and 4, tonight is almost a must-win for St. Louis. But I'm still pretty confident, especially with the way Larry Walker is hitting the ball. That was a pretty nice acquisition by Jocketty. Tonight on Fox at 8PM ET: game two.
I know I'm a bit behind on both, but I thought an update on what's going on in movies and music with me was long past due. The only thing is, there's not much to report. I've been too busy and broke to do much new movie watching or buy those three CD's I want. Namely, Green Day, Cake and REM's new ones. However...
U2's new single, Vertigo, is rockin'! I mean, I knew U2 was great, but they continue to impress, year after year, album after album. I can't wait for the new offering, it should be amazing.
I finally got Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind at Blockbuster. With the new Movie Pass thing, it's been tough to find new releases in, but it finally was. And I was very impressed. I loved it. It was funny, sweet, well-made, thought-provoking, interesting...genuinely excellent. My new line is "I love bathing in the sink". Watch the movie for some context on that one. I laugh every time I think about it.
And finally, Lacey and I did manage to scrounge up the cash to see a movie this weekend. We saw Friday Night Lights, and it was excellent. Very realistic, especially if you've grown up in a town like that (which I did). The action was bone-crunchingly well filmed and the performances were surprisingly good. Way to go local legend Tim McGraw! I wouldn't put it on par with the best sports movies ever like Rudy and Hoosiers, but it was certainly up there. Now if I can ever get the time to go see Ladder 49 and Sky Captain, I'll be ecstatic.
I bought the latest U2 DVD, Live at Slane Castle, and it is crazy cool. They play at home in front of a raucous crowd of 80,000, and I'm telling you, it's pandemonium the entire time. Bono and co. are in rare form, doing a great mix of songs that encapsulated their entire career thus far. And as the new U2 album nears release, I thought I would write a post on why Bono (and not any of the other I've seen talked about on Chattablogs) is the greatest frontman ever. I'm sure I'll be belittled and called insane, but it's true. As devoted as I am to Robert Plant and Zeppelin, when you account for every aspect of a true frontman/singer/performer, Bono is it. Think about their career! They've been around since the late 70's (nearing 30 years) cranking out hits the way Baskin Robins cranks out ice cream. And yes, I know longevity is not the only, or even a great argument, but when you think about how many albums, trends, etc. they have come out with that have not only changed music, but the culture, it's mind-blowing. Not only that, but Bono is one hell of a performer! If you've ever seen them in concert, his stage presence is ridiculous. He has a great voice, a sense of style, knows when to quiet down and when to explode...everything is totally in sync. He probably does have a huge ego and take himself way too seriously, but sheesh! The guy gave his goggles to the pope and gets millions from all kinds of countries to help world hunger! So when the cards are down, the chips are counted, and everything is taken into account, Bono is flat out the best. And if you don't believe me, buy a DVD or go see them on their next world tour. You'll become a believer.