Saturday, October 21, 2006
Previewing the World Series
Enjoy T...
Just over three weeks ago, I wrote an article, documenting the collapse of the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals over the final month of the regular season. On Saturday night, the two teams face off in Game 1 of the World Series. Three weeks have passed and each team has shown that late-season struggles don't mean a thing in the playoffs. The Tigers, taking the 2oo5 White Sox as their model, have been dominant in the postseason. After dropping the opening game of the Division Series in New York, the Tigers have reeled off seven straight wins with fantastic starting pitching and timely hitting. The scrappy Cardinals took a different route to the World Series. In a marathon NLCS that included two rainouts, St. Louis found a different hero every night. In a classic NLCS Game 7, light-hitting Yadier Molina delivered a two run pennant-clinching homer in the ninth inning at rainy Shea Stadium in New York. However, on paper, the Tigers seem to have a distinct edge over the Cardinals in this year's fall classic. At the beginning of October, everything seemed to indicate that these teams were dead in the water.
The first of three major keys to the 2006 World Series is the starting pitching. The Tigers starting rotation has been nearly perfect this postseason. Excluding Game 1 of the Division Series, Detroit starters have posted an incredible 2.36 Earned Run Average. Kenny Rogers has pitched 15 consecutive scoreless innings in two starts this October. Injuries to the Cardinals rotation has forced Cardinal manager Tony LaRussa to piece together his rotation. Jeff Weaver, picked up off the scrapheap at midseason, has pitched tremendously this postseason, posting a 2.16 ERA in three starts. In Game 1, the Cardinals send rookie Anthony Reyes to the hill, bestowing upon him the distinction of being the player with the fewest career wins to ever start a World Series opener. Chris Carpenter, Jeff Suppan, and the aforementioned Weaver will have to be nearly perfect to match the talented Detroit staff.
Both teams have had their share of unsung heros in the 2006 playoffs. Brandon Inge, who carted a .253 batting average in the regular season, delivered three hits, keying a Detroit victory in Game 1 of the ALCS. Curtis Granderson has been on a tear, hitting .313 out of the leadoff slot for the Tigers. Perhaps not from an unlikely source, but I would be remiss not to mention the heart-stopping walkoff home run off the bat of Magglio Ordonez, propelling Detroit into the World Series. The Cardinals have experienced late game heroics from even more unlikely players. Sao Taguchi, David Eckstein, and Yadier Molina hit a total of ten home runs in the regular season in a combined 1,233 at bats. This postseason, the trio have hit five home runs, including two game winners in 81 plate appearences. Each team will need to receive contributions from all nine spots in the lineup in order to manufacture runs in this series.
That leads me to the third key for both teams: relief pitching. In what figure to be low-scoring
games, each team will need their bullpen to be sharp. Walks come back to haunt relief pitchers in the postseason. Each manager likes to use the sacrifice bunt and both teams are excellent in their execution. Both St. Louis and Detroit relief pitchers need to be able to come into games and throw strikes. For the Cardinals who lost closer Jason Isringhausen for the season back in September, Adam Wainwright must continue his excellent second season campaign. His magnificent curve ball in the bottom of the 9th that caught Carlos Beltran looking with the bases loaded to clinch the pennant shows the amount of trust the young righty has in his ability. With a healthy Joel Zumaya back after missing the ALCS, the Tigers also boast a strong back end to their bullpen. Todd Jones and Zumaya were dominant in the 8th and 9th innnings of the Division Series against the Yankees. If the Tigers can hold a lead into the late innings, Manager Jim Leyland must like his chances.
Breaking down the three critical components to the series, I like the Tigers in five games. With a week's rest before Game 1 tonight, the Tigers are a picture of health and have their rotation set to match the Cardinals. St. Louis arrives in Detroit tonight less than 48 hours since Game 7 ended in New York. Starting rookie Anthony Reyes in Game 1 against flamethrower Justin Verlander seems a mismatch, heavily favoring the Tigers. I am not sure the Cardinals bats will be able to produce enough runs against Detroit's pitching staff to stay with the Tigers consistent, if not spectacular lineup. I see the Tigers bringing home their first World Series title in 22 years.
Just over three weeks ago, I wrote an article, documenting the collapse of the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals over the final month of the regular season. On Saturday night, the two teams face off in Game 1 of the World Series. Three weeks have passed and each team has shown that late-season struggles don't mean a thing in the playoffs. The Tigers, taking the 2oo5 White Sox as their model, have been dominant in the postseason. After dropping the opening game of the Division Series in New York, the Tigers have reeled off seven straight wins with fantastic starting pitching and timely hitting. The scrappy Cardinals took a different route to the World Series. In a marathon NLCS that included two rainouts, St. Louis found a different hero every night. In a classic NLCS Game 7, light-hitting Yadier Molina delivered a two run pennant-clinching homer in the ninth inning at rainy Shea Stadium in New York. However, on paper, the Tigers seem to have a distinct edge over the Cardinals in this year's fall classic. At the beginning of October, everything seemed to indicate that these teams were dead in the water.
The first of three major keys to the 2006 World Series is the starting pitching. The Tigers starting rotation has been nearly perfect this postseason. Excluding Game 1 of the Division Series, Detroit starters have posted an incredible 2.36 Earned Run Average. Kenny Rogers has pitched 15 consecutive scoreless innings in two starts this October. Injuries to the Cardinals rotation has forced Cardinal manager Tony LaRussa to piece together his rotation. Jeff Weaver, picked up off the scrapheap at midseason, has pitched tremendously this postseason, posting a 2.16 ERA in three starts. In Game 1, the Cardinals send rookie Anthony Reyes to the hill, bestowing upon him the distinction of being the player with the fewest career wins to ever start a World Series opener. Chris Carpenter, Jeff Suppan, and the aforementioned Weaver will have to be nearly perfect to match the talented Detroit staff.
Both teams have had their share of unsung heros in the 2006 playoffs. Brandon Inge, who carted a .253 batting average in the regular season, delivered three hits, keying a Detroit victory in Game 1 of the ALCS. Curtis Granderson has been on a tear, hitting .313 out of the leadoff slot for the Tigers. Perhaps not from an unlikely source, but I would be remiss not to mention the heart-stopping walkoff home run off the bat of Magglio Ordonez, propelling Detroit into the World Series. The Cardinals have experienced late game heroics from even more unlikely players. Sao Taguchi, David Eckstein, and Yadier Molina hit a total of ten home runs in the regular season in a combined 1,233 at bats. This postseason, the trio have hit five home runs, including two game winners in 81 plate appearences. Each team will need to receive contributions from all nine spots in the lineup in order to manufacture runs in this series.
That leads me to the third key for both teams: relief pitching. In what figure to be low-scoring
games, each team will need their bullpen to be sharp. Walks come back to haunt relief pitchers in the postseason. Each manager likes to use the sacrifice bunt and both teams are excellent in their execution. Both St. Louis and Detroit relief pitchers need to be able to come into games and throw strikes. For the Cardinals who lost closer Jason Isringhausen for the season back in September, Adam Wainwright must continue his excellent second season campaign. His magnificent curve ball in the bottom of the 9th that caught Carlos Beltran looking with the bases loaded to clinch the pennant shows the amount of trust the young righty has in his ability. With a healthy Joel Zumaya back after missing the ALCS, the Tigers also boast a strong back end to their bullpen. Todd Jones and Zumaya were dominant in the 8th and 9th innnings of the Division Series against the Yankees. If the Tigers can hold a lead into the late innings, Manager Jim Leyland must like his chances. Breaking down the three critical components to the series, I like the Tigers in five games. With a week's rest before Game 1 tonight, the Tigers are a picture of health and have their rotation set to match the Cardinals. St. Louis arrives in Detroit tonight less than 48 hours since Game 7 ended in New York. Starting rookie Anthony Reyes in Game 1 against flamethrower Justin Verlander seems a mismatch, heavily favoring the Tigers. I am not sure the Cardinals bats will be able to produce enough runs against Detroit's pitching staff to stay with the Tigers consistent, if not spectacular lineup. I see the Tigers bringing home their first World Series title in 22 years.
# posted by Nate @ 3:50 PM 
