It's Like 1968 or 1934 All Over Again

Why, you ask? Because the Cardinals and Tigers are meeting for the third time in the Fall Classic. The first 2 were epic seven gamers with the Cards' Gas House Gang featuring the Dean Brothers and Pepper Martin winning in '34 with the Tigers and Mickey Lolich besting Bob Gibson in '68 (when Curt Flood (the subject of a new biography) lost a ball in the sun). But before I turn to my thoughts of this year's series (hint--I don't see it going 7), a few thoughts on the Mets/Cardinals battle.

1. My condolences to Red Fraggle. I have not heard from her since the game ended. I trust she is still breathing. Update--she is stirring!

2. As decimated as the Mets pitching staff was, it was their hitting that cost them the series. They got 1 excellent and 1 good enough start from Oliver Perez, a great start and a mediocre one from John Maine, and a great start from Glavine (albeit a bad one in game 5). (Let's not mention Trachsel.) What killed the Mets was a complete inability to hit (other than in game 4). Truly mind boggling how they could not produce.

3. I hate to jump on the bash Tim McCarver bandwagon, but my favorite moment was last night in the 9th when literally seconds after Joe Buck commented that Floyd is easy to double up, McCarver makes the exact same observation. And the way he made it, you would have thought that he had just discovered relativity.

4. Another check minus to Fox. There was a light rain throughout the game with a forecast of heavy storms for 11pm. But not once did Fox discuss the postseason rules for rain. Is a game official if it lasts more than 5 innings? If the game is tied when the deluge comes, do they just replay the whole game? One would think this would be relevant.

5. Endy Chavez. That may have been the greatest catch of all time when one considers the situation. The obvious comparison is Mays in game 1 of the '54 series. And yes, Endy (or Eric as McCarver called him) Chavez is no Willie Mays. But this was a GAME 7. He saved a 2 run homer and turned the DP. The Giants probably lose Game 1 in '54 without the catch and the resulting DP, but they swept the series. Not to knock Mays' catch--it is rightly legendary--but this one may just have been better. Still in awe.

And now (drum roll please), my prediction--Tigers in 5. The NL is terrible, the Cardinals are tired, Jeff Weaver and Jeff Suppan will learn that major league hitters destroy them, and the Tigers are the '06 team of destiny. Granted, many of my predictions have been wrong in this postseason, but the Cards are simply much worse than the Tigers. I feel generous giving them 1 game.