With both the ALCS and the NLCS coming to a conclusion over the weekend, the table is now set for the 2011 World Series. This year's Fall Classic will feature two very potent offenses with the Texas Rangers representing the American League for a second consecutive season and the St. Louis Cardinals representing the National League for the first time since 2006.
While the Rangers have done most of their winning at home this postseason as they finished tied for the third best record in the league (96-66) before ousting the Tampa Bay Rays and the Detroit Tigers, their National League counterparts have taken an entirely different approach. The Cardinals (90-72) meanwhile have done the exact opposite, clinching both series' while on the road. Following up on their elimination of the highly favored Philadelphia Phillies, winners of a league-best 102 games during the regular season, the Red Birds continued their dominance by knocking off the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers who claimed the best home record in all of baseball. None of that mattered, however, to one of the hottest teams heading into the playoffs.
Though getting to where they're at now was no easy task, the biggest storyline and obstacle regarding their trip to the World Series would be the overcoming of an 8 1/2 game deficit as late as August 3rd in the NL Wild Card race which was held by the Atlanta Braves. The Cardinals were able to rally and capitalize on Atlanta's late-season woes, clinching a playoff spot on the final day of the season, solidifying the Braves' debacle as the biggest collapse in National League history. A task much more difficult than the one Texas faced as they basically took first place in the division and ran away with it, leaving the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim along with the rest of the division in their rear-view mirror. Something the Rangers do deserve a lot of credit for, however, is making it back to the World Series after finishing last season with their heads down.
For St. Louis who will be making their 17th World Series appearance in franchise history, the ball club will be trying to win its first Commissioner's Trophy since 2006 when they triumphed the Detroit Tigers. As for Texas, the Lone Star faithful will be seeing their team in the Fall Classic for only the second time ever with last season being their first in which they lost to the San Francisco Giants. The year 2011 could be a year of firsts in the Dallas-Fort Worth area if the Rangers can win it all after watching their NBA counterparts -- the Dallas Mavericks hoist their first Championship in franchise history earlier this year when they defeated the highly favored Miami Heat. Not only am I hoping they can pull it off considering the Cardinals have won 10 World Series titles compared to Texas' zero, but I think they will, doing so in what I'm predicting will be a six-game slugfest.
Someone else who thinks Texas will win it in less than seven games is Rangers owner and president Nolan Ryan who said, "I think we'll get it done in six." Not only will his comments give his ball club a bit of confidence, but it'll also give the opposing ball club a bit of bulletin board material.
Get your sunflower seeds ready for Game 1 which can be seen at 5:05 p.m. Wednesday only on FOX as Chris Carpenter of the Cardinals takes the mound and squares off against Texas' CJ Wilson.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
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