St. Louis Cardinals

            There are several things I want to get to this week, but the first story I want to cover is the 2011 World Series Champions, the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals beat the Texas Rangers 4-3 in a best-of-seven series (as I predicted) to win their 11^th title in franchise history. 
            This World Series was really the first one that I have followed closely and I have watched just about every game. Although it was just my first, I think it has to be considered one of the most exciting ever. After the Rangers took a 3-2 series lead, it forced the Cardinals to win the next two games if they wanted to win the championship. In Game 6, a game that some are calling the best ever, Missouri native David Freese hit a walk-off home run that won the game and forced a Game 7 that would decide it all. In that game the Cardinals took control in the second inning and won 6-2.

            
            There was one immediate question that sprang up almost as soon as the final out was made, what will Albert Pujols do now that the season is over? Pujols is one of the best players currently in the MLB, and one of the best Cardinals ever. This is the final year of his contract and since the season began there has been speculation as to where Pujols will end up. Nobody, except for maybe Albert himself, knows the answer for sure. Word on the street is that Pujols could end up in Chicago or Texas, but you have to believe that St. Louis is still his best option.

            
            That problem has been one the Cardinals front office has been preparing for, but today a new question arose that nobody seems prepared for. Manager Tony La Russa announced his retirement. The 67-year old coach is calling it quits after winning his third World Series. La Russa is easily one of the best coaches in MLB history as he has won over 5,000 games. He will be remembered more for the way he managed every aspect of the game. La Russa worked diligently in every game to get the batter-pitcher matchup he wanted. Sometime this style of “over-managing” would result in heavy criticism towards Tony, but other times it’s praised, like when he won a World Series.

            
            I wish I had this in writing, but I kind of figured that this would be Tony’s last season. Before the season began, the Cardinals traded a lot of their younger players for veterans like Lance Berkman and Rafael Furcal. It seemed like the front office was setting La Russa up for a final run at getting a championship, and that’s exactly what happened. La Russa deserves a lot of credit for rallying the team together when they were basically out of the playoff picture.

Tony La Russa on the Budweiser Clydesdales during the parade on Monday

            
            As for the Texas Rangers, I feel their pain. The Rangers lost the World Series last year to the Philadelphia Phillies and lost this year to the Cardinals. What’s another team that’s lost in the championship game the past two years? The Butler Bulldogs basketball team.

Another shot of the parade today, right outside Busch Stadium

Congrats to the St. Louis Cardinals!!! World Series Champs!!!