History Was Made, Cardinals Win World Series

11/2/11 12:45 AM

What just happened was history. The St. Louis Cardinals winning this 2011 World Series is like nothing we have ever seen before, and chances are we are likely never to see something like it again. The Cardinals completing their run of epic proportions is so unbelievable, it is probably hard for even the team to grasp. If you asked anybody in late August who would be the champions come October, the team itself might not have answered with the St. Louis Cardinals. It was two months ago exactly that they were down 10 and a half games from the final playoff spot. Those types of circumstances are rarely overcome. Even after a great month of baseball in September, the Cards were still three games behind the Atlanta Braves with only five games to play. These World Series Champions...

Pujols' Mistake Costs Cardinals

10/26/11 12:57 AM

It was the marquee moment in Game 2 of the World Series. On a throw coming to home plate from center field, Cardinals star first baseman Albert Pujols missed the ball and failed to cut it off. This allowed the ball to slowly roll all the way to the catcher. The runner on third still did not score, but the ball traveling all the way to the catcher allowed the runner on first, Elvis Andrus, to get into scoring position at second base. Later in the inning, a sacrifice fly gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead, the second run being Andrus, who would have never scored if not for Pujols’ error. The Rangers won the game and tied the series at one game apiece. Pujols’ error was clearly the turning point in the game; it was by far the most important play. After the game, however, Pujols...

Texas Rangers Return to World Series

10/19/11 4:20 PM

On Saturday night, the Texas Rangers booked a return flight to the World Series. For the first time since the Yankees made four consecutive appearances in the World Series from ’98-’01, an American League team is making consecutive trips to the World Series. This is a feat that should not be looked down on. The Rangers are now clearly the class of the American League, and might just be the next big thing in baseball. Texas has made the right moves at the right times to put together a club that could go deep into October for years to come. Last year, many people attributed the Rangers Fall Classic to a mid-season trade for Cliff Lee, an ace starting pitcher who ripped through the playoffs at a historic pace. After losing Lee in free agency this past winter to Philadelphia, the Rangers...

For One Night Baseball Returns to the National Spotlight

10/4/11 11:33 PM

Sept. 28, 2011 was a night that we should all remember for a long time. It was late that Wednesday night when not only did the Red Sox and Braves complete a pair of collapses for the ages, but it was also a night in which baseball was king again. Baseball was in the spotlight ahead of football, basketball and everything else in the sports world. Sept. 28 was a reminder of why we love baseball so very much. Going into the month of September, the Boston Red Sox had a nine-game lead on the Tampa Bay Rays for the last spot in the playoffs for the American League. With approximately thirty games to go, it seemed impossible for that to change. Down the eastern seaboard, the Atlanta Braves were comfortably holding the National League wild card over the St. Louis Cardinals by eight and a half...

Closers: Hall of Fame Worthy?

9/20/11 10:32 PM

Mariano Rivera recorded his 601st save this past Saturday afternoon. With that save, Rivera tied Trevor Hoffman for the Major League record in saves. Sure enough, Rivera will pass Hoffman and become the MLB save king, probably for a long time. Mariano is without a doubt the greatest relief pitcher in the history of the sport; before we know it he will be getting enshrined in Cooperstown as one of the best players ever. However, that brings up an interesting query. How do we treat closers with regard to the Hall of Fame? Obviously, I am not suggesting that Rivera or Hoffman not be inducted into the Hall of Fame but those two are the two best ever in the closing department. How do we determine what is a Hall of Fame closer? There are benchmarks across baseball: 500 home runs, 300 wins, 3000...