As the Tigers and Cardinals move to St. Louis for the next three games of the World Series, it seems necessary to write something about the ongoing action. But what?
I simply refuse to write a column on Kenny Rogers. Oh sure, it might throw a few random comments up on my blog, but I don't really feel like being the 14,000th person to offer my input on the subject.
Craig Monroe is an option I suppose, since he became the first person since Barry Bonds to homer in the first two games of a World Series. Not sure that warrants an entire column though.
We've got Pujols and his bizarre personality change, I guess that is interesting. After all, one of the game's ultimate good guys has turned into a snarling, trash-talking, posing enigma, seemingly overnight. And since he's the game's best hitter, that probably adds up to a good story. Except that I find the entire Cardinals team numbingly mediocre and boring. I just can't be bothered to knock out 2,000 words about a team with a .516 winning percentage.
Fortunately, there is one story angle that has been nagging at me all October and it has to do with this Detroit Tigers team and their almost freakish similarities to several World Series-winning teams of recent vintage.
Before the playoffs started, I decided that the Detroit Tigers were a near replica of the 2002 Anaheim Angels, who won the World Series that year. I foolishly picked the Yankees to win the ALDS, of course, but that doesn't change the comparison.
A few weeks ago Michael Wilbon was discussing the Tigers on Pardon the Interruption and he noted that they were beginning to resemble last year's winner, the Chicago White Sox.
Detroit's own catcher, Ivan Rodriguez, said during the ALCS that this team feels destined and he then compared the Tigers to the last World Series-winning team he was on, the 2003 Marlins.
All of these comparisons seems right, in their own way. The question is: how can that be possible?
Article comments
1 - RJ Elliott
"We've got Pujols and his bizarre personality change, I guess that is interesting. After all, one of the game's ultimate good guys has turned into a snarling, trash-talking, posing enigma, seemingly overnight."
I noticed that, too. I gotta say, I don't like this guy...
2 - RJ Elliott
BTW, great article! :)
3 - Matthew T. Sussman
All those teams, by the way, missed the playoffs the following year.
4 - Donnie Marler
Pujols finally admitted he was having difficulty dealing with the death of a beloved uncle who helped raise him after the Post-Dispatch ripped him for the way he's acted of late. To his credit, Pujols apologized after reading the column and realizing he's been less than approachable for a week or so. I live 60 miles south of St. Louis, take it from me, no guy does more for the community from the sports world that Pujols does. He's only human guys, give him a break. The real Albert Pujols is a good guy.
5 - MCH
"I noticed that, too. I gotta say, I don't like this guy..."
- RJ Elliott
This from the same guy who mocked Max Cleland's appearance.
6 - Adam Hoff
Good update on Pujols. That sucks for him that he's had tragedy in his family. I used the word "enigma" for a reason - it seemed strange that he was acting that way.
Big game tonight. Cards need a W out of Carpenter.
7 - Donnie Marler
I'm guaranteeing victory! Do I have to pick a team now? lol. Cards tonight, Carpenter has something to prove. Hopefully they take bats to the plate tonight. We need more than two stinking hits in the first eight innings!
8 - RJ Elliott
"I noticed that, too. I gotta say, I don't like this guy..."
- RJ Elliott
This from the same guy who mocked Max Cleland's appearance.
How is it you're still allowed to post here? You wouldn't pass a Turing Test...
9 - MCH
Congratulations to the Cardinals as the '06 world champs...I like both Detroit and St, Louis, actually...it was an interesting series and a great rematch of the '68 affair...and I thought Pujols showed a lot of class considering his circumstances.