Cards Success?
Blame it on the Cubs
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=A ... n-10220791By Joshua Huffman, Yahoo! Contributor Network
5 hours, 35 minutes ago
tweet0EmailPrintThe Chicago Cubs haven't won a World Series since 1908. That doesn't mean that they haven't shaped its history. The Cubs won seven National League (NL) pennants between 1909 and 1945. They lost all seven of the World Series contests that followed. The Cubs were also five outs away from winning the NL pennant in 2003. Unfortunately, Dusty Baker watched aimlessly as the Cubs unraveled in Game 6 of their 2003 National League Championship Series (NLCS) contest against the Florida Marlins.
The St. Louis Cardinals won the 2011 NL pennant after they completed a 12-6 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 6 of the 2011 NLCS on October 16, 2011. The Cardinals will enjoy home-field advantage as they face the Texas Rangers in the World Series.
The Cardinals had trailed the Atlanta Braves by 10-½ games in the wild-card race on August 25. They still needed to make up 8-½ games on September 5. The Cardinals completed the historical comeback after they pulled ahead of the Braves during the regular-season finale. The Cardinals pulled off postseason upsets against the Philadelphia Phillies and Brewers en route to their 18th pennant.
So why does anyone on a team who finished with a 71-91 record deserve a World Series ring? The Cardinals were 10-5 in head-to-head games with the Cubs. Yet, the Cubs could have easily won the head-to-head matchups had they shown any resiliency whatsoever. The Cardinals needed every single one of those victories to avoid the wild-card tiebreaker. The Cubs had a chance to land a deathblow on the Cardinals' playoff hopes during the final week of the season.
But they didn't. And for that Cardinals fans should be eternally grateful.
A Cardinals World Series championship would be the cherry-on-top for Cubs fans after a forgettable season. So let's take a glance back on how history could have been changed with just a couple decisions and plays from the Cubs. Don't forget to send these Cubs some World Series rings if the Cardinals defeat the Rangers.
Jeff Samardzija(notes)
Jeff Samardzija surrendered the walk-off home run to Albert Pujols(notes) in a 5-4 Cardinals victory on June 4. The Cardinals had the bases empty during the bottom of the 12th inning. Quade let Samardzija pitch to Pujols. Samardzija tried to keep his pitch at ankle-level so Pujols couldn't hit it.
That only works if one throws directly at Pujols' ankles. And that's still a big "If."
Rodrigo Lopez(notes)
Rodrigo Lopez would surrender a walk-off home run to Pujols just one day after Samardzija did the same thing.
Carlos Marmol(notes)
Carlos Marmol blew two of his ten saves against the Cardinals. One of those occurred on September 24. Marmol walked three consecutive batters. That eventually led to the tying run and a 1-1 game. Marmol would allow the walk-off run on a wild pitch to the following batter. That would be his 10th blown save of the season.
Ryan Theriot(notes)
Oh wait; "The Riot" is on the Cardinals now. The Cubs have "Barney." Let's move on.
Mike Quade
I'd like to think that Mike Quade is on the Cardinals' payroll. That would explain many of his decisions.
Why pitch to Pujols with Samardzija? Why pitch to Pujols with Lopez? Why does he keep trotting Marmol out there? Why doesn't he yank Marmol after three consecutive walks? Why does he keep Randy Wells(notes) in for too long? Why did I ask myself "Why" about everything he did this season?
Enjoy It While It Lasts, Cardinals Fans
Theo Epstein will be with the Cubs at any moment now. The Cardinals will be getting trounced by a stacked roster that includes players like David Ortiz(notes), Edgar Renteria(notes), Eric Gagne, Mark Kotsay(notes), Mike Cameron(notes) and John Lackey(notes).
Your days of even competing for the NL Central are numbered.
Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan's Upper Peninsula as a Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs enthusiast. He immediately gained an admiration for Cubs fans after watching numerous games on WGN during the mid 1990s. His favorite Cubs moment was Kerry Wood's(notes) 1-hitter, 20K extravaganza that was only denied of a no-hitter by Kevin Orie's defensive blunder. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and "4th & 26" in a span of three months.
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