Cardinals Win the World Series…(sigh)

It is very hard for me to swallow my pride on this one.  However, a congratulations is in order.  So, here is my formal congratulations to the….hmmm…World Series Champs.

Dear St. Louis Cardinals Players and Fans,

     In life, I believe you make your own destiny.  When the Cardinals squeaked into the postseason, we began to hear rumblings about the Cardinals being a team of destiny.  I do not buy that.  The Cardinals were a very good team that got hot at the right time. 

     No one will deny that the Cardinals were a very good team, but I also am fairly certain that no one (including Cards fans) thought they would win the World Series on September 1st.  Sometimes, things just fall into place without any specific rhyme or reason and if you embrace it, good things will happen.

     Game 6 of the World Series, was without a doubt the greatest game of baseball I have ever seen.  I rank it with Game 6 of the 1991 World Series (Kirby Puckett game), and the 2001 Game 7 D’Backs walk-off over the Yankees.  To perservere in such an adverse situation, is why the Cardinals are Champions this morning.  To find yourself one strike away from elimination not once, but twice in the same game and not giving in, is nothing short of amazing.  I wish that a word existed to explain how miraculous Thursday nights victory was, but there is not.  David Freese will live forever in baseball lore.  His homerun will never be forgotten.  The MLB postseason motto was “Legends are born in October” and it is safe to say that Freese was the man they were talking about. 

     While Game 7 lacked some of the excitment that the rest of the series had, it was still an impressive victory.  Chris Carpenter is still one of the best pitchers in the game today and he proved it last night.  His curve ball was devastating and his fastball was a living being.  The Cardinals bullpen was the backbone of this team during the postseason, the NLCS in particular.  The starting rotation seemed to figure things out during the World Series, which only made the bullpen more potent.  What a staff.

     As much as it hurts to admit it, I am impressed with what you accomplished.  Over the last two months you have been left for dead repeatedly, but you some how pulled through.  Whenever things looked the darkest, you found that one small speck of light.  There is no doubt that you earned this World Series title, and no one will ever try to take it away from you…unless they are an idiot.  

     The 2011 Cardinals may not go down as the greatest team to ever win the World Series, but no one will ever deny that they were probably the biggest underdogs in history to win it.  My sincerest Congratulations.  I only hope that someday I can feel the joy and jubilation that you all experienced over the past few months. 

                                                                                                           Sincerely,

                                                                                                           Lou Olsen

                                                                                                           Reviewing the Brew