World Series open thread
Friday, Oct 28, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller * Most of my non-political Springfield friends are Cardinal fans. They’re pretty stoked after last night’s amazing finish. I don’t blame them. What a game. So, for Keith, Ryan, Kenny, Kent and all the rest of my redbird buddies, have at it.
|
- Fed Up State Employee - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 10:55 am:
NEVER give up!
- Demoralized - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 10:55 am:
All I can say is “HOLY COW!” That was perhaps one of the wildest and most exciting World Series games I have seen in all of my 37 years. It will go down as one of the classics.
- Old Shepherd - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 10:59 am:
I’m trying to think of something clever to say this morning, but I’m utterly speechless over last night’s game. This is what makes baseball special. You can’t run out the clock…you have to get the outs to win the game. As long as you’ve got one more pitch coming to you, you’ve got a chance!
- southsider - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 11:03 am:
Imma huge White Sox fan and sat thru the 14 inning win in Houston which to me was one of the greatest world series games ever-but last night was A-frigin-mazing…we switched our plans for tonight to see game 7-great series!!!
- wordslinger - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 11:12 am:
Anyone catch how Joe Buck paid homage to his old man on his signoff after Freese’s tater?
“We’ll see you tomorrow night..”
Those were the only words Jack said after Kirby hit a walkoff tater to beat the Braves in Game 6 in 1991.
In broadcasting, less is always best.
If only someone would tell Tim McCarver…..
His old boss, Steve Carlton, never spoke, but McCarver never stops talking and has nothing to say.
- BIG R. Ph - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 11:20 am:
A microcosm of the whole season wrapped up in one game.
The errors and terrible play in the beginning. Holliday getting picked off of 3rd and getting injured.
They’re down and they come back.
They’re left for dead and they come back.
And somehow, someway when they’re backs are against the wall even tighter than you could ever think…they find a way to win!!
This World Series has been a 7 round heavyweight boxing match.
Cards outpoint them in Round 1
Rangers come back and outpoint them in Round 2
Cards come out swinging and knock the Rangers to the mat in Round 3
Rangers come back and outpoint the Cards in Rounds 4 & 5
Rangers are ahead in Round 6 but Cards put them on the mat again with a big upper cut.
And it comes down to 1 game!!
Go CARDS!!!!!
- Ahoy - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 11:30 am:
Go Crazy Folks! Go Crazy!
- Cubby Fan and a Dem - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 11:34 am:
I am still not sure which way to go hear: arch-rival or George Bush’s old team. Tough call! I have been hoping for good games and a good series. No doubt that has come true. In the end, I guess I am a NL guy, so Cards are a slight fave.
- Cubby Fan and a Dem - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 11:35 am:
Lets go with HERE instead.
- McGone - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 11:40 am:
Years ago, my wife told me that a championship series would usually go to the maximum amount of games. Now I watch most of these with a jaundiced eye and long for the honesty of pro wrestling and politics.
- Kerfuffle - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 11:40 am:
I was there for it all last night and it’s hard to imagine I could ever see a game like that again. It was sloppy yet brilliant. It was both a train wreck and a Picasso. Can’t wait to see what tonight holds.
- Boone Logan Square - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 11:45 am:
Freeze gets free Ted Drewes for life after that performance.
- Boone Logan Square - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 11:46 am:
FREESE. I have too much frozen custard on the brain.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 11:52 am:
McGone must be a Cub fan.
- Old Shepherd - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 12:02 pm:
I’ve heard so many people say that it is a capitalist conspiracy by Bud Selig, the networks, and the sponsors that post season series go the full five or seven games. As a baseball fan, my rebuttal is as follows 1) prior to 2011, the World Series has not gone to seven games since 2002, 2) if it was all about money, why did the Red Sox sweep the 2004 series in four games?, and 3) teams that make it to the post season are typically there because they are the best. The best don’t give up easily.
- Downstate Commissioner - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 12:18 pm:
Had had a long day, caught myself falling asleep, almost went to bed… then was wide AWAKE, just had to see what would happen, good or bad. Storybook ending for Freese- he may never have to look for a job again, Cardinals have a history of looking out for their guys… for what it’s worth, my opinion is that “El Hombre” will end his career with the Cardinals…in about 10 or 20 years.
- downstate hack - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 12:23 pm:
Thanks Rich for this opportunity. (maybe White Sox/Cardinals in next years series)
What an amazing game. Not the best played but just extraordinary theater. Go Cards!!!! Carpenter should throw a shut out tonite and Pulous three more home runs. A miracle ending to a miracle season.
- Ryan from Carrollton - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 12:26 pm:
Gotta agree with Downstate Commissioner on Freese. Hometown boy makes good in the World Series to tie the game and then later to win. Every… kid’s… dream… On to game seven.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 12:28 pm:
And I second Ryan’s comments. That’s why you play baseball when you’re a kid, to someday be the big hero in the World Series.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 12:33 pm:
First, I’d like to express my apologies on behalf of us Cardinals fans who have sometimes struggled to find the words to express our joy, wonder, and jubilation in a way that has offended sensibility or sportsmanship. Please forgive us our trespasses.
And let me assure you that not all, nor even most Cardinals fans bear any true resentment or ill-will toward other teams or their fans.
On its surface, baseball is a struggle against others, but ultimately it is a struggle against ourselves.
I thought Berkman had the quote of the night when he was asked after the game what was going through his mind when he came to the plate two down with two outs and the game, the season and world championship hopes on the line:
“Nothing.”
To be able to clear your mind of the noise of the fans, the pressures, hope and self-doubt in a moment like that: that is championship stuff.
In a game with so many ups and downs and heroics, maybe Berkman at the plate doesn’t lead the highlight films. But it does demonstrate the steady, workman-like focus and approach to the game that makes guys from Lou Gehrig to Jim Thome hall-of-famers.
I don’t know how Game 7 will turn, but I do think that the Cardinals as a team demonstrated last night what champions are made of; not because they beat the Rangers, but because they never gave up and beat themselves.
I think there’s an important lesson on democracy and self-governance in there somewhere, I just haven’t figured it out yet.
- WUSTL - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 12:51 pm:
Was at the game last night and it was amazing! Note, there is a freeze warning for central MO, but a Freese warning for STL tonight!
- amalia - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 12:54 pm:
loved watching the camera flip to pix of Nolan Ryan.
- howie - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 1:05 pm:
I’m by no means a baseball fanatic, but I do like the Cards. Couldn’t sleep last night so I turned it on in the 7th…..knew they were done. Without getting too wordy, that’s got to be the best ending to a baseball game I’ve ever seen. It sure didn’t cure my insomnia..:-)
- ah HA - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 1:10 pm:
I was completely taken aback with their miraculous comeback. I said to my wife that it will take a miracle to come back and win this game. I was sure as the world that the Rangers would have won last night but was pleasantly and happily surprised!! Go CARDS!! One more!!
- Left Leaner - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 1:27 pm:
Wow…and wow…just wow.
See you tonight folks!
- LincolnLounger - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 1:28 pm:
#11 in ‘ll!
- Ray del Camino - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 1:28 pm:
I remember little snippets of Harry Caray calling games of the ‘64 World Champion Cardinals–I was pretty small–and I have been a die-hard Cards fan ever since. But last night tops it all, even more exciting than the Whitey Ball of the ’80s. Go Cards! Go National League! Down with ten-man baseball!
- Doug - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 1:29 pm:
Rangers have this tonight. Carp won’t make it out of the third, Hambone has his stroke back and Matty Harrison will be on his A Game!
- Rich Miller - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 1:30 pm:
I wondered when my Texas brother Doug would pull himself out of his deep funk and drag himself over here to comment.
- Bemused - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 1:32 pm:
Not a big fan but did watch some of the game last night. Went to bed before bottom of 7th, bad choice huh?
- Team Sleep - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 1:46 pm:
There are three games I have watched in the past 7 years that qualify as instant classics: Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS, the 2007 play-in game between the Rockies and Padres and last night’s World Series game.
- Mountain Man - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 1:51 pm:
Thank you, Rich for allowing this string. Diehard Cards/baseball fan here and I agree with many that last night’s game was the best I’ve ever seen. I’m thrilled for my 8 year old son that he has a chance to experience tonight what I had the opportunity to see back when I was 7 (1982)…watching the Cards win the Series in game 7. I watched it at home, but it is one of my favorite childhood memories. As we used to sing in the 80s…..The Heat is ON!!!!!!!!
- Doug - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 2:12 pm:
And that wasn’t a “Good Game”, it was worse than a High School game. The errors, the walks, the misplayed bullpens on both sides. Horrible.
Sure, it was an emotional ride, but it was not a good game.
- Doug - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 2:13 pm:
Rich, I was in a deep funk, til about 4 this morning when I could finally fall asleep. But I have a good feeling about tonight.
- 47th Ward - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 2:37 pm:
A great series, definitely one for the ages, and last night’s game was baseball at its best. It’s going to be tough for the Rangers to shake that one off, that had to be devastating.
I heard a Texas TV station was running a chryon in the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs that said “Rangers Win World Series: stay tuned for complete coverage.” D’oh!
Anybody else notice that it seems like football and baseball are becoming more NBA-like where you only need to watch the latter part of 4th quarter or the 9th inning because that’s when all the excitement happens?
- Edge of the 14th Ward - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 3:16 pm:
Congratulations Cardinals fans, you’ve got this. As a Cubs fan, I can say with relative certainty that teams that blow a late inning lead in game six don’t tend to come back and win game seven…
- Doug - Friday, Oct 28, 11 @ 3:57 pm:
Edge, ask the 75 Reds. Rangers have this