2006 Cardinals hardly the Bad News Bears

[STLCards2]

If you didn't know better, you would think an untalented team full of minor leaguers just won the World Series. But for those of us with short memories,

The Cardinals have: the best player in baseball at firstbase (at least a top 3 guy), a possible future Hall of Famer at 3rd, a 2-time All-Star at short, baseball's best defensive catcher, one of the best all-around centerfielders in history (yes, at the end of his career), arguably one of the 2-3 best pitchers in the NL, one of the best postseason pitchers in baseball, a young stud closer, a bench full of versitile,veteran ex-starters (Miles, Spezio, Wilson), and a HOF manager.

Also keep in mind, this Cardinals team (with a lot of the same core players) has made the playoffs 6 of the past 7 years, and has more wins the past 7 seasons than anybody but the Yankees. The Cardinals won 205 games the previous 2 seasons, and have been the popular preseason NL WS pick most of the decade...

The Cardinals were actualy the popular preseason NL pick again this year, and nobody in the world would have been shocked if somebody said they would be the 2006 Champions in March.

The unbelievable thing is how poorly they played in the regular season, not that they won in the playoffs. Or is it?

The Cardinals played with a rash of injuries to major players (Mulder, Pujols, Edmonds, Rolen, Eckstein), and dead weight who lost tons of games for the Cardinals (Marquis, Ponson, Isringhausen). Once those guys were gone and the teams true healthy talent was in place, should we be all that suprised they won?

[hubkittel]

well stated.

this was a team who's nucleus has won 304 games (regular season and post season) in the last three years. they've been in the nlcs the last three years. they've been to the world series two out of the last three years. and now they have their ring.

[Senior skittles]

IM thinking DYNASTY!!!!!

[Astro]

IM thinking DYNASTY!!!!!
I'm thinking you need to lay off the liquor

[efin98]

They aren't the Bad News Bears, the only team that you could call the Bad News Bears are the only team that fits that team nicely- the Tigers.

What the Cardinals are is a good team. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less. They have played hard the last three years and have come up short, but this year they won it all.
They didn't come out of nowhere like the Tigers.
They didn't barely make it into the playoffs like the Twins and Padres and Dodgers.
They didn't blow a sure-fire series win like the Yankees.
They didn't run out of steam in game seven like the Mets.
They didn't forget how to pull together as a team like the A's.
They worked hard all year and played hard throughout the playoffs. They had to fight hard for the win and could have easily lost just as much as won. They earned their title.

[Knick9]

No, the Cards aren't the Bad News Bears at all. They are worthy of course. They pulled together as a team and did what they had to do to win. They have such classy guys on their team, so it is no surprise.

[Blackout]

They didn't barely make it into the playoffs like the Twins and Padres and Dodgers.


umm didn't the Cards season come down to the last game or two?

[Astro]

umm didn't the Cards season come down to the last game or two?
Yes, the Astros and Reds were in it very late... if the Astros had not lost 2 out of 3 to the Braves the Cardinals may not have made it, had the Astros won their last game, the Cards would have had to goto San Francisco to play the Giants, had they lost that they would have been in a playoff for the division with Houston

So, had Clemens came back 2 weeks earlier, the Astros would have been in the playoffs instead

[mojorisin71]

They didn't barely make it into the playoffs like the Twins and Padres and Dodgers.

LA and SD clinched on 9/30/06 a full two games ahead of Philadelphia, and if almost losing an 8½ game lead in the last two weeks of the season isn't considered "barely making it," then I don't know what is.

Besides, the Cards did back in the playoffs when Houston lost to the Braves on 10/1. In any case, the Cards won the games they were supposed to win, and that led to their 10th WS title in 80 years.

[AstrosFan]

The Cardinal's WS win this year was every bit as unlikely as the 1988 Dodgers winning over the 104 win A's. They earned it, but it is shocking. This should go down as one of the biggest upsets in history, but it doesn't seem like anyone is appreciating this.

[mojorisin71]

They beat the AL wild card team. I just can't see it as an upset.

[efin98]

In any case, the Cards won the games they were supposed to win, and that led to their 10th WS title in 80 years.

Their first title in 24 years.

[hubkittel]

The Cardinal's WS win this year was every bit as unlikely as the 1988 Dodgers winning over the 104 win A's. They earned it, but it is shocking. This should go down as one of the biggest upsets in history, but it doesn't seem like anyone is appreciating this.

it is a huge upset on the order of the 88 dodgers/a's. the hardball times had the tigers as a 70% favorite to win based on game by game win probability. basicly no "expert" other than carl ravich picked the cards to win (and ravich just did it to be contrary).

i don't think it's being celebrated as a great upset because the cards have been on this stage before. three straight nlcs, two out of three world series, etc. the cardinals had pujols, rolen, edmonds, and eckstein not franklin stubbs, jeff hamilton, john shelby, and alfredo griffen. the dodgers beat a team that won three straight pennants. the cards beat a tigers team that is two years removed from 119 loses.

if this cardinal team falls apart over the next few years and the tigers go on to have continued success then appreciation of the upset will grow. if the cards continue their success of the last seven seasons and the tigers are unable to match this years success, it'll just be remembered as the year pujols got his first ring.

[plask_stirlac]

They beat the AL wild card team. I just can't see it as an upset.

Few thought the Cards could have another great series after having about zero in September.

[geezer]

Well, to all accounts, Tony LaRussa's worst playoff team in win loss record, ended it up winning it all, who knew that a team with a couple of 8 game losing streaks, their marquee starting pitcher and closer out with injuries, their title game clinching pitcher started with another team and left for dead in the bigs, and a left fielder that started also in another team, and in his Cardinals debut hit a homer, and a all-star cast on the DL for big part of the season. And the MIT, a possible late season massive collapse almost avoided in the final day of the season, and now theyre the world champions, that is something I tip my hat on.

[Senior skittles]

I'm thinking you need to lay off the liquor
3 straight division titles, 3 straight nlcs, 2 out of the last 3 world series, and 1ring...... why not a dynasty??? BTW im not old enouh to drink liquor:crazy :D

[SHOELESSJOE3]

When will they ever learn, these foolish predictions. Toss out everything that led up to the playoffs and WS, toss out all the numbers, wins losses, hitting stats, pitching stats.......THE BOTTOM LINE, THE GAME IS NOT PLAYED ON PAPER, THE GAME WILL ALWAYS BE PLAYED ON THE FIELD.

I'm not surprised or shocked one bit. It's easy, the Cards played better than all the teams they faced. Spare me the BS about the Tiger's errors, if I recall it's not only how you hit but how you play in the field, both are a part of the game.

[geezer]

3 straight division titles, 3 straight nlcs, 2 out of the last 3 world series, and 1ring...... why not a dynasty??? BTW im not old enouh to drink liquor:crazy :D

Well the Yanks havent won anything since 2000, the Braves, Red Sox and White Sox were home in October watching the playoffs on TV, makes sense, but they have to improve and their stars dont have to spend time on the DL, if that happens, the Cards will win 110 games in the regular season next year.