A great amount has happened over the past two weeks. I will not pretend to even begin glossing over it here. For now, all that matters is that the Cardinals and Rangers will square off the World Series that very few Bay Area people wanted to see. Still, it's the Fall Classic. So it's time to grab some beers, a couch, a pizza, and your best friend, and watch the culmination of the long, wacky, and wonderful 2011 Major League Baseball Season.
So, much like we did for the Superbowl last winter, Frankie and I will take opposing sides of this year's World Series. It has been left to me why the Texas Rangers, in their second consecutive appearance, will prove victorious over the Cardinals. And I will do so in five fun and easy steps. Kind of like AA, except without any problems. Because look, though Frankie is going to make valid arguments, let's be real, Texas has this one. Please, enjoy.
1. Bullpen
Why were the Texas Rangers so easily able to defeat the Detroit Tigers when, over 6 games, their starters went a combined 28.2 innings? Because the bullpen gave up only 4 runs over 27.1 innings. That's an ERA of about 1.40. BOOM. As RyCox would say, "You dropped a bomb on me." Feliz, Adams, Gonzalez, Ogando, Feldman, even Uehara: they've been nails. They've come out time and time again, not just in the playoffs, but all season. So look, even if you can get Derek Holland to take a seat after four, you're going to have to deal with too many other pitchers to have a chance. The Rangers knew their Achilles heel was the bullpen, so they went out and fixed it. They fixed it real good.
2. Nelson Cruz
When he's healthy, this high flying superman is one of the best hitters in baseball. Unfortunately for the Cardinals. He's healthy. He hit six home runs, including a walk off grand slam, in six games against the Tigers. He's hot and shows no signs of slowing down. He had 13 RBI and batted .364. Oh, also, he hits out of the 6th spot in the lineup. The Cardinals would do their best to pitch around him, because otherwise he's going to hurt them badly.
3. The Rest of the Lineup
Oh right, you can't really pitch around Cruz. Why? Because the Rangers probably have one of the top three, if not the best lineup in baseball. They can put a lineup on the field with 5 players who hit 25 or more home runs during the regular season. Kinsler, Andrus, Hamilton, Young, Beltre, Cruz, Napoli. That's a scary one through seven. The Rangers can beat you in so many different ways. If you're not scared, you will be. You will be.
4. Rest
They only had one extra day. But with the bullpen doing that much work, it's going to make a huge difference. It's going to give Napoli's knees one more day off. It's going to set the rotation that much stronger. The Rangers' extra 24 hours will prove to be an extra asset in the long series. Remember, the Cardinals had to use their bullpen a lot to beat the Brewers as well. They might be a little tired.
5. Experience
They were here last year. They remember what it was like. Look at the roster. The lineup only got better with the additions of Beltre and Napoli. The bullpen only got better with the additions of Uehara and Adams. Wilson, Lewis and Holland have World Series experience. Feliz has a whole season under his belt. Yeah, Pujols, Molina, Berkman and Carpenter have been there as well, but it wasn't so fresh. The Rangers thought they had it last year, and got beat by the destiny that was the San Francisco Giants. They believe it's their year. They want this even more than the last one. Being there before is going to be the deciding factor in this one.
So there you have it. It's impossible to argue otherwise. The Rangers are going to win the World Series. Here's a video to seal it.
OK seriously here's a great song to listen to now that you're all sick of the FOX postseason song.
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