Letters to the Editor
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Pujols was a little bit of a goat
Good article today. Only thing I'd mention is that there is a bit of a hero-to-goat aspect of the story with Pujols being as his pretty effin' indefensible base running blunder in Game 4 was a pretty big factor in the Cards being down three games to one.
I understand respecting Lidge's ability to get the K and all but how in the world would a runner on third with nobody out in a one run game in the ninth go home on a sharply hit ball to the third baseman? It seems like Pujols had either made up his mind or been told to go on any ball that was hit on the ground, regardless of anything else.
I know you don't like Smallball but that's just dumb baseball.
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Kirby Puckett in 1991
Kirby Puckett's homer off Charlie Liebrandt in Game 6 to send that classic series to Game 7 is what I thought of when I saw Pujols come through last night. It was a spot where somehow you just KNEW that he was going to come through. Especially last night when the broadcaster was talking about how no team had come back from 2 runs down in the 9th in the NLCS since, 1992. The stars were aligned last night for Pujols and the Cardinals just as they were aligned for Puckett in 1991. Although Pujols' shot made have gone three times as far.
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Pitchers' names
Who's Mike Mulder?
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Nothin
"Pujols didn't go from goat to hero like Henderson did, though he had gone 0-for-4, twice making out with two men on base"
...I must have missed that...or the homophobes at Fox censored it. Thanks for having the balls to tell it like it was.
Love the column
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Helluva shot!
Actually, I was reminded of that Kirk Gibson home run in Game 1 of the '88 (?) Series against the A's. It was only game 1, but after that, the A's just could not get it together again. Honest to God, I can not remember seeing a ball hit that hard in that much of a clutch situation.
(I was also having 2003 flashbacks, when the Cubs and the Red Sox on consecutive nights watched their series chances evaporate with 5 outs to go.)
I'd love a Sox-'Stros Series, because it would be nice to ensure that someone's history of ineptitude would be erased, but I also love the Cards' fans, and I know that most of the country won't be watching anyway.
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Thanks for writing about this series...Finally!
King,
Thanks for finally writing about this series -- or the Cardinals (in the playoffs) in general. I mean, it only took one of the most memorable home runs in postseason history (on a Monday night with little other noteworthy sporting contests to discuss) to get you to write a few hundred words about the NLCS.
Oh yes, the Sox-Angels series was a doozy, too. But in case you didn't realize, the NLCS has been thrilling as well, with a bunch of tight, well-pitched games, a few questionable calls from umps, and some pretty big names (Clemens, Pujols, etc.) to boot. I would accuse you of having little interest in the NL or this series if not for the fact that you live...in ST. LOUIS.
Now, I'm not saying that you have to write about a team or a series just because you live in the same town as one of its hosts. Maybe that makes the Cardinals a tired subject for you? All ribbing aside, this note is just to let you know that there are readers out here in Salon cyberspace who like it when you compose sentences about the National League Championship Series. Keep up the good work, but give your copy editor a kick in the fanny: it's MARK Mulder, not Mike.
And to the reader who thought that Pujols was a goat in Game 4 -- gimme a break! He was probably told to run on a ground ball (and who can blame that logic considering how pathetic the offenses of both of these teams has been). There are plenty of others from that game who could be labeled a goat (Edmonds or Marquis) other than the guy who went 2-for-3 with the team's lone RBI. He's the only guy in this entire series who has done much hitting for the Cardinals!
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Announcers
I found it funny that Bob Brenly had said maybe a minute before the home run that Lidge shouldn't throw any fastballs to Pujols and should stick with sliders. He probably should have mentioned to not throw any hanging sliders either.
The Fox announcers also misused ironic last night when they were talking about the fact that the Astros had been formed on the same date some 50ish years ago. Too bad that isn't actually ironic.
One last note, has there been any announcement on who the announcers will be for the World Series? I kind of liked Pinella and I'm already partial to Bob Brenly as a Cub fan so I wouldn't mind seeing those two continue on, they're better than Fox's normal announcers anyway.
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Shots heard 'round the world
As an old-time Phillies fan (e.g., not much to cheer for), I'm partial to Mike Schmidt's titanic shot that clinched the NL East title for the Phillies in 1980, en route to their one-and-only World Series victory. The Phils and Expos were deadlocked at the top of the division and it came down to whoever could win 2 out of 3 in the last weekend of the season, in Montreal (this was the Gary Carter-Andre Dawson Expos, a pretty great team). The Phillies took game one on Friday and were battling it out on a cold, rainy Saturday night in a game that was tied through 12 innings. In the top of the 12th, Mike Schmidt came up (with men on base, I think) and hit a ball nearly out of Olympic Stadium: deep upper deck left field. Must have gone 500 feet, and it wasn't exactly "home run weather." Harry Callas's memorable call was "He burried it! He BURRIED it!!!" Phils won the game and the title.
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Ozzie in '85
I was fortunate enough to be in Busch Stadium for Ozzie's game 5 homer in the '85 NLCS. It is easily the most memorable sporting event I've been to. The Pujols shot is I'd say one of the top 5 or so home runs I've seen on TV.
Thanks for mentioning Eckstein in your column. He deserves alot of credit for a great at bat that no only kept the Cards alive but wore down Lidge a little bit before Pujols got to the plate.