Letters to the Editor
-
The Plucky World Series
When Chavez made that catch, I couldn't help but think, "That's it. No team that makes that kind of play should be allowed to lose. That would be inustice on a cosmic scale." But lose the Mets did, and now it's the plucky, never-say-die Cards against the plucky, never-say-die Tigers. Problem is, who to root for? I like 'em both. Nobody remembers in April that these same Detroits were picked as a middling team at best, and that a .500 season would be considered great progress. Likewise, no one remembers the St. Louisians had a commanding lead in the NL Central for a goodly part of the year, only that they almost had an ignominious meltdown near the end.
So here they are, a team we expected to be here in April (the Cards) and a team nobody expected (the Tigers). Of course, October being what it is, the roles are reversed. The Motor City Kitties are the Big Bad Cats, rested and ready to feast on limping and bruised Redbirds. Do I think the Cards will win? Not really. But would it surprise me? Not a bit. I am really looking forward to this matchup, even as the rest of the nation will likely tune out. Which is a shame, because I think it'll be a dilly.
If you were to ask any man on either team whether they can go all the way, he'd likely sum it up in four words: "Why the hell not?"