Baseball Irony

With baseball season now officially over for 2011, I find something to be a little ironic about the ending of the past two baseball seasons. The last two champions: San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals have more in common then people may think.

Before I continue on with this point, I want to expand a little more on MLB over the last 18 years. With 2011 being the year of labor stoppage (NFL and currently NBA), I've decided to look at the American top 4 sports leagues (NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB) over this 18 year span. All of these leagues have gone on strike or lockout within the last 18 years (NBA in 1998-99 and 2011-?, NFL in 2011, NHL the whole 2004-05 and the MLB strike in1994).

My point in this blog is to show that MLB has somewhat made a comeback into American lives again as it did pre-1994. This year's World Series may go down as one of the greatest of all-time and 2011 could be the rebirth of MLB as we once knew it. With the NFL and NBA lockouts of 2011, MLB had the opportunity to re-assert itself as the "American Pastime". Some could argue in the future this year's postseason may have saved the sport, considering that the last 5 postseasons weren't as great. Which leads me to my main point, a few years ago baseball was the laughing stock of all sports in America. From Commissioner Selig being pretty much bullied in his own sport, to the Rodger Clemmons HGH case, and Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa's alleged doping issues.

Now I've gotten back to my earlier point I was making by naming Bonds, McGwire, and Sosa. We'll take Sosa out of this for the time being. What are the connections between Bonds and McGwire, outside of their HR chase and doping allegations? You guessed it, how ironic that both of their former teams are the last two World Series Champions.

For St. Louis and San Francisco, their fans we're most effected by the aforementioned events and to see that both organizations have succeeded after this is a sign to MLB that baseball may not be as dead as people made it out to be a few years ago. Even though, Bonds and McGwire may or may not get into Baseball's Hall of Fame, but for the two organizations that they've played for its safe to say that they have "moved on" and Baseball as a sport as moved up into the top 3 of American sports after this postseason.

So as for the Chicago Cubs, the Sosa mentioning earlier, if this all holds up the way that's has, 2012 could FINALLY be your year.........Huh Huh??

Only Time Will Tell...........if the Giants, Cardinals and MLB recovered, then why not the Cubs!!!

RED BIRDS.......CHAMPS AGAIN!!!

What's the one thing you'll remember the most about the 2011 World Series? Will it be the:

Game 1: The chess-match between Tony LaRussa and Ron Washington

Game 2: Cardinals bullpen collapse in the 9th Inning 

Game 3: Pujols 3-HR game in Texas

Game 4: Derek Holland's masterpiece pitching performance

Game 5: The Cardinals "Bullpen Communication Mishap"

Game 6: The "Nelson Cruz" game (History will apply this name soon)

Game 7: Cardinals take it home, wins 11th World Series title!!!

Either way, the Cardinals will have to send a Thank-you basket to one team. Just remember, one month ago today that the Cardinals wasn't even in the Playoffs, but with the collapse of one team is another team's championship run. This one team, which I'll name shortly, had a death-grip on the NL Wild Card for it seems to be all season long. I wonder how the Atlanta Braves are feeling this morning, knowing that this could have been their championship. Either way, it doesn't matter but it's compelling to see what WOULD of happened if the Braves did make the Playoffs. This kind of reminds you of another championship game played earlier this year (Super Bowl) that had a team who was loaded in the Pittsburgh Steelers and a team that wasn't suppose to be there, but somehow made the final cut in the Green Bay Packers.

Anyhow, my last blog was about should MLB change the Home-field Advantage rule in the All-Star game for future purposes. Now I am sure that most of the "Expert Analysis" will say that this doesn't matter and stuff like that, but ask the Texas Rangers fans this. The Rangers had a better record then the Cardinals but had to play Game 7 on the road because of a player, Prince Fielder, who hit a 3-run moonshot in Arizona back in July that gave the NL All-Stars the win and home-field advantage. Now I am not the one to say that if the Rangers had home-field that they would won, but you gotta look at it from that prospective. Rangers we're the best home team in the playoffs, record-wise, and they have the "loudest" stadium of all the playoff teams (Okay I am poking fun at the Game 5 fiasco with the Cardinals Bullpen phone). I guess we'll never know how this series would of turned out had the Rangers played Game's 6 & 7 at home instead of on the road.

For the Cardinals, we should expect some "gifts" of some sort being sent to the Braves and to Prince Fielder. Or a simple THANK YOU PRINCE FIELDER for aiding the Cardinals to an 11th World Series championship. As for the Rangers, we all hope they can recover from this and win their 1st World Series championship soon. Just hope that Nolan Ryan doesn't do too many changes to a team that I feel is a championship-caliber team. 

Congratulations to the St. Louis Cardinals.

This Week's Top 5

Top 5 sports stories of the week:

1.) Tebow: Yes Tim Tebow. Me personality I think this all too much of nothing, but for the people out there in Bronco Land this is the story of the year so far. Okay maybe not...... But for those who say that Tebow shouldn't be out may be right. If you watched the first 55 minutes of the Broncos/Dolphins game and the ones who's on Team Tebow look at the end result of that game, A WIN. Yes Tebow did in fact win the game, but if you're looking at it in between the lines then you would suggest that the Dolphins simply blew it.

2.) World Series: Baseball isn't the most popular sport among the "new-aged" sports fans, but even those new fans have to LOVE this year's World Series.....right?? As we approach GAME 7 *pause* we look at the ending of the 2011 season. Texas is trying to win its first ever championship and the Cardinals are just glad to in the post-season and looking to win for the first time since 2005. Keep in mind that the Cardinals only got into the post-season because the Atlanta Braves choked up on something......This series has been noted as being one of the best World Series played as to date. Now I wouldn't be a prisoner of the moment right now, I've seen great World Series in 1991 Braves vs Twins (YES THAT'S A HOMER PICK), 1993 Phillies vs Blue Jays, 1997 Indians vs Marlins, 2001 Yankees vs Diamondbacks. Does the 2011 World Series live up to those World Series as to date?? Only History will tell......and the ratings of course.

3.) Top 3 games of Week 8: Well I've already done my picks for Week 8 (see last blog). But I think that these 3 games are worth mentioning for game of the week:

New England vs. Pittsburgh

The last 7 games, the Patriots have DOMINATED the Steel Curtain beating them 6 of 7 times, including a few playoff wins (notably at Hines Field). 

Dallas vs Philadelphia

This could very well be the setting for what could be the winner of the NFC East division. These two teams will end the season in Dallas, but this game could be the early barometer for who has control of the NFC East. With Washington (Injuries and Rex  not being "Our" quarterback) and the New York Giants just not being able to stay consistent and seize the opportunity a few weeks ago to take control of this division, it leaves this game as the game that could very well decided the champion (Even though it is Week 8).

San Diego vs Kansas City

A month ago, this game would not have had the worthy of being mentioned as a game I would be looking forward too. Well since the Chiefs last lost (Against the Chargers in Week 3), they've won 3 straight games and have pretty much played themselves back into contention for the AFC West. Arrowhead stadium has historically been a very tough place to play and for the Chargers this could very well put their whole season to test. San Diego, who normally would begin it's late-season charge from having a "bad start" are 4-2. Their death-grip of sort they had on this division could be slipping away, especially if the Chiefs put out this Trick or Treat edition of this rivalry. Interesting game, can the Chiefs make that late season push to the playoffs or will the Chargers make this "business as usual" and take command of this series???

4.) BCS Rankings: Well with the top 2 ranked teams on idle this week (Armageddon in Tuscaloosa next Saturday), LSU and Alabama could play in the first BCS knockout game since 2006 with Michigan and Ohio State. What I mean by that is that whoever loses this game, will pretty much be knocked out of any contention for the BCS Title Game. Interesting to see what the "Mad-Hatter" (Coach Miles) and Satan (Coach Saban) will have for this game. I predict that this game will be GREAT. I'll give you my picks next week. But a few noteworthy games this week includes:Baylor vs Oklahoma State, Clemson vs Georgia Tech, and Georgia vs Florida. This weekend's game will be the positioning games for teams hoping for that #2 spot after the Armageddon game next Saturday.

5.) NBA Lockout: Well what a difference a healthy commissioner and week makes. Last week all hell broke lose, as NBA Commissioner David Stern put it. Keep in mind that Stern was sick last week and did not attend the meetings, thus negotiations breaking down and the whole league almost went down with it. This week, as late as Wednesday, the two sides got back together again and are supposedly on the brink of having a new CBA agreed on and saving what could of been a short 2011-12 season. What looked to be a looooonnnnggggg lockout, might end soon. I would say that's a HUGE win for the NBA's popularity in America, considering that the Lockout in 98-99 didn't do much justice. I believe that the league is somewhat STILL recovering from that lockout, so to have another one isn't much help for the NBA. They got a lot of "making-up" to do and the earlier they get to it, the better.