Did anybody really expect to see a Fall Classic with the Cardinals and Rangers? The two teams won their respected divisions in compeltely different ways. The Rangers did it with the power of Nelson Cruz, the Cardinals won on the superb bullpen pitching and solid starts from Chris Carpenter, not to mention that guy Albert Pujols.
This really is a hard series to judge, and not to be mean but with two boring teams playing, it isn't very marketable. However, this series has the potential to go down as a classic; we don't always need to have the Yankees, Red Sox, or Phillies in it to have a good time (remember last year?).
Looking at the two squads, they are really quite similar. Both teams have tremendous star power. The Cardinals have the best player in baseball, Albert Pujols. The Rangers have superstar Josh Hamilton, not to mention emerging star Nelson Cruz.
With both teams possessing extreme power in the middle of the lineups, this series is going to come down to the pitching. If CJ Wilson can give the Rangers two quality starts at the beginning and end of the series, they'll be in a great position to win their first ever World Series. However, the NLCS proved that the Cardinals do not need great starting pitching performance to win. That bullpen is among the deepest the league has seen in years, from Marc Rzepcynksi to Jason Motte.
The Cardinals were able to shut down Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun in six games, the bullpen should be able to do the same with Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz, and Michael Young.
It's going to be a great series, even if it isn't the sexiest matchup. Cardinals win in 7 games.
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