DeMarco: Cards' run historic, but hardly lucky

Midseason trades helped spark team already long on talent, character

Charlie Riedel / AP

How did the Cardinals make it to the World Series? "A lot of it has to do with character," says manager Tony La Russa.

OPINION

By Tony DeMarco

NBCSports.com contributor

updated 9:28 p.m. ET Oct. 18, 2011

Tony DeMarco

ST. LOUIS - Improbable, incredible and overwhelming are the words Cardinals manager Tony La Russa used to describe his team's run to the National League pennant.

Historic would be another that applies.

But here is one adjective you shouldn't use for St. Louis' surge from 10 1/2 games back in late-August to a World Series showdown with the Texas Rangers that begins here Wednesday night: lucky.

Yes, it took the simultaneous collapse of the Atlanta Braves to get the Cardinals a postseason spot on the last day of the regular season. But as La Russa said: "We weren't doing it with mirrors. We had a good team. A very good team.''

Major League Baseball's stretch run and postseason has produced so many memorable moments and unexpected results, it's easy to forget how the six-month regular-season grind unfolded for the Cardinals.

Behind a dynamic offense that finished first in the NL in runs, batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, they sat 16-11 at the end of April, climbed to 10 games over .500 in late-May, and to as many as 12 games over .500 (38-26) on June 12.

Then adversities began mounting: Struggling veteran closer Ryan Franklin lost his role and was released, and La Russa's ninth-inning carousel began. Eight different relievers recorded saves before the carousel stopped on Jason Motte down the stretch.

There were stays on the disabled list for Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, David Freese, Kyle McClellan, Lance Lynn, Eduardo Sanchez, Nick Punto and Gerald Laird. And in fact, Pujols is the only position player to pass the 500-at-bat mark.

The roster upheaval continued with July deals that subtracted the ongoing Colby Rasmus-as-underachieving-distraction story line, and added three key parts in leadoff hitter/shortstop Rafael Furcal, starter Edwin Jackson, and lefty setup man Mark Rzepcynski.

"The first four months, we had a ton of respect from our peers,'' La Russa said. "And then for two weeks in August, we starting (losing) games left and right. We had to say, hey, look, unless we go about this better, we're going to ruin everything we accomplished.''

A 3-8 skid left the Cardinals at 67-63 with just more than a month to play ? not enough time to catch the surging Brewers in the NL Central race. But things started falling into place: Pujols getting Hall of Fame-hot, general manager John Mozeliak's trade acquisitions contributing, and the emergence of Lynn in La Russa's late-inning plan. And the Cardinals won each of their last nine series ? including the Phillies and Brewers on the way to a third pennant since 2004 and first since 2006.

"We started winning a little bit, and literally played every game like it was the last game of our life,'' La Russa said. "A lot of it has to do with character. We had a very strong character team. Good character. Good talent."

All of which certainly makes an upset of the favored Rangers a better possibility than when the postseason began.

As potent as the Cardinals offense is, it doesn't match the Rangers' in terms of power or speed. But keep in mind that in St. Louis, the Rangers will have to put him cleanup hitter/DH Michael Young at first base in place of Mitch Moreland.

And when the Cardinals go to Texas, they have quality DH candidates in Allen Craig, Lance Berkman, Matt Holliday and David Freese ? and just as importantly, role players in Skip Schumaker, Nick Punto and David Descalso to improve the team defense when they are in the starting lineup.

The Cardinals' run of right-handed power in the middle of the lineup also could play well against as many as three left-handed Rangers starting pitchers.

The Rangers' running game could be limited by the shutdown arm of Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, and La Russa's persistent tactics to hold runners.

And speaking of La Russa, seemingly every move he's made worked. Arguably, this is his best managerial run in a certain Hall of Fame career.

Both teams have had the most unusual postseason circumstance of relying more heavily on their bullpens than starting rotations. In fact, they have the combined worst ERA (5.53) of any two World Series opponents, with Texas at 5.62 and St. Louis at 5.43.

"It's the weirdest postseason ? even if I was a fan watching,'' La Russa said. "I've never been a part of anything like this. It was just ridiculous.''

Neither bullpen seems likely to blink now, although Texas' hasn't been used quite so heavily, as La Russa made 28 pitching changes in the six-game NLCS ? enough to make you think he gets paid by the pitching change. So maybe it will come down to which rotation survives best.

Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter is the most effective starting pitcher still standing in this series, while Rangers' top starter C.J. Wilson has struggled. Still, the overall rotation edge probably belongs to Texas. So if Carpenter gets hit around in Game 1, the series could turn Texas' way.

And there's no way around it ? there is no deeper, more talented roster in the game than the Rangers'. And after losing a 2010 World Series many ? themselves included ? expected they would win, there is a more-determined and focused approach this postseason. Make no mistake, the Cardinals are facing their biggest challenge yet.

? 2011 NBC Sports.com? Reprints

advertisement

More newsJamie Squire / Getty Images

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/44953314/ns/sports-baseball/

pancreatic cancer symptoms apple stock aspergers tcu apple computer pancreatic cancer steve jobs