2008 Woodie Awards
MLB Playoffs: Cardinal Rule?
Can the team with the best regular season record continue to dominate?
Corey Kempf
Issue date: 10/7/04 Section: Sports
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At the beginning of the Major League Baseball season, all the experts predicted the National League Central division to be the toughest, with four potential playoff contenders in St. Louis, Chicago, Houston, and Cincinnati.
By the time the trading deadline rolled around, Houston was on a downward spiral, last in the Central, when it fired manager Jimy Williams, acquired Carlos Beltran in a trade with Kansas City, and hired former Brewers manager Phil Garner to replace Williams on the bench. Chicago acquired Nomar Garciaparra from Boston and seemed primed to make a run at the World Series, and Cincinnati had lost Junior Griffey for the season, and, thus any hope of reaching the playoffs.
Since then, Chicago suffered an improbable (or even probable depending upon whether you're a believer of curses) collapse, even with names like Sosa, Garciaparra, Wood, and Prior on the team. Houston turned its season around, vaulting itself into the Wild Card spot.
However, with those teams succeeding or failing stacking their lineups in the trading game, St. Louis didn't make a move at the deadline and still managed a 105-win season with the same line-up they had on opening day.
In their first playoff game on Tuesday, the Cardinals beat Los Angeles, 8-3. With the Dodgers seemingly being the Black Sheep of the playoff family, this series shouldn't even be close. Expect St. Louis to take this in three games.
Houston, on the other hand, may have momentum and sheer talent on their side when they face Atlanta. For this reason, and a couple others named Beltran, Clemens, and Berkman, the Astros should handle the surprise NL East Champion Braves.
In the NLCS, there's no reason why one can't expect St. Louis to prove why it won the "toughest" division in baseball by 13 games. The Cardinals will reach the Series, despite their 8-10 season record against the Astros.
As for the American League, there's a lot more parity. The four teams on this side of baseball are a lot more equal than their National League counterparts.
By the time the trading deadline rolled around, Houston was on a downward spiral, last in the Central, when it fired manager Jimy Williams, acquired Carlos Beltran in a trade with Kansas City, and hired former Brewers manager Phil Garner to replace Williams on the bench. Chicago acquired Nomar Garciaparra from Boston and seemed primed to make a run at the World Series, and Cincinnati had lost Junior Griffey for the season, and, thus any hope of reaching the playoffs.
Since then, Chicago suffered an improbable (or even probable depending upon whether you're a believer of curses) collapse, even with names like Sosa, Garciaparra, Wood, and Prior on the team. Houston turned its season around, vaulting itself into the Wild Card spot.
However, with those teams succeeding or failing stacking their lineups in the trading game, St. Louis didn't make a move at the deadline and still managed a 105-win season with the same line-up they had on opening day.
In their first playoff game on Tuesday, the Cardinals beat Los Angeles, 8-3. With the Dodgers seemingly being the Black Sheep of the playoff family, this series shouldn't even be close. Expect St. Louis to take this in three games.
Houston, on the other hand, may have momentum and sheer talent on their side when they face Atlanta. For this reason, and a couple others named Beltran, Clemens, and Berkman, the Astros should handle the surprise NL East Champion Braves.
In the NLCS, there's no reason why one can't expect St. Louis to prove why it won the "toughest" division in baseball by 13 games. The Cardinals will reach the Series, despite their 8-10 season record against the Astros.
As for the American League, there's a lot more parity. The four teams on this side of baseball are a lot more equal than their National League counterparts.
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