DETROIT -- While the Detroit Tigers have spent the week having their nails manicured, stopping by the store to pick up milk and visiting their favorite masseuses, St. Louis has been fighting and clawing to emerge from a mediocre-at-best National League field and land in the World Series slot opposite them.
So, first up: the long layoff.
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| Detroit has a deep pitching staff, from Game 1 starter Justin Verlander on through the bullpen. (Getty Images) |
My guess is while it may take Jim Leyland's club a couple of innings to yawn and stretch, in the end, the break will do nothing but help. Detroit's pitching is far deeper than that of St. Louis, from Justin Verlander, Kenny Rogers, Nate Robertson and Jeremy Bonderman in the rotation to knockout bullpen arms like Joel Zumaya, Fernando Rodney and Jamie Walker.
The rest will allow Leyland to arrange his starters just so. St. Louis? After a grueling NLCS against the Mets, Tony La Russa is going with rookie Anthony Reyes for Game 1, followed by Jeff Weaver and then ace Chris Carpenter in Game 3.
This series features two of the game's best managers who, aside from that, will contribute one of this Fall Classic's best story lines. Leyland and La Russa are a couple of baseball geniuses who have been best friends since they managed against each other in the minors 27 years ago.
Detroit is the better team on paper and, so far, on the field. The Tigers swept the Cardinals in a three-game series earlier this season. For St. Louis to reverse that, Albert Pujols must take control of this series. In the NLCS, the Mets gave Pujols the Barry Bonds treatment, working around him or pitching him very carefully, and Pujols eventually became impatient and started swinging at pitches out of the strike zone.
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Part of Pujols' problem was, he was sandwiched in the lineup at times between outfielders Preston Wilson and Juan Encarnacion, neither of whom was having a good series. Third baseman Scott Rolen was in that group, too, until his bat finally started showing life in the final two games.
Rolen, gritty leadoff man David Eckstein and center fielder Jim Edmonds are among the offensive keys for St. Louis. The Cardinals face a steep order, and they not only must pitch up to their capabilities, but these three bats must kick into gear if this team is to have any chance to reverse the recent trend of AL dominance.
Detroit's lineup is fearsome from top to bottom. No. 9 hitter Brandon Inge walloped 27 homers this season. Leadoff man Curtis Granderson makes the Tigers go, and the Cardinals are already familiar with the versatility of second baseman Placido Polanco, the ALCS MVP.
This is a nostalgic rematch of the 1968 World Series, when Bob Gibson nearly pitched the Cardinals to the title. Instead, Detroit's Mickey Lolich heroically won three times -- Games 2, 5 and 7, the latter on just two days' rest.
Short rest isn't a challenge for this year's Tigers. Nor will the Cards be.
Detroit in four.
