Well, I know Albert Pujols. But who else on the Cardinals is good?
Pujols is indeed the face of the franchise, but the Cardinals are loaded with talent. They are, after all, playing in a World Series. Their ace pitcher, Chris Carpenter, is one of the better pitchers in baseball, having out-dueled Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1-0 game in Game 5 of the NLDS. Offensively, they’re stacked. Matt Holliday participated in the All-Star Game and Home Run Derby this year. Lance Berkman, the NL Comeback Player of the Year, is always a serious threat. Yadier Molina is one of the best catchers in the game, and third baseman David Freese is on fire in the postseason, as he just won NLCS MVP in the last series against the Milwaukee Brewers. They had the most runs in the NL and are very, very dangerous.

Why is it such a big deal that they’re here? Everyone’s talking about it like it was a miracle.
Well, to some extent, it was. With little over a month left in the season, the Cardinals trailed the Atlanta Braves for the final National League playoff spot by 10.5 games. On Aug. 27, probability simulators predicted that St. Louis had about a one percent chance of reaching the postseason. The 90-win Cardinals not only made it on the strength of an excellent September and a Braves collapse, but have continued to beat the odds since, dispatching the 102-win Phillies and the 96-win Brewers in consecutive series.

Why do the announcers keep saying it may be Pujols’ last series with the Cardinals? He was the only player I knew before I read this article!
2011 is the last year of Pujols’ eight-year contract with the Redbirds, and he’s going to cost a king’s ransom and a half on the free agent market. The Cardinals will certainly try to retain him, and no one knows where he’ll end up. But can you imagine how great of a story it would be if his second World Series title here in St. Louis leads him to resign here and stay a Cardinal for life? Because FOX can, and our old pal Joe Buck probably will never stop bringing up that possibility.

I see. So who are the Rangers, anyways?
Well, they’re from Arlington, Texas. They’re in the World Series for the second year in a row, looking to win their first ever championship. Other than that, they’re actually eerily similar to the Cardinals. They’ve got an absolutely killer lineup, with a lethal heart-of-the-order group (Josh Hamilton, Adrian Beltre, Mike Napoli, Michael Young) and a guy at the bottom of the lineup who is red-hot and just won ALCS MVP (Nelson Cruz). They have a real ace at the top of the rotation in CJ Wilson. And their bullpen, strengthened by some mid-season trades, has been excellent in the postseason, and is led by young, hard-throwing closer Neftali Feliz.

And who is that old Rangers fan the television cameras keep showing?
That bald man in a dress shirt and tie is not just your everyday team executive; he’s Nolan Ryan, baseball’s record-holder in strikeouts and no-hitters. The game’s most intimidating pitcher in his 26-year career, Ryan once put a player in a headlock and punched him in the face…when he was 46 years old. Today, Ryan is the principal owner and president of the ballclub. During Games 3-5 in Texas, Ryan will be competing with former Rangers’ owner (oh, and U.S. President) George W. Bush for most random camera pans to him standing up and clapping, staring intently or possibly eating a hot dog.

So now that I know the teams, here’s my last question. What the heck is a Rally Squirrel?
During Games 3 and 4 of the Division Series against Philadelphia, a squirrel infamously ran across the field, providing comic relief at the time. As the Cardinals advanced, the squirrel turned into a full-blown symbol of the team’s playoff run, with shirts, towels, commercials and even Twitter accounts made in honor of this now-famous squirrel. Who knows what may happen if he makes an encore during the Series.

I’m now an expert on the Cardinals and the World Series. Yay!
You’re welcome.

Tom Lynn | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | MCT

The St. Louis Cardinals celebrate winning Game 6 of the National League Championship Series over the Milwaukee Brewers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Sunday, October 16, 2011.

OVERVIEW
The Texas Rangers won the AL West division with a record of 96-66. They defeated the AL Wild Card winners, the Tampa Bay Rays, in the ALDS and defeated the AL Central division winners, the Detroit Tigers, in the ALCS to return to the World Series for the second year in a row. The Rangers lost to the San Francisco Giants in the 2010 World Series.

The St. Louis Cardinals (90-72) won the NL Wild Card by coming back from a 10.5 game deficit and overtaking the Atlanta Braves on the last day of the regular season. They beat the Philadelphia Phillies, the team with the best record in baseball, in the Division Series, and then beat the division rival Milwaukee Brewers in the Championship Series to return to the World Series. The Cardinals last reached it in 2006, when they won their 10th title by defeating the Tigers.

MANAGER
Rangers – Ron Washington
Cardinals – Tony La Russa
Washington is in his fifth season as manager of the Texas Rangers and is in his second consecutive World Series. La Russa is in his 16th season at the helm of the Cardinals, the longest tenure of any manager in the majors, and is looking to win his third World Series title. Experience puts La Russa over the top, as he has won 1,454 games as manager of the Cardinals and has only had three losing seasons.
Edge: Cardinals

CATCHER
Rangers – Mike Napoli
Cardinals – Yadier Molina
Napoli was an offensive force in the bottom half of the Rangers lineup this season, hitting 30 home runs and a career-high .320 average. Molina had a breakout season of his own at the plate, however, posting career highs in RBI (65), home runs (14) and batting average (.305). Add in Molina’s reputation as one of the best defensive catchers in the game and the scales tip in the Cardinals’ favor.
Edge: Cardinals

FIRST BASE
Rangers – Michael Young
Cardinals – Albert Pujols
Young brings the kind of versatility and pop at the plate that any manager would love to have. He can play any position in the infield and hit .338 with 106 RBI in the regular season. But there is no arguing against the greatest player of our generation. Pujols, a three-time National League MVP, may have started slow in 2011, but he surged in the second half of the season to finish among the National League leaders in home runs (third with 37), RBI (seventh with 99) and hits (ninth with 173). Nobody wants to pitch to him right now.
Edge: Cardinals

SECOND BASE
Rangers – Ian Kinsler
Cardinals – Nick Punto
Though Punto has put in some solid work since taking over for the injured Skip Schumaker, he is no match for Kinsler. Despite a down year in hitting for average (.255), Kinsler hit a career-high 32 homers and stole 30 bases. Kinsler is no slouch in the field either, as he committed only 11 errors and helped turn 103 double plays.
Edge: Rangers

SHORTSTOP
Rangers – Elvis Andrus
Cardinals – Rafael Furcal
Furcal has had some strong seasons, but 2011 was not one of them. His average slipped .69 points from .300 in 2010 to .231 this year, and although his home run total jumped after a trade-deadline deal to the Cardinals, he no doubt has had a down year. Andrus is only 22 and has a long way to go, but 2011 was a step in a positive direction. He recorded career-highs in average (.279), stolen bases (37) and hits (164) on the year.
Edge: Rangers

THIRD BASE
Rangers – Adrian Beltre
Cardinals – David Freese
Pop quiz: Who has hit the most home runs and driven in the most runs in the National League during the playoffs? Not Pujols, but hometown-boy from Wildwood, Mo. David Freese. Freese got the starting nod midway through the season, but once October came around, he caught fire. Freese has a postseason batting average of .425 and has 4 homers and 14 RBI. Although Beltre is a feared batter in his own right (he hit 32 home runs and drove in 105 runs of his own), Freese might be the hottest bat in the Cardinals’ lineup right now.
Edge: Cardinals

LEFT FIELD
Rangers – David Murphy
Cardinals – Matt Holliday
Holliday got off to a torrid pace to start the season before succumbing to injury. Recently, he has been dealing with a hand injury, but a hobbled Holliday is still a dangerous hitter. Murphy has been a serviceable left fielder, but he is no Holliday at the plate.
Edge: Cardinals

CENTER FIELD
Rangers – Josh Hamilton
Cardinals – Jon Jay
Jay has exceeded expectations since the Cardinals made him the everyday center fielder by trading Colby Rasmus. He has a lot of range in center and is quick on the basepaths, stealing 37 bases. Few outfielders in baseball history have displayed the combination of defensive range and power of Hamilton, however, the 2010 American League MVP. Despite missing weeks during the season after breaking his right arm, Hamilton managed to hit 25 home runs and 94 RBI. He is the heart of the Rangers’ batting order and a leader in the clubhouse.
Edge: Rangers

RIGHT FIELD
Rangers – Nelson Cruz
Cardinals – Lance Berkman
David Freese may have the hottest bat on the Cardinals’ but his postseason slightly fades when compared to the ALCS Nelson Cruz just had. In six games, Cruz hit six home runs and drove in 14 runs to carry the Rangers into the World Series. Mind you, Lance Berkman can play, too. After a poor 2010 season, Berkman signed a one-year contract with St. Louis in the off-season and delivered a fantastic season, hitting 31 home runs and batting .301. Cruz is too hot to handle right now, however, and gives the Rangers the edge in right field.
Edge: Rangers

STARTING PITCHERS
Rangers – C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis, Derek Holland, Matt Harrison
Cardinals – Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, Edwin Jackson, Kyle Lohse
Each of these starting rotations is coming off of tough league championship series, but the Cardinals get the edge based on the matchups. The Rangers starters were roughed up just a bit more. The only Rangers’ starter to perform well was Lewis, and his postseason ERA stands at 3.86. Both sides will have to perform better in the World Series.
Edge: Cardinals

BULLPEN
Rangers – Neftali Feliz, Mike Adams, Alexi Ogando
Cardinals – Jason Motte, Fernando Salas, Octavio Dotel
Each of these units has been on fire in the playoffs. Motte and Feliz each have four saves in the postseason. Against the Tigers, the Rangers bullpen allowed just four earned runs over 27 1/3 innings, good for a 1.31 ERA. But the Cardinals bullpen was just as good, as no Cardinals starter made it past the fifth inning against the Brewers as St. Louis became the first team in MLB history to win a series with more innings pitched by its bullpen than its starters. So far, every time La Russa has gone to the ‘pen, the ‘pen has delivered.
Edge: Cardinals

DESIGNATED HITTER/BENCH
Rangers: Mitch Moreland, Yorvit Torrealba
Cardinals: Allen Craig, Ryan Theriot
Moreland and Torrealba each have come through in big spots for the Rangers in the postseason. Expect Moreland to get first crack as the DH when the series shifts to Texas. Craig was a pleasant surprise off the bench for the Cards, and he should see some at-bats against the Rangers left-handed pitchers. The edge goes to the Rangers based on Moreland and Torrealba’s regular season numbers.
Edge: Rangers

PREDICTION
Cardinals in 7
St. Louis will celebrate its 11th World Series title in 2011 after an evenly matched series. Their pitching puts the Cardinals over the top as Chris Carpenter wins Game 7 on short rest in front of a raucous crowd at Busch Stadium.

Editor’s note: Sahil is from Houston, Texas, and is, thus, an Astros fan. Because the Astros play in the same division as the Cardinals and because Houston does not like Dallas, he has no love for either team in this series.

Catcher: Bengie Molina arrived in Texas after a July 1 trade from, ironically, San Francisco, and his season improved noticeably from that point. However, Buster Posey’s arrival in the Giants’ lineup changed their offense—and their season—almost immeasurably, making him arguably the National League Rookie of the Year frontrunner. A superb arm behind the plate, 18 home runs and 67 RBI make him the real deal. His bat slowed down a bit in the NLCS, but don’t let that fool you: Posey is a huge threat for the Giants.
Edge: Giants

First base: A rejuvenated Aubrey Huff is in the midst of an excellent bounce-back year, finishing tenth in the NL in OPS at .891 to go with 26 homers and a decent glove. Texas brings up an uninspiring left/right platoon of Mitch Moreland and Jorge Cantu. Whoever plays for the Rangers will be hitting ninth and against Huff and will be at a clear disadvantage.
Edge: Giants

Second base: The middle infield is where Texas’ lineup starts to flex its muscle. Ian Kinsler has emerged as one of the AL’s premier second basemen in the past few seasons, and despite missing time this year with an injury, his bat and glove cannot be ignored. Freddy Sanchez is a year removed from his most recent All-Star appearance and is also excellent in the field, but Kinsler’s bat makes the difference here.
Edge: Rangers

Shortstop: One of the Giants’ NLCS heroes, Juan Uribe, also happens to be enjoying one of the better all-around years of his career, but despite 24 homers, his average of .248 shows he’s far from reliable. His platoon man, Edgar Renteria, is sporting an unsightly .377 OPS in 18 postseason at-bats. Elvis Andrus has always had a good glove, but his offense has been front and center so far in the postseason, with 17 hits and seven steals in 11 games. With Andrus producing, the top of the Rangers’ order becomes even more threatening.
Edge: Rangers

Third base: Michael Young is finally here after 10 full years with the Rangers, and while he’s not having quite as good a year as he has in the past, he hit 9 for 27 in the ALCS and is this team’s leader. Third base for the Giants consists of a platoon with Uribe, Pablo Sandoval, and Mike Fontenot. Sandoval has largely disappointed after a tremendous 2009, and other than one clutch hit, he was fairly quiet in the NLCS. In addition, he has been so mediocre in the field that he has been pulled at times for Fontenot, who was acquired midseason from the Cubs.
Edge: Rangers

Center field: Andres Torres put together a strong NLCS, compiling a .350 average and being a spark in the Giants lineup. Still, he is no match for MVP candidate Josh Hamilton, who has been a one-man hitting machine throughout the regular season (.359, 32 home runs, 100 RBI) and into the playoffs. Hamilton hit .350 in the ALCS, including four home runs and seven RBI. Hamilton was also intentionally walked five times in the series, which not only deflates these statistics, but also consistently provides an extra base runner for the meat of the Rangers’ lineup.
Edge: Rangers

Left/right field: Nelson Cruz and Cody Ross have been tearing up the postseason for their respective teams. Cruz has been an anchor in the lineup after Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero, posting a .375 postseason batting average with five home runs and eight RBI. Ross has also had a breakout postseason with a .324 batting average, four home runs and eight RBI. Defensive specialists Jeff Francoeur and Nate Schierholtz also provide each team with a late-game safety option in the field despite being liabilities at the plate. Pat Burrell and David Murphy can both get hot, but they have underachieved in the playoffs.
Edge: Even

Designated hitter: Sandoval, Burrell or Huff will likely play DH in games in Texas, with Schierholtz, Fontenot or backup first baseman Travis Ishikawa (.266 average with three homers in 158 at-bats) making an appearance in the lineup. Meanwhile, Vladimir Guerrero has been the most clutch hitter in the Rangers lineup. In addition to his .300 batting average, 29 home runs and 115 RBI during the regular season, Guerrero raked in three RBI in the decisive Game 5 of the ALCS against the Yankees, and he collected four hits in the Rangers’ Game 3 victory. He also serves as Hamilton’s protection in the lineup, which means that pitchers will be forced to pitch to the dangerous Hamilton if Guerrero stays hot.
Edge: Rangers

Starting rotation: Cliff Lee has been lethal in the past two postseasons, boasting a 7-0 record with a 1.26 ERA. He has not pitched fewer than seven innings, allowed more than one run or struck out fewer than 10 opposing batters in any start this postseason. Nevertheless, he will face two-time defending NL Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum in Games 1 and 5. Though Lincecum has not compiled the same postseason resume that Lee has, these games will be fiercely competitive. After Lee, the Rangers will send untested starters Colby Lewis, C.J. Wilson and Tommy Hunter up against Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner. Lewis has shown flashes of goodness, but Cain is coming off 13.2 postseason innings without allowing a run. As long as Sanchez can keep his composure on the mound, he has the favorable matchup against the rest of the Rangers’ staff.
Edge: Giants

Bullpen: Both sides feature multiple quality pitchers from both the left and right sides. Ramon Ramirez, Sergio Romo and Santiago Casilla are the Giants’ righties and have had excellent years, while Javier Lopez and Jeremy Affeldt were key lefty stoppers throughout the year and in the NLCS. For the Rangers, Darren O’Day and Alexi Ogando have been tremendous as righties, and youngster Derek Holland and veteran Darren Oliver provide some lefty depth. Closing out the game will be either Neftali Feliz, potential AL Rookie of the Year, or Brian Wilson, who has had a phenomenal season and has allowed no postseason runs yet. Overall, two very solid bullpens, but the Giants get the slight edge thanks to Wilson’s dominance in the ninth.
Edge: Giants

Coaching: On the one hand, Ron Washington just managed his team to back-to-back series defeats of arguably the two best teams in baseball this season. On the other, Bruce Bochy’s heads-up managing of his bullpen and hitters in the NLCS is a big part of why the Giants are still here. Both of these guys should be commended for what they’ve done.
Edge: Even

Intangibles: Since being established in 1961, the Texas Rangers have won a total of two postseason series. Both of those series have occurred in the past three weeks. The Rangers now have the opportunity to win their first World Series in franchise history, and the team has shown a special hunger to win that has been unmatched in this postseason. Players like Young have a chip on their shoulder and a competitive fire that the Giants simply do not have.
Edge: Rangers

PREDICTION: Rangers in 5. While the Giants have a very slight edge in the pitching department, Texas’ lineup has been incredible all postseason, and there are too many consistently good bats for the Giants’ unsteady group of hitters to keep up. Look for Cliff Lee to throw the clincher at the ballpark in Arlington.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xf5qfVlxM8

Sports reporters Kurt Rohrbeck and Daniel Kurzner talk about who will win the 2009 World Series in a discussion moderated by Steven Simon.

Regarding pitching, both teams are pretty even; each team gave up about 1.2 home runs per nine innings, each hit about 73 batters, and each posted a team WHIP, walks plus hits over innings pitched, of 1.352. The only differences were the Phillies team ERA, 4.16, was a bit lower than the Yankees, 4.28, and the Yankees struck out 100 more posing batters.

We all know the big names: A-Rod, Jeter, Howard and Utley but there are two other players poised to do great things this series.

The first is Andy Pettitte, starting pitcher for the Yankees. Pettitte has been around the playoffs a lot, posting over 230 innings pitched in the post-season. Over the course of his career he has handled the first four Phillies’ batters, Rollins, Victorino, Utley, and Howard, very well. In 79 at-bats, combined, they have gotten only nine hits, a home run and have only two RBIs against Pettitte.  That’s a combined .184 batting average against Pettitte; talk about ownership.

On the Phillies side, keep an eye on Raul Ibanez, the starting leftfielder. Against the three Yankee starters, Sabathia, Burnett and Pettitte, Ibanez has combined in his career to go 21 for 76 (.276 batting average), with three home runs and 15 RBIs. This means Ibanez drives in a run every five at-bats; not bad since those pitchers combined to make over 35 million dollars this season.

In the playoffs, defense and walks always have game-changing effects. In 2009, the Phillies committed ten less errors than the Yankees, but the Yankees walked about 100 less batters.

Ultimately, it should be a good series, with a ton of souvenirs hit over the outfield fences. But I see the Yankees winning it in six games.  The power and patience of the Yankees line-up should continue into the World Series and with Mariano Rivera, pitching the ninth inning, the Yankees will secure their 27^th franchise championship.

A.J. Burnett needs to pitch well for the Yankees to win, and after two strong postseason starts, Burnett struggled in his Game 5 no decision to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, allowing six runs. (John Dunn/Newsday/MCT)

The ace

ALCS MVP CC Sabathia posted a 1.13 ERA over two starts in the last series, and he will enjoy seven days rest before Wednesday’s start. Cliff Lee lines up against Sabathia in Game 1, but while Lee has had a strong postseason, he is not as used as Sabathia is to the sandbox that we call Yankee Stadium. Add the fact that Sabathia is on fire right now, and the Yanks have the advantage.

The superstar

Alex Rodriguez has finally decided to be his Hall of Fame self this postseason, hitting .438 with five home runs and 12 RBIs in nine games. A-Rod’s hot streak has resulted in Barry Bonds-like treatment from pitchers, as he walked eight times (thrice intentionally) in the ALCS. Rodriguez’s presence in the lineup gives the Yankees a huge edge in the series.

The home-field advantage

The Yankees could host four games, including the possible sixth and seventh games. At Yankee Stadium, the ballpark in which more home runs were hit than any other stadium this season, the Yanks’ pitching staff has an enormous advantage because they are used to keeping the ball low on hitters. The intense New York fans would love nothing more than to welcome the new stadium with a championship.

The bullpen

Moving Joba Chamberlain to the bullpen for the playoffs bolsters the already-reliable Yankees bullpen. Damaso Marte and David Robertson have not allowed a run this postseason, and Phil Hughes has been a dependable bridge to Mariano Rivera. If the Yankees get to the ninth inning with a lead, the game is locked.

The old timers

Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera were all part of the Yankee Dynasty in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000. This season, Jeter hit .334 (age 35), while Rivera posted a 1.76 ERA (age 39). Pettitte (37) and Posada (38) are known for their elevated performances in the postseason. Manager Joe Girardi was also part of the Dynasty, so a championship would mean equally as much to him. These five Yankees contribute to both the physical and emotional desire that will help the Yankees win.

The X Factor: A.J. Burnett

The Yanks’ $82.5 million investment was brought to New York for this series. Burnett has the stuff of a top-five starter in the league, but his performance in his next two starts will be crucial for a Yankee victory. Jose Molina has been his personal catcher, so the Yanks are without Posada’s bat for those games. If Burnett starts Game 5 in Philadelphia, there is no DH, so subtract Hideki Matsui’s bat from the lineup as well. Burnett will be facing revitalized 38-year-old Pedro Martinez, so Burnett must respond to the pressure.

Why you should care

For the first time in a while, the Yankees are a feel-good story facing the defending champions. They were dominant in the late 1990s, but they have not won the Series in nine years. Last season, Yankee fans were outraged, as the Yanks did not make the playoffs for the first time since 1994, but in Girardi’s second season managing the club, he has made the team into a World Series contender. This year is the Yanks’ comeback, with the core players from the Dynasty as hungry as ever.

Daniel Kurzner is a Yankees fan and wrote an intentionally slanted article. For an opposing argument from a Phillies fan, see Kurt Rohrbeck’s article “Phillies win” on studlife.com. Sports reporter Steven Simon provides a neutral perspective on the World Series on studlife.com in his article “2009 World Series showdown.” Simon also predicts that the Yankees will win in six games.

Brad Lidge had a rocky 2009 season, going 0-8 with a 7.21 ERA and 11 blown saves. However, he has returned to form in the postseason and will need to continue his perfect pitching against the Yankees, a team that contributed to two of his blown saves. (Yong Kim/Philadelphia Daily News/MCT)

The Lineup

The Phillies have arguably the best lineup, top to bottom, in Major League Baseball. But just as important as how good they are is how clutch they are:  they can never be ruled out of any game. They took the lead in the ninth inning in three out of their seven wins this postseason and have clutch hitters up and down the lineup.

The Rotation

The Phillies’ rotation may not be quite as strong throughout as the Yankees’, but most of the pitchers in it have been showing up big time so far in the postseason. Cliff Lee has been remarkable ever since he stepped into a Phillies uniform, and Pedro Martinez has shown that even at 37 he’s still got the stuff to be a quality major league starter. If 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels can come close to replicating what he was able to do last postseason, this could even turn into an edge for the Phillies.

The Coaching

Yankees manager Joe Girardi has admittedly done an impressive job in guiding the Yankees to the World Series in only his second year managing. Yet the way he has managed his bullpen in the team’s losses has raised some eyebrows among many Yankees fans. Charlie Manuel knows what his team needs to do to win and has shown that he knows how to lead a team to victory in the playoffs.

The Doubters

Out of the 24 experts on ESPN.com who made predictions before the playoffs started, exactly none of them picked the Phillies to repeat. Only six of them even had the Phillies making the Fall Classic. The team has heard all year about how they faced a weak Rays team last year and they won’t be able to deal with the best that the American League has to offer this time around—and it’s ready to respond.

The Postseason Experience

The Phillies have won 16 of their last 20 postseason games dating back to last season. No National League team has ever done this. This is a team that thrives off of the pressure of October (and November). It knows what it takes to win in the postseason and it has at least one more strong series in them.

The X Factor: Brad Lidge

While he may not be quite the force that he was in 2008, the Phillies’ closer has put together quite a solid effort so far in the 2009 postseason, allowing only one hit in his five appearances while making three saves. If he can act like his 2008 self for one more series, the Phillies will be near impossible to take down late in a game.

Why You Should Care

Take a look at the players on this team. They’re class acts. Not a prima donna among the group, and not a single player who’s ever been accused of taking steroids. Compared to the Yankees, run by maniac owner George Steinbrenner and functioning on a $201 million payroll—and really, now, who do you want to see take this matchup? Cardinals fans here at Wash. U. can gain a bit of legitimacy for their team, as a Phillies win gives a bit more respect to the top teams of the much-beleaguered NL.

Kurt Rohrbeck is a Phillies fan and wrote an intentionally slanted article. For an opposing argument from a Yankee fan, see Daniel Kurzner’s article “Prediction: Yankees in 6 games” on studlife.com. For a neutral perspective on the World Series, see Steven Simon’s article “2009 World Series Showdown” on studlife.com.