Is Tony La Russa The Greatest Postseason Manager?

2011 World Series In Review: How Did The St. Louis Cardinals Just Do That?

Somehow, some way, the St. Louis Cardinals knocked off the Texas Rangers in seven games to win an improbable championship. Let's go back over this World Series game by game, shall we?

2011 World Series: David Freese And The Odd Journey To World Series MVP

A lot of teams made a lot of trades with the World Series in mind, but it was a salary dump in 2007 that brought another trophy back to St. Louis.

2011 World Series, Game 7: Cardinals Beat Rangers 6-2, Clinch 11th World Championship

Thanks largely to Chris Carpenter and David Freese -- but with a little help from Mother Nature and Dave Duncan -- the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Texas Rangers in Game 7 to win the 2011 World Series.

The David Freese Home Run Call You Didn't Hear

World Series 2011: Game 6 And Carlton Fisk

Last night's game was a reminder that there are games that don't necessarily need to be validated by a World Series title.

The Top 10 World Series Games, Including (Of Course) 2011 Game 6

2011 World Series, Game 6: Did Ron Washington Blow It?

David Freese might be Middle America's Sweetheart, but there must be at least a few Rangers fans who suffered terrible nightmares about Ron Washington's Game 6 managing. Here's why.

World Series Game 6: The Heroes That Weren't

The big hero in Thursday night's Game 6 of the World Series was, obviously, David Freese. But a handful of Rangers came tantalizingly close to being big heroes instead.

World Series 2011: The What-Ifs Of Game 6

You're right to want to punch the next person who says this is a game of inches. But clichés do start for a reason.

World Series Game 6: David Freese, Cardinals Pull Off Win For The Ages

Twice down to their final strike, the Cardinals refused to lose, and David Freese's walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning guaranteed a Friday night Game 7.

2011 World Series: Tony La Russa 'Offended' By 'Moneyball'

2011 World Series: On The State Of Chris Carpenter's Elbow

Chris Carpenter could pitch for the Cardinals in a Friday Game 7. Chris Carpenter's elbow has been the subject of much conversation. What's the deal?

World Series 2011: How Responsible Is John Mozeliak For The Cardinals' Success?

The St. Louis Cardinals stunned the baseball world by making the playoffs with a September surge, advancing to the World Series. How much of the credit can their GM take?

100 Years Ago, Rain Held Up The World Series... For A Week

World Series 2011: Game 7 And The Derek Holland Situation

Wednesday's rain pushed a potential Game 7 back to Friday, which would be Derek Holland's normal turn in the rotation. Should Matt Harrison be skipped?

World Series 2011: Is Tony La Russa A Good October Manager?

For all his successes over the course of his long career, Tony La Russa has managed only two World Series winners in 33 years. Does he need to win this one to make his postseason record look good?

2011 World Series: How The Texas Rangers Wound Up With Baseball's Best Middle Infield

With Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus, it doesn't get any better up the middle than they've got it in Texas. How did the Rangers get to this point?

2011 World Series: Game 7 And The Chris Carpenter Situation

Game 7 of the 2011 World Series has been pushed back to Friday, which could allow the Cardinals to start Chris Carpenter on three days rest. Is that the move they should make?

Talk About Mike Napoli Cracks Up Mike Scioscia

Was Mike Napoli underappreciated when he played for Mike Scioscia? Does the rooster crow at dawn? That's the story, anyway. Finally, somebody asked Scioscia if it's true...

2011 World Series: The Rangers Are Really, Really Close To Appreciating Mitch Moreland A Lot More

If the Rangers can hold a lead for the next nine innings of baseball they play, they'll be thankful for a lot of things. One of them will be how poorly Mitch Moreland has played.

World Series 2011: It's All About Matt Holliday, Now And (Almost) Forever

Tony La Russa And The Bullpen Phone: The Unasked Question

2011 World Series Game 6 Preview: Time, TV Schedule, Pitchers And More

Octavio Dotel's Utter Contempt For The Intentional Walk

Lost in the mix after Monday night's Game 5 is that Octavio Dotel really hates issuing intentional walks to dudes, and wants everybody to know it.

World Series 2011: Lance Berkman To Hit Cleanup For Game 6

The lineups aren't out for Game 6 yet, but Tony La Russa has confirmed one thing:

Berkman will hit cleanup in Game 6

If you've read The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball, or shared a straw with someone who has, you'll know that lineups aren't especially important over the long haul. Switching a really good hitter and a wretched hitter between the #4 and #8 slots might add a win or two over a full season.

If you had the power of 20/20 hindsight while making the lineup cards out, though, the differences would make a heckuva lot of difference. Last night, Ron Washington walked Albert Pujols three times to get to Matt Holliday, who was 1-for-3 after the intentional walks. Pujols did not score after any of the walks.

With Berkman hitting cleanup last night, are things different? Don't know. They certainly couldn't have been lossier, so it might have helped. But for one night, the permutation of batters and base runners wasn't in the Cardinals' favor.

Not that that's a good reason to flip the two hitters now, of course. It's just about as likely for Berkman to futz up with runners on base as it is for Holliday. Still, the switch is in for Game 6. Let's see if it makes a difference.

World Series 2011: Mike Napoli Deserves A Better Chant

Mike Napoli is having a great postseason, and Rangers fans are expressing their excitement. Could they do so while shaming a divisional rival at the same time?

Why Are Joe Buck And Tim McCarver Still Calling The World Series?

The Perpetual Calamity Of Tony La Russa, Bench Salesman

Tony La Russa knows we live in uncertain economic times, and he knows we live in the age of sofas and day beds, but he sure would like to sell you a bench.

Intentional Walks: The Scourge Of Our National Game

2011 World Series: Say, Did Anyone Notice Those Curious Decisions From Tony La Russa?

It was Mike Napoli who got the big hit in Game 5 of the World Series, but it's Tony La Russa who is answering all of the questions right now. Here's why.

Tony La Russa And The Bullpen Phone: An Assortment Of Explanations

In Monday night's Game 5, the Cardinals lost to the Rangers in part because Tony La Russa couldn't properly communicate with his bullpen over the phone. Here we offer some potential explanations for how this happened.

Game 5: Rangers Take Series Lead With 4-2 Win

C.J. Wilson's Last Chance

C.J. Wilson gets the start in Monday night's Game 5 of the World Series, and his performance could go a long way towards shaping how he's remembered as a Texas Ranger.

Have We Seen The Last Of Ryan Franklin?

2011 World Series: Why Ron Washington Drives Me Nuts

The Texas Rangers' manager is animated, likable, and successful. Here's why he's also annoying.

Is Allen Craig A Budding Star?

World Series Game 5: Why Has C.J. Wilson Had A Rough Postseason?

Just what is causing C.J. Wilson to pitch poorly this October?

Texas Rangers' Path To World Series Win Still Not Easy

The Texas Rangers defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in Sunday's Game 4 to tie the World Series, but they still won't have it easy the rest of the way.

World Series Game 4: Derek Holland Dominates, Rangers Win 4-0

The Rangers are in the World Series because their bullpen picked up the slack for their starters throughout the playoffs, but Derek Holland came close to a complete-game shutout as Texas defeated St. Louis, 4-0, to take Game 4.

Pujols, Cardinals Outscore Rangers In Game 3 Slugfest, Take 2-1 Series Lead

Albert Pujols hit a trio of enormous home runs, other Cardinals hitters did a lot of other good things, and St. Louis moved ahead of Texas 2-1 in the World Series with a 16-7 win.

Cardinals Dodge The Media, And Why I Don't Care

Several veteran Cardinals skipped out on postgame interviews with the media Thursday night, and I just...I don't think it's that big of a deal.

World Series Game 2: The Fleeting Nature Of Baseball Genius

World Series Game 2 Showcases Quietly Awesome Elvis Andrus

Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus isn't much of a hitter. But he's still a tremendous player overall, and in Thursday night's Game 2 of the World Series, everybody got to see why.

World Series Game 2: Ninth-Inning Rally Gives Rangers A Win, Ties Series At 1-1

The Texas Rangers almost left St. Louis down 2-0 in the World Series, but they got to the formerly impervious Cardinals bullpen, stealing Game 2 and tying the series at 1-1.

Critical Review: Which World Series Team Has Winning Traits?

Carlton Chin and Jay Granat recently wrote an article for the New York Times, using analysis to try to predict the outcome of the 2011 World Series. Presented herein are reviews of the piece from a selection of peers.

World Series 2011: Jason Motte, The Almost-Perfect Reliever

The Cardinals had bullpen problems earlier this year. A few months later, they won a pennant because of their bullpen depth, and their new closer is a huge part of this newfound strength.

"Are You Thinking About Replacing Me With A Left-Handed Panelist Right Now?"

Thermal-Imaging Cameras And Adrian Beltre's Foot

While FOX was messing around with a new toy, we all got to see that the Rangers were hosed in the ninth inning of Game 1.

2011 World Series Game 2 Preview: Time, TV Schedule And More

The St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers take the field in Game 2 of the World Series on Thursday. The Cardinals hold a 1-0 series lead.

World Series Game 1: Chris Carpenter Strong, Cardinals Score Enough For Tight Victory

Chris Carpenter spun six strong innings, and Lance Berkman and Allen Craig delivered the run-scoring hits that gave the Cardinals the win in the World Series opener.

Rangers Set World Series Rotation; Derek Holland Demoted

2011 World Series: A Sheepish Admission

The Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals are two good teams, and the 2011 World Series should be a heckuva match-up. But there's something to be said for what we're missing ...

2011 World Series Rosters: Cardinals Add Jake Westbrook, Skip Schumaker

Last year, it was Jake Westbrook who wore the Pendant of Effectiveness that Dave Duncan got from a wizard back in '83, helping the Cardinals in the second half of 2010 and signing a contract extension. This year, though, the pendant went to Kyle Lohse, and with Westbrook the Cardinals' fifth-best starter on the roster, he was left off the playoff roster for the first two rounds.

He's back for the World Series, though, and considering how much time the Cards' bullpen got in the NLDS and NLCS, there's a pretty good chance he'll see some action. From Jayson Stark:

StLCardinals make it official. Schumaker & Westbrook on World Series roster. Chambers & McClellan off.

Westbook makes the roster at the expense of reliever-turned-starter-turned-reliever Kyle McClellan, who pitched a third of an inning in the NLCS, allowing two hits and a run. McClellan scuffled at the end of the regular season too, giving up at least one earned run in seven of his final 12 outings.

The Cardinals will also welcome back Skip Schumaker, who missed the NLCS with an oblique tweak. To clear a spot for him, St. Louis opted to leave off the speedy/slappy Adron Chambers, who has only eight at-bats in his MLB career.

Texas Rangers Add Matt Treanor, Mark Lowe To 2011 World Series Roster

Game 1 of the World Series is set for Wednesday night, so earlier Wednesday, we've seen the Rangers' and the Cardinals' respective rosters get finalized. As for the former, there aren't any huge surprises, but there is this, from John Blake:

Rangers add Mark Lowe and Matt Treanor to World Series roster. Yoshinori Tateyama and Koji Uehara not on WS roster.

Lowe, a reliever, is all healed from a strained hamstring. Treanor will play the part of third catcher, as the Rangers anticipate some pinch-hitting when playing under NL rules. Treanor isn't much, but Ron Washington obviously likes to have the flexibility.

What's most interesting here isn't the Lowe/Treanor part. It's the Uehara/Tateyama part, because in 2011k those two relievers combined to strike out 128 batters in 109 innings, with 15 unintentional walks. They also allowed 19 home runs, and Uehara allowed three more homers in three appearances in the first two rounds of the playoffs, but one could certainly make the argument that the Rangers are overreacting, and hurting themselves by leaving off two quality relievers.

Not that their bullpen isn't already deep. I like Uehara more than Lowe, but the difference between them isn't big, and odds are this series won't come down to each team's last relievers.

World Series 2011: The Baseball Nation Roundtable

On the eve of Game 1, Baseball Nation's crew of writers made their picks, shared anagrams for Ryan Theriot and offered nicknames for the series.

An Animated Preview Of The 2011 World Series

2011 World Series Game 1 Preview: Time, TV Schedule And More

The St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers will face off on Wednesday night for Game 1 of the 2011 World Series. The game time, pitching matchups and television schedule and everything else is included below.

Is The Ex-Cub Factor Dead?

MLB Power Rankings: Special 2011 World Series Edition

Who will win the 2011 World Series? Science has an answer, and we'll get to the bottom of it in this week's Power Rankings. Warning: spoilers.

2011 World Series: Rangers To Start Colby Lewis In Game 2

We've known for a while that the Rangers will hand the ball to C.J. Wilson for Game 1 of the World Series Wednesday night. Now, from Richard Durrett, we learn that Colby Lewis will take the mound for Game 2:

Rangers manager Ron Washington also announced on Tuesday that Colby Lewis will start Game 2 in Busch Stadium, which means he would be in line to start Game 6, also on the road.

This is a change from the first two rounds of the playoffs, in which Derek Holland followed Wilson in the rotation. Washington says it's because he didn't want Lewis to go too long between starts, and though I don't know if that's his actual reasoning, it sounds good enough to me. Lewis last pitched on October 11.

Washington says that Lewis' lower road ERA this year was not a factor. Which is for the best, because you know who gets hurt by Rangers Ballpark? All pitchers.

It's unknown at this point in which order Holland and Matt Harrison will tackle Games 3 and 4.

A Guide To The Texas Rangers For The Curious Cardinals Fan

For the St. Louis Cardinals, the Texas Rangers are an unfamiliar opponent. It's time to do some learning in advance of the World Series.

2011 World Series: Cardinals Set Rotation For First Three Games

Both the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals avoided a seventh game of their respective championship series, which means that neither team had to start their respective ace in a Game 7.

That, combined with the additional day of rest, means the Cards' rotation can be set up without any surprises. From Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

Jaime Garcia will pitch Game 2 for the Cardinals. And LaRussa said that Kyle Lohse is likely to go Game 3.

The first game of the series is going to be pitched by Chris Carpenter, who hasn't pitched since Game 3 of the NLCS back on October 12. There are still some concerns about Carpenter's barking elbow, but he isn't letting on that he's especially concerned.

Everybody's got soreness. Everybody has got aches. I got treatment on my elbow. I'm fine.

He'll face C.J. Wilson in Game 1, with Garcia going against Colby Lewis in Game 2. Will Tony La Russa go with Edwin Jackson in Game 4, or Carpenter on short rest? Probably depends on if the Cardinals are up or down in the series, I'd guess. There's also always a chance that Dave Duncan could sign and fix Mark Clark in time for a Game 4 just to mess with the Rangers.

Why The Toronto Blue Jays Should Get A Third-Place Ribbon In The 2011 World Series

The 2011 World Series features the St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers, but the Toronto Blue Jays did quite a bit to get both teams there.

Darren Oliver And Nolan Ryan: Connected Through The Years

The Cardinals Can Hit Lefties, Too

The St. Louis Cardinals can hit the crap out of the ball, and they don't much care with which hand the opposing pitcher is pitching.

2011 World Series: Are The Rangers Going To Leave Koji Uehara Off The Roster?

The Texas Rangers traded away two promising players to get Koji Uehara -- what has gone wrong since then?

2011 World Series Schedule: Now With Start Times!

If you found yourself curious about the 2011 World Series schedule, we already satiated your appetite for information. Mostly. But some key information was left out: start times! We knew the dates and locations, but we weren't sure when the games were set to begin, which is pretty critical for planning purposes.

Now we know. Now we know everything. The dates, the locations, the start times - it's all figured out. This might come as a complete and total shock, but all four-to-seven games of the World Series are going to begin at 8:05pm ET.

A year ago, there was one game that started at 7:05pm ET. No such luck this time around, for better or for worse. That game was the only game that the Rangers won against the Giants. Ooooh.

Game 1 of this year's World Series will match C.J. Wilson up against Chris Carpenter. It's not sure to be anything, but it's probably going to be good.

The 2011 World Series: History vs. History Of Disappointment

The Rangers and Cardinals are two teams that represent something very different, which might influence who you root for.

Arthur Rhodes' Win/Win World Series

A member of both the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals during the year, the 41-year-old Arthur Rhodes is guaranteed his first-ever World Series ring.

World Series Trivia Quiz

2011 World Series: Why The Cardinals Have Home-Field Advantage Over The Rangers

After years and years of "This time it counts!" being forced down our throats, the system of deciding home-field advantage in the World Series almost makes sense this year. Almost.

2011 World Series Odds: Rangers The Favorites, Cardinals The Underdogs

Okay, so you've seen the 2011 World Series schedule. You're all ready for play to begin - almost. But first, like any good American, you need to place some bets. Which means you need to look at the odds! Hit it, Bodog:

Rangers: -165
Cardinals: +145

All right, so that means...let me see if I've got this...if you bet $100 on the...Cardinals...then if the Cardinals win, you get $145. And with the Rangers, if you bet $165, you stand to get $100. Yeah, that's right. Thank you, convenient Bodog sidebar bet slip!

Why are the Rangers considered the World Series favorites, even though the Cardinals have home-field advantage? Well, the Rangers are probably the better baseball team, which seems like a pretty good reason. The Rangers won six more games during the season than the Cardinals did. The American League is still better than the National League. The Rangers' run differential was 108 runs better than the Cardinals' run differential. While the Cardinals hit well during the year, the Rangers hit well, pitched well, and fielded well. And so on. On stats and on talent, the Rangers look better than the Cardinals do.

Of course, the Rangers have only 4-7 games to prove that they're better on the field. Anybody can win a short series over anybody, so don't sit back and expect the Cardinals to roll over. They could win this thing, and they could win it without it being a complete shock.

Will Bullpens Rule The World Series, Too?

2011 World Series Schedule: Cardinals, Rangers Begin In St. Louis Wednesday