The Cardinals will win it in seven games. As much as I want to root for the Tigers and as much as I respect the job that Jim Leyland has done with this team, I just think it is the year of the Redbird.
Albert Pujols is due a ring. The pitching staff of the Cardinals is better than people think and the Tigers have to cool off sometime. They are prone to go into slumps too. The NL is due a title too.
Anyway, my prediction is no more valid than anyone elses, but it would not suprise me if Pujols is named the MVP and the Cardinals win it all.
Every year people scream at the Yankees and claim they are able to buy a championship. The fact is that this is just not true. Money does not always equal a World Series title. Sure it helps, but it is not the only thing that matters. Things like team chemistry go a long way into the post season.
If the Yankees lose to the Tigers then the final four teams in the race for the World Series title are among the bottom 12 in payroll according to one Fox sports article. According to this story, the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, and White Sox were the top four spenders. The Cardinals and the Tigers were the 13th and 14th on the list. This just proves that money isn’t everything in building a championship club. This may be a bit premature because the Yankees may come back and beat the Tigers, but I personally don’t see it happening.
So what goes into winning a championship? Good management, team chemistry, and a whole lot of luck. Every now and then the stars have to line up just right and a player needs to get injured and a new star emerges in his place. The Tigers have guys like Bonderman and Verlander who are eclipsing players like Mussina and Johnson. The Cardinals have Pujols and the Mets have Wright. Sometimes management needs to go with youth and experiment as well as take chances rather than sign on aging superstars. The Marlins let Ivan Rodriguez go and now he looks like he will be on the World Series Tigers. Just think how good the Marlins would have been with Ivan and all of those pitchers this year. Hopefully this year’s championship will bring us a fresh new team that will shine for years to come.
With that said, I love the way the Boss at least tries to bring titles to New York. At least he puts his money where his mouth is. Too many owners try to get by without spending money at all. They reap all the benefits of being an owner of a professional sports team while they gripe and complain about George because he spends his money. I say hooray for George and shame on those guys. At least reward your young players who earn you a post season birth. Keep those guys around and build a championship team that will fight each year with the Evil Empire that is the Yankees.