Bits & Bobs Articles / David Lengel Date: Oct 22, 2005 - 02:09 PM Sick. That’s the only way to describe how St. Louis Cardinals fans must feel after being dismissed from the playoffs. How can a team that won 100 games fall to a club that scraped to 89 wins, had to wait for the final day of the season to book their postseason tickets, and started the season 15-30? That’s the power of pitching. Sure, the Cardinals went out and got Mark Mulder in the offseason for a playoff scenario. And yes, Chris Carpenter had a career year. But really, what scares you more? The Cardinals front row starters and Matt Morris? Or Roger Clemens, Roy Oswalt, and Andy Pettitte? The Houston big three sliced and diced their way through a Cardinal lineup that were stopped cold—manhandled during a six-game slaughter that must have been embarrassing to players who led the Redbirds to the one of the best offensive seasons in baseball. The Astros did what they had to do in the batters box, giving their pitchers just enough runs. And so the team from Houston lands in the World Series for the first time in franchise history. It’s been 44 years since the Astros joined the NL as the Colt 45’s along with the Mets. They came close to reaching the Fall Classic in 1986, going down in 16 innings in Game Six of the NLCS, one of the most exciting contests in postseason history. Last season they got even closer, losing by a hare to the Cardinals—Carlos Beltran’s extraordinary playoffs ended pre-maturely. Now they dispatch the Braves after an 18-inning thriller to make an improbable return to the NLCS, and take revenge on the Cardinals, dispatching them in six games. Both teams have considerable momentum behind them but if there is an underdog in the World Series it must be the Astros. Despite their three aces, Chicago has four of their own, and an offense with slightly more of an edge. Both bullpens are talented, however Houston’s is the only one that has been tested thus far. Should it worry White Sox fans that their relievers have been on the shelf for a baseball eternity? I think so. Do we really know what Sox closer Bobby Jenks can do in a tight jam; bases loaded, up a run, one out, bottom of the ninth against Lance Berkman? So advantage Astros in the pen. The x-factor will be fielding. This will be one of the tightest World Series in history, so the team that can cash in on the errors will put apply the heaviest amount of pressure. I can’t see the series going any less than seven games. The White Sox aggressive, run manufacturing offense, along with slugging 1B Paul Konerko, will be the difference as Ozzie Guillen’s South Siders take their first title since 1917. This article comes from UK MLB Supporters Club http://www.baseballfan.co.uk/ The URL for this story is: http://www.baseballfan.co.uk/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=209