“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;”>
With all the things that have
taken place in this unforgettable Cardinals season, you can put
Game Five at the top of the list. That will be ever
lasting.
“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;”>
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>If you look at all the injuries to key personnel dating back to spring training, to how the Cardinals got into post-season play, to winning two game on the road in the most difficult places in the National League (in Philadelphia and Milwaukee) – even then, Game Five will still be the thing that will be talked about.
“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;”>
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>I am not sure where to start when it came to that game. Great pitching by Chris Carpenter, who always seems to respond, or the lack of offense in key situations. The one thing that is on the minds of Cardinal fans is the eighth inning, yes, the eighth inning, where as Strother Martin said in the movie Cool Hand Luke, “It appears that we have a failure to communicate!”
“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;”>
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>For those who are not enamored of Cardinal manager Tony La Russa, here it is on a platter for you. The inability, according to the manager, to communicate who he wanted warming up in the bullpen was critical. When it comes to managers looking for matchups, Tony La Russa may have wrote the book on it.
“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;”>
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>Throw in the comedy of miscues, the failed hit and runs and stranding runners, and you had your good old-fashioned cluster goof that saw the Cardinals lose the game.
“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;”>
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>For the La Russa bashers who have a accused the (soon to be second all-time winningest) manager of not being able to manage, this has to be as good as the final results of a Friday night date night. Anyone have a cigarette?
“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;”>
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>No matter what the other circumstances may have been, this one is what the anti-La Russa clan has lived for since the day he arrived.
“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;”>
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>Then Allan Craig was thrown out in an apparent attempted hit and run. We later learned that Albert Pujols called for the hit and run. Yes, Albert, who did not even swing, hence leaving Craig to be the dead duck.
“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;”>
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>I told you this will be one you will remember. And I did not mention the stranded runners left in scoring position.
“margin-bottom: 5.25pt; line-height: normal; background: white;”>
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>Here is one thing that you should take into account. While the media and some fans want blood for the Cardinals’ collapse, they may never get it. The Cardinals have closed ranks here, and the real truth may not be known for awhile as there could be others that share in the blame.
“margin-bottom: 5.25pt; line-height: normal; background: white;”>
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>It is a team that wins and loses as a team, with no one left behind to be solely blamed. If it looks as if that would be the case, enter the manager, who wears the same uniform and has been there before and is willing to take a bullet.
“margin-bottom: 5.25pt; line-height: normal; background: white;”>
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>Like it or not, whereas you don’t have the pound of flesh and pint of blood, you have to appreciate what a team is all about. Ask yourself the question: if you were a member of the team where you did not do your job on this night, be it lack of execution or miscommunication, being part of a team that lives and dies as one may not be all bad right now.
“margin-bottom: 5.25pt; line-height: normal; background: white;”>
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>That only applies to those who right now think Tony La Russa knows what he is doing. The numbers do not lie here, as he cannot be lucky that many nights as a manager.
“margin-bottom: 5.25pt; line-height: normal; background: white;”>
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>This one just flat out got away. It just happened to be in the World Series that we will not forget.
