Third time a charm? NLCS---on Fox...

How can you not love playoff baseball. It just infects this city, with the pep-rallies at schools, the Go Cards signs hanging off buildings, and the fact that loads of people wear red on game day. It’s a great civic experience to be in STL for the playoffs.

I’m enjoying our run as an underdog as well. The past two years, you could feel the weight of expectation. From mid-July of 2004, no one challenged us in the regular season. Losing both times was unexpected.

This time, we aren’t supposed to beat anyone. We’re the weakest team in the weakest league. At least that’s what 15 of the 16 experts on ESPN.com said. Hey, we had a shot in the eyes of the prescient Enrique Rojas. He’s the lone expert that has us beating San Diego. That’s one more expert than picked Detroit. Nice job, guys.

So how will our underdogs fare against the Pond Scummers? Well, I’ve been listening to radio, and reading on the net, and I conclude that we have no chance. It makes sense. On paper (which is the only place “experts” get to play) the Mets are better.

However, some of the “analysis” makes no sence. I have to call out Buster Olney for saying the NLCS will go 7 games, and we’ll lose. How can you pick the Cards to win three of the first six, then lose with Carpenter on the hill. It’s the one game where we have a decided edge…on paper.

I also heard someone evaluating the series by doing a classic position by position comparison. Those drive me nuts. Beltran is better than Edmonds, so, advantage Mets. That would be insightful, if only Beltran and Edmonds were meeting in a “hit, run and throw” competition to decide the pennant.

Not to sound like Joe Morgan, but pitchers pitch to hitters, who try to hit. That’s baseball. So how will the Cards do in getting out the mighty Mets lineup? How will we hit the Mets pitching? I’ll analyze the Mets lineup in the next post.