Sunday, September 18, 2005
Hangover
As I watched today's game (which despite early reports, had a pretty B-team line up that only got more Memphis) I realized I'm just not that excited about winning the division. The Cardinals have been in first place since what, mid-April? Last year had a measure of redemption. After missing the playoffs in 2003 and being picked to finish third by pretty much everyone, the Cards ran away with the Central. This year it was kind of...expected. (God, I sound like a Braves fan, if there are such creatures). Yes, it's very nice to win the Central. Lovely, wonderful, great.
That and three bucks will get you coffee at Starbucks.
Am I spoiled? You bet.
We all knew coming into this season what the goal was. Some teams want to have a winning season, some want to contend, some want a first playoff appearance in a number of years. The Cardinals want to win the World Series. Winning the division is the first hurdle. A long, difficult slog, but just the first step nonetheless. There are a few more things to accomplish before I start screaming my head off. The first, as I see it, is securing home field advantage for the playoffs. To that end, the magic number on the right will be tracking HFA.
Today, the Cards looked as I expected, perhaps even a little peppier. I don't want to think about Carpenter's outing other than to say I blame champagne and Dusty's bench jockeying. They scored more runs than I thought they would off of Zambrano, so that's nice, but I also think the bullpen had a really big party last night.
Anyhoo, the next series is against the Reds, so RHM and I will be talking some smack. These silly Eastern time zone games mean I'll miss the first few innings, though. Monday's an off day, so here's a game: Who will the Cardinals play in the first round?
That and three bucks will get you coffee at Starbucks.
Am I spoiled? You bet.
We all knew coming into this season what the goal was. Some teams want to have a winning season, some want to contend, some want a first playoff appearance in a number of years. The Cardinals want to win the World Series. Winning the division is the first hurdle. A long, difficult slog, but just the first step nonetheless. There are a few more things to accomplish before I start screaming my head off. The first, as I see it, is securing home field advantage for the playoffs. To that end, the magic number on the right will be tracking HFA.
Today, the Cards looked as I expected, perhaps even a little peppier. I don't want to think about Carpenter's outing other than to say I blame champagne and Dusty's bench jockeying. They scored more runs than I thought they would off of Zambrano, so that's nice, but I also think the bullpen had a really big party last night.
Anyhoo, the next series is against the Reds, so RHM and I will be talking some smack. These silly Eastern time zone games mean I'll miss the first few innings, though. Monday's an off day, so here's a game: Who will the Cardinals play in the first round?
