Congratulations to the 2004 National League Central champions, the St. Louis Cardinals.
Okay, so there are still just under two months of regular season baseball to be played, I realize. Considering that St. Louis are double digits ahead of the Cubs, and assuming they continue to play with the dominance they have been since June, there is no way they can lose the division.
Trust me, being a Cubs fan, I have already accepted that the only way they will make the postseason is through the wildcard ... because the Cardinals will not go down.
The Cardinals added extra insurance to their lineup going into this weekend by acquiring Larry Walker from the Rockies. While the Cardinals would have made the postseason, with or without Walker, he and his .321 batting average will really come in handy during the playoffs. An added plus with Walker is that he bats at either second or fourth in the lineup, giving manager Tony LaRussa added options when deciding the batting order.
Without Walker, I can only speculate that the Cardinals have a chance to make it to the World Series. With Walker, the Cardinals' chances of making it to the World Series have doubled.
With the Cardinals already leading the National League in hitting and on-base percentage, the added presence of Walker will only make them that more dangerous.
The Cardinals are a team, who in my opinion, never once believed they were going to be second fiddle to the Chicago Cubs, a team who were originally favored to win the division. The Cardinals have dominated the Cubs in almost every meeting between the two this season. The Cubs and Cardinals will not play each other again this season, unless they somehow meet in the postseason.
The Cardinals continue to play baseball, fundamentally sound, passionately, and with class. Any on-field incident that took place between the two teams this year occurred after a player on the Cubs started it. The Cardinals never retaliated once, because they never had to. The Cardinals already possessed high ground over the Cubs in the National League Central.
While the Cardinals are doing everything the right way, this year's Cubs team have done almost everything to which all Cub fans should be embarrassed. While injuries really play a factor when looking at their win-loss record, also consider that many of their supposed to be star players were not coming through earlier this year. Instead of admitting that they themselves are the reason they sunk down in the division, the Cubs found a way to blame everything else. Through the 2004 season, the Cubs have blamed their June and July downward spiral on cold weather, hot weather, too many day games, their schedule, and most recently, the media.
While Moises Alou and company attempt to have the team's broadcasters of Chip Carray and Steve Stone removed from the team's flights, because they criticize the team too much, the Cardinals have stuck by their roots, and have concentrated on winning baseball games.
Dodger fans are upset that Walker would not play for the Dodgers. Now knowing who the Dodgers traded away prior to the trading deadline, I do not fault Walker for not wanting to play there. While the Giants are having a down year, and the Padres are showing life, why should anyone believe the Dodgers will be able to contend in the following years with both teams in their division? They have not in recent years.
Cub fans have been gloating all week, as they should be, about acquiring Nomar Garciaparra from Boston. However, Nomar alone will not guarantee postseason success. The Cubs still have to make it to the postseason. Their chances are good. However, if both teams are in the postseason, I still have to believe I like the Cardinal's chances better. It is hard to admit that, considering the Cubs are suppose to have the best starting rotation in MLB. Yet with the poor chemistry the team has played with all year, why should I believe they are bound for glory in the postseason?
As a Cubs fan, I am supposed to hate the Cardinals. In that sense, I do. But from a much more broader sense, I simply cannot hate the Cardinals. Not when they are going out everyday, playing hard baseball, and winning the way you are suppose to be. If the Cardinals ever go against the New York Yankees in the World Series, I will cheer for the Cardinals all the way. I believe there is a better sense of accomplishment when you win with a team, that by the most part, you built through years of hard work, rather than buying every all-star that puts on a glove for you.
Will the Cardinals enjoy the same success next season? I don't know. There are no guarantees for next season. Ask any Cubs player or fan who believed the Cubs were locked to make it to the World Series this year. With many uncertainties regarding next season, all Cardinal fans need to sit back and enjoy what they have this year, and see how far that takes them.
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