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WEAVER ADDS TO SOLID PITCHING AS TIGERS COMPLETE FREE-FALL

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/15871206.htm



ST. LOUIS -- The imperfect team arrived at its perfect ending, followed by the perfect celebration.
In a place the locals call baseball heaven, amid an ocean of red, the St. Louis Cardinals became World Series champions in five games and for the 10th time, defeating the Detroit Tigers 4-2 Friday at Busch Stadium.
``It's unbelievable,'' Cardinals outfielder Jim Edmonds said, wandering the infield afterward. ``Just unbelievable.''
The Cardinals left behind a mediocre six months, for nearly four weeks. They won 83 games in the regular season and so became, by virtue of games won and winning percentage, the least-accomplished team ever to win a World Series.
As Detroit strung lights and bunting in hopes of a Game 6, Cardinals closer Adam Wainwright threw a slider past Brandon Inge, sending 25 Cardinals into each other's arms on an infield soon to be strewed with confetti. Wainwright followed eight taut innings by Jeff Weaver, who earned his third victory in the postseason, or as many as he had for the Los Angeles Angels in the season's first three months.
David Eckstein, the runty shortstop, clenched two fists and shouted himself hoarse. He was the series MVP, batting .364 and driving an offense from the top.
``I can't lie to you,'' Eckstein said, the golden trophy clutched to his chest, ``I never thought I'd go to the World Series and win the MVP trophy.''
As they had in three other World Series victories, the Cardinals played well enough, played hard enough, and watched the Tigers go to pieces.
They won with Albert Pujols hitting .200, with Edmonds hitting .235, but with Scott Rolen answering his .000 from two World Series ago to hit .421 and Yadier Molina answering his .216 in the regular season with a World Series .412.
Mostly, however, they won with a pitching staff plugged by Weaver, whose fastball and slider had life and precision unseen in Anaheim, or with the Los Angeles Dodgers the season before.
So, for the first time since 1982, and two years after they were swept by the Boston Red Sox in the 2004 World Series, the Cardinals put together the pitching to succeed in October. Their ERA for the World Series was 2.05. For the postseason, against the San Diego Padres, New York Mets and Tigers, it was 2.68.
``Well, since the first game against San Diego, the way our pitching rose to the occasion, front end, back end,'' Cardinals Manager Tony La Russa said, ``it's tough to score. You're facing good pitching. Our pitching was just -- like Jeff tonight, for him to tune up the game like that with what was at stake.
``Really, if we missed this one, it would have been tough in Detroit.''
La Russa, who won a World Series with the A's in 1989, joined Sparky Anderson as the only two managers to win in both leagues. Jim Leyland, who won in Florida nine years ago, vied for the same honor over the past week.
The Tigers, who shook off multiple losing seasons, were terrible in the World Series. They committed eight errors, a record five by their pitchers. Placido Polanco, the American League championship series MVP, did not have a hit. They batted .199 as a team, the lowest in a five-game Series since the 1983 Philadelphia Phillies.
``We lost the World Series, (but) I certainly don't consider this a losing situation,'' Leyland said. ``We did lose the World Series, but we made a lot of progress.''
 
Too bad nobody watched it or really cared who was playing.

I did.

davidecksteintrophyjpgsar7.jpg
 
hahaha my girlfriend was so f*ing excited about it- we just got bak to boston from salem and tuned it on at the top of the 9th.
it was really cool to see here happy- too bad i dont really follow/know the sport.
i cant remember the last time a team i supported won anything.
 
Stumblebums ...

The 'pretend' Tigers could hardly be beat during the season and so the Tigers won the right to play in the World Series.

The front office was so cottin picken excited, they sent the 'pretend' Tigers home and brought the 'real' Tigers out of retirement.

Well you saw what happened - I have seen a better 'SCRUB' game played between a bunch of neighbor kids in a vacant sand lot, than was played by the Tigers (Even the one they won was atrocious).

A worse bunch of stumble bums I haven't seen (EVER).

So disappointing - wasn't worth the time spent watching the games - the Tigers beat themselves, and lost to a team that was a two game underdog.
 
Its always good when the underdog wins...Its like when a team beats the Patriots or the Colts in football...You feel good even though you support the Colts because you know that that team really had to work hard to beat them...Dont be bitter...Be glad they won.
 
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