The pigskin boys from Columbia play host to Kansas State, a once powerhouse in college football, during the Homecoming showdown Saturday at Faurot Field. This should be an interesting game, considering Missouri is coming off it's first loss of the season and is back at home after two consecutive weekends in the heart of Texas.
Also taking place on Saturday is the much-anticipated Game 1 of the World Series where the Detroit Tigers play host to your and I's favorite, the St. Louis Redbirds. I look forward to providing much insight on this blog during the series, and I look forward to sharing my thoughts and opinions with you as we continue our quest for the title.
A few things to think about while Saturdays hoopla takes place:
First, concerning Missouri Football:
*I think you will see an absolute blowout take center stage at Faurot. I'm expecting Chase Daniels to get big on KStates' defense and lead the Tigers to a 20+ point victory to the delight of the home crowd.
*Missouri's defense has dropped from #1 in the nation to #17 after their two week stint in Texas. They are finally showing a few holes in the pass coverage, and if you watched last weeks game then you understand that we have no way of stopping a tailback that weighs over 250 pounds. The Tiger defense looks quick to me, but not overpowering. I would expect KState to run the ball north and south instead of trying to get to the edges against this defense. If Missouri can stop them up the middle, then the game is in hand. Chase Daniel will do his part.
And concerning the Cardinals:
*I would assume that the rookie Anthony Reyes will be throwing in game 1 tomorrow evening. This makes the most sense to me, although I would never doubt Tony no matter what he chooses. If you go with Reyes, then everybody will be on normal rest for the next three games. And quite frankly, it's not like Reyes has had terrible outings over his last two starts. It's a lot of pressure on the kid, but our rookies seem like they can handle the pressure. (Adam Wainwright was a shining star last night once he settled down.) This way Weaver goes in game 2, on the road where's he been spectacular, and Carp and Suppan start the series at home on normal rest.
*I know we said the same thing last series, but wouldn't it be interesting if the Cardinals can get one of two in Detroit, and then come home with Carp, Soup, and the reborn Weaver for games 3,4,5. Nice thought, huh?
* It will be interesting to see who gets the starts this week in the field for the Cardinals. Preston Wilson has come up with big hits at times but has also looked terrible during other at bats. Juan Encarnacion is hitting great without runners in scoring position but is struggling when the pressure is on. Scott Rolen continues to be a mystery, a couple big hits over the last few nights should keep him on board at third base but you can't look past his poor performance in the NLDS, and the beginning of the NLCS. Scott Spiezio is hit or miss, bottom line. He looked foolish watching strike three float by in Game 7, but on the other hand you had the sense he was going to hit a homerun. So Taguchi continues to be a pleasant surprise off the bench, and I think LaRussa would do best to keep him there. John Rodriguez has looked essentially worthless so far this postseason, and I'm wondering if he will even be on the roster for the Series.
*Probably the most important piece to the puzzle for the Cardinals when it comes to their lineup is whether or not Scott Rolen is hitting the ball. Personally, I think you need to keep him in the lineup at all times. He's a cornerstone at third base defensively, and it seems he's found a way to come up with big hits at crucial times for the Cardinals in the past. I think he may have made ammends with LaRussa after game 7. The camera caught Rolen running up to LaRussa after the game, hugging him, putting two hands on LaRussa's face, and saying "I'm Sorry." This is a step in the right direction.
Congratulations to Yadi, Yadi, Yadi. Kudos to an amazing Jeff Suppan. Thumbs up to Scott Rolen for sticking with it. Big UPS to LaRussa for being a stud. So long to Carlos Beltran, as far as I'm concerned all the damage he's done in the past to the Cardinals means nothing after looking at strike 3 last night. Happy offseason to the annoying Jose Reyes, what's he going to do without a camera to smile at? And to the lovely New York Mets fans: keep BELIEVIN'. Maybe someday $400 million dollars split between two teams in one city will finally win you a World Championship. Until then, keep spending.
Happy Weekend to all!!! Go Tigers!. Go Birds!
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5 comments:
I heard rumors on ESPN radio that Larussa was thinking about going with Marquis in Game 1, but stlcardinals.com has Reyes going for the birds. Either way, how nice would it be to steal the first game with either one of them pitching game 1? I love the fact that Weaver will be pitching on the road and Carp and Soup wipp be pitching at home. Another question, could the Cards be any more of an underdog in this series? Nobody is giving us a chance. Thats the way I like it.
redhawk - that's the first i've heard of marquis as a possibility for game 1. that would surprise me if it happened. it could either be an amazing trick that LaRussa pulls or it could completely bite the birds in the butt. Who knows? Do you think FOX will even televise this series, redhawk?
It will probably air on Fox Family. There will probably be a good Saturday evening movie to put on Fox that will draw better ratings. Any fan with any respect for what these two teams have done for baseball over the years will watch every pitch of this series. So many good stories. Leyland vs. Larussa, buddy vs. buddy. Pujols and Polanco being best friends. Polanco being a fan favorite in St. Louis. Two of the best defensive catchers in the game in Rodriguez and Molina. I can't wait!
please read this. i am sick and tired of hearing this crap. one thing i want to know is, how do all these so called "scouts" and "experts" know that the Tigers extremely young bullpen(most of there team hasnt had any playoff experience, much less world series)will hold up. you never know what could happen on the big stage. i just don't understand how you could be so sure that the Tigers are better. I read something today that said "the cardinals rotation is filled with players that wouldn't stand a chance in the american league"..a chance?..are u kidding me. you're gonna tell me that Jeff Suppan wouldn't stand a chance after he just shut down Reyes, Beltran, Delgado, Wright. your kidding me. nobody argues that those players are some of the best at their position. why don't the pitchers that shut them down get some credit. i cant wait until the Redbirds go into Detroit. and i don't give a darn if the world is not watching. New York has better things to do anyways. they're probably figuring out how to spend another 200 million on their roster and still find a way to lose.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-sp.schmuck20oct20,0,866016.column?coll=bal-sports-headlines
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