Fall Classic is here and we are officially back in 2004. 2004? Yes, these two teams faced each other in the World Series. Boston was 86 years and counting to win a World Series. As for St. Louis, they haven’t won a World Series since 1982. As in the end result, Red Sox swept the Cardinals, Cardinals had to wait two years later to win their next world championship.
Now on to present time. St. Louis returns to a 4th world series in 10 years, Red Sox are in their third world series in 10 years. In those World Series, the Red Sox are perfect, they won a World Series against the surging Rockies in 2007. Cardinals won their 2006 World Series in 5 games against the Detroit Tigers. The Cardinals next World Series came in 2011, against the Texas Rangers. The Rangers had a chance to end the Cardinals championship chance in Game 6, but some guy named Freese had won the WS with the final strike, I wasn’t happy about that, but what can you do about it. The Cardinals coincidentally won their 11th World Championship in 2011, which came with a fake trademark of “11 in 11”. That carried through the next season and which leads to my judgement on which fan base shows class.
THE FANS
Judging fans? Yes, I do have authority to judge the fans of both Boston and St. Louis, even though I’m from New England. As a current resident in Cincinnati, I have to hear and see Cardinals fans. Not much to say about them, but one trademark (all of them aren’t real) “Best Fans in Baseball”, does not exist, sorry. Now it is October, the Cardinals are attempting to win their 12th championship in 2013. Want to know this fake trademark? “12 in 13”. It doesn’t make sense and the Red Sox fans can easily use that trademark and say “8 in 13”, does not make sense in the sports world and most baseball fans can make a joke about that. Credit for trademarks should be done by BBWAA, the ones that decide who is MVP, Cy Young and ROY. Once again Cardinals fans, stop the dumb trademarks.
Boston Red Sox Fans, not much to say about them. They don’t have a trademark recognizing fans or numbers, but for the city. The City of Boston, as we know, had a bombing during the Boston Marathon, lots of casualties, which led to a unique trademark of “Boston Strong”. I personally like the trademark because it reflects what a city has done rather than its team. The city recovered and found the terrorist that started the attacks. Most people in America don’t like Boston sports for its arrogant sports fans, but it doesn’t show that in Red Sox fans. Sox fans appreciate their team, they haven’t been to the playoffs in 4 years and want to end this season with a title. Yes, I might show a bias towards Boston, but at least they don’t get Deadspin coverage like the Cardinals do.
On to the Position Breakdowns.
CATCHER
EDGE: YADIER MOLINA, ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
FIRST BASE
EDGE: MIKE NAPOLI, BOSTON RED SOX
SECOND BASE
EDGE: DUSTIN PEDROIA, BOSTON RED SOX
THIRD BASE
EDGE: DAVID FREESE, ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
SHORTSTOP
EDGE: EVEN, PETE KOZMA & DANIEL DESCALSO, ST. LOUIS CARDINALS. XANDER BOGAERTS & STEPHEN DREW, BOSTON RED SOX
LEFT FIELD
EDGE: MATT HOLLIDAY, ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
CENTER FIELD
EDGE: JACOBY ELLSBURY, BOSTON RED SOX
RIGHT FIELD
EDGE: CARLOS BELTRAN, ST. LOUIS
DESIGNATED HITTER
EDGE: DAVID ORTIZ
On to our Game 1 Pitchers.
Adam Wainwright returns to the World Series for the first time since 2006. Wainwright had a season long injury in 2011. Wainwright had appeared in the 2006 World Series as a reliever, was in 3 of the 5 games they played.
His World Series Numbers
- 3 IP, 2 H, BB & 5 SO
- BAA .182 & 1.00 WHIP
- Per 9 numbers: 6 H, 3 BB, 15 K. K/BB is 5.00
- GRADE: 94.44% (A)
- Rates: 16.67% H, 8.33% BB & 41.67% K
Wainwright’s 2013 Postseason Numbers.
- 23 IP, 17 H, 4 ER, BB, 20 SO & HR
- BAA .198, ERA 1.57 & 0.78 WHIP
- Per 9 numbers: 6.65 H, 0.39 BB, 7.83 K, 0.39 HR. K/BB is 20.00
- GRADE: 86.96% (B)
- Rates: 20.48% H, 4.82% R, 1.20% BB, 24.10% K, 1.20% HR
This is Wainwright’s first ever start against the Boston Red Sox. Wainwright’s pitching WAR this season was 6.2, which is 28.7% of Cardinals Pitching.
CARDINALS POSTSEASON REPORT CARD
ADAM WAINWRIGHT: 89.58% (B) (NLDS)/80.95% (B) (LCS)
LANCE LYNN: 29.49% (F) (NLDS)/78.03% (C) (LCS)
JOE KELLY: 71.88% (C) (NLDS)/65.15% (D) (LCS)
MICHAEL WACHA: 90.91% (A) (NLDS)/96.34% (A) (LCS)
BULLPEN: 80.81% (B) (NLDS)/88.01% (B) (LCS)
Jon Lester returns to the World Series for the first time since 2007. He is one of few Red Sox players coming back from that 2007 team.
The 2007 World Series numbers.
- 5.2 IP, 3 H, 3 BB & 3 SO
- BAA .150 & WHIP 1.06
- Per 9 numbers: 4.76 H, BB & K
- GRADE: 94.12% (A)
- Rates: 13.04% H,BB & K
Lester’s 2013 Postseason Numbers.
- 19.1 IP, 16 H, 5 ER, 7 BB, 14 SO & 2 HR
- BAA .216, ERA 2.33 & WHIP 1.19
- Per 9 numbers: 7.45 H, 3.26 BB, 6.52 K, 0.93 HR. K/BB is 2.00
- GRADE: 80.46% (B)
- Rates: 20% H, 6.25% R, 8.75% BB, 17.50% K, 2.5% HR
Lester has faced the Cardinals in his career and it was at Fenway Park. That game.
- 7.1 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, BB & 3 SO
- BAA .290, ERA 2.45 & WHIP 1.36
- Per 9 numbers: 11.05 H, 1.23 BB, 3.68 K. K/BB is 3.00
- GRADE: 78.79% (C)
- Rates: 30% H, 6.67% R, 3.33% BB, 10% K
Lester pitching WAR this season was 3.0, which is 18.52% of Red Sox Pitching.
RED SOX POSTSEASON REPORT CARD:
JON LESTER: 82.61% (B) (ALDS)/79.05% (C) (LCS)
JOHN LACKEY: 52.08% (F) (ALDS)/96.67% (A) (LCS)
CLAY BUCHHOLZ: 65.74% (D) (ALDS)/59.90% (F) (LCS)
JAKE PEAVY: 86.27% (B) (ALDS)/-31.48% (F) (LCS)
BULLPEN: 86.36% (B) (ALDS)/ 92.69% (A) (LCS)
——————
Which pitcher has the EDGE in tonight’s game?
- Adam Wainwright: Runs, Walks, Strikeouts, Home runs
- Jon Lester: Hits
Jon Lester had another year where he increased certain values. Those categories being: Wins, ERA drop, Innings Pitched, drop in Hits, drop in Runs and Earned runs, drop in Home runs, Strikeouts.
The 2013 numbers.
- 213.1 IP, 209 H, 94 R (89 ER), 67 BB, 177 SO & 19 HR
- BAA .246, ERA 3.75 & WHIP 1.29
- Per 9 numbers: 8.82 H, 2.83 BB, 7.47 K, 0.80 HR. K/BB is 2.64.
- GRADE: 71.95% (C)
- Rates: 23.15% H, 10.41% R, 7.42% BB, 19.60% K, 2.10% HR
Lester will be hitting 30 years old in 2014. This is Lester’s last year in his 5 year $29.75 million contract. In 2014, the Red Sox gave him a $13 million team option and/or a $250,000 contract buyout. Lester can void option if player is either 1st or 2nd in Cy Young from 2009-2013. Lester finished 4th in Cy Young voting in 2010.
Adam Wainwright had all around improved his numbers this season. The categories that he had improved in are: Wins, ERA drop (whole point), Innings pitched, Runs, walks and strikeouts.
The 2013 numbers.
- 241.2 IP, 223 H, 83 R (79 ER), 35 BB, 219 SO & 15 HR
- BAA .235, ERA 2.94 & WHIP 1.07
- Per 9 numbers: 8.3 H, 1.3 BB, 8.16 K, 0.56 HR. K/BB is 6.26.
- GRADE: 77.72% (C)
- Rates: 23.33% H, 8.68% R, 3.66% BB, 22.91% K, 1.57% HR
INFOGRAPHIC: World Series Pitchers
Prediction:
Adam Wainwright: 7 IP, 4 H, 2B, HR, 3 R, BB, 5 SO
Jon Lester: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 5 BB & 2 SO
Which offense bat(s) should Wainwright and Lester be concerned for?
- Wainwright: Shane Victorino and Jonny Gomes
- Lester: Carlos Beltrán
Hi, nice to meet you. Who will Wainwright and Lester be facing for the first time.
- Wainwright: Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz, Mike Napoli, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Will Middlebrooks
- Lester: Matt Carpenter, Allen Craig, Matt Adams, David Freese, Jon Jay and Pete Kozma
PICK: BOSTON in 5
Sports And Life in General 