World Series Preview

Despite Albert Pujols' late game heroics on Monday night, St. Louis couldn't keep the magic coming as they sucumbed to the Houston Astros tonight in yet another anti-climactic 5-1 Astros victory.

As boring a team as I find Houston to watch I will give props to this team. I was one of many people who believed that losing Carlos Beltran and Jeff Kent would put this team in the bottom of the Central Division. I never would have chosen them as NL champs this year.

Roy Oswalt was masterful again tonight and a very deserving winner of the NLCS MVP. This guy can throw closer-type stuff for 9 innings which is pretty incredible.

Well, if you like a National League style of baseball then this World Series should be a dream come true for you. I personally prefer an NL style game but, again, I really just don't care for either of the teams playing in the final.

I guess there is some intrigue with Houston making their first ever Fall Classic appearance and the White Sox making their first appearance in something like 275 years.

Obviously pitching will once again be the deciding factors and both teams have their pitching staffs going at their best clip right now. Chicago will once again send Buerhle, Garland, Contreras and Garcia to the hill while Houston will respond with Clemens, Pettitte, Oswalt and Backe. Tough to give an edge to either team here although a lot of attention will be given to "the hammy"- that being the supposedly injured hamstring of Rocket Roger Clemens. Oooh, the suspense is killing me. Anyways, I'm going to call the starting pitching even.

On offence neither line-up really strikes fear into opposing teams which will again shine the lights on the pitchers. There are no Big Pappi's, no Man-Ram's, no A-Rod's, No Pujols'. . .

There's your Berkman's, Konerko's and Ensberg's as far as power goes but, like I said, this series will not be won with the long ball. It will be won on the basepaths. The team that can take the extra base on base hits, the team that can hit and run, the team that can lay down the sacrifice bunt or the suicide squeeze. We're going to see two teams working hard to manufacture runs. I do think that that will provide for some exciting baseball. Speed wise I'll give the edge to the White Sox as this has been their bread and butter all season long. If the Sox win the series it will be because their pitchers continue to throw the way they did against Anaheim and because Scott Podsednik's OBA will be up near. 500.

Defensively I give the edge to Houston. Getting rid of Jeff Kent and moving Biggio back to 2B was a great move for Houston defensively. Biggio is still a solid second-bagger and is surrounded by lots of other great defensive players, both in the Astros infield and in the outfield.

Houston gets the edge in the bullpen battle as well. Despite the mammoth moon shot given up to Pujols the other night, Brad Lidge is the best closer this side of Mariano Rivera. The rest of the Astros bullpen has been lights out this entire post season.

Overall, I see the Houston Astros winning the World Series in their first ever visit to the big dance. They'll continue the mystique of being the wild card winner and further cement Bud Selig's genius for instituting the once hated extra spot in the playoffs.

The Killer B's- Biggio and Bagwell- will get their just desserts and be able to retire on top. I think that is a deserving prize for a couple guys who are old school ballplayers and have always played the game the way it should be played.

Am I excited about this World Series? Not really. Will I watch the games? Probably every one of them. Do I have better things to do with my time? Probably. but it's the world series so you never know what you're going to get.