The only way to describe the 2011 season is as the season of collapse, but we are not that far yet. The season began with what was expected to either break a team or make a strong team unstoppable. I of course refer to the Cliff Lee saga. Would he stay in Texas or head north to New York? To the surprise of everyone he went north. Just not to the Yankees. Instead he returned to Philadelphia where he made what looked like the most unstoppable starting rotation in baseball. That one moment was almost the death blow to the Rangers. Without Lee they made C.J. Wilson their ace, who is no Cliff Lee. Texas responded by improving their offense by signing All-Star third baseman Adrian Beltre. Before the season began all the "experts" had the World Series planned out, the Boston Red Sox would face the Philadelphia Phillies. The majority of those predictions had the Red Sox triumphing. As the season progressed everything went as expected. When the All-Star game rolled around July 12, the Red Sox lead the AL East, the Rangers lead the West, and Tigers lead the Central. For the National League the Phillies naturally lead the east, the Brewers lead the central, and the reigning World Champion San Francisco Giants lead the east. With home field advantage in the World Series on the line, the Rangers C.J. Wilson ended up giving home field advantage to National League by giving up a three run home run to Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder. Of course it didn't take long for things to begin to change. By the middle of August the Giants had been knocked out of first place by the Arizona Diamondbacks and from there baseball was about to see the beginning of teams collapsing. At the beginning of September both the Tampa Bay Rays and the St. Louis Cardinals were 8.5 games out of the Wild Card race. Everything in the National League would remain the same except for the Wild Card race. The Atlanta Braves in the month of September would only go 9-18 while the surging Cardinals would go 17-8. The collapse of the Braves was at hand. The biggest collapse came in the American League where the Red Sox had a half game lead over the Yankees in the East, who had an 8.5 game lead over the Rays. While the Rays would go only 17-10, they would find a way to capture the AL Wild Card. How did they do it? They didn't. The Red Sox handed the east over to the Yankees and Wild Card over to the Rays. That's what happens when you go a terrible 7-20 for the month. And thus the biggest collapse of the season had occurred. When it was all said and done the Post Season was setting up to be memorable. The Yankees would be toppled by the Tigers. The unlikely Rays would be done in by the defending AL Champion Rangers. The Brewers would take care of the Diamondbacks. The most surprising thing was the Cardinals would find a way past the team that seemed most unstoppable: the Phillies. The League championship would see some great baseball with a tough series between the Brewers and the Cardinals, with the Cardinals proving to be a force to be reckoned with by eliminating the Brewers in six games. The best match-up turned out to be the Tigers and the Rangers. It was the match-up plagued by rain, finally won by the team with the least injuries: the Rangers.
And so the World Series was set, the unlikely National League Champion St. Louis Cardinals versus the defending American League Champion Texas Rangers. All the predictions had this one going at least to game six and most favored the Rangers. The Cardinals would take Game 1 while the Rangers would win Game 2 in an unusual way. Both the Rangers runs would be scored by sacrifice flies to the outfield. Game 3 would prove to be a historic night for Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols who would hit three home runs in a World Series game. Thus adding his name along Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as the only ones to accomplish it. In doing so he would lead the Cardinals in a Game 3 win. Game 4 would see things change. The high scoring game of Game 3 was silenced by a masterful performance by Rangers pitcher Derek Holland who would pitch the Rangers to a win, going 8 1/3 innings of two hit ball. Game 5 became phone-gate. The Rangers would win but only after the Cardinals had a massive communication break down between the bullpen and dugout. Unknown to the Cardinals manager the reliever has asked to get ready wasn't. Tony La Russa would blame the phone used to call the bullpen, but that doesn't seem likely. Twice La Russa called asked for Jason Motte to start warming up. The first time the bullpen coach didn't hear Motte's name. The second call he still didn't hear but did hear it. Instead he heard the name Lance Lynn. Now what doesn't make any sense is why the bullpen coach didn't inquire as to why Lynn was being asked to get ready. Lynn was after all unavailable to pitch. It is possible La Russa really did say Motte's name and it was just overshadowed by the crowd. However its more than likely that La Russa just messed up. This foul up would give the Rangers a 3 game to 2 lead in the series. The Rangers nemesis in the League Championship, rain, would show up in St. Louis and cause a postponement of Game 6. This would be the game that would show Cardinals just weren't ready to go down just yet. With the Rangers leading by two runs in the ninth inning they were only one strike away from winning. The Cardinals however had other plans and tied the game to force extra innings. Josh Hamilton would finally show his power in the tenth inning by giving the Rangers another two run lead. Again down to their last strike, The Cardinals still weren't ready. Another blown save by the Rangers would send the game to the eleventh where the Cardinals would win with a walk off home run and force a Game 7. While the Rangers would take an early lead, the Cardinals quickly tied it back up and would later take the lead and the win for their 11 World Championship. The Rangers second bid for their first was denied and after twice being only one strike away from victory, the collapse of the Texas Rangers was complete. The team everyone thought would never see the post season in 2011 was now crowned the Champions of Baseball. As a Ranger being so close makes this loss very painful. But there is one thing to take pride in. The Texas Rangers are the first American League team in a decade to win the AL Championship two years in a row. The last team to do it? The New York Yankees from 98-2001.
The end of this chapter of baseball is over but a new season is only a few months away. And teams may never be the same. Brewers fan favorite Prince Fielder is a free agent. As is Albert Pujols. Several other big name players, Roy Oswalt, Vlad. Guerrero, David Ortiz, Magglio Ordonez, C.J. Wilson, and potentially C.C. Sabathia, have their futures unknown at the moment. This off season will be full of questions. Can the Rangers rebound a try for a third straight World Series, will the Cardinals be able to defend their championship? The biggest one of all though will be can the Boston Red Sox recover from the implosion of this season? They have lost their GM, Theo Epstein, to the Chicago Cubs. Manager Terry Francona decided to leave and David Ortiz is a potential free agent. Not to mention the damaging allegations that Francona was abusing prescription drugs, John Lackey, Josh Beckett, and Jon Lester were accused of drinking, eating fried chicken and playing video games during the games they weren't playing in. We will know the answers to all these questions and more in four months when pitchers and catchers report for spring training.
And so the World Series was set, the unlikely National League Champion St. Louis Cardinals versus the defending American League Champion Texas Rangers. All the predictions had this one going at least to game six and most favored the Rangers. The Cardinals would take Game 1 while the Rangers would win Game 2 in an unusual way. Both the Rangers runs would be scored by sacrifice flies to the outfield. Game 3 would prove to be a historic night for Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols who would hit three home runs in a World Series game. Thus adding his name along Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as the only ones to accomplish it. In doing so he would lead the Cardinals in a Game 3 win. Game 4 would see things change. The high scoring game of Game 3 was silenced by a masterful performance by Rangers pitcher Derek Holland who would pitch the Rangers to a win, going 8 1/3 innings of two hit ball. Game 5 became phone-gate. The Rangers would win but only after the Cardinals had a massive communication break down between the bullpen and dugout. Unknown to the Cardinals manager the reliever has asked to get ready wasn't. Tony La Russa would blame the phone used to call the bullpen, but that doesn't seem likely. Twice La Russa called asked for Jason Motte to start warming up. The first time the bullpen coach didn't hear Motte's name. The second call he still didn't hear but did hear it. Instead he heard the name Lance Lynn. Now what doesn't make any sense is why the bullpen coach didn't inquire as to why Lynn was being asked to get ready. Lynn was after all unavailable to pitch. It is possible La Russa really did say Motte's name and it was just overshadowed by the crowd. However its more than likely that La Russa just messed up. This foul up would give the Rangers a 3 game to 2 lead in the series. The Rangers nemesis in the League Championship, rain, would show up in St. Louis and cause a postponement of Game 6. This would be the game that would show Cardinals just weren't ready to go down just yet. With the Rangers leading by two runs in the ninth inning they were only one strike away from winning. The Cardinals however had other plans and tied the game to force extra innings. Josh Hamilton would finally show his power in the tenth inning by giving the Rangers another two run lead. Again down to their last strike, The Cardinals still weren't ready. Another blown save by the Rangers would send the game to the eleventh where the Cardinals would win with a walk off home run and force a Game 7. While the Rangers would take an early lead, the Cardinals quickly tied it back up and would later take the lead and the win for their 11 World Championship. The Rangers second bid for their first was denied and after twice being only one strike away from victory, the collapse of the Texas Rangers was complete. The team everyone thought would never see the post season in 2011 was now crowned the Champions of Baseball. As a Ranger being so close makes this loss very painful. But there is one thing to take pride in. The Texas Rangers are the first American League team in a decade to win the AL Championship two years in a row. The last team to do it? The New York Yankees from 98-2001.
The end of this chapter of baseball is over but a new season is only a few months away. And teams may never be the same. Brewers fan favorite Prince Fielder is a free agent. As is Albert Pujols. Several other big name players, Roy Oswalt, Vlad. Guerrero, David Ortiz, Magglio Ordonez, C.J. Wilson, and potentially C.C. Sabathia, have their futures unknown at the moment. This off season will be full of questions. Can the Rangers rebound a try for a third straight World Series, will the Cardinals be able to defend their championship? The biggest one of all though will be can the Boston Red Sox recover from the implosion of this season? They have lost their GM, Theo Epstein, to the Chicago Cubs. Manager Terry Francona decided to leave and David Ortiz is a potential free agent. Not to mention the damaging allegations that Francona was abusing prescription drugs, John Lackey, Josh Beckett, and Jon Lester were accused of drinking, eating fried chicken and playing video games during the games they weren't playing in. We will know the answers to all these questions and more in four months when pitchers and catchers report for spring training.
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