Chapter 49.95: Wrong Again

Congratulations to the St. Louis Cardinals, the World Champions of Major League Baseball. Not really what I expected, obviously.

I'll say this, they certainly turned things on at the right time, but that assumes such a thing is possible, and I don't believe that. Baseball skills are not something one "turns on" at that level, and I don't believe the Tigers had turned theirs off. The Cardinals beat the Tigers. It's as simple and as complicated as that. I have enormous respect for what Jim Leyland has done with his teams throughout his managerial career. But I don't think for a second that he or his coaches have trained Joel Zumaya to go to third on a grounder back to the pitcher with men on first and second. What the hell was he thinking? You don't see that play in Rookie ball. I don't think you see it in high school varsity. The play in that circumstance is to second base.

The Tigers players, for whatever reason, lost their baseball smarts. I didn't think it could continue, but I suppose once THAT momentum has begun, it's hard to stop. Until the team loses. How much you want to bet that after reminding their pitchers to head toward first on a grounder to the right side, they go over first and second with less than two outs.