Red Sox vs Cardinals could be a true classic

Boston's bearded band of brothers will go against the burgeoning talents of a remarkable St. Louis Cardinals rookie class in the best-of-seven World Series that opens on Wednesday at Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox.

The two best teams in Major League Baseball are renewing their rivalry in a fitting championship climax.

Boston and St. Louis tied for most wins this season with 97 and led their respective leagues in runs scored.

"They've got a fantastic team," Boston manager John Farrell said. "And a lot of young power arms that will walk to that mound."

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said the Red Sox reminded him of his own club in critical ways.

"They're about doing the little things right - about family, about considering each other and thinking about the team," Matheny said. "Those are the sorts of things that ring real true with us."

They last met in the 2004 Fall Classic with the Red Sox ending an 86-year World Series title drought with a four-game sweep of the Cardinals, who had beaten them in seven games in their other two championship showdowns of 1946 and 1967.

Only one player on each side - slugger David 'Big Papi' Ortiz of the Red Sox and premier catcher Yadier Molina of the Cardinals - carry over from the 2004 teams.

Power-hitting Ortiz and Mike Napoli helped carry the Red Sox past the Detroit Tigers, while extraordinary 22-year-old rookie pitcher Michael Wacha shut down the Los Angeles Dodgers twice for the Cards, who won their pennant in six games.

Both clubs have strong starting rotations, with Boston featuring Jon Lester, John Lackey and Clay Buchholz, while the Cardinals counter with a group led by Adam Wainwright and whiz kid Wacha.

The bullpens of both teams have been formidable with Boston thriving with the late-game efficiency of closer Koji Uehara and set-up men Junichi Tazawa and Craig Breslow.

Uehara, named the American League Championship Series MVP, pitched six scoreless innings in that series, notching one win and three saves.

An uncanny strike thrower with a devastating, diving splitter, Uehara has not walked a batter since early August.

The Cardinals bullpen is loaded with hard-throwing rookies with Trevor Rosenthal serving as the closer, touching 100 mph (162 kph) with his fastball, aided by fellow first-year players Carlos Martinez and Kevin Siegrist.

Boston's attack may be more explosive as demonstrated by the grand slam home runs blasted by Ortiz and Shane Victorino that swung games its way against Detroit, and the homer hit by Napoli that provided the only run in another of its wins.

But St. Louis isn't exactly hurting at the plate. The Cardinals boast a premier postseason hitter of their own in Carlos Beltran, who is making his first World Series appearance of his 17-year career, and help could be on the way with the expected return of slugger Allen Craig.

Craig drove in 97 runs and batted an incredible .454 with runners in scoring position this season before being sidelined in early September by a foot injury but appears ready to serve as designated hitter.

The DH spot is used only in games hosted in the American League park. The lack of the DH role when the series shifts to St. Louis for the middle three games will rob the Red Sox of one of their more productive bats.

Ortiz, Boston's regular designated hitter, is only fit to play first base, the position played by Napoli.

Regardless of the outcome, the World Series winner will be celebrated for bouncing back from major disappointment in 2012.

The Red Sox went from worst to first after a dysfunctional 69-93 season, achieving that feat in unusual fashion by dumping high-priced players and replacing them with veterans who changed the chemistry of the clubhouse.

St. Louis looked poised to return to the World Series last season following a rousing seven-game triumph over Texas in 2011 before squandering a 3-1 lead over San Francisco in the NLCS.

(China Daily 10/23/2013 page23)