We should have seen this coming.

The Cardinals were forced to sit in their plane at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport for about seven hours on Tuesday because of mechanical problems, waiting to take off for Boston. They didn’t arrive there until 11 p.m. The next day, their Game 6 nose dive began with a big hit by the Flyin’ Hawaiian.

And so, today, the city of Boston is flying high after its worst-to-first Red Sox won the World Series with a convincing 6-1 victory. Shane Victorino, who once appeared on an episode of Hawaii Five-O, and became the first Hawaiian-born positional player named to the All-Star team in 2009, banged a three-run double off the Green Monster in the third inning. It was early, but the Cardinals went quietly the rest of the game. The Cardinals arrived in Boston for Game 1 carrying the Spirit of St. Louis. but left after Game 6 looking liked jet-lagged travelers. The night of frustration for the Cardinals was best summed up by a botched rundown in the fifth with the Red Sox leading 6-0. Cardinals pitcher Kevin Siegrist’s throw to first baseman Matt Adams caught Boston base runner Jacoby Ellsbury leaning too far off first base.  Adams chased Ellsbury to second, and tossed the ball to shortstop Daniel Descalso. Ellsbury broke back to first and Descalso threw back to Adams. Adams then ran Ellsbury back to second and threw to Matt Carpenter. The wily Ellsbury saw his chance and sprinted to first, where Siegrist got the ball too late and missed a swipe tag. Catcher Yadier Molina, who should have been at first base by then, was more of a spectator than participant, arriving too late to help. The play was not a determining factor in the game, since the Red Sox were firmly in control, but it was a symbolic moment in showing that the Cardinals had lost their way.

WORLD SERIES NOTES:

* Baseball statistics can be an interesting method to grade teams, but they often don’t tell the real story. The Cardinals batted .224 for the series, the Red Sox hit .211. The difference in this series was that Boston’s David Ortiz ruined the curve. The MVP was the series-changer, going a remarkable 11 for 16 for a .688 average, and reached base on 19 of 25 plate appearances. In one of the most mind-boggling strategies in recent World Series memory, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny insisted on pitching to the one guy who was destroying them through the first five games. Matheny finally got wise in Game 6 by walking Ortiz four times — three intentionally. Of course, even that didn’t work for the reeling Cardinals, as Ortiz ended up scoring two runs.

* The clubs are now all square in World Series wins. The Cardinals won it four games to three in 1946 and 1967, and the Red Sox swept in 2004. Which now raises the question: which team has the best chance to win the World Series in 2014? While much can be made of the low batting averages for this series, welcome to baseball in this era. Championships are won with dominant pitching — not just starters and closers — but with a non-stop parade of almost unhittable relievers. The Giants discovered the formula, and parlayed it into two World Series titles in three years. They shut down offensive machines in every post-season matchup — the Braves, Phillies and Rangers in 2010; and the Reds, Cardinals and Tigers in 2012. The Cardinals might have the edge in their young, promising bullpen. Both teams seem evenly matched offensively. In fact, if Cardinals sluggers Matt Holliday or David Freese had Ortiz’s series, maybe St. Louis wins. Sensational rookie pitcher Michael Wacha finally met failure in Game 6, but the rest of the National League has been put on notice after his late 2013 magic. Still, you can’t ignore the most signifcant numbers: the Red Sox have won three championships in 10 years. The Red Sox Way can’t be denied.

* The Red Sox brought out their secret weapon for the Game 6 national anthem. Dropkick Murphys, whose signature “I’m Shipping Up To Boston” is the unofficial anthem for Boston teams, performed the song in the Game 6 clincher for the Red Sox in the American League Championship Series. The group provided a spirited, upbeat rendition on Wednesday night, but it wasn’t enough to take top honors in my World Series Star Spangled Banner Star Search Reality Show. The distinguished panel of judges carefully weighed the six series anthems, and selected Game 5 performer Harry Connick Jr. as the winner of the coveted Lou Rawls Award. The award was named for Mr. Rawls, who delivered the best anthem I’ve ever heard, back in the 1970s.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Boston Strong. A lot of powerful images come up when you hear those words. There’s the shock and tragedy of the carnage from that devastating day at the Boston Marathon, and the fear in the following days as the wounded city wondered whether more attacks were coming. Those days of darkness where brightened by the stories of heroism of emergency professionals, as well as some ordinary citizens, who ran to the bombing site, not away from it, to help the victims immediately after the explosions. Powerful, incredibly touching moments have come just months later as we saw some of the severely injured battling back. The resiliency of Boston in not giving in to the terror has been inspirational for the country. At times like these, I always wonder if we go too far in tying these tragedies to our sports teams. They say 9/11 united the country, and that resumption of baseball in New York was part of the healing process. Yet the country today seems as divided as ever. After the deadly quake in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1989 that forced a temporary stoppage of the World Series, it was said that the resumption of the games was important to show how the region was recovering.

I was skeptical that a baseball game had those powers. Once the players step onto the field, there is no time for thinking about what it all means. The game requires too much focus for anyone to be contemplating the big picture of baseball’s role in society. So I might have been skeptical when Boston Strong became such a dominant storyline for the Red Sox season. I don’t know if the Boston Marathon attack made the Red Sox play harder or better. But I liked hearing how the club truly had helped lift the community with the respect it showed for all who were affected. The Red Sox paid public tribute by having “Boston Strong” logos placed on the uniform sleeves, erecting a large emblem on the Green Monster and mowing a “B Strong” in the center-field grass. But the tribute I liked best was reading how Red Sox players had privately and quietly visited the hospitals to talk to the victims without anyone knowing it. When David Ortiz was interviewed on the field after the game he held the trophy high and told the crowd, “This is for you Boston. You guys deserve it. We’ve been a through a lot this year and this is for all of you and all those families who struggled.”

Now millions will gather in Boston to celebrate. It will be a great baseball party. But it will also be a day of symbolism — a day when the citizens of Boston officially and spiritually took back their streets.

If the Cardinals win the 2013 World Series, they will have gone 3-1 at Fenway Park and 1-2 at Busch Stadium. Is there a script writer who could present that scenario to a Hollywood studio and not be laughed out of town? Playing before their passionate fans in Busch Stadium Monday night, the Cardinals were not up for the challenge in the battle of aces, losing 3-1 in Game 5 to give Boston two chances at home to clinch the title. Red Sox ace John Lester has allowed one run in 15-1/3 innings in the series and is 2-0. The Cardinals Adam Wainwright has a 4.50 ERA and is 0-2. To be fair, Wainwright was more effective in Game 5 than Game 1, even striking out seven of the first nine batters, and finishing with 10 Ks overall. But it was his aggressive, macho approach to all-world David Ortiz that doomed him. During a tense Dodgers-Giants pennant race in 2004, the Dodgers decided they were not going to let the man with the biggest bat beat them. In the last six games between the clubs, Barry Bonds had only 10 official bats, and was walked 14 times. The strategy worked, as the Dodgers edged the Giants to win the NL West. In this series, Ortiz is batting a ridiculous .733, going 11 for 15 with two homers, two doubles and six RBIs. Ortiz came up in the first inning with Dustin Pedroia on second after a double, but Wainwright went right after Ortiz. The result: a 1-0 deficit as Ortiz doubled. Afterward, Wainwright said, “That was my call before the game. I said I’m not pitching around Ortiz today.” My call? Shouldn’t manager Mike Matheny be the decision-maker on what has become one of the biggest keys in this World Series? Ortiz finished the night going 3 for 4. The Boston Red Sox turnaround from a ninth-place team in 1966 to a pennant winner in 1967 became known as the impossible dream. The Cardinals ended that dream by defeating them in seven games in the World Series. The business plan of stubbornly pitching to Ortiz, and the daunting task of dominating the Red Sox at Fenway in this World Series now appears to be an impossible dream for the Cardinals.

WORLD SERIES NOTES:

* Putting aside the Ortiz non-strategy, the Cardinals are dead if they can’t pick up the offense. St. Louis is batting .218 with 13 runs in five games. They struck out nine times in Game 5. Matt Carpenter, who they rely on as an offensive spark, is hitting .227. Of course, the Red Sox as a team aren’t doing any better, batting just .205. But, Ortiz’s bat makes a comparison of those statistics irrelevant as he hammers away at Cardinals pitching.

* Could a player on the losing side be named MVP of this World Series? Even if the Cardinals rally to win Games 6 and 7, they would need someone to break out to overtake Ortiz, especially if the Red Sox DH continues to put up such gaudy numbers. Maybe someone like a Matt Holliday could hit three homers in two days to grab the headlines away from Ortiz and give MVP voters a Cardinal option. Ortiz could face one other threat from within even if the Red Sox win if his bat cooled and Lester pitched and won Game 7.

*  Harry Connick Jr., a veteran singer of the national anthem on the big stage, didn’t disappoint with his Game 5 performance. My distinguished panel of judges will officially determine the winner in the Star Spangled Banner Star Search Reality Show, but I can only imagine how fellow contestants Mary Blige, James Taylor, Colbie Collait and Rascal Flatts are feeling after hearing Connick’s smooth delivery.

* Red Sox fans have been waiting quite a while to watch their team win a World Series at Fenway Park. In fact, the date was Sept. 11, 1918, as the Red Sox defeated the Chicago Cubs 2-1 in Game 7 before the home crowd. The season had been cut short at about 130 games as the country turned its attention to getting ready for war, resulting in the early September series schedule. Weak hitting also was part of the 1918 series. The Red Sox were outscored 10 to 9, and batted just .186 to the Cubs .210. Babe Ruth starred for the Red Sox, winning Games 1 and 4 as he threw 16 consecutive scoreless innings until the Cubs finally got to him for two runs in the eighth inning of his second outing. Ruth, primarily a pitcher at this point, helped his own cause with an RBI triple in a 3-2 win in Game 4. Maybe they should have walked him.

As if Giants spiritual leader Hunter Pence didn’t get enough air time in the Giants post-season run of 2012, there he was again getting his name brought up in Game 4 of the 2013 World Series. Pence became known nationally for both  his pre-game pep talk in the division series against Cincinnati when the Giants were a game away from elimination, and his subsequent dugout rah-rah sessions. What gets lost in the story is that Pence’s initial pep talk didn’t exactly inspire the offense. The Giants struck out 16 times in 10 innings, and it took a key error to help them pull out a 2-1 win. On Sunday night, in the Red Sox 4-2 victory to even the series at 2-2, it was David Ortiz who became the inspirational leader. After Ortiz doubled in the sixth with the Red Sox trailing 1-0, he hollered at his teammates in the dugout to get going. Ortiz took matters in his own hands, eventually scoring on a sacrifice fly, his legs chugging down the third base line. Ortiz continued his rallying cry In the top of the sixth, doing his best Hunter Pence impression as he gave a verbal push to the players gathered around him in the dugout. Maybe Pence should take note. While Pence’s original speech failed to awaken the Giants bats, Big Papi’s pep talk got instant results as Jonny Gomes drilled a game-deciding three-run homer moments later. Ortiz brought much credibility to his words through his play in the first four games, where is 8 for 11.

WORLD SERIES NOTES:

* Pitchers and catchers don’t report until about 110 days from now, but both World Series managers already have some fundamentals heading their list when spring training drills get under way. John Farrell of the Red Sox will no doubt have his troops working on what has apparently become one of the most difficult plays in baseball — the throw from home plate to third. Boston has produced a how-not-to-do-it video that must be kept out of the hands of all little leaguers seeking professional guidance. Mike Matheny of the Cardinals is certain to have his players assemble around first base where they will be lectured on the art of taking a lead. Matheny’s tutorial became necessary Sunday night when pinch-runner Kolten Wong got picked off to end the game. Wong’s inexplicable gaffe came a day after the obstruction call, the first time series games ever ended on such plays. Two things made the pickoff hard to understand. First, with the Cardinals down 4-2 and home run threat Carlos Beltran up, there was nothing required of Wong other than a safe lead. Two, how could he possibly be caught leaning to second base, since he certainly wasn’t going to stealing? Afterward, there was much excuse-making over Wong’s debacle. I was waiting for someone to say he lost the first base bag in the lights. Don’t they teach base-running 101 as part of the Cardinal Way?

* Ortiz glove watch: The Red Sox have not been burned by putting the DH slugger at first base for Games 3 and 4. All but one of the plays involving Ortiz have been routine, and even that was marginal. Shortstop Xavier Bogaerts threw off line to first after fielding a grounder and Ortiz couldn’t grab it. The play was a questionable base hit, but it didn’t cost the Red Sox in any event.

* If the Cardinals lose the World Series, the blame might come down to the first four innings of Game 4 and their inability to pounce on a vulnerable Clay Buchholz. A right shoulder injury drastically altered the effectiveness of Buchholz, who was 12-1 with a 1.74 ERA when healthy in the regular season. He velocity was down, and the Cardinals had two men on base in every inning but the first, yet they could only score one run against him before Buchholz was removed after four frames.

* I keep watching replays of the sacrifice fly that scored Ortiz, and I can’t shake the opinion that catcher Yadier Molina didn’t handle the play properly. The throw from Matt Holliday beat Ortiz, but Molina seemed to be too far in front of the plate. The angle of the throw down the left-field line forced Molina to step out to the left of home, but he might have gotten himself in a bad position to cleanly field the ball. While Ortiz was a menacing figure heading to home plate, it was taking him time to get there, giving Molina an opportunity to better locate himself.

* Unless you are a Cardinals fan, it was good news that the Red Sox took Game 4 to assure that the World Series will go back to Boston. This is a good, entertaining matchup with good ball players, and while some of the play has been erratic, the series is on track to have some memorable drama at Fenway.

* The distinguished panel of judges in the Star Spangled Banner Star Search Reality Show are still considering the Game 4 performance of Rascal Flatts. The talented trio did fine, but when it comes to groups, I’m spoiled by the national anthem rendition of Huey Lewis and the News. None of the four performers so far have run away with the competition, leaving the Lou Rawls Award for best World Series anthem up for grabs for the Game 5 and 6 contestants (Game 7 if necessary).

* In the office pool, I’ve got Game 5 ending on a catcher’s interference. Other choices for final play of game: a balk; Cardinal runner gets feet tangled in a beard; fan interference on ball hit down line; a triple play; batted ball hits runner; and a “Canseco homer” (ball bounces off outfielder’s head and goes over fence. Hope Game 5 doesn’t end on a pop up or strikeout. Boring!!!

Since Cy Young and the Boston Pilgrims met Honus Wagner and the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first World Series in 1903, there had never been a finish to a Fall Classic game quite like Game 3 of the 2013 version. But that doesn’t mean there haven’t been some quirky endings.

The Philadelphia Athletics defeated the New York Giants four games to two in the 1911 World Series, but the odd moment came in Game 5 when Larry Doyle scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly in the 10th for a 4-3 victory. Umpire Bill Klem said he never touched home, but the Athletics didn’t appeal, so the run stood. If only there was instant replay in 1911.

Game 3 of the 1914 World Series between the Boston Braves and Philadelphia Athletics ended with a dramatic 5-4 Boston victory in the 12th. Herbie Moran bunted back to pitcher Joe Bush with runners on first and second, but Bush’s wild throw to third (sound familiar?) allowed the winning run to score. Maybe Bush was just exhausted. It was the first-ever three-hour-plus post-season game, lasting 3:06. The Braves swept the series.

The St. Louis Cardinals and New York Yankees were tied three games apiece, and game seven had come down to the bottom of the 9th with New York batting and St. Louis leading 3-2. Babe Ruth was at first after drawing a walk from 39-year-old Grover Cleveland Alexander, who was pitching in relief after having already thrown two complete games. Ruth tried to steal second, but Cardinals catcher Bob O’Farrell gunned him down to give the series to St. Louis.

The 1927 New York Yankees are known for their lumber, but they didn’t need to even take a swing to win Game 4 and sweep the Pittsburgh Pirates. With the scored tied 3-3 in the last of the ninth, Pirates reliever Johnny Miljus uncorked a wild pitch while facing Tony Lazzeri with the bases loaded, allowing Earle Combs to streak home with the World Series winning run.

The phantom sacrifice fly, the wild throw, the caught stealing and the wild pitch were odd walk-off moments in those early years of the World Series, but the Cardinals and Red Sox topped them all Saturday night as St. Louis took a 2-1 series lead with a 5-4 win in Game 3.

To recap: Yadier Molina singled off Brandon Workman with one out in the ninth and the score tied  4-4. The Red Sox brought in Koji Uehara to face pinch hitter Allen Craig. Craig lined the first pitch to left for a double, setting up runners at second and third. John Jay, facing a drawn-in infield, hit a sharp grounder that was snared by second baseman Dustin Pedroia. Molina, thinking the ball was going through, was easily thrown out at the plate after he broke for home as catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia made the tag. Craig dashed to third, and Saltalamacchia’s throw was wild, forcing third baseman Will Middlebrook to lunge for the ball. With the ball rolling down the left-field line, Craig tried to take off for home, but got tripped up by Middlebrook’s raised legs. Third base umpire James Joyce ruled obstruction, a violation clearly spelled out in the rule book, allowing Craig to come home with the winning run.

WORLD SERIES NOTES:

* The bizarre ending was redemption for Joyce and home plate umpire Dana DeMuth. Joyce has been forever haunted by a call he admits was wrong in 2010 that denied a perfect game to Detroit’s Armando Galarraga. DeMuth badly missed a call at second in Game 2 that had to be reversed after a huddle by his fellow umpires. After all the second-guessing and criticism umpires get these days as TV replays become more sophisticated, Joyce and DeMuth were at the top of their game on baseball’s biggest stage. Joyce saw the obstruction, and DeMuth alertly picked up the call as Craig slid home. Demuth made no call on the close play at the plate, but immediately signaled that Craig was automatically safe because of Joyce’s call. There would be no need for the umpires to huddle. They nailed the call in the spur of a wild, pressure-filled moment.

* The professionalism of Joyce and Demuth was a contrast to the unprofessional and embarrassing reaction of others. Famed baseball pundit  Lil Wayne tweeted “How can u make a call like that in the World Series.”  Lil Wayne, I suggest u stick to rapping. While it’s understandable that celebrities and most baseball fans are unfamiliar with Rule 2.00 and 7.06, which clearly covers obstruction, how could players and managers not be up to speed with rules for their own game? Carlos Beltran said 75 percent of the players didn’t know what happened. Middlebrook, who all but put one of those figure-four leg lock wrestling holds on Craig, was puzzled why they called him safe. Red Sox manager John Farrell, who should know better, came out to argue. But the worst reaction came from Red Sox pitcher Jake Peavy, who called it a joke. Some Boston fans might have been using that word after Peavy put his club down 2-0 in the first inning. He was coming off an outing in the ALCS where he gave up seven runs in three innings. Peavy entered Saturday’s game 0-3 with a 10.31 ERA in four post-season starts. Peavy won the Cy Young Award in 2007, so you’d think he would be able to recognize and appreciated the kind of baseball excellence Joyce and DeMuth exhibited.

* Get ready for more crazed endings to baseball games. When the broader replay system takes effect, we can count on confusing endings as everyone is put on hold on a final dramatic play while the league and umpires review a play. One can see a walk-off, World Series winning double down the line overturned as a foul ball, sending emotions of players and fans into a frenzy. Can’t wait to see what Lil Wayne and Big Jake have to say about that.

* Somehow, Farrell found a way to keep slugger Mike Napoli out of a game his team lost 5-4. Napoli was forced to sit because red-hot David Ortiz had to play first base because there is no designated hitter in the NL park. What happened? The DH removes some of the game management and strategizing skills, so an AL manager like Farrell isn’t as savvy about how to juggle the roster as one of his NL counterparts.

* We have now heard from three contestants in the competition for the coveted Lou Rawls Award, which will be presented to the best anthem singer of the World Series. Colbie Caillat appeared to put herself in the running Saturday night, at least by my untrained ear, but the real test will be how she fared with the distinguished panel of judges who will decide the winner of the Star Spangled Banner Star Search Reality Show.

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I fondly remember Sport Magazine growing up. I couldn’t wait until the next edition of the monthly publication came out and I’d read it cover to cover. I still recall an article in the 1960s titled “World Series Pressure is Unbearable,” based on the thoughts of Yogi Berra, who played in 14 Fall Classics and won 10 of them. The title might have been a rarity: a Yogi quote that made perfect sense. The Cardinals gave credibility to that theme in Game One with a defensive meltdown that opened the door to the Red Sox batters to score an early knockout. In Game Two, it was the Red Sox who cracked as the Cardinals took advantage for a 4-2 win to even the World Series as the teams headed for St. Louis. Game Two came down to who handled the pressure and who didn’t. The Cardinals youthful pitching trio of starter Michael Wacha, and relievers Carlos Martinez and Trevor Rosenthal — none older than 23 — handled it well. They held the Red Sox to two runs and four hits and struck out 12. Wacha made only one mistake, a changeup to David Ortiz that just came down on the other side of the Green Monster. But you can’t blame that serving on pressure. Wacha entered the game having allowed one run in 29-2/3 innings in his last four starts.

Like any good team should do, the Cardinals put the pressure on the Red Sox. Trailing 2-1 in the seventh, and with runners at first and second, the Cardinals pulled off a double steal. It was a sneak attack. The Cardinals were last in the National League in stolen bases with 45, and it was obvious that neither Red Sox pitcher Craig Breslow or catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia were ready for the base path surprise. The Red Sox meltdown came one batter later and again featured the Boston battery. After Daniel Descalso walked to load the bases, Matt Carpenter lofted a fly to Jonny Gomes in left. Then the pressure took hold. The throw was to the first base side of home and the runner on third, David Freese, was going to score easily. But Saltalamacchia still thought he could snag the ball, spin around to the plate and make a sweep tag. There was never a chance that could happen. The ball got away from Saltalamacchia, and John Jay, who was on second, dashed for third. Breslow, who was backing up the play behind home, then tried to nail Jay. But he never had a chance either. His direct path to third was slightly blocked by Saltalamacchia and the umpire, so he had to move around them before making the throw. The correct play was to eat the ball and keep the game tied at 2-2. Breslow tried to do too much and his wild throw to third turned into a World Series souvenir for a paying customer down the left field line. If you’re scoring at home, that’s 7 to 2 to 1 to fan. Suddenly it was 3-2, and the hurting Carlos Beltran added to the Red Sox pain by singling home Carpenter for the 4-2 lead.

WORLD SERIES NOTES:

* The Cardinals have home-field advantage for the next three games, not only because they are playing in the friendly confines of Busch Stadium, but because the DH disappears. My stand on the designated hitter has never been built on simple opposition to the concept, although I still prefer the game without it. I just don’t understand how baseball allowed a situation where the two leagues play by dramatically different rules. This is has become an even bigger gaffe because interleague play is now a daily part of the regular season schedule. The Red Sox have two choices for games three-four-five. Keep DH Ortiz’s lethal bat in the game and compromise the defense by playing him at first base or use Ortiz as a pinch-hitter and keep Mike Napoli at first to maintain the defense. Either way, the Red Sox lose offense by having to sit Ortiz or Napoli. Ortiz has five home runs in the post season, so manager John Farrell really has no choice, but this is the kind of series where defense has determined the first two games.

* Closer Trevor Rosenthal’s ninth inning: 11 pitches, three strikeouts, with the final strikes coming on pitches of 98, 98 and 99 mph.

* Too much information department: Red Sox starter Jon Lester sweats. A lot. That’s what we learned in between games one and two. A Cardinals minor league pitcher posted a screen shot on Twitter showing a green coloring on the glove of Lester from Game One, when he threw 7-2/3 scoreless innings. The implication was that Lester was using some unauthorized substance on the ball. Lester explained it was rosin, which he needs to keep a firm grip on the ball because he sweats profusely. Any reporter knows you need a second source for any story, so the journalists covering the World Series were able to fulfill their Woodward-and-Bernstein obligation by checking with manager Farrell, who confirmed, “He sweats like a pig.” MLB didn’t seem in any hurry to check out Lester’s claim, and can you blame them?

* In my Star-Spangled Banner Star Search Reality Show, which will determine the best anthem singer of the World Series, it was the great James Taylor’s turn at the mic. I told my panel of distinguished judges that I love James Taylor, but they couldn’t ignore the fact that Taylor got mixed up and started singing “America the Beautiful.” They noted it was the earliest anyone ever screwed up the words to the anthem, but I wrote it off as World Series pressure. Taylor went on to produce a wonderful low-key anthem accompanied by his guitar, besting Mary Blige’s rather frenetic performance in Game One. Serious note: Taylor did sing “America the Beautiful” in the seventh inning break in a poignant salute to victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. Taylor was perfect in bringing dignity to that moving moment.

* Best part about Game Two: Everybody, including me, got through the night with hardly a reference to the Cardinals Way or Boston Beards. We don’t need that to hype this matchup. These are good teams, and the potential of a dramatic Game Seven seems realistic. Anything can happen. Or as Yogi might say, “It ain’t over till the Big Papi swings.”

Game Seven, if necessary, is scheduled for Halloween. Even If that happens, it is guaranteed that no night will be spookier for the Cardinals than what happened in Game One of the World Series.

Bad omens were everywhere.

When Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright ran out onto the field to take the mound in the first inning of Game One of the World Series, he bumped his head on the ceiling of the dugout. How did this happen? Maybe Wainwright was transfixed on the Green Monster and all the terrible things that Red Sox batters could do with it. Or perhaps he looked over to the Red Sox bench and got distracted, wondering who were all those guys with beards. Maybe the blame falls on the Cardinals advanced scouts, who failed to provide Wainwright with the proper dimensions for the dugout.

Wainwright, pitching as if he was in a daze from the head blow, walked leadoff hitter Jacoby Ellsbury and allowed a single to Dustin Pedroia. David Ortiz hit a slow grounder to second baseman Matt Carpenter, who tried to start a possible double play with a throw to shortstop Pete Kozma. The ball glanced off Kozma’s glove, but the Cardinals got an apparent colossal break when umpire Dana DeMuth ruled Kozma held the ball long enough for the force. Boston manager John Farrell stormed out of the dugout, ready to curse everybody but the Bambino over the terrible call. The other five umps, having seen the injustice, overturned DeMuth’s blunder and the bases were loaded. That brought Cardinals manager Mike Matheny onto the field to try to make a case where there wasn’t one. All he did was further ice Wainwright, who had to now wait through two arguments and an umpires’ round table discussion. Mike Napoli then crushed a three-run a double to left center.

In the ninth inning of Game Seven of the 2012 NLCS between the Cardinals and Giants, there was a memorable shot of San Francisco second baseman Marco Scutaro looking skyward and smiling as the rain pounded down. The Giants were on the verge of completing a comeback from a 3-1 game deficit to ruin the Cardinals World Series dream. Matt Holliday then lifted a soaring popup to the right side, Scutaro looked to the heavens again and the ball came down in his mitt for a pennant-clinching catch. In the second inning Wednesday, Stephen Drew popped one up and Wainwright looked up and  raised his arms in a motion that said “I’ve got it!” Catcher Yadier Molina, displaying unusual speed, bolted from behind the plate in a direct dash toward Wainwright, as if he was a defensive back intent on blasting a receiver as the ball arrived. Wainwright didn’t just hear footsteps. Wainwright heard Big Foot coming. He took his eyes off the ball to see the charging Molina, and the ball fell untouched between them.

The haunting Wainwright-Molina fiasco led to the Red Sox loading the bases for Ortiz. Big Papi then delivered a big blast to right center. Carlos Beltran made a sensational catch, slamming into the wall to rob Ortiz of a grand slam, but the collision bruised his ribs and forced him to leave the game. Beltran waited 16 years, 2,064 regular-season games and 40 post-season games to reach the World Series. After three innings, he was on the way to the hospital for x-rays. That sealed it: there would be not treats, just tricks for the Cardinals in Game One.

WORLD SERIES NOTES:

* Red Sox starter John Lester was superb, shutting out the Cardinals in his 7-2/3 innings. An interesting post-game stat reported by the Associated Press said that Lester “became the  third pitcher with scoreless outings in his first two World Series starts, joining Christy Mathewson of the New York Giants in 1905 and Madison Bumgarner of the San Francisco Giants in 2010 and 2012.” Whoa. Let’s dig a little deeper before we put the impressive Lester in the same sentence with the immortal Mathewson. After going 32-8 with a 1.27 ERA during the 1905 season, Mathewson threw three complete-game shutouts in six days in the World Series against the Philadelphia Athletics, allowing just 14 hits and one walk while striking out 18.

* I had to review my copy of the unwritten rules of baseball to see if the Red Sox violated the code of conduct in the ninth inning. After the Cardinals David Freese drilled a single to right with two outs in the 8-1 game, right fielder Shane Victorino came up firing to try to get him at first base. That would have been an embarrassing way for the game to end, and raises the question of whether Victorino’s throw was at least on the edge of bad sportsmanship.

* Mary J. Blige is very talented, but I don’t think she hit one out of the park when she belted out her rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner. Like a lot of anthem performers, she just tried to hard to put something extra on it and it fell short. I’ll be doing my own Star-Spangled Banner Star Search Reality Show for the series, with my panel of distinguished judges eventually ranking each performance, and selecting the lucky winner. Note to contestants: The smooth, legendary Lou Rawls set my standard for anthem superiority with his version at a 49ers Monday Night game in the 1970s. Didn’t mess around with the song, but soulfully and powerfully nailed it. Maybe I’ll give the winner the coveted Lou Rawls Anthem Award.

* So now it’s up to rookie sensation Michael Wacha to help St. Louis relocate the Cardinals Way in Game Two. The key to his getting off to a good start? Remember to duck. Meanwhile in Boston, the witches are buzzing Fenway on their brooms, as the Red Sox Nation is already thinking sweep.

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I don’t have a dog in this hunt for October glory, so I’m looking forward to good baseball by two good baseball clubs when the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox meet in the 2013 World Series starting Wednesday. But if pressed to take a side, I’d have to admit that I’ve always been more partial to the Cardinals. Blame Stan Musial. In 1960, when I was nine years old, my family flew to St. Louis to visit relatives. Unfortunately, it was the off season, so we couldn’t take in any Cardinal games. But we did get to Stan Musial’s restaurant for dinner. I was already well aware of the greatness of this ballplayer, right up to being able to mimic his trademark batting stance. My Dad, Mom and sister were at our table, and my Dad asked the waitress if they had any autographed pictures of Stan, and told her that while we were Giants fans, we were admirers of Mr. Musial. The waitress said she’d check, and then came back a couple of minutes later to ask if we’d like to meet Stan. My Dad and I were both in shock, and we followed the waitress to the back of the restaurant. She led us into an office and there stood Stan Musial with his hand extended to my Dad’s. I was a Catholic kid, and I had never met the pope, but I was thinking it couldn’t be any better than this. Stan shook our hands, said he was glad we stopped by, and signed a photo of him in his Cardinals uniform right before our eyes. I still have that picture proudly displayed on the top shelf of my sports memorabilia book shelf. I’ve often told that story to friends and strangers, and noted how Stan was the role model for all athletes. He could have easily told our waitress he wasn’t there, or maybe just given her a generic signed photo to present. We never would have known. On January 19, 2013, I heard of the passing of Mr. Musial. I went over to the book shelf, and reverently brought Mr. Musial’s photo to the front and center of other items, and paused to reflect that there was a reason they just didn’t call him Stan the Ballplayer. He truly was Stan The Man.

OTHER WORLD SERIES THOUGHTS:

* The St. Louis Cardinals, having topped the Dodgers, got ready to face the Boston Red Sox. That was the scenario in 1946, after the Cardinals and Brooklyn Dodgers tied in the regular season with 96-58 records. The teams then met in the first-ever best two-of-three-game playoff to determine the league champion. The Cardinals won the opener 4-2 at Sportsman Park in St. Louis as they knocked out Dodgers starter Ralph Branca in the third inning. St. Louis finished off the Dodgers the next day with an 8-4 win at Ebbets Field. The Dodgers would  be involved in the next three-game National League playoff five years later in 1951 against the New York Giants. The Dodgers would again fall, and Branca again would be the victim. The Cardinals went on to defeat the Red Sox in the World Series, rallying from a 3-2 game deficit to win the title in seven. The Cardinals got the best of the Red Sox again when they next met in the World Series in 1967, winning in seven games largely because of the pitching of St. Louis starter Bob Gibson (3 complete games, 3 runs in 27 innings, 26 strikeouts). The Red Sox finally turned the tables when the clubs squared off in the 2004 World Series, with Boston sweeping the Cardinals.

* I can’t wait for Wednesday’s first pitch. Then perhaps the press can stop talking about The Cardinals Way and we can focus on what actually happens on the field. I’m hip to the idea, and the fact that it became the storyline in the NLCS against the Dodgers. While the Cardinals in effect stole a page out of the Pirates of 1979 with a “We Are Family” theme, the Dodgers were singing “We Are a Dysfunctional Family.” First, this disclaimer: What the Cardinals organization is doing is successful and impressive. There is no argument there. But those who keep pounding this theme home should realize that this is a very worn theme. When Bill Neukom took over ownership of the Giants in 2008, he talked about “The Giants Way.” A year later, the Giants were champs, and two years later, they were champs again. The Giants hammered home the point of “25 guys playing as one” to the point of irritation to everyone in baseball except the all-in Giants fans in 2012. Through the years, I recall nearly every champagne-soaked player and coach ever interviewed after a World Series title credit teamwork, character and how everyone contributed. So, good for Cardinals that your team has all these things, but can we just stop talking and play ball already?

* Boston has the home-field advantage, and the club’s players didn’t have much to do with it. The American League blanked the National League 3-0 in the All-Star Game, thereby giving the Red Sox four home games if the Series goes seven. Boston can thank the 10 American League pitchers who shut down the NL. Not one Red Sox pitcher was among them.

* While St. Louis stays united by doing things The Cardinal Way, the Red Sox bond through their beards. The look might not be very appealing, but you can’t argue with the results. The Red Sox went from a team in disarray with a 93-loss, last-place finish in 2012 to a 97-victory pennant-winning year in 2013. Credit new manager John Farrell and a roster shake-up. But don’t forget to credit the beards, which experts in beard-ology say build camaraderie and friendship.  I’m not sure if I’m buying that. I have close male friends, and I can’t imagine how we’d just get all tighter if we grew beards together. It actually seems kind of creepy. Regardless, the beards are joining The Cardinals Way as something we’re going to have to get used to for the next week or two. The one advantage I see in the forest-like facial hair is that it gives the Red Sox a unique way to pull off the hidden ball trick. Also, has this rule book issue come up this season for Boston? If a high and tight pitch brushes a beard, is that a hit by pitch?

* This argument was lost long ago, but why not have World Series games played during the day? I’m not naïve. I understand MLB’s three-word answer: Money, Money, Money. Boston will have highs in the low 50s and lows in the mid 30s this week. St. Louis expects highs ranging from 58 to 65 and lows from 37 to 43 Saturday through Monday. Which means that the day-time temperatures seem comfortable for baseball and the evening temperatures seem fitting for a Packers home game on the frozen tundra. It’s not as if fans are going to miss the game if it’s played during the afternoon. Most folks could record it, and through the Internet and mobile devices, can pretty much track the game as it is happening. As for time zones, the West Coast always gets a break because the games start around 5 p.m. But in these days of 3-1/2 to 4-hour World Series games, East Coast fans have to struggle to stay up to midnight to watch. And besides, by not playing on weekday afternoons, they’re taking all the fun out of it for kids, who’ll never get the chance to learn the skill of checking for the score on the transistor radio while teachers write on chalk board with their back turned to the class. Of course, I understand that today’s kid would respond: Transistor what?

* Las Vegas odds makers like the Red Sox. An MLB.com analysis ranked the Red Sox ahead in eight of 13 matchup categories. This Series seems so evenly matched that a prediction is not more than playing a hunch or guesswork. My only thought is the Cardinals bullpen is stronger than Detroit’s, and is less lilkely to surrender the big inning. Yet, the Red Sox bench appears stronger than that of the Cardinals. So my game-within-the game focus is going to be on Cardinals relievers vs. Red Sox pinch-hitters or late inning subs. One thing appears certain: the Cardinals can’t go into the ninth trailing. Red Sox closer Koji Uehara is untouchable, even more intimidating than the 100-mph fastball of impressive Cardinal closer Trevor Rosenthal.

* On April 15, 2013, Boston and the nation were shocked by the horrific bombing at the Boston Marathon. It was hard not to root for Boston after that, not just from a baseball sense, but as a way to rally around its people, who responded to the tragedy with strength and determination that the attack would not change life in the great city. I would imagine that the equally good folks of St. Louis, after cheering as passionately as they can for their team during the World Series, might be inclined to applaud the Red Sox if Boston won it. That kind of reaction would be OK. I know that Stan the Man would understand.

It turns out that Peter, Paul & Mary were right in their wonderful song, “Right Field.” It’s important, you know. There were many story lines in the way the Cardinals embarrassed the Dodgers 9-0 to win the 2013 National League Championship Series. Rookie Michael Wacha, making just his 12th major league start, extended his scoreless streak in the series to 13-2/3 innings, defeated probable Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw and was named NLCS MVP. Matt Carpenter set the tone for the Cardinals with a stubborn 11-pitch at bat in the third inning that ended with a double to right. Kershaw ended up throwing 48 pitches in the frame, which ended with a 4-0 Cardinal lead. The Cardinals played flawless ball, and it was eerie that they won by the same score that they lost by when the Giants eliminated them in game 7 last year. But there is no better way to fully appreciate the Cardinals superiority and the Dodgers futility than to examine the contrasting games of right fielders Carlos Beltran of the Cardinals and Yasiel Puig of the Dodgers.

The 36-year-old eight-time All-Star Beltran, playing in his fourth league championship series and his 2,109th career game, now has 37 RBI and 44 runs in 45 post-season games. Everything he does on the field is smart and smooth despite limitations from reconstructed knees — his swing, defense and base-running acumen are an instructional video. Beltran finished Friday’s clincher with three hits, including a single that drove in Carpenter for the first run. During one of the first few games of Beltran’s short stint with the Giants he came in hard on a soft sinking liner to right. As he dove, a knee brace dug into the grass, and it looked for a second as though he could have been seriously injured. Thus, it was perhaps the most stunning moment of the series when Beltran went all-out in right-center  field to snare a drive by Juan Uribe, and then crashed to the ground with a jarring slide on his stomach as his momentum took him off his feet.

Puig’s day may very well come. There seems to be too much talent for him not to some day be talked about with the respect that is bestowed on his fellow right fielder. But that day is going to have to wait. Puig’s biggest game in his young pro career was a disaster. He made two errors and struck out twice. He twice tried to throw runners out at the plate that he didn’t really have a shot at, allowing the batter to take an extra base. One of the throws almost landed in the seats near the Cardinals dugout. But one really can’t pin the Dodger debacle on Puig. Kershaw couldn’t survive a five-run fifth, giving up seven runs and 10 hits. Dodgers leadoff hitter Carl Crawford opened the game with a single, but was quickly wiped out when Mark Ellis hit into a double play. A.J. Ellis doubled to start the sixth, but was left stranded. The performance was so uninspiring that you can imagine that many fans watching in Los Angeles switched over to the Disney Channel.

The contrast between the clubs goes beyond the right fielders. The Cardinals had game, the Dodgers had glitz. The Cardinals played with their heads down, the Dodgers said look at me. The Cardinals were old school, the Dodgers were stay after school. The sideshow of Mickey Mouse ears, a bizarre lineup intro by comedian Will Ferrell at Hollywood Stadium, er, make that Dodger Stadium, and the bat-flipping Dodgers got more attention than they deserve because the series didn’t quite live up to the hype. And the weirdest moment of all the extra-curricular activities came after the game six anthem, when Cardinals pitcher Joe Kelly got into a stare-down standoff with Dodgers reserve Scott Van Slyke. The background story is that Kelly by tradition is the last player to stand at attention for the anthem. The Dodgers decided to challenge that by having Van Slyke wait him out. The astonished plate umpire, Greg Gibson, had to send both bad boys to their dugouts so the game could start. Van Slyke claimed victory, saying Kelly moved first. Van Slyke explained his actions by saying ” it was something fun to start the game off.”

It was the only fun of the night for the Dodgers.

In 2004, members of the Los Angeles Dodgers came on the field to congratulate the Cardinals players after losing to St. Louis in the National League Division Series. I’ve got a hunch that such a display of sportsmanship won’t be happening from either side in 2013. Wuz up with these Dodgers? Alright, they won game five 6-4 with a four-home run barrage to send the series to St. Louis. Give them credit. I certainly wasn’t ready to see this series that seemed to have so much potential end quietly in five. And after witnessing some more strange Dodger behavior, I’m wondering if just one hard slide or one up and in fastball might trigger an all-out brawl. Adrian Gonzalez always seemed like a classy ballplayer to me, who seemed to go about his business with a lethal swing and a humble, full respect for the game. So I was surprised when he went into the hand gesture thing Tuesday that prompted Cardinal pitcher Adam Wainwright to refer to this as “Mickey Mouse” stuff. Gonzalez wasn’t through, and after whacking a homer in the third inning Wednesday afternoon, he wagged his “Mickey Mouse: ears with another hand gesture on his way to the dugout. If this was the NFL, Gonzalez would get 15 yards for taunting.  Too bad the Cardinals can’t activate former great Bob Gibson to pitch to Gonzalez in game six. I’ve got a feeling that Mickey would end up with an ear ache from one of the no-nonsense Gibson heaters. Confidential note to Don Mattingly: If you are considering using Gonzalez to mentor Yasiel Puig on acting like a professional, you might want to search for another role model

Game 5 notes:

* Speaking of Mattingly, it appears the normally reserved Dodger skipper is surprisingly ready to join Gonzalez and Puig in the act now-think later category. After game five, Mattingly actually said this. “I think if you look at it now we’ve kind of become America’s team, because everyone wants to see a seventh game. Even the fans in St. Louis would like to see a seventh game.” Huh? So the Dodgers have now been anointed by Mattingly as America’s Team. Just to toss in some history here, Bob Ryan of ESPN is credited with designating the Dallas Cowboys as America’s Team while putting together a highlight show in 1978 after seeing people in every stadium wearing Cowboys gear. The name stuck when the CBS announcer used the phrase in a national 1979 Cowboys-St. Louis game. The Atlanta Braves are the only baseball club to try to assume the special title when they used it in 1987 as a marketing tool for their nationally televised games on WTBS. In polls, NFL Super Bowl winners Steelers, Packers and Patriots have all been recommended as America’s Team because of their dominant reigns. Dear Don: The Dodgers haven’t won a World Series title since 1988. Every other team in the West has done so since then. First become the National League’s Team, then let America decide.

* With Magic in the stands and Houdini on the mound, it should not be a surprise that the Dodgers made two Cardinals rallies disappear just like that. Zack Greinke loaded the bases with no outs in the first before dodging disaster with a strike out and a Yadier Molina double play. More trouble was ahead in the third after the Cardinals tied it, but further damage was avoided when the slow-footed Molina repeated his double play grounder. Greinke and Brian Wilson then combined to retire 16 in a row.

* Puig continues to make his presence known even when he is not a major contributor. His very relaxed move toward the ball after lost a fly even had teammates taking notice, and his stare downs with umpires over called strikes are wearing thin.

* A beach ball landed on the field in the seventh. A salute to the original Brian Wilson?

* The Dodgers enter Saturday’s game six with confidence and Kershaw, and an indication that their bats are starting to wake up. Gonzalez, despite his curious sideshow, could be the series-changer with his big-time bat. The homers by Carl Crawford and A.J. Ellis mean that Dodgers throughout the lineup are ready to contribute. And Puig still remains that electrifying presence who can influence a game with one at bat. The storyline of whether the Cardinals will blow another 3-1 series lead is valid, but once the game begins, it’s doubtful that enters any player’s mind. The most important Cardinal on the field Saturday will be rookie starter Michael Wacha, who wasn’t there in 2012. The kid’s biggest obstacle might be to not think about the fact that all of America will be rooting against him as it embraces its new team.

I did not believe what I just saw. OK, Matt Holliday’s towering two-run smash in the third inning in game four wasn’t exactly on par with Kirk Gibson’s off-the-charts blast in the 1988 World Series, which came 25 years ago on Oct. 15. But I still can’t believe it. An actual home run was finally hit in the National League Championship Series. I have nothing against pitching duels. Hey, give me Marichal vs. Spahn in a 16-inning, 1-0 game. It did happen. I won’t yawn or leave early. Or to move it up to modern times, I’ll enjoy the artistry of the Kershaws or Verlanders methodically shutting down the opposition. That’s still riveting baseball. But today it seems like everybody — from the starters to middle relievers to the set-up guy and the closer are all throwing 98 mph. So after 33 innings of the NLCS, it just felt good to watch someone pop one over the fence. Holliday did more than pop one. That one would have easily cleared the 42-foot high left-field fence at the Dodgers  initial home, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. That fence had to be that high  to offset the 250-foot distance made necessary by the odd configuration in the former track and field stadium. The blast, which propelled the Cardinals to a 4-2 win and a 3-1 game series lead, also had to help bury the memories of Holliday’s 2012 NLCS. Not only did the Cardinals blow a 3-1 lead to the Giants, but Holliday became public enemy No. 1 throughout the series after his game two hard slide into Giants second baseman Marco Scutaro. The home run outbreak was contagious. Cardinal reserve outfielder Shane Robinson, all-world as a college player in 2005. but who only had five homers in 352 big league at bats, provided some insurance with a pinch-hit blast into the left field seats. Two home runs in one game. Go crazy! Go crazy!

GAME 4 NOTES:

* While not official, reports indicate Don Mattingly will return in 2014 to manage the Dodgers. It was sort of bad timing, in that the leak came as the Dodgers played a horrible game, including a balk, catcher’s interference and the devastating pickoff of Nick Punto at second base in the 7th inning. After the Reds let Dusty Baker go, I thought the former Dodger might be a fit as Mattingly’s replacement if ownership chose to make a change. I wondered if Baker might be just the man to guide the raw but talented Yasiel Puig, providing a combination of fatherly understanding and tough love. But something happened in the fourth inning which made me think that Mattingly might be just that man after all. Puig reacted with a tone of anger after Lance Lynn’s pitch in the fourth inning sailed up and in. Remember, Puig had not won any admirers from the Cardinals after his look-at-me triple the previous game, so it’s hard to tell if there was a message attached to that fastball. The cameras panned over to Mattingly, and caught a telling moment. Mattingly calmy put his arms out with his palms down, gesturing to Puig to just relax and in effect, get focused on the next pitch. Puig then delivered an RBI single. That moment provided a snapshot of the big picture of the Dodger season, as Mattingly remained the coolest guy in the  locker room during the bad days, setting the stage for the incredible 42-8 Dodger blitz.

* A Giants fan would have trouble concurring with this, but high-intensity games at Dodger Stadium are still special. I recall the enjoyment of that ballpark while seeing some games while visiting Southern California in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s — years when the Dodgers boasted some of the best names and teams in baseball. Baseball at Dodger Stadium hit bottom in 2011 with the McCourt ownership fiasco, the dropping of attendance and a loss of some of the family experience which culminated in the parking lot attack of a Giants fan. Watching last night, it did feel good to see this storied franchise and its historic ballpark back in the baseball spotlight. Giants fans should be OK with that, since they know better than anyone that Giants vs. Dodgers is best when both teams are packing their stadiums and battling for a post-season spot.

* Is the series over? While the Cardinals surprisingly played mediocre baseball in the first three games despite having a 2-1 advantage, they clearly tightened it up last night, so it’s hard to see how they could blow this one. I can only think of two reasons why the Cardinals might not wrap it up: Greinke and Kershaw. This series has not been a classic. If the two Dodger aces do step up, however, all that might change.

* With the 25th anniversary of Gibson’s legendary homer having just passed, it is worth touching on it one more time. Gibson’s left leg injury barely allowed him to walk when he pinch-hit against the A’s Dennis Eckersely in the bottom of the ninth of game one of the 1988 World Series with the score tied. The great Jack Buck’s call of Gibson’s home run is one of the tops ever in baseball. Alan Trammel, a former Detroit teammate of Gibson’s, predicted the whole thing when the Dodgers signed the slugger in the off season. Said Trammel: He thrives on late-inning pressure situations, He’s going to strike out with the bases loaded, but he’s also going to come through with some of those big hits.” Indeed.