Wow…I mean, wow.  What the hell happen to this team?  The Redbirds of ’09 are suddenly doing their best Redbirds of ’04 impression.  Well that’s not entirely true, the Redbirds of ’04 at least made it to the World Series.  The Cards are too good of a team to be dominated like they have been so far.  They have 2 Cy Young finalists in the rotation, and most likely the MVP of the season in Albert Pujols.  The way it looks right the Cardinals will be lucky to win another game.  The Cards are imploding like they’re the Missouri Tigers and suddenly forgot how to play their sport.  The Cards offense couldn’t score right now if they walked into the Bunny Ranch with a load of cash.  Maybe Rams offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur has been giving the Cards tips on how to look completely useless on offense.


The only bright spot so far this series has been Adam Wainwright.  That’s it.  One guy.  To be fair, the Dodgers have completely taken Pujols out of this series.  Anytime he has had an opportunity to do some damage, the Dodgers have made him a non-factor by intentionally walking him.  Matt Holliday’s production is so important to this team because he hits behind Albert.  The Dodgers have made it clear that Albert Pujols is not going to beat them.  It’s probably the same strategy that either the Phillies or Rockies would employ if the Cards actually made it to the NLCS.  We, as Cardinals fans, should not even be worried about the NLCS or the Worlds Series.  Let’s go with the old adage of taking it one game at a time.  If the Cards win they survive to play another day, if they lose it’s time to start thinking about next year.


One thing that bothers me this series is that I would swear there is a tall lanky red head playing out in left field, and not Matt Holliday.  Did Chris Duncan sneak into Dodger stadium and make a Silence of the Lambs type skin suit of Matt Holliday?  Holliday has looked more like the Cards old left fielder than himself.  Holliday struck out on 5 pitches without even swinging the bat in the first inning of Game 1 after the Pujols was intentionally walked to load the bases.  I thought to myself, “Duncan could have done that, hell I could have done that.”  You can’t hit the ball if you don’t swing Matt, it’s just basic physics.  That’s what I want in a cleanup hitter, a guy with his bat glued to his shoulders afraid to swing trying to draw a walk with the bases loaded.  Then in Game 2 there was the non catch on out number 27 that would have sent the series back to St. Louis tied at one game a piece.  I know for a fact that Chris Duncan could have done that.  You might say, “Hey wait a minute, Holliday hit a home run in Game 2.”   Duncan hit home runs every now and then too.  I’m not saying I want Duncan back.  The best trade the Cards made all year was to get rid of Duncan.  They could have traded him for a bag of balls and it would have been good for the team.  I like Holliday a lot, he needs to shake it off and come out and dominate in Game 3.  If you want the Cards to keep Holliday, you better follow the advice of TLR and Tim McKernan, when Holliday comes up to bat today and cheer your freaking heads off.  That will go a long way in the contract negotiations.


I’ve had a bad feeling about the playoffs for a while now.  I even felt like they would get swept.  But now that it seems like that is really going to happen, I’ve never wanted to be more wrong in my life.


I would like to leave you with the words of one John Blutarsky.


“Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is!  Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!  And it ain't over now. 'Cause when the goin' gets tough... the tough get goin'! Who's with me?  Where's the spirit? Where's the guts, huh?   This could be the greatest night of our lives, but you're gonna let it be the worst.  Well just kiss my ass from now on! Not me! I'm not gonna take this. We're just the guys to do it.  LET’S DO IT!!!”