- When you think about, the Blues beating the Blackhawks makes perfect sense. Last fall, the Cubs (who basically haven't won anything in forever) knocked the highly decorated, championship pedigree Cardinals out of the playoffs. So, it's only fair that the Blues (who have literally never won anything in forever) returned the favor by knocking the highly decorated, championship pedigree Blackhawks out of the playoffs.
- My son is 13 and this was only the Blues second playoff series win in his lifetime, which is hard to believe.
- For a while now, this year's addition of the Blues has tried to distance themselves from the failure-prone, snake-bitten Blues teams of the past. They told anybody who would listen that this team was different. And, while they nearly gave us a heart attack in the process, they proved it (so far) in beating the Blackhawks. Consider:
- The Blues got screwed by some very questionable officiating calls in Game 2 and, while they lost that game, they bounced back and won Game 3 in Chicago. Previous Blues teams would have allowed those bad things to have carried over from one game to the next.
- The Blues again were on the wrong end of some horrendous officiating in Game 4. Hawks goaltender Corey Crawford went berserk and attacked 20 year old Robby Fabbri because Fabbri had the audacity to bump into Crawford after being checked into him by Toews, Through that situation, the Blues somehow - against all logic - wound up shorthanded. Of course, the Blackhawks scored on that power play. Past Blues teams would have folded like a cheap suit after that turn of events and would have never recovered. However, this year's team bounced back from that injustice and roared back to win that game.
- After blowing a two goal lead for the second game in a row in Game 7, the Blues fought back and got the victory - another game that previous Blues teams wouldn't have won.
- How good are Blues' rookies Colton Parayko and Robby Fabbri? Parayko is a workhorse who can play a lot of minutes and doesn't seem phased at all by the pressure of the playoffs. During the regular season, he posted the Blues' best +/- rating (+28) since Chris Pronger's epic 1999-2000 season when he won both the Hart and Norris trophies. With his demeanor, size and booming slapshot, this kid seems destined to win a Norris Trophy of his own if he can continue his outstanding play. And Robby Fabbri, who is about my size, plays much bigger. He doesn't back away from contact (even when being accosted by deranged goalies) and delivered some big hits in the series. He had a really good offensive year during the regular season (37 points) and has continued to display that creativity and skill in the playoffs thus far. Keep in mind, he's only 20.
- If there's one moment that might (hopefully?) signal a change in the fate of the franchise, it's the shot by Brent Seabrook late Game 7 that hit both goalposts but somehow didn't go across the goal line. In years past, that shot would have gone against the Blues and it would have broken the hearts of Blues fans. But, for now at least, the hockey gods smiled on the Blues and kept that puck out of the net.
- While winning a playoff series is always sweet, it was so much sweeter to do it against the hated Blackhawks. It was a thrilling, nerve wracking series - but those are always great....if you come out on top. In my opinion, this was the best Blues playoff series since the 1999 first round series against the Coyotes.
- Nobody knows what the future holds for the Blues - if this is their year or if they will stumble again like so many teams have in the past, but for now, I'm just going to enjoy the fact that the Blues are still skating while the Hawks are playing golf.
- For the second round, I think the Blues match up really well against the Stars. While Dallas has some great offensive players - Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, etc. (though Seguin is still battling injuries), I'm not sure that they are any tougher to slow down than the elite players that the Blackhawks threw at them. But whereas the Blackhawks have some very good defensemen (like Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook) and a top flight goalie (Corey Crawford), the Stars have a suspect defense and questionable goaltending, regardless of which Finn is between the pipes. The Blues' physicality and depth will prove to be too much for the Stars, so my prediction is Blues in 6. LGB!
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
First Round Recap
Following an exhilarating 7-game series win over the Blackhawks, Blues fans are finally basking in a playoff series victory over their hated rivals and dreaming of bigger things moving forward. Before we move on to the second round against Dallas, I wanted to take a chance to look back at the thrilling series that just ended.
Monday, April 4, 2016
Best Baseball Memories
"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." - Rogers Hornsby
It's baseball season - my favorite season! In honor of the start of another baseball season, I thought I'd share my top 10 baseball memories/moments/games. These are the games that have and will always stick with me. Fortunately, as a Cardinals fan, I've been blessed with a lot of incredible games and memories over the years, so narrowing it down to only 10 was very difficult. But, after mulling it over for a while, here are my Top 10, with some explanations why. I'm guessing some of you (those who are Cardinals fans) will agree and possibly disagree with some of these. Likewise, others of you may be saddened by some of these choices since they came at the expense of your teams.
10. Game 3, 1982 World Series: This was the game that helped make Willie McGee one of my favorite players of all time. He hit 2 home runs and then robbed Gorman Thomas of a home run in the 9th inning.
9. Game 7, 2011 World Series: It wasn't the most suspenseful game after the first few innings, when the Cardinals came back from an early 2-0 deficit. However, it was the crowning achievement of one of the most remarkable runs in baseball history. The Cardinals were left for dead, 10.5 games out of a playoff spot in late August, only to catch fire and not just make the playoffs but win the whole thing. (Besides, #1 on this list loses some of its luster if the Cardinals lose this game.)
8. Game 5, 1985 NLCS: Go Crazy, Folks! Ozzie Smith hits a walk-off homer (his first ever HR left-handed) off Tom Niedenfuer to win it for the Cards and send the series back to LA. The entire St. Louis area went bonkers, people in rush hour traffic honking car horns and everyone celebrating.
7. Game 7, 2004 NLCS: Jimmy Edmonds' amazing diving catch in left center, Scott Rolen's 2-run homer off Roger Clemens, and the Cardinals first NL pennant in 17 years cap an incredible 36 hour period (see #3 below).
6. Game 6, 1985 NLCS: The Cards come back from a 4-1 deficit with 3 runs in the 7th and 3 runs in the 9th on Jack Clark's mammoth home run (once again off Niedenfuer) to win the NL pennant. I'll always remember Pedro Guerrero throwing down his glove in left field as Clark's homer sailed into the left field bleachers. My parents, my brother and I were all sitting on the couch together watching the game. When the ball left Clark's bat, we all jumped up in celebration and accidentally stepped on our poor dog, Max.
5. Game 5, 2011 NLDS: The Cardinals score a run in the top of the first and that's enough as Chris Carpenter outduels Roy Halladay is a suspense-filled pitcher's duel. The Phillies were heavily favored coming in the series, but this was the first sign that the 2011 Cardinals were the team of destiny. (This is the first game on this list to which I'm fairly certain I can attribute some of my gray hair.)
4. Game 5, 2012 NLDS: A crazy, unbelievable comeback win for the Cardinals. They trailed 6-0 after 3 innings before beginning to chip away with runs in the 4th, 5th, 7th and 8th. They still trailed 7-5 with 2 outs in the top of the 9th, when the completely improbable duo of Daniel Descalso and Pete Kozma (PETE KOZMA!) combine for back-to-back two-run singles. The 4-run 9th gave the Cards a 9-7 win and a trip to the NLCS.
3. Game 6, 2004 NLCS: The Cardinals trailed in the series 3 games to 2 when the series shifted back to Busch Stadium II. The game was tied 4-4 in the 12th inning when Jim Edmonds cranked a walk-off 2-run homer to force a Game 7. I scared the heck out of my son (who was only a year and a half old) when Edmonds hit the homer as I jumped up and down and then ran around the family room yelling in celebration. (One of his first words, by the way, was "Cardinals".)
2. Game 7, 2006 NLCS: An absolute, nail-biter that I guarantee gave me gray hair. After Endy Chavez absolutely robbed Scott Rolen of a home run with an unbelievable catch, Yadier Molina (who hit only .216 during the regular season) hit a 2-run home run off Aaron Heilman in the top of the 9th to give the Cards a 3-1 lead. In the bottom of the 9th, the Mets loaded the bases with two outs and Cardinal killer (and post-season stud) Carlos Beltran was at the plate. It looked like perhaps Yadi's heroics weren't going to be enough. Then, rookie closer Adam Wainwright struck out Beltran on three pitches, freezing him on a called strike three with a knee-buckling curve ball. I swear that I wore out the carpet in my basement with my pacing during that game, though I remember screaming and jumping around the basement when Waino struck out Beltran.
1. Game 6, 2011 World Series: I realize this is an obvious choice, but I could live to be 100 and never see another game like this. The Cardinals trailed 7-4 heading into the bottom of the 8th. They scored one run in the 8th to make it 7-5. They still trailed 7-5 and were down to their last strike in the bottom of the 9th before hometown kid David Freese hit an opposite-field, two-run triple off the right field wall to tie it. In the top of the 10th, the Rangers scored two runs on a home run by Josh Hamilton. They Cardinals were down to their last strike again in the bottom of the 10th before Lance Berkman singled home Jon Jay to tie it 9-9. David Freese then won it for the Cardinals with a lead-off, walk-off home run in the 11th. It was literally a game for the ages, as the Cardinals were the first team to ever come back from deficits in both the 9th and 10th innings of a World Series game and the first team to score in the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th innings. It was an amazing win and one that eventually led to the Cardinals' 11th world championship.
Honorable Mention: These are both regular season games, so they don't carry the importance of the aforementioned 10 games. However, I was physically in the stands at Busch II for both of these games, so I'd be remiss if I didn't mention them.
May 9, 1992 - I skipped my senior prom and instead went to the Cards-Braves game. The Cardinals trailed 9-0 in the 4th inning but stormed back to win it 12-11. As we watched the comeback from the left field bleachers, I was so grateful that I'd spent $4 on my ticket (and probably another $10 on food) to go to the game rather than a couple hundred bucks on prom tickets, flowers, a tuxedo, etc.
July 28, 2002 - Cards vs. Cubs. The Cards trailed 6-0 after 3 innings and it looked bleak. They still trailed 9-4 going into the bottom of the 9th before scoring 6 runs to win the game, capped off by a walk-off 3-run homer by Edgar Renteria.
I'd love to hear about your greatest baseball memories, too. Feel free to share them.
Thanks for reading!
It's baseball season - my favorite season! In honor of the start of another baseball season, I thought I'd share my top 10 baseball memories/moments/games. These are the games that have and will always stick with me. Fortunately, as a Cardinals fan, I've been blessed with a lot of incredible games and memories over the years, so narrowing it down to only 10 was very difficult. But, after mulling it over for a while, here are my Top 10, with some explanations why. I'm guessing some of you (those who are Cardinals fans) will agree and possibly disagree with some of these. Likewise, others of you may be saddened by some of these choices since they came at the expense of your teams.
10. Game 3, 1982 World Series: This was the game that helped make Willie McGee one of my favorite players of all time. He hit 2 home runs and then robbed Gorman Thomas of a home run in the 9th inning.
9. Game 7, 2011 World Series: It wasn't the most suspenseful game after the first few innings, when the Cardinals came back from an early 2-0 deficit. However, it was the crowning achievement of one of the most remarkable runs in baseball history. The Cardinals were left for dead, 10.5 games out of a playoff spot in late August, only to catch fire and not just make the playoffs but win the whole thing. (Besides, #1 on this list loses some of its luster if the Cardinals lose this game.)
8. Game 5, 1985 NLCS: Go Crazy, Folks! Ozzie Smith hits a walk-off homer (his first ever HR left-handed) off Tom Niedenfuer to win it for the Cards and send the series back to LA. The entire St. Louis area went bonkers, people in rush hour traffic honking car horns and everyone celebrating.
7. Game 7, 2004 NLCS: Jimmy Edmonds' amazing diving catch in left center, Scott Rolen's 2-run homer off Roger Clemens, and the Cardinals first NL pennant in 17 years cap an incredible 36 hour period (see #3 below).
6. Game 6, 1985 NLCS: The Cards come back from a 4-1 deficit with 3 runs in the 7th and 3 runs in the 9th on Jack Clark's mammoth home run (once again off Niedenfuer) to win the NL pennant. I'll always remember Pedro Guerrero throwing down his glove in left field as Clark's homer sailed into the left field bleachers. My parents, my brother and I were all sitting on the couch together watching the game. When the ball left Clark's bat, we all jumped up in celebration and accidentally stepped on our poor dog, Max.
5. Game 5, 2011 NLDS: The Cardinals score a run in the top of the first and that's enough as Chris Carpenter outduels Roy Halladay is a suspense-filled pitcher's duel. The Phillies were heavily favored coming in the series, but this was the first sign that the 2011 Cardinals were the team of destiny. (This is the first game on this list to which I'm fairly certain I can attribute some of my gray hair.)
4. Game 5, 2012 NLDS: A crazy, unbelievable comeback win for the Cardinals. They trailed 6-0 after 3 innings before beginning to chip away with runs in the 4th, 5th, 7th and 8th. They still trailed 7-5 with 2 outs in the top of the 9th, when the completely improbable duo of Daniel Descalso and Pete Kozma (PETE KOZMA!) combine for back-to-back two-run singles. The 4-run 9th gave the Cards a 9-7 win and a trip to the NLCS.
3. Game 6, 2004 NLCS: The Cardinals trailed in the series 3 games to 2 when the series shifted back to Busch Stadium II. The game was tied 4-4 in the 12th inning when Jim Edmonds cranked a walk-off 2-run homer to force a Game 7. I scared the heck out of my son (who was only a year and a half old) when Edmonds hit the homer as I jumped up and down and then ran around the family room yelling in celebration. (One of his first words, by the way, was "Cardinals".)
2. Game 7, 2006 NLCS: An absolute, nail-biter that I guarantee gave me gray hair. After Endy Chavez absolutely robbed Scott Rolen of a home run with an unbelievable catch, Yadier Molina (who hit only .216 during the regular season) hit a 2-run home run off Aaron Heilman in the top of the 9th to give the Cards a 3-1 lead. In the bottom of the 9th, the Mets loaded the bases with two outs and Cardinal killer (and post-season stud) Carlos Beltran was at the plate. It looked like perhaps Yadi's heroics weren't going to be enough. Then, rookie closer Adam Wainwright struck out Beltran on three pitches, freezing him on a called strike three with a knee-buckling curve ball. I swear that I wore out the carpet in my basement with my pacing during that game, though I remember screaming and jumping around the basement when Waino struck out Beltran.
1. Game 6, 2011 World Series: I realize this is an obvious choice, but I could live to be 100 and never see another game like this. The Cardinals trailed 7-4 heading into the bottom of the 8th. They scored one run in the 8th to make it 7-5. They still trailed 7-5 and were down to their last strike in the bottom of the 9th before hometown kid David Freese hit an opposite-field, two-run triple off the right field wall to tie it. In the top of the 10th, the Rangers scored two runs on a home run by Josh Hamilton. They Cardinals were down to their last strike again in the bottom of the 10th before Lance Berkman singled home Jon Jay to tie it 9-9. David Freese then won it for the Cardinals with a lead-off, walk-off home run in the 11th. It was literally a game for the ages, as the Cardinals were the first team to ever come back from deficits in both the 9th and 10th innings of a World Series game and the first team to score in the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th innings. It was an amazing win and one that eventually led to the Cardinals' 11th world championship.
Honorable Mention: These are both regular season games, so they don't carry the importance of the aforementioned 10 games. However, I was physically in the stands at Busch II for both of these games, so I'd be remiss if I didn't mention them.
May 9, 1992 - I skipped my senior prom and instead went to the Cards-Braves game. The Cardinals trailed 9-0 in the 4th inning but stormed back to win it 12-11. As we watched the comeback from the left field bleachers, I was so grateful that I'd spent $4 on my ticket (and probably another $10 on food) to go to the game rather than a couple hundred bucks on prom tickets, flowers, a tuxedo, etc.
July 28, 2002 - Cards vs. Cubs. The Cards trailed 6-0 after 3 innings and it looked bleak. They still trailed 9-4 going into the bottom of the 9th before scoring 6 runs to win the game, capped off by a walk-off 3-run homer by Edgar Renteria.
I'd love to hear about your greatest baseball memories, too. Feel free to share them.
Thanks for reading!
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