Posted on 10/21/2006 5:17:15 AM PDT by dakine
DETROIT (AP) -- Even before the first pitch is thrown, the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers are making this World Series memorable.
Game 1 will have a pair of rookie starters for the first time, with Justin Verlander pitching Saturday night for the Tigers and Anthony Reyes for the Cardinals.
"I'm sure anyone that goes up on the mound in the World Series is going to be excited," Reyes said. "That's kind of good, knowing he's probably going to have the same feeling as me."
Reyes, 5-8 with a 5.06 ERA in 17 regular-season starts, has the fewest wins of any Game 1 starter in World Series history and is the first in 33 years with a losing regular-season record. He wasn't even on the Cardinals' roster for their first-round series against San Diego.
Despite Reyes' poor pedigree, Verlander doesn't think the Tigers are favored.
"I think we view ourselves as the underdogs, personally," Verlander said as the unexpected pennant winners prepared Friday on a cool, overcast day at Comerica Park. "Everybody has doubted us."
Quite a contrast from the last time these teams met in the World Series.
Back in 1968, the last World Series before playoffs, the Cardinals' Bob Gibson pitched a five-hit shutout and struck out a Series record 17 to beat the Tigers and 31-game winner Denny McLain 4-0 in the opener at the old Busch Stadium.
In the only other Series matchup between the clubs, the Cardinals' Dizzy Dean pitched an eight-hitter to defeat Alvin Crowder 8-3 in 1934's first game at Detroit's Navin Field, as Tiger Stadium was then known.
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.yahoo.com ...
side note: 1st time in 60 years, that AFRTS/AFN will not broadcast games on Radio.
It should be a great series. The Cardinals have some great players who can step up and make things very interesting. Clearly the Tigers have the best picting staff, but you must play the game. Go Tigers.
Verlander is usually pretty cool on the mound.
I was amazed that the Mets had to go with a pitcher who had a worse record and a worse era in game 7. But he did give them 6 solid innings allowing just one run, so who knows anything can happen.
Game 2 starter's (Weaver) ERA: 5.18 (for St. Louis), 5.76 overall.
Saturday. Back to back.
Priceless.
Stuck without a TV...
hopeless...
I feel your pain.
Really.
I lost reception for last weekend when the Tigers clinched against the A's and for the Penn State game.
The Tigers' pitching is so good. And to prove it, wait and see, in five years they'll all be pitching for the Yankees.
There have been two teams who have lost the WS when the team has had less than two days rest prior to the series. Both teams have been managed by Tony LaRussa.
Favoring Detroit in six games.
Love the Cardinals home uniforms.
On a side note, I've been watching the deterioating skills of Ivan Rodriguez. He's has had little impact in the post season. At the end of the year, I could have sworn he finished the season at .292 but for some reason, MLB now lists his season batting average as .300 The MSM really like this washed-up has been and Tim McCarver (also a catcher) pops a woodie every time he discusses Rodriguez.
Tigers in Four! Down with sore loser Pujols and the sore winners of the NLCS .. the cards.
On your side note ...
Tim McCarver is a moron. In game 7 of the NLCS he spent a whole inning talking about baseball socks! On top of that the A/V geeks at Fox were showing various players socks instead of the game. Geesh! What has the TV coverage come to!?!
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