Because I couldn't not use this image.

As a St. Louis Cardinals fan, I’m generally regarded as more intelligent, sophisticated, and gritty than other baseball fans. That’s why I can brush the dirt off my shoulders when it comes to the national sports media crapping all over the Redbirds over the past month. The Cardinals are heading to their third World Series in 8 years, but you should all know that they don’t deserve it and their pitching stinks.

Quick recap: In late August, the Cardinals were 10.5 games back in the Wild Card race. At one point, they were also 11 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers. But none of that mattered because the Boston Red Sox were in a bizarre tailspin, allowing the Tampa Bay Rays to climb back into contention, and nobody really cared that the Atlanta Braves and Cardinals were in the same boat because screw their middle market butts.

Regardless, we don’t need to recap too much, but you know what happened next and today I am a very happy boy. Too bad my youthful exuberance isn’t shared by the mainstream fellas, as one poopy pants thinks the Cardinals don’t belong on the main stage this week.

So, the NL Central-only NLCS was a bust. As probably should have been anticipated given it’s status as baseball’s worst division. Those six teams combined to go 226-270 outside of the division this year, a .456 winning percentage.

At least these Cardinals are better than their last World Series team. In 2006, the Cards won the Central with an 83-78 record, edged the Mets in seven games in the NLCS and then took down the Tigers in five games in the World Series.

(Via Hardball Talk)

Ah yes, the “baseball’s worst division” invocation. And for good measure let’s remind everyone that the 2006 World Champion St. Louis Cardinals sucked and fell ass backwards to a title. That’s fine, we’re classy, smart and the best fans in baseball so we can grin and bear it. But ignorance aside, I thought I’d take a second to tell you why this World Series is going to be so entertaining for the casual fans – the long ball.

Sure, the Cardinals didn’t have a starting pitcher go past 5 innings in the NLCS, so that would make us think they’re doomed. But the Texas Rangers’ rotation didn’t do much better, so it should be an all out slugfest. And if you’re a real baseball fan, you’ll know there are two better stories at hand:

1) Who doesn’t want to see Lance Berkman and his mullet win a ring? Berkman – Cardinal or not – has always been on my “How can you hate this guy?” list. But more importantly…

B) The Rangers were practically DOA two years ago. That franchise was run into the ground by one of professional sports’ worst owners ever, and the fan base had its lips locked around one giant pistol. Then the franchise’s hero, Nolan Ryan, comes in and buys the team, gives it new life, and takes it to a World Series. Sure, they lost last year and I may spend the entire World Series muttering, “They had their chance last year,” but you have to want Ryan and Josh Hamilton to win. If you don’t, you’re un-American.

As for my prediction, very shocking – Cardinals in 6, for my grandmother. And especially for Nyjer Morgan, wherever he may be watching.

(Banner via my fellow ‘Bird Matt at Joe Sports Fan.)