Heartland World Series

The first long drive to left field wound up in the webbing of Endy Chavez's glove as he crashed against the wall. The second one sailed clear over his head. And that's what sent Yadier Molina and the St. Louis Cardinals to the World Series....Cardinals Win NL Pennant, Mike Fitzpatrick , AP 10/20/2006

As good a manager as Willie Randolph is, and he even fooled as smart a baseball writer as Tim Marchman of The NY Sun, you can only manage with mirrors for a while. Finally, if all you've got to offer is one experienced starting pitcher in Tom Glavine, a batting practice pitcher in Steve Trachsel, eight middle relievers of varying quality, and an occasionally erratic closer in Bill Wagner, you're not going to the World Series. The amazing thing is that the Metropolitans got past Los Angeles and nearly won the 7th game against the Cardinals, a tribute as much to the risk-taking of their manager as to their team. There are lots of good things, certainly the Mets' rebuilding, long overdue, but as well a heartland Series. Because of the seemingly perpetual presence of New York (or former New York) teams in the Fall classic, though they've become scarce in the last few years, baseball may seem to many as the province of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Of course it's not, nor is the life of the American nation limited to NY; Washington, DC; and Los Angeles. It still comes as a shock to those accustomed to regarding aircraft as mobile living rooms between their houses in Malibu and their apartments on Sutton Place that flyover people actually contribute the vast proportion of economic, cultural, spiritual and, of late, political energy to the Republic. As Detroit whomps St. Louis in five games next week, that's something to remember in the runup to the election.

Luther