The World Series is much better without the Yankees and the Phillies

It’s always a great feeling when the bullies get a comeuppance.

It was thoroughly satisfying to watch the scrappy Tigers led by their always impressive manager Jim Leyland bounce the deep pocketed and unlikable New York Yankees.

The Philadelphia Phillies have a killer rotation and good bats throughout their lineup. As such, they have been the prohibitive favorite to reach the Series for the past couple years. Despite a few rough outings by St. Louis starters, the Cardinals were able to oust the tough guys of the National League.

Whenever unexpected teams make it to the World Series, it is so exciting to discover previously unknown players and get to know the lineups of a different team.

The 2003 Florida Marlins, the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays and the 2010 San Francisco Giants were exciting to watch because their rosters weren’t highly touted and they were excellent team-oriented clubs.

While we saw the Texas Rangers last year in the Series, they are still not a well-known crew to the majority of casual fans. Albert Pujols is a superstar and Chris Carpenter and Matt Holliday are household names, but beyond those guys, many of the Cardinals core players (like Rafael Furcal, Yadier Molina and the ageless Lance Berkman) remain to be discovered this October.

Let’s buckle up for what should be an exciting Series. Give me the “team of destiny” Cardinals in six games. The Rangers have a thoroughly intimidating lineup, but I like the swagger that the Cardinals have developed since their amazing run to the playoffs last month.