The Knox Student

World Series Recap

Nate Williams: The sports world was treated with a show last Friday, as the St. Louis Cardinals won game seven of the World Series.

Gabe Ayers: It was the first time the World Series has gone to game seven since 2002, and that marks the longest stretch between game sevens since the seven game format was implemented for the World Series. I had the Rangers winning in six games, but once again, I was wrong.

N: I had the Cardinals in seven, because I had a feeling Pujols wanted to maximize the number of home games. Furthermore, I had perfect playoff picks this year. I’m very proud about that one. First time I have gone undefeated for a while. Now in terms of the actual games, I can only say two words — David Freese. How about that young man and his performance in the playoffs?

G: He grew up near the city of St. Louis, went to Community College in St. Louis and was in the Padres organization before he was traded to the Cardinals for Jim Edmonds. He has had limited at-bats the last couple of years because of injuries, but ends up setting the postseason record for RBIs in a single postseason with 21 in 18 games; just a great story.

N: Yes, his story, as well as the epic that was game six, ensures that this World Series will likely go down as one of the most exciting ever. It had the ups and downs that every fan wants to see. Any series that goes seven games is always great to witness, so congratulations to both the Rangers and the Cardinals for giving us such wonderful baseball.

Tony La Russa

N: Now sticking with the Cardinals, long time manager Tony La Russa decided to call it a quits after 16 years with the club and his second World Series title with St. Louis.

G: I read today that he was the first manager to retire directly after winning a World Series. But if there were one man who deserved to do that then it is Tony La Russa. He will go down with the third most wins as a manager in baseball history behind only Connie Mack and John McGraw. La Russa brought a lot of innovation to the game of baseball especially with his way of working the bullpen. While he was in Oakland he popularized the idea of having middle relievers/set-up pitchers as opposed to just starters and closers. For example in game seven of the World Series this year he used four different pitchers in the seventh inning alone.

N: One thing I really liked about what Tony did with the pitcher and the batter every now and then is flip them in the order. In the National League it is typical that the pitcher would hit in the nine spot, but on occasion he would mix it up and have the pitcher bat eighth. That is something that always fascinated me.

G: Also Tony La Russa is one of two managers to ever win a World Series with two different teams as well as the only manager to win a World Series in both the American and National League.

Tim Tebow

N: Timmy Tebow: where to begin?

G: He is a professional quarterback with a baseball-like throwing motion which has gotten him in some trouble in the NFL. Simply put, he is not a great quarterback.

N: He is a great football player, who knows how to win, but you are right he is not a good quarterback.

G: It can be noted that he led a 15-point comeback two weekends ago, but this last weekend did some serious damage to his aura.

N: Timmy and the “Fighting Tebows,” also known as the Broncos, struggled mightily. He had a QB passer rating of 56.8 and completed less than half of his passes. He threw one interception and fumbled the ball three times. All in all his team lost 45-10 to the young and up-and-coming Lions.

G: To say he struggled in this game is an understatement. Some of the Lions’ defensive players have been quoted saying that it was a “joke” that Tebow was playing and that they knew they could get pressure on him easily.

N: A lot of “experts” are saying the Tebow Experiment in Denver is over. I don’t agree though. Bad games happen to quarterbacks all the time. Peyton Manning has thrown six interceptions in a game before. It happens. But with the Experiment I would say you have to give Tebow the whole year. You can’t just pull the reins on the kid after five or six starts in the NFL. You have to give him the whole season.

G: I can’t help but agree with you. You have to let him finish off the year. You have said that he is your guy and if you pull him back now your whole organization will be called weak, especially since all of the Denverites (which is the correct term for them) will be calling for your head, not Tebow’s.