The St Louis Cardinals showed that strong pitching, sound fundamental play and good timing is a winning formula as they beat the odds to win the 102nd World Series.
The Cardinals peaked at the right time to complete a post-season run that carried them over the San Diego Padres, the New York Mets and Detroit Tigers - all favoured against them - to become the World Series champions with the fewest regular season wins.
Injuries weighed down the Cards for much of the season, and a seven-game losing skid at the end nearly doomed them but their 83 wins was enough to qualify for the playoffs. The previous low win total for Fall Classic champions was 85 games won by the 1987 Minnesota Twins, who beat the Cardinals in the World Series.
Yet St Louis manager Tony La Russa said he knew his team was capable of snatching the championship away from the American League, considered to have the strongest teams in the majors this season. "The post-season is three out of five, four out of seven, four out of seven," La Russa said before the series, breaking down the three tiers of baseball's playoffs.
The 95-win Detroit Tigers represented the American League, which had won the last eight World Series games, with Boston Red Sox sweeping the Cardinals in 2004, and the Chicago White Sox sweeping the Houston Astros last season.
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