2011 World Series Preview

It's time to make my 2011 World Series predictions and picks. Who will take the title as the Cardinals and Rangers prepare to meet for game one on Wednesday?

Before you count out wild card entry St. Louis, let's think about how the Cardinals entered the postseason and how they are playing now.

The Cardinals will undoubtedly be a long shot to win the 2011 World Series despite having home field advantage.
Many think the Rangers are so prolific on offense that the Cardinals will stand little chance. I have some food for thought for those critics as the World Series inches closer. I think the 2011 World Series schedule favors St. Louis thanks to the home field advantage and pitching matchups.

Texas may have a tough time winning in Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Historically, the Cardinals have been a tough out at home in front of the fans wearing red. The Cardinals also have a very underrated pitching staff. Sure, on paper it might appear that Texas would be an overwhelming favorite.
My predictions and picks say that might not be the case in the 2011 World Series.

So who will win? I want to break it down on a game by game basis. There might always be different variables to consider as the Series progresses-but I think the Cardinals have a slight edge regardless of those possible scenarios. But before I get into each individual game-I have some food for thought as to why the Cardinals should emerge as the 2011 World Champs.

Here are five reasons why I my predictions and picks say the Cardinals will win the 2011 World Series.

1) Home Field Advantage
The Cardinals get to play at home thanks to the NL winning the All Star game. That means the fans at Busch Stadium will be going bonkers as the Redbirds hit the field. I think this will almost guarantee the Cards can win 3 out of 4. The most pivotal games though will be in Texas where St. Louis will need to win at least one contest. That might be the biggest telling point of this series.

2) Red Hot Momentum
Maybe the Cardinals are a team of destiny. The players have to be thinking among those lines after edging out the Braves in come from behind fashion just to make the playoffs. The Cardinals also dispatched of Philadelphia and Milwaukee in the playoffs. The Phillies, much like the Rangers, sport a terrific offense with plenty of pop. The Phillies probably also had the best pitching staff in baseball.

3) The Albert Pujols factor
Love him or hate him, St. Louis has the Albert Pujols factor. He's the best player in baseball. Pitching staffs have to decide whether to put him on base or subtly pitch around him. Either way, Pujols is a huge thorn in the sides of opposing pitching staffs. The horrible news for teams who face the Cardinals is that if you elect to pitch around Pujols, you'll have to face guys like Lance Berkman, Matt Holliday and David Freese. That didn't work out too well for the NL teams down the stretch.

4) Tony LaRussa Knows How To Win
LaRussa might not be the best media or public relations guy out there-but he certainly is a proven winner.
I'll take LaRussa in a game of X's and O's any day of the week in a competitive contest. He may tinker with the batting lineup and put position players after his pitcher in the lineup-but the guy knows how to get the most of his players and their individual abilities.

5) The Cardinals Finally Found a Reliever
Some may have argued the largest weak point of St. Louis early this season was the bullpen. The Cardinals have certainly resolved those issues. Jason Motte is performing like an All Star and the rest of the Cardinals bullpen is chipping in as needed. The Cardinals were missing one huge piece to the puzzle and the switch to closer for Motte has solidified this team.

So what happens according to my predictions and picks for the 2011 World Series?
Here's a look at the 2011 World Series schedule and my predictions and picks for each individual game.

Game 1: Chris Carpenter pitches well enough to earn the victory and slows the Rangers offense down. The Cardinals offense takes advantage of left hander C.J. Wilson and puts up 5 runs in the first four innings. Cardinals win game one 7-2.

Game 2: Jaime Garcia struggles against the Rangers but the Cardinals also put up enough runs to stay competitive. I think the Redbirds win a slugfest 8-6.

Game 3: Things move to Texas and the Rangers are ready to explode against St. Louis at home. The Rangers win the third game of the series 5-2.

Game 4: This pivotal game is where I believe the Cardinals can make the difference. Kyle Lohse has pitched much better than a number 4 and he could put the Cardinals on top with an outstanding effort. I think this one is the closest thing resembling a pitcher's duel in the opening four games as the Cards win 3-2 in 10.

Game 5: Texas bounces back with a 6-3 victory to close to within 3 games to 2 in the Series.

Game 6: The Cardinals close it out with a 11-6 slugfest. St. Louis wins the World Series 4-2.

That's it for my 2011 World Series picks and predictions. Can the Rangers possibly steal this one away? Absolutely. Anytime you have great offense and stellar pitching you have an opportunity to win. My gut just tells me that you shouldn't count out the Cardinals at home--particularly when they are playing the best offense of the season at the right time. Texas is going to have a tough time slowing down this offense and vice versa. But in the end, I believe the Cardinals will be the team putting up the most runs on the majority of nights.