GO CRAZY FOLKS!!! Cardinals Are in the Playoffs

The Atlanta Braves epic choke job is complete.

The Atlanta Braves led the NL Wild Card race by 8.5 games at the beginning of September.  A lot of people, including yours truly, thought the Braves were the second-best team in the NL.  Their offense was just good enough, their starting pitching was superb, and their bullpen, a bunch of young flamethrowers,  was the envy of the entire league.

The Braves were so far out in front that nobody was really even talking about the Wild Card race.  You never heard anybody even say "Do you think the (insert team here) will catch the Braves?"  They looked that good. 

The St. Louis Cardinals, on the other hand, were calling up young players for an extended look at playing time in 2012.  The Cardinals had been such a big disappointment this season, it seemed like next year was all their fans had to look forward to. 

So what happened?

The Cardinals went to Milwaukee and swept the Brewers, the best home team in baseball.  The Cardinals had shaved three games off the Brewers' huge lead, and there was a glimmer of hope.  Fans who were paying attention noticed a couple of changes with these Cardinals.

First of all, Albert Pujols was heating up.  Of course when the big guy gets it going, he can carry this team.  Second, their starting pitching was beginning to look better, especially Chris Carpenter.  Like Pujols, Carp is the kind of guy that can get on a roll and go deep into games, shutting opposing offenses down for a month. 

So the big guns were firing.  That's how it started.

Then the other pieces started falling into place.  The guys acquired in the Colby Rasmus trade started to contribute.  Edwin Jackson was eating innings, giving the Cards quality starts.  Jackson gave the Cards a quality fifth starter, allowing them to move their best bullpen pitcher, Kyle McClellan, back to the bullpen.  McClellan joined Octavio Dotel and Mark Rzepczynski, two other pieces in the Rasmus trade, to solidify the Cards bullpen.

Jason Motte did the rest.  The former catcher-turned-closer closed the Cardinals games in style, mowing hitters down with his upper 90's fastball.  All of a sudden, a major weakness all season (bullpen) was a major strength.  

The entire Cardinals roster just caught fire at the same time.

Lance Berkman caught fire, shaking off a sore shoulder.  Yadi Molina came up with clutch hit after clutch hit.  Rafeal Furcal, another mid-season acquisition, improved the Cards defense and also gave them a great leadoff hitter. 

Everything that went right for the Cardinals was going wrong for the Braves.  Their top pitcher, Jair Jurrjens, was hurt.  Then Tommy Hanson, probably the Braves' third best pitcher, also ended up on the DL.  Chipper Jones and Brian McCann, two of the Braves' top hitters, had minor injuries that slowed them down.  Jason Heyward, the Braves' young outfielder with so much potential, just kept scuffling at the plate.

But who could have ever predicted this outcome?  That the Cardinals would come all the way back and make the playoffs?  Could anybody be that bold to make that prediction?

Well....shameless self promotion....I told you so.  Sort of.

I called it.  On September 2nd, I said that the Cardinals were going to storm back to make the playoffs.  Don't believe me?  Read this article.  I said that the Cardinals were going to come back and overtake the Brewers.  About 400 people read the article, and I bet my editors at Bleacher Report laughed ad me.  But I almost got it exactly right.  I called the choke.  I just picked the wrong team.  

I even said exactly how the last day of the season would unfold for the Cardinals...In Houston, tied for a playoff spot, Chris Carpenter on the mound.  I predicted Carp's stat line to be 8 Innings Pitched, 3 Hits, 10 K's, and 0 earned runs. 

Carp's real stat line today: 9 IP, 2 H, 11 K's, 0 ER.  I need to buy a lottery ticket. 

In the immortal words of legendary Cardinals broadcaster Jack Buck, "Go Crazy Folks!  Go Crazy!" 

Cardinals fans, your team is going to the playoffs, where they will take on the Phillies, the best team in baseball.  I think Cardinals fans will take their chances. 

After all, the Cardinals are the hottest team in baseball.