Cardinals vs. Phillies: Why Philadelphia Will Roll Through Gritty Cards Team

In baseball there is nothing more dangerous than a gritty team that has scratched, clawed and earned its way into the MLB playoffs.

By that analysis, this is going to be a very scary divisional round for quite a few teams in the 2011 MLB playoffs.

Not only did the Tampa Bay Rays scratch and claw themselves from nine games back of the Red Sox to set up for one of the most epic season-ending nights ever and a wild card berth, but the St. Louis Cardinals essentially did the same thing over in the National League.

It's been a crazy stretch run that is for sure, and it's only going to get better now that we are finally in the postseason.

The Cardinals are set to play the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS in what is sure to be a very tough matchup.

The Phillies essentially earned the spot, well by being the Phillies. They are the best overall team in baseball and look poised to make another run at the World Series.

They earned their spot in the postseason as well, but the theatrics and dramatics surrounding their berth was significantly less than the events of Sept. 28.

The Cardinals are going to be a dangerous team though. They have a never say never attitude that has essentially willed them into this matchup. They could have given up a long time ago, but they chose to fight, and it's that fight that makes them such a scary matchup for the superior Phillies.

According to Tom Singer of MLB.com, they are feeling just fine about their NLDS draw:

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Of all their possible NLDS matchups, this could be least favorable to the Phillies. By personally eliminating the Braves, they arranged a date with the only team against which they had noteworthy losing record (3-6).

Philadelphia also dropped two out of a three-game Interleague series to Seattle, and dropped 10 of 18 to the Nationals. But no team gave it as hard a time as St. Louis, which hung five of the wins on the Phillies' postseason rotation: One each on Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels, two on Roy Oswalt.

But you know what? Waiting for the pieces to fall into place, the Phillies claimed to not care who would draw the short straw.

"You can't be scared, and you can't look to dodge nobody," manager Charlie Manuel had said. "Bring 'em on. Let's get 'em. Line 'em up. Whatever.

"I look at it like Walter Alston used to say," add Manuel, citing the late Hall of Fame manager of the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers. "Champions can beat anybody."

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Champions can beat anybody, and that is the heart and spirit of the Philadelphia Phillies coming into the 2011 MLB playoffs.

They know they are a championship-caliber team. They know that they are a far superior team, and they know that no matter how much the Cardinals want it, nothing can replace pure talent.

The Phillies aren't scared of the Cardinals, nor should they be.

When all is said and done I believe Philadelphia will roll through this series and on to the next one.

It's just what champions do.