2004 World Series Rematch: Red Sox vs Cardinals

Photo from NESN

I'm back.  I apologize about the absence; and honestly, I don't have a best excuses.  Long story short: my iPad stopped connecting to the wi-fi for a couple days, and I couldn't get an appointment with the Apple Store on the day I tried.  It started working again on Sunday, but I was so backed up on Tweets that I didn't think it would do any good to do Twitter Friday.  I was still have a couple issues connecting this week (it was the internet this time, not the iPad), so there will not be a Twitter Friday as well.

As if I needed to mention it, the World Series starts tonight.  It's a rematch of 2004 with the Red Sox to take on the Cardinals.  I'm feeling all nostalgic and feel the need to watch "Fever Pitch" and get back into the mindset from 2004.

Photo from The Boston Globe

Of course, this series in 2013, is so different from the series in 2004.

For one, the Red Sox have won the World Series twice since then: 2004 and 2007.  The Cardinals, after being swept in 2004 (Swept 4 in '04, as I liked to remind a former co-worker of mine), have been to the World Series 3 times (2004, 2006, and 2011) and won twice (2006 and 2011).  The Cardinals have been at the top or close to the top of the NL Central for years.

Much like 2004, the Red Sox have overcome a disappointing outcome the previous season.  Not that 2003 was a disappointing season for the Red Sox, but it still stings to think of the 2003 ALCS, though it stings less after the 2004 ALCS.  2012 was a horrendous season for the Red Sox, especially after the September 2011 collapse.  The Red Sox have overcome hardships to be in this position again.

Photo from NESN

So, here we are: Game 1 of the World Series is tonight.  Jon Lester gets the start for the Red Sox tonight, and Adam Wainwright gets the start for the Cardinals.  The Red Sox and the Cardinals had the most wins in the Majors this season with 97-65 records.

When it comes to the World Series, I believe seasonal stats aren't that important (which is why I'm not going into them in this post).  The postseason is about which team is hot at the moment; they're usually the ones who can go far and potentially win the World Series.  I also believe that heroes of the series can come from unlikely sources, such as Victorino hitting the go-ahead grand slam Saturday night after struggling throughout the ALCS.  In 2007, the World Series MVP was Mike Lowell, a beloved Red Sox player but not a superstar.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, where I lived in Iowa, baseball fans were pretty equally split between Cardinals and Cubs fans (with occasional White Sox, Twins, and Royals fans sprinkled about).  Over the years, it seemed like Cardinals fans were taking over (or it could be that Cubs fans were shrinking into the background with each frustrating season).

One of my best friends, a Cardinals fan, has already sent me messages on Twitter regarding the series.  If I was still in Iowa, we'd probably be watching the games together, since we watched the Stanley Cup together (she and her husband are Blackhawks fans, while me and my boyfriend are obviously Bruins fans).  So, Laura, if you're reading this, I'm going to say it again: I hope the outcome to this World Series is the same as 2004.

The game starts at 8:07 PM Eastern time tonight on FOX.  Yaz will be throwing out the opening pitch. Go Sox!