I do believe I called this one

Back in September, not long after the Cardinals signed Preston Wilson, I wrote about what the signing meant for the team:

You heard it here first: St. Louis Cardinals, 2006 World Series champions. All thanks to P-Dub.

And Mookie.

My misguided attempt at humor actually proved to be right. Who knew? Er… I mean, I told you so, bitches!

After having a full day to sit back and comprehend what transpired Friday night, I still can’t fully comprehend it: World Series champions.

World. Series. Champions. Maybe if I say it enough times, it’ll start to sink in.

Given what had happened with the team the last six or so weeks of the season, it seems completely unfathomable that we won. The trends that were killing us late in the season completely flipped. Check it:

• The rotation, which was in full implosion mode by mid-August, combined for a 2.63 ERA in 99.1 postseason innings.
• The bullpen, which had disintegrated after Jason Isringhausen went on the disabled list and blew something like 10 consecutive save opportunities at one point, somehow came together and was nearly lights out during the postseason. The Bullpen Brats combined for 32 innings and a 3.66 ERA, the bulk of which can be traced to the thrashing of Josh Hancock in Game 4 of the NLCS.
• Tony La Russa, castigated for moves (or non-moves) during late-season games, was King Midas during the playoffs. Virtually every move he made was the right one. I don’t think there’s any doubt that the 2006 postseason was TLR’s finest hour. Late in the season I was beginning to doubt him. But now, he has officially entered the Cardinals pantheon.

Because they won, no one’s going to remember that crap from the last few weeks of the season. No one’s going to remember…

• The early-season sweep at the hands of the hated Cubs;
• Juan Encarnacion’s difficult first few weeks;
• Yadier Molina’s offensive woes;
• Chris Carpenter’s fussy bursa sac;
• Albert Pujols’ fussy right oblique;
• and the swift reaction to it;
• Sidney Ponson;
• the late-June thrashings from the White Sox and Tigers
• Jason Marquis;
• all the get-your-hopes-up trade rumors;
• the poor first impression of trade-deadline activity;
• Jeff Weaver’s difficult first few weeks;
• Jason Isringhausen;
• the nearly complete loss of confidence of the fans;
• Mark Mulder;
• nearly being no-hit by the great Ramon Ortiz;
• and the near collapse in September.

Like I said, nobody’s gonna remember that crap. But it took all that bad stuff to make the World Series win that much sweeter. We went through a lot this summer as fans; this fall was the return on our emotional investment.

And what a return it was. Say it with me now:

World Series champions.