Off-season

I doubt I am alone in dividing the calendar year into not four seasons but two: Baseball season and the off-season. As of this morning, we are officially into the latter (in my eyes, the unofficial end of baseball season is whenever the Yankees play their last game). The St. Louis Cardinals were crowned Major League Baseball champions last night, and deservingly so. As late as mid-August, they were almost as far back in the playoff race as the Boston Red Sox were ahead (sorry, I couldn't resist). But they came storming back, and it wasn't until extra innings on the final game of the regular season that their playoff berth was secured.

Postseason highlights included their Game 5 contest against the Philadelphia Phillies, in which aces Chris Carpenter (St. Louis) and Roy Halladay (Philadelphia) turned in a pitchers' duel for the ages, and Thursday night's dramatic come-from-behind-twice victory in which they were down to their final strike on two separate occasions. Although I had little interest in either the Cardinals or their foe, the Texas Rangers, I will freely admit that it was a terrific series.

The World Series may be over, but the 2011 season is not completely in the books just yet. Over the coming weeks, the regular-season awards will be announced (although the announcements don't come until after the World Series, the selection takes place before the playoffs begin to prevent players' postseason performances from influencing the voters). I have a feeling Justin Verlander will get the Cy Young Award, although I would selfishly prefer to see him named Most Valuable Player so that C.C. Sabathia can receive the Cy Young. And after all the awards have been handed out, it will only be a few more months until pitchers and catchers report to spring training and we do it all again!