Final Thoughts On The 2013 World Series

Oct 30, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher

(19) reacts with catcher

(3) and teammates after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in game six of the MLB baseball World Series at Fenway Park. Red Sox won 6-1. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals have lost the 2013 World Series to the Boston Red Sox, losing 6-1 in Game 6. Here is my final thoughts on the 2013 World Series.

– This was still an amazing season for the St. Louis Cardinals. Losing the World Series doesn’t feel good but after this hurt passes, Cardinals fans should look back on this season with pride. This team was one of only 19 St. Louis Cardinals teams to win an NL pennant. Getting to the World Series was no easy feat. Unlike in the past, the Cardinals couldn’t just win the NL pennant by having the best record. They had to earn it against the Pirates and the Dodgers. Congratulations to the Cardinals on an amazing season.

Now that the praise is out of the way, here are some things I feel the Cardinals need to improve on.

– I will go into more details in the coming days but I feel that this was the final game for David Freese as a Cardinal. He’ll always be remembered for his 2011 heroics but he was MIA this entire World Series. Not to mention the emergence of Kolton Wong and the ability of Matt Carpenter to play multiple infield positions, I don’t think the Cardinals will shell out the money for the St. Louis native. I do believe he will get $4-7 million per year in his next contract but I don’t believe it will be with the Cardinals.

– Michael Wacha collapsing during Game 6 was predictable. The Cardinals were playing with house money in September and October. Now, will he continue to be dominate or will he collapse under the weight of higher expectations?

– The biggest “What if?’ of this World Series will be why wasn’t Shelby Miller used at all? I understand the philsophy of using the hottest pitchers available and I believe that the starting pitchers for the Cardinals in this series was very effective. However, you can’t use Shelby Miller at all during the postseason? That was one of the many head scratching decisions made by Mike Matheny.

– Allen Craig should be recognized for his gutsy performance in this series. He did a fantastic job stepping up in the World Series. Matt Adams could still play first base and move Allen Craig to the right field if the Cardinals decide not sign Carlos Beltran.

– The Cardinals have so much talent that I think it’s going to be difficult to get everyone on the field. I think this will a huge offseason for the Cardinals. Will they move some of the plethora of prospects they have for proven veterans? Or will they stand pat? I don’t believe standing pat is the way to go in the MLB but don’t expect any huge moves.

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