NLCS Reunites Old Rivals

12/10/2006 | By Nick T. Chesterfield

Some younger baseball fans may not even know that this year’s National League Championship Series reunites old rivals.

The New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals, who started their series this week, duked it out for National League East supremacy in the ‘80s. Since then, they have met just once in postseason play. That was in the 2000 NLCS, which the Mets won in five games.

But the 2006 series may not match up to their previous battles, as both teams are hobbled by injuries.

New York began the postseason limping, particularly in the bullpen, with starting hurlers Pedro Martinez and Orlando Hernandez both injured. Rookie John Maine and veteran Tom Glavine have filled in admirably, as the Mets rolled in a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS to advance to their first LCS since that last meeting with the Cardinals in 2000.

Despite the lack of depth in their starting rotation, New York, which will be playing in its sixth NLCS, still has the best lineup of the teams that remain in the postseason. The Mets seemed destined for their fifth-ever World Series appearance.

St. Louis advanced to its third straight and fifth NLCS in seven years after beating the NL West champion San Diego Padres in four games. Albert Pujols was an absolute monster through first two games for the NL Central champion Cards and continues to add to his impressive postseason resume.

If there is a team left in the postseason that has a shakier starting staff than New York it is St. Louis, which has reigning and potential NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter and that’s about it. Hopefully the Cards can get two games out of their ace, but they might already be in a two-game hole when he takes the hill in Game 3.

Few teams have the postseason pedigree of the Cardinals, who will be playing in their ninth NLCS and will be trying to get to their 17th Fall Classic.

New York won four of their six matchups with the Cardinals this season, but are just 8-17 versus St. Louis since the start of the 2003 campaign. The Cards have also won 11 of 13 at home in this series in that time, while splitting 12 meetings in Flushing.