St. Louis Cardinals seek redemption for the 2004 World Series

This week’s World Series match-up is the fourth such one between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox.

They previously played in 1946, 1967, and 2004. The Cardinals own a 2-1 record in the World Series.

Oct 18, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; Members of the St. Louis Cardinals including Michael Wacha (52) celebrate on the field after game six of the National League Championship Series baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Busch Stadium. Image Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

There’s a storyline here but it’s not the “no-fun” team against that team with those wacky beards. No, it’s the redemption for the way the Cardinals played during the 2004 World Series. You know, the best Cardinals team in franchise history to have not won a World Series.

Don’t call it a rematch of 2004 because it isn’t. These are not the same clubs, exactly. There’s only one player that played in the World Series in 2004 that is still on the Cardinals roster: Yadier Molina. He’s seeking his third World Series ring. Another player on that 2004 roster is Mike Matheny and he’s managing the Cardinals this time around.

Chris Carpenter was on that 2004 team but due to injury, he was not able to pitch in the postseason. You know he wants this badly and he’ll be one of the biggest fans and teammates rooting them on.

John Mabry was a bench player for those 2004 Cardinals and he is not the team’s hitting coach.

Gone are Albert Pujols, Jim Edmonds, Scott Rolen, Larry Walker, Ray Lankford, Reggie Sanders, Tony Womack, and So Taguchi.

This isn’t the same pitching rotation. It’s not Matt Morris, Jeff Suppan, Carpenter, Woody Williams, Jason Marquis, and Dan Haren. Or as Tim McKernan puts it: