Here we go. The 2011 World Series starts tonight between the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals. Did anyone think that these two teams would be in it at the end? Sure the Rangers were the defending AL pennant winners, but there was that feeling around the league that they were a one-and-done team. I mean, can you blame anyone for thinking this? The Rangers hadn’t won a playoff series EVER before last year. In fact, many prognosticators last year didn’t believe they’d beat Tampa, and no one gave them a shot against the Yankees. Of course Texas ended up running into the buzzsaw that was the San Francisco Giants, and they looked like “the little team who wanted to”.

When the playoffs started this year, although Texas was back in the hunt, there were plenty of experts predicting the Tigers, and even more predicting the Yankees. But low and behold, the Rangers defeated the Tigers in six and handedly (15-5) punched their ticket to the Fall Classic for the second straight year.

St. Louis, probably even less likely than the Rangers, managed to scratch and claw their way into the World Series with some help from the collapsing Braves, a rare playoff loss by Cliff Lee, and sheer will in overpowering the Braves while not having a quality start from their rotation in the NLCS (a lack of quality starting pitching is something they share with the Rangers).

Both teams have tremendous bullpens. Both teams have power at the plate. Both teams have charismatic managers. It’s hard to dislike either team. But someone has to win; and someone has to go home, knowing they came so close. Who will it be? Will the Cards finally get the starting pitching they had during the NLDS? Will Nelson Cruz continue his insane streak of clutch HRs? Will Ogando and the Rangers’ bullpen once again prove to be too much for the opposition? Some of these questions will be answered starting tonight. I think we’re all in for a treat of a series. What’s not to like about these two feel-good franchises?