Brian Rosener is the keeper of the Semoball Cup which is presented to the school with the most successful season. It is based on a formula that takes into account the combined winning percentage of all sports teams plus bonus points for advancement in postseason play for both teams and individuals. The bonus points are divided by the number of teams a school fields. Rosener has been the sports editor for the Daily American Republic in Poplar Bluff, Mo. since December 2001. He was born and raised in St. Louis, where he attended Lindbergh High School and Webster University. He is married to Jennifer, a Poplar Bluff native, has a son Jack and a dog named Satchel who stands in for his @semoballBrian photo.

Need a reason to watch World Series?

Posted Tuesday, October 21, 2008, at 10:45 PM

Here are five good reasons to watch this year's World Series (starting at 7 p.m. Wednesday on FOX):

1. Game 1 starters Tampa Bay's Scott Kazmir against Philadelphia's Cole Hamels may be the best lefty-lefty matchup since Kaat-Koufax in '65. Well, maybe it's more like Frank Viola against Joe Magrane in Game 1 of the '87 series, but here's two young lefties (both 24) starting the biggest game of their career. Kazmir has a little more big league experience (3.61 ERA in 244 career starts) than Hamels (3.43 ERA in 84 starts) but both have been described as the next Tom Glavine.

2. Ryan Howard The Phillies' big first baseman has yet to go deep this postseason and is hitting .258 (8-for-31) in the playoffs. This from a guy that hit 48 homers and drove in 146 runs. If you didn't already know, he graduated from Lafayette HS in St. Louis in 1998 and attended Southwest Missouri State

3. Evan Longoria Rookie third baseman for the Rays has hit six home runs in his first 11 postseason games, after hitting .272 with 27 homers during the regular season.

4. Brad Lidge closing out a game Cardinal fans beware, this is not the same Brad Lidge that Albert Pujols sent into therapy. He's converted all 41 save opportunities not counting the All-Star Game, which is why the Series starts in the worse ballpark south of Minnesota. During the regular season he gave up just two homers in 69-plus innings. (Didn't the Cardinals pass on this guy to keep Izzy?)

5. The Triple-A Rays vs. The Fightn' Phils This series has something for everybody to root for with a young team that has one of the lowest payrolls in a smaller market (TB) against a long-suffering big city team (Sorry Cub fans, the Phils have more losses than any professional sport and their one title was in 1980).

My pick, no clue. Rays could win because the team with the longest layoff (Colorado and Detroit for example) has not done well in recent years. However, I think the Phillies are the better team with the better bullpen, so maybe they'll win it in a longer series.

Comments

View 1 comment

Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. Please note that those who post comments on this website may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.

I always look forward to the world series, and 2008 will be no exception! I posted the following on another blog (Brian Rhodes): "I am really fed up with people telling me (and others) who we want in the World Series! If the Cardinals can't make it, I still have no problem enjoying the "Fall Classic." If the series cannot exist without the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, or another large market team, then let's simply disband all other teams; therefore assuring only the large market teams make it to the series!"

I have no ties whatsoever with the Rays, but have no trouble watching Evan Longoria, B.J. Upton, Carl Crawford, and now, even "David Price!" I've also in the past pulled for the National League team, but this year, will be content with which ever team wins it all!

-- Posted by semo7178 on Wed, Oct 22, 2008, at 2:19 PM

Respond to this blog

Posting a comment requires free registration:

If you already have an account, follow this link to login
Otherwise, follow this link to register