Cardinals’ Bats Suffer Meltdown

When all World Series precincts had reported and the final numbers were tallied, they did not paint a pretty portrait for the St. Louis Cardinals.

A team that led the National League in batting average, runs and slugging percentage and won a major league-high 105 games, hit .190 and scored only three runs in the final three games against the Red Sox.

Cleanup batter Scott Rolen, who hit .314 with 34 home runs and 124 runs batted in this season, went hitless in 15 series at-bats.

No. 5 hitter Jim Edmonds, who hit .301 with 42 homers and 111 runs batted in, had one bunt single in 15 series at-bats and struck out six times.

No. 3 hitter Albert Pujols, who hit .331 with 46 homers and 123 RBIs, hit .333 (five for 15) in the series but had no RBIs. The Cardinals went four for 31 with runners in scoring position and committed two base-running blunders that were costly in Tuesday night’s Game 3 loss.

“This is the biggest stage there is, and a lot of fans were tuning us in for the first time,” St. Louis Manager Tony La Russa said. “To them, they’re going to think this is what we are. While it was a tough loss to take, it’s tougher to take that perception. But it was up to us to do something about it.”

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Dave Roberts, a former Dodger outfielder who was traded to the Red Sox in July, did not play in the World Series, but he said amid the clubhouse celebration that “this is the best feeling I’ve ever had.

“We all had a plan to win the World Series, and it didn’t matter how. This is something no one can ever take from you.”

Though Roberts wasn’t a factor in the World Series, he is credited with the play that turned the Red Sox’s postseason around. Trailing by a run in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the American League championship series, with Yankee closer Mariano Rivera on the mound, Roberts stole second and eventually scored the tying run.

The Red Sox won that night in extra innings, starting an eight-game win streak that culminated with Wednesday night’s World Series-clinching win over the Cardinals.

“Without a doubt, it took all 25 guys to win this thing,” Roberts said.

“Everyone let me know I was a huge part of this deal. It was all about the team.”

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Manny Ramirez, a year ago headed for the Texas Rangers in a proposed trade for Alex Rodriguez, was most valuable player in the Red Sox’s first World Series championship in 86 years.

Their luck, clearly, has turned.

In a clubhouse thick with players and their families and most of the credentialed media members of North America, Ramirez shouted and laughed and slapped at a T-shirt darkened by $10 drink.

Above the din, he shouted, “I never thought I would get to this point. But, let me tell you, before I went to spring training, I told my wife, ‘Hey, I’m going to be the MVP of something.”

Ramirez had one of his finest seasons, then batted .412 with a home run and four RBI in the World Series.

The left fielder also threw out a runner at the plate in the first inning of Game 3. He thus became the fifth outfielder to win a World Series MVP, along with Frank Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Reggie Jackson and Pedro Guerrero.

Of his two stated goals, a championship ring and a Hall-of-Fame plaque, he has eliminated one.

“That’s two things that nobody can take away from you,” he said.

Terry Francona would argue for 25 things, one for each member of his roster. The MVP might as easily gone to Keith Foulke or Mark Bellhorn or David Ortiz, or any one of their final three starters, Curt Schilling, Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe.

“I’m thrilled for Manny,” Francona said, “but we talked so much about a team concept that I’m a little uncomfortable going much farther than that.

“That’s how you win, when people do special things. We had a lot of special people do special things.”