Which pitching staff has the edge in the World Series?
That's a tough question, but despite the presence of closer Keith Foulke and the Boston Red Sox headliners (Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling), I give the slight edge to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Foulke is better than Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen, and Boston's 1-2 tandem of Pedro and Schilling is tremendous. Still, the Cardinals have four starters who come at hitters and make them put the ball in play. They're smart contact pitchers, and they're backed by an unbelievably talented defense.
Plus, the Cardinals have a couple of lefties in the bullpen to match up with David Ortiz, Johnny Damon and Trot Nixon.
This promises to be an exciting rematch of two storied franchises that met in the 1967 World Series. Here are my thoughts on each pitcher on the two staffs:
St. Louis Cardinals
Boston Red Sox