Cards vs. Cubs: Tradition vs. trendy

They own the three best records in the major leagues and all play in the National League Central.

Fall baseball is in the air in Chicago for the first time in years, and the Cubs faithful turned out in droves Wednesday night throughout area bars and restaurants to watch the North Siders advance into the next round of the playoffs. The sign was posted in windows of a building that faces PNC Park, where the Cubs will take on the Pirates, also known as the Bucs, for the NL wild-card game Wednesday night. The 2002 American League West had the Oakland A’s with 103 wins, followed by the Los Angeles Angels at 99 and the Seattle Mariners with 93 victories.

The Cardinals will face the Chicago Cubs for the first time in post-season history, in a National League Division Series.

The Cardinals will open divisional series play Friday against the victor of the Chicago Cubs-Pittsburgh Pirates playoff game.

Since the majors updated the rules in 2012, the two teams with the best records that didn’t win their division square off in a one game winner-take-all playoff.

Epstein’s home-grown Cubs, with manager Joe Maddon at the dugout’s top step, are going to be a factor for the foreseeable future.

Game times for Game 3 (and a possible Game 4) at Wrigley Field Monday, October 12 and Tuesday, October 13 will be set later, as they depend in part on results of the other series.

What gives: Mike Hazen, Boston’s new general manager, spent five years in the Indians front office before joining the Red Sox in 2006. “Having to go up against them, there was no shortcut, no years of backing into winning a division”. “Our friendship will go beyond this game, will go beyond this career, but come tomorrow, we’re not buddies anymore”.

But let’s forget about all of these teams for a second. We have to realize that.

St. Louis: The Cardinals are in their fifth consecutive postseason on the strength of their ninth 100-victory season in club history. The left-handed and long-bearded ace went 20-8 in the regular season with a 2.48 earned-run average and tormented the Yankees this season, winning twice in The Bronx without allowing a run in the process.

[MORE: Why Cubs believe Jake Arrieta could be unstoppable in October]. “Otherwise, we can’t compete with the Yankees and Red Sox”. I was in Ireland this week and all they could talk about over there is Cubs, Cubs, Cubs.

“No, no, no, that’s wrong”.

Were the Cubs to eliminate the Cardinals in the Division Series, we would never hear the end of it. Imagine a volcano that erupts only once every 10,000 years – that is the level of molten bile we would see bubble to the surface.

“Same thing with Yankee Stadium. Not to go Frank Sinatra right there”. Even the College World Series is double elimination. It was pretty firm. I want everybody to know that. He has treated each game as no more important than any other game this season. Only difference is their bullpen is not as strong as last season. They get lots of extra base hits, but with a few exceptions – Curtis Granderson, Lucas Duda and Daniel Murphy – they don’t get on base almost enough to take advantage.

“The “Cardinal Way” is a real thing”. There was no let-up for anybody. And the variety of teams that are making it to the playoffs without any expectations like this, it’s a great time for baseball. It’s great for us.

Only the Toronto Blue Jays (+229) have a better run differential number than St. Louis (+134), yet the Cardinals aren’t ranked near the top in any important offensive metric.