2006 World Series Position Comparison

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Position	Detroit Tigers	Edge		St. Louis Cardinals
1B	If manager Jim Leyland chooses to play Carlos Guillen at short, Chris Shelton, who struck out 107 times in 373 at-bats, will play at first and bat 6th, 7th or 8th.	-		Albert Pujols is the man at the plate and very efficient at first. Home run power galore, he can change the game with one swing. May be the biggest edge in the series.
2B	Placido Polanco - solid hitter with .295 regular season average. Not loads of range, but gets the job done. He's a tough out and will usually bat second or third in the order.	-	-	Ronnie Belliard will bat 8th or 9th in the order, but does all the basics - moving runners over and bunting - well and is steady in the field. He probably won't factor into much except double plays and good play on defense.
3B	Brandon Inge - doesn't hit for average, but does get the timely home run and is a solid defensive third baseman. Bats near the bottom of the order with .253 average.	-		Scott Rolen has struggled through injuries, but looks to be healthy enough to play every day. Superb in the field and at the plate, has power to left and center and is patient at the plate.
SS	Carlos Guillen - led the team in BA at .320, but hit only .188 in the ALCS. Tigers didn't need his bat against punchless A's. Stole 20 bases in 2006. Usually plays shortstop, but an injury to Sean Casey forced him into action at 1st, where he is barely an adequate fielder, but very steady, though without much range at short.		-	David Eckstein is about as gritty and gutsy a player you'll ever see. He's undersized and under appreciated, but what he lacks in ability, he makes up for with heart and knowledge of game situations. He's the secret weapon for the Cardinals.
RF	Magglio Ordonez - the leader on the team with 104 RBI in the regular season, he crashed 24 homers and his pair in Game 4 of the ALCS sealed the deal for the Tigers. Can be streaky at the plate, but when on, is a dangerous pull hitter.		-	Juan Encarnacion - steady bat and glove, though unspectacular. Has delivered in the post-season and down the stretch when the Cards needed healthy players.
CF	Curtis Granderson - youthful, exuberant and fast. If he gets on consistently, he'll be trouble and the Tigers will score runs. Hit only .260 during the regular season, but picked it up in the playoffs. An average fielder, he makes up for mistakes with blazing speed. Stole only 8 bases in 2006, and struck out 174 times.	-		Jim Edmonds had somewhat of a down year, battled injuries, but still is one of the best defensive center fielders in the game. Good power to all fields, but whiffs a bit too often.
LF	Craig Monroe - a developing power hitter, his HR totals have improved every year from 2004 through '06. Hit 28 with 92 RBI this season and usually bats 3rd.		-	Preston Wilson has filled in admirably in the one spot the Cards needed a player. He'll bat 2nd most of the time, but fails to make contact on too many occasions to be dependable. Speedy and an asset in the field.
C	Ivan Rodriguez. What can you say about Pudge, except that he's the consummate ballplayer, tough in the clutch, can hit for power on occasion and can also steal a base. Flawless defensively, he's the heart and soul of the Tigers.		-	Yadier Molina - had the big blast in game seven and has been red hot in the post-season. An outstanding defensive catcher, he may be emerging as the second coming of Pudge.
Starters	Jeremy Bonderman, Nate Robertson, Justin Verlander and Kenny Rogers comprise a knock out rotation. Tigers led the majors in ERA and these guys have been consistently good in the post season.		-	Jeff Weaver and Jeff Suppan found their best stuff in the playoffs and have pitched well. Ace Chris Carpenter has not been on his game, however. La Russa may have to shorten his rotation and if so, Weaver could pitch games 1, 4 and 7, with Carpenter in games 2 and 5, Suppan would start games 3 and 6. Anthony Reyes could figure into the mix, but only if he starts game 1 or is used in long relief.
Bullpen	Wilfredo Ledezma is the long reliever, then Fernando Rodney, set-up man Joel Zumaya gives the Tigers tough pitchers in tight situations.	-	-	Josh Kinney and Randy Flores are the most dependable guys out of the pen. If Bradon Looper regains some control, he could figure into the mix.
Closer	Todd Jones saved 37 games in 2006 and was lights out in post-season play.	-	-	Rookie Adam Wainwright didn't allow an earned run in the post-season though 6 2/3 innings and finished by striking out Carlos Beltran. He took over late in the year for the injured Jason Isringhausen and has performed very well.
Bench	With the DH in play, the Tigers can get Marcus Thames into the mix. Maybe the next star in the making, Thames had 26 homers in just 348 at-bats. Also, Alexis Gomez rose to the occasion in the ALCS with a timely homer, plus they have shortstop Ramon Santiago for defense.	-		La Russa has a complete arsenal on the bench, from Scott Spezio, who will play at DH in Detroit, to So Taguchi, who delivers big hits in the clutch. There's also Chris Duncan who hit 22 homers in the regular season and John Rodriguez, who batted 301. Aaron Miles can fill in at 2nd and, along with Taguchi, can steal a base.
Manager	Jim Leyland knows how to win ball games and has everything in place for the World Series. He'll be on his game against the best in the business.	-		Tony La Russa is among the most accomplished active managers in baseball and he's probably itching for some more bling. He's got nothing to lose, but always plays percentages and he's got a team with momentum and heart. Tough to beat.
Intangibles	Thanks to the AL All-Stars the Tigers get home field advantage, which puts the DH into play and gives them games 1, 2, and if necessary, 6 and 7 at home. They have had a week off, so they may be rusty or ready, probably a little of both, depending on the player. The long rest may actually hurt the pitching staff, having been out of action and their regular rotation for so long. But the Tigers are on a 7-game win streak and are playing with lots of confidence.	-		The Cardinals have been here before, losing four straight in 2004 to the unstoppable Red Sox. They were humbled then, but Edmonds, Pujols, Rolen, Carpenter, and others have found their way back and won't want to leave without rings. The National Leaguers will be ultra-tough mentally and La Russa is a mastermind, especially in his ability to juggle the lineup. The DH actually may give him a slight edge.
Summary	The Tigers swept through the playoffs, losing their first game to the Yankees, but winning seven straight since then. Neither the Bombers nor the A's really put up much of a fight, so they'll be facing a very game and focused group in the Cardinals. The pitching edge is clearly with the Tigers, but the Cards have big, dangerous bats in Pujols, Rolen and Edmonds, their pitching has come around at the right time and they have a large edge in experience. Both of these teams faltered badly down the stretch in the final month of the regular season. The Tigers actually gave up first place and got in as the wild card. The Cards hung on to their division lead, barely. They've been putting games together in the playoffs and a lot of credit has to go to the managers. The Tigers will be heavy favorites, but there's plenty to like about the way the Cardinals battled the Mets to earn their way. The Tigers don't really get an advantage with the DH, but the Cardinals have a big leg up without one. If they get to St. Louis tied at 1-1, the Cards may put out the lights, but this one probably will go 6 or 7, with the Cardinals taking the title.