Astros in 5. Yes, in 6 max.

We beat Carp and Morris in the last week of the season in Busch (and don't give me this "they weren't trying" nonsense...carp was going for CY award and Morris never phones it in")

You guys don't have Rolen this year...Mulder is ailing, you traded Haren and Calero (both of whom I thought did really well against us last year). You've got Grudzielanek at 2nd and Eckstein in lieu of Renteria (another downgrade). I forget your 3rd-sackers name but he's no Rolen that's for sure.

Sure you have Carp, but has hasn't been tested in the postseason until this year.

We've got Pettitte who's a proven gamer. Clemens, who showed signs of improvement yesterday out of the effin PEN, and Oswalt who can dominate any line-up. Oh yeah, and Backe, who 1-hit you guys last year in Game 5, and is able to truly dominate if he's on.

Also, last year we started a guy named PETER MUNRO in 2 games....he's no longer in baseball.

Your lineup last year had Renteria and Rolen and is replaced by Eckstein and Nunez? And your bullpen this year is far worse-off than last year, as I already said.

Mulder may not be able to pitch... the Astros pitchers will all be well-rested (even after the 18-inning marathon).

Cards fans won't admit...but they are deathly afraid to have to play this team right now.

Sure our lineup lost Kent and Beltran, but we're a different ballclub this year. We're more about speed, and we've got several youngsters itching to prove themselves (Burke, Scott, Taveras).

Plus our bullpen is twice as good as last year. (We'll have Wandy for long-relief, and Qualls and Wheeler are rock-solid as opposed to last year when they were wet-behind-the-ears.).

And playing at MMP will suck for you guys. It gets LOUD in there with the roof on.

All this said, I still think it will be a tough series for us, and it will take us 6 games to beat you guys. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Good luck. Let's just hope for a good, clean, injuyr-free, well-played, well-umpired series that will leave no question as to whom should represent the NL this year!