With the 2013 Major League Baseball postseason officially underway after both Wild Card games were recently completed, fans of the MLB are once again excited about entering the Divisional round of the playoffs. Jumpstarting the National League slate will be the talented St. Louis Cardinals and a charged-up Pittsburgh Pirates team, who hope to make the most of their first postseason appearance since 1992. Pittsburgh took down the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Wild Card game to begin the 2013 playoffs and as they prepare for a tough trip to St. Louis, manager Clint Hurdle remains confident in his club's ability to win big games for the simple fact that they remain relaxed.
"Our guys have been able to really find a good place where they've all attached themselves to a common goal, and nobody cares who gets the credit," Hurdle said. "The '07 Rockies and '10 Rangers both had that same mindset. It sounds simple, it sounds easy. I've been in this game getting close to 40 years, and I haven't been on 40 teams that all had that mindset, where truthfully everybody has the same goal in mind. Nobody cares who gets the credit. You're going to show up that day, ready to play, ready to do whatever is asked of you, and that's it. If you're not in the lineup, you're not in the lineup and you move on. That's what I've seen these men grow to get to that place. It's provided the biggest benefit for us in the long run."
While Pittsburgh has put together a truly remarkable season, the St. Louis Cardinals - who won World Series Championships in 2006 and 2011 - are once again capable of claiming another title. Though high-profile players including pitcher Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina, Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday are the backbone of the team, manager Mike Matheny does a great job of keeping the club together while making decisions that ultimately put them in the best position to win.
"Mike has a way with words," Wainwright said recently. "He's an uplifter. He's an encourager. From a moment of weakness where you begin to doubt your ability or question your role on the team, then you have the guy who is putting out the starting lineup every day tell you that you have a place and that you don't have anything to worry about. All of a sudden, you're confident and get right back in a rhythm."
Two of the best managers in the game will have the opportunity to put their talents on display when an extremely enticing Divisional Series gets underway from Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri.
NLDS Game 1: St. Louis vs. Pittsburgh - DATE, TIME & TV INFO
DATE: Thursday, October 3
TIME: 5:07pm, ET
TV COVERAGE: TBS
LIVE STREAM: CLICK HERE
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