Local experts choose Red Sox to beat Cardinals in six games

The Boston Red Sox will win the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals but it will take at least six games.

That was the opinion shared by five of six people interviewed who have extensive baseball backgrounds. The other went with the Cards.

The Red Sox became the first team in major league history to rally from a 3-0 deficit to win the final four games of their series against the Yankees. St. Louis overcame a 3-2 series deficit to eliminate Houston in seven games.

“It should be a great series. It’s a great match-up,” said Orono native and Toronto Blue Jays third base coach Brian Butterfield, who now resides in Standish and is picking the Red Sox in six games.

“I think it’s Boston’s year. I like Boston’s pitching especially if [Curt] Schilling can come back and pitch the way he did at Yankee Stadium [in game six]. But St. Louis knows how to play the game. They have a great manager in Tony LaRussa, a great coaching staff and the middle of their lineup is an American League type of lineup,” said Butterfield.

“[Albert] Pujols may be the most dominant righthanded hitter in baseball. Then you look at [Scott] Rolen and Larry Walker. Rolen is the best third baseman in baseball and Walker, at one point, was one of the best players in the game,” he added. “[Edgar] Renteria is one of the game’s most underrated shortstops over the last 8-10 years. He’s an outstanding defensive player and is a big-time producer offensively. They’ve got quite a lineup.”

Schilling had to have his ailing ankle sutured before he pitched game six against New York.

University of Maine baseball coach Paul Kostacopoulos chose the Red Sox in seven games.

“But I reserve that prediction based on whether or not Schilling can pitch as well as he did last time. My only fear is that he can’t. If he can do it again twice, they’re going to win,” said Kostacopoulos. “I love the match-up. They are two great franchises in two very passionate cities.

“They’re similar in a lot of ways. They score a lot of runs. Both lineups scare you from top to bottom,” added Kostacopoulos. “They both try to hit home runs and bunch together big innings. But the Red Sox have better higher-end starting pitching.”

He said the Cards are better defensively.

“They’re difference-makers defensively. They can impact the outcome of a game,” said the Bear coach.

He gives LaRussa and his veteran coach staff an edge in that department and wondered how the Red Sox will fare in St. Louis without the designated hitter.

“The National League teams have a definite advantage in their home park. It’s always easier to add a hitter. It’s harder to take one out,” said Kostacopoulos.

Former University of Maine All-American and National League Cy Young Award runnerup Billy Swift went with the Sox in six “because their offense is pretty solid, they’re riding high after winning four in a row and their starting rotation is a little bit better.”

Swift feels St. Louis is the better defensive team and said Cardinals catcher Mike Matheny is “unbelievable” defensively.

He also called LaRussa a “great manager.”

Husson College baseball coach John Winkin is going with the Sox in seven “because the Cardinals don’t have any starters who can match Schilling and Pedro [Martinez] and [St. Louis closer Jason] Isringhausen can’t match [Sox closer] Keith Foulke.

“Outside of that, most of the other edges go to the Cardinals. St. Louis has a great lineup and they’re a great defensive team,” said Winkin. “And Tony LaRussa is a great manager. It’s amazing they got to where they are with that pitching staff. LaRussa is amazing. The way he handles the pitching staff is superb and he always has the right people in the right place at the right time.”

Winkin questioned the Red Sox going with knuckleballer Tim Wakefield as their game one starter and that’s one of the primary reasons Washington Academy of East Machias baseball coach Blaine Steeves is going with St. Louis in six.

“If Schilling was pitching Game 1 and Pedro was going in Game 2, I’d feel a lot better,” said Steeves, a life-long Red Sox fan. “I’d give St. Louis an edge in the bullpen and they did have the best record in baseball.”

Steeves also speculated that the Red Sox may be drained after rallying to beat the Yankees.

“They played two extra-inning games and it was a very emotional series,” said Steeves. “Then there’s a question mark about Schilling. He pitched on guts the other night and that can only take you so far. There are a lot of question marks concerning Boston. I don’t have a good feeling.”

Ashland High School baseball coach Ben Lothrop is going with the Sox in six because of a superior pitching staff “and they’ve got the momentum. Even though Schilling is hurt, I know he’ll pitch well. And [Manny] Ramirez and [David] Ortiz will play great. I think the Red Sox pitchers will do a better job shutting down St. Louis’ superstars than theirs will [shutting down the Red Sox superstars].

“And It’s their time to break the [86-year-old] curse,” added Lothrop.