Mark McGwire Is Not Here (To Talk About the Past)

Disconnected observations from an initially promising, ultimately ugly Game 4:

Detroit's starting pitcher Jeremy Bonderman should tour spring-training camps next February to demonstrate proper bunting mechanics to every American League position player.  Bunting is a lost art, but Bonderman's sacrifice in the 6th to move Inge to second was lovely.

In this game we saw this World Series' first stolen bases, and with them a glimpse of the amazing arm strength of Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina.  In the 7th inning, Molina snatched up a low-and-inside Josh Kinney curveball and gunned it to second from his knees.  The throw was perfect but missed the baserunner, Carlos Guillen, by a millisecond.  To repeat:  Molina nearly threw a guy out from his knees--i.e., using only his upper body--off a curveball.  It might have been the most remarkable throw I've ever seen a catcher make.

Can Detroit win this World Series?  We now have to make predictions on a game-by-game basis, which in baseball is impossible.  So the best we can do, I think, is to observe that the Tigers did win three straight ALDS games against the Yankees.  And to hope the Series does go seven, and that the elusive Mark McGwire, the most celebrated Cardinal of the past twenty-five years, throws out the first pitch before the ultimate game.  That would be interesting.