La Russa on one of his finest runs

MILWAUKEE

The "Moneyball" era has been with us so long that the mainstream movie is here, portraying A's skipper Art Howe as a middle-management sap.

At Miller Park, however, the Cardinals wrapped up the "Moneyball" prequel. For if anything defines this unlikely National League champion, it is the ferocity of manager Tony La Russa -- the man who, as fate would have it, preceded Howe's tour of duty in Oakland.

St. Louis thumped Milwaukee, 12-6, in NLCS Game 6 Sunday night to give the Cardinals their 18th pennant. They host Game 1 of the World Series Wednesday night against Texas, still in search of its first title.

Third baseman David Freese won series MVP honors, and deservedly so, but there's no doubt that La Russa emerged as the star once again. The 67-year-old enters his sixth World Series on one of his finest runs.

His Cardinals made the playoffs on the final day of the regular season, beating out Atlanta and capturing the NL wild card. They outlasted the Phillies in a thrilling five-game NLDS and then beat the Brewers, who had finished six games ahead of them in the NL Central.

This last lap came courtesy of a bold strategy that went something like this: Don't trust your starting pitcher. Abandon him at the first sign of trouble.

In this series' six games, a Cardinals starting pitcher never saw the sixth inning. St. Louis relievers totaled 281/3 innings, succeeding the 241/3 innings logged by the starting pitchers. If La Russa was concerned about hurting any of his pitchers' feelings, he hid his sentiments well.

"In the starters' case, I think it's real clear to them that the pitching coach, the manager, we have their back," La Russa said before Game 6. "And the only thing that changes is the immediacy, and there's no reason to save anything for later, because there may not be a later."

The Brewers and rookie manager Ron Roenicke stood as a stark contrast to La Russa. Milwaukee, in this win-or-go-home contest, tabbed slumping Shaun Marcum to start, passing on the idea of starting ace Yovani Gallardo (who, to be fair, didn't pitch very well in Game 3) on three days' rest.

The Cardinals thumped Marcum for four runs in the first and reliever Chris Narveson for one in the second and four in the third. And when the Brewers' bats kept it close, lighting up St. Louis starter Edwin Jackson for four runs in two innings, La Russa repeated his strategy.

Five relievers -- Fernando Salas, Mark Rzepczynski, Octavio Dotel, Lance Lynn and Jason Motte -- picked up the 21 outs needed to silence Milwaukee's strong offense and return to baseball's promised land. They teamed to allow only two runs and three hits in that span.

In this regular season of the pitcher, the two teams left standing carry great lineups and great bullpens to complement decent but not elite starting rotations. They field managers who are anything but cookie cutters; the hard-edged La Russa will match wits against the Rangers' beloved, philosophizing, risk-taking Ron Washington.

The Cardinals made it after dealing talented centerfielder Colby Rasmus to Toronto in a multi-package deal that included Jackson, Rzepczynski and Dotel. It was not, to say the least, a deal that most clubs -- many of whom have embraced the "Moneyball" principles -- would have executed.

But La Russa, backed by St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak, always has abided by his own principles. They have served him quite well. And onward he goes, in quest of a third championship for himself and 11th for his team.