Jim Edmonds, Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen are among the greatest sluggers in baseball today. The Cardinals' defense is more than satisfactory with Edmonds patrolling centerfield, Scott Rolen at third base and a more-than-reliable catcher in Mike Matheny behind the plate. But the kudos for this club ends there.

I know they won 105 games, and that they have the all-knowing Tony LaRussa as their manager. Are they a potent and talented team? Absolutely. Are they a favorite to win the World Series? Not quite.

I'm writing off the Cardinals from the World Series because of their pitching.

For starters, ace Chris Carpenter missed the first round of the playoffs and may be out longer. Their team leader in wins, Jeff Suppan, is not in the post-season rotation. This leaves them with three right-handed starters by the names of Woody Williams, Jason Marquis and Matt Morris. Morris and Williams, although solid starters, have battled injuries all season and are not the same pitchers who combined to win nearly 40 games one year ago. Jason Marquis, who was lucky even to be in the majors at the beginning of the season, doesn't exactly keep teams from sleeping the night before.

If we've learned one thing in the playoffs over the years, it is that pitching is the key to getting to the World Series. The great Yankee teams in the mid and late 1990's along with the most recent World Series victors (most notably Arizona and Florida) all had superb pitching staffs. That said, I like the chances of teams such as Houston and, dare I say Boston, both who have formidable aces.

In a seven game series the Cardinals will have to face Roger Clemens and Roy Oswalt twice. If they get past them, they have the pleasure of facing Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez twice in the World Series. And keep in mind that the Astros and Red Sox don't have lineups resembling those of the Brewers and Pirates that the Cardinals so often faced in the regular season.

I also believe that in the league championship series and the World Series, the vast majority of games will be be decided by no more than three runs. That is where the bullpens will play a major role, and with the exception of Jason Isringhausen, the Cardinals don't have what one would call a dominant pen.

Steve Kline, Ray King and Julian Tavarez are respectable middle relievers. However it is hard to name anyone besides them. The Red Sox have Keith Foulke along with the duo of Mike Timlin and Alan Embree. The Astros have stud Brad Lidge closing the door on teams.

It is safe to assume that the Cardinals will have to face teams with superior pitching staffs to their own and that as good as they are, Pujols and Rolen aren't going to go four for five with three R.B.I.s every single game.

I believe that the Astros will move on to play the Red Sox in the World Series. As we know from the All-Star game's "This Time it Counts" theme, the Red Sox, will play more games at Fenway than in Busch Stadium. Sox versus Cardinals World Series? Why not? More likely than a Yankees vs. Cardinals World Series. But less likely than an Astros vs. Red Sox return of the rocket themed World Series.

Sure, the Cardinals have the best record and probably the best lineup in the Majors, but they're not necessarily the best team in the majors. Just ask the 2001 Seattle Mariners, who won 116 games, if having the best record means anything? They couldn't get past the second round of the playoffs, courtesy of the Yankees. Funny how Steinbrenner's nine were the last team with the best regular season record to win it all.