I defy anybody to watch this video and tell me that Scott Rolen was not deliberately trying to run down Brandon Inge as he rounded third base during the sixth inning of yesterday's World Series game.



I haven't played a lot of baseball, but I've certainly played and watched enough to know that when you're rounding third and heading for home, you cut most of the corner before you touch the bag. In fact, Rolen did just that. However, he clearly saw opportunity, and simultaneously realized that Inge's wild throw to home had been recovered, so he went for it, knowing he'd get the call just because he's a Cardinal.

This happens all too often in sports -- not necessarily cheating, but the predetermined idea of one team deserving to win more than the other suddenly taking root in the minds of officials, announcers, and the public. St. Louis has been a good team for years, whereas the sports world at large still thinks of Detroit as the losers. The Tigers dropped a record-high 119 just three years ago. Last year they didn't even post a winning record. How can they possibly be good enough to win the World Series?

Watching this play unfold, I was strongly reminded of the American League series game in 2004 when Alex Rodriguez slapped the ball out of Doug Mientkiewicz' glove as he approached first base. The only difference was that Rodriguez and New York were the villains in that series. Everyone wanted Boston to beat the Yankers, except for murderers, misanthropes, rapists and Communists. Runner interference is a rare call, but it was justly called on A-Rod then, and it certainly should have been called on Rolen for veering out of the base path, arms extended, attempting to take out one of the Tigers' prominent defensive threats.

Of course, this was run No. 7 of the night for the Cardinals, so even if it were overturned Detroit still would have lost by four. Therefore, keep your eyes open for my next piece, "Albert Pujols' Two-Run Homer in the Third Was an Illusion Caused by Swamp Gas Reflecting Off Venus."