Technology, a Vacuum, and the MVP..

Cardinals hitting coach, Mark McGwire, at the World Series Parade.  We remember him for his homeruns, but in reality, he became one of the most patient hitters at the plate later in his career.  He preaches a philosophy of "working the count" and making a pitcher come to you with pitches you can hit within the strike zone.  It's not a new philosophy, just one that may surprise you coming from someone that used to look like his only purpose in life was to hit the ball out of the stadium and miles down the highway.  Below, Mark uses modern technology to remember the parade for himself.  He was always fairly shy with media when a player, and this may seem cool, but in my opinion it shows he still remains a bit disconnected from fans.  He never really waved, only smiled, as he hid behind his sunglasses (on a cloudy day)....and behind his iPad, pretending to be more interested in other things.  Oh well, I still like the guy.  We can't all be outgoing spokespeople.

This angle provided a pretty cool shot, though, of McGwire recording the crowd as he passed by.

The chant "MV-Freese" could be heard as World Series MVP David Freese rode by.  This guy has been on a whirlwind like I've never seen before since winning both the National League Championship Series and World Series MVP honors.  He is one of the few to ever be this hot as a hitter down the stretch and claim both honors in the same season.

The "vacuum" referenced Rafael Furcal's glove at shortstop during the playoffs.  Again, "one of the few" to ever make it through the entire post season without making a single error at his position, Furcal was a huge part, defensively, of the Cardinals' run to glory.  I love Ozzie Smith, being that I'm from St. Louis, but I don't think even The Wizard made it through a World Series run without committing a single error, but in fairness to him, I haven't looked, either.