They call it the World Series, not the World Season. The series is 7 games, the season 162.

You can have a four game losing streak during the season and nobody notices, have one during October and you are remembered as a loser for all time.

No doubt the Red Sox clobbered the Cards, but St. Louis will be back in the hunt next year, I’m not so sure the Red Sox will, especially if they aren’t careful this winter.

Boston should think twice before letting their top free agents walk without a fight. It takes some special nerve to play on the big stage in October, especially when that stage plays in New York 19 times during the year plus the playoffs.

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Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe didn’t back down when the going got tough. If the Sox let these two go and sign for example, untested starters Brad Radke and Matt Clement as replacements, the Curse could return more quickly than anyone in New England would care to see.

Same goes for catcher Jason Varitek and second baseman Mark Bellhorn. Both players stood up in October. It would be a mistake to let them walk too.

My MVP for the series is Curt Schilling. Game one was the slugfest everyone thought the series would be with the Sox winning 11-9. Schilling put the Cards’ bats to sleep for the next three games with his overpowering performance in game two.

Plus how would you like to have your ankle tendons sutured to deep tissue just so you could pitch before 30 million fans.

The world can do without Schilling’s shameless inappropriate political endorsement Thursday morning on national television, but he did come through on the field.

The Cards know that they need a power arm in the rotation. Losing righty starter Chris Carpenter for the playoffs hurt St. Louis immensely. St. Louis should let Matt Morris and Woddy Williams go, then seriously consider adding either Clement or Marlin Carl Pavano to the staff.

Even though the Cards couldn’t hit me in the series, having Larry Walker, Jim Edmonds, Albert Pujols, and Scott Rolen back next year, puts them in good shape to fight the Cubs and Astros in the Central.

St. Louis can replace free agent shortstop Edgar Renteria with Orlando Cabrera, Omar Vizquel, or even Nomar Garciaparra, who will take a one or two year deal to prove he is healthy again.

By decining the option on Moises Alou and offering Sammy Sosa to anyone who will take his contract, the Cubs have made it clear that they are going after outfielder Carlos Beltran.

The Mets are after Beltran too, but would settle for Ranger Alfonso Soriano who they would like to move to the outfield. New York is offering shortstop Jose Reyes who has had trouble with leg injuries his first two years in the majors. If Texas gets Reyes to play short, Michael Young goes back to his original position second base. I like the move for Texas if it happens.

If the Mets strike out in their attempts to get Beltran, they are interested in Sosa. To make the numbers work, the Cubs would get Cliff Floyd and Tom Glavine, reuniting the lefty with Greg Maddux.

Who says the off season doesn’t have its stories too?

Former manager Jim Leyland was very visible during the series in St. Louis. Leyland walked out on the Rockies after a short stay in his last job, but wants to manage again.

The Phillies are interested in Leyland, but might choose former Indian and Rockies skipper Buddy Bell when the dust settles. Bell’s son David is the Phils third baseman and Bell gets along very well with Phils star first baseman Jim Thome, going back to their Cleveland days.

Bell has the personality to be the anti-Larry Bowa. Best guess now, Bell or Grady Little gets the job in Philly.

Insiders say the Yankees are through with pitchers Kevin Brown and Javier Vazquez. Easier said than done with Brown who still has many millions to go on his deal. Vazquez could go to Arizona if Randy Johnson would agree to leave the desert for Broadway.

The Angels’ Troy Glaus is going to test the free agent market next month. Anaheim is still open to the idea of bringing Glaus back once the oft injured third baseman realizes that no one is going to throw a clean 36 million dollar-four year deal his way.

Forget about bringing closer Troy Percival to the Bay Area. Word is that his elbow is still hurting and the doctors are ready to take another look to see what’s wrong.

Something wrong with the Cubs team focus when they get into a feud with their television color analyst who is telling it like it is. Steve Stone chose not to come back to the booth with WGN after a big flap late in the season with Dusty Baker and his players over Stone’s comments. Truth be told, Stone was right in everything he said about the Cubs efforts at the end of the year.

Let’s hope FOX is listening because it’s time to say good bye to their tired sounding, boring national color commentator Tim McCarver.

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