This matchup has lacked ... pretty much everything

	Is Kenny Rogers the villain this series needs? Ron Vesely/Getty Images
	THE WORLD SERIES GAME 5 Cardinals win first title since 1982 | BOX | GRADES BP: Big changes in store for next year's Cardinals BP: Tigers need to add big-time bats this winter DONOVAN: Cardinals complete unlikely run CHEN: Weaver shares moment with kid brother BP: Cardinals were better than their numbers HEYMAN: Redbirds red hot at right time GAME 4 Eckstein, Cardinals take control | BOX | GRADES VERDUCCI: Eckstein wins classic duel with Zumaya DONOVAN: Forces work against Tigers in Game 4 CHEN: Thirty-eight years later, history is repeated BP: Defining clutch and when to deal your ace GAME 3 Carpenter's gem powers Redbirds | BOX | GRADES HEYMAN: Coach says Rogers likely used pine tar VERDUCCI: Carpenter gets a career-defining win CHEN: Carpenter shows he's NL's best pitcher DONOVAN: Tigers terrible in almost every way HEYMAN: La Russa making the right moves BP: Carpenter in complete command GAME 2 Behind Rogers, Tigers pull even | BOX | GRADES DONOVAN: Series exceeds expectations so far HEYMAN: Rogers spotless with, without smudge BP: Is Rogers' success at Comerica legitimate? GAME 1 Reyes rules Tigers in opener | BOX | GRADES DONOVAN: Reyes proves himself on big stage CLOSER LOOK: Leyland lets Pujols beat him BP: Extra week of rest fails to help Tigers GALLERIES Dirt on Rogers | Top Controversies | Headlines Games 1, 2 | Game 3 | Unlikely Heroes | Walkoffs

Also in this column:
• Zumaya's radar gun readings
• Will Glavine return to Mets?
• Sheffield won't go quietly
• More news and notes

ST. LOUIS -- This World Series needs something. As much as I hate to admit it, I think what it needs might be another sleight of hand by Kenny Rogers. This World Series needs to go six so we can read Rogers' palm and his mind. It's the only thing left. It's the only thing that can save it.

I can't say this is the worst World Series ever, but that could be because I haven't seen them all. Just all the ones since 1968, which we've been reminded was the second time these two longtime historic franchises got together. Of course, that series had Bob Gibson, Al Kaline, Lou Brock and Denny McLain. This one has pine tar, and now it has rain. But pine tar's the star so far.

Here's what else is wrong with this Worst (er, World) Series:

1. One of the teams, the one that currently leads two games to one, won a meager 83 games in the regular season. Plus it did that in baseball's worst division, meaning it had baseball's easiest schedule. But I do agree that the Cardinals are better than your usual 83-win team, and I believe them that David Eckstein, Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds needed to get healthy and now they are. I just wonder whether the proceedings are dampened when one of the teams was only slightly better than .500. I'd say this isn't the worst team ever to make the World Series, but they're certainly in the discussion.

2. There's no star power. Albert Pujols is by far the biggest star on either of these teams. He's a tremendous player, but like most of the Cardinals, his greatest goal after winning the World Series is avoiding the spotlight. He was misbehaving so badly in the NLCS that Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, his hometown paper, compared him to Barry Bonds (as a player and a person, yeesh). Since then, Pujols has put on the smiley face. But besides Pujols, the series is decidedly light on megastars. Chris Carpenter is a very fine pitcher, just not the sort to excite the masses. As for the Tigers, their best player is Carlos Guillen, who was finally moved to the No. 3 spot in the order for Game 4, which was rained out. Their biggest name is Ivan Rodriguez, who's surely a Hall of Famer but is one of a few who remains in the 0-fer club so far this Series.

3. There's very little hitting so far (and the fielding hasn't been so hot, either). The Cardinals are outhitting the Tigers .196 to .185 through three games. The Cardinals don't really have a prototype No. 2 hitter or No. 4 hitter (since Pujols bats third), and the nonthreatening Ronnie Belliard batted fifth in Game 3. That's OK. The Tigers have three players -- Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson and Placido Polanco -- who have yet to get a hit. The Tigers are supposed to be a fine fielding team, but so far that hasn't been the case. Third baseman Brandon Inge, who's allegedly excellent, has messed up a couple of plays, and just about all the Tigers pitchers look in need of spring PFP (pitcher fielding practice) drills.

4. The weather stinks. OK, I shouldn't complain; I get a cushy spot inside. In St. Louis it's a nice suite where a lovely woman just handed me a hot chocolate. In Detroit it's a virtual dungeon, but that's OK -- at least it's not 40 degrees and rainy in there.

5. The cities aren't marquee towns. St. Louis is a great baseball town, with great fans (although even their ever-optimistic fans weren't expecting them to get this far). And I'm told Detroit's much improved. If that's so, I'm glad I used to stay in Dearborn every time I went there. The real problem is that both teams are from the same general region of the country, the Midwest. At the risk of sounding New York-centric, the interest would be greater with one of the New York teams (one, but not both, because I firmly believe the last thing this country wanted to see was another Subway Series). Having one New York team gives everyone else a rooting interest. They root against New York. It's good to have a villain, and right now the only villain is the Tigers' Game 6 starter. That's if Game 6 is even necessary. And believe me, at this point Game 6 is definitely necessary.

Attention conspiracy theorists

Tigers players noticed that Joel Zumaya's gun reading was 100 mph on TV but only 95 on the stadium scoreboards, and they wonder what's up with that. Justin Verlander said when he saw the scoreboard readings he worried whether Zumaya was hurt. Told Zumaya was fine, they now are considering it a "scoreboard malfunction.''

Mets feeling good about Glavine

Mets people are confident that Tom Glavine will return, which should be no surprise since that was the intention this spring of adding an option year through 2007. While it would be hard to imagine the Mets exercising an option to pay Glavine $14 million (plus another possible $3 million if he makes the All-Star team), in what may be the most complicated one-year extension ever, he can exercise it for $7.5 million plus $6.5 million in incentives (plus the $3 million All-Star bump). Or they could also work out a compromise for the pitcher 10 career victories from 300.

The Mets should be confident about keeping Carlos Delgado, too. While Delgado would like his $12 million option for 2009 picked up early, it's hard to imagine he'd walk away from the $34.5 million he's due through '08 in any case (it's his right to leave, as a player traded in the middle of a multiyear deal). Teams generally don't exercise options ahead of time, but his Mets bosses love him, so it's possible.