Rooting for the (Previously) Unrootable

All eyes on you, Lackey.

I was pretty grumpy about the trade that brought John Lackey to the Cardinals as the non-waiver trade deadline approached. I was never a fan of the guy, and the trade sent away a popular cost-controlled young arm that had shown some promise in his time with the Cardinals. The Red Sox also received what's left of Allen Craig just to rub it in. And while I'm not going to argue that Joe Kelly could have or would have won a playoff game here in October, I know what I'm stuck with as I root for this team to battle their way through the playoffs.

While Lackey's results after joining the Cardinals were less than inspiring, the point has been made over and over again that St. Louis brought him over for his playoff voodoo. And yes, he has experience. And yes, he had a nice outing against the Dodgers and could well be one of the reasons I'm still watching National League baseball right now. At this time of year more than any, you just have to root for the uniform more than you root for the player. Lackey's the next man up tomorrow afternoon and I hope he leads the Cardinals to victory.

And it's not like John Lackey's kicked your puppy or anything, has he? I mean... look at that face. How could you hate that guy?