ST. LOUIS, Missouri - A year after losing their World Series debut to San Francisco, the Texas Rangers are back in Major League Baseball's best-of-seven championship final against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Rangers hope to complete their unfinished business starting Wednesday at St. Louis in a matchup of teams full of ball-smashing sluggers.

"We wanted to win last year," Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton said. "We expect to win this year."

Texas averaged more than six runs a game in defeating Detroit in the American League finals while the Cardinals averaged more than seven runs a game in dispatching Milwaukee in the National League finals.

"I feel better about this team at this time this year than I did last year," said team president and retired Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan said. "It's more balanced, which is important."

The Cardinals have won 11 World Series crowns, the most recent of them coming in 2006, and rank second to the New York Yankees on the all-time title list. This will be the 18th trip to the World Series for St. Louis.

The Rangers, formed in 1961 as the Washington Senators, moved to the Dallas suburbs in 1972 and finally reached the World Series in their 50th season.

"The Rangers are a scary team," said St. Louis slugger David Freese, who blasted three homers in the NL finals and went 12-for-22 while batting in 10 runs.

"That's a dynamite team. You look at their lineup and (pitching) staff, it's going to be a battle. We are a team that matches up with them a little bit."

The Texas batting order features power sluggers Michael Young, David Murphy and Nelson Cruz, whose six home runs and 13 runs batted in over six games won him Most Valuable Player honors in the American League finals.

Those who doubted last year's Rangers run and their ability to repeat after losing star pitcher Cliff Lee failed to allow for a solid bullpen behind starters who average only five innings in the playoffs, as well as the heavy hitters throughout the Texas lineup.

"Behold, here we are with another opportunity," said Rangers manager Ron Washington. "They deserve a ton of credit. They've got so much character in that clubhouse, so much drive."

Character is the trademark of the Cardinals as well, especially after their pre-season training began with the loss of an ace pitcher, Adam Wainwright, to an elbow injury.

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 10/19/2011 page23)