SPOILER ALERT: DAVE DUNCAN WINS THE FOURTH WORLD SERIES RING OF HIS CAREER AS THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS BEAT THE TEXAS RANGERS IN GAME SEVEN OF THE 2011 WORLD SERIES

New York parades its champions down the Canyon of Heroes. Bean Town floats its title-winners in duck boats throughout Boston.

The City of Tucson ought to think about instilling a Valley of Gold Parade.

Game Seven of the 2011 World Series plays out tonight in St. Louis and, regardless of the winner — the Cardinals or the Texas Rangers — a family in Oro Valley will rejoice.

Ian Kinsler throws to first base in the sixth inning of game four of the 2011 World Series. Kinsler can become the fourth Canyon Del Oro High School alum to earn a World Series ring with a Rangers' win tonight. Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

The only question remaining is: will it be the Kinsler or Duncan family?

Ian Kinsler was born and raised in Oro Valley, a suburb of the Old Pueblo.

His path to the World Series began at the baseball factory Canyon Del Oro High School and took the second baseman to Central Arizona Community College, Arizona State, the University of Missouri and eventually to the Texas Rangers (17th round, 2003 draft).

Kinsler is hitting .318 in the Fall Classic with 7 hits, 2 RBI, 2 runs and a .464 on-base percentage.

If it weren’t for the torrid hitting of teammate Mike Napoli (.375, 2 HR, 10 RBI) Kinsler could be in the running for series MVP considerations with a solid Game Seven.

A championship for Kinsler would make him the fourth Canyon Del Oro alum to win a World Series in the past six years — joining former high school teammates Brian Anderson (Chicago White Sox, 2005); Chris Duncan (St. Louis Cardinals, 2006); and Shelley Duncan (New York Yankees, 2009).

Kinsler, ironically, is the more accomplished of the CDO World Series winners, hitting 17 more career home runs and 33 more RBI’s than Anderson and the Duncan brothers combined.

If the two-time All-Star wins a World Series, that’ll leave only Scott Hairston (New York Mets) from the CDO teams of the late 90’s not to reach baseball’s apex — a fairly amazing accomplishment for a public school.

In the opposing dugout tonight is another OroValley resident with his own thoughts of winning a World Series.

The Duncan family has rung up their fair share of rings — enough to bling-out out an entire hand.

St. Louis Cardinal pitching coach Dave Duncan — father to the aforementioned Chris and Shelley — surely wouldn’t mind adding a sixth ring to the proverbial Duncan family hand.

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STRANDED AT SECOND BASE

“Culling the thoughts that occur when you’re standing around waiting for something to happen”

Image is everything, right?

Andre Agassi overtly exercised us with that mantra while subliminally tantalizing us with an enviable mullet-toupee.

Ask Michael Vick or Tiger Woods the importance of image in this golden era of sports, where the line between gold medal and Golden Globe Award is as blurred as ever.

First came LeBron James' new Nike commercial this week in an effort to repair his public image. Now King James has launched a new personal website. David Butler II-US PRESSWIRE

Or visit the freshly-launched www.lebronjames.com — the most recent phase of LeBron James’ re-branding effort. The one necessary after a destructive summer for his once wholesome image.

Up until now, we didn’t have a credible resource to find pictures of James (2008 Gold Medal) canoodling with Charlize Theron (2004 Golden Globe for “Monster”).

Or get a chance to meet and get recipes from Brandon Taylor, LeBron’s personal chef.

P.S. LeBron loves lasagna.

LeBronJames.com, however, is not all vanity and a difficult horizontal scroll bar.

There’s plenty of shouting out to his admirable charity work with underprivileged kids.

The site is simple, yet hip — and definitely self-centered. It’s the typical professional athlete website.

What does an athlete truly need a website for? A “.com” never won anyone an NBA title. A Twitter account can’t wear a championship ring.

Rings. That’s what LeBron’s maligned move to Miami was all about, right? That’s his new supposed mantra.

Or as LeBron so eloquently Tweeted recently and re-posted on his website’s fashion page (that’s correct, his website has a fashion section):

“U are what u wear”

ATHLETES AND THEIR UNIQUE WEBSITES:

www.PeteRose.com/

Premise: I want back in baseball…please buy something.

www.AndreAgassi.com

Premise: I will enlighten you…please buy my book

www.JoseCanseco.com

Premise: Domain expired in September and is available. Quite possibly the product of someone who couldn’t pay their bills.

Also available: www.sammysosa.com and www.markmcgwire.com.

Perhaps the public has spoken.

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Kinsler Takes Road to Dorado

October is traditionally a month reserved for football at Tucson Canyon Del Oro High School, home of the defending Class 4A-1 state champs.

If you ask the esteemed alumni of the Dorado’s baseball program, however, they might say otherwise.

When Ian Kinsler took the field on Wednesday night for Game One of the 2010 World Series, the Texas Ranger second baseman became the fourth CDO grad in six years to potentially earn a Fall Classic ring.

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The Lone Star State knows a thing or two about heat.

So, too, does Ian Kinsler, who may not be the sole star on the Texas Rangers, but he’s certainly their hottest hitter at the plate.

The Canyon Del Oro (Oro Valley, Ariz.) High School grad propelled the Rangers on Tuesday night to the first postseason series victory in the franchise’s 49-year history with a 3-4, 3-RBI performance, highlighted by a 2-run, ninth-inning home run.

The effort leaves him .011 points behind New York Yankees centerfielder Curtis Granderson for the top batting average (.444) in the ALDS. His 6 RBI and 3 dingers (tied with teammate Nelson Cruz) are a Major League best this October. One more hit and Kinsler would have won the hypothetical ALDS Triple Crown.

The Rangers  now hope Kinsler’s bat doesn’t cool off before Friday when Texas plays host to Granderson and the Bronx Bombers in Game One of the ALCS.