Why I'm a Cardinals Fan

In high school my basketball team was known as a second-half team. We might have let the other teams get ahead of us, but after half-time we'd come out and play our asses off that third quarter. We were unstoppable when we were down by a few points. In fact, the times we did lose tended to be the times we were up at half-time and got a little too sure of ourselves.

In college, I played for a national-championship team that frequently beat its competitors by 30-60 points. We always got a good lead in the beginning and never relented. Very seldom did we find ourselves trailing, and when we did, we weren't always ready for it.

I loved winning. I loved the leads. But you know, I kinda missed the exhilaration of being a comeback team.

The Cardinals are a comeback team. Granted, nothing is going to seem all that significant in light of last year's Boston Red Sox comeback win over the Yankees, but being down a couple of points after the seventh-inning stretch has never meant all that much to St. Louis.

I came into the game tonight rather late after work, and saw the score in the market on my way to my tv. With Houston leading the series 3-1, my boys were in the bottom of the 8th losing 2-4. My heart sank a bit (boys, forgive me my lack of faith--I've been away from St. Louis too long) because I was so hoping for another shot at the World Series.

This series has not been a great display of Cardinals hitting. Larry Walker was a bit banged-up going into the series. Scott Rolen was already on the injured list. Jim Edmonds was still playing, but with back pain that kept him from hitting as well as usual. Reggie Sanders, the only player who was hitting consistently, took a fall in game two that had him out of the line-up. And in game three Abraham Nunez took a knee to his thigh that kept him off the active roster.

This is not the first time injuries have plagued the Cardinals during playoffs. In fact, it's a bit of a (dare I say it?) curse for St. Louis.

This season's acquisition of David Eckstein might just have saved the day, though. Eckstein is known for being a workhorse and a strong team leader. He pulled the team together kept them going in spite of themselves. Not to say that the Cards wouldn't have pulled through anyway--that spirit is part of being a Cardinal--but it can't be easy to keep going when the people that were supposed to be your shot at the World Series can't even play.

And it was Eckstein who put it all into motion tonight. Throughout the rest of the Astros/Cardinals series, it somehow happened that the big hitters were ending the inning, and Pujols--who should always be hitting when there are a couple of people on base already--was first at bat. This time, though, the 9th inning began with Eckstein hitting. I hoped hard but didn't expect much (again, forgive me), until Eckstein got a base hit. Edmonds came up with 29 comeback runs behind him. As Edmonds was nearly hit by the pitch, Eckstein stole second. Jimmy-boy was then walked to first. Pujols, the too-good-to-be-true boy-next-door-type hero that he is, came up and swung wildly at the first pitch. You could sense faces falling as he tried to hit a ball that he should have let pass by him. As the strike went up on the board and he readied for another pitch, it seemed that everyone watching this game must surely be holding their breath. When his bat made contact, the ball went so high up I was certain it was a fly and that was the end for St. Louis. Pujols stood casually at the plate and watched as the announcers said that ball was OVER THE FENCE!!! Pujols' homerun gave the Cards three runs and the lead over the Astros! Yes, they still have to win two more games, but they can do it. My boys are gonna go to the World Series!

This team in itself might just be enough to keep me happy if I ever find myself having to move away from San Francisco, as long as I can live in St. Louis.

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH! :):)