Saturday, October 28

Wow ... Awesome

The Redbirds delivered another World Series title to Cardinal Nation last night in Game 5 at the new Busch Stadium.

Now the current crop of Cardinals have the one thing that marks them as true, great members of the Redbird's fraternity: a World Series Championship.

The Cardinals won their 1st World Series title since 1982 topping the American League champion Detroit Tigers, 4-2, in Game 5 of the 102nd Fall Classic. It is World Series No. 10 in 17 tries for one of baseball's signature organizations .. the most of any National League team and 2nd only to the Yankees in the history of Major League Baseball.

David Eckstein's 4th-inning RBI groundout brought home the winning run as the consistently composed Cards kept capitalizing on Tigers' mistakes. Three St. Louis runs were at least partly set up by Detroit errors. Eckstein, who went 6-for-9 with 4 RBI's in Games 4 and 5, was named World Series MVP.

For me personally, I am a true member of Cardinal Nation, a Cardinal fan all my life. Winning another World Series is so exciting and today I have been almost as tired and emotionally drained as if I had played in the games.

In my earlier years I will admit to having been a fanatic sports fan who watched just about any sporting event I could make it to in person or witness on television. But, as I have grown older, I really don't watch or follow all that much sports anymore. Baseball is my sports interest and the Cardinals are my passion.

This past 5 months, while being here in Missouri, there were very few Cardinal games that I did not watch or listen to. Over the past 16 postseason games and even before that when the Cardinals were fighting just to win their division, I hung on every pitch. As Tony LaRussa has said so many times, it doesn't matter how you get into the postseason, once you qualify you have a chance. This was so true of the Redbirds this year. Everything came together when it counted and after a wait of 23 years, we finally won another World Series.

I will have this special feeling every time I put my red Cardinal hat on just before leaving the house. Next for me will be following all the Cardinal moves during the off-season as we prepare to defend our crown next year.

Also next for me, once I arrive in the Dominican Republic, will be to follow the Dominican Winter Baseball League. It is such a big and important part of life for the people who live in that 3rd world country. The games have already begun and my favorite team, Aguilas de Cibao has won 4 and lost 5. The are presently in 4th place in the 6-team league.

The Cardinals in the postseason:

October 3 - St. Louis 5 San Diego 1 (in San Diego)
October 5 - St. Louis 3 San Diego 0 (in San Diego)
October 7 - San Diego 3 St. Louis 1 (in St. Louis)
October 8 - St. Louis 6 San Diego 2 (in St. Louis)

October 12 - New York Mets 2 St. Louis 0 (in New York)
October 13 - St. Louis 9 New York Mets 6 (in New York)
October 14 - St. Louis 5 New York Mets 0 (in St. Louis)
October 15 - New York Mets 12 St. Louis 5 (in St. Louis)
October 17 - St. Louis 4 New York Mets 2 (in St. Louis)
October 18 - New York Mets 4 St. Louis 2 (in New York)
October 19 - St. Louis 3 New York Mets 1 (in New York)

October 21 - St. Louis 7 Detroit 2 (in Detroit)
October 22 - Detroit 3 St. Louis 1 (in Detroit)
October 24 - St. Louis 5 Detroit 0 (in St. Louis)
October 26 - St. Louis 5 Detroit 4 (in St. Louis)
October 27 - St. Louis 4 Detroit 2 (in St. Louis)

The wonderful truth: Wrigley Field, home of the Cubs, is the oldest ball park in the National League (92-years old) and has never hosted a World Series winner. New Busch Stadium hosted a World Championship for the Cardinals in just it's 7th month.