WORLD CHAMPS

Well guys after having a few months to let the championship soak in I have come to the conclusion that it was the greatest baseball any of us will probably get the pleasure to watch. Coming down to a 4% chance of simply making the playoffs, the cardinals played with their backs to the wall down the stretch, writing a story that holly wood itself would have deemed fantasy. The dominance that Chris Carpenter displayed in late September and October caught everyone off guard. Shutting out the Phillies at home in an elimination game had to be his greatest achievement of his career. Luckily for us it didn't stop there.

The entire way, the pundits, fans, even players from other teams (nyjer morgan) doubted the resolve of this team. As we all came to see, it didn't matter what anyone said except what came from within the clubhouse. Having several doubting moments myself since I kept making the mistake of listening to the pundits, I was elated in game 6 when Freese hit the ball off the right field wall. No question the most memorable moment in my sports viewing life. The only bittersweet aspect of the whole thing was the looming possibility of #5 leaving. I'll admit, after they won I had complete confidence that he would stay. Unfortunately this is another era of sports that we live in where team integrity has gone way down the priority list. The loss of El Hombre is painful but there is great reason to have hope in what this team can do in 2012 and beyond. The addition of Beltran and getting Waino back will be a giant boost for the new manager. I look forward to 2012 and seeing what Matheny is made of. The era of Albert, Tony and Dave has come and gone and I am so grateful to have been able to witness it.