The Thrill of the Grass

Baseball is back. Yes! Tonight Yankees v Red Sox in cozy and sure-to-be riotous Fenway Park on Easter Sunday. A matchup so eagerly anticipated by the fans and players that even Jesus, on His Glorious Day, may tune in to that historical rivalry.

Although the Yankees 27th victory in the Fall Classic was an ancient five months ago, baseball, with the generous help of the 365/24/7 media, never seems to have a day off anymore. Sure, other sports take center stage for awhile. Football and basketball dominate the sports pages in the fall and winter calendars. But with ESPN, MLB Network and other media sources covering roster moves, injuries and intrigue, baseball always seems to be at home in the American consciousness...even in Afghanistan. By the looks of things in the above picture from the other side of the planet and on the real front lines of life, baseball and their fans never rest.

For me, my mind never wavers too far away from the "thrill of the grass" which is baseball. And which team do I follow? I was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Does that answer the question? The St. Louis Cardinals are my team now and forevermore. If you are born in St. Louis, you really have no choice but to have the "birds on the bat" DNA in your system. As Joe Torre said, "Baseball in St. Louis is very sacred."

Professional baseball has been played in St. Louis since 1876. To put that date in the proper context, baseball in the STL (The Browns then the Cardinals) started 100 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the same year Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer was published and General George Armstrong Custer and army were annihilated by Sitting Bull at the Little Big Horn. About the same time, my great grandfather, James, a waiter/cook from Ireland, landed on the banks of Mississippi in mid 1870's. So you could say that my family roots and St. Louis's baseball roots are equally long and intertwined in that city's storied history. Proud to report, both my family and baseball have persevered and thrived in the Gateway to the West over the last 134 years.

134 years. Since 1900, the St. Louis baseball team that has persevered and thrived has been the Cardinals. The Browns, now known as Baltimore Orioles, left St. Louis in 1954. I was born in 1952. In my eighth year, I remember going to my first Cardinal game at Sportsman's Park on Grand Avenue and Dodier. My Dad and I took the street car on a hot muggy August afternoon to the park and watched Cards lose to the Milwaukee Braves behind the southpaw pitching of Warren Spahn and hitting of Henry Aaron. 30,000 fans crammed the park that day mostly wearing white shirts, funny hats and dark glasses all staring down on the diamond and grass. I was hooked right then and there. For the next almost 50 years to the present time of being a Cardinal fan, I have watched the Cards play in three different Busch Stadiums and around the country. I have witnessed five of their ten World Series championships, second only to the Yankees 27 rings. I have been entertained by some of the biggest names of the sport: Gussie Busch, Stan Musial, Red Schoendienst, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith, the two Bobs Burnes and Broeg, Jack Buck, Harry Carey, Johnny Keane, Whitey Herzog, Bing Devine, Mark McGwire, Bill DeWitt and the third winningest manager in the history of the game, Tony LaRussa, to name just a few of the notables of Cardinal lore. But of all the players and personalities and disappointments and successes the Cardinals have had over the years, I think the brightest light in Cardinal history is shining now and his name is Albert Pujols.

Albert Pujols #5 is arguably the best offensive player ever to play professional baseball. When you watch Albert play you are watching history being made. Baseball is a game of stats and in support of my praise for Albert here are some of his stats: only player in the history of the game to start his career with 9 consecutive years of .300 average, 30 home runs and 100 RBIs; fastest player ever to have 1,000 hits; 3 NL MVP awards and finishing second twice; Golden Glove winner; 8 time All Star; and, all this by the age of 30 and still in the prime of his career. Not bad for a "project not prospect" 402nd overall pick in 1999. Albert's unplanned success is kinda like buying Google at the IPO for $85 share. What stats don't show is Albert's inner drive and continuing desire to improve. Just this past week Albert was interviewed at Spring Training in Jupiter, Florida, and the interviewer asked Albert what his goals were for the year, Albert responded in his own inimitable Dominican way, "I go into Spring Training every year with the thought in mind to make the ball club. Somebody may take my job. I don't ever disrespect the game. My Dad told me, no excuses for you not to run hard every day." Albert has great pride but also the fear that grips us all, that maybe I'll lose it and become a has-been...a footnote. However, in Albert's case, I don't think he will be going back to Memphis anytime soon.

So as the Cardinals take the field against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday to open the 2010 season remember this, you now know an unabashed lifelong Cardinal fan whose four favorite words in the English language are: Cards win - Cubs lose.