Left field

A break from reality: Why Cardinals fans wish the ride didn’t have to end

Simon Evans

Oct 31, 2011 21:04 UTC

St. Louis Cardinals celebrate advancing to the World Series after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 6 of the MLB NLCS baseball playoffs in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Sunday. (REUTERS/Jeff Haynes)A personal view from St.Louis Cardinals fan Brett Wolf.

The St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series this year. Or, to be more accurate, they won four “World Series” this year, at least that is how it felt to many in Cardinal Nation. Oddly, the final victory – the actual Commissioner’s Trophy winner – was in a sense the least thrilling because it meant the, at times surreal, run was over and it was time to return to the bleak reality we as Americans have become accustomed to.

As exhausted as Cardinal Nation was by the end, our adrenaline spent on improbable hits and strikeouts and our bank accounts drained on tickets and memorabilia, no one wanted this historic run to end — ever. No one wanted to go back to talking only about unemployment, war and other miseries. You see, St. Louis is a microcosm of the United States – we haven’t had much good news lately.

Making it into the playoffs on the final night of the regular season, the Cardinals began the improbable journey that surprised – nay, amazed – even the most loyal of fans. A city that bleeds Cardinal red once again had a chance to enter the post-season fray.