Tag: Cardinal Nation

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Let’s file this under “Post-Dispatch What?”

First, the post declares him a “film star.” I think perhaps we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Second, wasn’t he just at a Cubs game wearing a Cubs jersey and singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”? ONE CANNOT SERVE TWO MASTERS.

Why is there an article about this? And they went to the trouble to take his picture for the article. The guy is trying to watch a baseball game—this is sacrosanct time. Don’t interrupt him for a fluff piece for the paper.

But at least there’s this:

“Cardinal fans are way too nice,” said the affable actor who was in town to perform at Lumiere Casino. “I mean here I was, in full battle gear with the hat and the jersey, and people are buying me drinks and food. Basically, you guys are the anti-Philly fans. I love it.”

I can say that I am proud—proud—that you can consider St. Louis to be the anti-Philly.

And this:

Schneider said Giants fans don’t hate the Cardinals. “I think it’s basically a friendly rivalry. But you guys are the Yankees of the National League.”

I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

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Bill Barnwell for Grantland:

It was a party in the stands. I was a total stranger who wasn’t even wearing anything Nationals-related, but it felt like I was sitting in seats with people whom I’d been suffering alongside for 30 years. High fives were exchanged. Blankets were shared. Everybody poked good-natured fun at the guy who was loudly offering Harper tips on how to properly maintain his balance throughout his stance just before he took Wainwright deep. I started wondering whether I would get fired from Grantland if I changed allegiances and Simmons noticed. It was the sort of scene you dream about as a fan, just complete and utter joy with hours more to go. It wasn’t my personal team’s joy, but I was having a lot of fun faking it through three innings.

And then, slowly but perceptibly, the situation began to erode.

Even after last year, I found what happened this weekend to be pretty improbable. But I never turned off the game and never gave up hope that just one more hit would turn things around. Barnwell nails how Cards fans feel about our team:

Think about it. In 13 months, the Cardinals have gone through last year’s September run, Game 6 of the World Series, and this 25-to-1 comeback win over the Nationals. If you were a Cardinals fan, why would you ever believe that your team is going to lose a playoff series again? If they happen to lose to the Giants, I feel like Cardinals fans will sit in front of their televisions until February expecting to hear that Yadier Molina’s exploited some loophole, restarted the playoffs, and somehow walked, hit a game-tying home run, and threw out runners at second and third on the same play. The Cardinals are closer to superheroes and action stars than baseball players in elimination games at this point.

By the way, I hope you’re ready for a lot of baseball stuff to hit my blog. It’s pretty much consuming my life right now, and in a good way.

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Having no credentials that I should be doing so other than that I really like baseball and wanted to do it (and test out a liveblog plugin), I’m currently liveblogging the game.

No refresh needed; your browser will update automatically.

If you want to ask me something or point something out, just make a Twitter mention to @ryanmarkel.

 

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Joe Strauss for the Post-Dispatch:

Carpenter, 37, acknowledged last Friday that he would continue to throw until it became clear there was no hope of soon returning to the Cardinals’ rotation. Carpenter said if he reached such a point he would consider other options. Surgery is among them.

Resistant to surgery when the same condition forced his shutdown in August 2008, Carpenter has been told he likely requires the procedure to extend his career.

I’m not an expert—merely a fan—but I would not be surprised to see Carpenter take this cue to retire and end his career at the top of his game, after a championship run last season and the best pitching performance I have seen in my life.

And he’d be forever loved in St. Louis.

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In the envelope in which I received a recent Cardinals ticket order, there was a game schedule. This year’s marketing theme for the Cardinals organization is “We Are Cardinal Nation”.

On the back of the schedule there was this text. I found it especially neat.

We are Cardinal Nation.
We are the 3 million in the stands and the millions more at home.
We are generations of generations.
We are a father, a son, and a scorecard.
We are Ducky, Dizzy, and The Rajah. Albert, Yadi, and Waino.
We are a hard nine.
We are a kid, an old radio, and a disregard for bedtimes.
We are curtain calls and the Clydesdales.
We are sac bunts, hitting the cutoff, and the 4-6-3.
We were “America’s Team” before there was such as a thing as “America’s Team.”
We are 1, 2, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, 24, 42, 45, and 85.
We are “Go Crazy Folks” and “That’s a Winner.”
We are Hornsby’s .424 and Gibby’s 1.12.
We are Bonilla’s hamstring and a rookie named Albert.
We are Robison, Sportsman’s, and Busch.
We are “Seat Cushion Night.”
We are Ol’ Abner, among other Shannon-isms.
We are “Brummer’s stealing home!”
We are 1892, and 1982. (And not to mention ’26, ’31, ’34, ’42, ’44, ’46, ’64, ’67, and ’06.)
We are the Gashouse Gang, Slaughter’s Mad Dash, and Brock for Broglio.
We are backflips on Opening Day.
We are peanuts, Cracker Jacks, and home runs that break things.
We are a porch swing, a summer night, and the crackly of the Mighty ‘MOX.
We are Whiteyball and the baby blues.
We are Mike Laga and the Legendary Foul Ball.
We are “Meet you at Musial.”
We are 42,396 on a Tuesday night.
We are 475 home runs, 3,630 hits and 3 MVPs, despite WWII.
We are George Kissell.
We are two birds on one bat. And always will be.
We are 43 Hall of Famers, 10 World Championships, and counting.
We are the first team this side of the Mississippi…
And the best fans this side of anywhere.
We are Cardinal Nation.