… in case you didn’t know.

The St Louis Cardinals are World Champions, and I couldn’t be any happier! As a fan, it always feels good to be part of the celebration when your team wins. However, not being from St Louis, you’d think I’d stay true to my original faves.

Growing up a Navy brat, I was never in one place long enough, nor was I ever in a town that had a team to call its own. Baseball was not a sport I cared for much as a kid. I usually followed along with what my cousin Ren liked, so the NY Yankees became my team in the late 70’s.

But I didn’t really follow baseball until later in my childhood. I don’t remember the last World Series the Cardinals won (1982). I recall the Kansas City Royals beating St Louis in 1985, but I didn’t watch the series. I watched some games between the Boston Red Sox and the NY Mets in 1986; I cheered on Boston only ’cause I hated the Mets. I don’t recall the 87 series between the Cards and the Minnesota Twins. I remember the LA Dodgers taking care of Tony LaRussa’s Oakland A’s in 1988 (who can forget Kirk Gibson?). I’ll never forget the quake that hit San Francisco during the “Battle of the Bay” in 1989. I cheered on the Cincinnati Reds against the A’s in 1990 (because I felt the A’s dynasty needed to end). I vaguely remember any series after that because I lost interest in baseball.

I went to my first baseball game in 1994 in Detroit. We were visiting my mother’s family, and they took us to Tiger Stadium to watch the Tigers take on the Chicago White Sox. That was an experience I will never forget. The game wasn’t that great (Tigers lost), but the atmosphere was fun! All the goings-on in between innings, the food, the people; there’s nothing like it. And I got to see Frank “The Big Hurt” Thomas hit a home run (hey, at the time, it was cool).

In 1996, I watched with interest as the Cardinals took on Atlanta in the NLCS. Why was I interested? That’s the year I started courting a girl named Christine, and she happened to be from the St Louis area. In the ALCS, my NY Yankees defeated the Baltimore Orioles, thanks to the aid of Yankee fan Jeffrey Maier. I was anxious to see our teams potentially duke it out in the Fall Classic. But Atlanta had other ideas by rallying from a 3-1 game deficit to advance. The Yankees then defeated the Braves in 6 games, starting a dynasty I enjoyed watching.

In September 1997, Christine took me to Busch Stadium to watch the Cardinals take on the Chicago Cubs. St Louis had just acquired Mark McGwire, and he didn’t disappoint that day, hitting 2 monster home runs. From that day on, I was hooked for good.

We’ve gone to at least one game each season since then, and I watch more baseball each year on TV. St Louis is a baseball town with a rich history I’m still learning about. I enjoy watching the Cardinals play with a passion like no other. And to be a Cardinals fan is something special in itself. It’s been said the fans in St Louis are the best fans in the majors because we have class. We know talent when we see it, even in the opposition, and we give credit when it’s due. And we certainly show our appreciation to our team when they play good hardball.

I still watch the Yankees with interest. But they were never really my team. I’m not from St Louis, but I live here now. This is my home. And the St Louis Cardinals is my team.

Way to go, Cardinals! St Louis is proud of you!