Thanks. That is excellent.
Where I am working now I have been pals since the interview day in July with a Cardinals fan who turns out to be one of the three owning partners at work. The interview and tech grilling went well and I was taken into his office to say hello. The first thing you see in Dave's office are the four signed baseballs from Cards greats at the front of his desk. We immediately established a rapport. I had no idea who he was; we just had that immediate connection. So thank you, baseball ;-)
>Try here.
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http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=19955975&topic_id=8879974&c_id=mlb>
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>>Carpenter is a warrior for sure. LaRussa wasn't looking to get a lot of pitches out of him on short rest and was ready to take him out after the 6th. Carpenter seemed to talk him out of it and went back to the mound for the next inning. He promptly gave up a ringing line drive and was promptly taken out, to a resounding ovation. Asked about it after the game, LaRussa said it wasn't Carp, it was Yadi. I asked him if Carp had anything left and he said yes. He has also been quoted saying Yadier Molina would be my catcher if he batted zero, he's that good at handling pitchers and directing the defense. (In fact Yadi had a career year at the plate, not a Joe Mauer or anything but a solid contributor). This is one example of things I have learned about the Cardinals being here. I had a vague image of Molina as a good defensive catcher. In fact his latest Gold Glove is his fourth in a row.
>>
>>The guy who is sitting on top of the world is David Freese. I was somewhat familiar with him from games against the Brewers this season, a guy who batted down in the order and had some punch. I assumed he was a rookie. In fact he is 28. A high school phenom, he was ready to quit baseball at the age of 18 or 19 because he felt burned out. He wanted to go to college and become -- get this! -- a computer programmer. Wiser heads prevailed, LOL. He did make it to the bigs but has had lots of injuries and didn't leave any particular footprints until this year. He broke the backs of the Brewers more than once in the NLCS, for which he was named the MVP, then followed it up with another MVP in the World Series. He was the hero of game 6, hitting a two run triple to tie it in the 9th and a walk-off homer to win it in the 11th. What made it poignant is he is a local kid who grew up idolizing the Cardinals and says he had fantasies of being a World Series hero. (Didn't we all?) He seems like a solidly grounded guy, laconic but solid, no airs, which is sort of the local style. After game 7 he was presented the MVP award and seemed almost apologetic to be in that position. Gesturing at the topped-out Corvette he won as the MVP, the interviewer said I bet there are about 50,000 people here who would like a ride home.
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>>The revelation for me is that the Cardinals all seem like nice guys, with the possible exception of their best player. And even Albert I credit for all his charitable efforts and for being true to his core values (religion, family) despite living in a fishbowl. It's a likeable team and a great baseball town.
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>>I just tried to find a good video of game 6 highlights. Evidently MLB has been pretty successful in suppressing them to be sure the profits find their way to the owners' till. Here is one short one I found.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qGMFRt0ck0>>
>>UPDATE: this one is a lot better.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW8mb7YIFN4&NR=1>>
>>>I've actually been on just about every day lurking. I just find that I don't have much to say. I see the same old debates going around and around and whatever I might have said before during a previous round is probably still my take on things. So, I don't get involved much.
>>>
>>>On the world series, yes. A truly remarkable series. I can't recall ever having seen anything like that. Ok, well, maybe the 2008 Super Bowl, but that's about all.
>>>
>>> I was ambivalent about who I wanted to win it all, so I'd have been just as happy either way. I just wanted it to be entertaining, and jeez! Did I get my wish! You have to hand it to Carpenter. The guy has heart. I imagine he did a dance to the rain gods for the help.
>>>
>>>>Hey Alan,
>>>>
>>>>Good to see you posting. I was actively looking for you through the end of the baseball season. The last night of the regular season has already been frequently called the best day in baseball history, accurately IMO. There were 8 games with playoff implications, either in/out or for home field advantage. The playoffs, with only one dud series (Rangers vs. Rays in the first round, and even in that one the Rangers had to rally from a first game drubbing), kept to that high standard. I feel fortunate to have been in St. Louis for the month of October. Obviously it was disappointing when the Cardinals ousted the Brewers, but for a long time now I have viewed it as just games. It was no problem cheering for the Cardinals in the World Series. I have always heard they have great, knowledgeable fans and have now seen it first hand. If this wasn't to be the Brewers' year, it was nice to be surrounded by happy fellow baseball fans.
>>>>
>>>>The whole city was giddy over their unexpected Lazarus experience. Still is. The normal dress code was relaxed during the World Series and half the company was awash in Cards shirts and/or caps. (I even wore a shirt myself one day, the result of losing a lighthearted bet on the NLCS with one of my roommates and coworkers, a rabid Cardinals fan). The morning after game six everyone was still in a slightly dazed state. What a game. The word "classic" is overused but I believe this game will be remembered as long as the game as played, way near the top. It was a game that made you feel lucky to be a baseball fan, no matter who your team is. I heard that this WS had much higher TV ratings than the demographics would suggest. IMO that was a result of the true fans knowing a good thing when they saw it.
>>>>
>>>>I have to feel a little for the Rangers. Can you imagine what that's like? They were literally against the dugout railing not once but twice in game 6, the Cardinals down to their last strike, ready to swarm the field. Whoops, not tonight for your first championship. And not the next night, either.
>>>>
>>>>These moments are ephemeral. Just in the two weeks since game 7 and the victory parade Tony LaRussa has retired (on top, lucky him) and Albert Pujols is acting like a guy who is about to bolt for an even more astronomical salary than the Cardinals have offered him. (Pssst from me to Albert: you will never be as adored anywhere else as you are here, and how much rice can a Chinaman eat, anyway?) One of the many beauties of baseball is that every season brings new surprises. This just happens to have been a particularly memorable one.
>>>>
>>>>How many days until pitchers and catchers report? ;-)
