The St. Louis Cardinals, and the National League Central Race

Unlike my good friend and co-writer, I am a St. Louis Cardinals fan. My beloved team is in the middle of a very tight division race. They are currently in second, a game and a half behind the Pittsburgh Pirates, and a game and a half ahead of the Cincinnati Reds. Really, most of the other divisions are set, but the National League Central division is entirely up in the air right now.

Before I begin, I would like to express how utterly frustrating it is to not run away with the division. I love my team, and as a fan of my team, I want to see them win.

But I want to set that aside for a minute and take a moment to be a fan of baseball. It's a great thing to
be in the midst of a playoff race. It's exhilarating to experience the roller coaster ride of emotions as a team rises and falls, wins and loses. It always feels like tonight is the night that matters more than any other . . . until tomorrow night, of course.

And it's incredible to see three teams from one division that will probably all be in the playoffs. Never before has that happened.



No one expected the Pirates to be where they are: after twenty straight losing seasons, they sit atop of the NL Central right now, and that's crazy! It's great to see PNC Park filled. It's great to see how many people care about and love the ups and downs of baseball again.

And so I want to say something now that I will not admit to should the Cardinals lose: I don't care if they lose; I don't care if the Pirates win it all; regardless of the outcome, this is fun. And this is why I love baseball.

The opportunity to be a part of something greater than myself is worthwhile. In Little League, I learned how to win and how to lose. Now I get to learn how to be a fan; and I get to learn how to pour my heart into something the way those players do, and how important that smallest piece can be.

So I love this. Win or lose, I live to see this game played. And if the Pirates win, then it will be the Cardinals' turn next year. Maybe 2015 belongs to the Cubs.

Or maybe not.