The St. Louis Cardinals Are Not Finished
It was late in the game, and my team was down by 9 runs. We couldn’t get anything going for us. I’m not really sure when I came to accept that we were losing that game; all I can tell you is that I was certain, and I made my feelings abundantly clear to everyone around me. I simply was not happy, so I let my emotions get the best of me. Suddenly, in the last inning of the game, we surmounted all odds and brought it to a tie ballgame, and as if it were fate, it was my turn to bat with 2 outs and the bases loaded. I hit the hardest line drive I’ve ever hit in my life, sent it over the center fielder’s head, and walked off that field like a hero. In the wake of my attitude, the victory was bittersweet, but in the same token, I learned a valuable lesson that night: Don’t ever accept defeat, and know if you want something bad enough, anything is possible.
The lesson I took away from that game is the very reason why I’m not counting the St. Louis Cardinals out of anything. I’ve read a lot of articles, and heard a lot of people say the Cardinals are not a playoff contender this year, that this isn’t going to be their season. Well, I challenge these same folks to look up what the season looked like in 2006 for the Birds. The team was riddled with injuries, players were not hitting, and pitchers were struggling. Yadier Molina was hitting .216 for the season, and the Cards didn’t clinch a playoff spot until the last game of the season. No one could have foreseen the all-out fight the Cardinals would put up leading up to their taking of the World Series in five games.
Though the team may have a different look these days, I believe the heart and soul of this ballclub remains the same. We still have about a month of regular season, and Molina and Michael Wacha are both healing well. It looks as though they both may be back a little sooner than expected. The team has been up and down lately, but that sways my opinion none whatsoever. We have a team of warriors; Ares, the god of war, would be proud to stand next to these men in battle. With every ounce of energy the Cardinals possess, they will fight for their teammates and their city. Do not count these boys out. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.