As I write, I am watching opening day festivities at Busch Stadium for the St. Louis Cardinals. I have been an avid Cardinals fan since 1987 (second grade). I started off as a Royals fan because that was the t-ball team I was on (and I still like the Royals!), but the 1987 World Series between the Cardinals and Twins captured my imagination, and the rest is history. I grew up rooting for the likes of Willie McGee, Vince Coleman, and Ozzie Smith.
Cardinal baseball is a special thing. If you haven't grown up in "Cardinal Nation," or ever developed an interest in baseball, you probably don't get it. But it goes much deeper than just a game. Many families have been Cardinal fans for generations. So following the Cardinals isn't just about baseball. It's about memories of trips to the ballpark. It's about listening to the voices of Jack Buck and Mike Shannon over the airwaves on muggy, summer evenings (back before FSM broadcast every game). It's about emulating the batting stances of your favorite players while playing wiffle ball in the yard.
As for my kids, my two year-old already points at the birds on the bat and says "baseball." And all my kids have been trained by their Grandpa Barry to boo the Cubs. The tradition lives on.
