My first memory of the Cards is of my dad staring at the tv watching this game called baseball I was probably in the 3rd grade, there was excitement and he would always be intently staring at the tube. I asked a question about the what was happening and he began to explain the game of baseball to me. That season there was something special going on "you see that man right there, he is going for a record of stolen bases," my dad explained. At that time I asked why he was having to steal anything and as my dad laughed he clarified what stolen basis were and once I got the meaning I was glued with him to the tv watching to see if Lou Brock would break the record. I celebrated with my dad the day he did it.
That summer our family took a vacation to St. Louis and we went to a series of games where the Cards played the Dodgers at the old Busch Stadium, and dad took us to the baseball hall of fame. I remember seeing the display of a bat being made what it started off to be and then its different stages from a piece of wood to a baseball bat. I remember seeing the past World Series trophy that the Cards had won before. I also remember to this day my dad smiling and enjoying this game.
Baseball, specifically Cardinal baseball will always make me think of my dad because of those times as a kid. The celebration of winning seasons, the disappointing close call seasons but the Cards are a team that are loved by Missouri and many other baseball fans that have adopted them as their team.
The last time the Cardinals won the World Series was in 2006, I am sure that October provided many memories for Cardinals fans. I am positive that the victory was celebrated the world over for the champions of baseball as it is every year. That year was the year I lost my father after a lengthy battle with heart disease, he passed away in August. It was a very difficult time following any sports that year for me and especially Cardinals Baseball - I just remember thinking how awesome it would have been for him to see it that October.
Times had changed baseball had not but the man that introduced me to the game, that explained what a stolen base was and how many outs it took and all of the rest was not here. He was one of the reasons I enjoyed the Cards, he brought me to my first game at Busch, and I will be forever grateful for the times that he spent with me not only explaining baseball but explaining so much more.
Years later I sat with him at the Springfield Cards stadium enjoying the Springfield Cardinals with him and my girls, his three grand daughters. We talked so much more about Baseball during the game as we both watched the girls take in the game, and we both realized that we missed the years we had before. He got to watch as I answered some questions my daughters had and I remember it was a great time, there was plenty of magic on the field in the form of the game, but there was real magic happening in the stands as well. Love you dad - they made it again - will be watching and cheering them on. Go Cards.
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