-
Earth Day 2013: The Papal Edition
April 22, 2013 | 22 comments
-
Is God a Methodist?
April 15, 2013 | 57 comments
-
A Status Quo Budget at Best
April 11, 2013 | 9 comments
-
Marriage Issue Will Not Go Away
April 2, 2013 | 87 comments
-
Shakespeare’s Henry V Commands the Stage
March 11, 2013 | 10 comments
Sports Arena
Cardinal Virtue
A venerable team, a new ballpark and that certain knowledge.
A trip home to St. Louis, for my dear mother’s 90th birthday, was my first opportunity to visit the new Busch Stadium, the third stadium, so named, in which I have had the pleasure of watching the Redbirds play the great American game.
Toronto won it in the top of the ninth, adding to a St. Louis slump due to erratic play and now an injury to Albert Pujols, who has not quite played up to his normally high standards this season. The heir to Stan Musial, an outstanding humanitarian in his own right, may also be distracted by pending contract negotiations.
But the virtue of Cardinal baseball, the serenity of being a fan of this most venerable franchise, comes from the certain knowledge that, while losses happen, and entire seasons do turn sour, the Birds will, inevitably, be back strong, always in contention for the Pennant and, from time to time, the World Series. This has been the case for decades and decades. What a team. What an organization. As the hometown saying goes, “How ‘bout those Redbirds!” This is a statement about excellence over time. There is no question mark at the end of that sentence.
I have had the great privilege of seeing the Cardinals play in two of the World Series in which they played, most recently the 1982 match up with the Brewers. Both times were 7th games that they won. I can’t imagine the complete lack of gratification which, say, the Cubs fans put up with. Their loyalty is truly wondrous.
“I grew up in Champaign, IL, midway between Chicago and St. Louis,” said the political columnists George Will. “At an age too tender for life-shaping decisions, I made one. While all my friends were becoming Cardinal fans, I became a Cub fan.”
“My friends, happily rooting for Stan Musial, Red Schoendienst and other great Redbirds, grew up cheerfully convinced that the world is a benign place, so of course, they became liberals,” said Will. “Rooting for the Cubs in the late 1940s and early 1950s, I became a gloomy, pessimistic, morose, dyspeptic and conservative…. Mamas don’t let your babies grow up to be Cub fans.”
I am no liberal, but I plead to being an insufferable, cheerful Cards fan. Hope always springs eternal in Busch Stadium. Sorry, George.
Thanks to my father’s generosity, my brother and I were able to attend the final and seventh game of the 1964 World Series between the Cardinals and the Yankees, the two most successful organizations in the history of baseball. While he and my mother attended an earlier game, I cannot imagine the sacrifice of giving his two sons the tickets to game seven. I still carry a picture of them in my wallet, both dressed up, my father in a sport coat and tie, my mother in a fall dress, heading into the stadium, looking jaunty, expectant and happy. I will always remember them that way.
The ‘64 Series was played at the old Sportsman’s Park on North Grand, where the St. Louis Browns, now the Baltimore Orioles, used to play. It was renamed Busch Stadium in 1953, having expanded from 8,000 seats in 1902 to 30,500.
I had several great aunts who lived close enough for parking the family car and walking to the stadium. When my grandfather, a physician, native of Cincinnati and diehard Reds fan, took us to a game, he always had a local police officer, one of his many Irish-American patients, waiting to park his Cadillac — right next to the main entrance of the ballpark where it remained, free from any harm or vandalism, compliments of St. Louis’s finest. My brother and I thought that was pretty neat — but for the fact that our beloved grandfather, a massive, distinguished man in his sixties, would wildly cheer for the Redlegs, causing us to slink down into our seats from embarrassment given the cold stares from the hometown crowd.
At the final game of the Series, my brother and I witnessed the ultimate St. Louis victory over a legendary team including Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, and Clete Boyer who played third base, opposite his brother Ken Boyer, playing the same position for the Redbirds. Whitey Ford played in the series, but Mel Stottlemyre was the starter in this final clash of the titans.
Bob Gibson pitched all nine innings for the Cardinals. Lou Brock, along with Boyer, homered. St. Louis won, 7-5.
“I never considered taking him [Gibson] out. I had a commitment to his heart,” said Cardinal Manager Johnny Keane.
I still harbor the hope, no, the prayer, that one day, before I die, the Cardinals and the Yankees will face off in another World Series, going the full seven games.
About the Author
G. Tracy Mehan, III served at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the administrations of both Presidents Bush. He is a consultant in Arlington, Virginia, and an adjunct professor at George Mason University School of Law.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (18) | Leave a comment
More Articles by G. Tracy Mehan, III
More Articles From Sports Arena
http://spectator.org/archives/2011/06/29/cardinal-virtue
Follow us:
ADVERTISEMENT
Current Issue
- The Demise of Money and Credit
- The (Real) Great Divide
- The Continuing Crisis
SPONSORED LINKS
FLASHBACK TO: 1995
-
Pope Culture
A man of faith in a godless age is hitting Americans where it hurts.
-
Why the GOP Does Not, Like, Totally Suck
Mr. and Mrs. American Spectator Reader, let P.J. O’Rourke talk sense to your kids.
-
Dames at Sea
-
In the Absence of Guns
In Britain, defending your property can get you life.
-
The Metaphysical Martini
-
Counting the Costs of Clintonism
The debacle of this president’s administration is both a cause and a symptom of the decline of American values. Unless Congress impeaches him, that decline will go on unchecked. An eminent jurist surveys the damage and assesses the chances for the recovery of our culture.
-
Chuck McHagel
It won’t take long for conservatives to scratch this presidential wannabe off their 2008 scorecard.
-
The Legacy of Old John and Mother Fresh-Roasted
-
It’s the Best Time of the Year
The American Christmas, like the songs that celebrate it, makes room for everybody under the rainbow. Is that why so many people seem to be hostile to it?
-
The Bush Crack-Up
Was the President done in by the economy, or by the politics of the economy?
Clip of the Day
ADVERTISEMENT
JimP| 6.29.11 @ 9:06AM
George Will is a putz. He picked a team that complimented his personality traits, not his political beliefs. Choosing to root for the Cubs proves it. Real conservatives have always loved The Redbirds. I don't know about Will's friends, but even libs make a right choice now and then.
Occam's Tool| 6.29.11 @ 10:41AM
Dear Jim,
I'm a Cub fan, and a YAFer.
Winning World Series does, I suppose make up somewhat for the fact that East Saint Louis exists in close proximity.
Dan| 6.29.11 @ 10:06AM
I'm with Will. Cardinals are part of the Axis of Evil.
Quartermaster| 6.29.11 @ 9:03PM
Just Terrorists and Democrats are the axis of evil.
I apologize for being redundant.
daddio| 6.29.11 @ 10:32AM
As a kid in gradeschool the 67 series with the Red Sox was piped through the school PA system. Such is the loyalty of Cards fans!
Dan Hirsch| 6.29.11 @ 11:32AM
An Illinois farmer died and unfortunately, for him, went to hell. One day Satan happened by the farmer and noted that Hell's heat didn't seem to bother him. So Satan turned up Hell's thermostat to discomfit the farmer.
Later, Satan visited the farmer and asked "How are you doin?"
"Feels like a typical July afternoon to me," was the farmer's cheery response.
This aggravated Satan who turned Hell's thermostat up to "Full Blast." Again, Satan visited the farmer and asked "How are you doin?"
"Feels like a typical August afternoon to me," the farmer's responded cheerily.
Satan couldn't stand the farmer's comfort so he turned Hell's thermostat all the way down to minus 100 degrees placing Hell into a deep, deep freeze with snow and ice everywhere.
Again, Satan visited the farmer to see how he was liked this weather. This time, He found the farmer laughing uncontrollably, literally rolling on the ground in paroxysms of glee. His answer to Satan's confused look:
"Well, finally the Cubs won the World Series!"
PS. Yeah, I was a Cubs fan - it was 1969 and I watched almost every game that summer. They cured me and cured me good. HeeHaw.
Tom of the Missouri| 6.29.11 @ 11:54AM
So that explains Will's bad judgement in his non support of Reagan in his first nomination fight and his current dismissing of Tea Party conservatives. I always wondered what his problem was. I grew up in rural Illinois between Chicago and St. Louis, too. I was the top pitcher on my high school team and watched that Gibson on TV in his glory days. As an adult though I have never been more than a fair weather sports fan. I was though, thanks to a generous father in law, also at that Milwaukee / Cardinal 7th game. It was quite a treat and especially memorable for that home run ball of Milwaukee's I caught in the 8th inning which was luckily not enough for them to prevail. Ah, the memories.
skip| 6.29.11 @ 12:11PM
Phooey. Not a mention of the '68 world series?
albert constantine jr.| 6.30.11 @ 12:13AM
I have a call into Denny McClain's parole officer for comment.
W| 6.29.11 @ 12:51PM
The Cards stole, or "traded for," Dick Groat and Julian Javier from the Pirates. You then won the Series with Groat, and Javier had a great career.
albert constantine jr.| 6.30.11 @ 12:02AM
The Pirates traded Julian Javier for Bill Mazeroski in 1960. While Julian Javier was an excellent 2nd baseman and my favorite player as a lad, I think every baseball fan in Pittsburgh thinks they got a good deal.
Dave | 6.29.11 @ 12:57PM
Well, as a lifelong lover of all things baseball, and the owner of a autographed photo I got from Stan Musial one late afternoon at the L.A. Coliseum in '59, I DO remember very well the '64 season when the Cards beat the Yankees. As a kid with no "fan skin" in that Series, I recall that was the season the Redbirds didn't "win" the N.L. pennant as much as Gene Mauch's Phils ... lost it. When the season ended, I think the heimlich maneuver was developed. But that's only a guess.
Having said all that, the Cardinals are still, to these grizzled eyes, a classic and legendary franchise with a wonderful heritage and some very memorable players who're listed on their decades of old rosters. And to be honest, I absolutely love that timeless logo with the twin birds on the bat. I'm happy that no one in baseball's multi-uniform hierarchy decided to uber tweak their historic design. That, and they don't wear anything with black.
And to THAT I say -- thank U Jesus!
albert constantine jr.| 6.30.11 @ 12:11AM
Don't think that the spirit of 1964 doesn't still affect all Phillies fans even today, despite four straight Eastern Division pennants, World Series trips in 2009, 1993, and 1983; World Series pennants in 1980 and 2008, the great teams of the late 70s, etc., the trauma of blowing it like 1964 continues to haunt, and whenever two consecutive losses appear even those not alive in 1964 start to think "Here we go again".
Dave M| 6.29.11 @ 3:20PM
When I make my annual pilgrimage to Wrigley to root on my Cardinals against the Cubs, I always wear my Cardinal-red T-shirt with the logo "Friends don't let friends be Cubs fans."
Butch | 6.29.11 @ 4:37PM
How any schoolboy could resist those birds on the bat is beyond me; I couldn't. Went to the 85 and 87 World Series, myself, and Ken Boyer is on "my lifetime" all-star team at third base for the NL. (Brooks Robinson for the AL).
JShizzle| 6.29.11 @ 4:44PM
New Busch Stadium is simply a great place to see a game. Wrigley, for all of its (losing) history, is a dump. I'm glad Will is a Cubs fan...never liked him anyways. Conservatives for Cardinals!
Jennifer | 6.29.11 @ 7:45PM
It is SO STRANGE that I came across this article today. I was just giving my two Cub-loving co-workers a hard time today about their LOSER team. They went on to say something to the effect of "oh, because we don't buy World Series wins?" Yeah, whatever! That's what they say to make themselves feel better and that's what I said to them.
Love the article, can't wait to share it with them. GO CARDS!
weddingdress | 7.1.11 @ 12:37AM
The Cards stole, or "traded for," Dick Groat and Julian Javier from the Pirates. You then won the Series with Groat, and Javier had a great career.