As a lifelong Cardinals fan I don't hope for October baseball, I expect it, and when the Cards bounced back from last season's disappointment in the NLCS, I was ecstatic. The Cards were headed back to the series there was only 1 problem, it was against "a team of destiny", the Boston Red Sox.
On Patriots' Day, April 15, 2013, the day they run the Boston Marathon, the crispness of a run was destroyed by an act of terror that killed 5, injured 280 and shut down the city of Boston for the next four days, as the investigation, the pain and the drama played out across the media, the nation became "Boston Strong."
"Boston Strong" was more than a rallying cry for runners, it was an opportunity to once again join as a nation to support each other in the most trying of times. With shadows of 9/11, Boston became all of America; the Penguins America's Team, The Celtics a symbol of a fighting city and the Red Sox carried the banner of baseball to help the city heal for all fans from around the country. America became "Boston Strong" and we would prevail.
Through everything baseball became part of the healing process, the Red Sox a symbol of strength for city that badly needed it. The Red Sox turned their team around from last year going 69-93, to this year's tie for the best record at 97-65 in the regular season. They were "a team of destiny".
The funny thing is the Boston Red Sox aren't the only "team of destiny" this year. The Cardinals had claimed that title as well on January 19th, 2013.
On January 19th, 2013 Stan "The Man" Musial passed away of natural causes peacefully surrounded by family. "Baseball's Perfect Knight" and the greatest Cardinal, had passed. Musial's 3,630 hits is 4th all time, his 725 doubles 3rd, 6,134 total bases 2nd, and 2,562 runs created 3rd all time. Not to mention a 3 time World Series Champion, 3 time NL MVP, 7 time NL Batting Champion, 24 time All Star, First Ballot member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, member of the US Navy (1945-1946), St. Louis Icon, and Presidential Medal of Freedom award winner, the Cardinals had to win this year to honor "number 6".
The epitome of the "The Cardinal Way": playing the game hard for all 9 innings; playing for your teammates; playing for the city of St. Louis; never, ever giving up; working hard; playing tough; playing through adversity; being a civic leader; giving to charity; having respect for the games, the fans and every player to ever play the game; had passed the Cardinals had become a "team of destiny".
So now two "teams of destiny" have made it to the fall classic which one will win? My alliances lie appropriately with the Cardinals and unlike 2004 I'm ready for the "The Cardinal Way" to prevail. The "curse" was broken in 2004 and I said then if anyone was to beat the Birds at least is was the Sox, but now they've had their fun won a couple now it's our turn to win our 12th in '13 for the Greatest Cardinal of them All Stan "the Man" Musial. (Cards in "appropriately" 6)
(For some reason this did not post on Thursday, so here's the repost today, I figured the Series is tied so no worse for wear)
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