The Nooner #25: Phillies Phun

So we’re heading to Busch Stadium tonight for the Cardinals’ tilt against the Philadelphia Phillies. The last time I saw the Phillies play in St. Louis, it was Game 4 of the 2011 Division Series. As you may remember, that’s when this happened:

 

 

It was an epic night in St. Louis Cardinals lore. That was actually the second time the squirrel had run across the field; the first was the night before in Game 3 but his route wasn’t nearly as disruptive to the flow of that game. At the time, knowing the Cards had to go back to Philly and win Game 5 just to advance, we wondered if this early appearance of what would soon be coined the “Rally Squirrel” was the most exciting thing we’d see during the 2011 postseason. Of course, we were proven naïve in the following weeks.

Fast-forward to last night, the first meeting at Busch between the clubs since. By now you probably know that this happened:

 

 

Again, it’s the Phillies. Again, it was the first night of the series at Busch. And again, I will be there for the second night. I fully expect to see a naked person charge toward the plate while Skip Schumaker stands in the batter’s box. It’s destiny. Especially since I have all these “You still need four balls to get a walk” jokes ready for tomorrow.

–CCR

Rooting Interest

The following comes from an email exchange I had with Scott the Cubs Fan yesterday. We were discussing baseball, of course, and the NLCS. He said he’s really trying to root for the Cardinals, but it’s tough (obviously). Here was my reply to him; maybe more Cubs fans living in Cardinal country can take something from it as well:

I would expect this is a tough spot for a lot of Cubs fans. Unless you don’t share most NL fans’ general disdain for the AL, you have to choose between rooting for your oldest rival or your newest. There is the novelty of rooting for a Brewers-Rangers World Series in order to guarantee a first-time winner, I suppose. Detroit is one of those places that really needs some good news, so they’re probably the heartstrings’ favorite. Admittedly, the Cardinals are the closest thing to an “Evil Empire”-type team left in this postseason. For all these reasons, I wouldn’t at all blame you for rooting against them.

But then again, you’re completely surrounded by Cardinal Red. It’s on TV, radio, in the newspaper, on the street, and in your home. 99% of the people you love and care about the most are hoping more than anything the Cardinals will win the World Series, and if they don’t you’ll be on an island with one or two others as the only people smiling on the day they’re eliminated. And, as a lover of the game itself, you know that historically the St. Louis Cardinals winning the World Series is never a bad thing. Even you can’t turn away when Stan Musial appears on the field in that bright red blazer, flanked by Red Schoendienst and Lou Brock (well, maybe not him) and Bob Gibson and Ozzie Smith.

I get it. Do what you feel you have to do. Go Cards.

I’m not sure what Scott the Cubs fan will choose to do. I know he’ll watch, because he loves baseball and completely geeks out on it during the playoffs regardless of who is playing. I do the same thing. No matter who you root for, that part is pretty universal. And I don’t expect him to walk around in the colors of either team. That would be a little much.

But I do know one thing: he really hates the Rally Squirrel.

–Chris

@birdbrained