10/31/2006
A Night of Champions
Things that I will remember from Friday night:
Driving from my apartment with The Lady Friend to my buddy Mozzy’s house during the 7th inning, the streets of Dogtown deserted – the clerk at Patrick’s Liquor Store asking why in the world we were buying beer and weren’t watching the game. Had to reload, dude. Priorities.
Not being able to sit during the ninth inning, worried that the Tigers were going to pull off an improbable comeback, sending the Cards to game 6 and me to the hospital with a heart attack.
Watching Brandon Inge flail helplessly at Wainwright’s first pitch and saying “this guy’s a strike out waiting to happen. We’re actually going to do it!”
Screaming wildly and hugging liberally as soon as Yadi squeezed that last pitch.
Letting out an "IN YOUR FACE, SPACE COYOTE!" after we won, and wondering if it's odd that I am so ingrained with the Simpsons that I let out obscure non-sensical quotes during times of triumph.
Champagne. Lots and lots of champagne.
To Nick's Pub...
Irish Carbombs.
“Celebrate” by Kool and the Gang.
More Irish Carbombs.
Much more “Celebrate.” In total, I believe it was played twenty times continuously while we were at Nick’s Pub. Strangely, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Oh dear God... More Irish Carbombs.
A continuous barrage of high fives and hugs.
At least 10,000 text messages. Maybe more.
A congratulatory phone call from my buddy Nate, as hardcore a Cubs fan as there is. One of these years it will be your turn, bro.
Meeting up with old friends and making new ones.
Walking home in 30-some-odd degree temputure and not feeling an ounce of cold in my bones, completely and totally warm and content in the sweet, reaffirming warmth of a championship.
Waking up in the morning as hung over as I had ever been in my life; and never feeling better about it.
--------------
There are few moments that I can clearly recall in my life that made me feel as well or better. My high school basketball team winning the first Regional title in school history; flying into Peoria's airport for the first time after the war; watching the Illinois v. Arizona Elite Eight game in ’05; sneaking out of a wedding to watch the ND v. GaTech game with an old childhood friend that I randomly ran into; drinking wine at the lake house with TLF – those all come to mind.
I’m sure there have been others just as I am sure there will be more to come. But that Friday night – all weekend really – is going to stay in my memory for quite some time.
It's what we as fans live for… and it does not come often. This is the first Championship any of the teams I actively root for has won in my adult life. And with the shape most of them are in, I’m not exactly in the position to look forward to any more any time soon. So I’ll relish in it. Yes, paying hundreds of dollars on World Championship merchandise is a little foolish, but once every 24 years I think it is perfectly fine to be more than a little foolish.
Where does it go from here? I don’t know. In a perfect life, the Cards winning the title would coincide with me doing something weird, like boarding a plane for Fiji and joining a professional body boarding tour. This weekend would have been the perfect closure moment.
Alas; I’m back at work, rents due tomorrow, and life as before continues. Just without baseball for a few months.
It’s weird: We spend 8 months of the year watching these guys every night, reading about them every morning. They become, unbeknownst to them, a part of our lives. Carp, Scotty, Belli, Jimmy, Pujols – they’re there, in our living room, with us every night through the spring, summer and fall. Then they're gone for the winter.
But life goes on…
‘Bout 110 days till pitchers and catchers report, no?
Driving from my apartment with The Lady Friend to my buddy Mozzy’s house during the 7th inning, the streets of Dogtown deserted – the clerk at Patrick’s Liquor Store asking why in the world we were buying beer and weren’t watching the game. Had to reload, dude. Priorities.
Not being able to sit during the ninth inning, worried that the Tigers were going to pull off an improbable comeback, sending the Cards to game 6 and me to the hospital with a heart attack.
Watching Brandon Inge flail helplessly at Wainwright’s first pitch and saying “this guy’s a strike out waiting to happen. We’re actually going to do it!”
Screaming wildly and hugging liberally as soon as Yadi squeezed that last pitch.
Letting out an "IN YOUR FACE, SPACE COYOTE!" after we won, and wondering if it's odd that I am so ingrained with the Simpsons that I let out obscure non-sensical quotes during times of triumph.
Champagne. Lots and lots of champagne.
To Nick's Pub...
Irish Carbombs.
“Celebrate” by Kool and the Gang.
More Irish Carbombs.
Much more “Celebrate.” In total, I believe it was played twenty times continuously while we were at Nick’s Pub. Strangely, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Oh dear God... More Irish Carbombs.
A continuous barrage of high fives and hugs.
At least 10,000 text messages. Maybe more.
A congratulatory phone call from my buddy Nate, as hardcore a Cubs fan as there is. One of these years it will be your turn, bro.
Meeting up with old friends and making new ones.
Walking home in 30-some-odd degree temputure and not feeling an ounce of cold in my bones, completely and totally warm and content in the sweet, reaffirming warmth of a championship.
Waking up in the morning as hung over as I had ever been in my life; and never feeling better about it.
--------------
There are few moments that I can clearly recall in my life that made me feel as well or better. My high school basketball team winning the first Regional title in school history; flying into Peoria's airport for the first time after the war; watching the Illinois v. Arizona Elite Eight game in ’05; sneaking out of a wedding to watch the ND v. GaTech game with an old childhood friend that I randomly ran into; drinking wine at the lake house with TLF – those all come to mind.
I’m sure there have been others just as I am sure there will be more to come. But that Friday night – all weekend really – is going to stay in my memory for quite some time.
It's what we as fans live for… and it does not come often. This is the first Championship any of the teams I actively root for has won in my adult life. And with the shape most of them are in, I’m not exactly in the position to look forward to any more any time soon. So I’ll relish in it. Yes, paying hundreds of dollars on World Championship merchandise is a little foolish, but once every 24 years I think it is perfectly fine to be more than a little foolish.
Where does it go from here? I don’t know. In a perfect life, the Cards winning the title would coincide with me doing something weird, like boarding a plane for Fiji and joining a professional body boarding tour. This weekend would have been the perfect closure moment.
Alas; I’m back at work, rents due tomorrow, and life as before continues. Just without baseball for a few months.
It’s weird: We spend 8 months of the year watching these guys every night, reading about them every morning. They become, unbeknownst to them, a part of our lives. Carp, Scotty, Belli, Jimmy, Pujols – they’re there, in our living room, with us every night through the spring, summer and fall. Then they're gone for the winter.
But life goes on…
‘Bout 110 days till pitchers and catchers report, no?
Labels: The 2006 Saint Louis Baseball Cardinals
Comments:
<< Home
110 days? That sounds so horrible.
Shall we already commence the off-season acquisition/trade/signings talk?
Post a Comment
Shall we already commence the off-season acquisition/trade/signings talk?
# posted by 
: 11:57 AM
: 11:57 AM 
<< Home
