Over a year ago, I began talking to my friend Kasi, who is the girl that I’ve mentioned in my columns throughout the playoffs.
Of course, I’m not trying to give you a Sleepless in Seattle story, but the way that I’m writing this column, it seems like it is one of those stories.
Last year, I had written a column about the summer of 2005,the summer of D-Lee and Kasi, right during the time that the Cardinals were running away with the National League Central and I was starting as an announcer for the Redbirds and also writing a column about humorous observations that I saw when I was with my friends or anywhere in the city.
But between that, I started inputting my knowledge of baseball whenever I talked to her, talking about St. Louis, Jack Buck, and my beloved Cardinals.
Unlike this postseason, the way it was at this time last year was not the way it is now.
I was looking forward to hanging out with her (as I stated in my post on October 21st) when I went to Nashville with my job for a service project last October, when I believed that our friendship, was for the most part, peachy keechy.
Unfortunately, a day after Mr. Pujols hits a homer that sucked the life out of the city of Houston, the Astros would win the pennant and the day after that, the crap would hit the fan.
Apparently, the end of 2005 left me on the verge of losing a friend because of my selfish ways and leaving a very bad taste in my mouth.
Reset.
In March, we started back talking over instant messaging and of course, I explained my actions before and put it behind me.
Of course, she and I myself knew that I was going to revert to talking about baseball once the Cardinals’ season began in April.
But for the most part, that did not happen.
Until the Cardinals got into League Championship Series, I tried to keep away from talking about the Cardinals and Jack Buck and all things St. Louis.
That’s when I fell off the wagon of doing that when the Cardinals were on the verge of winning the pennant.
Three nights before they won, I told her that our friendship is more important than a silly baseball game.
If the Cardinals lose a game, does Albert Pujols or Scott Rolen start thinking about jumping off the old Eads Bridge or the Gateway Arch?
No.
Of course, given from what she knew from last year, she knew that I lived and died with the Cardinals.
The night that the Cardinals won the pennant, I made a promise to her that the Cardinals would win the pennant just for her.
Which in fact did happen.
During Game 4 on last Thursday, I had kept tabs on the score and would report it to her.
At one point in the game, the Cardinals were trailing 3-2 to the Tigers when all of a sudden she was telling me that she was going to rub her belly to get them the lead.
And for some reason, that worked.
The Cardinals got two runs in the bottom of the seventh to take the lead.
Then the Tigers got a run to tie the game in the top of the eighth inning, which was when I told her the score again.
And the cue to start belly rubbin’.
Bottom of the eighth inning, the Cardinals took the lead for good and won Game 4 thanks in part to David Eckstein’s double off Craig Monroe’s glove.
Which set the tone for Friday.
For the first time in 24 years and in my lifetime, the St. Louis Cardinals are World Champions.
And the best thing about seeing that happen was that I was able to share it with a person that I care about.
And the only person that has patience with me during the baseball season.
I know personally this isn’t my best work because I have been away from my computer for three days, but what the point that I’m trying to make is that I’ve enjoyed sharing my wisdom about baseball with her, even though she still probably won’t understand it.
And most importantly, the month of October.
Again, thank you, Kasi.
Thank you.
