Friday, October 28, 2011

St. Louis Cardinals Prevail in Game 6 of World Series: In Baseball and In Writing - Never Quit

Last night's Game 6 of the World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers was thrilling!

My teenage granddaughter and I stayed up and watched the game after hubby and grandson called it a night. I was bone-tired after cleaning the house for Bunco--which is at my house tonight--and at one point I told Cari I was going to bed, but she convinced me to stay up till the game was over.

Boy, am I glad I did. It is a shared memory Cari and I will have for years to come. The game didn't start out pretty for the Cardinals--not many hits, three costly errors. Winning Game 6 wasn't look promising. But the Cardinals never quit.

When David Freese tied the game with a triple in the bottom of the 9th, I got a glimmer of hope. Then Texas shot ahead. When Lance Berkman tied the game in the 10th inning, I stood up and cheered, "Lance, Lance. He's our man. If he can't do it, no one can." Then hometown hero David Freese struck again, toppng off the evening with an 11th inning home run. Cheers. Chills. Tears. Unreal.

No matter what the Cardinals do tonight in Game 7, last night's game--and this season--will be one I will always remember. At one point late in last night's game the Cards were down by three runs. They didn't quit. They fought back. To quote Dylan Thomas, they refused "to go gentle into that good night."

Flashback: In 1964, when I was around Cari's age, my sister Kathleen and I and some friends skipped school (with our parents' permission and the good nuns at our high school not disapproving) and camped  overnight outside the old Sportsmen's Park for Game 7 of the World Series between the underdog St. Louis Cardinals and the favored New York Yankees. That October night was cold as we huddled beneath our blanket. But it was an experience I have never forgotten.  Bleacher tickets cost $2. I had saved money from babysitting to pay for my ticket. We were able to buy two tickets each. A friend of Kathleen's paid us $5 for our extra $2 bleacher ticket, which paid for our own ticket, plus snacks at the stadium. What a deal!

A lot has changed since 1964. The Cardinals have moved stadiums twice since then. I heard this morning the least expensive available ticket cost around $400 for standing room only. In 1964, when Bob Gibson pitched the Cardinals to beat the New York Yankees, I climbed down the bleacher wall and followed other fans onto the field while my sister stood in the bleachers holding our blanket, yelling for me to be careful. How crazy was that?

Crazy, but well worth the memory. Yep. Baseball fans and writers have a lot in common; we're dedicated and a little bit crazy.

The resilience, persistence, and never-give-up attitude of the Cardinals is a lesson for me as a writer. In spite of rejections or close-but-not-quite-there placement in contests, I'll keep on plugging away, doing what I love to do--write--oh, and root for my hometown Cardinals.

9 comments:

  1. Love this, Donna! The juxtaposition of the memory and of the present moments are probably something your granddaughter will have one day herself. :)

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  2. Donna, I'm so glad you stayed up and kept watching, too! I kind of gave up off and on during the game, too.It was like a movie...a really, really wonderful movie!!
    Speaking of nuns and high school...I had a math teacher, Sister (I don't remember!)who LOVED the Cardinals and brought in her little transister radio during play offs, etc.!! We loved it! I'll be thinking of you and cheering tonight, too!

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  3. I am not a baseball fan but like seeing others get their pleasures! I can only imagine how delirious you St. Louis folks and fans are this morning. Glad for you all! Enjoyed your post.

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  4. It was a good game but I, too, pooped out before the end. What a wonderful opportunity you had with your sister. $2 tickets! The mark of an age gone by. Have a great weekend.

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  5. Great comparison! You can't win if you don't stay in the game.

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  6. How those memories linger. So, you were a scalper? Kidding. A teacher I know sold her box seats for the cost of her child's Catholic HS School tuition. Can you imagine?

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  7. I had some tired kids in school Friday, but you're right--the memories will last long after the tiredness is forgotten!

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  8. Hi Madeline,
    Thanks! I hope so.

    Hi Becky,
    Ahh. Memories.

    Hi Claudia,
    Thanks!

    Hi Sally,
    Thanks. Good memories there.

    Hi Krysten,
    So true.

    Hi Linda,
    sounds like a smart trade.

    Hi Lynn,
    Thanks.

    Hi Tammy,
    Those kids saw an epic game.

    Thanks everyone for your comments.

    donna

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