Cards and Mets play 20 innings, we learn about these Redbirds

I had a lot more fun writing my regular Sunday piece at Baseball Digest today than I thought I would.

All of the anxiety and distaste for in-game decisions that I had last night had faded.  I had read the various game stories telling of Tony LaRussa and his staff applauding the team in the clubhouse.  Of Brendan Ryan and Colby Rasmus jamming a bat and sandal into Kyle Lohse’s face while reporters were doing the same with their various recording devices, listening to him recount his evening in left field.  Hearing the upbeat tone in the players’ voices and their tales, recounting the seemingly never-ending game.

I wrote a list of twenty things, twenty that I felt impacted the game and other various observations, twenty things for twenty innings.

Well, it occurred to me this afternoon that there’s a twenty-first item on my mind…

21. We’ve learned a lot about this team in one almost seven-hour game.  It seems that in every season there is that “moment” – that one event or occurrence makes or breaks a season, defines a team, shows us fans the true makeup of that year’s roster.  It seems the 2010 Cardinals may have run across that moment earlier than anyone may have expected.  I, for one, think the team passed with flying colors, even in loss.  They went into the game a talented bunch of players, and they emerged seven hours and twenty innings later as a galvanized team – bring on the rest of the season.

Next game:  Mets (Maine) at Cardinals (Wainwright), 04/18/2010 7:05p

Writing about the Cardinals and other loosely associated topics since 2008, I've grown tired of the April run-out only to disappoint Cardinal fans everywhere by mid-May. I do not believe in surrendering free outs.

Nick

View all posts by Nick
Follow Nick on Twitter