IT WAS A STEAMY, AND EXTREMELY WARM SUMMER IN MISSOURI IN 1985, AND THE ST LOUIS BASEBALL CARDINALS WERE A BALL OF FLAMES AS THEIR (101) WIN SEASON WAS THE 3RD MOST EVER WINS IN THE FRANCHISE'S MODERN ERA HISTORY.."THE HEAT IS ON" WAS THE APPROPRIATE MANTRA THE RED HOT BIRDS WERE CHANTING AS THEY HAD BLAZED THROUGH THE SEASON, CAPTURING THE NATIONAL LEAGUE, EAST DIVISION TITLE AND WERE BOILING FOR THE PLAYOFFS...
...THE MAIN MAN ON THE ROSTER WAS OUTFIELDER, WILLIE MCGEE, WHO CLAIMED THE NL MVP AWARD, AND HIS FRESHMAN TEAMMATE, VINCE COLEMAN TOOK HOME THE NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR HONORS... THE CARDS TOOK THE L A DODGERS IN 6 GAMES, AND IT ALL CAME DOWN TO A SHOOTOUT AND HIGH DRAMA. EVERYBODY WANTED TO SEE WHICH TEAM IN THE "SHOW ME STATE" COULD SHOW THEIR BEST IN THE (7) GAME SERIES, WHILE SCOOTIN' BACK AND FORTH ON I-70...
...THE CARDINALS LED THEIR AMERICAN LEAGUE COUSINS, THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS (3-2) AFTER (5) GAMES, THEN LOST GAME (6), AND AS FORTUNE WOULD HAVE IT, THROWING CHALLENGE FLAGS WAS NOT INVENTED IN 1985....THE RED BIRDS LOST GAME (7) AND THE SERIES IN THE 9TH INNING ON A PLAY, WHICH WAS ULTIMATELY OVERRIDDEN BY INSTANT REPLAY, NOT REVERSIBLE, AND THOUGH IT REVEALED THE CARDS WOULD HAVE WON THE GAME, IT WAS JUST A MORAL VICTORY FOR ST LOUIS...KANSAS CITY WENT ON TO WIN THE GAME AND THE SERIES (4-3), AND INFAMOUSLY, "THE CALL" THAT HAD THE CARDS' GIZZARDS TURNING AND CHURNING IN '85. IT WAS THE HUMAN ERROR WE ALL LIVE WITH...
...BUT WEEP NOT FOR THE CARDS, NOR SING THE ST LOUIS BLUES FOR THE FRANCHISE WITH (11) WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONSHIPS, MOST IN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE AND SECOND IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL, (ONLY PACED BY THOSE PIN STRIPED BOMBERS IN THE BRONX). THE TEAM WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1882 AS THE ST LOUIS BROWN STOCKINGS AND ULTIMATELY RENAMED THE CARDINALS IN 1900, WINNING THE FIRST FALL CLASSIC IN 1926... IN THE 40s, "ST LOUIE" WAS THE PLACE TO BE STATESIDE, WINNING (4) PENNANTS ('42, '43. '44, '46) AND (3) WORLD SERIES CROWNS, ('42. '44, '46) DURING THE WORLD WAR II YEARS...
...AND THAT 80s DECADE HAD ITS FAIR SHARE OF GLORY WHEN THE RED BIRDS BROUGHT (3) AL EAST DIVISION TITLES ('82, '85, '87), THREE NATIONAL LEAGUE PENNANTS, ('82, '85, '87), AND A 1982 WS CROWN HOME THROUGH THE ARCH...FOUR PENNANTS AND TWO FALL CLASSIC CONQUESTS IN THE 21st CENTURY SHOW THE CARDINALS ARE SOARING AS HIGH AS EVER AND READY TO FLY IN 2024....KEEP WATCHIN'