But more importantly, it's the best time of year for a sports fan: you get football, baseball, hockey and basketball all at the same time.
And for me, October is particularly exciting because I have been fortunate enough to enjoy my favorite baseball team, the St. Louis Cardinals, in postseason play a lot in the past decade. Not many fanbases can say the same.
I can't remember ever NOT loving baseball. When you grow up in St. Louis, it's nearly impossible to NOT be a Cardinals fan.
Me, at nearly 2 years old. Already a die-hard fan.
As a fan, the hope every year is that your team will make it to the playoffs and win a World Series. It's not an easy thing to do. Getting to the postseason is hard, and some fan bases, like the Cubs, haven't won a World Series in 105 years.
On opening day, in cities across the country, 32 different fanbases hope and dream that this will be the year that their team makes it all the way to the postseason and hold up that World Series trophy. But only one team can get that honor each year.
I realize that I am very lucky to be a Cardinals fan. While Cubs fans still wait for their curse to be broken, I have watched my team win 3 World Series Championships (well, I was alive in 1982. I can't say I remember it. But I was representin', as evidenced in the picture above) and they are now poised to win a 4th.
The Cardinals are moving on to their 2nd World Series in 3 years. They lost Tony La Russa. They lost Albert Pujols. They lost ace Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, and closer Jason Motte and were forced to rely on developing rookies into star pitchers.
And it worked. America may be sick of hearing about "The Cardinal Way," but you can't deny that they have established a culture that is based on winning and excellence. You hear it in the way the Cardinals players speak, manager Mike Matheny, and GM John Mozeliak.
I understand that outside of Cardinal Nation, no one was rooting for the Cardinals. Because in America, we like winners...until they win too much. Teams that have won too much, such as The Yankees, The Patriots and The Lakers garner a lot of hate from other fanbases because you're just tired of seeing the same team win all of the time. And when it's a team that over and over again prevents your team from advancing (for me, the Patriots constantly beating the Colts in the postseason was BRUTAL) you can't help but feel resentment and hatred. Why do they always have to win?
The Cardinals are moving on to their 2nd World Series in 3 years. They lost Tony La Russa. They lost Albert Pujols. They lost ace Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, and closer Jason Motte and were forced to rely on developing rookies into star pitchers.
And it worked. America may be sick of hearing about "The Cardinal Way," but you can't deny that they have established a culture that is based on winning and excellence. You hear it in the way the Cardinals players speak, manager Mike Matheny, and GM John Mozeliak.
I understand that outside of Cardinal Nation, no one was rooting for the Cardinals. Because in America, we like winners...until they win too much. Teams that have won too much, such as The Yankees, The Patriots and The Lakers garner a lot of hate from other fanbases because you're just tired of seeing the same team win all of the time. And when it's a team that over and over again prevents your team from advancing (for me, the Patriots constantly beating the Colts in the postseason was BRUTAL) you can't help but feel resentment and hatred. Why do they always have to win?
The St. Louis Cardinals now fall into that category of winning too much.
But that doesn't mean that fans of the Cardinals are going to stop cheering on our team and say "oh, you haven't won in 25 years? Okay. Here. Let me tell my team to suck so you can win." Would Lakers fans do that? I live in LA. I can tell you that would be a "HELL NO." Would Yankees fans do that? Please, you jest.
There's been a lot of chatter and heckling about the whole "best fans in baseball thing." I'm going to say something here that many Cardinals fans may not like. I HATE the best fans in baseball thing.
How can anyone say who has the best fanbase? To say so is completely subjective. How it is judged? Attendance? Jersey sales? Ballpark environment? Smartest fans?
When you claim to say you're the best, you have to have evidence to back it up. Otherwise you just sound arrogant. Do the Cardinals have a case for being the best fans in baseball? Sure. The media has said it is. Players have made comments that suggest it is. But you won't hear me saying it. I'm proud to be a Cardinal fan and love the fanbase and definitely believe we have one of the best fanbases out there, but I'll leave it at that.
I mean, Cubs fans have been waiting 105 years for a World Series ring and they are incredibly loyal. That's dedication there. It's easy to support your team when they're winning. To keep supporting year after year and getting disappointed? Major respect. The Cardinals haven't given fans much to be disappointed about (though going up 3-1 last year against the Giants and losing still hurts).
It's been an exciting postseason and I am thrilled to see my St. Louis Cardinals vying for their 12th World Championship. This is what fans live for. You never know who the hero is going to be. In 2011, hometown boy David Freese made his way into the history books as the MVP of the 2011 World Series. In the 2013 NLCS, rookie Michael Wacha amazed us all by beating the probable Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw twice. He hasn't allowed a single run in the postseason. If he keeps this up, he will be a potential Cy Young candidate in the future.
Carlos Beltran is now finally going to his first World Series. I really hope he gets his first ring. Class act and all around amazing player. And in a way, the Cardinals owe it to him. Because it was the Cardinals who denied his previous World Series chances in 2004 when he was with Houston, and in 2006 with the Mets (sorry Mets fans, I know that one still stings). 3rd time is the charm?
This is Baseball Heaven. 2013 National League Champions. World Series Bound.
It's a great time to be a Cardinals fan. #12in13
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