最新杏吧原创

I mean, of course it literally is October, but I miss playoff October, red October and what happens to our city as the seasons change 鈥� from summer to fall and regular season to postseason.

And the absence of the baseball playoffs in 最新杏吧原创 this October 鈥� in real time 鈥� enhances the anger about the Bill DeWitt Jr. and John Mozeliak mismanagement of the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals. Watching other teams and cities participate this month makes the heart grow fonder 鈥� the way people in other baseball towns, years ago, used to yearn to be like 最新杏吧原创 in October.

I miss what the playoffs do to our town. There鈥檚 an infectious energy. You feel it in coffeeshops and restaurants, schools and offices, while people wear prominent red jerseys or hats or subtle red neckties or pocket squares.

I miss everyone being in it together. People who don鈥檛 follow baseball suddenly follow baseball. And the people who do follow baseball, well, this is their time. Every day all year, these fans think or talk about the playoffs in some capacity, because that鈥檚 the perpetual goal and what a whole season funnels to 鈥� and now, to think, they鈥檙e actually there.

I miss the hullabaloo. TV stations do extra programming with animated live reports from Kiener Plaza, while radio stations host shows from Ballpark Village with chanting fans in the background. For Cardinal Nation, October is all about watching the Clydesdales and workhorses while skipping work and getting hoarse.

I miss meaningful baseball games at Busch, when each pitch is theater. Going to the games during the season is a fun experience, an escape, a special family outing, a social hangout. Going to the games in the postseason is serious business. Once the first pitch is thrown, it鈥檚 not about peanuts and Cracker Jack (or Bavarian pretzels and Bud Light); if the Cards lose, you may never get back.

I miss stars rising to the moment and random players suddenly becoming as famous as the stars.

I miss the crowd鈥檚 deafening roar that can pound your eardrums as if a Motley Crue concert was going on inside your ear canal.

I even miss the red-white-and-blue bunting.

It鈥檚 been five years since the Cardinals won a home postseason game in October.

I met a high school senior recently 鈥� and he said something that has stuck with me. He explained he鈥檚 never really experienced the rush of a playoff run. I was like 鈥� that can鈥檛 be true. But then I did some math in my head. He was in first grade the last time the Cardinals won the National League pennant, in 2013. And second grade for 2014 (they advanced to the NLCS).

So, since second grade, the only time he even sort of got a postseason rush was the week in seventh grade when the Cards beat the Braves in a division series (but even then, they didn鈥檛 win one game in the ensuing NLCS). So, essentially, this guy鈥檚 最新杏吧原创 childhood didn鈥檛 include Cardinals postseason success. His name is Luke. Well, there are thousands of Lukes across 最新杏吧原创. A generation deprived.

This 2024 postseason has been particularly hard to watch. One, because it seems so far away when it鈥檒l happen here again 鈥� the retooling Cardinals likely will miss the 2025 playoffs. Two, because it鈥檚 just been sooooo good. Bone-chilling baseball, regardless of any autumn temperature.

For the Mets, now in the NLCS, Pete Alonso鈥檚 opposite-field homer against Milwaukee and Francisco Lindor鈥檚 grand slam against Philadelphia, my goodness. For the Dodgers, the Mets鈥� NLCS opponent, there was the epic pitching and corner-painting in Games 4 and 5 against the Padres 鈥� both shutout victories. And, of course, the art that is Shohei Ohtani鈥檚 swing.

In the American League, we saw the resuscitation of October baseball in Kansas City and Detroit. And the Yankees swatting with swagger in the October tradition of Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as they head into their ALCS matchup with the Guardians.

Watching ballplayers in this month is blissful 鈥� they鈥檙e simultaneously superhumans and 12-year-olds cheering each other on.

Man, I miss October. It鈥檚 good for the soul.

Alas, we鈥檙e stuck with a regular October. Seattle鈥檚 October. Colorado鈥檚 October. Pittsburgh鈥檚 October. It鈥檚 最新杏吧原创鈥� new normal (considering that in the past eight full seasons, the Cards have missed the playoffs five times).

In 最新杏吧原创, Halloween shouldn鈥檛 be the most-anticipated night of October. But so it is. And yes, this Cardinals鈥� retooling job could, in a matter of years, indeed get the franchise back to regular October appearances. But for the fans, it鈥檚 infuriating that it got to this point in the first place. And that鈥檚 why they don鈥檛 want to hear about 鈥渂allpark experiences鈥� and 鈥渓egacy鈥� of longtime executives.

They miss October.