Playoff baseball will take years off your life. The St. Louis Cardinals 2016 added week or more of pressure-filled baseball and this old man’s heart just about can’t handle it!
Central division titles with a magic number are more soothing to the heart and mind at the end of September than the ups-and-downs this St. Louis Cardinals team is providing Cardinal Nation. From one-run wins one night to blowout losses the next, I’ve experienced the same array of emotions usually stored away until the bunting is added to Busch Stadium.
If that wasn’t enough, the final game against the Cincinnati Reds ends in controversy with water showers on the field, umpires confused over what just happened as Matt Carpenter slides head first into home plate and Red’s manager Brian Price sprinting to the umpire’s dressing room.
Let’s make matters even worse, as the team we are battling off the field for the second wild-card spot, the San Francisco Giants, are playing at home on the west coast. There is no rest for the mind, waiting until after midnight for a final score.
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All this being said, I still like the St. Louis Cardinals chances. We don’t have to worry about the Los Angeles Dodgers coasting through these final three regular season games with the San Francisco Giants, as they still have the opportunity to finish with a better record than the Washington Nationals. The better record will host the National League Division Series.
Besides that, the rivalry those two western teams share is similar to the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs. I’m counting on those Dodgers that I dislike so much to be spoilers and help the Cardinals advance to their sixth straight playoff appearance.
It does concern me, however, that the St. Louis Cardinals really do not have a starter for the Saturday game against Pittsburgh. Carlos Martinez will be solid tonight and Adam Wainwright will give us a comfortable finish to the regular season on Sunday.
Put all this together and it returns me right back to my first thought; playoff baseball takes years off your life and in a hurry. Could a Monday play-in game be in-store? Oh my…
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