There’s a song written by Sara Bareilles called “Without a Believer.” While the song was cut from a musical that has nothing to do with baseball, some of the lyrics hit home.
“What good’s a dreamer without a believer?
We all just need someone to care
One who might listen and root for our wishes
Someone to simply be glad that we’re there.”
As the 2019 Cardinals baseball season comes to a close, we’re left to evaluate the remnants of a tumultuous season. What was good? What was bad? What can they do to improve?
Sure, we can pick apart the details of the front office decisions (or lack of). We can crunch numbers and stats trying to determine exactly why the final loss happened. We can stick blame on players, coaches, the phase of the moon... But the reality is that all but one team will end their baseball marathon in a loss of some kind.
While the Cards may have had debatable successes and losses on the field, one sure fire win they will always have is the unwavering support behind them. St. Louis is unmatched. The players want to reach the top, but what is that pennant worth without the people behind them? The families. The friends. The fans. Their city rallying behind them no matter what.
Baseball wouldn’t be anywhere near as magical without you, the fans. In fact it wouldn’t be anything without the people in the stands rooting for the people on the field.
So as the off season arrives sooner than we would’ve liked, remember that the dream is still alive. That’s the great thing about these things. When we stumble and fall, we can get right back up and keep chasing our wildest schemes. We can keep caring and lifting up the people and the sport we love so dearly.
YOU are why this sport is as magical as it is. YOU pack the stadiums. YOU help fill this harsh world with magic and camaraderie. When fans come together, the rest of the world can fall away.
Baseball is a game that can help melt away the real world and its problems for nine innings. It gives us a soft place to land. It brings people together in ways most things cannot. As we go into winter, let’s keep that dream alive as elusive as it may seem. May we all be so lucky to be part of something so special.
Twelve in Twenty.
After all, what good is a dreamer without a believer?