Last week, Greg Luethen wrote about how he almost missed game six of the World Series. We then challenged fans to tell us their story for a chance to win a copy of the World Series DVD from A&E. The following entries will be receiving a copy courtesy of A&E and all of us here at I-70.

Luke McGowan
My story, much like many others, was one of defeat, exuberance, defeat again, and utter hysteria to end it all. I was at a friends house watching the game and it was just us two. Living in St. Louis and only being miles from Busch Stadium I almost couldn’t handle that I was not at the stadium or at the very least downtown outside of the center field gates; then the game got ugly. I now was happy I didn’t waste my time going downtown, what a deflating loss to end it all. We had stepped out onto the front patio where we were taking a smoke break and I thought to myself ‘this might be the last Cardinals game until April…I have to at least keep an eye on it.’ Through the window of the house I could see the TV and saw Allen Craig’s home run. At that moment I too was even more disgusted with Matt Holliday and why he wasn’t replaced earlier that game. Plagued by Albert’s possible last at bat we went inside to watch the rest of the game, but for some reason I could not sit down. Deep down inside, I had a feeling, I knew it was possible, and it was causing me to be so anxious I couldn’t possibly sit. It was at that moment, when David Freese came to the plate that Greg himself text messaged me “brace yourself, you may never forget the next 10 minutes of your life.” This text turned out to be spot on. The home run by Josh Hamilton in the 10th was the most deflating moment of the entire game. After one of the highest highs, we hit the lowest lows….but little did we know that fate had not spoken. A day I will remember for ever, and a Championship I will share with my grand kids some day. Go Cardinals. #12in12.

Jake McGowan
I was in Washington DC at a tax conference sponsored by Ernst and Young. I enjoy attending this conference each year and had signed up about a month earlier. However, this year my plans had hit a bit of a coral reef. Through the good graces of my son Jack and daughter Grace, I had purchased tickets for games 1 and 7 of the World Series. Game 1 was a great success and a glorious start for the Cards. I then checked the calendar and realized (what a bummer) I could not attend Game 7. It was scheduled for Thursday October28th.

I arrived in DC on Wednesday for the first day of the EY Tax Conference. There were rumors floating about that the Cardinals game might be cancelled that night due to rain. If so, then the final two games would be rescheduled to Thursday and Friday. My flight on Friday was scheduled to arrive in St. Louis around 4:45.

I was elated at the thought that I could be able to attend game 7 after all. Game 6 now took on much greater significance for me. I could not believe I might actually see Game 7 of the World Series. Not only that, but I would be able to take that all-time famous sports fan by the name of Madj (lol).

As soon as the dinner banquet concluded on Wednesday evening I went to a sports bar in Washington DC by the name of Green Turtle. It was about the third inning and the Cardinals were losing when I arrived. I then witnessed the dropped fly ball by David Freese, replays of the earlier Cardinal errors and the two Ranger homeruns.

I was the only Cardinals fan in the place. I didn’t care and was bantering a bit with about 6 younger Ranger fans around the TV. It was a little bit of fun. After all it was the World Series. However, after 7 innings I could not take it any longer. I politely bid farewell to the Ranger fans and told them to come visit us in St. Louis sometime.

It was cold and dark and late and raining as I went back to the hotel. The weather fit my mood perfectly I went to my room watched TV news for about ten minutes and tried to go to sleep.

After about an hour I heard that familiar ching ching from my Iphone which meant I had gotten a text message. Out of curiosity I jumped up and looked to see what was happening. It was a text from my son Luke that simply read, “Best Cardinals game ever.” I though “oh my gosh, what is happening?” Had the Cardinals won and I missed it? I quickly turned on TV in my hotel room to see David Freese walking to the plate.

They were in the 11^th inning. I couldn’t believe the score was tied. My hope and anticipation suddenly woke up. At the same time I felt like I was in a dream. How did this happen? I cannot believe David Freese is coming to bat. Then, WHACK! ~ out to center field sails that majestic line drive that was clearly going to be a game winning walk off homer. The second it went over the fence I instinctively let out a very loud, “Yeeeaaaaaaahhhh.”

The euphoria of the Cardinals win was immediately intensified for me as I realized that I my life long dream of attending a game 7 of the World Series was going to probably happen!

The rest is happy history. I still think sometimes that I was in an amazingly good dream for the whole experience! I got to take my wife to game 7. My soon to be daughter in law Blake was there. She is great. The only member of my family not really involved was my lovely and dear daughter Esther. She doesn’t care about the Cardinals. Haha.

Matt Thiel
My story is pretty simple: I talked a buddy out of selling me his Game 6 tickets. With Game 6 and 7 originally scheduled for Wednesday-Thursday, I scheduled a vacation day for Friday so I wouldn’t have to worry about getting up at 3:30a eastern for work IF Game 7 happened. I had scheduled this vacation day out a week or so before, but with craptastic weather rolling through St. Louis Wednesday, a buddy with tickets to Game 6 and Game 7 shot me a text to see if I wanted to take his Game 6 tickets off his hands and just call off work Thursday too. His girlfriend is a teacher in St. Louis, and definitely had to work Thursday, so any sort of long rain delay would probably mean A). she’s miserable to deal with for the next couple of days or B). they would have to leave in the middle of the game.

I passed on Game 6 tickets on Wednesday. Then…

Thursday comes, and he asks me again ‘Hey, do you want to grab these Game 6 tickets?’. His girlfriend has to work Friday morning, and I don’t since I already had this vacation day set. I passed again since I would be back home in St. Louis in a couple of weeks for a Blues game, and at $225 a pop, it’s a little pricey to watch Jaime Garcia try to collapse.

Then magic happened, and not more than 30 seconds after Freese gallops home, I get a picture mail with no text from my buddy and his girlfriend. Dick move, but appropriate since I talked him out of selling me his tickets twice.

Needless to say, I would gladly pay him with a Brinks Truck full of gold to rewind it back to that Thursday.

Congrats to our winners.

For weeks now Cardinal fans have endured “updates” of the doom and gloom variety on the Albert Pujols contract situation. The Cardinals, for their part, let it be known that they were told the deadline for a contract to be signed this offseason is the second Pujols steps on the Spring Training practice fields in Jupiter, Fla. Pujols has been saying the same for some time now. And as the deadline approaches, reporters from all over the country see it fit to remind baseball fans that Pujols still does not have a new deal. But I have a different take on this saga.

There is no reason to panic. And I even have reasons why.

The Cardinals and the Pujols camp have both been steadfast in maintaining silence to the media while this plays out. So where are these writers and broadcasters getting their information? Well, in short, nowhere. I’m not saying the info is made up, but what are we hearing, really? “Sources” or “People familiar with the negotiations” exist, I’m sure. But are they Pujols, his agent Dan Lozano, GM John Mozeliak, or one of the DeWitts? No, they are not. So what we have heard is little more than speculation. Speculation does not equal news; speculation equals those in the know sharing what they think would, could, or should happen based on what they are told by people who may or may not know what they are talking about.

One of the big items brought out recently was that the Cards had not made a formal offer to Pujols yet. You might think “What the heck are they waiting for?!?!” While I can’t answer that question, let me say this: if it is true the Cardinals have not made a formal offer that could be a good thing. At least Pujols has not turned down an offer from the Cards, right?

And I am not buying the whole “waiting until the last minute” hysteria, either. Do people honestly think DeWitt and Mozeliak are sitting around their offices tossing a stress ball back and forth saying “When do you think we ought to start writing up that Pujols contract?” Get real. Everyone has known this was coming. The Cardinals know exactly what they are going to offer Pujols. They have known for a while, I’m sure. A few i’s probably need to be dotted and a t or two may need to be crossed, but this offer is almost certainly ready to go. Bill DeWitt Jr. is a very shrewd businessman, and John Mozeliak has many years working big, complicated deals as an assistant and general manager. People like this do not procrastinate and they do not miss the boat. What if the team sends the contract offer today, or tomorrow? What if it is signed by Tuesday and this all goes away? Will the panic really have been worth it?

The money and the years certainly do need to be carefully considered. When it was reported that Pujols was asking for $300 million over 10 years, people freaked. “He won’t be worth $30 million per year in his 40s!” they cried. I tend to agree. No player can possibly live up to that salary at that age. And if Pujols and his agent believe the Cardinals are the only team that will have reservations about paying him that much at that age, I think they will end up disappointed should he decide to explore free agency. If it is crazy for the Cards to pay him that much at that age, why would it be OK for another team to do it? Pujols is on the record saying he wants to finish his career as a Cardinal and he is not only about money. So would he really sign somewhere else for an extra year or a couple million more per?

One other thing I will agree with is the superficiality of this deadline. It could be a bluff, or it could be meant to pressure the team to make an offer. But if Mozeliak calls Lozano in May, is the agent really not going to answer the phone? Or will he answer and say, “I understand you’re offering my client a quarter of a billion dollars, but we’re just not going to accept any proposals during the season!” Come on. And the Cards do still have an exclusive negotiating window up until five days after the World Series, should it go that far.

I fully admit I wish this whole thing was already done. I do want the Cardinals to sign Pujols. I want to watch him finish his career wearing the birds on the bat. And I think they can come to an agreement that satisfies both Pujols’ desires and the team’s budgetary expectations in order to field a competitive team.

But the sky is not falling. Not yet, anyway.