Cardinals shine

St. Louis Cardinals fans are used to winning and watching their favorite baseball team compete in October, but there's a renewed excitement this time of year when the boys of summer compete in the playoffs.

The Redbirds finished the regular season with a National League-leading 97-65 record, which tied the Red Sox for the best record in Major League Baseball.

There are so many things that could be written about the 2013 team, but here are a few that stick out:

* Mike Matheny has done an impressive job at managing this team. In only his second season as manager, the former Cardinals catcher has shown the baseball instincts and leadership qualities required of a big-league manager.

His servant leadership qualities appear to resonate with this club. (We even saw him warm up pitchers in between innings when the catcher was putting his gear back on.) He has shown poise, wisdom and character. Ownership and general manager John Mozeliak made the right move in hiring Matheny after longtime skipper Tony La Russa retired after the 2011 season.

* Speaking of the front office, ownership and Mozeliak along with his staff have done an impressive job. From recruiting young players and training them in the "Cardinal Way" to contracts with several big-name players, the team was cohesive and genuinely appeared to enjoy the camaraderie.

Baseball writers have talked about the organization's great culture -- a component to the Cardinal Way -- and that's in part because of the organization's leadership and players with strong character.

* How about these young players? We've lost count of how many rookies appeared on the big-league club this year. When you think about young players, it's hard to believe a team could achieve this level of success when so many have minimal experience. The players responded, and the future of this team looks bright.

There are more storylines: injuries to key players, the success of Yadier Molina, Adam Wainwright, Matt Holliday and Matt Carpenter, to name a few.

Today the Cardinals face the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League Division Series. The Pirates are making their first postseason appearance since 1992, and though we root for St. Louis, it's fun to see the excitement in the Steel City. With a win over the Reds on Tuesday night, Pirates fans had a taste of what Cardinal Nation has enjoyed many times.

For the Cardinals, the path to the World Series starts today. With memories of the 2011 championship still fresh and of last year's squad that just missed the Fall Classic, we hope the Cardinals continue their winning tradition and provide more excitement to an already riveting 2013 season.