Editorial

NO JOY IN ST. LOUIS, BUT A GREAT SEASON

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"Oh, somewhere in this favored land, the sun is shining bright. The band is playing somewhere and somewhere hearts are light. And somewhere men are laughing and somewhere children shout. But there is no joy in Mudville. Mighty Casey has struck out."

St. Louis Cardinal fans can relate with that closing line from that famous poem by Ernest Lawrence Thayer. The mighty Cardinals were felled by the Atlanta Braves Thursday night, finishing just a single game short of a World Series berth. So close, yet so far away.

The fact that two of the games were a complete blowout or that the Cardinals let a 3-1 series lead slip through their glove didn't help. Those are the kind of playoff records teams don't want to set.

But when the sting of Friday's loss fades a bit, Cardinal fans can look back on a season with pride. New ownership, a new manager and new players brought the team far. The 1996 post-season record will add to a long dynasty of playoff appearances. The new management pumped millions of dollars into the program this year, and it paid off with quality performances.

No, the Cardinals didn't win. But management played the game extremely well. If this is what the new owners could accomplish in their first year, just consider the potential.