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BY TOM ANSELM

Yogi’s Words Proves to be Wise Philosophy

The game of baseball may just be one of the most unpredictable of all sports. Golf may be a close second. And auto racing has been called a sport, but I have a hard time with that one.

Most other athletic endeavors are timed, which gives them more of a certainty of sorts, and helps to dictate play. But good old Yogi Berra was wise beyond his apparent obtuseness when he uttered these immortal lines about baseball, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.”

    Just so, this year-end run by our St. Louis Cardinals fell square into the realm of surreal. How many times did these guys face elimination? At least four, when they were down to the last day of the season to get the wildcard, and three times in three rounds of playoffs.

They were even down to their last strike twice in the sixth game of the series, before good old hometown boy David Freese saved the day and the Cardinal hopes of a Game Seven.

And then a bulldog of a pitcher named Chris Carpenter comes through on short rest to gut his way into the seventh inning of that last game, giving way to a close by a bullpen that was basically lost in space earlier in the season, but  revamped with new arms.

I gave up on these boys of summer at least a half dozen times through the course of the season. Shows you what I know about professional athletes. The good ones really do not quit. Sure we bemoan their gigantic paydays, say nobody is worth that much money, and yack that for 20 million bucks a year, why doesn’t a certain first baseman run every grounder out like his jersey is on fire.

Well, at least I have been known to utter those words. But they are a rare breed, some 750 or so men of all ages, races and backgrounds, who are at the top of a profession that keeps us occupied for at least six months of the year. So it was that an even smaller sampling of men pulled out what will go down in sports history as one of the most intriguing comebacks to culminate in a world championship that we have seen in a long time.

The final game win was almost anti-climactic to the second-to-last contest. I watched that one from the comfort of my family room with my daughter Joanie. Several times I was tempted to pack it in and hit the pillow, since I had to substitute teach the next day. But I hung in there, and I’m glad I did.

Because what happened just before midnight could be put into the words of Jack Buck as he called Kirk Gibson’s game-winning home run in the 1988 World Series: “I don’t believe what I just saw.” The display of resilience, competitiveness, and excellence in performance under the most extreme pressure was something I will not long forget.

You know, a lot can be said about how we as a nation put too much emphasis on sports. And there is some validity to that argument. But this year, we were treated to not only a World Championship, but a life lesson. When you’re down to your last strike, remember Yogi’s words, and keep on swinging.

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