Yesterday the St. Louis Cardinals clinched their first baseball championship since way back in 1982. In the 24 years since then, they’ve gone to the World Series four times, but they didn’t win till this last one.

Sure, they were a weak regular season team this year, but you’ll hear no apologies from me; that’s baseball. It all balances out eventually.

In 1985 the Cardinals won over 100 games, had the best record in the majors, and lost the series to freak injuries and a blown call in game 6 by umpire Don Denkinger.

In 1987 they lost the title to a Minnesota team that won only 85 games in the regular season and couldn’t win a single contest on the road during the playoffs.

Then in 2005 the Cardinals were again a strong 100-win squad, tops in the majors, but ran into a buzzsaw “team of destiny” called the Boston Red Sox… who proceeded to sweep them in four games….

In any case, I’ll take it. We were due for a surprise, overachieving team after three crushing postseasons filled with disappointment.

Thank you Redbirds! Yee haw!

Dawn at the South Street Sea Port on the last day of the Fulton Fish Market.

Or else I snapped it in China.