The Florida Marlins engender a strong sense of "meh." Some National League teams you hate (Mets), some teams you grudgingly like (those hapless Pirates) and some teams you flat-out despise (Cubs). The Marlins occupy none of those niches, although their upending of the Cubs in the 2003 postseason sort of pushes them towards "grudgingly like" — but not really. They have too much roster-churn and a slumbering fan base, and every five years they win a World Series. They're pH neutral. Still, baseball is baseball. The Cardinals are in the midst of a nine-game home stand, with a three-game set against the Marlins starting at 7:15 p.m. Monday, September 14, at Busch Stadium (Broadway and Poplar Street; 314-421-3060 or www.stlcardinals.com; $8 to $250). And September baseball is some of the sweetest baseball; temperatures are cooler, the lights come on sooner, and you know the season is winding down — but not just yet. These games have an autumnal feeling that causes the George F. Wills of the world to break out words like "autumnal" and "crepuscular." So let's play some crepuscular baseball, even if the opponent is a cold fish.
Sept. 14-16, 2009
