St. Louis Cardinals: Where have you gone, Joe Dimaggio?

The St. Louis Cardinals will play no more in 2017 and a lonely nation attempts to recover from tragedy by looking once again at baseball.

The St. Louis Cardinals are absent from this year’s postseason and that makes me sad. What makes me even sadder is the horrific turn of events in Las Vegas.

I have taken a few days away from writing because I just didn’t have it in me to find the words. I needed to “crash down” and “absorb” the immensity of the event and the ramifications of it to our world.

And I also needed a temporary exit from baseball since I was so un-surprised by the finish to the St. Louis Cardinals season. As a matter of fact, I didn’t even watch the final two games. I don’t know when- in the past- I would have been able to say that but this year’s pitiful performance just made me less inclined to care.

And then Sunday night happened. When I awoke early on Monday morning, as many around the world also learned, I was alerted to the horror via a news alert on my cell phone. I was immediately appalled and glued to the news.

My gross obsession with this tragedy has not dissipated, even today. I’m left, as we all are, with unanswerable questions. I’m left with confusion on the state of human being. And I’m left without my beloved St. Louis Cardinals to steal my daily attention.

Saying that feels hollow though. As much as I hate that my Cardinals aren’t playing, I have much for which to be grateful that too many others affected by this tragedy can’t say. Adding to my hollow guilt is the equal realization that humanity is suffering still in Texas, Florida, and more recently (and more prominently) in Puerto Rico.

None of those suffering have any care for baseball, at least not when it comes to their struggles.

So why should I care about baseball? Why should any of us care about baseball?

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel sang, “Where have you gone, Joe Dimaggio? The nation turns its lonely eyes to you,” and I was reminded instantly of the transformative power of the nation’s pastime.

Mrs. Robinson was written and recorded in 1968 when, “heroes were in short supply,” according to Paul Simon. His use of Joe Dimaggio was a hearkening to strong heroes as the United States desperately needed heroes in ’68.

Sunday night the nation was once again in dire need of heroes. And we certainly did see them in the form of everyday men and women as they shielded and aided victims in escaping the horrific onslaught of deadly weapons used only to inflict massive amounts of harm.

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Sunday night, following the official end to the 2017 baseball season, the nation once again needed to turn its lonely eyes to a hero. Joe Dimaggio was a great hero from the nation’s pastime and reminded me that what the nation needs now (in addition to aid and prayer and healing and legislation) is the respite of baseball.

Last night (Tuesday), the 2017 postseason began with the New York Yankees defeating the Minnesota Twins and eliminating them from postseason play. It was completed through 27 outs by 18 men at a time (give or take a few). These are numbers I can stand. These numbers are far nicer than 500+ injured and 55+ deceased.

Tonight (Wednesday), the postseason continues with the National League Wild Card game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies. Again, the competition will decide who progresses and who goes home– even in the loss, however, the boys of summer will return (something not said about everyone who was present on Sunday night).

If the nation was capable of turning its lonely eyes to baseball in 1968 and if the nation was able to turn its lonely eyes to baseball following the 9/11 tragedy, then surely the nation can find some respite- some absolution- through our national pastime. I, for one, am certainly hoping that to be the case.

Next: Cardinal perspective of the postseason

Thanks for reading my thoughts on the matter. I’ll say just this one thing more: we must as a nation and as a people do better and must be better. If that means stricter laws, then do it. If it means less stricter laws, then do that too. Ultimately, though, do something so we don’t continue to encounter horrific events that we could and should prevent.