Grew up in the '70s, up the River Road from St. Louis, listening to Jack and Shannon doing Cards' night games via one earphone connected to an old multi-band radio while my parents thought I was sleeping. (The '70s ... talk about a test of perseverance!) Graduated from Mizzou in '86. Decided to become an Air Force Officer. Got out after six years and got into teaching, after getting another degree and certification. Because my certification was for elementary school Grades 1-6, naturally I was selected by Japan's Ministry of Education to teach high school English! Have been here in Japan ever since then, 1995. Now teaching at an American college's branch campus in Tokyo and loving it.

Was a freshman at Mizzou when the Cards beat the Brewers in the Suds Series in '82. What a great place to be for the first WS win for the home team in 15 years! Was working part-time at a Wal-Mart in '85, the I-70 series, and had to endure the agony of the Denkinger call while the game was being played over the store's PA system.

I have only been to two games this decade, on trips back from Japan. The first was in August 2004. Got incredible seats behind home (at Busch II) for my son's first game ever, thanks to some season ticket holder's selling them on the team site. We had just gotten Larry Walker a week or two before. He hit a grand slam in the game and got a curtain call. He said later he had never gotten a curtain call in all his great years in Colorado. That right there shows you what Cards fans are made of.

The second game was in August 2007. We played the Padres. It was over 100 degrees, but I didn't want to pass up the chance to see the Cards, especially in the new stadium, so my son and I toughed it out. We watched BP from behind 3rd and I kind of marveled at how tall and lean Khalil Greene was. (He later hit a homer in the game.) It was a great game, with the Cards setting or tying the record for baserunners in a row, either ten or eleven straight Cards.

Have enjoyed MLB.TV for the first time this past season, 2009. Well worth the hundred bucks or whatever, considering I live in Japan and, with the Cards not having any Japanese studs like Ichiro or Matsui, none of their games being broadcast here by NHK. Found out about Viva El Birdos about halfway through the season and have really enjoyed it. Don't know if I can post much on the in-game posts, because I usually watch the games at night on MLB.TV's archives, but hopefully there will be some Saturday or Sunday mornings (in Japan) when I can post while watching live.

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