I grew up a Cards fan, born and raised. My childhood memories are speckled with exciting days spent with my dad at Busch Stadium, a large pretzel in one hand and frozen pink lemonade in the other. While as a young child I may have appreciated baseball games merely for the delicious treats, as the years passed, I began to appreciate the sport, the players, and the overall incredible baseball franchise that is Cardinal Nation.

For residents of St. Louis and its surrounding counties, Cardinals games are not only a favorite pastime but a common tradition. Evening home games draw the appeal of teenagers and adults alike who choose to spend their Friday nights at Ballpark Village. Busch Stadium deems a popular place for family outings, high school field trips, and reunions with friends. Postseason games are watched in crowded bars and restaurants or in your basement with some good company and a cold Bud Light in hand (loyal baseball fans aren’t the only thing produced in the 314). You will most likely see a Cards logo at least once throughout your day, whether on a bumper sticker on the car in front of you or on the hat of the man in front of you in the checkout line. No doubt about it--St. Louisans love their Birds.

St. Louis hasn't been my only home, but it has been my first and longest home, and I proudly joined the ranks as an avid and sometimes admittedly obnoxious fan long ago. Highlights of my journey as a part of Cardinal Nation include experiencing the Cards’ incredible postseason in 2011 while I was a sophomore in high school, when the Birds clinched their 11th World Series championship title (#11in11, never forget). Commonly coined the "Comeback Cardinals," the Cards pulled off an iconic win against the Texas Rangers in Game 6 when hometown hero and 2011 World Series MVP David Freese hit a walk-off home run in the 11th inning that forced the series to a Game 7.

Last year I left the Gateway City behind as I began my freshman year at KU and moved to Lawrence, Kansas, approximately 45 minutes from Kansas City, home of the Royals. And due to a twisted act of fate, that fall the baseball gods decided to issue the Royals not only an appearance in the postseason but also an ALCS victory and spot in the World Series (their first WS appearance since 1985…that’s nearly 30 years, people!!!). Much to my frequently verbalized devastation and the delight of my Royals-cheering (cough cough bandwagon) friends, the Cardinals lost to the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS.

This year, my experience as a Cardinals fan surrounded by Royals fans was similar in outcome, as the Cardinals were shockingly defeated by the Chicago Cubs (barf) in the NLDS, while the Royals beat the Houston Astros and progressed to the ALCS. It was a rough week for me, to say the least.

However, regardless of the apparent bad luck I have of moving near Kansas City right when the Royals seemingly attempt to leave behind their 30-year streak of suckiness, I refuse to be dissuaded from my love of the Redbirds. I hate to break it to all you Royals, Cubs, and other baseball fans: the Cardinals might not have made it all the way this year, but they still reign on as the best team in America for more than one reason.

Not only do we frequently hold some of the best records throughout the country and are noted as one of the most successful franchises in baseball history, but Cardinals fans are commonly deemed as “the best fans in baseball.” It can be seen as a cultural/media-driven truth, such as Urban Dictionary's definition of the St. Louis Cardinals as “one of the best baseball franchises with arguably the best fanbase.” And if you want to get technical, Forbes.com actually statistically proved this claim in March 2015 through analysis of factors including hometown crowd attendance/viewing, television ratings, stadium attendance capacity, merchandise sales, and social media followers.

Yup, we’ve stood by our boys every step of the way, year after year, win or lose. Since 2000, the Birds have appeared in the postseason 12 times, resulting in nine Central Division titles, four National League pennants, and two World Series titles. Not to mention we have, um hello, eleven World Series titles in total, the most among National League teams and second only to the New York Yankees among all 30 Major League teams. This, my friends, is a little thing we like to call “The Cardinal Way.”

So as the Royals play their way through the ALCS and KC fans cross their fingers for their fourth World Series appearance, I will continue to proudly wear red and make snarky comments about just how awesome Cardinal Nation is. Go Birds.