I was born and raised in St. Louis, which says a few things about me. I know that "Hoosier" is not a term of endearment. I am constantly reminded that the neighborhood my parents grew up in is not as nice as it once was. I like my ravioli baked, my pizza cut into little bite-size squares and I love watching my Cardinals play in October. In St. Louis, the MLB postseason runs much deeper than a bunch of middle-aged, beer-gutted men watching the Birds play at the local bar. It is an all-encompassing, vehemently unapologetic effort we call 'Red October.' I mean, where else do your grade school teachers count down the magic number like the number of days left before Christmas?

October is a magical time of year. Coinciding with the heart of the college football and NFL seasons, the drama of of the postseason heats up with every drop in temperature. The remarkable teams of the early 2000s have turned greats into household names, such as Chris Carpenter, Jimmy "Ballgame" Edmonds, Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen and So Taguchi. October has brought somber feelings of having to say goodbye to the old Busch Stadium, after losing the 2005 NLCS at home to the Houston Astros, as well as joy after winning the team's first World Series since '82, at home, the very next year. October comes with enough stress that it occasionally leads our beloved radio broadcasters to get drunk on the air, and still call the game. And some Octobers are filled with memories that you could never forget, 2011 being a case in point. 

October is a great time to be a Cardinals fan in St. Louis. In this college town of Columbia, however, I'm beginning to learn that there are people out there who don't share the same enthusiasm that I have for Red October. Friends and classmates from Kansas City, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas and, worst of all, Chicago, love to remind me how fair-weathered, stuck-up, arrogant, obnoxious and sucky us Cardinal fans actually are this time of year. Cards fans are subject to more dirty looks, put-downs and "name 10 players before 2011" challenges than any other fans out there during October. With every win, every series advanced, the criticisms only get worse. As a Cardinal fan, I've had to accept this unfortunate fact as my cross to bear for being a member of the best fans in baseball.

My pledge brother and good friend, Patrick McGovern, wrote a nice piece a couple of weeks ago, stating his case for his beloved Chicago Cubs' success over the next few years. That is all fine and good, Pat, but us Cardinal fans like to live in the now. We expect to win, or at least compete, year in and year out. And for some reason, we seem to play our best in October. 

The championship teams of 2006 and 2011 were underdogs, each with no more than 90 wins and representing the NL Wild Card spot. This year's Cards team trailed the National League Central Division for nearly five months, but has finally gelled at the end of the season to take over the division lead. This Red October will be their chance to prove that they are for real. It is the Cardinal way. It is why we have won more World Series titles than any other team in baseball -- except for a certain team in New York.

So, Cardinal fans, while your loyalty is put into question this October, I encourage you to turn the other cheek to your naive challenger. They would understand if they were fortunate enough to belong to Cardinal Nation. If history is any indicator, we're usually the ones with the last laugh by Thanksgiving.