I was at a Halloween party this evening and didn't see or hear any of the World Series game. I didn't have a horse in this race, but I can appreciate a Cards' victory for a few reasons. For one, Tigers fans can now stop blaming the Twins for being the last team to keep them from hoisting a World Series trophy. And STL fans (one in particular, and you know who you are) can now stop bitching about being done in in 1987 by the worst team ever to win a Series.

I also appreciate the Cards victory as a particularly nasty four-year run in the cosmic screwjob bestowed upon the Cubs. First Mark Prior folds like a cheap card table against the Marlins (Bartman, shmartman...let's call it what it was). Then the Red Sox get the monkey off their backs. Then the White Sox do the same. Then the Cubs' hated rivals end their oh-so-agonizing 24-year wait. What can screw with the Cubs next season? Maybe Dusty will land with the Devil Rays and lead them to a title.

Finally, I was sad to hear about Joe Niekro passing. The 1987 emory board incident was hilarious -- during his suspension he showed up on Letterman, wearing a tool belt with a variety of sanders. I went to his first home game after the suspension. The A's were in town, and so was Huey Lewis, of all people. After a quite nice anthem, sung a capella with the rest of the News, Huey whips out this huge sheet of sandpaper while throwing the first pitch. Good stuff.