World Series MVP resembles my toddler

Tom Martin

OPINION

Sunday, October 29, 2006

My wife is a career Cubs fan. My team is the Cardinals, who surprised even me this year by becoming world champions Friday night.

My wife pointed out they really aren't champions of the world because only North American teams competed.

Sounds like sour grapes to me.

Before my son, Jay, could even focus his infant eyes, he was receiving Cubs and Cards gifts. A homemade Cubs blanket, a Cardinals sign for his door, a book about Wrigley Field - these gifts came from friends and relatives trying to sway our son. The Cubs/Cards split runs pretty deeply. My son's godfather is a Cubs fan, and his grandfather is a Cards fan.

My wife and I agreed early on not to buy team gifts for our son. However, there is team lobbying in our home, such as my wife arranging letter flash cards to spell out "Go Cubs" above Jay's door and me teaching my son all I can about the cardinal bird. Jay can spot them in the yard and call them by name.

But the moratorium of team paraphernalia purchases came to an end last week.

My wife made an offer. She said if the Cardinals made it to the World Series we could buy a Cardinal item for Jay. The other half of the offer was she would be allowed to buy Jay a Cubs item when they make it to the series. I almost hurt myself jumping at the offer. The Cubs had a bad year even for them, and it's been more than 60 years since they made it to the World Series. The deal was more my wife caving in than striking a bargain.

So off we went to look for some Cardinal pajamas, so Jay could watch the games with me (at least the first inning - he hits the crib by 8 p.m.).

It was my wife who recommended in addition to pajamas we get Jay a David Eckstein T-shirt. Eckstein is the Cardinals man child shortstop. He's 31 years old but looks 12. He's the kind of player who is hard not to like. He runs even when he draws a walk. His natural abilities are limited, but his determination is not.

Cardinal manager Tony La Russa described Eckstein this way: "He's the toughest guy I've ever seen in uniform."

Even my wife, the Cubs fan, likes Eckstein. And, of all the Cardinal players my son looks the most like him. Both my son and Eckstein have Nordic features - white hair, fair complexion - and they're short. So, minutes before the first game of the World Series, we came home with an Eckstein T-shirt, the bottom of which reaches my son's calves. It's a little oversized, but even that is Eckstein-like.

At first, I wondered if the shirt was a bad omen. Eckstein couldn't get hit in the first two games of the World Series. But we didn't put the shirt away. No, we kept trotting our son to bed in it anyway. And, it eventually paid off.

Eckstein got eight hits in the final three games and the Cardinals won the World Series for the first time since 1982.

Jay was fast asleep Friday night as Busch Stadium erupted after Detroit's final out. But I thought of my son toddling in his new T-shirt when Eckstein was named World Series MVP.

Sure, there are some differences between my son and David Eckstein, like about 130 pounds and some potty training. But regardless of whether my son turns out to be a Cubs or Cards fan, I hope he can carry a little bit of Eckstein with him long after the shirt is too small.

In the meantime, Cubs in 2007?

Tom Martin is editor of The Register-Mail. Contact him at tmartin@register-mail or 343-7181 Ext. 250.