This One’s For You

Today, Jaime Garcia takes the mound for one of the biggest games of his career.  It will not be against the Cubs, it will have no playoff implications, it will not make or break a season and he won’t set any records.  In a show of patriotism, the St. Louis Cardinals – along with their flagship, Fox Sports Midwest – have joined forces with the American Forces Network, DVIDS (Digital Video & Imagery Distribution System) and the National Guard of Missouri to bring today’s telecast to Missouri National Guard troops stationed in Afganistan. 

Throughout today’s telecast, the Cardinals will broadcast live via satellite conversations and video of those troops that gather to watch the game.

Much is said about the sacrifice American soldiers make in their endeavor to bring freedom to the world.  Some critics take these opportunities to express their feelings on the war, how America handles military actions, or our political leaders.  Today and this weekend, there is an opportunity in St. Louis and around this great nation to put our political battles aside and pay tribute to one thing: freedom.

Freedom is the common bond here.  If you are a critic of the actions this nation takes, it is your freedom that allows you to express it openly and demonstrate against it.  If you use this holiday to enjoy some family time, some summer activities, some barbque time around the grill, or just sitting at home and gaining an extra day off work, your freedom allows you to do that.  Whether you agree with the salaries, performance, or behavior of men who make millions of dollars to trot onto a field and play a child’s game in front of thousands of people, it is their freedom that gives them that opportunity, and your freedom to let the world know how you feel about it.

But today, those men and women that are affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals will go to the stadium with one thought in mind.  Today, as the players take batting practice, warm up, sit in meetings, and prepare for a game with the Milwaukee Brewers, they will all have one goal.  Bring a little bit of home to those people that sacraficed all of their freedom to protect someone else’s. 

While they step out and put their lives on the line every day in a foreign land, all they desire is that taste of home that they left behind.  They may pick up a newspaper that is weeks old, magazines that are far out of date, or receive care packages from home with some familiar contents, just to reach out for that driving force to keep them going.  The desire to return back to a nation that affords them these freedoms.  Today, they get the chance to sit in a makeshift tent and watch a game that they love and possibly send a message home to those that they care for and let them know that everything is ok. 

Today, I will sit and watch this game and, I am not ashamed to admit, will most likely shed a tear or two.  The messages from those men and women will no doubt be powerful.  The recorded messages from the players to those troops will be sincere.  But my message to those men and women is simple -

Enjoy the game today, taste a little bit of home from us to you.  However, most importantly, come home safe to us, so that we may all tip a cold frosty one with you at a local bar and celebrate the freedom you defended so unselfishly and you can tell us the story of how you sat in a tent with your fellow heroes and watched a meaningless game in July.

Finally – Thank You.  For all you do.  We love you.  We miss you.  God Bless you.  And God Bless America.

Bill Ivie is the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.  You can find him hosting the United Cardinal Blogger Radio Hour frequently on BlogTalkRadio.com.  He will unveil i70baseball.com and his own i70baseball Radio Hour on July 12, 2010.

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Topics: Afganistan, American Forces Network, American Soldiers, Batting Practice, Common Bond, Distribution System, Dvids, Endeavor, Family Time, Flagship, fox sports, Jaime Garcia, Military Actions, Missouri National Guard, National Guard Troops, Patriotism, Playoff Implications, Political Battles, Political Leaders, St. Louis Cardinals

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