It's always been one of my top life goals to see my team, the St. Louis Cardinals, win a championship live and in person. A World Series Championship would be the ultimate, but I always said I'd be just as happy to see a Division Championship or the National League Pennant clincher. There is something about seeing a truly historical moment for your team in person that seemed like the ultimate in sports fandom to me.

I've been close before. Last season, I was at Game 5 of the NLCS with…