SIKESTON -- Like any true fan, Andrea Heisserer isn't giving up on the St. Louis Cardinals just yet.
The 23-year-old has invested way too much time and money to turn her back on them now.
For the National League Championship Series, Heisserer waited online for three hours before getting tickets to last week's Games 6 and 7 at St. Louis, when the Cardinals made a comeback and defeated the Houston Astros to advance to the World Series.
And for tickets to the World Series, Heisserer juggled two cell phones and her home phone, dialing and redialing, until she was able to purchase bleacher seat tickets to Game 5 of the World Series.
Despite the St. Louis Cardinals losing the first two games of the World Series against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, Heisserer remains optimistic the Redbirds will make a comeback at Busch Stadium tonight, Wednesday, and if they win, Thursday.
"I think they're going to win all of they're home games and it'll be up to Games 6 or 7. They just need the St. Louis support," said Heisserer of Oran.
Although Gary Howard of Sikeston is not attending the World Series, he, too, thinks the Redbirds have a good chance of winning the series, he said.
"The Cardinals have played differently at Busch Stadium. And one deal about the Cardinals is they play better whenever the weather's warmer," Howard theorized.
Howard worked as a scout for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1975-1997 and has attended World Series games in 1964, 1967, 1968, 1982, 1985 and 1987.
With players like Albert Pujols, Jim Edmonds, Scott Rolen, Edgar Renteria and Larry Walker, Howard thinks this is the best offensive lineup the Cardinals have ever seen. And defense is great with six of nine positions filled by Gold Glovers, he noted, adding the pitching this year isn't the best.
Howard pointed out it's also the fans who can get the players going and will have a lot to do with the Cardinals' success.
Bruce Christian of Dexter was a part of the fan madness at Game 7 of the League Championship against the Astros last Thursday in St. Louis.
"It was the loudest place I've ever been. The inside and outside was full of red, and everybody's grinning and you're high-fiving people in front of you, beside you and behind you. You can see it on TV, but until you experience it, you just don't know...," said Christian, who's attended the 1982 World Series and plans on being there for Game 3 tonight. But Christian's also been there when the Redbirds have lost. He attended Game 5 of the World Series when St. Louis played Kansas City. "It's depressing when they lose, and you're there," he admitted.
A self-described avid Cardinal fan, Jim Hall of Dexter has been to five of the six playoff games at Busch Stadium this postseason. He shares season tickets with his 36-year-old son, Chris; a close friend; and the fourth ticket is usually spread among friends, Hall said.
"They've certainly gotten themselves in a difficult situation," said Hall about the Cardinals. "Boston's already proved they were down 0-3 and could come back. I would say they've got to win all three if they want a chance. You always feel like you can win, but I think they'll have to win all three at home."
But for Hall, attending the World Series in St. Louis with his son will be bittersweet -- win or lose.
In 1946, when the St. Louis Cardinals played the Boston Red Sox in the World Series, the then 6-year-old Hall attended Games 2 and 6 with his father.
"My dad took me to two games, and we sat in the left field bleachers," Hall recalled. "Ted Williams played left field and the only thing I remember about the situation was having Williams right there in front of me and fans really riding him the whole time."
In 1946, the Cardinals defeated the Red Sox in Game 7, but St. Louis had the homefield advantage then, Hall said.
"When it came back to St. Louis, they were down 3-2, and they came back and won," Hall said. "Hopefully, they can do it again."