“DEAR BLOGGER: I am 8 years old.
“Some of my little friends say there is no Mozeliak Claus.
“Papa says, ‘If you see it at THE CARDINAL CONCLAVE it’s so.’
“Please tell me the truth; is there a Mozeliak Claus?
“VIRGINIA GIBSON.
“700 CLARK STREET”
VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the snarkiness of this Internet age. They do not believe even what they see. They think that nothing can be amazing which is not trumpeted by their ESPN and their East Coast writers. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little, but those that expect a society that glorifies football to understand the workings of Mozeliak Claus are littlest of all. In this great baseball universe of ours most fans are a mere insect, an ant, in their intellect, as compared with the boundless world about them, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge about a player’s worth on the field and off.
Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Mozeliak Claus. He exists as certainly as Shelby Miller and Matt Adams and Carlos Martinez still exist on the roster, and you know that they abound and will give to your life its highest beauty and joy from March to October next year. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Mozeliak Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no young talent then, no poetic trades to fill needs, no ability to make moves without touching stored treasure. We should have little enjoyment come the postseason, except in general baseball fan way. The eternal light with which The Cardinal Way fills the world might be extinguished, though it would still be better than being a Cub fan.
Not believe in Mozeliak Claus! You might as well root for an American League team! You might get your papa to hire writers to dissect all the moves made to catch Mozeliak Claus, but even if they did not see the reason for trading David Freese or not trading Jon Jay, what would that prove? Nobody always agrees with Mozeliak Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Mozeliak Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see clubhouse chemistry? Of course not, but that’s no proof that it is not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world, such as Chris Carpenter’s fire or Matt Holliday’s steady influence.
You may tear apart the roster and project what makes the results inside, but there is a veil covering the process of the front office which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the Post-Dispatch writers, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, young arms, talent, quality hitting, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory of a twelfth title. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding, save perhaps the legend of Stan Musial.
No Mozeliak Claus! Thank goodness he lives, and that his contract was extended. A year from now, Virginia, nay, ten years from now, he will continue to make glad the hearts of Cardinal fans.
