This is a post about the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals, who worried about signing Albert Pujols and then watched him hit into a million double plays, who traded Colby Rasmus for the chance to watch the Milwaukee Brewers never lose again, who traded Brendan Ryan for the chance to watch Ryan Theriot forget how to play shortstop, who alienated one fanbase by failing to freeze Tony La Russa in carbonite and alienated another one by failing to realize that Rasmus just didn't care enough early enough, who watched a little terrified as Ryan Franklin couldn't get the ball all the way to Yadier Molina's glove no matter how hard he tried, who anointed no fewer than four non-closer-future-closers, who signed Miguel Batista for some reason, who had their highest-paid player incapacitated by a large moth, who at least had Lance Berkman playing over his head, who watched as Chris Carpenter figured things out and then Albert Pujols turned into Albert Pujols, who finally, finally did it for Torty. 

It's been a terrible year, and then a great year. Game one of the NLDS starts Saturday—try to stop rooting for the Philadelphia Phillies in the meantime.