In the summer of 1984, St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Ozzie Smith was on his way to his fourth (of 13) consecutive Gold Glove Awards, and Daniel LaRusso, America’s own “Karate Kid,” had just crane-kicked his way into the national spotlight.
Twenty-one years later, the Cardinals are in a similar situation as LaRusso. Although they are the owners of baseball’s best record, much like the Karate Kid, the Cardinals are on their last leg — defenseless and injured yet primed to win a championship.
As of Aug. 26, the Cardinals have 80 wins — five more wins than any other team.