With the NL Central championship officially sewn up, it can be argued that all the Cards have left to do now is relax, heal and align their pitching properly for the start of the second season. Some of us feel the team still has work to do in order to open up the playoffs at home next week while others are perfectly content with the team opening the division series on the road at the Dodgers.
Whatever the case may be, it’s perfectly acceptable to begin getting excited about this year’s division series, because as history has shown us, there hasn’t been a 
team as formidable in baseball’s opening round as our own.
Next week, the Cardinals will be making their eighth playoff appearance under the direction of LaRussa. In the skipper’s first seven division series’, the Cards have been nothing short of sensational in the NLDS. In those seven series’, the Cards have accumulated a record of 20-5. Think about that for a moment. Remember that torrid record-breaking stretch the club went on in August this year? We went 20-6. We also played Washington.
So, while we wait on these screwy playoff scenarios to play out during this last week, I say bring on Colorado, bring on the Dodgers, hell, you can even throw the Braves at us. If there’s one thing even LaRussa hater’s can give Tony, it’s that he’s been nothing short of dominant in this dicey playoff format.
Here’s a look back at the Cards top-10 division series memories:
10. Game 1 vs. San Diego 1996. The Cards return to October baseball after a nine year layover got a quick jolt when third baseman Gary Gaetti hit a three run home run in the first inning of game one. For Cards fans still bitter about Gaetti’s contributions to our 1987 World Series loss, this was nice. Gaetti would also hit a grand slam in game 2 of the LCS that year.
9. Game 1 vs. San Diego 2005. Winners of 100 games during the last season of old Busch Stadium, the defending NL Champion Cardinals looked poised to get back to the fall classic. Standing in their way in the first round were formidable Padres starters Jake Peavy and Adam Eaton. Reggie Sanders’ grand slam and six RBI
effort in game 1 set the tone for what would be the most lopsided division series we may ever see.
8. Game 1 vs. Atlanta 2000. Matching up against the defending NL champs that year seemed like a daunting task. The Braves were still considered a good first round playoff team at the time. In addition, the collapse of the ’96 NLCS still stung many Cards fans. In game one, despite Ankiel’s first epic pitching meltdown the Cards hammered Atlanta starter Greg Maddux for six runs in the first frame and never looked back.
7. Game 5 vs. Arizona 2001. Not a Cardinal victory, but a game certainly worthy of being on this list. The Cards and D-Backs competed in what is arguably the best division series of all time. In game five, Matt Morris squared off against Curt Schilling in a rematch of game 1 (also a classic). Every card fan remembers where they were and that awful feeling when Tony Womack singled in the winner off Steve Kline. Not good times.
6. Game 4 vs. Los Angles 2004. After overcoming an out-of-this-world pitching performance from LA’s Jose Lima in game 3, the Cards quieted a good Dodgers team behind a gritty outing by Jeff Suppan and a home run from Pujols that nearly hit the Hollywood sign in left field. Afterwards, the two teams shook hands on the field in a scene reminiscent of a hockey playoff game. Call it hokey or unnecessary, but I felt it was a cool moment shared between two likable teams. Seeing it occur again this year with Torre in the LA dugout, is not out of the question.
5. Game 1 vs. Arizona 2002. The Cards got their wish that year with getting another shot at Arizona, the defending world champs. Those who stayed up for a first pitch that didn’t occur until nearly 10:30 were treated to an absolute pummeling of Randy Johnson. The next day we beat Schilling and were well on our way to avenging the loss from the year prior.
4. Game 1 vs. San Diego 2006. That ‘a ha!’ moment finally arrived in game 162 (having only played 161 games in the regular season.) With a healthy team for the first time in months, the Cards used a brilliant performance from Carp and a home run by Albert to quickly silence the critics who said we didn’t belong in the playoffs.
3. Game 3 vs. San Diego 1996. Playing in their first home playoff game in 12 years, the Padres jumped out to an early lead but Brian Jordan delivered an unforgettable 
two-run bomb in the ninth and Dennis Eckersley converted his third save of the series to cement the sweep.
2. Game 3 vs. Atlanta 2000. The Cards made quick work of the Braves in game 3 behind Garret Stephenson and Jim Edmonds who hit his second homer of the series. It was the first time the Braves hadn’t advanced to the LCS since 1991. Revenge from ’96 was complete.
1. Game 4 vs. San Diego 2006. With Carp on the mound on a Sunday night at Busch, the Cards advanced to the LCS for their third straight year by beating the Padres once again. A memorable suicide squeeze via the bat of David Eckstein capped a four run sixth and Wainwright converted his first of three series closing performances. The stage was set for the a fantastic LCS with the Mets.