This has been a great year for St. Louis Cardinals baseball and hopes were running high Monday night for the Redbirds to clinch the National League Championship Series.

Even a blowout by Atlanta didn't dim local fans' hopes that the Cardinals would rebound to earn a spot in the World Series. The Cards were shut out 14-0. They still lead the best-of-seven series 3-2.

"It would be a classic series," said Mark Peterson of Perryville while watching the game at Applebee's. "St. Louis always manages to get in the World Series once they get into the playoffs."

Peterson wasn't the only Cardinals fan anticipating a rematch with the New York Yankees, who advanced to the World Series after beating Baltimore last weekend in the American League Championship Series.

"It would be the best feeling I've had since 1987," said Jeff Perkins of Cape Girardeau, who was watching the game at The Playdium. "It would be great to have a rematch of the 1964 Series. With the same results of course, a Redbirds' win."

Regardless of the outcome of this series, Jason House and Shawn Naeter, both of Cape Girardeau, said this was just the beginning for the Cardinals.

"They've got a new manager, new owner, this was supposed to be a transition year for them and look what they're doing," Naeter said. "There's just better years to come."

House added, "It's taken since 1987 for us to get here, but this is a new era for Cardinals baseball."

St. Louis went through a series of changes before the start of the season, including new owners and a new manager, Tony LaRussa.

Naeter said there is only one reason why the Cardinals have come this far: "Management. Bottom line, it's management. He has a way of controlling his players. And he knows what he wants."

Tonia McGill of Cape Girardeau has been watching the Cardinals since her father introduced her to baseball when she was a child.

"My father is a true-blue Cardinals fan," McGill said. "That's something you'll always remember, going to the ball park for the first time. I'd feel elated if they went to the World Series. Cardinals glory comes back to St. Louis after nine long years. It's about time."

"It would be awesome," House said.

"It would mean the world," Naeter said. "Like sitting on top of the world."