If hindsight is 20-20, we should have known in advance that the Cardinals would win National League championships in 1928, 1946, 1964 and 1982.
In researching Cardinals history, I found an item in the Jan. 10, 1970, edition of The Sporting News that stunned and amazed.
In an article by Neal Russo in that 1970 magazine, Cardinals fans Sam and Mike Antonacci predicted the Cardinals would win the pennant in 1982.
They based their prediction on a rare combination of numbers in the 20th century calendar.
According to the Antonaccis, only four times in the 20th century do the sums of even-numbered years add up to 20: 1928, 1946, 1964 and 1982.
The first two numbers in each of those years (1 and 9) equal 10. The last two numbers in each of those years (2 and 8, 4 and 6, 6 and 4, and 8 and 2) also equal 10. The four numbers combined add up to 20.
Because the Cardinals had won pennants in 1928, 1946 and 1964, the Antonaccis guaranteed the Cardinals would win another pennant in 1982.
They were right.
Twelve years after their prediction, the Cardinals in 1982 won their first pennant since … 1964.
Indeed, there was magic for the Cardinals in the number 20 in the 20th century.
Led by manager Whitey Herzog, the Cardinals clinched their final World Series championship of the 20th century on 10-20-1982.
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