My planned assignment for Cardinals Culture fell apart days before the Post-Dispatch photo staff’s journey into Cardinal Nation. Luckily I was able to rebound and spend game time with the nuns of St. Mary of the Angels Convent in Richmond Heights.

The best visual in the motherhouse was the face of Sister Noreen McGowan, who at 94 still makes her daily rounds visiting with families at Children’s Hospital and watching the Cardinals in the sisters’ gathering lounge in front of their big screen television.

As the nuns graciously passed around the wireless microphone to wear so that I could record good audio, I realized it should have lingered longer on Sister Noreen, who truly knows her baseball. Out of earshot of the microphone she pontificated on pitcher ERAs, bases-loaded walks and slugging percentages.