There are many great rivalries in baseball. But when you talk about rivalries such as Yankees-Red Sox and Giants-Dodgers, you can’t leave out Cubs-Cardinals. It’s been one of the best in the game for a long, long time and it seems to be getting even more intense.

I spent a number of years with St. Louis and now I’m seeing it from the Cubs’ perspective for the first time, so I’ve got a little experience with it.

Geography is an important factor. It helps that the cities are so close together and both the teams and their fans can get back and forth in a minimal amount of time. The relatively short distance makes for a good weekend trip, which creates an amazing atmosphere.

In Chicago, it’s a festive atmosphere at Wrigley every game. That was evident as a visiting player and makes for a fun home crowd, too. There are tons of people out on the streets before the games and there are bands and music all night long. Once the game’s over, fans head back out on the streets and the baseball festival continues.

A new wrinkle to the rivalry comes this year with the new stadium in St. Louis, where we play a three-game series this weekend.

A lot of my big-league career was spent at Busch Stadium, and I live in the St. Louis area in the offseason, so yes, I’m sad to see the old stadium go. I have a lot of memories of that place. At the same time, you have to move on. The modern amenities new ballparks have to offer make it better for the players and fans.

I’m really just focused on helping the Cubs win a division title, but I have to concede that it would really be interesting if it came down to a race between the Cardinals and us this season. The rivalry is already intense at this time of year.

The important thing about the rivalry right now is that both franchises have strong clubs. It’s always better when neither club is struggling. You always want to beat someone at their best. It’s a better feeling because it’s more of an accomplishment.

Then, you just hope for good games and to come out on top.

After three different tours of duty with the Cardinals, including playing in 207 games with the Redbirds the last two years, John Mabry is now in his first year with Chicago. Although he’s only had more than 500 at-bats once, the left-hander has served as a valuable role player for 13 years with his ability to play the outfield or corner infield positions.