re: Where does the Cardinal/Cub rivalry rank amongst others in the majors?

I confess in spite of a casual fondness for both the Dodgers and the Giants when they aren't playing my Cardinals the impact of their rivalry registers a zero for me emotionally.

I like both teams, I just don't intuitively connect with them having a rivalry.

For the Cubs them having a rival in the Cardinals has been the only thing that really resonates to me about them as a franchise. They are lovable losers and they hate the Cardinals. That's their identity.

I guess this is probably a product of growing up in 80s STL and seeing the Cardinals have great games against both the Dodgers and the Giants (fight between Ozzie Smith and Will Clark, the Jeoffrey Leonard series and Ozzies' home run with the Jack Buck call... and the great Dodgers/Cards series ended with Jack Clark's home run for example).