- This topic has 48 replies, 19 voices, and was last updated 9 months, 2 weeks ago by
.
-
Posts
-
One comment Mo made that I haven’t seen mentioned was that the lack of safe parking was keeping some fans away and they needed to work to fix it.
I will admit I haven’t been to a game in about 6 years now. Is it really that bad?I’m coming to the realization that 2011 could very well be the last time that I would have seen my beloved Cardinals squirt champagne all over each other in the midst of hoisting a huge trophy towards the heavens. Well at least I witnessed 3 of them(1982, 2006 & 2011).
Same here, Pugs. Although I was born in 1982, so I didn’t witness that. It felt like the Cards were always good from when I began to start to pay attention, or at least the excitement was building. It really felt like a charmed time to be a Redbird fan. Now, it feels like a corporate experience. No magic, no wonder…just a bland, analytical process. The best computer wins. And the days of Dewitt spending to grab a star or two (a la McGwire, Edmonds, Rolen, Holliday, Berkman, Beltran, Goldschmidt, Arenado) seem to be gone as well. So that leaves us….where? Trying to be Milwaukee or Cleveland or Tampa, who’ve won exactly nothing in 75 years. It really, really dampens the enthusiasm.
I am VERY interested to see what Bloom has to say and the tone with which he says it.
I hope he gives us fairly detailed information about his plan along with time frames to help set future expectations.
I’d bet he’s already way ahead of the curve with trade talks and potential FAs.
Should be the most informative presser in literally years!
To me, the most interesting response in the entire briefing was when BDW Jr. was asked about the 2026 payroll, up down or flat. He replied that he and Bloom have never discussed it.
. . . lack of safe parking was keeping some fans away .
. Is it really that bad?Probably depends on who you ask. The way i look at is the number of thugs downtown is a constant and there are not enough to victimize everybody, but if there are 15k fans down there your chances are twice as high as if there are 30k.
If I have read the comments correctly BDW III said “message received” from the fans and said that a winning team is important to attendance. Ok that is true but he then went on to list items such as ticket prices, better concessions, and safer parking as what will bring fans back.
I’m sorry but ticket prices, concessions, and parking are not NEARLY as important as winning. That is incredbily tone deaf.
Not defending him, but BDWIII speaks of the items under his control. Consider him as Bloom’s peer on the business side, with Bloom in charge of Baseball Ops. Bloom does not report to BDWIII.
Still, if I was BDWIII, I would have said something like, “As you heard Chaim say, he has a plan for the on-field product. Now, let me tell you how we will address other fan concerns…”
(FWIW, I believe he did say that putting a winning team on the field is the most important factor before going too deeply (IMO) into his initiatives.)
He is not his Dad’s assistant (speaking for the entire operation) and when he confuses that messaging, he gets into trouble.
Did not see or hear any of this, but read what you all have posted about it. Mo still crying over Oscar Taveras is a bit lame. Yeah, it was tragic. But that was 10 years ago, and there was no guarantee Oscar would have been a star. Just sounds like he was deflecting the blame for the team’s demise.
Mo’s tenure is a longer version of John Elway’s tenure out here as the Broncos GM. The legendary quarterback had five great years, including bringing in Peyton Manning and winning a Super Bowl. Then he had five lousy years, and left on a sour note as far as his GM legacy.
Elway has said his biggest regret as GM was not taking Josh Allen when they had a shot at him at pick #5. All that mirrors Mo – bringing in star players and winning a championship in 2011, then bad decisions later and leaving with a team mired in mediocrity.
I heard that too Brian. Haven’t discussed payroll? What? I mean, until you know about how much money you have to spend it’s a bit hard to go shopping.
Yes, there will be some sway depending on Gray & Arenado staying or leaving and if they leave how much of their salaries are the Cardinals eating.
I liked Bloom’s overall tone but as far as anything substantive to take away from the press conference I didn’t really hear any details. He kinda left the door open on everything which means he really didn’t say anything.
My take away is the Organization is not serious about winning, if you are…. you sure do have an idea on budget and potential cost of players (starting Pitchers you may want to try and sign) for 2026. The 2026 Rotation has more holes than Swiss cheese. What have they been doing this past several months, they surely were not planning for the playoffs.
Marmol gets another year, the guy has done nothing the last 3 years that give you any confidence that he can be a winning manager ….he is 23 games under .500 the last 3 years. This decision makes no sense, why would Bloom not want his own Manager, there is no way Marmol impressed him by finishing 6 games under 500 (they played like they were 20 games under the last 2 months)….this has to be them not wanting to buy him out of his final year. If Bloom is so enthralled with Marmol why didn’t they extended him 2-3 years.
I don’t see anything to get excited about if I am a casual fan or any type of a fan, it’s just more of the same stuff they have been peddling the last few years, no wonder attendance was down 750,000 fans this last year.
I didn’t hear anything yesterday or today that gives me hope that 2026 will not be another wasted year. But of course miracles occasionally happen and the new guy might have a magnificent plan that will transform our fifth-place 19-games-out team into a competitive dynamo despite meager budget and uninspiring field command. Or not.
Nearly every moving forward will be like 2025. It takes money and a successful player development program in the minors. They have neither in my opinion and as for Bloom: He spoke the same old BS that Mo did for years.
Bloom and BDW have all winter to light a fire under the BFIB. If they don’t, the gate will be awfully skinny next year. I hoped they would move the ball downfield a little with the conference, but no dice. One item I am wondering about is whether any of Ollie’s coaching staff will be changed out. Mo is gone, but the Mo smell remains.
I thoght Bloom laid out some clear objectives including a world series championship. He identified some improvement in the international program but indicated more improvement needed. He does not seem to be a guy to go in and tear up things immediately but he did indicate that there would be some changes in personnel. I am cautiously optimistic beause he seems to be a big picture person. Puttting together an organization that can identify players that help you win will be a test. Mo and his team was very weak at that.
Didn’t hear it, but I’ve read some quotes of what CB said. “We” was used enough times it read like a Mo quote.
Our dictator/puppet arrangement remains in place.
I agree Brian. We hired Chaim Bloom not Jack McKeon or Dave Dombrowski. The Cardinals have telegraphed this for quite some time. It is going to be a slow, methodical rebuild. Not sure why anyone would expect otherwise.
There is evidently no one concerned with the mlb roster. CB has his farm project, and every transaction must pass Poor Bills desk.
There is no LaRussa or Schildt in place to hound ownership for better players. CB hasn’t even asked about the 26′ budget. Alright then, puppets in place.Probably depends on who you ask. The way i look at is the number of thugs downtown is a constant and there are not enough to victimize everybody, but if there are 15k fans down there your chances are twice as high as if there are 30k.
There is nothing wrong with downtown other than vacant building and homeless that I’ve seen. I park at 10th and Pine and walk to the game from time to time. The only thing I see are homeless. Are those the thugs you are talking about?
Washington Ave has changed a bit in the last 15 years. Still wouldn’t call it unsafe. Any city you go to has some of these crime issues. I usually travel down and stay a few days in Benton Park- Soulard. Walk around there and no issues. Uber downtown and walk around the ballpark area and no issues. Yeah there are places I would not walk around in the area but I avoid those places.
Sounds like to me that CB budget is based on what players they can be rid of. Sounds like CB is telling us it really doesn’t matter much who manages the team in 26. Also It was implied we will get some sort of pitching help for this team next season. My guess is what he gets to spend ties into if he can get rid of Gray, Nado and Contreras. Still I don’t expect there to be any lavish spending.
I think hinging your hopes and dreams on an introductory press conference is foolish. Anyone not wear Red blublockers on can see that ownership wants this guy for a reason. They want a rich man’s devil rays payroll and build through the system. Bloom will have to be creative the next couple seasons to keep the team competing. The money likely wont be there. The fans have already shown an unwillingness to show up. So revenue with the bally disaster is not where they’d like it. So trading contracts and a couple of our vet players still in team control will likely be on the table this year.
Also It was implied we will get some sort of pitching help for this team next season. My guess is what he gets to spend ties into if he can get rid of Gray, Nado and Contreras. Still I don’t expect there to be any lavish spending.
I agree. I believe it doesn’t require lavish spending. It requires smart spending (Milwaukee), pitching help, and luck.(Wetherholt blows it up, one of Walker or Gorman finally perform)
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.