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Agree or disagree with the choices and their ranking?
The Cardinal Nation’s Top 10 St. Louis Cardinals Stories of 2023
I get it, but it would have been repetitious to make the same story #1 through #10, so I added some filler. 😉
For the first time in the almost three decades of the DeWitt group’s ownership, the Cardinals waved the white flag and became major sellers leading up to the July 31 deadline.
In my mind, this summarizes everything that matters about the present situation.
This is a quote from Goold’s introduction for a P-D publication celebrating Yadi’s career, written after the 2022 season:
“Since Molina’s debut in June 2004, the Cardinals have played more than 2.920 regular season games. They have been mathematically out of contention for the playoffs in 24 of them.”
In 19 years, we didn’t have a chance in 24 games. In 2023 we gave up in July because it was hopeless.
That’s probably how the organization would want to spin it. Actually, that’s how they did spin it when you think about it. Glad hands and puppy dogs while the pile of a season was still steaming.
I never noticed Fredbird in the background until now… 😉
Most everyone makes predictions, but who comes back after the fact to self-assess the quality of the guesses? We do in this review of our top #stlcards stories of the year predictions from 12 months ago. (free) https://t.co/wZEDk1jBwh pic.twitter.com/mm7xg1qyRU
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) January 2, 2024
As to top stories of 2024, which will roll out soon:
I have already decided that one of mine will focus on the evolution of clubhouse leadership in the post Albert-Yadi-Waino era which the team has been shifting into. I do not know how to phrase it though. It was part of the problem last season and will have to get sorted out and come into focus, hopefully in 2024.
My candidates for players that I predict will emerge as team leaders are Contreras and Walker. I say this because they encounted unfair personal adversity layered on top of the team’s bad season and quietly faced it down like the men of chatacter they displayed themselves to be. I do not see either as seeking a leadership role, but they are what they are.
My annual predictions of what may become the top stories developing during the year for the #STLCards. (free) https://t.co/YKp5ygZMEW pic.twitter.com/krD2YWc7ta
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) January 3, 2024
On leadership, there is another angle upon which I mentioned in the earlier stories. All three top coaches under Marmol turned over heading into 2023. Of course, this area is very difficult to assess.
The coaching staff maneuvering seems like it must be related to tweaking the roles as well as finding the right people for those roles. It seems to be ongoing. The peculiar move of McEwing into an undefined FO role. Descalso, with Cardinal pedigree but no coaching experience, coming from a similar FO role in another organization, is an equally peculiar move. MacLea, essentially a wonk, billed as now joining Marmol’s staff. I envision tassel loafers with cleats. I agree it is hard to assess.
Reading through the projected top stories of 2024 article, I got to thinking about the possible lame duckiness of Marmol. I agree that a continuation or reversal from 2023 is the key there. But I wonder, if things go wrong again, how much of a feeling of lame duckiness would attach to Mo? That would be a more daring projection, daring but not reckless.
There is a major difference. The manager has one year of goodwill earned, eroded by one bad year after. The PBO has several decades worth built up. Changing the manager does not change the direction of the entire franchise, but turning over the PBO could essentially begin an organizational rebuild.
The only history we have is the firing of Jocketty. However, that situation was very, very different from today. The team was successful, but two factions were tearing the organization apart from the inside out. Even some prominent media members had chosen sides. There was a clear direction to change how the team was run and they were multiple years down that path before Walt was let go. So once the decision was made, the major transition was straightforward.
Currently, I don’t see even an inkling of internal conflict. I get why many fans would like to see that, though. I will have my eyes and ears open at Winter Warm-Up and we will be interacting multiple times.
As a side point, I read an advance copy of the new book “Fantasy Expert” by Ron Shandler, whose firm was employed by the Cardinals in the early Luhnow years. Ron and I have been friends for several decades and his recounting of our off-the-record discussions during that period of team history were fun to revisit.
P.S. Or if you prefer the quick answer, Marmol’s contract ends in 2024. Mo will be paid through at least 2025.
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