[Kylecordes]

The name of this thread is “What’s it gonna take to fix the Cardinals”…..and its more than just money.

Cardinals…..12th highest in payroll, Arizona, San Diego, Minnesota, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Baltimore, and Cleveland, all spend less than STL and they are either division leaders, in the wild card, or closer to the wild card than STL. Take a step back for a moment and you’ll see there’s A LOT more wrong with this team than the players and the size of the payroll.

Remember way back in 2022….we had Waino, Yadi, the return of Albert, it was Marmol’s first year, made the post season, there were some magical moments. Arenado was hitting, Goldy won an MVP, which means he was hitting. Gorman wasn’t stinking up the joint…..so what’s different?

2023 comes around and what happens? The offense couldn’t hit water if it fell out of a boat, but why? The pitching was a freakishly awful, but why? Because Albert WAS the hitting coach, and Yadi WAS the pitching coach. The team lost its leaders, it lost its swagger, it lost its identity. Marmol is not a good Manager, you don’t call your players out in public, (i.e. O’neil and Contreras). You alienate those players, put doubt in the minds of the others and lose respect. More on him later.

Hitting…..have any of you ever looked at Turner Wards career stats? (12 seasons)
war AB H HR BA RBI OBP SLG OPS OPS+
4.5 1548 389 39 .251 219 .332 .388 .721 87
Why is this guy the hitting coach? Thats over 12 seasons!!! He can’t hit, so why do you think Goldy is struggling, why do you think Arenado is not hitting homers? Why are Gorman, Walker, and Victor Scott II
all hitting at AAA and can’t in STL? Why did Dylan Carlson have no homers in STL but has 3 or 4 since being traded? Coincidence? I think not. If you are getting bad instruction and being taught bad habits you are going to suck, its not rocket science. Turner Ward needs to go.
Pitching…while it definitely under performed last year, it sucked partially because Yadi was gone, he knows/knew those pitchers and their stuff better than the pitchers know their own stuff. Im not bagging on Contreras, he just didn’t know them as well as Yadi and its not something you learn in a handful of weeks in spring training.

2024…PITCHING PITCHING PITCHING (remember that?)
STL got one pitcher (GRAY) and two innings eaters in Lynn, and Gibson that helped provide “Club House” leadership along with Carpenter. I dont care if you can eat innings, if youre pitching 6 innings and giving up 5 runs, thats not doing the club any good. Bump one to the pen or DFA them and bring up McGreevy, I think he has earned a longer look after his great one game performance.

So Back to Marmol….He has turned this team into a dumpster fire. He is a garbage manager, He has completely mishandled Jordon Walker all season. The only reason Walker is getting his playing time now is because Mozeliak told Marmol to play him and not platoon him. He totally ran O’neil out of town because he didn’t like him. I know he was injured often, but he was a 2 time gold glover and he’d have the most HR’s of any outfielder if Turner Ward didn’t screw him up first…….(besides Burleson, who I consider more of a DH/1st). For some reason he wanted to get rid of Dylan Carlson, who I think we’ll see his potential in Tampa. He completely mismanages or over manages the team. The offense is struggling and you leave Pages up instead of Herrera, who’s a much better hitter. Mikolas has shown he can’t go thru the
order 3 times, but he leaves in. How many times have you watched a game this season and said “what are you doing” He carries no respect in that club house, and you can’t play for a person you don’t respect. Most of us have played baseball or some sport and know what a “cancer” can do to a club house or locker room……He needs to go, PERIOD!!!

Mozeliak hired that clown so he has responsibility too. He listens to Marmol and believes what he says, which is another reason he is responsible. My advice for MO is sometimes you screw up, sometimes you make mistakes, admit it, save face and can that guy. I know no one wants to hear it, but MO isn’t getting fired. He is like a son to BDW. He will finish his contract through 2025, whether he steps down waits to be seen. If he stays as POBO, Marmol will probably stay too. If he steps down and hands the reins to Chaim Bloom I think Marmol gets his walking paper.

So I agree with many of you that raising payroll wouldn’t hurt, adding a couple free agents wouldn’t hurt either, especially a #2 pitcher. But you have to fire Marmol, you have to fire Ward and bring in some guys that command respect and can do their job. Schumaker will be available, Yadi wants to manage, and im sure those two guys could get Albert to be a hitting coach for at least a year if he doesnt have prior contractual commitments with the Angels, but geez, hire a hitting coach that can hit….Larry Walker, Todd Helton, Carlos Beltran, Jimmy Edmonds, Scott Rolan…..

Sorry for the rant, anyone wanna borrow my soap box, lol

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