Compiled by Staff
Earlier in the season when the Cardinals were having their losing streak, we asked our readers what they thought the Cardinals should do. Before we posted their suggestions, the Cardinals finally broke their eight-game losing streak and even managed to put together a four-game winning streak.
We decided to hold the story as it looked like the Cardinals were finding their stride, but after Sunday’s game and the Pirates sweeping the series, we decided it would be fun to see what some of you said.
Take in consideration they made these comments earlier in the season but since the Cardinals have not made any moves, many of them still hold up.
At this point (Monday June 5, 2023) the team is 25 – 35 their worst record after 60 games since 1995. It’s the worst record in the NL.
Mark Miller who is a Cardinals fan raised in St. Louis but now lives in Northern Virginia and goes to the Nationals game reminds us that “The Washington Nationals were 19-31 in 2019 and won the World Series.” He adds his own questions: “What should they do: wait for a turnaround or make a move?”
Tara McMahon of St. Louis goes to a lot of games and as many spring trainings as she can with her husband Joe. She would like to see the team stop shuffling positions.
“They need time to settle for a while,” she said. “It is clear we do not have leadership including our manager. He gives me the impression he is shooting from the hip whether he says he has a ‘plan’ which he is sticking to or not. Honestly I think Marmol needs to go. But, who could we fill that role with? That…I do not have an answer for.”
Tara is not the only one who wants to see the team have more stability in the lineups, and she thinks a move is necessary.
“We need a BIG shake up,” she said. “I have to take a look at records and ERA’s to be specific about sending players down or bringing them up.”
Chuck Butler agrees that a “shake up” could help the team.
“The Cardinals need a jolt,” he said. “They need to put Edman back to lead off and switch Goldy & Arenado in the batting order. I would put Goldy in the clean-up spot and leave him there the rest of the year.”
Here comes his idea for the jolt.
“They need to trade O’Neil and get a starter. If they believe that Waino is going to straighten out the problem with the starters well, that will turn out in tears.”
He likes that they brought Jordan Walker back up and hopes they “let him play and learn.”
“The starting pitchers sans Montgomery can’t pitch past five innings without giving up big innings so don’t pitch them past the fourth or fifth… then bring in another starter to finish the game. We need more starters on the roster, and only keep a few bullpen guys.
Butler has a lot of ideas to improve the team, but that doesn’t mean he has given up.
“I really thought this team was going to be quite good… they still can be… but changes need to be made.”
Jeff Williams has a little different take. He is not for the big change, but rather small ones.“I’m not in favor of wholesale changes. I believe it’s not one thing but several factors,” he said. “Bottom line: they must improve in all areas of the game: pitching, offense and defense.)
While he is not in favor of a big move, he wanted to see a few roster moves. He likes Juan Yepez in the lineup and was hoping for Matthew Liberatore in the rotation and Steven Matz in the bullpen—which as of now is happening.
Williams hopes for a return of more effective base running and fielding.
“Those are areas that represent the strong fundamentals that the Cardinals emphasize and are recognized for, but it has been missing this season.”
“I have always trusted this Cardinals front office group,” said Brian Garner, “But I don’t want to see them wait too long to make a move for pitching and I believe they need a steady lineup not a particular guy hitting ninth one night and leading off two nights later.”
Bill Czerniejewski would like to see some changes made also.
“Make a bold move,” he said. “Maybe the manager or a major player. Who knows but a shaking is needed. Cardinal Nation deserves better.”
“Fire Marmol and Mo,” says Gene Ackmann of Wentzville, Missouri. “Trade for Ohtani. I may be dreaming but that’s where I would start.”
Ackmann isn’t the only one who went after the manager.
Fans are coming up with many different angles to find what is wrong and analytics is big on some list
“I think they’ve gone too far with the analytics,” said John Baxter. “It is a part of the game now, but I think a manager like a Yadier Molina who is a leader is what they need.”
Josh Arntz also blames the metrics.
“Whatever ‘metrics’ and player evaluation this team has in place are dead wrong,” he said. “It’s time to start over in that department. Hard hit balls don’t mean (anything) when it doesn’t translate to runs.
“Maybe the pitching and OF talent pools would be better if some other guys got an opportunity, instead of giving the same guys infinite chances to do absolutely nothing. It makes me sick to look at the talent we’ve given away while watching the same guys, who this org believes in, serve up dingers or repeatedly striking out at the plate every day.”
Dawn Roberson Shaver looks to the pitching also.
“Dave Duncan was a great pitching coach as you know,” she said. “Yadi absorbed some of that knowledge and knew how to help the pitchers. We have had no good pitching coach since Duncan left. Now that Yadi is gone, we have Knizner to pass on the bits and pieces he picked up (from Yadi), and I hear it in his interviews.”
Jen King sees the catcher’s position as a problem along with others.
“We have a starting catcher batting .138 with 1 RBI…What is wrong with these people making these decisions?” she says. “Then you bring up (Juan) Yepez who can’t hit his way out of the paper bag and (stinks) on defense.”
John Phelps longs for the “good old days.”
“Go back in time to when the shift was legal and we played an unbalanced schedule,” he said. “The entire Cardinal philosophy of the last 15 years has been a “pitch to contact” staff and good positional defense to compete in a terrible NL Central. Now all of that is wasted and Mo somehow did not see it coming.”
Unfortunately, the changes are all left for the team. Earlier in the year, Jack Flaherty’s frustration showed as he shot back at one of the reporters who had asked about the fans booing. He assured the players are more frustrated than the fans; that they are all doing their best.
Flaherty seems to have turned around in his attitude and pitching.
“Marmol has said he cannot ask any more from his players,” says Shaver. “I agree. They need leadership, it’s missing.”
Jen King doesn’t have a lot of hope, saying “The Boo Birds will be back tonight.”
Jeff Williams summed it up for all Cardinals fans in the original article, saying: “Hopefully May will be the opposite of April!”
As we start June, let’s hope they can find a way to work their way out of this (again,)
