The latest iteration of the Cardiac Cardinals have finally flatlined. The ballclub that captivated St. Louis for the past two seasons with its keen flair for drama fell by the wayside after the team’s bats were silenced down the stretch versus the San Francisco Giants as they lost the NLCS by a 4-3 series margin.
The collapse was nearly a carbon copy of the 1996 club. Back then, in Tony La Russa’s first season as skipper, the team jumped out to an identical 3-1 lead over the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS before being outscored by an embarrassing 32-1 margin over the finals three games. The defeat was especially crushing because the Braves were the dominant National League team at the time. The Cardinals had a chance to breakthrough and reclaim greatness but were spanked and told to go back to their rooms and play while the grown folks went to the World Series.
Still, the 20-1 bludgeoning in 2012 (during games 5-7) isn’t easy to swallow. As the Giants continued to embarrass Cardinals batters at the plate, fans waited patiently for the crew to flip the late-inning switch it had relied on time and time again during the past two postseasons. We shrugged off the obvious and thought we’ll get ‘em next inning.
That may have been the team’s mindset too. Players got caught up in their own ability to come back when it counted. They played lazy and lax in the beginning of games, fully expecting to rally down the stretch. As they say, if you play with fire, you’re bound to get burned. The Cardinals did.
The patched up arms in the rotation fell apart. The promising young players showed their youth and inexperience. Pete Kozma lost his Tom Emanski fielding video.
Of course, the real reason the Cardinals will be watching the World Series at home with the rest of us is the offensive breakdown. But even that is no surprise. All year the team was on a roller coaster ride, playing feast or famine on offense. The hunger of the Giants was apparent as it seemed like the defending champs whiffed on every pitch that Barry Zito, Ryan Vogelsong and Matt Cain threw at them. In the end, the Giants pitchers ate the Cardinals’ lunch and cemented their status as the comeback kids of 2012.
While the disappointment is heavy, it doesn’t seem that Cardinal Nation will take this loss as hard as 1996. Maybe expectations were lowered after losing a Hall-of-Fame bound coach and the best player in baseball during the same off-season. Maybe it’s the understanding that the team’s two aces were mere mortals this season: Adam Wainwright coming off Tommy John surgery and Chris Carpenter, who had a rib removed to combat nerve issues. Maybe it’s the first-year coach, the influx of young players, the revolving DL or the fact that we’re coming off a World Championship. Regardless, the future seems bright and another World Series seems within reach.
Both Wainwright and Carpenter are expected to return at full-strength next season and have a shot to return to their dominant form. Kozma showed potential as an offensive force and with the end of the LaRussa-Ozzie Smith cold war, maybe the Wizard can help the youngster on defense. Shelby Miller and Trevor Rosenthal look to be the arms of the future. Jason Motte looks like a closer again. Mike Matheny also showed himself to be a very capable manager. He wasn’t as good for the local news cycles as La Russa but did an admirable job on the field and will get better with experience.
On paper, the Cardinals seem to be set up nicely for the future. I’m sure that’s little consolation for the players who blew what should have been an insurmountable lead. Hopefully the stinging pain of such an ugly defeat will resonate with the players. They’ve proven over the past two years they have the ability to come back in any given situation. This one is no different. The Redbirds will be relevant for years to come.
