2007 Cardinals Predictions

The St. Louis sickening Cardinals’ 13-18 start through the first 21 games of the season has the defending World Series champions at the bottom of the National League Central. The Cards’ dismal start has got some help losing starting pitchers Jeff Suppan to division leader Milwaukee and Jason Marquis to second place Chicago. Lefty, Mark Mulder was out to start the season and soon ace Chris Carpenter joined him on the inured list.

I can’t blame it all on the pitching situation. Perennial MVP candidate Albert Pujols is hitting just .259 while Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds are off to worse starts. How bad has it been? The Cards are only averaging 2.8 runs per game at home. Add the death of reliever Josh Hancock and the Cards have to be wondering if it can get worse yet.

These early season struggles make last October’s World Series victory seem like years in the past for a team and its fans who were hopeful for a repeat in 2007. If Braden Looper, Adam Wainwright, Kip Wells, and Anthony Reyes don’t sound like the same starting rotation which was among the best in the National League the past several years, it’s because they’re not.

The question we have to ask is if the Cardinals will still be in contention when Carpenter gets back in August. Mulder is expected to return after the All-Star break which will help and the Cardinals’ sticks cannot keep failing them as badly as they have been out of the gates. It is a concern that the Cards are just 6-11 at home and already nine games back from Milwaukee who shows no signs of slowing down. And last year’s last place team, the Cubs, have won eight of its last 10 games and look like they could challenge the Brew Crew.

I’m not sympathetic. St. Louis thought they’d be okay, but they pulled a Florida maneuver. It wasn’t a full out fire sale, but they did sell their smoke not signing back Suppan, Marquis, or Weaver. It looks like karma got them with Mulder and Carpenter’s injuries. The Braves created the model to follow in the nineties keeping Greg Maddux, John Smotlz, and Tom Glavine together. They rode those horses until they thought their wheels fell off. Maddux and Glavine have continued to amaze in other stadiums. St. Louis had a great starting rotation in place and management cost its team by not working harder to get deals done. Do I think St. Louis will be dead last at season’s end? They’ll probably catch Pittsburgh or Cincy, but I’ll shake my head in disbelief if they do find the cellar-a tougher feat in my opinion than winning another World Series with the talent this team has.

2007 Cardinals Predictions

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