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If you can't manage the bullpen, you can't manage

Why is this the state of the 2017 Cardinals?

<p>Mike Matheny on the mound for batting practice</p>

Blame Tony LaRussa and Dave Duncan if you want. They created the bullpen specialist and mid-inning reliever roles that haunt every game.

Lament the old days when starters would go nine innings almost every night. Or heck, dream back to the times when Suter and Gossage would throw 150 innings in a season. Do all three of these and it’ll do about as much good as telling a drunk at 3 a.m. in Soulard to “calm down, sir.” None.

We live in the world of the 3 - 4 inning bullpen. There is no going back. Period. Here is what Mike Matheny is: a coach.

If Mike Matheny was the organizational catching instructor, or the pitching coach, I would be ecstatic. But, he’s the manager of what should be the class of the National League. Instead, we’re an also-ran, a club struggling to even be .500. This is unacceptable for a team in what looks like the weakest division in all of baseball.

Why is this the state of the 2017 Cardinals? Because our manager manages a bullpen about as well as I manage carbohydrates on the weekend.

The Only Evidence You Need

Let me take you back to place in time and space. Opening Day 2017, it seems like years ago. The World Series Champion Chicago Cubs came into our city, in our ballpark, riding high after a dramatic fall classic.

The Cards were winning after seven and a third dominant innings from Carlos Martinez. Only five outs to a smooth, easy as Sunday morning victory. Time to make the old Southwestern Bell Call to the Bullpen.

What does Matheny do?

Let’s reset the scene. It is Opening Day, this is the day your team will be the freshest it will ever be the entire season. Does he go to the newly signed brand new shiny toy Brett Cecil? No. Does he bring in the flame throwing Kevin Siegrist? No. He brings in the named closer, for the entire season, on Opening Day, for a five out save. I repeat. On OPENING DAY. FOR A FIVE OUT SAVE.

I shuffled to my kitchen, poured another Evan Williams, and knew, deep in the Ray Lankford loving recesses of my soul, that the season was over. I kid you not. I knew, and I have never wanted to be wrong more in my entire life. Well, maybe a little less than when Ankiel threw his 25th wild pitch in two games and I thought, “Yeah…he’s done.” But I really, really wanted to be wrong about this season. I wasn’t, and I’m not.

Yes, Mike Matheny won a Pennant, and Barry Switzer won a Super Bowl. Marisa Tomei won an Oscar, Milli Vanilli won a Grammy, and Tim Tebow won a playoff game. There must be a point when you admit he is what he is.

People still defending Matheny’s late innings decisions after almost six full seasons are the same kind of people that still think Dwight Howard can improve his offensive game. He can’t, and Matheny isn’t going to get better.

This is a more than ample sample size. Either someone else takes over the bullpen, or we can all sit back and wait for the Blues to start another season that ends in the second round. Geeze, that was uncalled for. I’m sorry friends.

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