Luvofthegame
09-09-2006, 05:04 PM
BY JEFF GORDON
STLTODAY.COM SPORTS COLUMNIST
09/08/2006
Closer Jason Isringhausen may not pitch again this season. He joins key veterans Mark Mulder (shoulder surgery), Jim Edmonds (post-concussion syndrome) and David Eckstein (strained oblique muscle) on the shelf.
So now we must look at the Cardinals season in a different light. The simultaneous loss of the No. 2 starter, Gold Glove center fielder, All-Star shortstop and long-time closer severely tests this organization.
These developments raise two questions:
1. How are the players, manager, coaches and team management handling the adversity this summer? Advertisement
2. And what are we learning about the organization’s long-term strength or weakness?
At the moment, the Cards are bearing up well on both fronts. Their role players have taken on greater responsibility, the newcomers have made big contributions and the organization appears capable of filling many needs from within.
All these are encouraging signs during an otherwise difficult season.
The Cards, unlike the Reds and Astros, have muddled through their assorted injuries and slumps to remain well over .500 this season. They haven’t been great, for sure, but they haven’t collapsed.
This season explains why Tony La Russa has lasted forever in a business that quickly chews up and spits out most managerial prospects. He finds ways to keep his teams on track.
Utility player Scott Spiezio personifies that accomplishment. Spiezio delivered again Thursday night, powering the Cards’ victory in Arizona. With the team reeling from Wednesday afternoon’s devastating loss in Washington, Spiezio whacked a couple of homers while filling in for the beat-up Scott Rolen.
La Russa gets unusual mileage from his spare players by deploying them early and often during the 162-game marathon. The payback this season has been considerable as the Cards battled through myriad injuries.
(Another example: La Russa kept Aaron Miles busy after Ronnie Belliard arrived to play second base regularly. And Miles responded by filling in capably for Eckstein, something few of us expected.)
On the other hand, La Russa got caught showing too much faith in Mulder and Isringhausen as they tried to play through their physical problems.
In retrospect, Mulder should never have attempted his comeback from shoulder problems this summer. His rehab starts didn’t go great and his big-league starts were disasters.
In retrospect, Isringhausen should have been removed from the closing role earlier this season. He was never very sharp. Apparently he has been pitching hurt all summer.
We expect players to push themselves to their limits -– and beyond -– as competitors. This is what great athletes do. When they can no longer help the team, then it falls to management to sit them down.
Drawing that line is an inexact science. Old-school managers like La Russa (and Whitey Herzog in his day) are reluctant to shelve established players.
The White Rat always gave warriors like John Tudor and Danny Cox the benefit of the doubt, even when their shoulder and elbow, respectively, were killing them. He knew those guys could win games on grit alone, if they had to.
La Russa has stuck with key veterans throughout his tenure. Mark McGwire played when he could hardly walk and Tino Martinez played when he could hardly hit. Matt Morris pitched a LOT of innings with a weary shoulder. Ray Lankford played with a bum shoulder in the playoffs.
Why? The good managers lean heavily on their veterans. They trust them, back them and rely on them. Sometimes they go too far with them . . . but in the process, they send the proper message to the established players in the clubhouse.
Veterans like Mulder and Isringhausen earned their place in the game and their manager respected their status. In that sense, La Russa is a “players’ manager.”
(Business dictates loyalty, too. Isringhausen has $10 million left on his contract, so The Skipper couldn’t merely discard him. Mulder is a pending free agent, so the club had to find out what, if anything, he had left.)
Of course, at some point veteran players must yield to youth. The laws of nature dictate that. And the Cards are bearing up better than expected on that front.
Adam Wainwright is getting the first crack at replacing Izzy as the closer. Anthony Reyes is bidding to replace Mulder as a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher.
Josh Kinney, a youthful reclamation project, will get a long look in middle relief. Rebuilt prospect Chris Narveson could become a candidate for an ’07 rotation slot, especially if Wainwright remains in the bullpen.
With Edmonds facing an uncertain future, Skip Schumaker become a more important prospect. His strong showing at the Olympic qualifying tournament proved he might become more than a spare outfielder at the big-league level.
Through the rest of September, the Cards will take a good look at the younger players that could help reshape the team for next season. They have a chance to start their rebuilding process while keeping their postseason streak alive.
As a result, the battered Cards still have the opportunity to make a very frustrating season into a pretty good one.
STLTODAY.COM SPORTS COLUMNIST
09/08/2006
Closer Jason Isringhausen may not pitch again this season. He joins key veterans Mark Mulder (shoulder surgery), Jim Edmonds (post-concussion syndrome) and David Eckstein (strained oblique muscle) on the shelf.
So now we must look at the Cardinals season in a different light. The simultaneous loss of the No. 2 starter, Gold Glove center fielder, All-Star shortstop and long-time closer severely tests this organization.
These developments raise two questions:
1. How are the players, manager, coaches and team management handling the adversity this summer? Advertisement
2. And what are we learning about the organization’s long-term strength or weakness?
At the moment, the Cards are bearing up well on both fronts. Their role players have taken on greater responsibility, the newcomers have made big contributions and the organization appears capable of filling many needs from within.
All these are encouraging signs during an otherwise difficult season.
The Cards, unlike the Reds and Astros, have muddled through their assorted injuries and slumps to remain well over .500 this season. They haven’t been great, for sure, but they haven’t collapsed.
This season explains why Tony La Russa has lasted forever in a business that quickly chews up and spits out most managerial prospects. He finds ways to keep his teams on track.
Utility player Scott Spiezio personifies that accomplishment. Spiezio delivered again Thursday night, powering the Cards’ victory in Arizona. With the team reeling from Wednesday afternoon’s devastating loss in Washington, Spiezio whacked a couple of homers while filling in for the beat-up Scott Rolen.
La Russa gets unusual mileage from his spare players by deploying them early and often during the 162-game marathon. The payback this season has been considerable as the Cards battled through myriad injuries.
(Another example: La Russa kept Aaron Miles busy after Ronnie Belliard arrived to play second base regularly. And Miles responded by filling in capably for Eckstein, something few of us expected.)
On the other hand, La Russa got caught showing too much faith in Mulder and Isringhausen as they tried to play through their physical problems.
In retrospect, Mulder should never have attempted his comeback from shoulder problems this summer. His rehab starts didn’t go great and his big-league starts were disasters.
In retrospect, Isringhausen should have been removed from the closing role earlier this season. He was never very sharp. Apparently he has been pitching hurt all summer.
We expect players to push themselves to their limits -– and beyond -– as competitors. This is what great athletes do. When they can no longer help the team, then it falls to management to sit them down.
Drawing that line is an inexact science. Old-school managers like La Russa (and Whitey Herzog in his day) are reluctant to shelve established players.
The White Rat always gave warriors like John Tudor and Danny Cox the benefit of the doubt, even when their shoulder and elbow, respectively, were killing them. He knew those guys could win games on grit alone, if they had to.
La Russa has stuck with key veterans throughout his tenure. Mark McGwire played when he could hardly walk and Tino Martinez played when he could hardly hit. Matt Morris pitched a LOT of innings with a weary shoulder. Ray Lankford played with a bum shoulder in the playoffs.
Why? The good managers lean heavily on their veterans. They trust them, back them and rely on them. Sometimes they go too far with them . . . but in the process, they send the proper message to the established players in the clubhouse.
Veterans like Mulder and Isringhausen earned their place in the game and their manager respected their status. In that sense, La Russa is a “players’ manager.”
(Business dictates loyalty, too. Isringhausen has $10 million left on his contract, so The Skipper couldn’t merely discard him. Mulder is a pending free agent, so the club had to find out what, if anything, he had left.)
Of course, at some point veteran players must yield to youth. The laws of nature dictate that. And the Cards are bearing up better than expected on that front.
Adam Wainwright is getting the first crack at replacing Izzy as the closer. Anthony Reyes is bidding to replace Mulder as a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher.
Josh Kinney, a youthful reclamation project, will get a long look in middle relief. Rebuilt prospect Chris Narveson could become a candidate for an ’07 rotation slot, especially if Wainwright remains in the bullpen.
With Edmonds facing an uncertain future, Skip Schumaker become a more important prospect. His strong showing at the Olympic qualifying tournament proved he might become more than a spare outfielder at the big-league level.
Through the rest of September, the Cards will take a good look at the younger players that could help reshape the team for next season. They have a chance to start their rebuilding process while keeping their postseason streak alive.
As a result, the battered Cards still have the opportunity to make a very frustrating season into a pretty good one.