The cost of denial is seen in empty seats

[Cusecards]

Only one homestand in the cold, kids in school, people aren't vacationing yet. Twins and Angels aren't exactly marquee teams.

See how things shake out the next 4-6 weeks before forming too much of an opinion.

Pretty much my thoughts.
Hey....not trying to sugar coat the pounding Mikolas took last night but:
Should have won one of the extra inning Angels games.
Throw in an elite closer crapping his pants and team could easily be 6-3.
I know woulda/coulda/shoulda.
They do need to respond at Pittsburgh winning at least 2 of 3.
Let’s see how they respond.

[BrockFloodMaris]

Last night we should have seen/endured Mile's last start as a Cardinal.in the 2024 season, Mile Mikolas, statistically, was the worst starting pitcher in baseball. It appears 2025 is even worse. What to do? Stop denying reality.

Let the young kids pitch. McGreevy and Mathews to the rotation. McGreevy is ready and Mathews smart enough to learn quickly.

Miles to the pen/DFA, no more starts. Libby to the pen, he thrives there and we need him there.

The ill-advised MM extension was Mo's grandest unforced error. But it is what it is, a sunk cost. Own it and move on. Running him out there every fifth day will only drive more empty seats.

Yep! It's not losing that keeps people away from the stadium, it's how you lose. When you continuously run dead vets (veterans no other team in MLB would field, much less sign) out there and give them a huge starting role yet there's more than enough young kids who may be part of the future, ready to take that role, it's demoralizing, and the Cards have done this ad naseum since 2023.

Taylor Motter, Brandon Crawford, Matt Carpenter, Miles Mikolas, Gallegos, I'd say Matz but the Cards finally learned he's an assett out of the pen. These are all guys that most MLB teams wouldn't even give a minor league contract, and the Cards had them playing significant roles on their MLB squad. I mean, they literally signed Taylor Motter TWICE in 2023. TWICE!!!! A guy no one would even give a tryout in all likelihood.

Combine that with trading away premiere talents like Aroz, Gallen, Alcantra, and guessing wrong on soooo many others, they've created a sh*tstorm that there's only two ways out of.

1) wait for 26 when Mo is gone
2) start winning a lot of games in 2025

Until either of those happen, that stadium's gonna see record lows this year.

This is where BDW gets in his own way. He has always had the rule that "the contract plays". In a year like this, where we are trying to assess our young talent, Mikolas and his albatross contract get in the way of team progress. We could be a lot farther along in our talent assessment at the end of 2025, if BDW would let the dead wood go and run the kids out there.

The Cardinals will win half his starts.

You might be right. He sure does start a lot of games. BDW mandates that. And he gives up a lot of hits and runs. The Cards are a .500ish team, so they might win around half of Mikolas’ starts. He’s just not a very good MLB starting pitcher. Statistically, he’s among the worst.

[butsir01]

Only one homestand in the cold, kids in school, people aren't vacationing yet. Twins and Angels aren't exactly marquee teams.

See how things shake out the next 4-6 weeks before forming too much of an opinion.

It is not too early to know this: our offense is fine, and our starting pitching sucks. Bigly.

The bully is a gas can parade.

[Braund241]

Last night we should have seen/endured Mile's last start as a Cardinal.in the 2024 season, Mile Mikolas, statistically, was the worst starting pitcher in baseball. It appears 2025 is even worse. What to do? Stop denying reality.

Let the young kids pitch. McGreevy and Mathews to the rotation. McGreevy is ready and Mathews smart enough to learn quickly.

Miles to the pen/DFA, no more starts. Libby to the pen, he thrives there and we need him there.

The ill-advised MM extension was Mo's grandest unforced error. But it is what it is, a sunk cost. Own it and move on. Running him out there every fifth day will only drive more empty seats.

Unfortunately the kids all suck too. Mo ruined the organization.

[WLTFE]

Last night we should have seen/endured Mile's last start as a Cardinal.in the 2024 season, Mile Mikolas, statistically, was the worst starting pitcher in baseball. It appears 2025 is even worse. What to do? Stop denying reality.

Let the young kids pitch. McGreevy and Mathews to the rotation. McGreevy is ready and Mathews smart enough to learn quickly.

Miles to the pen/DFA, no more starts. Libby to the pen, he thrives there and we need him there.

The ill-advised MM extension was Mo's grandest unforced error. But it is what it is, a sunk cost. Own it and move on. Running him out there every fifth day will only drive more empty seats.

Unfortunately the kids all suck too. Mo ruined the organization.

Mo-ran has a beautiful family!

[Pink Freud]

Only one homestand in the cold, kids in school, people aren't vacationing yet. Twins and Angels aren't exactly marquee teams.

See how things shake out the next 4-6 weeks before forming too much of an opinion.

Very well said.

[Pink Freud]

I know the attendance figures in MLB are just polite fiction --- some vague figure called "tickets distributed", including those given free and purchased online by "Take It! Bast**rd!"-like bots, then apparently eaten, generating even more bogus "processing fees" for later events ---, but wouldn't you love to know the actual turnstile count at each game? Too bad no one will say it.

[ramfandan]

Last night we should have seen/endured Mile's last start as a Cardinal.in the 2024 season, Mile Mikolas, statistically, was the worst starting pitcher in baseball. It appears 2025 is even worse. What to do? Stop denying reality.

Let the young kids pitch. McGreevy and Mathews to the rotation. McGreevy is ready and Mathews smart enough to learn quickly.

Miles to the pen/DFA, no more starts. Libby to the pen, he thrives there and we need him there.

The ill-advised MM extension was Mo's grandest unforced error. But it is what it is, a sunk cost. Own it and move on. Running him out there every fifth day will only drive more empty seats.

Yep! It's not losing that keeps people away from the stadium, it's how you lose. When you continuously run dead vets (veterans no other team in MLB would field, much less sign) out there and give them a huge starting role yet there's more than enough young kids who may be part of the future, ready to take that role, it's demoralizing, and the Cards have done this ad naseum since 2023.

Taylor Motter, Brandon Crawford, Matt Carpenter, Miles Mikolas, Gallegos, I'd say Matz but the Cards finally learned he's an assett out of the pen. These are all guys that most MLB teams wouldn't even give a minor league contract, and the Cards had them playing significant roles on their MLB squad. I mean, they literally signed Taylor Motter TWICE in 2023. TWICE!!!! A guy no one would even give a tryout in all likelihood.

Combine that with trading away premiere talents like Aroz, Gallen, Alcantra, and guessing wrong on soooo many others, they've created a sh*tstorm that there's only two ways out of.

1) wait for 26 when Mo is gone
2) start winning a lot of games in 2025

Did you see the FanDuel aerial 360 shot of PNC park . If you think Busch home attendance is bad, that 'crowd' in Pittsburgh looked like the number of people at my dentist office a week ago when he ran a promotion day ... Free root canal with every teeth cleaning !
Until either of those happen, that stadium's gonna see record lows this year.

[Chubbs0910]

I still say you fire Mo and Marmol and you get a sold out crowd the next home game.

[ramfandan]

I still say you fire Mo and Marmol and you get a sold out crowd the next home game.

I have an idea for you to get that sold out crowd. Using your scenario , then Chaim Bloom runs the team. He names hitting coach Brant Brown
as manager with Jon Jay bench coach.
Then to celebrate Brown as team new leader , Cards run an immediate promotion. 'Brownie Night' Every ticket holder ( no age restriction or number that enter ) receive a freshly baked brownie as they enter the stadium . If they stay to the final out AND Cards win the game, another 'brownie' is given upon exit of the stadium. That way I get the crowd to stay to the end of the game hoping for the extra freebie .
If Cards win, Alexa and Mark (or Al ) are eating a brownie on postgame set in Ballpark Village too.

Phones would be ringing off the hook at Cards tix office asking 'When is the next Brownie night ? My kids want me to take them to the game .
Brant becomes as beloved as when Whitey was manager playing Whitey Ball ... Now the 2025 Cardinals team is playing 'Brownie Ball ! '

[Chubbs0910]

I still say you fire Mo and Marmol and you get a sold out crowd the next home game.

I have an idea for you to get that sold out crowd. Using your scenario , then Chaim Bloom runs the team. He names hitting coach Brant Brown
as manager with Jon Jay bench coach.
Then to celebrate Brown as team new leader , Cards run an immediate promotion. 'Brownie Night' Every ticket holder ( no age restriction or number that enter ) receive a freshly baked brownie as they enter the stadium . If they stay to the final out AND Cards win the game, another 'brownie' is given upon exit of the stadium. That way I get the crowd to stay to the end of the game hoping for the extra freebie .
If Cards win, Alexa and Mark (or Al ) are eating a brownie on postgame set in Ballpark Village too.

Phones would be ringing off the hook at Cards tix office asking 'When is the next Brownie night ? My kids want me to take them to the game .
Brant becomes as beloved as when Whitey was manager playing Whitey Ball ... Now the 2025 Cardinals team is playing 'Brownie Ball ! '

Good creativity