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Mikolas was never going to return. He simply didn't bring enough to the table to justify the distracton/controversy. But, why were many fans ready and eager to push him aside?

Choices
---------
1) He was too cocky for his level of mediocracy. Dizzy Dean, “It ain't bragging if you can do it”. Well, he didn't bring it enough to justify..

2) He was the teacher's (MO's), pet.

3) He deferred blame for his failures and minimzed them.

4) In an interview, he indirectly dogged Waino.

5) He trashed talked and didn't bring results to back it up.

RichieRichSTL wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 13:45 pm Mikolas was never going to return. He simply didn't bring enough to the table to justify the distracton/controversy. But, why were many fans ready and eager to push him aside?

Choices
---------
1) He was too cocky for his level of mediocracy. Dizzy Dean, “It ain't bragging if you can do it”. Well, he didn't bring it enough to justify..

2) He was the teacher's (MO's), pet.

3) He deferred blame for his failures and minimzed them.

4) In an interview, he indirectly dogged Waino.

5) He trashed talked and didn't bring results to back it up.

If he was good, trash talking isn't an issue. and you say his level of "mediocracy". He wasn't mediocre. This past year he was one of the worst qualifying pitchers in mlb baseball

Adam2 wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 13:48 pm

RichieRichSTL wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 13:45 pm Mikolas was never going to return. He simply didn't bring enough to the table to justify the distracton/controversy. But, why were many fans ready and eager to push him aside?

Choices
---------
1) He was too cocky for his level of mediocracy. Dizzy Dean, “It ain't bragging if you can do it”. Well, he didn't bring it enough to justify..

2) He was the teacher's (MO's), pet.

3) He deferred blame for his failures and minimzed them.

4) In an interview, he indirectly dogged Waino.

5) He trashed talked and didn't bring results to back it up.

If he was good, trash talking isn't an issue. and you say his level of "mediocracy". He wasn't mediocre. This past year he was one of the worst qualifying pitchers in mlb baseball

I'm speaking more of his body of work. His overall body of work is mediocre. But, yeah, I agree he has trended lucky to be a fifth arm in recent years.

RichieRichSTL wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 13:53 pm

Adam2 wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 13:48 pm

RichieRichSTL wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 13:45 pm Mikolas was never going to return. He simply didn't bring enough to the table to justify the distracton/controversy. But, why were many fans ready and eager to push him aside?

Choices
---------
1) He was too cocky for his level of mediocracy. Dizzy Dean, “It ain't bragging if you can do it”. Well, he didn't bring it enough to justify..

2) He was the teacher's (MO's), pet.

3) He deferred blame for his failures and minimzed them.

4) In an interview, he indirectly dogged Waino.

5) He trashed talked and didn't bring results to back it up.

If he was good, trash talking isn't an issue. and you say his level of "mediocracy". He wasn't mediocre. This past year he was one of the worst qualifying pitchers in mlb baseball

I'm speaking more of his body of work. His overall body of work is mediocre. But, yeah, I agree he has trended lucky to be a fifth arm in recent years.

at this point the only reason he will get signed (and i think he will in spring training due to an unexpected injury) is his innings. But i think most people don't like him because MO extended him when clearly he wasn't deserving of any sort of extension, he had become a BP pitcher. So i guess maybe partially number 2 on your list also

Adam2 wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 13:48 pm

RichieRichSTL wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 13:45 pm Mikolas was never going to return. He simply didn't bring enough to the table to justify the distracton/controversy. But, why were many fans ready and eager to push him aside?

Choices
---------
1) He was too cocky for his level of mediocracy. Dizzy Dean, “It ain't bragging if you can do it”. Well, he didn't bring it enough to justify..

2) He was the teacher's (MO's), pet.

3) He deferred blame for his failures and minimzed them.

4) In an interview, he indirectly dogged Waino.

5) He trashed talked and didn't bring results to back it up.

If he was good, trash talking isn't an issue. and you say his level of "mediocracy". He wasn't mediocre. This past year he was one of the worst qualifying pitchers in mlb baseball

one of the worst? Glass half empty eh? Of our starting 5 on opening day, he was only 3rd worst. And 3rd best. He even had a positive WAR.

FWIW, his ending ERA was only .60 pts off of Gray and Libby, and .40 off of McGreevy. That's within a normal year to year variance.

Our team as a whole was bad, but he doesn't deserve to be singled out as the proximate cause.

Carp4Cy wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 14:09 pm

Adam2 wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 13:48 pm

RichieRichSTL wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 13:45 pm Mikolas was never going to return. He simply didn't bring enough to the table to justify the distracton/controversy. But, why were many fans ready and eager to push him aside?

Choices
---------
1) He was too cocky for his level of mediocracy. Dizzy Dean, “It ain't bragging if you can do it”. Well, he didn't bring it enough to justify..

2) He was the teacher's (MO's), pet.

3) He deferred blame for his failures and minimzed them.

4) In an interview, he indirectly dogged Waino.

5) He trashed talked and didn't bring results to back it up.

If he was good, trash talking isn't an issue. and you say his level of "mediocracy". He wasn't mediocre. This past year he was one of the worst qualifying pitchers in mlb baseball

one of the worst? Glass half empty eh? Of our starting 5 on opening day, he was only 3rd worst. And 3rd best. He even had a positive WAR.

FWIW, his ending ERA was only .60 pts off of Gray and Libby, and .40 off of McGreevy. That's within a normal year to year variance.

Our team as a whole was bad, but he doesn't deserve to be singled out as the proximate cause.

It's his fault and his fault alone. Without him we win 89-93 games

Adam2 wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 14:16 pm

Carp4Cy wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 14:09 pm

Adam2 wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 13:48 pm

RichieRichSTL wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 13:45 pm Mikolas was never going to return. He simply didn't bring enough to the table to justify the distracton/controversy. But, why were many fans ready and eager to push him aside?

Choices
---------
1) He was too cocky for his level of mediocracy. Dizzy Dean, “It ain't bragging if you can do it”. Well, he didn't bring it enough to justify..

2) He was the teacher's (MO's), pet.

3) He deferred blame for his failures and minimzed them.

4) In an interview, he indirectly dogged Waino.

5) He trashed talked and didn't bring results to back it up.

If he was good, trash talking isn't an issue. and you say his level of "mediocracy". He wasn't mediocre. This past year he was one of the worst qualifying pitchers in mlb baseball

one of the worst? Glass half empty eh? Of our starting 5 on opening day, he was only 3rd worst. And 3rd best. He even had a positive WAR.

FWIW, his ending ERA was only .60 pts off of Gray and Libby, and .40 off of McGreevy. That's within a normal year to year variance.

Our team as a whole was bad, but he doesn't deserve to be singled out as the proximate cause.

It's his fault and his fault alone. Without him we win 89-93 games

LOL. I really don't care one way or the other if he's back. What scares me is Pallante is back, and Oli seems to love him.

Carp4Cy wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 14:20 pm

Adam2 wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 14:16 pm

Carp4Cy wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 14:09 pm

Adam2 wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 13:48 pm

RichieRichSTL wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 13:45 pm Mikolas was never going to return. He simply didn't bring enough to the table to justify the distracton/controversy. But, why were many fans ready and eager to push him aside?

Choices
---------
1) He was too cocky for his level of mediocracy. Dizzy Dean, “It ain't bragging if you can do it”. Well, he didn't bring it enough to justify..

2) He was the teacher's (MO's), pet.

3) He deferred blame for his failures and minimzed them.

4) In an interview, he indirectly dogged Waino.

5) He trashed talked and didn't bring results to back it up.

If he was good, trash talking isn't an issue. and you say his level of "mediocracy". He wasn't mediocre. This past year he was one of the worst qualifying pitchers in mlb baseball

one of the worst? Glass half empty eh? Of our starting 5 on opening day, he was only 3rd worst. And 3rd best. He even had a positive WAR.

FWIW, his ending ERA was only .60 pts off of Gray and Libby, and .40 off of McGreevy. That's within a normal year to year variance.

Our team as a whole was bad, but he doesn't deserve to be singled out as the proximate cause.

It's his fault and his fault alone. Without him we win 89-93 games

LOL. I really don't care one way or the other if he's back. What scares me is Pallante is back, and Oli seems to love him.

That is a concern my friend. I hope some of the other recent acquisitions can out work him and get into the rotation

I'll admit it, glad to see him gone.

I was sick of him and his stupid act (re: hamburger phone, ect...).

Never should've got that last extension.

Good riddance

RichieRichSTL wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 13:45 pm Mikolas was never going to return. He simply didn't bring enough to the table to justify the distracton/controversy. But, why were many fans ready and eager to push him aside?

Choices
---------
1) He was too cocky for his level of mediocracy. Dizzy Dean, “It ain't bragging if you can do it”. Well, he didn't bring it enough to justify..

2) He was the teacher's (MO's), pet.

3) He deferred blame for his failures and minimzed them.

4) In an interview, he indirectly dogged Waino.

5) He trashed talked and didn't bring results to back it up.

6) all of the above

I liked Mikolas fine (mostly) as far as demeanor on the mound, personality in the dugout, with the press etc. I did not like the extension at all. Most didn’t and we were proven right. No problem with Miles, just didn’t like the contract

He sucked and was a big weirdo!

For a franchise that prides itself on “The Cardinal Way,” the goofy, sarcastic antics from Miles Mikolas and Adam Wainwright over the past couple of seasons landed the wrong way—and at the wrong time.

Veteran players set the temperature in the room. When leaders treat losing seasons with sarcasm, jokey bravado, or a “lighten up” attitude, it sends a message—whether intended or not—that standards have slipped. The Cardinals weren’t a young team learning how to lose; they were an experienced roster actively underperforming. That’s exactly when seriousness, accountability, and urgency should be loudest from the top.

Adam Wainwright earned immense respect over his career, but leadership isn’t about résumé—it’s about awareness. When a team is spiraling, fans are frustrated, and younger players are looking for cues, public goofiness can feel dismissive. It blurs the line between confidence and complacency. Instead of projecting resolve, it came across as deflection.

Miles Mikolas’ sarcastic edge may play well when the team is winning, but during prolonged struggles, it reads as tone-deaf. Leaders don’t need to be humorless, but they do need to read the room. When performance doesn’t match attitude, culture erodes.

The Cardinals’ identity has always been about professionalism, quiet confidence, and letting results speak. When veterans stray from that—especially in public—it signals a breakdown in leadership. Culture isn’t what you say it is; it’s what you tolerate and what you model.

And for a franchise built on tradition and accountability, those moments mattered more than they probably realized.

rockondlouie wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 14:30 pm I'll admit it, glad to see him gone.

I was sick of him and his stupid act (re: hamburger phone, ect...).

Never should've got that last extension.

Good riddance

It's just like Matt Carpenter. If he doesn't get that last extension, he leaves the organization with an entirely different taste in everyone's mouth.

Miles was fantastic in his first year with us in 2018 then between solid and good in 2019 (hurt for a couple years) and 2022-23. He's only been terrible the past two seasons.

WaltsSuccessor wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 15:40 pm

rockondlouie wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 14:30 pm I'll admit it, glad to see him gone.

I was sick of him and his stupid act (re: hamburger phone, ect...).

Never should've got that last extension.

Good riddance

It's just like Matt Carpenter. If he doesn't get that last extension, he leaves the organization with an entirely different taste in everyone's mouth.

Miles was fantastic in his first year with us in 2018 then between solid and good in 2019 (hurt for a couple years) and 2022-23. He's only been terrible the past two seasons.

Miles was only well above average twice here. That first season and 2022. Every other season was either right at, slightly below, or well below average. Mikolas fan fatigue is well earned here.

Strummer Jones wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 15:45 pm

WaltsSuccessor wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 15:40 pm

rockondlouie wrote: ↑09 Feb 2026 14:30 pm I'll admit it, glad to see him gone.

I was sick of him and his stupid act (re: hamburger phone, ect...).

Never should've got that last extension.

Good riddance

It's just like Matt Carpenter. If he doesn't get that last extension, he leaves the organization with an entirely different taste in everyone's mouth.

Miles was fantastic in his first year with us in 2018 then between solid and good in 2019 (hurt for a couple years) and 2022-23. He's only been terrible the past two seasons.

Miles was only well above average twice here. That first season and 2022. Every other season was either right at, slightly below, or well below average. Mikolas fan fatigue is well earned here.

League average rates for above average innings has value. He threw 184 IP in 2019 and 201 IP in 2023. We need a couple of dudes like that right now...

We just don't need 156-171 innings of 77-85 ERA+ like he's been lately.