35 games.
A little over 1 month.
That’s how much time the Cardinals have left in the 2011 season. Spare me the bullshit optimism about the playoffs. Even after a win against the Cubs Sunday night, the Cardinals aren’t making up 8.5 games against an absolutely streaking Brewers team in 35 games. They haven’t gone on a 5 game winning streak this season. It’s over.
Here’s where it gets kind of weird though… what do we do with Pujols?
At this point we have no idea what’s going to happen to the dude. We’ve been all over the map this season, and most recently, it looks like he’s going to end up a shade below .300 with 35+ HR’s and close to 100 RBI’s and Runs. So while the production is a bit off, he did deal with a stint on the DL. More to the point, we don’t know where the Cards’ front office heads are at.
That means, in theory, we could have 35 more chances to watch the best player we’ve ever seen in person play with the Cardinals on his chest. And this isn’t some sort of statement to whip up and argument. Nobody, including Pujols probably, knows where this is headed. And if he gets an overwhelming offer from some team this winter, he may have to take it.
So how do we act these last 35 games?
Do we really over-do it? Make sure that he feels the love the last 60 or so at bats he has at Busch. Do we act as if? Cheer if he does something that deserves our adulation, but not until then. Do we get emotional? Start taking a look back at an incredible 11 run wistfully?
I mean, I feel like we’re kind of getting screwed here. This man, this huge part of all of our lives for the past decade, could really be gone very soon and he may also be around for the next decade. We have no idea. But it kind of makes me sad to think that if he does leave, that we can’t even send him off properly. Let him know that he’s made for some damn prideful moments the past 11 seasons.
Time to start thinking about this stuff Cardinal fans.
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