It’s almost like it HAD to happen.
In Wednesday’s Post-Dispatch, Joe Strauss wrote a piece with the headline “Matheny Overdue For Some Credit” outlining several reasons why the Cardinals manager should not only be considered as a Manager of the Year candidate in 2015, but why he should be the front-runner.
The case for managerial respect is impressive:
- Best record in MLB
- Hasn’t had a losing month since June 2012
- Could win 100 games while scoring less than 675 runs
- 4th straight postseason appearance as manager (most in team history)
- More wins than any other NL manager from 2012-2015
All of Strauss’ points are valid. Mike Matheny has been an outstanding manager for the Cardinals since he’s been hired. If he were to be a free-agent, he would multiple offers this off-season to manage other MLB teams.
But he gets criticized. Probably more than he should.
Part of it comes with the territory. Cardinals fans, while proclaimed by many (including a few outside of St. Louis) as the BFIB (best fans in baseball), are in deep. We don’t care some of the time, we care all of the time. And all hyperbole aside, you and I both know some really knowledgeable Cardinals fans.
Part of it, though, in some twisted way, is that we all feel like we should be the manager of the Cardinals, we just haven’t been given a shot… yet. If we’re being honest, we know there is a 100% chance we’d be terrible if actually given the job, but damnit, it’s not that hard from the couch.
Regardless if it comes from legit analysis or knee-jerk Tweets in the heat of the moment, the criticism seems to resonate with Matheny.
“I hear it all the time. I hear it two rows back during a game. I hear it face to face when I’m around town. … It hurts. I’m human,” he says. “Then my job is to go back and be an honest evaluator and figure out if any weaknesses are there. Am I hurting this team? I second-guess myself more than anybody else can. What decisions snuck up on you? What were the options you chose and rejected? You define success by doing what my job is.
That’s good. Anyone that’s great at their job should be learning constantly. This is how you want your manager to operate.
But…
It still doesn’t solve the ultimate riddle – can Mike Matheny avoid all of the landmines in the postseason and reel in the Cardinals 12th championship?
Like I said before, it HAD to happen.
On the day when Strauss called on Cardinals Nation to rally around the skip and recognize his stellar 2015 season, he went out and made the single worst managerial move of the Cardinals season.
Tied game in the top of the 8th inning, Ryan Zimmerman, he who had hit 2 home runs over his last 2 at bats, came to the plate. 1 out. Runner on 2nd base. The textbook definition of an intentional walk situation personified.
You know what happened. You watched. The Cardinals lost 4-3.
YES – they’re still 39 games over .500.
NO – they didn’t lose any ground in the NL Central.
YES – they did win the series.
NO – this isn’t the start of a downward spiral for the Cardinals.
Every single defense that you’re crafting right now in your head on Matheny’s 2015 season overall, I agree with totally. But when you want me to go whole hog on Matheny being the guy that leads the Cardinals back to the top of the baseball world, he’s got to eliminate the moves that that even idiots like me are second guessing before the negative outcome occurs.
Raise your hand if you wanted Broxton pitching to Zimmerman in that spot. Anyone?
Everyone has a bad day at work. I’m not here to say anything other than that particular decision was the reason it was a bad day. He still deserves to be the MoY, IMO.
That call, though.
On the day when everyone was talking-up Matheny? Wish the timing of his bad day could have been different so more love could have flowed his way.
After all, the Cardinals are having a historically great season. Then again, these next two months are the ones everyone will remember. How will Matheny perform when the scrutiny on every move is turned up to 11?
Hopefully as well as he’s done big picture in 2015.
Photo: NBC Bay Area
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