I can’t tell you how many All-Star games I’ve watched.
I know that I’ve been lucky enough to go to two in person – so two for sure – but I’m pretty sure I’ve watched at least part of every game played over the past 20 something years.
And not one was worse for Cardinals fans. If the 2009 event in St. Louis was the Alpha, then this was the Omega.
Pat Neshek (whom many outside of STL wondered what his selection was all about) was tagged with the loss. Adam Wainwright was a controversial selection as a the NL starter and promptly got lit up for 3 runs in his single inning of action. Yadier Molina didn’t start at catcher because he can’t play baseball for 3 months.
That turned out to to be the “not so bad” news…
“I was going to give him a couple of pipe shots. He deserved it. I didn’t know he was going to hit a double or I would have changed my mind. I thought he was going to hit something hard to the right side for a single or an out. I probably should have pitched him a little bit better.”
That was Adam Wainwright after he was finished for the night, but the game was still being played. So as the world stewed and Twitter roiled on this comment, Joe Buck threw it to Erin Andrews for an in-game apology slash I was joking statement.
Longer Wainwright quote in which he says "I made a mistake" and "I'm an idiot." He was exceedingly contrite. pic.twitter.com/hvVLJAhTQv
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 16, 2014
Not good. For anyone pulling for the Cardinals.
The only positive that can be reasonably taken away from this game is that Mike Matheny is physically capable of making a change mid-inning.
But to everyone out there trying to defend Wain-O today, I’ve got a piece of advice: STOP.
If you haven’t realized yet, the Cardinals are the new Yankees. The new Cowboys. The team that everyone is going to hate. And when the opportunity presents itself for a pile on, well? The people?
They’re going to pile on.
Adam Wainwright could have struck out the side last night, came off the field with a cure for cancer in a manilla envelope and people would have still said it was a corporate ploy for MasterCard, Wainwright was a paid stooge and he should have given over the cure before the game started and saved even more lives… that’s what Kershaw would have done.
It simply doesn’t matter what the Cardinals do as a collective or what any single Cardinal does individually – they’re going to take shit from haters and trolls. So quit defending them and remember the following three things:
1) The Cardinals are the defending NL champs. Come at the champs.
2) The Cardinals have been to the World Series 2 out of the past 3 years.
3) The Cardinals have 11 World Series titles, including in 2011.
Anytime you have the urge to engage a troll with a legit debate on Adam Wainwright’s All-Star game pitch selection (or any other “controversy” that pops up), go ahead and pick one of those three things and use it as your response.
Bonus points if you can sound like a pompous ass while doing so.
Embrace the hate friends. It’s only coming at us because the Cardinals are the team that other teams want to be. They’re sick of the Cardinals success. And they’re looking to take down The King.
The more you get caught in the minutiae the more it will drive you crazy – stick to talking points and I promise you will feel much, much better. I know you’re used to being the arrow.
Now you’re the target.
And you don’t become the target for no reason. Hate generally comes in sports through jealousy. Remember that.
Photo: NY Natives
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