The Cardinals lost yesterday.
You (and Deadspin) have been able to say that 40 times already in 2016, 25 times when they’ve played in Busch Stadium.
They sit 9 games back in the NL Central. Have gone 5-5 in their last 10 games. Were only able to muster 1 All-Star selection. Just put their best power hitter on the DL.
Last night I read this New Yorker piece by George Saunders trying to understand the new America that is emerging as a result of the ’16 Presidential election cycle. It’s well worth a look, but the truth of the piece is that we’re all getting less comfortable having anything that is neither a 0 or a 1.
The middle, if you will.
The Cardinals are squarely in the middle. A team that is neither good, nor bad.
Average.
It’s hard to muster much anger for a team that has won 43 games before the All-Star break and is a solid week away from nabbing a Wild Card spot and returning to the playoffs. Just like it’s hard to get fired up over a team that has lost 7 more games than they’ve won in front of the most supportive fans in baseball.
The 2016 team has just kind of… existed.
https://twitter.com/CardsFanIndiana/status/750701924136128512
Look at that Tweet.
I believe that it is earnest. That this is a great Cardinals fan (that lives in Indiana, apparently). And just is excited to watch his or her Redbirds possibly avoid a sweep.
It's Jaime Garcia Day! #STLCards pic.twitter.com/iFjFeN1g7F
— The Birds On The Bat (@BirdsOnTheBat13) July 6, 2016
Or that Tweet.
A completely sincere sentiment about a pitcher who is 6-6 on the season who posted a 5.40 ERA in June.
Cardinals fans are AMAZING. All capital letters AMAZING. In the face of all evidence they are out there riding hard for the birds.
But for some of us – the more salty ilk – we’re just kind of over here waiting for something to happen. For the worm to turn. For a streak that will tell us if the Cardinals are really going to do the damn thing or it’s time to start strategizing for 2017 and beyond.
Maybe that’s our problem.
We’re not used to the Cardinals being average. We’re not used to the cold hard reality that many more baseball teams don’t make the playoffs than do.
Maybe it’s time to get more comfortable in the middle.
Because the longer this season goes the more it looks like the Cardinals are’t going to be able to be anywhere else.
Photo: The Odyssey Online
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
