St. Louis Cardinals: Does Having Chemistry Matter?

According to USA Today baseball columnist Bob Nightengale, there are many that still believe that the concept of chemistry in the clubhouse matters in baseball.

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St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher John Lackey, acquired from the Boston Red Sox before the 2014 trading deadline, was one of those quoted by the Nightengale.

It’s really undervalued,’’ St. Louis Cardinals veteran starter John Lackey told USA TODAY Sports, “especially in today’s world with all of the numbers guys.”

To all those fans that follow the newly added statistics over the years due to sabermetrics, don’t even bother with looking at all the fun and fancy stats because that doesn’t have an affect on the friendships that form in the team clubhouse or in the dugout.

“The numbers guys can’t quantify that one,” Lackey said, “so they don’t want to believe in it.”

What about all those preseason projections of where a team is going to finish up the season? St. Louis is the best team in baseball and despite all of the club’s injuries, the team is leading the National League Central. Should they be leading the league? Look at what Nightengale says and it’s hard to argue with him.

The St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals have the two finest records in baseball. If you go by the numbers, the Royals were supposed to win just 72 games this year, according to Baseball Prospectus’ projection system, PECOTA. The Cardinals, who have had more injuries to key players than any team, shouldn’t be leading their division, let alone be on pace to eclipse 100 victories, if you go strictly by sheer talent.

David Price was one to praise the Cardinals.

“You look at the Giants, and they’re not more talented than everyone else every year, but they’re so close, and together,” the Toronto Blue Jays pitcher told Nightengale. “The Cardinals are the same way. They definitely have talent, but they’re no more talented than a lot of the teams they’re beating every day.

“The Cardinals are unbelievable. They lose their ace (Adam Wainwright). They lose their No. 3 and No. 4 hitters in (Matt) Adams and (Matt Holliday). And they’re still winning. They’re just unreal.”

All St. Louis does is win.