St. Louis Cardinals: Time to Play Angrily

Jul 4, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Carlos Martinez (18) reacts as he walks off the field after giving up a one run single to Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman John Jaso (not pictured) during the seventh inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 4, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Carlos Martinez (18) reacts as he walks off the field after giving up a one run single to Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman John Jaso (not pictured) during the seventh inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The St. Louis Cardinals have been really good this season at beating sub-.500 clubs but can’t seem to put it together when it counts.  This pattern has reared its ugly head in the All-star voting.  Now it is time to get mad.

As I sit to write this, the St. Louis Cardinals are trailing the Pirates 5-2 and Tony Cruz– no wait, Brayan Pena– has just aired a throw to second failing to catch a would-be stolen base.  I, for one, am angry (p*ssed even).  What is going on?!

Add to all of these feelings the release of the All-Star rosters and the fact that only Matt Carpenter is- at this point- making an appearance.  Am I shocked?  Not really.  The St. Louis Cardinals have been lackluster too frequently while other clubs and other players have been able to amass standard statistics enough to make the team.

Do I think that there are St. Louis Cardinals players who were snubbed unjustifiably?  Yes, yes I do.  I feel Aledmys Diaz deserved a look.  I feel that Carlos Martinez deserved a look.  Let’s take a quick comparison.

First, Diaz’s numbers this season:

YearAgeTmGPAABRH2B3BHRRBISBCSBBSOBAOBPSLGOPS
201625STL7530627252852211142222539.313.374.522.896
1 Yr7530627252852211142222539.313.374.522.896
162 Game Avg.1626615881121844822491445484.313.374.522.896

Now to compare to Addison Russell, the starter at shortstop:

YearAgeTmGPAABRH2B3BHRRBISBCSBBSOBAOBPSLGOPS
201622CHC773072653263102945203677.238.336.392.728
2 Yrs2198307409217839322996378226.241.317.391.708
162 Game Avg.1626145476813229216734258167.241.317.391.708

Is one better than the other?  Does it even need to be asked?  Do these stats show favoritism?  Do they show the popularity contest that is the All-Star voting?!  Am I mad?  H*ll yes!

How about Martinez?  Let’s look at his numbers this season:

YearAgeTmWLERAGIPHRERHRBBSOFIPWHIP
201624STL762.9016102.1843333732803.581.134
4 Yrs25183.36125399.2373155149251403723.291.284
162 Game Avg.1073.3648153142595710531423.291.284

And to compare, let’s take just Stephen Stasburg:

YearAgeTmWLERAGIPHRERHRBBSOFIPWHIP
201627WSN1102.711599.275303010281232.911.033
7 Yrs65373.05147876.17313352978322010242.841.085
162 Game Avg.1593.0534203169776919512372.841.085

…or Julio Teheran:

YearAgeTmWLERAGIPHRERHRBBSOFIPWHIP
201625ATL372.7217112.281373415241053.830.932
6 Yrs43373.33120746.0657302276902026473.891.151
162 Game Avg.12113.3334214189877926581863.891.151

Martinez lesser than these?  I’ll admit that they are good pitchers- maybe even great pitchers- but Martinez deserves a shake too!  The St. Louis Cardinals deserve a shake too!

Have the St. Louis Cardinals become the enemy team to be hated this season?  Or are they really that bad?

More from St Louis Cardinals News

And where should the St. Louis Cardinals go from here?  I think it is right time for the St. Louis Cardinals to grow a pair and to start playing with a massive chips ahoy on their shoulders!  I think it is time to start playing angrily.

In short, if you can’t convince the masses to vote you into the All-Star game because it has turned into a high school popularity contest and if the St. Louis Cardinals can’t seem to muster the ability to win some baseball games against above-.500 teams, then it is time to start playing with some fight.

Quite simply, it is time to turn these passive beauty birds into birds of prey!

I, for one, am mad and am sick and tired of watching a lackluster team.  I, for one, am ready for some wins and some wins in the way the St. Louis Cardinals swept through Chicago.  I, for one, do NOT want to watch the Pirates sweep in Busch.

Next: Just Say No to a Tampa Trade

Anyone else mad too?  Anyone else with me?  Am I saying that the St. Louis Cardinals season is lost? No, but it might as well be if this team can’t find the gusto to fight it out!