Do the St. Louis Cardinals really need to play 60 games?

The St. Louis Cardinals are in a tough spot. Without having played in two weeks, getting to 60 games may be a dream. However, that may not be necessary.

Every day that the St. Louis Cardinals continue to quarantine at home, the rest of the pack surges forward another step. Unequivocally, the 2020 baseball season has sucked for the Cardinals.

Two weeks ago today, the Cardinals played their fifth game of the season against the Minnesota Twins. Since then, the team has suffered from two different rounds COVID-19 positives, leaving ten players and seven staff members sidelined with the virus.

Two weeks ago today, when Daniel Ponce de Leon was tagged for a loss, the virus was already making its way around the team. Would you have tried to enjoy the game a little more, even a loss, if you’d known it would be the last game for more than two weeks? I know I would have.

It’s not that it was the team’s fault, even though the Cardinals’ favorite detractors have pinned it all on a false casino narrative.

Either way, the Cardinals are going to have to play 55 games in either 44 days or 43 days depending on if they start on Friday or Saturday. No matter what concessions or special treatment they give the Cardinals, that is way too many games in that many days.

However, this doesn’t mean the Cardinals should pull the plug on the year.

The Cardinals don’t have to play 60 games to be competitive enough to make the playoffs.

According to Rob Manfred, the Cardinals can still be “credible” if they get to 50-55 games played on the year. He’s absolutely right.

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In 1981, the MLB had to go by winning percentage to decide the standings at the end of the year because of the player strike. Under this year’s circumstances, it would be fine to do it again. Some teams may make a fuss out of it, asking why they should have to change because of one team’s missteps, but it would theoretically only have to be in the National League if it was necessary.

The Cardinals can’t play 55 games in 43 games. However, they could play 45-50 games in 43 days. That is a lot of games, a lot of doubleheaders. However, I think the players might be up for it after this much time off.

Manfred has belief in the Cardinals, and that shouldn’t be undervalued. “I absolutely see a path back for the Cardinals.”

Don’t squirm at thinking the Cardinals won’t play an entire 60 games, there is a reasonable way through it. Very soon we will have plenty of games to watch and follow, the team just needs to distance themselves from the outbreak and ensure it doesn’t happen again.