Cardinals' "philosophical differences" continue within the clubhouse

The St. Louis Cardinals' continuous downfall is identified with communication. It has been a major issue within the organization that has not improved for years. Most notably it started when Mike Shildt was fired after the 2021 season, which was a major shocking headline at the time. After Shildt won the 2019 manager of the year and got the Cardinals back to playoff relevance from 2019-2021, John Mozeliak decided to surprise the baseball world and move on from his trusted clubhouse leader. The media and fans tried and tried again to get more clarity on the situation to make more sense of it, but everyone got the same PR response to the situation that continues to become a trend in St. Louis: philosophical differences.

So you may be asking how this is still relevant four years after the headline. You can look at several situations that point to this issue. Willson Contreras being signed as a catcher, then to be removed from the position entirely after the pitchers did not agree with the pitch-calling approach. You can also look at the Tyler O'Neill saga when Oliver Marmol went public over the issue instead of handling business behind closed doors. He has since stated he regrets ever doing this after all the backlash that arose from fans who see the issue taking place.

The Cardinals public rhetoric on Jordan Walker is yet another example of broken systems and communication

The latest rendition is Cardinals hitting coach Brant Brown being interviewed on ESPN 101 alongside Oliver Marmol. Brown did not hold back one bit in his interview, which is a great change to see from the organization that gaslights fans and expects their support behind a cloud of deception. But when asked about the younger players' development, he answered honestly and truthfully. Specifically with Jordan Walker, Brown said Walker will not adapt to their coaching strategies and continues to struggle because of it.

This is not the first time Walker has not adapted to the Cardinal Way, which very well could become the reason he is no longer a part of the organization's future. But other players are also at fault. When pressed about the team being one of the worst when hitting high fastballs, Brown also stated players are arguing the data presented to them. From the tone and delivery from Brown and the facial expressions of Marmol in this interview, you can tell coaches and players are not seeing eye to eye, which is a major concern given this is the next core for St. Louis.