Cubs fans continue to cry, scream and pout over Cardinals' sensible baseball move

The fans who made Steve Bartman go into hiding are up to their old tricks.

Chicago Cubs supporters remain up in arms about one of St. Louis Cardinals manager Oli Marmol's decisions when the teams faced off on Sept. 27. In case you missed it, in the eighth inning of a game where the Cardinals were trailing 7-3, Marmol opted to intentionally walk Michael Busch, who was 4-4 and a single shy of the cycle.

Cubs fans were, to put it mildly, unhappy with Marmol's decision.

Cubs fans keep going ballistic over Marmol's choice to walk Busch.

An article from Cubbies Crib called the Cardinals "bush league" and "classless" for walking Busch and depriving him of a potentially signature moment. The article went on to say that perhaps if the game were tied or the Cardinals were only down by one, the walk could be considered acceptable.

Frankly, this claim is balderdash. If you're a baseball fan, you should appreciate how the game is played and the strategy that comes with it. Marmol said following the game that he was managing to win; he's "not here for anyone's amusement." He wasn't going to roll over and give Busch, who had been killing the Cardinals all game, a chance to put the game out of reach where a grand slam wouldn't tie it. And, as you might recall, the Cardinals did have the bases loaded in the ninth inning after limiting the damage from the previous inning thanks to Marmol's choice to walk Busch.

Additionally, if Cubs fans want to wail about the "unwritten rules" being broken by the Cardinals walking Busch with a somewhat sizable deficit, they don't have much to stand on given that Dansby Swanson stole third prior to the walk with that same four-run lead.

The Cubs have clinched the playoffs, so one would think their fans have better things to do than complain about the Cardinals, who, by the way, have been the inferior team to the Cubs this season. But even the day after the game concluded, Cubs supporters continued to yelp about the walk.

Marmol has taken it on the chin from Cardinals fans over the past few seasons, especially as stories emerged of Albert Pujols' and Yadier Molina's interest in managing in the major leagues. Rumors have swirled about Marmol's potential dismissal after 2025 following Chaim Bloom's ascent to John Mozeliak's former position, and many fans have been all for canning the Cardinals skipper, with several deeming him a "puppet" of the Mozeliak regime.

Marmol may not be the most popular manager the Cardinals have ever taken on, but his commitment to winning can't be denied following his decision with Busch. Hopefully Cubs fans can find enjoyment elsewhere, perhaps by occupying themselves with the world's smallest violins.