Oli Marmol addresses one of Cardinals fans' biggest complaints against him

As the modern game of baseball has grown ever more advanced and analytical, one of the gripes that fans — both young and old — have had is that the front office and the "quants" have too much say in the game decisions. With greater collaboration between front office executives and field staff, a worry that fans have had is that those executives in the front office are the ones dictating lineup sheets and in-game decisions.

While this is certainly a false assumption, it isn't illogical to assume that these closer connections could breed direct intervention. After all, the general manager builds the roster; why shouldn't he or she also have influence on whom to employ and when from said roster?

The St. Louis Cardinals have not been immune to these analytical complaints. In fact, one of the most commonly discussed issues with manager Oliver Marmol is that he is simply a pawn of the front office. As his time has gone on and as I've been able to dissect Marmol's decision-making, mannerisms, and personality more, I've grown to like him quite a bit as a manager, but that's neither here nor there.

In an interview with STL Sports Central, Marmol answered several questions quite openly. He discussed lessons learned in the minors along with what it will take to get Jordan Walker back on track. One clip that stood out to me related directly to who fills out the lineup card on a daily basis for the Cardinals.

St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol takes full responsibility for filling out the lineup card and making in-game decisions.

Marmol was asked by a viewer who calls the daily shots on the field such as batting order and bullpen decisions. Marmol was quite up front in his response.

"In the four years that I've managed, I've never had a front office member come down and question a bullpen move or dictate a lineup or anything like that. If there's something you don't like on the field, blame me because I'm the only one responsible for that."

Oliver Marmol

Clearly, Oliver Marmol wants all of the smoke for the lineup card and bullpen decisions.

Marmol went on in the interview to lay out the team approach he takes with these decisions. "I sit down obviously with (Daniel Descalso) and go through the lineup and make sure that we're aligned when it comes to the most effective lineup for that day," said Marmol. "(I sit with) Dusty (Blake) and Hooli for bullpen usage to make sure we keep guys healthy."

While fans can still be mad at Marmol for the lineup, what they can't be frustrated with anymore is that he is simply a pawn of the front office. There is even a new boss in town with Chaim Bloom taking over, so clearly Marmol isn't a pawn, as he wasn't even hired by this new group.

There have been whispers of a potential extension for Marmol, and while that may be premature, the growth he's shown as a manager over the last four years shouldn't go unnoticed. He's able to work well with young players and manage the balance between the front office, ownership, and player interests well.