Stats show Izzy is going downhill. Also the fact the he already has 4 blown saves just 5 weeks into the season doesn’t bode well. Hopefully he will pick up his game.
I believe it’s the last year of his contract as the Cards picked up his option last winter. Assuming the Cards do get Carp, Mulder and Clements back sometime during the summer, maybe John Mozeliak could use the extra pitching for a trade involving a possible closer for the years to come. Unless the Cards think someone from the bullpen could become that guy…

Bernie, I agree that the numbers show that Izzy is missing few bats this year (problem for a closer) but might it not have been a nice thing to tip your hat to Larry @ vivaelbirdos for making that observation yesterday morning?
“here’s the statistic that scares me about him: only 11 percent of his strikes have been swing / misses this year. throughout his career, that figure has been at 18 or 19 percent; even in 2006, 16 percent of his strikes came on whiffs. he’s just not missing bats anymore.”
http://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2008/5/8/482424/closer-calls
Perhaps you and Larry came to the same observation independently.

the decline is clear, given his age, and contract, i think the Cards were hoping to nurse him through this year. not a bad option if the Cards werent going to contend, however if the Cardinals contend for the balance of the season, the Cardinals will be faced with a decision.

Just a thought, but was last year actually more of a fluke than a return to form for Izzy? Could what looked like a rebound last year actually have been a result of the fact that last years team was either getting blown out of games so early that a save opportunities were few and far between? Last year Izzy saw only 34 save opportunities and this year through 1/5 of the season he has already had 15. The 2008 team has been in just about every game, consider no double digits given up yet and shut-out only once. How many one run games have there been in the first 36 games of the season? Math is real easy, if the current trend continues he could see 75 opportunities this year. I wish Tony would face facts, Izzy is old working on a replaced hip, so maybe they should bring up one of the young guns and start working on a two-headed save monster. Not only would this be a chance to ease a young pitcher into the toughest role in baseball, but it would allow Izzy the impart some serious knowledge about closing on another young pitcher, and give him a chance to get to 300 saves and retire after the season. Who do you think was chirping in Wainright’s ear in the 2006 playoffs? Izzy has proven he is a strong mentor and a tough competitor, why not allow him to use both talents to benefit the team now and potentially in the future.

Just some thoughts from a fan who loves baseball and the Cardinals.

Here’s my 2 cents worth. I would like to see the Cards go ahead and call up Chris Perez from Memphis and use him along with Kyle McClellan and Izzy as a closer by committee group. This would, in my opinion, give the Cards a better chance at not only preventing Izzy from being overworked but allow the two youngsters the opportunity to be gradually eased into MLB. We all know just how much that that helped Adam Wainwright back in 2006 and I think if the Cards were to use that same therory with McClellan and Perez it would pay off later on. To me, this would be a win-win situation for our Cardinals. Izzy can not be relied upon several times per week to get that all important save. And McClellan can not always be relied upon due to the fact that the Cards may still use him in other relief roles. So the best route for the Cards to take would be the closer by committee.

Louie Bird 17,
It is time to call up Chris Perez from Memphis. You could use McClellan in an eighth inning set up role. Trade Izzy while he still has some value.

Mr. Bernie,
I had a feeling that if Izzy came into the game he would blow another save and low and behold he did. How much longer is TLR going to keep relying on Mr. Unreliable? Please don’t take me wrong. I do like Jason Isringhausen. And I would dearly like to see him get save #300 with the Cardinals. But to me, the rate he’s going he will be lucky to get it this year, next year or even never. His ship is sinking and at that sinking fast.

“But unless he can make the hitters start missing more than they are, the trend will likely continue.” I wish to comment on your closing statement. Especially when your fastball is only being clocked in the mid-80’s mph. We all know that that’s not much of a “fastball”. Way too many hitters will be sitting dead red on it.

As an aside, I wish you good luck at your book signing later today. Congratulations on the completion of your first book. Do you think there will be more books by you to come?

Seems like we’ve been through this before with Izzy. Each time I think he’s done - time for a new closer. Wasn’t long ago every time he came in, he walked two hitters right off the bat, but somehow found a way to get out of it. This seems worse. I’ve lost all confidence in him. As others mentioned, it may be time to reassign Izzy to another role and use a bullpen by committee. Izzy should be pulled quicker then we’re doing now. The first hint of trouble, pull him, try someone else. He’s just not rebounding and getting the final outs, once he starts falling apart.

Why would I tip my cap to VEB when I discussed this topic on my forum on Wednesday night, hours before anyone wrote a blog about it? I was already in the process of researching the swing/miss stat before I went to sleep Wednesday. I have great respect for Larry and VEB, but I can come up with my own ideas, thanks. I don’t need to borrow them. And if I did, I’d be happy to attribute the material.

Speaking of which: over at Fungoes, Pip makes a pertinent observation about bad luck playing a role in Izzy’s woes:

http://stl-sabr.bajink.com/fungoes/?p=1131