It’s no surprise that Pedro Feliz perked up when he joined the Cardinals.
Veterans languishing on also-ran teams are usually thrilled to join a contender. A favorable scenery change can reinvigorate even the weariest ballplayer.
Feliz played terribly for the downtrodden Astros this season. In 10 games as a Cardinal, though, he is batting .326 (14 for 43) with eight runs, a triple, a homer and three RBIs.
Joining the playoff race can be rejuvenating. This short-term turnaround isn’t a great shock.
What IS startling is the play of the Cards around him. Feliz looks like a new man as he returns to Houston with his new team, but most of his teammates appear toasted.
The first seven games of this 10-game road trip were an unmitigated disaster. The Cards kept finding ways to lose to the hapless Pirates and the woeful Nationals.
Given a chance to solidify their place in the playoff race, the Cards collapsed instead.
One day the starting pitching failed. The next day it was the offense. The next day it was the bullpen’s fault.
So now the team stands at the crossroads. Will Tony La Russa pull this team together and make a playoff run?
Or will the downward spiral continue, necessitating a top-to-bottom offseason overhaul?
The Cards need to play their best baseball this time of the year. Instead, they are playing their worst.
The offense is scoring runs in bunches, but without consistency. Nationals hurler John Lannan made Cards hitters look feeble Sunday. John Lannan!
Colby Rasmus suffered calf muscle cramping, which turned into a calf muscle strain, which turned into a two-week disability. Why he remained on the active roster is one of life’s great mysteries, since the kid has mustered just four plate appearances since Aug. 15.
(The Cards should have put Rasmus on the disabled list, then sent him out on a minor league rehab assignment to get his legs and his head right. At least Nick Stavinoha could have delivered a pinch hit or two and helped this team against lefthanded pitching.)
The bullpen is a mess. Other than old-timer Trever Miller and rookie Fernando Salas (who lowered his season earned-run average to 1.83 Sunday with two shutout innings), none of the relievers are getting the job done.
Closer Ryan Franklin posted a 5.23 ERA in July and a 6.52 ERA so far in August. This must become a large point of emphasis after the season. Major upgrades are necessary.
In the meantime, Dave Duncan is hoping Jason Motte’s return from the disabled list will bolster the group. September improvement must come from within.
The starting pitching is frayed, to the point where not even Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter can stop the team’s bleeding. Kyle Lohse regained his health but not his sharpness, moving Jeff Suppan back into play for the rotation.
The list of issues goes on and on. As soon as the team fixes one problem, like third base defense, another emerges – like the collapse of the relief corps.
As noted earlier in this corner of cyberspace, this was supposed to be one of La Russa’s easiest managerial jobs. It has become one of his most difficult instead.
The Cards have enough talent to fight their way out of their current funk, but are they inclined to do so? While the Cincinnati Reds appear energized heading into the season’s final month, the Cards look befuddled.
This team is not giving off a positive vibe.
After each season, La Russa asks himself the same questions. "Is the team still responding to me? Are the key players still on board with my program?"
If Tony had to answer those questions today, the answer in each case would be “no.”
That can change in a hurry, of course. The playoffs remain within reach. A torrid finish would fill the clubhouse with good cheer.
But the Cards are running out of time to make stage a turnaround. With another Reds showdown looming on the weekend, the season is in the balance RIGHT NOW.
Feliz appears to get that. What about everybody else?
