Watching the Cardinals get swept from the playoffs in three games -– just one at home -– was quite stunning. Not quite as startling as the Phillips family sleeping revelations, the Nobel Peace Prize announcements or Hasbro's makeover of Clue, but stunning nonetheless.

Many people around town are pointing an “I told you so” finger at the teams' lackluster regular season finish, suggesting a breaker had been tripped long before the playoff lights went out. Although it's true that several of the other postseason qualifiers played poorly down the stretch, the notion can't be totally dismissed.

Rather, it can be expanded upon. What you have to ask is: Generally speaking, how good were the Cardinals? Probably not as good as the hype from prognosticators or the excitement following them to Los Angeles. Let's look at the record:

The club basically ran away with the National League Central in late July and August, bolstered by the acquisitions of Mark DeRosa, Matt Holliday and Julio Lugo. Starting with a series win over the Dodgers, the team went on a tear in which it won 24 of 31 games. Five games over .500 when the surge began, the Cardinals were 22 games over (77-55) by the time August ended.

That's good stuff, no apologies necessary. You have to win the games on the field. But let's examine that glorious stretch more closely. With the exception of seven games against the Dodgers, the Cardinals played six other teams during that chunk of schedule. None of the six finished with a winning record. Combined, the teams -– New York, Cincinnati, Washington, Pittsburgh, San Diego and Houston -– finished 135 games below the equator.

Go a step farther. From Sept. 1 to the end of the regular season on Oct. 4, St. Louis finished 14-16, losing 14 of its last 21, eight of its last 10. That part of the docket included four teams -– Colorado, Atlanta, Florida and Chicago -– with winning records and a fifth, Milwaukee, that settled just two games under .500.

Did the Cardinals finish flat? Yes. Did it hurt their momentum going into the postseason? Maybe. But which month was more uncharacteristic, August or September? Certainly this team was talented enough to win one postseason game, if not a series. Certainly the Cardinals, and more importantly the vibrant community that follows them, deserved as much.

But given the stunning results, you would have to say the evidence points toward the club being slightly overrated at season's end. Which begs the next question: what to do?

Here are 10 things the I would do for next season:


1. David Freese is the third baseman until he proves otherwise. The kid has a demeanor about him that says “player.” Plus, he deserves bonus points for putting on the catching gear in the last game.


2. Kyle McClellan becomes a starter. First, there is a need and second, his stuff is better suited for a starting role. You can afford to give up a run here and there when you're working six or seven innings.


3. Blake Hawksworth replaces McClellan in the bullpen as a late reliever and occasional closer. Hawksworth could use a little more time to get his big-league balance, and you had to love his work late in the season, with that sinking fastball and nasty changeup.


4. If necessary, flip-flop Nos. 2 and 3.


5. Sign John Smoltz to modest base pay and an incentive-laden contract. Smoltz did not show the velocity he once had, but he demonstrated he still knows how to manage a game. Given you could get him on the cheap to be a fifth starter, it makes sense (although a lefthander would be nice).


6. Get Ryan Franklin back on steroids. Franklin had a spectacular five months. But in his time in St. Louis, he has demonstrated a disturbing tendency to wilt in September. Let's put away the Beard Growth Hormone and break out the Human Growth Hormone and see if we can't break down that wall.


7. Don't get carried away trying to sign Matt Holliday. He's a heckuva hitter when he's going well, but clubs fall into a dangerous trap when they tie up too much money into a handful of players. I'm not sure that -- if Mark DeRosa is healthy, if Colby Rasmus comes back stronger and more comfortable, if Ryan Ludwick once more is able to distinguish between a fastball and a breaking ball -- there isn't enough offense without him. Truth is, Holliday might be smart to just accept arbitration from the Cardinals and test free agency in 2011.


8. Cancel Tony La Russa's postgame press conference obligation for television. La Russa is simply too in the moment after a game to be on television. In my opinion, nothing does more to paint La Russa in a unflattering light than those awkward postgame interview sessions.


9. Sign DeRosa and use him as a regular/utility player. He's getting up there in age (35 next February), but DeRosa was a wonderful addition to the club's personality. He could play second base against lefties, outfield against righthanders and get just enough playing time to keep him grooved and keep him fresh.


10. Bunt with Yadier Molina a lot more often. Molina grounded into 27 double plays last season, which is roughly one every 4.6 seconds. The 27 twin-killings represent five more than Ken Boyer had in his worst GIDP season (1964) -– do you hear me, Harry Caray? You don't want to knock a guy who batted .293, but Molina up with a runner occupying first is like Pete Weber looking at a 10-pin spare.