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luckymann · 08-17-2020, 09:52 AM

The St Louis Cardinals swept all before them in 1901, going 86-54 to win the NL by a decisive 6 game margin and then winning that epic World Series in 7 over the A’s, with their players collecting all 4 major awards. What on earth has happened to them this year?

The rot may well have begun in the offseason, when they traded OF Charlie James. James went .382 / .397 / .541 / 5 HR / 97 RBI in 1901, with 3.7 WAR and is being productive again for PHI this season, on track for similar numbers as in his rookie year. 2B Hobe Ferris, the player they got for him, has given them just 0.3 WAR and -3 batting runs as opposed to the 26 James provided the season before.

Their other big guys McCormick, Shealy and Long are all having solid seasons again, although each has dipped somewhat across their slash. But behind them is a vacuum of unproductivity, with the team’s BWar projected to drop 21 points year-on-year from 36 to 15. RpG is down by more than 2, with the team's OPS dropping a massive 135 points, and whereas they were near or at the top of all meaningful stats in 1901, this year they are near the bottom across the board.

The pitching has fared even worse. Dave Dravecky (7.5 / 3.26 ERA) is having another solid season and Ed Rasmussen (7-9 / 4.32) is holding his own, but 1901 Cy Young Award winner Jimmy Jones has gone from a stellar 16-3 / 2.53 in 1901 to 3-12 / 6.35 ERA this year, giving up 198 hits in 134 innings with a FIP of 4.48. No doubt they are missing the steadying presence of SP Harry Gumbert, who has been out since late May with elbow problems, during which time they have gone 11-24. Backup catcher Billy Shantz going down with torn ankle ligaments the following week hasn’t helped, exposing the club’s dire lack of depth at the position, with Shantz’s replacement William Brown hitting just .185 since being called up. Why they haven’t signed someone like free agent Dave Engle, who hit .299 for Boston last season, I’ll never know.

There are rumours of dissent in the locker room, although whether this is the chicken or the egg is unclear. One thing, however, is crystal clear: season 1902 is a write-off for the franchise. And, at 26-45 and some 21 games out of first place at the halfway mark, they look set to make one of the earliest exits by a defending champion in professional sports history.

08-17-2020, 09:52 AM	#128
luckymann Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 13,627	Taking the Plunger: Why have the Redbirds gone from the throne to the toilet this year? The St Louis Cardinals swept all before them in 1901, going 86-54 to win the NL by a decisive 6 game margin and then winning that epic World Series in 7 over the A’s, with their players collecting all 4 major awards. What on earth has happened to them this year? The rot may well have begun in the offseason, when they traded OF Charlie James. James went .382 / .397 / .541 / 5 HR / 97 RBI in 1901, with 3.7 WAR and is being productive again for PHI this season, on track for similar numbers as in his rookie year. 2B Hobe Ferris, the player they got for him, has given them just 0.3 WAR and -3 batting runs as opposed to the 26 James provided the season before. Their other big guys McCormick, Shealy and Long are all having solid seasons again, although each has dipped somewhat across their slash. But behind them is a vacuum of unproductivity, with the team’s BWar projected to drop 21 points year-on-year from 36 to 15. RpG is down by more than 2, with the team's OPS dropping a massive 135 points, and whereas they were near or at the top of all meaningful stats in 1901, this year they are near the bottom across the board. The pitching has fared even worse. Dave Dravecky (7.5 / 3.26 ERA) is having another solid season and Ed Rasmussen (7-9 / 4.32) is holding his own, but 1901 Cy Young Award winner Jimmy Jones has gone from a stellar 16-3 / 2.53 in 1901 to 3-12 / 6.35 ERA this year, giving up 198 hits in 134 innings with a FIP of 4.48. No doubt they are missing the steadying presence of SP Harry Gumbert, who has been out since late May with elbow problems, during which time they have gone 11-24. Backup catcher Billy Shantz going down with torn ankle ligaments the following week hasn’t helped, exposing the club’s dire lack of depth at the position, with Shantz’s replacement William Brown hitting just .185 since being called up. Why they haven’t signed someone like free agent Dave Engle, who hit .299 for Boston last season, I’ll never know. There are rumours of dissent in the locker room, although whether this is the chicken or the egg is unclear. One thing, however, is crystal clear: season 1902 is a write-off for the franchise. And, at 26-45 and some 21 games out of first place at the halfway mark, they look set to make one of the earliest exits by a defending champion in professional sports history.