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We have enough threads discussing the players and front office, so I want to take a look at the realistic possibility of the Cards getting into the playoffs:
-Let's forget about the division. The Cubs are on pace for 99 wins, and the Cards won't come close to matching that.
-There's a good article today on STL Today about the Wild Card prospects for each of the major contenders, but I'll just focus on the Brewers and Cards. Hopefully the teams in the East beat each other up enough so that whoever doesn't win the division is shut out of the playoffs entirely.
-The Brewers are on pace for 92 wins, so let's just be safe and say that the Cards should win 93 to avoid a tiebreaker. With 35 games remaining, that would mean we need to go 23-12 down the stretch to get in, which is entirely possible. The schedule isn't necessarily favorable, but it's not as unfavorable as some have made it seem. Consider:
-20 of those 35 games are at home
-17 of the 35 games are against pure crap opponents (PIT, ATL, CIN, FLA)
-The players should get plenty of rest in the coming weeks, including 2 days off both this week and next, and at least 1 day off every week until the last week of the season. This should allow our best position players to play every day, and the rotation depth issues shouldn't be too big of a factor (insert joke about how there is no depth, period).
-The 2 remaining games we have against Milwaukee are at home, and we should miss Sabathia in that start.
-We play Arizona 7 times, and we've murdered the NL West this season. They're obviously better than the SD-SF-COL suckfest, but we should at least be able to take 3 or 4 of those 7 games.
-Milwaukee has 7 games left against the Mets and Phillies, not to mention 6 against the Cubs (including the last 3 games of the season, which is admittedly not a good thing. The Cubs will have the division easily locked up by then, and certainly don't want to see the Cards make the playoffs).
-Ned Yost is prominently involved.
-Now, the Brewers do have 15 games remaining against the Reds and Pirates, and a lot of home games. However, in the month since the painful 4-game sweep over the Cards, they're only 1 game over .500 against similarly awful opponents.
I think we have a good shot, and I'm not even counting on Carp to return this season. But at least a 4-1 stretch against PIT and ATL at home is a must this week. We have to take advantage of their depleted rosters.
-Let's forget about the division. The Cubs are on pace for 99 wins, and the Cards won't come close to matching that.
-There's a good article today on STL Today about the Wild Card prospects for each of the major contenders, but I'll just focus on the Brewers and Cards. Hopefully the teams in the East beat each other up enough so that whoever doesn't win the division is shut out of the playoffs entirely.
-The Brewers are on pace for 92 wins, so let's just be safe and say that the Cards should win 93 to avoid a tiebreaker. With 35 games remaining, that would mean we need to go 23-12 down the stretch to get in, which is entirely possible. The schedule isn't necessarily favorable, but it's not as unfavorable as some have made it seem. Consider:
-20 of those 35 games are at home
-17 of the 35 games are against pure crap opponents (PIT, ATL, CIN, FLA)
-The players should get plenty of rest in the coming weeks, including 2 days off both this week and next, and at least 1 day off every week until the last week of the season. This should allow our best position players to play every day, and the rotation depth issues shouldn't be too big of a factor (insert joke about how there is no depth, period).
-The 2 remaining games we have against Milwaukee are at home, and we should miss Sabathia in that start.
-We play Arizona 7 times, and we've murdered the NL West this season. They're obviously better than the SD-SF-COL suckfest, but we should at least be able to take 3 or 4 of those 7 games.
-Milwaukee has 7 games left against the Mets and Phillies, not to mention 6 against the Cubs (including the last 3 games of the season, which is admittedly not a good thing. The Cubs will have the division easily locked up by then, and certainly don't want to see the Cards make the playoffs).
-Ned Yost is prominently involved.
-Now, the Brewers do have 15 games remaining against the Reds and Pirates, and a lot of home games. However, in the month since the painful 4-game sweep over the Cards, they're only 1 game over .500 against similarly awful opponents.
I think we have a good shot, and I'm not even counting on Carp to return this season. But at least a 4-1 stretch against PIT and ATL at home is a must this week. We have to take advantage of their depleted rosters.
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