Season woes continue

I have been watching, as I am sure you have, the troubles and struggles with the Cards so far. It is easy to point fingers when we aren't playing well and we are all probably guilty (myself for sure) of over thinking and questioning the moves made or not made. Is it only me or have you wondered when the National League champions will show up and start being more consistent?

I understand the team is struggling and the offense is inconsistent (OK it is just plain awful) right now. Everyone is off to a slow start with the exception of Big City Matt Adams and Yadier Molina who are the only position players to have an average over .300. The strange and probably sad part is the team's leading hitter is also the ace of the staff, Adam Wainwright and yes I had to look twice too. So with all the swings and misses, all the outs being made and the team as a whole can't hit water if they fell out of a boat, the team sends down our future second baseman and a backup outfielder for a promising young outfielder and middle infielder.

Yes I am curious as why you send down Kolten Wong and insert Mark Ellis, who is doing worse than Wong, and bring up two rookies. Was that the answer to our lack of hitting? Obviously not. Don't get me wrong, in previous blogs I was giving praise to Randal Grichuk and even Greg Garcia was mentioned in an earlier blog of mine but I honestly don't understand the moves. I can guess that Shane Robinson, just like the entire lineup is struggling to hit the ball now, needs some at bats and that can also be said of Wong. Were the moves to bring impact to the club and lineup or was it just a move to say they did something? My theory is the latter because why was Grichuk promoted over Stephen Piscotty or our top prospect Oscar Taveras? My guess is the Cardinals wanted to light a fire under both Wong and Taveras with this move. Wong goes down and feels the pressure of hitting his way back to the majors, Taveras is skipped over as the first outfielder called up and now he has the pressure of getting his top prospect title back and be the complete player we have been hearing about for the last couple of years. Now we wait and see if Robinson comes back with Wong or if Taveras gets the next call up.

Another issue I have and it is just a pet peeve of mine and that is the lineup changes. I am pretty sure everyone at one point this year has batted in the number two hole other than the guy who should bat there. Matt Carpenter and Matt Holliday are the only two (that I am aware of) who have not been moved in the batting order. I agree with Holliday batting number three as is usually the best hitter on the team to fill that spot. I like Carpenter just not as a leadoff hitter. He is a number two hitter and would excel there in my opinion. The thing that is bugging me is, Mike Matheny has yet to try anyone else in the leadoff spot while Carpenter is playing. In case he isn't seeing the games like we as fans see it, he is sometimes too eager to draw a walk (or strikeout) and is not as aggressive to swing the bat. I know it is important to take pitches, make the pitcher work but several occasions this year already Carpenter has struck out with runners in scoring position or should have struck out when pitches that were strikes called balls. That is not the time to make the pitcher work and draw a walk, it is a time to find your pitch and "smoke it" as announcer Mike Shannon would say.

I know that we currently have nobody else to lead off and that is unfortunately true right now because Wong and Peter Bourjos who have the speed to be good lead off hitters are not hitting well. Even dare I say we try Jon Jay back in the leadoff spot a few times to give Carpenter a chance to bat second and maybe find his true spot where he can take some pitches so we have a stolen base or hit and run with his ability to hit in all fields. I am just hoping because I am sure it won't happen. At this rate we will probably see Wainwright bat second before Carpenter does.

However, there are signs of life. Allen Craig is driving the ball again and a few other hitters are getting out of their slumps. I know and you know that later in the year when all of our horses start pulling together like they can we will look back and laugh at this blog. I am already laughing.