Cardinals: lack of focus and/or desire?

[StL Dan]

Anyway, I think they aren't as focused as a unit as they were in seasons past now that they've won the whole enchilada.

How could you know this? It seems like they are trying to me. Last year they were an 83 win team and they didn't have a great off-season. Did they lack focus last year? I'm not surprised by their performance thus far.

I don't know it. It's what I perceive from watching them play and the results to date.

Believe me, I am the type of fan that rarely, if ever, panics or gets all freaky after a dozen or so games. Mainly because the best Cardinals teams of all time have lost at least 7 games each season. Wow...shocker.

This year, though, they are struggling at home against traditionally weak teams. Sure, the Brewers are a the media's sexy pick to win the NLC. And, the Mets are a good team. But, are they that much better than the Cards? Maybe.

I just get the feeling the boys aren't as focused on the prize as keenly as they may have been the last 4 or 5 years.

Just a gut feeling.

The beauty of it all, though, is they have 150 more games to crush my pop pshychology into the the ground.

Sorry if the pop psychology thing sounded harsh, it wasn't meant to. Personally I think their trying but there are other factors for their performance.

That's OK.

What other factors do you think are affecting their peformance thus far?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Pythagorean-wise, the Cards are actually a game better than they should be right now.*

*Not updated for today's game

[StL Dan]

Pythagorean-wise, the Cards are actually a game better than they should be right now.*

*Not updated for today's game

Sweet.

Pythagorus is my idol.

[maddash]

Anyway, I think they aren't as focused as a unit as they were in seasons past now that they've won the whole enchilada.

How could you know this? It seems like they are trying to me. Last year they were an 83 win team and they didn't have a great off-season. Did they lack focus last year? I'm not surprised by their performance thus far.

I don't know it. It's what I perceive from watching them play and the results to date.

Believe me, I am the type of fan that rarely, if ever, panics or gets all freaky after a dozen or so games. Mainly because the best Cardinals teams of all time have lost at least 7 games each season. Wow...shocker.

This year, though, they are struggling at home against traditionally weak teams. Sure, the Brewers are a the media's sexy pick to win the NLC. And, the Mets are a good team. But, are they that much better than the Cards? Maybe.

I just get the feeling the boys aren't as focused on the prize as keenly as they may have been the last 4 or 5 years.

Just a gut feeling.

The beauty of it all, though, is they have 150 more games to crush my pop pshychology into the the ground.

Sorry if the pop psychology thing sounded harsh, it wasn't meant to. Personally I think their trying but there are other factors for their performance.

That's OK.

What other factors do you think are affecting their peformance thus far?

Personally, I think it's simply the nature of the game. Players go into slumps, there's really no amount of desire or focus on their end that can prevent that. That, tied with a decrease in production by someone like Edmonds, and general lack of talent by players like Wilson, Taguchi, Skip... All that will lead to a team that struggles behind the plate.

I mean, you don't honestly believe that Chris Duncan has more desire than Pujols? He's out-hitting him something fierce. No, this has more to do with Duncan being hot and Pujols being cold. If Pujols was suffering from some emotional baggage that was hurting his game or "fire", I have no doubt that TLR would spot that in an instant and change things.

[StL Dan]

Anyway, I think they aren't as focused as a unit as they were in seasons past now that they've won the whole enchilada.

How could you know this? It seems like they are trying to me. Last year they were an 83 win team and they didn't have a great off-season. Did they lack focus last year? I'm not surprised by their performance thus far.

I don't know it. It's what I perceive from watching them play and the results to date.

Believe me, I am the type of fan that rarely, if ever, panics or gets all freaky after a dozen or so games. Mainly because the best Cardinals teams of all time have lost at least 7 games each season. Wow...shocker.

This year, though, they are struggling at home against traditionally weak teams. Sure, the Brewers are a the media's sexy pick to win the NLC. And, the Mets are a good team. But, are they that much better than the Cards? Maybe.

I just get the feeling the boys aren't as focused on the prize as keenly as they may have been the last 4 or 5 years.

Just a gut feeling.

The beauty of it all, though, is they have 150 more games to crush my pop pshychology into the the ground.

Sorry if the pop psychology thing sounded harsh, it wasn't meant to. Personally I think their trying but there are other factors for their performance.

That's OK.

What other factors do you think are affecting their peformance thus far?

Personally, I think it's simply the nature of the game. Players go into slumps, there's really no amount of desire or focus on their end that can prevent that. That, tied with a decrease in production by someone like Edmonds, and general lack of talent by players like Wilson, Taguchi, Skip... All that will lead to a team that struggles behind the plate.

I mean, you don't honestly believe that Chris Duncan has more desire than Pujols? He's out-hitting him something fierce. No, this has more to do with Duncan being hot and Pujols being cold. If Pujols was suffering from some emotional baggage that was hurting his game or "fire", I have no doubt that TLR would spot that in an instant and change things.

I'm not talking about overall desire. Rather, the question was, does anyone think some of the veterans of the World Series team are temporarily lacking the same focus/intensity/whatever - if not conciously -perhaps subconciously?

Heck, I don't think Poo is any less competitive than he ever was. He's an amazing athlete. Just wondering if he has the same hot fire in his belly that he did pre-World Series ring.

I'd like nothing more than to see this team go on to win 90 games, win the division and repeat.

But, if their cold bats continue to stay cold and/or benched, and the pitching doesn't stop giving up multi run early innings, they are in for a long April/May and might dig a hole that will be difficult to dig out of.

[TabascoElvis]

Anyway, I think they aren't as focused as a unit as they were in seasons past now that they've won the whole enchilada.

You and your controversial thread penchant. Dang you Dan, dang you to heck!

[StL Dan]

Anyway, I think they aren't as focused as a unit as they were in seasons past now that they've won the whole enchilada.

You and your controversial thread penchant. Dang you Dan, dang you to heck!

I've always been the one that builds concensus rather than building discord.

When did that all change?

[maddash]

I'm not talking about overall desire. Rather, the question was, does anyone think some of the veterans of the World Series team are temporarily lacking the same focus/intensity/whatever - if not conciously -perhaps subconciously?

Heck, I don't think Poo is any less competitive than he ever was. He's an amazing athlete. Just wondering if he has the same hot fire in his belly that he did pre-World Series ring.

I'd like nothing more than to see this team go on to win 90 games, win the division and repeat.

But, if their cold bats continue to stay cold and/or benched, and the pitching doesn't stop giving up multi run early innings, they are in for a long April/May and might dig a hole that will be difficult to dig out of.

The mind is a strange thing, men.
We must begin by asking it... ...
"What is losing?"
Losing is a disease.....as contagious as polio.
Losing is a disease.....as contagious as syphilis.
Losing is a disease.....as contagious as bubonic plague...... attacking one... ... but infecting all.
But curable.
Now, I want you to imagine.....you are on a ship at sea...
...gently rocking.
Gently rocking.
Gently rocking.
Gently rocking.

[jim]

Maybe it's as simple as other teams are better and the Cards aren't playing as good?

Yes.

Anyway, don't ever put words in my mouth. I never have and very likely never will say that a Tony LaRussa managed team "isn't trying"

Semantics. If you aren't focused you aren't trying. But fine, take out my "trying" part and I still feel the same way.

Jim a complete insult?

Yes, a complete insult to suggest that a team is not focused when what I see is a team scratching and clawing to try to make something happen. It's an insult to their professionalism.

You mean to tell me that players have never just gone through the emotions? Also that you have never said a guy doesn't look like he isn't trying that hard? Come on lets be real here folks.

Yeah, let's get real. Read my posts and tell me where I ever said that players have never gone through emotions, or have never said a guy isn't trying that hard.

Dan made a personal observations. It was in no way a knee jerk reaction, nor an insult to the players.

I'm sure he didn't mean it as one, but that's how I take it.

What are knee jerk reactions was on Reyes in his first start after two innings half the board wanted him traded.

Most of the people saying this were already raising red flags last year.

In Dan's opinion, he doesn't see the same fire from the team as in years past. No one is asking them to win 162 games. No one is saying they can't make mistakes. Even when the team was struggling last year badly, you could still see them competing hard. So saying because they were bad last year and this year means they are trying just as hard is not an accurate arguement.

Dan's entitled to his opinion, and I'm entitled to disagree. If you don't see them competing hard this year, then you and I are watching through different eyes.

[StL Dan]

Anyway, don't ever put words in my mouth. I never have and very likely never will say that a Tony LaRussa managed team "isn't trying"

Semantics. If you aren't focused you aren't trying. But fine, take out my "trying" part and I still feel the same way.

"Focused" and "trying" are not one in the same. Sure, they compliment each other extremely well, but, they are not the same.