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Thread: The Cardinal Blueprint

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    Savante SpiritofStLouis's Avatar
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    The Cardinal Blueprint

    By no means am I posting this to get Reds fans riled up, but for those die hard baseball fans, this objective article (not St.L. based) provides some keen insight about how the St.Louis Cardinals operate and the keys to their success.


    It is the baseball equivalent of packing the car, taking off on a cross-country vacation, blowing off oil changes, ignoring the dashboard warning lights ... and then cruising back into your garage at trip's end with the car as good as new.

    There is no way the Cardinals should be leading the NL Central right now. No way.

    There is absolutely, positively no way they should own the best record in the majors. Not even close.

    Not after announcing on the eve of spring training that ace Chris Carpenter was hurt and did not figure into their 2013 plans.

    Not after losing last season's 16-game winner, Kyle Lohse, to free agency. Not after Jake Westbrook was disabled earlier this season, and not after losing lefty Jaime Garcia for the season to a shoulder injury this week.

    Certainly not by using a major league-high six rookie pitchers so far in 2013.

    Yet here they are.

    "There's a calmness this team has," slugger Matt Holliday said. "Something happens, an injury or whatever, you feel there is enough talent in the minor leagues. Guys can fill roles."

    This side of the Yankees, no club has done a better job of absorbing shocks, deflecting blows and ducking roundhouses than these Cardinals.

    They lost shortstop Rafael Furcal for the season this spring. Closer Jason Motte went down for the season shortly afterward. Mitchell Boggs, who excelled in a setup role last summer, went south and was optioned to Triple-A Memphis.

    The calmness of which Holliday speaks undoubtedly helps St. Louis survive. But that's only the start of it.

    The Cardinals have a great combination working for them, a fertile minor-league pipeline, all-world catcher Yadier Molina and a grand tradition that is passed down from generation to generation. Veterans such as Carpenter and Adam Wainwright nurture this tradition and personally ensure that it continues.

    The franchise has been a model of stability under the same owner, Bill DeWitt Jr., for the past 18 seasons. During that time, the Cardinals have had just two general managers, Walt Jocketty and John Mozeliak, and two field managers, Tony La Russa and Mike Matheny.

    Mozeliak worked under Jocketty.

    Matheny played under La Russa.

    Molina apprenticed under Matheny.

    Pitching coach Derek Lilliquist, in his 12th season in the organization, succeeded legendary pitching coach Dave Duncan.

    Hitting coach John Mabry played for the Cardinals from 1994-1998.

    "Same ownership, same people preaching the same ideas," said Padres starter Jason Marquis, who pitched in St. Louis from 2004 through 2006. "When you're around the same people, you buy into their ideas. Especially when there's success."

    Take St. Louis' pitching.

    Shelby Miller has exceeded all reasonable expectations in his rookie season. He has the stuff to make scouts drool, sure. Beyond that, he's learning on the job from Wainwright ... who learned from Matt Morris and Carpenter ... who learned from Darryl Kile and Pat Hentgen. ...

    "That's absolutely how it has worked here," said Matheny, who guided the Cardinals into the NL Championship Series as a rookie manager last year. "Guys take a lot of pride. We call it the Culture of Giving Back, to guys who invested into them as players."

    The Cardinals talk about this throughout the year, starting in spring training.

    "Adam had a lot of time with Chris Carpenter, who did have time with Matt Morris and also Darryl Kile, and also had time with Pat Hentgen. Pat Hentgen was one of the ultimate pros.

    "It's just a great opportunity for guys to show selflessness, which is kind of counterintuitive in this game and in this life. But they've had people invest in them that they knew would probably take their jobs one day. And that's what they're doing, too, and it just kind of keeps that cycle going."

    Talent, obviously, factors into the equation. That's where it has to begin. And despite drafting lower than many clubs based on the fact that they've been good enough to play in the postseason in nine of the past 13 seasons, the Cardinals have a farm system ranked No. 1 in the game by Baseball America.

    Rookies Miller (five wins), Seth Maness (three), John Gast (two), Carlos Martinez, Trevor Rosenthal and Tyler Lyons, a winner in his major-league debut Wednesday night in San Diego, are products of both that farm system and the Kile-Hentgen-Carpenter-Wainwright chain.

    It's almost collegiate, this model of what a program not only could be, but is. There is an organizational tug here that you don't find in many places. It's part of why Holliday opted to re-sign with the Cardinals after they acquired him from Oakland in 2009.

    "I think I realized when I got over to the Cardinals and got around guys like Carp and Waino and Skip [Schumaker] that there was an atmosphere here, an expectation," Holliday said.
    Scott Miller
    Cardinals hoping Carpenter can return to rotation by July

    "The way the starting pitchers watch each others' bullpens. They're in the dugout on days they don't pitch, cheering their teammates on. The atmosphere here, there is an expectation of do what it takes to win."

    It was an eye-opener for Marquis when he first arrived in St. Louis, this business where the starting pitchers watch each others' between-starts bullpen sessions. He has tried to carry that forward to the places he has gone since -- the Cubs, Nationals, Rockies, Diamondbacks, Twins and Padres.

    "There is a lot of knowledge, a lot of sharing of thoughts there," Marquis said. "There's so many on the list of names. You can go through the pitchers and hitters. The coaches there now were in the minor leagues when I was there."

    Marquis mentions not only Carpenter and Morris but Jeff Suppan and Woody Williams from the years he was there.

    "Mike was part of that," Marquis said of Matheny. "And he passed on his knowledge to Yadier Molina.

    "The cycle keeps going."

    Molina is spoken of reverentially by the Cardinals, and it is no wonder. His work behind the plate has a chance to stand with the all-timers by the time he's finished. It may already.

    "You have a guy like Yadier playing every day, who's tough as nails," Holliday said. "Nobody shakes him off. He does all of his homework. And on top of that, he's a .300 hitter.

    "When you have a catcher like Yadier, you've got a piece to build around."

    A foundation piece.

    Matheny also mentions the well-decorated alums who guest as coaches each spring, making a trip to Cardinals camp a star-studded affair not only for the current players, but for visiting fans.

    "Willie McGee and Ozzie Smith and Whitey Herzog and Red [Schoendienst] and Lou [Brock] and Gibby [Bob Gibson], and Bruce Sutter this year," Matheny says. "All of them wanting to come back and help the guys and talk to them.

    "They hear something from somebody and they realize, hey, this is something I can pass along."

    These alumni, this culture of giving back ... it is more special, probably, than you realize. You do not see this in very many places.

    "I think that's fair to say," Matheny said. "We're real conscious of it. We talk a lot about it in the spring. The first day in you see Jon Jay and Carlos Beltran grabbing an Oscar Taveras, who you've heard so much about and who could potentially take a job in the outfield some day. But they are tireless about working with these guys.

    "Because we celebrate it, one, and two, we make sure they remember. To some extent, somebody did that for you.

    "And what that does is create an environment that it's not about me. You try to teach team, and then you go out there trying to salvage your own position all the time, you're really going against the whole concept of it being about us.

    "You talk about we instead of me, and you do that by going out and helping other people."

    Pretty darned good plan for how to build a winning organization that is sustainable for years.

    Heck, pretty darned good plan for building a winning anything in life, isn't it?
    http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/story/2...vercome-losses
    We can share the women, we can share the wine.


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    Member Cedric's Avatar
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    Re: The Cardinal Blueprint

    The NL central is impressive. It's really cool that the second best team in the division has a blueprint that works so well. Imagine what the best team in the division must be doing?
    This is the time. The real Reds organization is back.

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    Member Kcbuckeye22's Avatar
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    They shouldn't be leading.

    Last year they we're a much better team than their record shown.
    Cards are doing things right with farm teams, they know when to sign player and when to let them walk. They have a excellent fan base and farm system. By the way I hate the Cards, and I don't like to say anything positive about them.

    Berkman was luck, Ralphy was luck while it lasted, Beltran deal has been money, Rookie Starting pitching has been more than luck. Best thing Cardinal Nation has done was let Albert walk. Cards fans might not admit it, but lucky isn't the word for ST Louis.

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    Re: The Cardinal Blueprint

    Good article. There's a lot of truth in it. While we Reds fans can be jealous, it's hard not to admire what the Cardinals have done. At the same time, Cards fans should acknowledge that they owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Jocketty (who hired LaRussa/Duncan, etc., etc.).

  7. #5
    Member traderumor's Avatar
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    Re: The Cardinal Blueprint

    Yea yea yea the Reds have done the same thing under Castellini. Its not the Cardinals blueprint. Do you think they discovered mentoring and coaching? The idea of alumni? Just more rah rah Cardinals stuff on REDSZONE.

    Let me go log in on Ozone and read some rah rah articles about the team up north linked by Wolverines fans.

    Please stop hijacking this board, Cards fans.
    "Rounding 3rd and heading for home, good night everybody"

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    Member Norm Chortleton's Avatar
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    Re: The Cardinal Blueprint

    Quote Originally Posted by Kcbuckeye22 View Post
    Rookie Starting pitching has been more than luck.
    My friends and I have always maintained that Dave Duncan cut a deal with the devil at the crossroads. It has obviously carried over to the new staff. There's no other way to explain their pitching over the years.

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    Member kaldaniels's Avatar
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    Re: The Cardinal Blueprint

    At minimum it would be nice if that much too long Cardinals propaganda were trimmed to meet forum standards.

    Teams play over their heads for a couple months sometimes. I think that is all we are seeing from St. Louis right now. The Cards are much better than the Bucs have been, but I would compare this hot start to those of the Pirates the last few years.

    But of course, the Cards are a well run organization. No denying that.

  12. #8
    Savante SpiritofStLouis's Avatar
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    Re: The Cardinal Blueprint

    Quote Originally Posted by Cedric View Post
    The NL central is impressive. It's really cool that the second best team in the division has a blueprint that works so well. Imagine what the best team in the division must be doing?
    I know exactly what they're doing.

    4 playoff appearances in 34 years, last pennant and World Series in 1990 (no pennants since).

    Hit it, Ed.




    Heyoooo !

    We can share the women, we can share the wine.

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    Member RedsfaninMT's Avatar
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    Re: The Cardinal Blueprint

    Quote Originally Posted by SpiritofStLouis View Post
    I know exactly what they're doing.

    4 playoff appearances in 34 years, last pennant and World Series in 1990 (no pennants since).

    Hit it, Ed.




    Heyoooo !

    and this post adds to Redszone how? No, you're not trying to start anything at all! Must be tough to have to come over to Redszone all the time and post about your beloved Cardinals.

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    They call me "chef"
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    Re: The Cardinal Blueprint

    When you have the classiest fans in sports, you can't help but honor that relationship by winning.

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  17. #11
    Savante SpiritofStLouis's Avatar
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    Re: The Cardinal Blueprint

    Quote Originally Posted by lollipopcurve View Post
    Good article. There's a lot of truth in it. While we Reds fans can be jealous, it's hard not to admire what the Cardinals have done. At the same time, Cards fans should acknowledge that they owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Jocketty (who hired LaRussa/Duncan, etc., etc.).
    Most Cardinal fans acknowledge that Walt Jocketty helped put them on the path for future success. For the team and team philosophy at the time, he was invaluable. Personally, I believe that if it weren't for Walt, TLR would have walked well before he retired.

    For the naybobs who contend that Walt could never have built a successful farm system, he has proved them wrong. Jocketty will keep the Reds in the thick of it for years to come.
    We can share the women, we can share the wine.

  18. #12
    Probably not Patrick Bateman's Avatar
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    Re: The Cardinal Blueprint

    Quote Originally Posted by SpiritofStLouis View Post
    I know exactly what they're doing.

    4 playoff appearances in 34 years, last pennant and World Series in 1990 (no pennants since).

    Hit it, Ed.




    Heyoooo !

    Nice trolling. Will be funny when you have to eat crow when the Reds win the division again this year.

    But then again, you'll be gone by then, since presumably will stop posting when the Cards stop winning.

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    Member Kcbuckeye22's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Norm Chortleton View Post
    My friends and I have always maintained that Dave Duncan cut a deal with the devil at the crossroads. It has obviously carried over to the new staff. There's no other way to explain their pitching over the years.
    Try living in Missouri. They don't believe in LUCK, they think solid SP grows on the trees around the arch. I'm excited to have Cueto, Latos, And Chappy. And yes, it's luck we have what we have now.

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    Member membengal's Avatar
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    Unreal.
    Well, that's what those words mean. He was here. If they don't keep him, he will have been lost/subtracted. I headed out the door today with two shoes on my feet. If I don't return with them, I have lost them. If I do return with them, I haven't added them. ---M2

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    Be the ball Roy Tucker's Avatar
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    Re: The Cardinal Blueprint

    Yeah, I'm fine with link to the article. SI has a big article about the Cardinal Way that was interesting. One cool thing the did was re-pose an SI cover photo fro '67 with Gibson, McCarvrer, Brock, Maris with current players.

    But that's enough, Don't troll. If you want to do that, take it somewhere else.
    She used to wake me up with coffee ever morning

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