WHO'S TO BLAME?

My favorite baseball team's not very good anymore. Of course I'm talking about the St. Louis Cardinals.

It seems to me like they need a kick in the seat of the pants. All except Mr. Pujols, David Eckstein, and Chris Carpenter. Perhaps I might add Chris Duncan, Adam Wainwright, and Scott Spezio. But for the rest, including Mr. LaRussa and Dave Duncan, no more excuses.

First of all, the NL is bad. Period. You don't have to be very good to win a division title if you play in the senior circuit. Gaping holes in line ups were exposed during interleague play. Bullpens cough up leads, starters only go 5 or 6 innings and that pleases their bosses. ERA's are escalated.

For the Cardinals, their strength, starting pitching has unraveled. Even heralded rookie Anthony Reyes looks very hitable. Again, only Carpenter gives you a good feeling. Marquis is schizophrenic, Suppan pedestrian, Ponson unreliable, Mulder injured, perhaps done for the good guys.

The bullpen, shaky at best when the season started has also imploded. Led by Izzy (speaking of hitable/schizo/pedestrian, and unreliable all rolled into one), set up by Looper (can you spell overpaid), middle relief (misnomer for 2006) of Hancock, Thompson (now Kinney), Wainwright (thankfully) and lefties Flores and Johnson(there's that word again--unreliable). It's not a pretty sight.

Then there's a feeble offense. No consistent number 2 hitter. And that's glaring. Maybe the best slot in baseball--ahead of El Hombre. No consistent clean up hitter. Streaky and oft injured Rolen, aging Edmonds (sometimes when he plays shallow and can't reach a routine fly I'm reminded of the look on Michelson's face on number 18 at the US Open). Then there was Juan. See Izzy. Not much of an outfield I'm afeard.

I ignored second base on purpose. Who do I criticize? Miles, Luna? And with Junior Spivey in the wings? The Grudz (and no I can't spell his name) was the fix there, but someone overthunk in the off season and let him go.

At catcher we have a solid defenseman, who hit .180 for most of the first half. Still no back up, we wear him down.

And the schedule's not a good thing--7 home games remaining in the month of July. With our road record that doesn't bode well.

So who's to blame? I didn't do it has a ring to it. Will the Cardinals win the division? The wild card? The World Series?

I'd say maybe one of the first two, but as for the big prize, well wait till next year.
And a heckuva overhaul.