The fan base seems angry. On the talk shows and in the blogosphere, where the rage bubbles into a rapid boil, there's chatter of a boycott, of customers giving up their season tickets. They question the commitment to winning. They are tired of excuses. They won't spend another dollar until things change.
The Rams? No. This time, the sour grapes of wrath are being hurled at the Cardinals.
The Cardinals of Bill DeWitt, who have done very well on the scorecards since he took over as owner before the 1996 season. In DeWitt's 13 seasons as chairman, the Cardinals have made the playoffs seven times, won the World Series in 2006, and can boast of having the most postseason victories of any National League team. And only Atlanta has won more regular-season games.
In short, DeWitt has been in command of one of the most successful eras in franchise history. And it's been a mutually beneficial relationship between ownership and fans. The fans provide strong support for the owners by filling Busch Stadium, and DeWitt did his part by providing a a winning, entertaining team.
Lately, though, there seems to be a strain in the relationship. Over the last two seasons the Cardinals were shut out of the playoffs and got pushed out of the way by the first-place Cubs.
With fans pleading for an aggressive response, DeWitt is holding the line on payroll. The Cardinals should come in at $100 million again this season, and the franchise continues to invest in long-term planning by pumping more money into player development and scouting.
But the growing perception is that DeWitt is content to stand pat, freeze player costs and rake in the revenue. In the annual survey conducted by USA Today, the Cardinals ranked sixth in the majors in payroll spending in 2005, but have been ranked 11th in each of the last three seasons. In relative terms, they haven't kept up.
And I believe DeWitt should be doing more. This loyal fan base deserves to see a true sign of a renewed commitment from ownership. DeWitt doesn't have to go on some berserk spending spree, but the team has needs, and is in position to contend, and players are available. If there is a reasonable way to fill those slots, the Cardinals should be more ambitious.
Take the talented but enigmatic Brad Penny, for example. He's an ideal candidate for the turnaround specialist, pitching coach Dave Duncan. Penny had interest in coming here, and the price was right. But the Cardinals passed, and Boston signed Penny for a one-year, $5 million deal. That was a gamble worth taking.
DeWitt and general manager John Mozeliak still have an opportunity to jump in. The pace of the winter talent market is slow, and the Cardinals are hardly alone in their patient approach. Many teams have shifted into neutral, waiting for the drop in free-agent pricing.
I can't disagree with DeWitt when, in a recent interview, he asked: "Why would you want to overpay somebody when you can get a better value by waiting?"
Again, reasonable minds are willing to ride this out for a while. But suppose the Cardinals wait and wait ... and still refuse to pull the trigger? Suppose they miss out on a chance to add a starting pitcher, lose injury-prone starter Chris Carpenter (again) and are left to rummage through an unattractive pile of free-agent discards?
One of management's favorite expressions is "keeping the powder dry." When the club declines to sign a prominent free agent over the winter, we're told that they're keeping the powder dry for a better shot, later on. In spring training, the powder is kept dry for taking a shot at the July 31 trading deadline. And if nothing happens, the powder is still dry as another cycle begins anew, in the offseason.
Apparently there's a vast, towering pile of unused powder sitting somewhere in the innards of Busch Stadium.
And fans are tired of the constant spinning.
So far this offseason the Cardinals have imported shortstop Khalil Greene and three lefty relievers. (One, Trever Miller, may actually help.) They made a competitive but unsuccessful bid for closer Brian Fuentes and let second basemen Aaron Miles and Felipe Lopez and pitcher Braden Looper walk. But management should also be credited for spending $41 million on a four-year contract to retain starting pitcher Kyle Lohse.
As they sit now, the Cardinals will enter the new season with roughly the same problems that took them down in 2008. They don't have an established closer, and they're banking on Carpenter's return to full health.
Again, I'm leaving the door open because this is a late-breaking market, and the Cardinals will have a chance for maneuvers in the weeks ahead. I want to see if they'll do something. A year ago at this time, the Cardinals had yet to trade for third baseman Troy Glaus, sign reliever Ron Villone, or sign Lohse.
But if the Cardinals remain dormant and do nothing ...
Will disgruntled fans react by purchasing fewer tickets?
Will fans choose to keep their powder dry?
