By now,
we all know the story. Last season, the
Cardinals were 10 games back and left for dead in the National League Wild Card
race, and yet they came back and made the playoffs. They lost the first game in Philidelphia in
the NLDS after losing a three run lead, and yet they came back to win the
series on the shoulder of Chris Carpenter in Game 5. This resiliency continued though the World
Series, and the magical season was complete.
Now let’s flash forward to this season.
We all remember the news of Chris Carpenter’s demise. He was going to spend the next year rehabbing
and hope that he might be able to pitch again next season. Nothing was guaranteed, we were hearing, and yet
here we are.
With
Carpenter ready to start game 3 of the 2012 NLDS, the Cardinals have to feel
pretty good about themselves. They are
coming off of a game where they scored 12 runs and dominated the young
Washington Nationals team. This came
after another crushing loss in Game 1 where the Cardinals wasted a gutsy start
from Adam Wainwright and a complete loss of control by Gio Gonzalez, and yet
they responded in Game 2 just as we knew they could. This season has been frustrating at times for
Cards fans, but this team just has that feel to them. It feels like anything can happen with these
Cardinals every time they take the field.
They can never be counted out, and in large part, they have taken this
mentality from their ace pitcher.
Chris
Carpenter is no longer the young pitcher with tremendous stuff that he once was
during his former Cy Young form. He no
longer throws as hard as he once did, and every pitch he throws, we are all
holding our breath and hoping all the ligament grafts, anchors, nerves, and
scar tissue hold together enough for him to be able to throw yet another pitch,
but is there anyone else we would rather have on the mound as a Cards fan as
the team ventures into enemy territory and need to win 2 out of 3 games against
the best team in baseball this season than Chris Carpenter? My personal answer is definitely no. I don’t care if he is that car that you
bought 20 years ago that has a new engine, wheels, brakes, and bumpers. While the parts may not be the ones you fell
in love with so long ago, the spirit and the mentality will always be there.
Today’s
game is going to be a tough one. I have
no doubt that they will take a few hits.
This game will probably not go as smoothly as Game 2 went. This Nationals team is just too good for
that, but I can all but guarantee that Carpenter will keep the Cardinals in the
game long enough to have a chance. This
Cardinals team may not be the same as last season. They are missing the leadership of LaRussa,
the power of Albert Pujols, and the leadership and clutch ability of Lance
Berkman. They are dealing with a rookie
shortstop who has not been viewed as a prospect in years, and their bullpen has
no left handed reliever who can be counted on to get outs consistently. This team has so many deficiencies, and yet
they are here with a chance to make another run. Chris Carpenter may not have been the face of
this team. He was not the workhorse
pitcher that lead by pitching, but how could anyone on the team feel sorry for
themselves or believe they had no chance when they saw their ace working his
butt off to get back long after he had been left for dead. Without Carpenter, this team would not have
made the playoffs, I have no doubt, and it has nothing to do with his pitching. Today, I know that Carpenter must be smiling
somewhere in Washington DC because today he gets to lead by doing what he
enjoys most. Who knows how many pitches
are left in that old arm of Carpenters, but I can’t wait to see them today.
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