Now I was thinking this way before game 1, but just never had time to post. You'll have to trust me on this.

We all "know" that TLR is a genius and that  Jockety is the best GM and would never make  a mistake when signing a player. So given that, I was wondering how do you explain the mediocre record and barely making the playoffs. Then I read  Lboros piece about  avoiding being the favorite and I got to thinking....(always a dangerous habit I know).

Cue up Scott Joplin playing "the entertainer" ba da dede dade dade, ba da da dede dede de de de.

Remember the old 1973 film "The Sting" with Newman and Redford.   These two set up a scam involving a horserace so that they can win a bet. Now if you are Walt and Tony, and every ones gunning for you, as Lboros said,  then the best way to get the heat off you and lower expectations is to lose a lot of games and barely make the playoffs.

So you sign or trade for a bunch of guys you have no intention of playing, Spivey, Bigbie, etc. It makes people think that you have a weaker team and creates doubt.

You can't get your big guys to pretend to tank. Who would believe Albert or Carp having a bad season? But you could get some of your other  players, that you have good long term relationships with,  to "tank" on command.  You don't know the rookies well enough to let them in on this, so AW, lil Dunc have great seasons, not knowing any better.

Consider some possibilities. Marquis has pitched too atrociously to  have really pitched that bad and not be yanked out of the rotation. But TLR stuck by him all season and even put him on the post season roster. It was a reward for  going along with the sting.   Randy Flores looked great at times but could give up the gopher ball on command. Scotty is having a monster season and then starts to swing a second late for the whole month of September dropping his average 30 points. Edmonds and Eck both get concussions? Heck what they got were vacations to give them some rest. Jimmy E comes back off the DL,  smashes a homer in his first at bat, gets some hit the next day, proving he's still got it, and then pretends not to be able to hit the rest of the season. Izzy and Mulder may really be injured. Maybe they promised Mulder a big contract if he faked the injury to make the team look even weaker.

You set up the sting this way. You come out of the gate like gangbusters to prove to yourself that you really do have a great team. You have the leages best record and MLBs best team ERA.  This is the early part of the season pre- the first 8 game losing streak.  Then you get the "players" on the team to pretend to tank.  You make a race out of it  by having another 8 game losing streak in August to tighten things up and make thing look interesting. Then when things are nearly clinched you let the other  teams almost back into it. And just make the playoffs, on the last day. Now the odds against you are so great that  when you place a bet and win you make a killing.

I tell you the fix is in. the Cardinals have suckered everyone into thinking they stink, and will go 3 and out. Instead they've all probably bet the house and will, because they are the best team that could be put together by the best GM, and the team with the worlds smartest manager, just turn it on and sweep through October.

Go Cards