Will the Cardinals make the playoffs?

by Calhoun on Mar 1, 2007 11:01 AM EST

Its interesting to study the last few year at all the different defending champions from all the different sports.If you look at it you.ll see one thing defending champions have not done well.Starting with Redsox won in 2004 did make the playoffs in 05 but were destroyed by the Whitesox.The Whitesox champions in 05 failed to make the playoffs in 06 also the Steelers Superbowl champs failed to make the playoffs the next year.Another championship team not doing well this year the Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup champs struggling mightily this year.The Marlins won the World Series in 2003 they did not do well in 2004.Will the Cardinals fall into this pattern? hopefully not what do you guys think?

Poll

Will the Cardinals make the playoffs?

Yes

61 votes

No

17 votes

Dont know

4 votes

82 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

well.........

You also got to look at what happened to those teams after they won. Red Sox got riddled with injuries and brought in a lot of players so they could repeat band screwed their team dynamic. The White Sox ran their young team into the ground, burnt out, hit the wall... The Steelers or anyof the more recent teams in the NFL? Well, the Steelers lost big ben essentially and a bunch of other key guys like Randle El. Plus, aside from the Patriots the parity in the NFL is huge.

The Redbirds kept most everything intact but the starting rotation... lets just say we pick up Brad Pennyfrom the Dodgers... then we'd be all good! Unlike the Marlins who sold their teams down the river after they won both their championships, wekept almost everyone. The way I see it is the Marlins would have at least 2 more titles!

The way I see it... The Cards have a great chance to keep their streak of ruling the NL Central alive this season. If our key guys stay healthy and our pitching continues to solidify then what's to stop us? Now, winning the series again??? That's a tougher task. But anything is possible.

by onebigdummy on Mar 1, 2007 11:27 AM EST reply actions

Impossible to accurately predict the NL Central

You can guess all you want, but in a division where 85-87 wins could mean first place, injuries and the performance of unproven young players will likely determine the division winner.

The Brewers, Cubs, and even the Astros all have realistic chances. It's by no means a sure thing that the Cards will make it 4 NL Central titles in a row.

by musial6 on Mar 1, 2007 12:24 PM EST reply actions

Let's work backwords here

The Marlins are the firesale "get hot" and dispose team, so they don't count. I don't know/care about hockey. The Steelers lost some core players that made their model work correctly. The Red Sox pitching wasn't that great in 05 and they lost the prime "engine" of the offence in Damon but still competed. The Wite Sox won 90 games so I wouldn't say they shouldn't have been there. What it comes down to is the competition during the season and the crapshoot at the end of it. The "core" of our team is still intact and still has a few years left in its prime (although I think Jimmy's on his last legs) As long as we keep putting inexpensive pieces on the core we will always be right there in the hunt. What a great run we are experiencing! (Makes up for those crappy 70's teams)

Unless you use local guides, you cannot get the advantages of the land. <Master Sun> The Art of War

by MaskedMan on Mar 1, 2007 12:48 PM EST reply actions

I agree with OBD

If they remain healthy and at least one of Wainwright and Reyes and Wells--or somebody new like Penny--really steps up (with the other two at least keeping average), yep--they'll make playoffs. I agree that just about everybody but the Pirates has a chance, but this team is still the class of the Central. If they want it badly enough to really fight for it, they'll take it. Beyond winning the division...now there's a puzzle. My expectations plummet from there. But, then again, whoda thunk they'd come together the way they did in October last year?

by rockin redbird on Mar 1, 2007 1:01 PM EST reply actions

Sure...

But where they go from there is a total fucking mystery.

Cheers

by Alxfritz on Mar 1, 2007 1:39 PM EST reply actions

Also

I forgot to mention the Miami Heat who have had tons of injuries this year and they suck horribly they.ll be lucky to make the playoffs.

by Calhoun on Mar 1, 2007 2:08 PM EST reply actions

I would hate to offer a prediction until

the end of Spring Training... I say don't know.

by Zubin on Mar 1, 2007 4:06 PM EST reply actions

Dumbrano

couldn't even wait that long...

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070302&content_id=1824086&vkey=spt2007new s&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc

:-)

"The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge."

by iron duke75 on Mar 3, 2007 9:29 AM EST up reply actions

hahahahahah

"At some point in the season, we may have some argument or something," Zambrano said. "I know he will tell me something hard. I'm prepared for that. I like the kind of person like Lou is. People like him, like [former Cubs pitching coach] Oscar Acosta, people like those guys, I like to have on my team. That gets me going.

Really? Of course, Lou. You two share a brain. I can't wait till the first time you have to take the ball from him in a close game.

by Valatan on Mar 3, 2007 12:11 PM EST up reply actions