Izzy has done NOTHING to deserve a boo’ing. I reserve that for players with attitude problems, or lack of hustle on a consistent basis. Izzy has been good for the Cardinals over the years. I don’t forget things like that.

Until this century, I really don’t remember us booing our own. it seems to me it was never a Cardinal Nation thing to do. I hardly remember us booing opposing players, Umps yes! (The call in KC in 87, the whole 2004 post season). That said,at the end of the month when those As-tros return for another round of we went to a fight and a baseball game broke out, ANYONE who wants to boo Ausmus or Backe, has my support! Izzy has given us so much, and I have been just as upset and frustrated as the next fan, but I will not make my grandpappy roll in his grave by booing in Baseball Heaven!! We have always prided ourselves on being the classier fans, let’s not let the CUBBIES rub off on us!!!

...But it’s become more and more commonplace, and I suppose it shouldn’t be all that surprising. Many sports fans have the attention span of a gnat. All that matters is what you are doing now, or at least what you have done in the last few day/weeks. Lost in it all is the greater context.

I guess it’s unavoidable when so many more resources are dedicated to recycling the previous 24 hours events in grand detail. Sportscenter all morning long. Shows like PTI and Around the Horn in the afternoon, where he who yells the loudest wins. Writers like Mariotti littering sports sections with their hatchet pieces against whatever local sports figure lost the last game. Talk radio hosts going on hour long rants…..

It’s easy to see why it happens. That doesn’t mean I or anyone else has to like it though. In this particular case it bugs me more than usual. Some people probably deserve to be booed. They don’t give all that they have. Maybe they don’t listen to coaches. Maybe they don’t care. Maybe they say things that show they are a real jackass. In any of those cases I can see a basis for booing.

Izzy is none of those things. He has never dogged it. He has always taken the responibility for himself, as far as I can tell. In the greater context, he’s performed at a high level for us for much longer than most closers do. Izzy flat doesn’t have it right now. He said as much, and by doing so he saved Tony the temptation of dragging this out longer out of loyalty. He did everyone a huge favor right there, because this was a delicate matter for Tony to handle – whether we recognize it or not.

Every person in almost every industry reaches a point where their skills slip. They simply cannot contribute to their business the same ways that they used to. It just happens in baseball faster and often times without much warning.

Sure, people can go ahead and boo. If St. Louis fans want to rain a parade of boo’s on Izzy next time he steps on the mound, I can’t stop it. If that’s the way it is going to be though, just realize that we are becoming just like every other baseball town in that respect. Please don’t feel that kind of action is warranted on one hand, and then expect someone to stick around and take the “home town discount” on the other. If that’s what we are going to become, then don’t be disappointed when Ankiel and Boras take the dollars and run. He might owe LaRussa and the organization, but by then the key players that believed in him may all be gone. He won’t owe us, as fans, jack. We’ll turn on him after his next 1 for 25 slump. Don’t make any long term committments based on something so fickle. Same principle applies to anybody on the team, or any prospective free agent.

Sure the fans have the right, but that doesn’t make it right. And if we are going to behave just like everyone else’s fans, that’s fine I suppose, but let’s just realize that players aren’t going to view us as any different than anyone else either.

I want Izzy to be the best he can be.