I really like this team.
The Cardinals in my lifetime, have been traditionally slow out of the gate. At least too slow for me.
I always fretted as a child when the Cardinals came out slow, because at my school there were always Cubs fans, who seemed to always start as fast as the Cardinals did slow. I often had to listen to Cubs fans brag (God only knows why) about it being "the year". By the time summer started the Cardinals had usually caught or were about to catch the Cubs.
And by the time the Cardinals had passed them up, school was out, and by the time school started, it was Cubs fans saying "who cares, wait 'til next year". So it was difficult to "get back" at their ridiculous predictions, so to speak.
I remember as a child one season, 1973, when it seemed they were never going to win another game. And yet they were in first place by the All-Star Break that year.
Here's how whacky that year went (credit Baseball Reference):
0-5 start
1-12 April 22nd
2-15 April 28th
5-20 May 8th (a famous day in Knicks history as noted in a previous post)
61-50 August 5th (high water mark before losing 8 in a row)
81-81 finish after winning their last 5 games.
They almost made the playoffs, had the Cubs beat the Mets on the last two days of the season.
And in the previous post I just chronicled a year in which they started 15-19 and yet won 101 by years end.
Anyway, this year got off to another slow start initially, with St. Louis going 1-3 in Milwaukee. But I've learned by now baseball is a long, long, long season.
In fact, traditional baseball wisdom is to check the standing after 40 games to see what you have, not before then, and that gives you a good snapshot of how the season is going to go forward.
But I can't help but be optimistic. I came in to this season with higher than usual expectations. After 3 mediocre years, we have to be due for a breakout. Balls had to bounce our way again. One run games had to be won by us this time.
Plus, I just like Paul Goldschmidt. In fact the whole team is very likeable.
I'm playing it cautious, but I suspect I have watched more baseball this April than in the previous 3 Aprils combined.
And I do like what I see. Looking forward to more to come.
