The emotionless play of the Cardinals' top players doesn't inspire much hope

The superstars' performance lately is equally flat.

Human beings aren’t very good at hiding their mood, or the collective mood of the company they work for. For a sports team composing their worst record in decades, it’s hard to hide on a television screen. Find a random worker out and about dredging through his workday, and the disgust could go unnoticed.

Jeff Curry-USA Today Sports

Looking at Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt these days, you’d think they were strapped to a chair for a six hour Michael Bolton celebration concert. They do their jobs, and do them well. However, the way that they do them in such a robotic fashion doesn’t do much for their teammates, or the fanbase.

Believe it. Professional teams aren’t shit and do not matter without fans in the seats. You could be 61-39, but if you’re not drawing good crowds, the operation is still flawed. For the first time since I was a very young Cardinals fan, the team is awful. Their record matches their hustle and overall emotional investment in the game. If you’re trying to instill hope for a supposed 2024 revival, this effort won’t cut it.

The Cardinals look pretty bad for a $157 million payroll. They are too lethargic for a squad carrying two MVP finalists from last season, and it begins and ends with the big guns. Arenado has prided himself on going 100%, all in on a season--even if the record was crap. Look at where he spent the first chunk of his career. Goldschmidt tasted the same kind of false start results in Arizona. Maybe this unfortunate, very bad 2023 season is bringing back old feelings.

It’s hard to miss, and I don’t care about the byproduct of a down year and how it affects players. Their bats not being as wicked doesn’t help. OPS wise, they sit atop the team, but are Arenado and Goldschmidt paid top dollar to produce a .799 and .814 mark going into tonight’s game, respectively? That’s bush league for them. The Cardinals need more. The fans, if they are being asked to show up and pay ridiculous ballpark prices, deserve more.

It spreads to the rest of the team, at least everybody not named Willson Contreras. But he’s a first-year Cardinal and all-time passionate player; don’t forget he won a World Series with the Cubs in 2016. Perhaps his taste of the Fall classic gives him that relentless hunger. Probably not.

Here’s the facts. In his last 30 games, Arenado is slashing .222/.278/.359 with 16 strikeouts and 26 hits. Goldschmidt’s on-base percentage over his last 30 games (.343) is admirable, but his average (.250) and slugging percentage (.397) are definitely not. Goldschmidt has 36 strikeouts to just 4 home runs during that stretch. That dates back to the trade deadline, right after the white flag was waved by Bill DeWitt Jr. and John Mozeliak.

After that happened, the Cardinals’ two studs gave up. They slowed down, and it shows. If you’re making $25 and $35 respectively, the effort should be there right along with the results--especially in a dire year. Show the fans that you’re going all out. You work for three hours a night, so push it. Who wants to get up and deliver toilets with me in the morning? Anyone, fellas?

Apples to oranges for sure, but the general basis of the Cardinals fanbase is made up out of blue collar workers. Blue collar families stretch their budget to go see them play. If we notice they’re not working as hard as we do for the money to spend on their product, something is wrong.

Here’s the finality, folks. This team won’t get better in a somewhat quick way without trading one of their big guys. I’m sleeping easier with that notion every night I see the life drained out of their play.

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