Cards Vs. Giants

[Jerry Rapp]

I am always one who says never argue against success. I was always a LaRussa supporter and Dad hated him, LOL!. But I think Matheny cost the team at least 5 wins in the regular season and really botched up the playoffs. I guess I am turning into Dad. But I will try to bite my tongue and enjoy next year as the Cardinals contend for a playoff spot. I hope the Red Sox and Royals can do the same next year.

[KCRIVERRAT]

Haven't looked it up but I think Matheney's led 'em to at least 90 wins the last three years. Cards will always be the Cards. Hell... second most World Series titles behind the Yankees. They're always good. We KC fans are... well... not used to this dung. I remember the early 70's when we finally knocked off the A's (our old team that I went and watched at Municipal Stadium as a kid) and took control of the AL West. It was exciting then because we were just a few years from being an expansion team (1969). We were good from '76 till '85 but the darn Yankees kept breaking our hearts. We lost to a great Phillies team in '80 and I had to watch what I could as I was overseas in the Navy. Then came '85 and as I always tell Cards fans... "Thank You Don Denkinger". I'm hoping we win this Series without controversy.

[Al Agnew]

Whitey Herzog said something to the effect that managers don't win games but they can sure as heck lose them.

On the other hand, players have to perform. If the other team outperforms you, fine, but when your supposedly top players don't get any clutch hits at all, with plenty of chances, then there's nothing the manager can do. Matheny didn't manage the bullpen very well, but most of his moves or "no-moves" didn't really have a great deal of impact in the end...except bringing in Wacha that last game in the toughest spot for him to be in, after not using him at all during the post-season. That was just stupid, and I suspect that the reason he did so was because everybody was on him, probably including Mozeliak, to do so. But he seemed to be managing those last few games as if they were a regular season series, not as if they were done if they lost.