It's Time to Decide

What do you do when faced with a decision and you feel like there are no good choices, only some less than others.

It is a conundrum, and this year, more so than any in recent memory, is an even greater challenge. I have put off the decision for as long as possible, hoping a more palatable choice would emerge.

But decide I have. And I’m ready to announce my decision. I am also resisting peer pressure as I reveal my choice.

Some of you will perhaps cheer, others jeer. Some will even hate and deride my choice, perhaps post nasty or insulting memes of ridicule.

I’ve given this a fair amount of thought, although, I confess, I haven’t listened to the media comment or even watched any of the confrontations so far. I only ask that even if my choice isn’t yours, you’ll try to treat me with the same respect with which I will treat you, even if you are a Cubs fan.

Go Nationals!

What, you thought I was talking something as trivial as politics?

 

How We Lost Out to the Cubs -- A Theory

Controversy Alert (non political variety)

What follows is pure speculation, based more on a nagging feeling (and perhaps bias) than actual evidence. But hey, this is America. As is abundantly clear on both the campaign trail and talk media, there is no requirement to actually know what you’re talking about to voice an opinion.

Oh, and this has no real social significance because it deals with my theory trying to explain how the Cardinals lost out to the Cubs on both John Lackey and Jason Heyward. If Saint Louis is really baseball heaven, why depart for Chicago? I am suggesting here that perhaps it wasn’t JUST money and/or length of contract.

I’m not a huge fan of Mike Matheny, especially in terms of Xs & Os, strategy stuff. Hey, it’s baseball, and all fans second guess and feel like we could make better strategic and personnel decisions. That may or may not be true. In any case, he has clearly demonstrated that he IS a good manager of men, a strong motivator. He is an embodiment of the “Cardinal Way,” a true believer who has successfully conveyed those principles to his team. He is also authentic, true to himself, a dedicated Christian, strong in his faith. Admirable. Nothing to criticize there.

But therein may lie the problem. If you think of Matheny’s favorites, they seem to be almost universally “super Christians.” I wonder, however, if that kind of atmosphere, the relentless Christianity and moral superiority at least implied by both Matheny and the Cardinal Way, is a comfortable fit for every player. I don’t pretend to know either John Lackey or Jason Heyward (or any other player) but might the more secular (if, in fact, he is) Joe Maddon be a more attractive leader, at least for some players, than the (seemingly) self-righteous, holier than thou Mike Matheny? If true, it’s not a criticism that a player would be likely to share publicly, or even in the clubhouse, but one that might skew a player's decision in a direction other than what we fans might have preferred. It would for me.

Just a thought or two….  & see Rule #31 in the header above.