Aug 21, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pinch hitter Luken Baker (26) hits a two run home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the seventh inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
The St. Louis Cardinals hasn't been the winning franchise it's known to be for quite some time and fans are at their breaking point with management.
Average Cardinals fans' attendance per game has plummeted over the last few years and if something doesn't change for the better soon, those numbers will likely drop even more.
Rightfully so, Cardinals manager Oli Marmol is on the hot seat for his lack of effective leadership over the last two seasons. What he did in Thursday night's shutout over the Milwaukee Brewers is a prime example of why the franchise's dedicated fan base heavily criticizes the St. Louis skipper.
Cardinals first baseman Luken Baker was not in Thursday's starting lineup after clobbering a pinch-hit home run the night before in his first at-bat since being recalled from Triple-A Memphis.
Instead, Marmol decided to start Alec Burleson -- who isn't strong on defense -- at first base while Baker was benched. Also, St. Louis veteran Matt Carpenter began the game as the Cardinals designated hitter.
Baker was recalled from the minors because the Cardinals have struggled against left-handed pitchers this season. He is a right-handed power hitter who's long overdue to make the step from the minors to the big leagues.
However, Brewers right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta was the starter for Milwaukee in Thursday's division-rivalry match-up, so Marmol's decision to start left-handed hitters Burleson and Carpenter over Baker makes logical sense.
Not starting Baker upset Cardinals fans because it's tough to understand why a struggling St. Louis lineup wouldn't include a recently promoted slugger, who just showed everyone his great power potential the night before -- especially when the player occupying his position (Goldschmidt) isn't playing.
Unfortunately, this isn't the first time Marmol has recently been criticized for his judgment calls and it likely won't be the last as passionate St. Louis fans desperately wait for their favorite team to return to playing the "Cardinal Way".