MLB Rumors: Marmol’s Cardinals excuses, Braves prospect buzz, huge Cubs return
MLB rumors: Cardinals fans losing patience with Oli Marmol’s excuses
On the other side of the coin in the NL Central is the St. Louis Cardinals. Predicted by most to win the division coming into the year, they are in fourth place after their first 23 games of the campaign and are somehow just one game clear of the lowly Reds in the standings.
It’s been a rough go of it overall, whether it’s been inconsistency from stars like Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt, and Willson Contreras, the odd Tyler O’Neill effort controversy, or the general woes of the pitching staff over the start of the year.
But manager Oli Marmol isn’t worried — even if he should be. More pressingly, though, the Cardinals manager offered yet another excuse amid the roster’s underperformance and after a Monday loss to the Giants as he talked about no one in the building giving in.
Marmol on the #STLCards' early-season struggles: "You got a pretty mentally tough team, they're not going to give in. Other people would. There's no way anybody in that clubhouse, staff, player included is going to give in to what's going on right now." pic.twitter.com/tHG9c3mte2
— Bally Sports Midwest (@BallySportsMW) April 25, 2023
That’s great to have that mentality, but fans care more about winning games, which the team just isn’t doing over the first (roughly) one-eighth of the season. And fans aren’t looking for excuses, they are looking for the results to be there.
The reactions to Marmol’s comments in the aftermath of the club’s 9-14 start from the fanbase have grown increasingly frustrated in their tone, albeit with plenty of ill-willed sarcasm mixed in. But if the team doesn’t start to get things on track soon, there could be real pressure from the fans for the organization to move on from Marmol if all he can offer up is excuses instead of solutions.