Why the St. Louis Cardinals Are Still Playoff Bound

Well, the grumblings out of Cardinal Nation have begun. The bullpen isn't deep enough to hold the rest of the season together. The offense is too streaky. The leadership on the team is missing . I have heard all of these things from various newspapers, analysts, ESPN, and radio commentators. So why do the 2008 St. Louis Cardinals still make a better playoff candidate than the Milwaukee Brewers and maybe even Chicago Cubs? Simply put, they have the ability. They just have to put it all together. Let's break this down by the three arguments from above.   Bullpen This being the largest problem on the Cardinal horizon, is one that makes even the most surest quiver. Does the name Ryan Franklin equal blown save now? Should we just not even take the field in the ninth because we will give up the longball? The answer, I believe, lies not in our bullpen fiasco, but in the starting pitching. Although Kyle Lohse got shelled in the sixth yesterday, giving up his first loss in ... (link)