What a year! It was very few hills and lots of valleys for Cardinal Nation. Things didn’t go well from the very start of the season. I found myself actually finding other things to do than watch Fox Sports Midwest. Let’s look at what the Cardinals GM staff believes are the Top 5 stories of the year.

1. Without question the one story that affected us all was the death of Josh Hancock. Many questions were fired off from the media about what happened and how it could have been avoided and did management see it coming. It made a profound impact on the season.

2. The firing of Walt Jocketty. No one can say they saw it coming. It was a blindsided move that was a shocker to those outside the organizational walls. With that move, the entire off-season was put in limbo. Would TLR come back? Was Luhnow getting promoted? Would Mozeliak move up? Was it time to seek an outsider? The questions kept coming.

3. Scott Spiezio goes into rehab. See #1 and it will give some insight, I believe to some of the new problems that the organization now had to face. Speez and others had their inner souls shaking from the loss of a friend and teammate. Speez was seeking answers and it appears he headed down the wrong path.

4. TLR gets a DUI. That set the tone for the season. Can he lead a team or has he lost the confidence of his team? Is this a recurring problem or is it isolated? Will his team put it behind them or be quiet and move on? The team has a substance abuse problem it appears and the leadership has swept it under the rug (see#1 and #3).

5. The Kid arrives. Rick Ankiel is back in the major leagues and it has a feel good story to it. Once a promising pitcher that became a struggling pitcher and now returns as an outfielder. What’s he do? He homers in his first game! But a black cloud appears and he is implicated in performance enhancing drugs and the Cards go on the skids. The good and the bad for Rick.

Special bonus: The ongoing feud between Tony Larussa and Scott Rolen. I believe it will be the TOP STORY of 2008 for the Cardinals!

Check out the other United Cardinal Bloggers and their opinions at CardinalNationGlobe, C70 at the Bat, Readin’ Redbird, Rockin’ the Red and Stan Musial’s Stance

The next column will find us in a new year and I will be another year older at midnight tonight!!

(That is why they really drop the ball in Times Square, to honor my birthday)

By: Tom on Dec 31st, 2007
Tagged as: Cardinal Small Talk, GM Suggestions