Roger Lajoie Blog: Cards have come a long way

By Roger Lajoie The Hamilton Cardinals have come a long way, there is no doubt about that. Long-time fans of the Cards are fully aware of the team's history. The last championship for the franchise for instance was in 1978, 48 long years ago. After that great year came 25 consecutive losing seasons before finally, in 2002, a winning record followed by a loss in the league championship series. You read that right by the way - twenty five losing seasons in a row. There was another plus .500 season in 2003, but another 15 consecutive losing seasons followed, before Hamilton finally reached .500 again in 2019. That's losing teams in 40 of 42 seasons. Sorry to pile it on here! Ah, but things have certainly changed. Recent seasons have been much better and since Eric and Anna Spearin bought the team a few seasons back, the overall fortunes have improved dramatically in Hamilton, both off and on the field. Despite losing two of three on the weekend, the Cards are 17-11 and are among the top five teams at the top of the standings. Hamilton is first in team ERA, first in team defense and second in hitting. That is really impressive. This team is fun to watch. The Cards are on pace to shatter the franchise record for wins in a season (22), and are right in the thick of a pennant race. No question, this is a team that could win it all. That's coming a long way...a long, long way for sure. Now the Cards are being judged by the standards of a potential championship team, never mind a .500 team. They are RIGHT THERE with the league's best teams. So, what will it take for the Cards to win it all? We again saw the flaws they need to address on the weekend. They lost their two road games to top teams at Welland and London after a convincing win at home. They have to find a way to win in those parks, as a road record of 6-8 is holding them back. You'll take an 11-3 home record anytime. Team ERA may be the best in the league, but team bullpen ERA is only fourth. Closing out tight games remains a bit of an on-going issue. And...and really not much else. It's a very good well rounded team that can beat you in a lot of ways. Great at bats. Terrific starting pitching. Really good defense. Very tough to beat at The Nest! Consider this team's history again and look at the present. The Cards are having an historically good season. It's already the winningest team in franchise history. With a bit better bullpen and a few more wins in the road, we could be watching baseball at Bernie Arbour Stadium until late September. That would REALLY be coming a long way, wouldn't it?!