The Iliad of I-55
[The stage is set: a crumbling amphitheater beneath the Gateway Arch. The sky is tinged with late-summer melancholy. A chorus of robed Cardinals fans enters, clutching foam fingers.]
CHORUS: O Muse of Midseason, sing of the deadline! Of prospects gained and legends lost, Of deals struck not in triumph, but in reckoning. For the front office, once bold with banners, Now barters in futures, not flags.
CHORISTER 1: Mozeliak, high priest of roster fate, Did cast out names once etched in lore. Helsley, Matz, Maton—gone, Their arms traded for whispers of tomorrow.
CHORISTER 2: We watched, not with rage, but with ritual grief. For this was not betrayal—it was burial. A season laid to rest beneath transaction scrolls, Its tombstone etched: “2025—We Tried, Kinda.”
CHORUS: And what rises from the ashes? A Winn, swift as Hermes, A Graceffo, forged in Memphis flame, A hope not yet proven, but planted.
CHORISTER 3: The Cubs come now, smug in their ascent, Their deadline a feast, ours a fast. But let them gloat—for even in ruin, We remember how dynasties begin.
CHORUS: O Redbirds, mourn not the standings, But sing of the soil tilled anew. For the harvest comes not in August, But in Octobers yet to be.
[The Chorus exits slowly, humming “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” in a minor key. A single scorecard flutters in the wind.]
So… is likening this season of Cardinals baseball to a Greek chorus, evoking ancient fans in togas lamenting the fate of the team, a little dramatic? Maybe. But maybe that’s how I cope.
You see, my friends at Bleed Cubbie Blue, this season started off so fun—and it still can be. But these Cardinals made the mistake of showing a glimmer of something. And instead of taking it as a sign of hope for the future, we Cardinals fans maybe thought something could come of this season. Only to be crushed when reality hit. Nothing more Greek tragedy than that. Homer wishes.
As for this series: the Cardinals are set up to give the Cubs some good games, even if it’s nothing but pride on the line. Michael McGreevy will be making his 10th career start — a good chance to see what the 24-year-old can do. I’m not really sure how to describe Andre Pallante’s season so far — it hasn’t been great, but it could be worse? Then there’s Sonny Gray, the Cardinals’ best pitcher.
On offense, the Cardinals’ top players all made it through the trade deadline. Somehow Willson Contreras, Iván Herrera, and Pedro Pagés remain not only on the roster together, but at times in the lineup together—playing first base, DH, and catcher, respectively. Brendan Donovan has cooled, and Contreras has assumed his role as the Cardinals’ top hitter, while defense and baserunning have made Masyn Winn the most valuable Cardinal.
It’s always fun when these two teams get together — I don’t see this being any different!