Brian34Cook

Izzy's place on team remains 'wild card'
By Joe Strauss
07/20/2008

A manager's perfect world always includes a single, unchallenged closer who allows the remainder of the bullpen to offer structured roles to its remaining six (or seven) arms. The Cardinals enter Sunday's series finale arguably the National League's most surprising team. But the NL wild card leader is living in far from a perfect world.

Isringhausen is a proud guy, the Cardinals' all-time saves leader and the owner of 292 career saves. He is likely in the final year of a seven-year association with the club. It remains uncertain whether Isringhausen's lapse in mechanics and, more significant, a profound loss of confidence earlier this season quarantine him from his former role.

Since being activated June 14, Isringhausen has pitched 14 2/3 innings covering 12 games. Including a troubled outing in Pittsburgh on July 12, he has allowed 13 hits and five earned runs while striking out 13 against seven walks. Just as revealing, he's gotten 24 ground outs compared with nine fly outs.

"I have confidence Izzy can pitch in a one-run game and give us a chance to win," La Russa said, stopping short of specifying which inning that might be.

La Russa never publicly guaranteed Isringhausen would return as closer and, according to club sources, remains committed to Franklin whenever available.

Isringhausen insists he is a company guy. "I don't want to ruffle feathers," he said. However, Isringhausen's place on the team is enough of an issue for the pitcher to seek a meeting in La Russa's office after Thursday's 4-3 win over the San Diego Padres.

La Russa says the formula is simple: Continue to get hitters out and responsibility will increase.

"I'm not going to get into conversations I've had with players," La Russa said. "I know it's tradition that he's been the closer and he wants to do that. But every year is different. He was out for a while and in the meantime we had to survive. And we've survived. It's a different set of circumstances and we're just going to play it that way."

To Isringhausen, the matter is more complex.

"I think I've shown I can pitch here. I'm confident in what I can do," he said. "But maybe Tony and Dunc' are waiting to see more. I respect (La Russa). He has reasons for what he does. But I can't answer for him."

Does a return to closing depend on Isringhausen's success or Franklin's failure?

"I think they still trust me. But I also know Franklin's done a fantastic job," Isringhausen said. "I don't have hard feelings toward anybody. I just have to go out and keep getting people out to show them that I'm capable of doing it again. And I also have to show that if I fail, I'm not going to implode like before. If I go out there tonight and give it up, am I going to crawl in a shell because of all the booing and stuff? That has a lot to do with it, too."

The message La Russa conveys to media is much the same as what he has told Isringhausen: Pitch well, and at least position yourself for consideration.

"Sometimes you've got to set your pride aside and do what's best for your team," Isringhausen said. "I'm sure down the road I'm going to have some very important innings."

STLtoday - Izzy's place on team remains 'wild card'

Franklin is pretty shaky at times too as the closer.. theres no set one for this team IMO.. Izzy will get his chance and I believe it could come today if theres that chance..